LESSON 2

“Turn of Events”
“The God Who Rescues”

TEACHER PREPARATION

Lesson Summary

Our world is full of brokenness. Your teens see the brokenness in society; they feel it in their homes and even within their own hearts. What they might not realise is that all of this brokenness is the result of sin: humanity’s rejection of God and His wisdom. In today’s lesson, we will discuss how pain, suffering, and injustice are all a consequence of Adam and Eve’s sin. Our purpose, identity, relationships, and our world are all broken because of it. We desperately need God to rescue us from our sin and bring us back to the right path.

Scripture References

Genesis 1–3; Proverbs 14:12; Judges 17:6; Romans 1:21, 25, 28; 5:12; Luke 19:10; Psalm 40:1, 4–5, 8, 11–13, 16–17

Lesson Goals

  • Teens will discuss the consequences of the sin of Adam and Eve to all of humanity.
  • Teens will identify the ways in which God rescues them as written in Psalm 40.

Materials

  • Book of Hope: A Better Way to Life
    Article: “Turn of Events” – pages 4–5
    Article: “The God Who Rescues” – pages 6–7

Additional Information

Even as we discuss difficult topics like pain and suffering, we want to remind our teens of hope. Every conversation we have about sin should include the hope we have in God: He saves us and makes a way for us to have a right relationship with Him.

INSTRUCTION 🕒 5 MINUTES

WELCOME

Welcome the teens back to class. Ask them if they did the “Selfie Challenge” and if they got any responses. Ask those who chose to compliment a friend what the response was from their friend. Thank them for sharing.

REVIEW 🕒 5 MINUTES

Say: In our last lesson, we talked about how God created everything in the world, including you, according to His good design.

Ask:

  • But why did God create you?
    Answer should include: to have a personal relationship with Him.
  • Can you tell me something you learned about God’s love for you from page 2 in your book? (Answers will vary.)

Say: God loves you. He created you and all humanity, according to His good design, to enjoy a relationship with Him and each other.

In our lesson today, we will go back to the beginning when everything was created, and it was good. The world we see today is much different. We are surrounded by pain and suffering. Can anything be done to make things right? Yes! God had a plan!

GAME 🕒 10 MINUTES

Life Experiences Activity

Have teens stand up. You will read a statement and the teens will sit down if they have experienced it. Before you move on to the next statement, have all of the teens stand back up again. As the class plays the game, everyone should have a reason to sit down. Once they understand how the game works, use the following statements:

Say: Everyone please stand up. Sit down in your chair if you agree with the statement I read out loud.

  1. You have missed a bus.
  2. You have lost something important to you.
  3. Someone has spread a rumour about you or your friends.
  4. You have repeated a rumour about your friends.
  5. Someone has stolen something from you before, or you have stolen something.
  6. Someone you believed was a close friend has betrayed you.

Say: Chances are you sat down at least once. This activity demonstrates that we have all done and experienced bad things. This is not part of God’s design. It is the result of people rejecting God and choosing to live their own way. God’s Word calls this “sin” and today we are going to talk about how sin first entered God’s good world.

TEACHING 🕒 30 MINUTES

Introduction:

Write the focus question on the board: What happens when people follow their own ways and reject their Creator’s ways?

Say: The story we will read today is going to explain why the world is full of suffering and brokenness. As we read, think about this focus question: What happens when people follow their own ways and reject their Creator’s ways? Turn to page 4 in your books and follow along as I read the first paragraph of “Turn of Events” out loud.

Read:

the first paragraph of “Turn of Events” on page 4 out loud.

Ask:

Think about your favourite stories or movies. Do they have a plot twist? Raise your hand and tell us about it. (Allow a few teens to respond.)

Say: Those were some interesting plot twists! Follow along in your books through page 5 as you take turns quietly reading out loud in groups of two or three. Look out for the plot twist.

Read:

Have teens finish reading “Turn of Events” on pages 4–5 quietly out loud in groups of two or three.

Ask:

  • What choice did Adam and Eve have?
    Answers should include: to trust their Creator to guide them into the fullness of life or to reject their Creator by taking the fruit and seeking to make their own way in the world.
  • What were the consequences of Adam and Eve’s choice to take the knowledge of good and evil?
    Answers should include: Their relationships with God and others were broken. Sin spread like a disease to everyone. Death entered the world.
  • What happens when everyone “does what is right in their own eyes”? How have you seen this play out in the world today? (Answers will vary.)
  • What is the hope that is offered at the end of the story?
    Answers should include: The hope is that God does not leave us lost and separated from Him. He had a plan to rescue us.

Say: Many of us think of sin as a mistake. But this story shows us that sin is more than a bad choice: It is a rejection of doing life God’s way. Sin is a condition of the heart that wants to rebel against God. Sin separates us from God and leads to death. Because of sin, we experience pain and sorrow. We desperately need God to rescue us from our sin and bring us back to the better path.

Say: Now, turn to page 6 as we read a psalm from the Bible. Psalms are poetic prayers and songs written by various people as a way to express their emotions to God. This psalm was written by King David who experienced first-hand just how much suffering sin can cause. He knew that his only hope for rescue was in God. As you listen, follow along and circle words that describe God’s character or actions as our rescuer.

Read:

“The God Who Rescues” on pages 6–7 out loud.

Ask:

Look back at the words you circled. What words from this psalm describe who God is?

Answers should include: helper, trustworthy, no equal, rescuer, saviour

CLOSING AND REFLECTION 🕒 10 MINUTES

Say:

Though sin corrupted our world, God promises to save us. This psalm expresses that great hope, and now you can express your feelings to God, too. In the empty space on page 6, write a one-sentence prayer to God. If you are not sure what you feel, ask God to show Himself to you over the next few weeks as you study the Bible.

Prayer:


Thank you, God, for the hope we have that you will rescue us from the evil of sin. 
Even when our world seems hopeless, help us to remember the hope we have in you. Amen.

Call to Action / Weekly Challenge

Say: The best way to grow more in our relationship with God is to read the Bible and talk to Him through prayer. This week, your challenge is to read Psalm 40 every day. Come back to class ready to share something God taught you through this psalm!