Leader Guide

Theme
Trust

Objective
Students will learn that God is present and helping them even when they don’t know it.

Warm Up
Trust Circle – Form groups of six or seven, using students of roughly the same size. One student stands in the center of the circle and stands firm. The other students provide support by putting two hands on this center student. When the center student is ready and has eyes closed and body rigid like a plank of wood, that student gently leans backwards and is then passed around and across the circle. After a while, the group gently brings the student’s body back to a central, upright position. Note: The center student should choose a person to catch him or her first. Use the “ready to fall,” “fall on” calls.

The Video
Play the video while kids are doing the Trust Circle exercise. Play the video again if you need more time to give everyone a chance to be in the center.

Transition
Have students sit in a circle. Give them a few questions to work through as a group.
• Is trusting in people easy or hard for you? Why?
• Is trusting in God easy or hard for you? Why?
• When have you felt that God was taking care of you?

Bible Study
You Can Trust God To Lead You (Proverbs 3:5-6; John 20:29; 1 Peter 1:8) Just as you trusted the people in your circle (who you can see), you can trust God (that you can’t see.) Proverbs says that if we’ll trust God with our lives and don’t lean on only what we know, our paths will be directed. Jesus said there is a blessing for those who trust in Him even though they have not seen Him. You can trust Jesus to lead you where you need to go. Write on your Student Guide three areas of your life in which you need direction.

You Can Trust God To Sustain You (Jeremiah 17:7-8; Psalm 1:2-3) What is the source of your strength? Music? Friends? Money? What sustains you and gives you hope? Anything that grows has a source. The trees spoken of by Jeremiah and the psalmist were both planted by water, closest to the source of life. How close are you planted to God? Is He your source? On your Student Guide, list the many benefits that come from trusting God as your source.

You Can Trust God To Keep You (Psalm 62:8; 52:8; 91:1-3) God is not a one trick pony. Yes, He sent Jesus. Yes, He saves us. The purpose was so that we could get back to trusting Him for our every need the way Adam and Eve did. They had need of nothing. Maybe you are facing a situation in your home where there is not enough money to pay the rent or for you to have lunch money. God cares about our physical needs as well as our spiritual needs. God also cares for our safety and works for us and against those who would try to snare us into trouble. You can trust that God can and will meet those needs for you. On your Student Guide, write down some of the things we can trust God for.

Wrap Up
Earlier, you gathered in circles and trusted your fellow students to catch you. If you can trust them to catch you as you fall, you can trust God with every part of your life.
Close in prayer.