What It's Like It's Your Move Work Zone and High Way Set up LCD projector, - Next Sunday Mothers Day "regular Youth". Introduce the session: What It's Like Needed: Everlast, "What It's Like" radio version (Play the edited radio single of the song because the album cut contains foul language.) Say: A quick glance at the topic of "judging" in Scripture may lead to confusion. After all, various scriptural teachings seem to conflict! We need to use sensitivity and study in interpreting Scriptures about judging others, taking biblical context and the authors' intent into consideration. Scripture teaches that there are times when judging is right and times when it is wrong; tonight we are trying to help you learn to tell the difference. You shouldn't be afraid to lead others back to a path toward God, and you should evaluate your own actions and character. We all know that God is the ultimate judge and we must rely on him for sensitivity regarding how to respond to the behaviors of others. Play the song/video.   Break into Journey Groups    (Work Zone) breaks into smaller groups.   Moving In  Work Zone & High Way  Lest You Be Judged Say: In the video we just watched the singer tells the stories of a homeless man, a pregnant teen, and a drug user and begs empathy, not judgment. ASK:    "What thoughts go through your mind when you see a homeless person? a pregnant teen? a drug addict?    "How does God see these people?    "Why do we judge others?     "According to the song, why shouldn't we judge?     "Should Christians be responsible to speak out about others' problems?    "Does empathy toward those problems imply that the actions are okay? Why or why not? Say: Taken in context, the Scripture that so many quote from Matthew actually says we are to judge. We need to determine what is right and what is wrong. We need to do what we can to help others and ourselves live with Christian values.   Moving On Work Zone & High Way  Knotty (Work Zone comes back together for this part) (Highway guys move to the floor in the "Pit") Have the guys get on the floor together lock arms in a huge human knot. Then let the girls try to pull them apart. A few rules, though-no hitting, pinching, or kicking-only pulling. Give them a few minutes. Move everyone back to where they were - groups/couches.    ASK:     "What was hard about trying to pull them apart?    "Was it hard for the guys to stick together when they were being pulled away?    "Did the girls want to give up?    "What made the guys stick together so tightly?     "Do you think people choose to participate or not in everything they do?    "What if the person you were trying to pull away just gave up? How did you judge that they might be able o be pulled away?    "Is the human knot like judging who you want to keep a strong bond with? And for the girls, how is judging who is helping you and who you will be pulling on like real life?.   Moving Up Work Zone & High Way  You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover Have your group form pairs, and ask them to tell their partners one thing about themselves that may seem out of the ordinary to other people and why. Then read: Nichol Smith looks like the all-American girl next door: blonde hair, blue eyes, and a perky smile that radiates when she's on stage singing. But Nichol didn't grow up next door. She grew up in Africa as a missionary kid raised deep in the Congo. "We lived out in the bush-the only American family there," she remembers. "And in Africa, if you're healthy and have clothes, teenagers say, 'Let's play.' I grew up not knowing anything about cliques." Nichol came back to the United States to attend junior high and discovered at once that she didn't fit in. "People looked at me like I was from another planet," she says. There were girls at Nichol's school who never wore the same outfit twice. Her family could only afford to shop at Kmart-and not often. She laughed at jokes that were out of date, and her African customs struck her classmates as odd. "I wanted to hold my girlfriends' hands," says Nichol, who grew up in a culture where only same-sex friends held hands while walking. But as tough as school was, God didn't leave her without friends. "Youth group was my sanctuary; because it was the place I could feel accepted. It was a wonderful haven," says Nichol. Now, looking back on those difficult years, Nichol says, "God can take painful times and do remarkable things with them." ASK:    "Do you ever make others feel left out?    "How can God change your heart about those people?    "Who did you talk about in a negative way last week who's different from you?    "How does God want you to act around people who are different from you? Say: The adolescent years are when teenagers are questioning their values and beliefs the most. They watch TV, listen to the radio, surf the Internet, and hang out with friends-influences that shape their values and behaviors and during this time we must judge what God really wants us to do.   Moving Out Work Zone & High Way  Judging Values Say: Do your behaviors fall in line with your values and beliefs? Rate yourself on a scale of 1-10 using your fingers. (1 being "my behaviors don't reflect my values at all" and 10 being "my behaviors match my values all the time"). Say: Here is a true statement: The longer a person's behavior is inconsistent with his or her beliefs, the more his or her beliefs will change to match the behavior. Can anyone give me an example of what that means?  ASK:    "When you think that something is wrong, but you go ahead and do it anyway, how do you feel?    "Why did you choose to do it?     "Do you feel guilty later? Say: Guilt isn't always bad-it was designed by God to pull your behavior patterns in line with your value system. When you stop feeling guilty for the inconsistency in your lives, then you're in serious trouble. ASK:     "If you could use your good judgment to help someone chance their values would you try?    "If you would try, what would you do to change incompatible behavior patterns?. Say: Last night Blake was supposed to help his youth group leader plan for the upcoming year of activities. But then his friend Deon called and said that the guys were going out partying for Ryan's 18th birthday-and telling their parents they were having a study group. Blake wanted to go-Deon and Ryan were his best buddies. And it's not like he had to help plan for youth group next year. He could do it some other time. Bill called his youth leader and lied, saying that he had to study for the math test that he had forgotten about. His youth leader understood-but the next day called to see how the math test went. ASK:    "What do you think of Blake's decision?     "What would you do if you were Blake?     "What advice would you have for Blake?     "What would you think if you were the youth leader and you found out the truth? Say: Rate Blake's actions on a scale of one (worst) to 10 (best) - use your fingers. Continue: Life is rarely divided into nice, safe categories where all our choices are obvious and easy to make-like a simple one or a 10. Sometimes they fall in the middle-the gray area-not clearly black or white. Why do you think we asked you to judge Blake's actions? Is our intent to try to help him or are we simply gossiping about his problem? Return to the Family Life Center   Closing Work Zone & High Way Quotations Say: I have a couple of quotes that I think add to tonight's discussion about judgment:  "How easy it is to judge rightly after one sees what evil comes from judging wrongly!" -Elizabeth Gaskell "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."-Martin Luther King, Jr. Tonight I would like you to first pass judgment on your values and then try to live consistently with them. We all need to walk the talk. Secondly, if you find yourself judging others are you doing it in such a way as to create a positive outcome? Are you doing it to glorify God? Good judgment comes from putting good values into consistent practice. The more frequently right choices are made, the easier they are.   Please join me in prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, here we are again tonight in your presence. We ask for you guidance so that we can make the hard choices of life. We ask that you give us the strength to live are your Son taught us. To love one another and to love You. Grant us the wisdom to judge willingly when we are to choose between You and a path that strays. Help us not to be complacent with others, but to show them compassion and give them Your invitation.   In Jesus name we pray, Amen When you're finished: Join hands, right over left, and say the UMYF benediction. Gather for this lesson: LCD projector, "What It's Like" edited music video, A way to amplify sound and play the video.   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!