Leader Guide

Objective
Students will understand that only Christ can relieve the despair that drives us crazy due to guilt and sin in our lives.

Warm Up
Prior to group time, locate examples of some of the craziest stories of people so that your group can discuss the reasons why people do what they do. Go through the examples.

• What drives them to extremes to commit all kinds of terrible things to others and themselves in this life? (It doesn’t have to be issues like school shootings or bullying until one gives up on life.)
• What about just behavior that’s done in fun but ends up hurting another person?

Keep track of reasons your students come up with.

Transition
Our thoughts can easily overwhelm us and drive us crazy especially when those thoughts are negative. Skillet shares the struggle of the deep darkness that can hide in our minds and can tear us apart.

The Video
Play “Psycho In My Head” by Skillet.

Transition
Most of us can probably relate to the lyric “I hate the other side of me…” The question is, do we hate it enough to change the way we think and act?

Sin and our human nature breed despair in our relationship with Christ. The enemy strives to undermine our worth and goals, fueling anxiety. We become weary and question our normalcy. However, we are in a transitional state according to Scripture. We are undergoing transformation.

Let’s see what our lives need to become grounded in God’s peace and security.

Bible Study

Read Romans 12:1-2
Conforming to the world leads to despair. We must, instead, embrace transformation in Christ and let His Spirit renew our minds and actions.

We need to choose between worldly or godly thinking. The former brings despair, the latter brings peace. If we trust God for change, we don’t have to return to our old life and sin. Jesus is the better way.

• How can we actively avoid conforming to the patterns of this world in our daily lives?
• How can we actively resist the pressures and temptations of the world that can hinder our transformation?
• In what areas of our lives do we struggle the most with conforming to the world’s standards, and how can we overcome them?
• Are there any habits or behaviors we need to let go of in order to fully embrace the transformed life in Christ?

Read Proverbs 26:11
The Message translation says, “As a dog eats its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness.”

• Can you think of any situations where it’s important to learn from past experiences and avoid repeating the same mistakes?
• How can this proverb help guide our decision-making in those situations?
• In your opinion, why do some people find it difficult to learn from their mistakes and continue to engage in foolish behavior?
• How can we encourage them to break this cycle?
• Reflecting on your own life, what are some mistakes or bad habits that you have recognized and made an effort to change?
• How has this process of learning from past mistakes shaped your personal growth?

Wrap Up
Reject worldly thinking and embrace God’s life. Replace despair with hope and bad with joy. Christ’s gift is perfect and worth possessing. It guards our hearts and minds in Him.

Jesus paid the price so that we wouldn’t get stuck in the cycle of despair and destructive thinking. He gave us a way out of the spiral that takes us down. You have to go after it. The gift of new life in Jesus is free. He did that for us. Our growing in Him requires us to passionately pursue it. Don’t give up. Keep looking to Jesus.

• Have you accepted God’s gift?

Playlist
This song is featured on “The Linc: Despair” 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.