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PRETEEN MINISTRY LESSON ON BEING BOLD

PRETEEN MINISTRY LESSON ON BEING BOLD

There are two types of people in the world: those who are bold and those who are not.

It’s true… there isn’t really anything in the middle because you can’t be kind of bold.

Many times, students aren’t bold in sharing their faith because they don’t want to do it wrong, they don’t feel like they know enough about God, or maybe they are just scared.

Use this Preteen Ministry Lesson to teach students that God will give them strength to be bold in sharing their faith with others.

- Nick Diliberto, Preteen Ministry

P.S. - Be sure to check out our newly released Preteen New Year's Bundle, which gives you a 74% on nearly one year of preteen ministry curriculum. All our newest series are in the bundle, including our brand new Unstoppable series. 

PRETEEN LESSON ON BEING BOLD

Bible: Philippians 1:20

Bottom Line: God will give you strength to be bold in sharing your faith with others.

SUPPLIES

  • Index Cards
  • Markers
  • List of words for the game (see below) 

OPENING GAME: ULTIMATE WORD RACE

GAME PREP

Divide students into two teams of equal size.

Using the marker and index cards, create two sets of alphabet cards by writing one letter of the alphabet on each card.

Give each team a set of alphabet cards.

Let the students decide how to distribute the cards amongst themselves.

They can choose to give each student as many cards as they would like, as long as all of the cards have been distributed to the members of their team.

Then, have each team form a single file line.

Have the List of Words (found below) on hand for the game.

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

Say: Raise your hand if you consider yourself to be a good speller.

This game will definitely test your abilities to spell words quickly and correctly… because I haven’t made that easy for you.

Each of your teams has been given a set of alphabet cards.

I will read a word out loud, and then you and your team members will line up and hold the letter cards in the air to spell the word.

Now, the cards you’re holding right now have to remain in your hands for the entire game – you can’t switch letters with another teammate.

So, it’s possible that for some of our words you might be holding more than one letter in the word.

The letters of the word that your team spells have to be in the correct order.

You might need to stand close enough that you can reach over a teammate to make sure that your letter cards are in the correct order.

The team who holds the cards up in the air in the correct order first will win a point.

The team with the most points at the end of the game – wins!

All of the words we will spell are going to be part of our lesson today.

Okay, are you ready? GO!

LIST OF WORDS

  • GOD
  • PAUL
  • BOLD
  • THOMAS
  • HOPE
  • STRONG
  • FAITH
  • GOSPEL
  • FEAR
  • CHRIST

TEACH 

Say: Aren’t you glad that your teachers don’t do spelling tests like that?

I want to ask a question… and I want you to be honest.

How many of you feel a little uncomfortable when we play games?

I realize that some of you enjoy it, but there are others who can't wait until it's over.

Each of us is different.

I think we would all agree that some of us are a little shy and playing games or being in front of other people is a little intimidating.

Throughout your life, you will have moments you have to choose to be bold… because it might not come naturally or be much fun for you.

But it’s okay! There have been many people throughout time who have overcome their fear and discomfort in order to do great things.

Our country's third president, Thomas Jefferson, had to overcome personal obstacles to become a bold leader.

People that served with Jefferson while he was in Congress said that they never heard him utter more than three sentences together the entire time they knew him.

He had a horrible fear of speaking in public.

While he was president, he only ever delivered three speeches in public, and he was so quiet that people could barely hear him.

And although he never became a loud and boisterous public speaker, he realized that he could speak through writing - he figured out a way to work around his weakness.

As followers of Jesus, God takes our weaknesses and uses them as an opportunity to show His strength.

In the Bible, we read about ordinary people that were able to accomplish extraordinary things because they put aside their fears and allowed God's strength to give them boldness.

Read Philippians 1:20.

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

The apostle Paul wrote the Book of Philippians.

Paul had to overcome quite a bit to be bold in his faith.

Paul, whose name used to be "Saul," had previously persecuted Christians for their faith earlier in his life.

He was responsible for imprisoning Christians and even having them put to death for proclaiming the Gospel.

And then, he had an encounter with God that changed his life and opened his eyes to all of the wrong things he was doing.

I imagine that it required extreme boldness to return to places where he had tortured Christians.

People might have been skeptical that he had changed and was now a follower of Christ himself.

It’s possible that people didn’t like him or were bitter because of the horrible things he had done, but Paul was able to push past those feelings and live a bold life for God.

The verse we read was pretty intense… especially the end of it.

Paul states that he will continue to be bold and live for Christ “whether I live or die.”

And he meant it.

Paul was often tortured for his faith, and eventually died as a result of it.

In your life, boldness might mean that you stand up for your beliefs and don't compromise, even when times get tough.

Maybe in the past, you haven't lived a godly life, and people want to hold that over your head.

It can take boldness to let friends and family know that God has done something in your life.

But God can give us the strength to be bold in sharing our faith with others.

Boldness is contagious!

When you live your life for God, it encourages those around you who may be weaker in their faith to be bold in what they believe.

That's one of the reasons that we need each other's encouragement.

And that’s what Paul was doing in this verse in Philippians – he was encouraging others to be bold in their faith.

Boldness begins by taking one step towards God and putting your fear behind you.

This week, I want to encourage you to begin to take steps in sharing your faith with others.

That doesn’t mean you go to school, stand on a table in the lunchroom, and start preaching from your Bible.

It means that maybe you share what God has done in your life or something you are learning about in the Bible.

Or look for opportunities to encourage other people who might be struggling – you can pray for a friend that has a need, or even just send a text to someone to cheer them up.

As you take steps to be bold, God will be with you and give you His strength.

Close in prayer.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you think it is easier for us to be bold in our faith than it was for Jesus’ disciples?
  2. Is being bold in what you believe easy or difficult for you? Tell me why.
  3. Who is the boldest person you have ever known? What were they bold about? How did you know they were bold?
  4. If you could be incredibly bold, how would it change how you lived your life? How would it affect how you shared your faith?
  5. Why is it difficult for some people to be bold? What obstacles do they have to overcome to be bold?
  6. How does a person go from occasionally doing bold things to being bold all of the time? What are some steps people can take to become bold?
  7. Why was it so important that Jesus’ disciples were bold in sharing their faith? If they had not been bold, how would it have affected the spreading of the Gospel?
  8. What is one thing you can do this week that would be considered “bold”? Would you be more likely to follow through and do it if you said it out loud for all of us to hear?
  9. Why do we need God's help to be bold? Can we be bold in our strength?
  10. If you lived a “bold” life, what would your life look like in 5 years? 10 years 
P.S. - Be sure to check out our newly released Preteen New Year's Bundle, which gives you a 74% on nearly one year of preteen ministry curriculum. All our newest series are in the bundle, including our brand new Unstoppable series.