The Golden Rule It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Set Up: Before the meal set up the LCD projector. After eating show the DV8 clips & slides to start the lesson - 13 min. Then guest speaker Sam Myuskens and The Golden Rule study promo. Announcements: Caravan parents meeting tonight, Caravan Lock-in this Friday 9pm-7am $10, No UMYF next week - but Choir at 11:45, March 2 Young Disciples Worship, March 9 Ash Wednesday Caravan Pancakes After the DV8 portion&ldots;   The Golden Rule - 10 min. Say: Gold is a metaphor common to many of the world's languages. As a metaphor, gold symbolizes what is purest, most excellent, most noble, most enduring, most sought after, and most ideal. It is therefore no surprise that some consider the Golden Rule to be the most universal of moral principles. Tonight we are going to look at rules for living that can be found throughout history.  Rom 13:9-10 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.   Do Unto Others Game Needed: Printed cardstock strips with a message about 2"x5", masking tape Before the game print "Treat others as you would like to be treated. Be polite and kind." On the other side print "Treat others poorly, be boastful, selfish and demanding" in the 2x5 pattern. Tape a strip in the center of everyone's back. Say: Your goal is to collect as many strips in your hands as possible while keeping your own strip on your back safe. No laying on the floor, standing on the walls, standing back to back or any other means of protecting your strip other than moving. You'll have five minutes. If you lose your strip, sit out and cheer for the others. Break into Journey Groups   Moving In Work Zone & High Way  Work Zone can break into smaller groups at this point Rules In My Life 10 minutes Needed: "4 quadrant" handouts and pens ASK: - What strategies did you use in this game? - How is the way you tried to get the strips like the way people act toward others in real life? Say: With this game, we learned to follow some basic rules then "do unto others and run." But the Bible gives us different instructions on how to treat others. Pass out papers and pens Say: On your paper, write what you think the values, guidelines and rules are for you and your friends, home life, sports and society. Some examples might be: - Never tell on a friend - Live life to the fullest - have fun wherever or whenever you can - Take care of yourself first - I believe in treating people nicely After about 5 min. Say: I'd like a few volunteers to share what they consider their guidelines. Have a few share. ASK: - What is a rule? - How many of the rules shared apply to you personally? - Explain the rules that concern or upset you? - What are the rules that might help you get along with your friends? - Why or why don't we need rules in order to live our lives? - What is the most important rule for living your life? Explain. - If there were no rules or guidelines as to how you and your peers should treat one another, what would happen? - If there were no rules in society, what would happen?   Moving On Work Zone & High Way  Rules at Home 10 minutes Say: Now we are going to concentrate only on your rules at home". I'm going to read some examples of "Home" rules. When I'm done let me know if you have some more to add. - No T.V. after 10 p.m. on a school night - Weekend curfew - No going out on a school night - Household chores completed before "free time" - Bedtime curfew - Restrictions on friends that you can have - Restrictions on how you spend your allowance - Restrictions on clothing - Restrictions on computer use, and restrictions on access to content on the Internet - Restrictions on phone use ASK: - Any Others? When the list is complete go back over the list and ask why the rule is good or bad.   Moving Up Work Zone & High Way Making Your Own Rules 10 minutes Needed: Handouts from earlier and pens Divided into groups of three or four youth, each group uses the back of the earlier handouts to write on. Say: You and forty other teenagers are stranded on a deserted island far from civilization. Both genders are present and there are no adults. You have no means to readily escape and it is unlikely that you will be rescued for a long time. You have ample water and food which grows naturally on the island. You also have the means to make fire. You group now needs to develop a list of five or six rules for the young people on the island one must be applicable to marriage. You also need to make a list of consequences for those who choose not to adhere to the established rules. List your rules in order of importance. Have each group read their rules then... ASK: - What did you think about this decision-making experience? - Was it difficult or easy for your group to agree on a set of rules and consequences? - Did you notice that some rules showed up more than once? What were they? - Do you feel there should be consequences for those who break the rules? - Can you predict what would happen if our youth group, as it is right now, was stranded on an island? - If our group was stranded on an island, do you think that we as a group should have leaders? If you feel we should have leaders, what kinds of qualities should we look for in these leaders?   