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Music Resources

Artist: For KING & COUNTRY
Song: joy.
Album: Burn The Ships
Featured In: YLO 112

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For KING & COUNTRY

Leader Guide

Artist: For KING & COUNTRY
Album: Burn The Ships
Label: Word
Song: joy.
From: YLO 112 (Summer 2018 : Humor and Fun)
Writer: Doug Ranck | Free Methodist Church | Santa Barbara, California

Theme(s): Joy Optimism Positive Attitude

Objective

Students will be encouraged to have a positive attitude about what they experience – an attitude that comes from the joy that God gives them.

Intro

People mean well. They see us in need, having a down day, upset by a loss or tragedy, and they want to help. They long to see us comforted. Yet, a few statements or well-crafted words will hardly make a dent in the pain. They say, “Don’t worry, be happy,” or “It will be okay,” or “Look on the bright side” or – there are more, you’ve heard them.

People mostly have good intentions. They want others to be happy. While we applaud those who seek to comfort or cheer us up, real life experiences do not allow for 24/7 happiness.

We may want to be happy but we cannot always feel happiness.

Happiness is an emotion. When it is present life is good but it is fleeting. Circumstances, harsh words, anxiety and a world of bad news can steal our happiness. When we first chose to follow Christ we felt happy, we may have gone to camps and conferences where we experienced the “camp high” but then it faded and as we have gotten older the feelings of faith are different.

Joy is an attitude. Joy and happiness are often used interchangeably as if they are the same thing. They are not. To have joy is to make the choice to have joy. Joy is the hope we carry, through Christ, knowing there is “light at the end of the tunnel.” Our darkness will once again be overcome by light.

To live a life of joy is challenging yet it is what brings us strength. The apostle Paul says to “rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4). He does not say be happy always, he says rejoice.

In this song event we are going to explore the world of joy. How does it look in our changing world? How do we let the joy of the Lord be our strength? How do we explain it to others?

Warm Up

Have a 70’s party! If you can, and have the resources, go to your local resale/thrift store and get a bunch of 70’s clothes – plaid pants, wide ties, that kind of thing. Do some 70’s decorating in your youth room (think disco ball, 70’s style posters, Teen magazines, that kind of thing.) Have 70’s-themed videos playing (you can find a bunch of old TV shows online) and provide some 70’s-era games (like “Twister”) to play as the young people arrive.

Set up your stage area to be a 70’s-style news station – along the lines of Anchorman, and have a guy and girl leader dressed similar to the two newscasters from the 70’s!

Don’t forget the food! Be sure to have plenty of Tang, TAB, Fondu, Twinkies, Pigs in a Blanket, and Yellow Smiley Face Sugar Cookies “Have a nice day!”

Transition

Gather the group together and talk a bit about how much fun “dressing up” is – we get to pretend we’re “Far Out!” and “Way Cool!” But, sometimes, pretending is as good as we can do, because we feel anything but “Far Out” or “Way Cool.” There is a way to fix that, though. This song from for KING & COUNTRY might give us a clue what can really make a big difference.

The Song

Make sure your sound system is working GREAT – and play “joy.” by For KING & COUNTRY.

Transition

True joy is not possible without the hope we find in God. We can try to have joy but what we are often attempting is to have happiness. Today we look at a passage reminding us what God longs to give us in all the circumstances of life.

Bible Study

Be sure each member of your group has a Bible or copy of the Scripture passage. Have them turn to Psalm 4. Read the entire passage together by going around the circle or room and having a different person read one verse at a time. Remind them this is God’s Word, and it is okay bring a little enthusiasm into their reading!

After your group has read through the whole passage, invite each person to find a quiet place or corner in the room, where they will experience a little “solo” time for 5-10 minutes. Hand out the Student Guides that have the following instructions and let the kids work on their own.

Silently read Psalm 4 twice.
As you think about your own personality, are you more of a “glass half empty” person or a “glass half full” person?
What does the Psalm’s writer, David, say about God in verse 1?
What three requests does he bring to God in verse1?
Describe, in your own words, what others seem to be doing in verse 2.
How do you think this is affecting David’s life?
In verse 3 what is David declaring?
What does “He has set apart the godly for Himself” mean to you?
What is David, in verses 4 and 5, telling others they should do?
What is important about offering “right” sacrifices?
What might be an example of a wrong sacrifice?
What is David’s response, in verse 6, to those who would say “Who can show us any good?”
What has God filled us with in verse 7?
Why would it have been important to not base one’s feelings on plentiful grain and new wine?
What is the product of David adopting the attitude of joy and hope, according to verse 8?

After everyone is finished, bring the group back together. Review the questions and their responses. Answer any queries and ensure that all understand the importance of “greater joy” in our lives.

Ask your group why they can find it easier to have joy or positive attitude in some circumstances and not others.

Remind them again of the difference between the emotion of “happiness” and the attitude of “joy.”

Wrap Up

Remind your group that pure joy is impossible without God. Over the years their feelings may change about many people, things, circumstances, and even their relationship with Christ. With the hope of Christ in their lives, joy can remain a constant.

Close by asking each person to identify one area that is most challenging to have joy right now or where it has been in the past or where it might be in the future. Give them a few moments to share their response. Be sure each person is prayed for to trust God for joy in the times they need it the most.