Printed in the U.S.A.

TACKLING TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT

GOD, OTHERS, AND ME

CD & DVD INCLUDED

12LESSONS

Good. Better. Best. As follower of Christ, we have the opportunity to

experience all of those things. We hear the good news of Jesus, our lives are

better because of God’s salvation, and God’s plan for us is the best discovery

we could ever make.

This volume of Grapple Jr. High includes 12 lessons that will

engage your students in conversations about finding God’s best in

three areas:

•TheirjourneyoffaithandtrustinGod •TheirdecisiontofollowGod’splanfortheirlives •TheirfriendshipswithotherChristians

Lessons tackle such important topics as standing up for God and depending

on God, discovering God’s purpose for your life, and experiencing God’s

design for true community in the local church. Each lesson features

interactive, hands-on elements that will get your junior highers talking, moving

around, and seeking answers.

Ifyourstudentshavemisconceptionsabouttherewardsandjoysoffollowing God, this volume of Grapple Jr. High will help them uncover

clarity, truth, and insight about where and how they can find God’s best

in life!

122151

FINDING GOD’S BEST

9 780764 475504

Grapple® Jr. High: Finding God’s BestCopyright © 2011 Group Publishing, Inc.

Permission to photocopy these lessons from Grapple® granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. For information, email inforights@group.com, or go to group.com/permissions.

group.comsimplyyouthministry.com

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-7644-7550-4

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

Printed in the United States of America.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHO’S THE MAN?Key Verse: John 14:1

Lesson 1: Why Should I Even Trust God?1 Kings 18:1-40; 1 Peter 1:21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Lesson 2: What’s in It for Me?Genesis 15; Luke 22:20; Romans 4:16-17; 8:15-17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Lesson 3: Is Believing in God Lame?Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Daniel 3; John 14:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Lesson 4: Isn’t God Just Mean and Cruel?Jonah 1–4; Luke 11:29-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

THE SIMPLE LIFE Key Verse: Romans 8:28

Lesson 5: What if God’s Plan for Me Stinks?Genesis 37:2-36; Mark 10:32-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Lesson 6: Will Life Ever Get Better?Genesis 39:1-6a; Matthew 25:14-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Lesson 7: Can I Take a Vacation From God?Genesis 39:6b-23; Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Lesson 8: Will I Live Happily Ever After? Genesis 45:1-11; 50:19-21; Romans 8:28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

HERE’S THE CHURCH, HERE’S THE STEEPLE! Key Verse: Hebrews 10:25

Lesson 9: Do I Have to Go?Proverbs 15:22; 27:17; John 1:35-51; 6:1-15; 13:1-17; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26;

1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 10:15-25; 1 John 1:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Lesson 10: Why Are Christians So Fake?Romans 12:1-21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Lesson 11: What’s Up With the Offering?Matthew 6:19-34; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Lesson 12: Why Is Church So Boring?Matthew 9:18-33; John 10:7-10; 11:25-44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121

INTRODUCTIONGRAPPLE® JR. HIGHSome of your students may already seem jaded about the Bible, and some of them have never cracked one open. Wherever your teenagers are in their spiritual journey, two things they all have in common are an inquisitive mind and a need for Christ-centered biblical depth. Grapple Jr. High is specifically designed to get junior highers grappling with tough topics in meaningful ways so they understand and own their faith. Each week, students engage with memorable Bible passages and characters, grapple with the issues that come to the surface, and discover a path that leads them straight to Jesus Christ.

During class, students follow the same schedule each week.

GRAPPLE SCHEDULE

5 MINUTES HANG TIME10 MINUTES GRAPPLE CHAT10-15 MINUTES GRAPPLE TIME20-25 MINUTES TEAM TIME10 MINUTES TEAM REPORTS5 MINUTES PRAYER & CHALLENGE

Please note that times are approximate and should be flexible to fit your classroom needs.

WHAT HAPPENS?WHAT HAPPENS?GRAPPLE HANG TIME: Kids enjoy snacks and friendship as they spend time getting to know each other as music plays in the background. Then play a three-minute countdown, included on your Grapple DVD, to let students know how much time they have until Grapple Hang Time is over. You can also use the countdowns to wrap up an activity in the lesson.

