TEEN1Thiswon’tdoanygoodasawalkingstick!!(showwithonetinytoothpickhowimpossibletouseasawalkingstick)TEEN2It’sagoodthingthatIhaveanotheronethen.(getwalkingstick)See?TEEN1Yes,nowthisisbetter.Itisalwaysgoodtohavebothoftheseonajourney.Agoodmaptoshowthewayandgoodsupporttohelpyouontheway.TEEN2Maybewecanusetheselittlebrokenpiecestostartourcampfire.TEEN1That’sagreatidea.Let’sgo.

DayOneBibleStory

IMPORTANCEOFTHEBIBLETheyarerightthatamapisveryimportant.Amapshowsyouthewaytogoandkeepsyoufromgettinglost.Ihaveamapthathelpsmeeveryday.ItistheBible.TheBibleisTruthtoshowmetherightwaytolive.EverydaythisweekatclubwearegoingtohearastoryfromthisBible.Itisatruestorythatwillhelpus.AsItellthisstoryfromtheBible,Ineedyoutolistenandfollowmyinstructions.

HOOKHaveyoueverbeensurprisedorscaredbysomethingthathappenedunexpectedly?Hasanyoneevercomeupbehindyouandscaredyouunexpectedly?Orhidbehindacornerandpoppedoutandsurprisedyou?Maybelikethis:(demonstratewithanotherteen)Thatfeelingofsurpriseissometimesfunnyandsometimesscary.Sometimeswelikesurprisesandsometimeswedon’tlikesurprises.ThisweekaswetellstoriesaboutJesustherearelotsofthingsthatareunexpected.Soeachtimethathappenswewantyoutodosomething.WhenIsay,“Thatwasunexpected!”Yousay,“ForRealz?”whichmeans,really?Areyousure?Areyouforreal?Let’spracticethat.“Thatwasunexpected!”Helpkidstorespond,“ForRealz?”Excellent.Andtheneachtimeyousaythatweareallgoingtosay,“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”whichmeansabsolutelyyesit’strue.

OptionalBibleStoryStarterWithmyeyesonmyleader, (pointtoeyes)Mymouthquietascanbe,(placeindexfingerovermouthasquietsign)Iwilllistentohear, (cuphandaroundear)HowGodlovesyouandme. (pointtoothersandthenself)

Let’spracticeallthatagain.“Thatwasunexpected!”“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”Listencarefullyinmystoryandbereadytorespond.

GODGAVEJESUSABIGQUEST–CHANGETHEWORLDGodisJesus’dad.GodgaveJesusamission.Hesaid,SonyourmissionwillCHANGETHEWORLD.GodtoldJesustogotoEarthtorescueeveryboyandeverygirlfromsinanddeathsothateveryboyandeverygirlcanbefriendswithGodandlivewithGodinheaven.Thisisabigmission.PartofhismissionistotelleverypersonintheworldthatGodlovesthem.That’saLOTofpeople!GodtoldJesusthatinordertodothismissionJesuswouldhavetoleavebeautifulperfectheavenandleavehisdadandgodowntoEarth.That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”Jesus,God’sOne&OnlySon,saidYEStothismission.Really?Jesuschosetoleaveheaven?!That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”

JESUSNEEDSTOCHOOSEATEAMJesusisbornasababy,growsuptobealittlekid,growsuptobeateenager,andthengrowsuptobeaman.WhileJesuswasgrowinguphewouldtellpeopleaboutGodandGod’slove.Rememberpartofhismission…..tochangetheworldbytellingeveryonethatGodlovesthem.That’salotofpeopletotell.

IFYOUWEREGOINGTOPICK……WHOWOULDYOUPICK?NowthatJesusisagrownmanhechoosesateamtojoinhimonhismission.Ifyouhadtochooseateamwouldn’tyouwanttheBESTpeople?Forexampleifyouwereputtingtogetherabasketballteamwouldn’tyouwantthetallest,fastest,mosttalentedbasketballplayersonyourteam?Ifyouwereputtingtogetherafootballteamyou’dwantwhatkindofpeople?(letkidsrespond)JesusneedstochoosehisteamtojoininhismissionoftellingpeopleaboutGodandGod’slove.Whatkindofpeoplewouldbebestonhisteam?(letkidsrespond)You’dthinkmaybeJesuswouldwantpeoplewhohadgrownupinthetemplelikethePriests.Maybeoldwisementhathadlivedalongtimeandknewlotsofpeoplebecausetheywouldknowlotsofpeopletotellandeveryonewouldwanttolistentothembecausetheyareoldandwise.MaybeJesuswouldwanttopicksomeonewhosejobistogivespeechesinfrontoflargecrowds.ThatwaytheycangivethemessageofGod’slovetobigcrowdsallatonetime.Thatwouldbeagreatteam,huh?Butthat’sNOTwhatJesusdid.That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”

JESUSPICKS…..ANDREW,PETER,JAMES,JOHN,MATTHEW,JUDASOnedaywhenJesuswaswalkingontheshoreoftheSeaofGalileehesawtwoyoungmenfishing.Theywerenotoldmen.Theywereyoungprobablyteenageboyskindalikeus.OnewasnamedAndrewandonewasPeter.Theywerebrothers.AndtheywereintheSeaofGalileethrowingtheirfishnetsoutintothewatertryingtocatchfish.Jesussaidtotheboys,“Come,followme.”Andimmediatelythe2boysdroppedtheirnetsandfollowedJesus.That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”

