Middle School Week 2: Calling Over Control

The Main Thing:

Following Jesus means letting go of control.

Start Talking (Conversation Starter):

If you could control one thing for a whole day, what would it be? (The weather? Your parents? School? Your sports team? Your little sibling?)

Need some movement-based icebreakers for your group? Find some options here!

Explore the Scripture:

Read Luke 5:1-11, Matthew 14:22-33, and Matthew 26:36-44 as a group. Help students start talking about it together. What stands out? What doesn’t make sense? Are there things that confuse them or words they don’t understand?

Unpack It:

Discuss what you read and what you heard.

• Peter had fished all night without catching anything. Why do you think it would've been hard to listen to Jesus instead of trusting his own experience?

• Even Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but Yours be done." What was He saying? Why would that have been difficult or scary?

• Think back to the message you heard. What takeaways did you have?

Own It:

Make the Scripture personal.

• Where do middle school students try to stay in control instead of trusting Jesus? (e.g., friends, grades, sports, social media, family, the future, etc.)

• Why do you think giving up control can feel scary?

• What's one area of your life where Jesus might be asking you to trust Him instead of trying to control everything yourself? What could that look like?

• Share something from the message that challenged you to put your calling over your control.

Live It:

Take action to apply what you learned.

This week, take the ALL IN CHALLENGE. Do at least one of the following!

• Before you make a decision this week, stop and pray first. Tell God you want to do His will.

• Read Luke 5:1-11 again, and ask God to show you one area where you need to trust Him more.

• Every time you catch yourself worrying this week, ask yourself what you’re trying to control, then turn that worry into a prayer.

Prayer:

End your meeting by asking students to silently give one area of their lives to Jesus. Then invite someone in the group to pray that God would help everyone trust Him more than themselves.