GRAPPLE CHAT: Chat topics connect students to one another and to the Word of God. Two topics in each lesson are built on passages or characters from the Bible, and two topics challenge students to discuss their lives. Encourage students to choose one question from each of these categories. In each lesson, Questions 1 and 3 are the biblically based questions, and Questions 2 and 4 are the ones that tap into their personal experiences.

GRAPPLE TIME: Grapple Time is the leader-led experience for your entire class. Grapple Time involves everyone in making discoveries; the experience helps students cultivate the desire to dig into the Bible for answers.

GRAPPLE TEAM TIME: Students get into their Grapple Teams of six or fewer to dig into the Bible with the reproducible Grapple Team Guide.

Who leads a Grapple Team? If you have six or fewer students, have them stay together with you as the leader. If you have several Grapple Teams, try these ideas: Facilitate all the teams by moving from team to team, assign a student to be the team leader, or recruit adults or high school students to be team leaders.

GRAPPLE TEAM REPORTS: Teams vote on how they want to report what they discovered during Grapple Team Time. Once teams are ready to report, they get with other teams that chose the other style of reporting. They then take turns reporting what they learned. If you have just one Grapple Team, consider dividing your team into two smaller groups to create and present reports.

GRAPPLE PRAYER AND CHALLENGE: Kids choose, as a class, which prayer option they would like to do. After the class closes in prayer, give kids the weekly Grapple Challenge to live out their faith during the coming week.

ALLERGY ALERTALLERGY ALERTThis guide may contain activities that include food. Be aware that some kids have food allergies that can be dangerous. Know the students in your class, and consult with parents about allergies their kids may have. Also be sure to carefully read food labels, as hidden ingredients can cause allergy-related problems.

WHO’S THE MAN?

WHY SHOULD I EVEN TRUST GOD?

3

WHO’S THE MAN?Why Should I Even Trust God?The Point: I Can Depend on GodThe Passages: 1 Kings 18:1-40; 1 Peter 1:21

GET STARTEDLesson 1. Why Should I Even Trust God?

GRAPPLE SCHEDULE

5 MINUTES HANG TIME10 MINUTES GRAPPLE CHAT10-15 MINUTES GRAPPLE TIME20-25 MINUTES TEAM TIME10 MINUTES TEAM REPORTS5 MINUTES PRAYER & CHALLENGE

SUPPLIESBibles, Grapple DVD, DVD player, music CD, CD player, copy of the Grapple Team Guide for each person, paper, pens or pencils, blindfolds (two for each group of four students)

BIBLE BASIS FOR TEACHERSThe Passage: 1 Kings 18:1-40The Passage: 1 Kings 18:1-40During the time Elijah stayed in Zarephath, Ahab, the king of Israel, was apparently looking for him. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, had been killing prophets who apparently looking for him. Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, had been killing prophets who followed God, and we can assume Ahab and Jezebel wanted to do the same to Elijah.

There was a drought throughout the land, and God instructed Elijah to present himself to Ahab. When Elijah and Ahab finally encountered each other, Ahab blamed Elijah for the drought. The crime Ahab accused Elijah of—being a “troublemaker of Israel”—was punishable by death (see Joshua 7:25). Ahab was desperate and hoped Elijah would be able to end the drought, so instead of ordering Elijah’s execution, Ahab listened to Elijah and did what he said.

With his challenge, Elijah intended to publicly prove that the God of Israel is the one true God so that the people would turn from their worship of Baal and once again worship God. After a convincing display of his power and a humiliating defeat of Baal, God released the rain to end the drought in Israel.

How does this relate to the Grapple Question? Elijah put his life and reputation on the line because he trusted in God and depended on God coming through

4

for him. God is dependable through and through. Like Elijah, we often face experiences that put our faith in God’s dependability to the test.

How does this connect to Jesus? Jesus’ words and actions show that we can trust in God. Jesus says that when we knock on God’s door, God will open it for us (see Matthew 7:7-8). Ultimately, the dependability of God comes to full fruition on the cross and in the empty tomb. Jesus’ death and resurrection proves that we can trust God to fulfill his promises, love us unconditionally, and graciously give us eternal life as his fully redeemed children.

GRAPPLE HANG TIME: 5 MINUTESPlay music as kids enjoy snacks and friendship, and then play an opening countdown from the Grapple DVD to wrap up Grapple Hang Time.