Firstofalltheseare2youngguys,notoldwisemenwhohavelivedalongtimewithlotsofwisdom.Andthese2youngguysarefishermen!Theyarenotpriests.Theyarenotexperiencedspeechgivers.Justyoungboysoutfishing.WhywouldJesuspickthemforhisteam?That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”JesuslovedAndrewandPeterandpickedthemforhisteam.JesuskeptwalkingandlookedoutintotheSeaofGalileeandsawaboat.TherewasanoldmanZebedeeandhis2youngsonsintheboat.Theywerefishingwiththeirnetstoo.DoyouthinkthatJesuspickedtheoldwisefatherZebedee?Wouldn’titbegoodtohaveanolderwisemanontheteam?Nope!Jesuspickedthe2youngsons…..JamesandJohn.Brothers.Jesussaid,ComeFollowMe,andthebrothersgotoutoftheboatandlefttheirfatherandfollowedJesus.That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”AgainJesuspickstheyoungboyswhoarefishermen.Jesuspickednormalyoungpeopleforhisteam.Wow!That’sjustlikeyouandjustlikeme!Normalandyoung.JesuslovedJamesandJohnandpickedthemforhisteam.Jesuskeptpickingpeopleforhisteam.HepickedMatthew.Matthewwasataxcollector.Taxcollectorswerenotlikedbyanybodybecausetheycametoyourhouseandsaid…..givememoney,youowetaxmoneytotheking.Nobodylikestopaymoney.Wewouldratherkeepthemoneyforourselves.MatthewisataxcollectorandthisiswhoJesuspicksforhisteam!!Jesussaid,ComeFollowMe,andMatthewfollowedJesus.That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”WhywouldJesuspickMatthewifnotmanypeoplelikedhim?JesuslovesMatthewandpickshimforhisteam!AnotherpersonJesuspickedwasJudas.JudasisthedisciplethatlatertricksJesusandliestoJesusandisJesusenemy!JesusknewthisaboutJudasBEFOREhepickedhim.AndstillJesuspickedJudastobeonhisteam.That’sunexpected!“ForRealz?”“Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!Oh,yeah!”WhywouldJesusdothat?JesuslovesJudasandpickshimforhisteam.Jesuschose12youngmentobeonhisteam.Theyarethe12disciples.JesusandthediscipleswentallovertheworldtellingpeopleaboutGod’slove.TheytoldlotsofpeopleandnowthousandsofyearslaterwearestilltellingpeopleaboutGodandhislove.

JESUSPICKSYOUTOOJesuswantsustobeonhisteamtoCHANGETHEWORLD.JesuswantstogowithyoutotellpeopleaboutGod’slove.Jesuspicksnormalpeople.Jesuspicksyoungpeopleandoldpeople.Jesuspicksyou.Jesuslovesyouandwantsyoutobeonhisteam.I’monhisteam.IgowithJesustotellpeopleaboutGodandhislove.I’mdoingthatrightnow.Godlovesyou.Jesuslovesyou.Hesaysthesamethingtoyouthathesaidtothedisciples……Come,FollowMe.OurmemoryverseLuke9:23says,Thenhesaidtothemall:"Ifanyonewouldcomeafterme,hemustdenyhimselfandtakeuphiscrossdailyandfollowme."Willyousayyesandfollow?Let’spray.

Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas,

Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas

TransitionYoudidagreatjoblistening.WesawhowJesuspickedhisteamtohelphimchangetheworld.YoumightthinkthatJesuswouldhavechosenmenwithspecialskillsandmenwhohadgrownupintheTempletheirwholelives,butwelearnedthatJesuspickedregularnormalyoungmen,eventeenagers,tobeonhisteam.Thatwasunexpected!Godloveseachoneofustooandwantstopickusforhisteamtoo….evenwhenwearejustnormalkids.We’regoingtoplayagamecalledRedLightGreenLight,BUT…..withanunexpectedtwist.

DayOneGame#3

RedLightGreenLight-butwithanunexpectedtwist!!Havethekidsgetexcitedtoplayredlightgreenlight.Oncetheyarelinedupandreadytoplay,stopeverythingandtellthemthatyouarechangingtherulesunexpectedly!RedlightwillbeRUNandGreenlightwillbeSTOP.Kidswillgetconfusedandrunatthewrongtime.Thatisok.Justlaughwiththemandkeeptellingthemthatsometimesthingsareunexpected.Youcanswitchandplayitnormallyifthekidsarestillhavingfun.TransitionThatwasfun!Wereyousurprisedwhenwechangedtherules?Didyouexpectthatwewoulddothat?Sometimesinlifethingshappenthatwedon'texpect.Let'sallgositdownbecauseIwanttotellyouastorythatalsohassomethingunexpected!

DayOneGospel

THEBRIDGEGOSPEL-dowelwalkingstickGodlovesyouandme.Godwantstobeclosefriendswithusforever,hereonEarth,andthenforeverinHeavensomeday.Iwanttoshowyouastorywithourwalkingstick(dowel)thatwillexplainthis.Ineedonegirltocomeupandholdthisendofthestick.Ineedoneboytocomeupandholdtheotherendofthestick.GODISPERFECTANDHOLY:Godisperfectandholy.Henevermakesmistakes.Hecannotdowrong.AndwhenGodmademanHemademanperfecttoo.Solet’ssayyou(pointtothegirl)areperfectEveintheGardenofEden.Andlet’ssayyou(pointtoboy)areperfectGod.[IFYOUHAVEALLBOYSORALLGIRLSATTHECLUB,JUSTSAYONEOFTHEMREPRESENTSALLPEOPLEANDTHEOTHERREPRESENTSGOD]AtfirstEveandGodhadaperfectrelationship.Seehowcloseyouaretogether?Youareconnected.AndwhereverEvewalks,Godgoestoo.See,showus.Evewalkoverthere.SeehowGodisrightwithyou?Neverleavesyou.You’reperfectlyconnected.ThatishowGodmadeus.Hewantsaclosefriendshipwithus,forever.