SERIES DESCRIPTION
God is stronger than anyone and He can do things that would be impossible for you or me. He has proved this throughout history, but nowhere is this more evident than in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Because of what Jesus has done, we can have confidence. And when you put your faith in Jesus, you can live fully alive.
July Curriculum:
Week One (July 1st)
These Guys Aren’t on Fire
Bible Story: These Guys Aren’t on Fire (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) • Daniel 3
Key Question: What does it mean to trust God?
Bottom Line: Trust that God is always with you.
Memory Verse: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6, NIV
Life App: Confidence—Living like you believe what God says is true
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: What does it mean to trust God? Kids trust their parents to feed them and put a roof over their heads. They trust their teachers to help them learn something new about the world. But kids sometimes have a hard time thinking about what it means to put their trust in God. We hope this question starts some great conversations about how we trust God each and every day.
We continue our discovery of confidence with an incredible example found in Daniel 3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego found their faith put to the test when they chose to obey God rather than bow down to the golden statue. They remained confident in God’s power, and God rescued them from the fiery furnace.
Bottom Line: Trust that God is always with you. Not only has God been faithful to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, but also God has proven his faithfulness to all sorts of people throughout history. We can live with confidence knowing that God will be with us in every situation we face.
Worship Videos
Week Two (July 8th)
You've Got A Friend In Me
Bible Story: You’ve Got a Friend in Me (Philip and Nathanael) • John 1:43-51
Key Question: Who encourages you to trust Jesus every day?
Bottom Line: Find friends who help you trust Jesus.
Memory Verse: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6, NIV
Life App: Confidence—Living like you believe what God says is true
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: Who encourages you to trust Jesus every day? Friends are a huge part of the preteen years. As these kids are figuring out who they want to hang out with, we hope this question gets them thinking about finding friends in their life who will help them grow in their relationship with Jesus.
Next, we look to John 1:43–51. John recounts the start of Jesus ministry when He was starting to choose the 12 Disciples. One of those disciples was a guy named Philip. Philip was so overwhelmed when he met Jesus that he couldn’t wait to tell others. Philip found his friend Nathanael and invited him to meet Jesus. Turns out that Jesus had big plans for Nathanael too!
Bottom Line: Find friends who help you trust Jesus. We all need people in our life who will help us live fully alive. We want kids to figure out who, in their life, is encouraging them to have faith in Jesus.
Worship Videos
Week Three (July 15th)
On Top Of The Sea
Bible Story: On Top of the Sea (Peter Walks on Water) • Matthew 14:22-33
Key Question: What distracts you from focusing on Jesus?
Bottom Line: Stay focused on Jesus.
Memory Verse: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6, NIV
Life App: Confidence—Living like you believe what God says is true
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: What distracts you from focusing on Jesus? Let’s be honest, kids have a lot going on. From school to extra-curricular activities to hangouts with friends, preteens have full social calendars. We hope that through this question, they’ll begin to figure out how they can make focusing time with Jesus a priority in their busy life.
There’s an important story about confidence found in Matthew 14:22-33. Peter and the rest of the disciples were out on the Sea of Galilee when they noticed a figure walking on the surface of the water. When they finally realized that the figure was Jesus, Peter called out and asked Jesus to invite him onto the water. Jesus did. And Peter took a stroll on top of the waves. However, only when Peter is focused on Jesus is he able to stay above water.
Bottom Line: Stay focused on Jesus. When we put our confidence in Jesus, we are able to find the courage to make the wise choice in a difficult situation. Jesus may not be asking us to walk on water, but He does have something planned for us. We hope kids start to understand some practical ways for how they can focus on Jesus and what He wants for their life.
Worship Videos
Week Four (July 22nd)
He Won't Back Down
Bible Story: He Won’t Back Down (Peter and John before the Sanhedrin) • Acts 4:1-22; supporting Acts 3
Key Question: How can you face challenges knowing Jesus is with you?
Bottom Line: When Jesus is with you, you can face anything.
Memory Verse: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6, NIV
Life App: Confidence—Living like you believe what God says is true
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: How can you face challenges knowing Jesus is with you? All kids face something they consider challenging. From learning a new skill to playing in a big game to dealing with an illness or a relationship that’s falling apart, kids struggle to understand how they’ll make it through whatever they’re facing. We hope through this question, preteens will start thinking about specific ways their relationship with Jesus can impact how they face challenges in their life.
In week four, we head to Acts 4:1-22. Peter and John didn’t care that they were arrested for talking to others about Jesus. They had so much confidence in Jesus, that they would keep talking about Jesus even if it meant dying for their faith.
Bottom Line: When Jesus is with you, you can face anything. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we don’t have to fear anything that happens. God can give us the confidence to trust Him no matter what.
Worship Videos
Week Five (July 29th)
Something To Believe In
Bible Story: Something to Believe In (Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love) • Romans 8:38-39
Key Question: How would you live if you believed what God says is true?
Bottom Line: Live like you believe what God says is true.
Memory Verse: “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6, NIV
Life App: Confidence—Living like you believe what God says is true
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
Key Question: How would you live if you believed what God says is true? We close out the summer with this important question. We want kids to realize that what they have learned about confidence can impact how they live their life. We hope they catch a vision for what their life could be if they put their trust in Jesus.
We finish the month with something Paul wrote in Romans 8:38-39. The church in Rome needed some encouragement . . . and Paul delivered. He wrote, Nothing at all can ever separate us from God’s love. That’s because of what Christ Jesus our Lord has done, (NIrV). God’s love gives us the confidence to face anything.
Bottom Line: Live like you believe what God says is true. God’s Word is filled with His promises. When we believe them, we can live with confidence that God will be true to those promises and help us through whatever comes our way.