Leader Guide

Objective
Students will learn to overcome pressures in life and be empowered to live an abundant life that God provides.

Warm Up
Get a Jumbo Jenga game. Divide students into two teams. Have one member of each team come up and take a turn until the tower tumbles.

Transition
The tower was so stable when we started! What happened? As each person came and removed blocks, poked at them, and put things where they weren’t exactly stable, the tower fell.

That is a lot like life. We start things so well. However, pressures, people, and lies that we believe come and we allow them to rearrange things and influence our lives. We were made for so much more. You can be empowered to take a stand and face the pressures of life with confidence- having God by your side.

The Video
Play the music video for “Born For This” by The Letter Black.

Transition
As the song begins, it mentions all the pressures in life. We are so quick to retreat and believe the lies- but we were made for so much more! There’s more to life than simply what we can see. Let’s look at a time when Peter and John faced some pressure and see what we can learn from their response.

Bible Study
Read Acts 4:13-20
Peter and John were definitely facing the pressures of life in this passage and there were not many ways they were going to find an escape. But they stood for Jesus and that was evident. (verse 13)

• What are some of the pressures that you face at school, home, work, or just in life?
• Who or what are you allowing to influence your life that is holding you back from taking a stand and living for God?

Read Acts 4:19-20 again.
Peter and John replied to them, “for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

The lyrics, “Feels like a driving force that’s deep inside. There’s not a chance that you’ll change me” tell of the boldness that we should have- the same as Peter and John.

• What is the driving force in your life right now?
• What is God wanting you to take a stand on right now?
• What pressures or adversity in your life do you need to face now?

Read Romans 1:16
God’s power lives within you as a believer.

• What is holding you back from standing up for Jesus?
• What, in my life currently, needs the power of God to help me overcome and experience Jesus Christ and the life He gives?

Wrap Up
We do have a force inside of us- Jesus Christ. You were born for so much more with every step you take.

In order to face the pressures of this world and live for what we were made for, we need the power of God to make us unbreakable, un-hateable, unshakable, and unstoppable.

Have students pair up and pray for each other. Have them pray specifically to have the courage to stand up for what they believe in and to overcome the obstacles that they are facing and lies that they are believing.

Give each student an index card. Do not write their names on them, but have them write some of the lies, pressures, or things that are influencing them and holding them back.

Pray over your students and as you pray, have them rip up the cards and throw them in a bucket or trash can front and center as a commitment to God.

Playlist
This song is featured on “The Linc: Determination” Spotify playlist – which is the perfect way to remind your students what you’ve taught them in this session. To share it with them, click the live link on the web version of this study.