GRAPPLE CHAT: 10 MINUTESHave students form pairs; if you have an uneven number of kids, it’s OK to have one trio in the mix. Ask each group to chat about two of the four topics below that relate to today’s grapple topic. (Answers in parentheses are samples.)

IN PAIRSChat 1: Identify which person said this: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and now trust also in me.” And where in the Bible can you find that in God, and now trust also in me.” And where in the Bible can you find that in God, and now trust also in me.”statement? (Jesus, in John 14:1)

Chat 2: What do you worry about most?

Chat 3:Chat 3: What two people in the Old Testament never died? (Enoch, Genesis 5:24; What two people in the Old Testament never died? (Enoch, Genesis 5:24; Elijah, 2 Kings 2:11)Elijah, 2 Kings 2:11)

Chat 4: If you were stranded in the desert, which friends would you most trust to be with you and help you survive that experience—and why?

GRAPPLE TIME: 10-15 MINUTESGet Ready: Cue the Grapple DVD to the “Interview” clip.

Lead the entire class in the following:

Today were going to do an activity called Trust Walk.

Have students form groups of four, and distribute blindfolds—two per group. Explain that each person in the group will have the opportunity to be blindfolded and led around the room—first by a student who can see and then by another student wearing a blindfold. In the second scenario, encourage the “sighted” members of the group to make sure their teammates don’t get hurt while walking around your meeting area.

5

IN PAIRSWhat was going through your mind when you were walking around blindfolded? Was it difficult to trust your teammate? Why or why not? What did it feel like to be led around the room by someone else who was blindfolded?

TELL ALLShare answers with the group. How did not being able to see affect your experience? Why is it difficult to trust other people at times?

Show the “Interview” clip on the Grapple DVD.

Trusting others is hard enough, but trusting God, who we can’t even see, seems impossible. Sometimes we wonder if God is even trustworthy. Most people would agree that there are times it’s difficult to trust God. So why should you trust God? Let’s grapple with that.

GRAPPLE TEAM TIME: 20-25 MINUTESBreak into Grapple Teams. Encourage Grapple Team leaders to check in with kids about their week. Grapple Team leaders will facilitate discussion, using the Grapple Team Guide on pages 6-8. Afterward, students will report what they learned.

GRAPPLE TEAM REPORTS: 10 MINUTESAt the end of Grapple Team Time, match Grapple Teams that chose Option 1 with Grapple Teams that chose Option 2 from page 8. Have teams present their reports.

(If you have an uneven number of teams, simply form one group of three teams for the presentations. If you have only two Grapple Teams, simply do the presentations one team at a time.)

GRAPPLE PRAYER AND CHALLENGE: 5 MINUTESRead the Grapple Prayer options. Have the class choose one prayer option that everyone will do. Allow students time to pray about what they discovered. Then close in prayer.

Option 1: You Are; I AmFind a partner to pray with. God gave us the Bible so we could know him and so we could know who we really are. Take turns each praying a one-sentence prayer that starts, “God, you are.…” Then take turns each praying a one-sentence prayer that starts with the words: “Because of your love for me, God, I am.…”

Option 2: Letter PrayersWrite a letter to Jesus. Tell him what you know is true about him and what you’re unsure about; ask for his strength and help in developing a deeper trust in him.

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GRAPPLE CHALLENGEIn John 14:1, Jesus says, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.” Later, in verses 12 through 14, he says this: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!”

This week, I challenge you to begin a prayer journal, where you can write all of your prayers. Then, as God begins to answer your requests, look at your prayers and keep track of God’s answers.

WEEKLY GRAPPLE CONNECTIONGrapple Question: Why Should I Even Trust God?Kids Learn: They Can Depend on GodDig Into the Bible: 1 Kings 18:1-40; 1 Peter 1:21

It’s tough to trust anyone, let alone someone we can’t physically see, hear, or touch. Teenagers aren’t the only ones who struggle with trusting God. We live in a society where people trust their money, their successes, and their relationships far more than they trust God to provide for them. This week let your kids know that you also have a difficult time trusting God sometimes. Share about a time you’ve struggled with trusting God. Also discuss a time you put your trust in God and God came through for you.

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GRAPPLE TEAM GUIDE LESSON 1In your Grapple Team, use this guide to grapple with today’s question.

