Desperate Housewives of the Bible  It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Groups Set Up: Before the meal set up the LCD projector. After eating show the DV8 clips and slides to start the lesson - 12 min. Announcements: We're BB sitting this Friday 6-11, Special Festival Choir practice this Saturday at 10am, White Elephant gift exchange next week   After the DV8 portion These Ladies are the Real Deal  3 min Say: Forget the popular TV show-these ladies are the real deal! The Bible is populated with authentic, passionate, and often desperate characters. When Matthew presents a genealogy of Jesus (1:1-17), surprisingly, it contains four references to women. - Posing as a prostitute, the widowed Tamar (Gen. 38) gets her father-in-law to impregnate her unwittingly because he has not fulfilled his responsibility to provide her a husband. - The prostitute Rahab (Josh. 2) harbors the spies of Joshua to assure their safety and the safety of her own family in the face of an imminent battle. - The widow Ruth (Ruth 1) faithfully provides hope to her mother-in-law and eventually seeks out Boaz anticipating that he will marry her to save her from both widowhood and being a foreigner. - The "seduced" Bathsheba (II Sam. 11), whose husband's death is ordered by David after she conceives his child, provides for her future (and Israel's) by seeing that her son, Solomon, succeeds David to the throne. Have you ever felt like an outsider? Are you a desperate person? Are you frustrated with the situation at home, school or work? Do you long for a breakthrough in your spiritual life? Is someone you love breaking your heart? If so, you may identify with one of these desperate housewives. Each of these "outsiders" and "victims" of society finds a way both to survive and to participate in the salvation of others. Tonight, we're going to try to discover fresh insights into how God can transform your despair into hope.   Moving In Work Zone & High Way  Stay in one large group. Join In 7-10 min Needed: 2 prepared index cards, on each card, write a different set of these instructions: Card 1 -To get into the circle. Whisper, "God is great" in the ear of the person on the right. Whisper, "God is good" in the ear of the person to the left of the spot you've chosen. Then yell "Cowabunga!" to break into the circle. Card 2 - To get into the circle. Whisper, "Now I lay me down to sleep" in the ear of the person on the right. Whisper, "I pray the Lord my soul to keep" in the ear of the person to the left of the spot you've chosen. Then yell "Cowabunga!" to break into the circle. Recruit two volunteers to form a "mini-circle" by placing their hands on each other's shoulders. Secretly show them the Card 1 instructions and instruct them to resist anyone who doesn't follow the instruction exactly. Say to the whole group: The only way you can participate in this activity is by joining the mini-circle formed by our two volunteers. And the only way to join the circle is by following the instruction I will show you. Once you're in the circle, don't allow anyone else to join unless they follow the exact instructions you did. Show each person, one at a time, one set of instructions randomly alternating the cards after every few people. Have students each follow the instructions you show them and try to join the circle. When students have all tried to join the circle, stop the activity and --- Break into Journey Groups   Moving On Work Zone & High Way  Work Zone can break into smaller groups at this point. Join In Part II 5-7 minutes ASK: - How did it feel to be excluded from the circle? - What was your attitude toward those in the circle? - How did those of you who did join the circle feel? - What was your attitude toward those who didn't make it in? - Are there some groups you just shouldn't be in? - How easy is it to get in these groups? - Is a group that's easy to get into better or worse than a harder one?  - How can accepting others communicate God's love to the world? & How can not accepting others send a skewed message about God's love?   Moving Up Work Zone & High Way No Jelly 10 minutes Needed: bread, peanut butter, bananas, marshmallow, raisins, mayonnaise, honey, mustard, bacon, apricots, 4 papers, 4 pens, and 4 blindfolds Before the game, create a variety of peanut butter sandwiches, all without jelly, eight variations for four groups. Make the eight, and then cut them into 4 small samples each (32 samples). Have students form 2 teams (2 for High Way and 2 for Road Work). Have each team appoint a recorder. Give each recorder paper and a pen. Everyone else on the team is a taster. Anyone tatting should be blindfolded. Say: Each team will taste-test peanut butter sandwiches to guess what they contain besides peanut butter. Each sandwich must be tasted by at least one blindfolded person on the team. Each sandwich is edible. The recorder will write down the team's guesses. When teams have tried all their sandwiches and guessed the mystery ingredients, have recorders report the guesses. Afterward, ASK: - How would you feel if I used this game as a test, accepting people who like sandwiches I like, and rejecting those who don't? - What are some of the standards we use to judge other people? - How have you seen people change themselves to try to be accepted by others? - How have you seen rejection affect people? - Why does God want us to accept people we don't like? - Can people who choose to live a "wild" life fit in with just about anybody? - Can you be popular in school and not be part of the "party" clique? - Do people in the "party" clique need help living a more meaningful life?   