Students will explore Ben Thompson’s (Neon Feather) idea about why God has placed us in the right time and place. No one’s life is an accident and we need to celebrate all that God has given us.

 

Get viral with the phrase “Take the long way.” Right now – as you read this in preparation for your meeting – text your group and post on your social media: “Hey everyone! Make sure you take the long way to group this week!” Keep that phrase going. When you sent a text or email to anyone in the group end with “Remember to take the long way.” Create a few memes with the phrase “I’m taking the long way”. If anyone asks what you mean, tell them they have to come to group this week to find out.

 

Before your group meets, post a note on the door that says, “Take the long way.” Maybe write it on the board or post a sign down the main aisle of your space. As people walk in, encourage them to “take the long way!” When everyone is gathered, ask for a show of hands of who got the message this week and took the long way? Ask:

Explain that we’re going to focus on “The Long Way Home” by Neon Feather. Neon Feather is not a group, it’s Ben Thompson. He calls himself a programmer and producer and has become known by doing remixes for artists like Tobymac, Mandisa, Rend Collective, and many more. Ben started using the name when he entered a remix contest and wanted to remain anonymous. On the spot he thought “Neon” – which is electric like his music, coupled with “Feather”, for something organic. Ben is kind of a deep thinker and he said that the song came out of some thoughts he had about our place in the world.

 

Hand out the Student Guides and have volunteers read Ben’s Thoughts aloud. Discuss each thought. Do you students agree or disagree? The final question is, “What are YOUR thoughts?” 

 

Explain that musicians sometimes work out their thoughts in their songs. Instruct the students to fill in the blanks as the video plays. Play the video of “The Long Way Home.” Have the students think about how the video relates to what Ben was thinking.

 

Go through the fill-in-the-blank section. The answers are: Going, Lost, Back Roads, Hard, Celebrate, Counts, Eyes, Time.

 

Explain that Ben said his favorite line in the lyrics is that final phrase on the page, “Treasuring the gift of borrowed time.” Ben says, “Time itself is a really unique gift because in Heaven there is no sense of time because there’s no end in sight.” Ask, “Have you ever thought that time is a gift? How should that change how we think about time and how we use it?”

 

Break into small groups and have them each take a Bible verse from the Student Guide (Matthew 6:31-33; John 21:20-22; Acts 17:24-27; 1Timothy 6:17-19; James 1:17-18.) Have each group spend a few minutes discussing the Bible verse and how the passage relates to Ben’s thoughts.

 

Bring the group back together and go through each verse. Have a person from each group explain how they answered the question. Discuss each response. Fill in any gaps the group may have missed and allow time for other students to respond. Relate the verses to the lyrics as you go. (If your group is smaller, just have each person read a verse aloud, then discuss it as a group.) Discuss:

Ask, “What actions show that we are ungrateful for the gifts that God has given?” Some examples would include: complaining, self-pity, envying, negative comparisons, etc. Lead your group in a prayer of silent confession for the actions that we have displayed. Close with a prayer of celebration for what God has given us and how God has placed us in just the place and time.