Have FAITH -God will deal with the BUTs   It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Eat, make announcements -Worship Caravan parents meeting tonight Ash Wednesday C-Van Pancakes this, Confirmation Retreat . Head to the Activity Center and begin the lesson with the morning's DV8 worship service.   Break into small groups  No Journey groups this week, instead divide into clique and age based groups - as many as there are sponsors.    Moving In  GOT FAITH? (About 6-7 min) Needed: paper and pens Say:Some of you may have different ideas of what faith is. A few may think of a church building or a worship service. Others think of reading the Bible or believing in religion. Your years in UMYF will bring a lot of change to your lives. Some of you will question your beliefs as you think about the world you live in. And you may question the beliefs of your parents or other adults in your lives. Some of you may be confused about your faith in God. Others may reject the faith that they've been raised in. Tonight we are going to discuss the concept of faith and what it means to Christians. Now, we are going to make two separate lists on a sheet of paper -one list of things that you can be sure of, another of things that you can't be sure of. For example, you can be sure that the sky appears blue, that average store bought milk comes from cows, and that fire is hot. But you can't be sure of things like if the world will end, what life will be like after high school, or when you'll die. Sponsor point: Now go through both lists and put check marks next to those that humans have control over (for example, "I know that I will fail if I don't study"). Then star those that others have control of ("I don't know if my teacher likes me"). Finally, circle those that God is in charge of (basically everything). ASK: * Which ones are scary to you? * How do they feel, knowing you have no control over some situations? * What is hard about believing in something you can't see? * What do you think faith is? * What's your opinion? Faith is believing in something-     - that you know isn't true     - that you can't prove     - that you can't see     - that you trust in Sponsor point: How did your kids answer these statements? Do they agree on one? Find out why they think the way they do.   Moving Up  Doubts (About 4-5 min) Say: Check out these statements and decide if they're true or false. a. It doesn't take much faith to believe there's a God.  b. I'm not really sure what I believe about God.  c. Doubting God hurts one's faith. d. It would be easier to trust in Christ if there were more evidence that he is real. Sponsor point: Give them the opportunity to ask questions and express their doubts. Asking questions is one of the best ways to grow in the faith. Be sure to provide a safe environment and remind the group that there is no such thing as a stupid question.   Moving On Seriously? (About 4-5 min) ASK:  * Why don't some Christians your age take their faith seriously? Choose three of the following reasons.     - Christianity isn't fun.     - Christianity may not be true     - Christianity doesn't work in everyday life.     - Christianity is too hard.     - Christianity is irrelevant to everyday life.     - Christianity is too confusing.     - Christianity doesn't make you popular.      - Christianity is boring.      - Christianity doesn't make much sense.     - Christianity gets lost in busy lives.     - Christianity is for old people who are about to die.     - Other   Sponsor point: Let the group members share their opinions. See if the group can reach a consensus on the top three reasons. How can these three be overcome?   Moving Along What Were You Thinking? (About 6-7 min) ASK: If you took a test that showed how seriously you lived out your faith in Jesus Christ, what grade do you think you'd receive-an A, B, C, D, or F? Sponsor point: How strong are your youth in their personal faith in Jesus Christ? Don't force them to share their grades. Instead ask them how they grade themselves in how they live their faith as a youth group. What can they do to bump that grade up? Say: Name a few people who you think have a strong faith in God. Sponsor point: Ask each of your kids why they chose the people they listed. How can they tell that they have a strong faith? What characteristics do they have? What kind of relationship do they think these people have with God? ASK: What do you think of the following statements, do you A (agree) or D (disagree)? __ Faith will take away all your doubts forever.  __ Faith is a crutch for most people.  __ Faith isn't easy to have today, like it was in Bible times. __ Faith will help me pass my math exam. __ Faith isn't required by God all the time. __ Faith would come easier for me if I saw a miracle. __ Faith will heal you when you are sick. __ Faith will make everything in your life easier. Sponsor point: Each of these statements examines faith from a different angle. Let your kids share their choices and why they chose them. You may want to keep your opinions until the close of the session ASK:  How much does your faith in Christ affect each of the following things? Rate these from not very affected (1) to very affected (10). Show it on your fingers. __ Friends __ Family __ Extracurricular activities __ Thoughts __ Dating __ Work __ School __ Free time __ Self-esteem __ Future plans Sponsor point: This will get your youth thinking about how their faith affects their lives. Then ask the group to rate them based on teenagers in general.   Moving Out I Believe   (About 6-7 min) Say: I'm going to read some statements of Christian faith. Which ones do you believe completely (Thumbs up)? Which ones do you have doubts about (make a fist)? a. I believe in God. b. I believe Christ rose from the dead. c. I believe the Bible is true. d. I believe I will go to heaven when I die. e. I believe God answers prayer. f. I believe that God loves all people equally. g. I believe that the Holy Spirit lives in me. h. I believe that I'm a sinner. i. I believe in Jesus Christ. j. I believe that hell is a reality. Sponsor point: These will help your youth examine and reflect on their beliefs. Use this time to affirm the things that your youth believe in strongly. Communicate that having doubts is normal and human-even John the Baptist had doubts, as is described in Luke 7:18-19.    Return to the Family Life Center Closing Work Zone & High Way ASK: * What did you learn here tonight? Get a few answers Say: Many people talk about faith in terms of belief. They believe that there is a God or they believe that you should go to church. But is simple belief in these things the kind of faith God wants? There isn't anything wrong with a belief that focuses on information. The Bible says that even the demons believe. (James 2:19). But there is another kind of faith-a faith that believes in something. It is based on facts, but runs deeper than mere knowledge. It focuses on a relationship with God. Tonight we've tried to help you understand that God doesn't expect you to walk around lost and in the dark-the Bible provides you with the facts for your faith. But you still must believe in those facts to really know God. Pray: Dear Father, we know having doubts is normal and that we can grow in our faith through our doubts. Help us to think about what WE believe. Help us to not be ashamed to be Christians. Lead us to examine how faith and beliefs relate to our everyday lives and help us discover the changes we need to make. Bless us in our faith and service to you. Amen.   Join hands, right over left, and say the UMYF benediction.   Gather for this lesson: The DV8 morning worship, paper and pens   Note: Also have the "Caravan Parents" meeting info ready to go at 7pm and a sponsor or two to watch the youth leaving the FLC