Moving Out Work Zone & High Way Committed 10 minutes Say: When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them some rules and guidelines for the marriage relationship: a man and a woman committed to each other in an intimate relationship for life. This relationship is a reflection of the relationship God wants each of us to have with him. Unfortunately, people don't always reflect the kind of faithfulness God has toward us. Adultery is a reality of life that some of you may have had to deal with. Adultery does not only involve marriage it also includes coveting anything others have, wanting a different God, wanting more money, lusting over videos and images. God's plan for marriage is a serious commitment to another person through the ups and downs of life-a commitment that should not be broken. ASK: - Does God have someone picked out for you to marry? Encourage them to debate the issue a bit, explaining the rationale behind their answer. Read these facts aloud: - In ancient Kadazan culture, a man won favor with a woman by boiling, and hanging human heads from the rafters of his home. - In India, couples united in arranged marriages often meet each other for the first time on their wedding day. - Among the Germanic Goths in 200 A.D., if a man couldn't find a woman he liked in his own community, he went to a neighboring village and stole one. - In some cultures, the guests threw old shoes at the newly united couple. - In Japan, a rainy wedding day is believed to bring good luck. - In Portugal, the couples have to hit each other before the wedding. ASK: - Which of these facts is the most shocking or weird to you? - Which of these things would you be willing to go through to be married? - Which would you absolutely not do? Say: So maybe you won't have to follow the rules and hunt heads, steal a bride, or dodge old shoes. But even so, getting married is tough. You have to find the right person. Once you're married, there's the challenge of staying married. It's important that you do what you can to prepare yourself for marriage. God's primary encouragement to people who desire to take the plunge into marriage is the rule of "honor." We're called to honor God and honor our mate once we've been spiritually joined. ASK: - Do married Christians have extra responsibility to live morally? Why or why not? - Would you be willing to forgive and stay in the marriage, explain how you feel about forgiving extramarital affairs? - Is it ever the best alternative? - Is divorce harder on children than on parents? - If you get married, what will you do to ensure that the relationship is strong and lasting? Save the last 10 min and return to the Gym for closing&ldots;   Closing Work Zone & High Way Gather near the tables  Needed: Index cards and pens Say: Today's your lucky day! Take a few minutes to come up with two real things you'd like others to do for you-as if you were king or queen for a day. Make sure you write things that others could actually do and that are ethical! (For example, "do my math homework" would require someone to cheat, so that can't be one. "Give me two million bucks" isn't really possible, so that shouldn't be one either.) When you've finished gather in a closing circle. Once they are done with their lists gather in a big circle pass out the Scripture cards, 2 Samuel 1-5, Romans 13:9-10, Matthew 5:27-28,  Matthew 19:3-9, Luke 6:27-36, John 8:1-11 Read Aloud: Matthew 7:12. So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.  Say: You may have heard the phrase "Treat others as you want to be treated" your whole lives, but you may have only considered the Golden Rule in the most secular sense. You have an opportunity to treat others with kindness that flows out of a relationship with Jesus. God is glorified by your selfless care for everyone, even those who may be more difficult to serve. We're going to live out the Golden Rule quite literally this week. Each of you wrote down things that you'd like people to do for you; this week your job is to actually do those very things for two different people. Now, turn to the person on your right and share the two mini service projects you selected and who you're going to serve. Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Your glory rains forever. Help us to seek to be people who search after Your heart as we practice the Golden Rule and honor others. We pray that You will help us all to be Your transformed people. Amen. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gather for this lesson: DV8 stuff, 2"x5" printed cardstock strips with messages, masking tape, "4 quadrant" handouts, index cards, pens   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!