It’s so hard to trust anyone, let alone God. Use this short survey to measure your trust level. Circle the number that’s closest to your experience.

After finishing a test, I stress out because I don’t know if my best is good enough.

1 2 3 4 5Never Sometimes Always

TEAM GUIDE

7

I worry a lot about my future.

1 2 3 4 5Never Sometimes Always

It really bothers me if I have an unresolved conflict with someone.

1 2 3 4 5Never Sometimes Always

I tend to rely mostly on myself.

1 2 3 4 5Never Sometimes Always

I feel better after I pray.

1 2 3 4 5Never Sometimes Always

IN PAIRSWhat did the survey reveal about your level of trust? Which statement was the most difficult for you to rate? Why?

If we believe God knows everything and does what is best for us, why can it be so difficult to trust God?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

You are about to read about a man who trusted that God would pull through big time in his life. But before you jump into the passage, here’s some background. The guy’s name was Elijah, and he was a prophet of the one true God. In Elijah’s day, being a prophet of the one true God could get you killed. Around those parts the king, queen, and most people worshipped a false god called Baal. There had been a famine; it hadn’t rained for three years. And Ahab, the king, was blaming Elijah for the drought. Elijah went into hiding until one day God told him it was time to fight back. Find out what happened.

Read 1 Kings 18:1-40

8

IN PAIRSIn what ways do you see that Elijah trusted God? What elements in this account were humanly impossible yet possible through God’s strength and power?

What do you think would have happened if God hadn’t sent down fire? How does our fear that God won’t show up affect us both internally and in how we act?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Read 1 Peter 1:21

IN PAIRSHow is our faith connected to our trust in God? Is it possible to be a follower of Christ without trusting God? Why or why not? How have you grown in your trust in God?

Share your answers with your team, and come up with three ways that you can encourage yourself and your friends to trust God more.

1. _________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________

GRAPPLE TEAM REPORTSWith your team, choose one of the options below to report what you discovered.

Get Ready: For Option 1, make sure students have paper and pens or pencils.

Option 1: Preach It; Practice ItCreate a short instruction manual titled “Practice What You Preach.” Come up with at least 10 ways everyone can put today’s lesson into practice this next week.

Option 2: Condense ItIf you had to summarize today’s lesson in only five words, what would they be? As a team, choose the words carefully, and be prepared to explain why you chose them.

9

STU

DE

NT

WHY SHOULD I EVEN TRUST GOD?(STUDENT)

John 14:1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.”

GRAPPLE CHATChat 1: Identify which person said this: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and now trust also in me.” And where in the Bible can you find that in God, and now trust also in me.” And where in the Bible can you find that in God, and now trust also in me.”statement?

Chat 2: What do you worry about most?

Chat 3: What two people in the Old Testament never died?

Chat 4: If you were stranded in the desert, which friends would you most trust to be with you and help you survive that experience—and why?

GRAPPLE CHALLENGE Trust in God this week. Create a prayer journal, and begin keeping track of God’s answers to your prayers.

NOTES:_______________________________________________________________________

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Printed in the U.S.A.

ISBN 978-0-7644-7550-4ISBN 978-0-7644-7550-4

RELIGION/Christian Ministry/YouthRELIGION/Christian Ministry/Youth

TACKLING TOUGH QUESTIONS ABOUT

GOD, OTHERS, AND ME

CD & DVD INCLUDED

12LESSONS

Good. Better. Best. As follower of Christ, we have the opportunity to

experience all of those things. We hear the good news of Jesus, our lives are

better because of God’s salvation, and God’s plan for us is the best discovery

we could ever make.

This volume of Grapple Jr. High includes 12 lessons that will

engage your students in conversations about finding God’s best in

three areas:

•TheirjourneyoffaithandtrustinGod •TheirdecisiontofollowGod’splanfortheirlives •TheirfriendshipswithotherChristians

Lessons tackle such important topics as standing up for God and depending

on God, discovering God’s purpose for your life, and experiencing God’s

design for true community in the local church. Each lesson features

interactive, hands-on elements that will get your junior highers talking, moving

around, and seeking answers.

Ifyourstudentshavemisconceptionsabouttherewardsandjoysoffollowing God, this volume of Grapple Jr. High will help them uncover

clarity, truth, and insight about where and how they can find God’s best

in life!

122151

FINDING GOD’S BEST

9 780764 475504