Moving Out Work Zone  I Like This game is also known as "Do You Love Your Neighbor". Begin with everyone but one person sitting down in a circle of chairs with no empty seats. "It" stands in the middle. The person in the middle says, "I like everyone in this circle especially those who..." (Insert something like: are wearing white or have two brothers) Everyone who fits the qualification has to then switch seats. They have to switch at least a couple seat away from the one that they were in. "It" takes one of the seats and whoever is left without a seat is then in the middle.   Moving Out High Way  Approved 10 minutes Needed: Homemade credit card applications (one per student) and pens, and the Scripture sheet Give each youth a blank credit card application and a pen. Ask students to fill in the forms with fictitious information, including an imaginary salary figure and occupation. When students have completed the applications, collect them. Say: Before issuing credit cards, companies determine whether it's risky to loan money to people based on the personal information they have provided. People are given credit or denied credit based on whether the company thinks they are reliable and capable of paying back what they owe. In some cases, people may be overlooked and denied credit simply because they have never borrowed money before or because their ages or circumstances make them potential risks. Let's sort through these applications you have filled out and decide who to accept and deny based on these guidelines. Discuss each form with your students and decide which applicants should be accepted and given credit. Work together with the youth to determine standards for acceptance such as minimum salary and minimum age. Say: Thankfully, God doesn't accept or reject us based on whether we deserve his favor or can ever pay him back. Even though we have nothing to offer God, he accepts us because of his grace and love for us, not because of our worth. Have a volunteer read Acts 9:10-19  Say: Saul would definitely have been considered "high risk." But God saw the good in him and asked Ananias to do the same. Even though Saul had made some serious mistakes, God was willing to accept him and make him really important. ASK: - How might history have been different if Ananias had refused to help Saul? - How does it feel to be excluded because you simply have a bad reputation? - How does God's unconditional acceptance of you change how you view others? - What can you do to include fallen or overlooked people in your circle of friends? Return to the Gym for Closing&ldots;     Closing Work Zone & High Way Gather in the closing circle. Hand out Scripture business cards Key Scriptures: Matthew 7:1-5, Mark 2:13-17, John 4:4-26, Romans 15:5-7, James 2:1-13 Say: Each of you can use the Desperate Housewives of the Bible and their touching stories to examine yourself. Their stories were NOT included because they were perfect. Hardly! Some were really bad news. But, their lives speak to the issues we face today. The "Desperate Housewives" of todays TV series and their sometimes-bizarre behaviors seemingly have so much going for them. In their "desperation," these women scorn purity, discipline, honesty, relationships, and are driven by emptiness. They live only for personal happiness, whatever it costs and whomever it hurts. The traditional values of home and family aren't even on the horizon. Tonight we have looked at how God can even use imperfection. He can move you: - From trouble to terrific - From questionable to quotable - From gossips to good It is our prayer that each of you will commit to do your part in providing an environment for the transformation of desperate people into dedicated servants. Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the way You accept us as Your children down through time. We all have struggled as these women have struggled over similar issues: getting closer to God, seeking meaningful relationships, hoping for a better life, avoiding temptations and overcoming daily hurdles. Help us all to be Your transformed people. Amen. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gather for this lesson: DV8 stuff, 2 prepared index cards, bread, peanut butter, bananas, marshmallow, raisins, mayonnaise, honey, mustard, bacon, apricots, 4 papers, 4 pens, 4 blindfolds, homemade credit card applications (one per student), scripture sheet, key scripture cards - include the Desperate Housewives from the series   Discussion Guidelines 1. What is said in the room stays in this room. Confidentiality is vital to a healthy discussion.  2. No put-downs. Sarcasm and unkind remarks have no place in a discussion. If someone disagrees with another's comment, they should raise a hand and express an opinion of the comment but not of the person who made it. It is permissible to attack ideas, but not each other. 3. There is no such thing as a dumb question. Asking questions is the best way to learn. 4. No one is forced to talk. Anyone can remain silent about any question. 5. Only one person talks at a time. Each person's opinion is worthwhile and deserves to be heard. Listening is an expression of respect.   The Rules: - Be respectful of others - Don't be mean - Keep your hands to yourself - Stay in your seat - Understand there is a time and a place for everything   The UMYF Benediction May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you And be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you And give you peace. Shalom!