Leader Guide

Theme
Brokenness

Objective
Students will reflect on their own brokenness and need for Jesus to purify their heart, mind, and soul – and to see the Father’s fire as both revitalizing and healing.

Warm Up
Who knows of someone [no names, just hands] who has been deeply hurt at some point in their life – physically, spiritually, or emotionally? Who would agree that the world is full of much darkness, pain, and suffering?

We’ve all experienced darkness, pain, or suffering. Maybe we’ve been hurt through the words or actions of a friend or family member that really stung our heart deeply. Maybe we’ve winced in pain because of something we saw on T.V., the internet, or a videogame that we know, deep down, we weren’t ready for: gory or brutal violence to someone, pornographic pictures or videos, a graphic crime scene—even fictional images can leave a wound in our heart and mind. Maybe we’ve felt shame or regret for something we did or allowed to happen. Maybe we’ve lost someone close to us through death, divorce, or addiction and never really knew how to respond to that loss. Does any of this sound familiar?

Transition
Jesus has a way to heal those hurts, those pains, that loss of emotional or physical purity. The Holy Spirit can renew and restore our mind and heart, our body and soul; can help us “un-see” things God our Father never meant for us to see or experience, but that our fallen world has exposed to us; and can heal our brokenness.

The Song
Hand out the Student Guides and pens/pencils. Encourage the students to truly listen to the lyrics as the song plays and fill in the blanks to the lyrics on the Student Guide. Then, once the song is over, take a few minutes of silence to answer the questions.

Transition
• One of the lyrics is, “I wanna see You like a child.” For a little demonstration of this, what were your favorite childhood group games from preschool up until about second grade? [Ring Around the Rosy, Duck-Duck-Goose, etc.] If time allows, play a couple rounds of one for old time’s sake.
• What about these games made them so fun? [Simple, active, innocent, etc.]
• To see God as a child doesn’t mean we need to be childish (demanding our way, throwing tantrums, being silly), but rather childlike (simple, innocent, pure, joyful, and trusting Him as our loving father). Let’s see what the Scriptures say.

Bible Study
Have the students look up and read 1 Corinthians 13:11 and 1 Corinthians 14:20. St. Paul says we are not to be childish; however, we are still called to be childlike. Have the students look up and read Matthew 18:2-4 and 1 John 3:1-3. These are only a couple passages on what it means to be childlike.

We can all relate to having some kind of brokenness in our lives, and our desire to “un-see” things that we have seen; kind of like hitting a reset button. Once we understand the difference between being childish and being childlike, we can start to see how we can be receptive to God’s healing— just like a child.

Have students read these verses and discuss what they mean: Isaiah 43:18-19; Ezekiel 36:26; Mark 2:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17.
• How would receiving Jesus’ healing in our lives be easier if we come to Him as a child?
• Jesus wants to give us a new heart and heal all our brokenness. We can trust that He can do this if we let Him, like a child trusting a loving father.

Will you let Jesus heal you? If so, God’s healing of our brokenness can be painful, like a surgery or like a cauterizing fire. Healing can hurt although it gives us life. Once our wounds are healed, the fire of God’s love then provides warmth, protection, and guidance— first to us, then through us to others. Have them read the following verses in this order:
• Isaiah 10:17 (God’s healing)
• Luke 11:34-36 (God’s illuminating)
• Nehemiah 9:12 (God’s guidance)

Wrap Up
God wants to be our firelight. We can choose to keep standing in the darkness of our pain and suffering, or we can call on Him with childlike trust to heal us with His fire. He wants us to have so much confidence in Him that, as we let Him heal us, we become filled with His light and start to illuminate the world around us. When He is our firelight, we can run into the darkness of the world and bring the Light we’ve found to others who need it. We can be known for taking the Light of Christ into the darkest places because we know that, with Him, the darkness cannot overtake us.

Have the students read Philippians 2:14-16. Then, ask the final challenge: “Are you willing and ready to carry God’s firelight into the world, to be known only for His fire burning in and through you?”

If time allows, play the song again.