THEME: The Adventure Continues
THE IDEA: We want to capitalize on the content of the conference and keep the momentum going.
Through this short curriculum, we hope to recap the conference material, allow for a chance for some
additional teaching, and give some questions for reflection.
HOW TO USE: This curriculum is meant to be used as either a shell for on stage sermons or for a small
group context. WE WANT YOU TO MODIFY IT and make it your own. Each youth ministry context varies in
many ways from the group next door.
HOW IT’S BROKEN DOWN: Each of the four sessions are broken down into two main parts, “The Downlow”
and “The Script.” THE DOWNLOW is a quick recap of the session and gives you the theme, main points,
bible texts and direction. THE SCRIPT gives you a couple of pointers, some story ideas, the scripture and
discussion questions.
HOW THE SCRIPT IS BROKEN DOWN: The format for the script is the classic Andy Stanley Me, We, God, You
format followed by discussion questions.
Me: How does the presenter personally connect to the material.
We: This is the section where you relate the material to your audience.
God: You can connect the scripture you are using to the content in this role.
You: This is the ever so important application piece. How does the content challenge the individual?
SESSION ONE
THE DOWNLOW
Session One: Uncomfortable Reality - At the basis of every adventure comes the reality that it may
not always be easy or comfortable. A matter a fact, the truth is that most times if you are really
taking risks in your faith, you must really put yourself out there in a way that is difficult.
Main Point: An authentic faith can’t be comfortable.
Main Scripture: Luke 8:40-56
THE SCRIPT
ME: STORY: Start with a story of yours of a time when you were truly out of your comfort zone. This could
be a time you helped someone in a bad situation, a mission trip experience, a hospital visit, etc. As a youth
worker, there should be an unlimited stream of uncomfortable moments to pull from.
WE: Reflection Question: What is the most out of your comfort zone you have ever been? What made this
moment so uncomfortable? Did the discomfort pay off? Did you feel different after?
The Bible is full of uncomfortable situations and people who really put themselves out there. We studied
one specifically at PCTC. It can be found in Luke 8:40-56.
GOD: Read Together:
40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named
Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because
his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject
to bleeding for twelve years,[c] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge
of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45 “Who
touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
46 But
Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
47 Then
the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the
presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly
healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
49 While
Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your
daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.”
50 Hearing
this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”
51 When
he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and
James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for
her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
53 They
laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get
up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to
eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
YOU: At PCTC we were asked whether we found ourselves relating most to the bleeding woman, Jairus, or
the crowd. Why do you feel like you relate to this character in this way, and who do you wish you related
to? What would you have to start doing or stop doing to be more like that character?
Discussion Questions:
What is a risk you wish you were bold enough to make with your faith?
What are signs that someone has an “uncomfortable” faith?
What is the biggest roadblock to you having that faith? How can your youth leaders help you tackle that
barrier?
SESSION TWO
THE DOWNLOW:
Session Two: Unbelievable Creativity – Every single Christian journey and relationship with Jesus
looks a little bit different. Beyond that, we have all been given a different gift set and different set
of experiences that bring us to a place where we can see and express Jesus in a way that is truly
special. We want to accentuate the arts to share perspectives of Jesus that is special.
Main Point: Faith can be shared in countless ways.
Main Scripture: John 9:1-11
THE SCRIPT
ME: STORY: Start with an example of one of your talents. Maybe you can start off my singing, solving a
rubics cube, doing a sweet dance move, doing a split, doing thumb wars… I don’t care what it is. You need
to get the point across that all the people in the room have many different skills and abilities. Perhaps you
can show something immediately after that the normal person is proficient at that you are not quite as
skilled at.
WE: Reflection Question: What way do you think that you can expand the Kingdom of God that most
people may not be able to? Do you think that God has given you a specific gift? What are some creative
ways you can use your gift if you feel you have one?
Many of you may not feel like you have a specific “God-gift” that you have or use on a frequent basis.
There is a Bible story that we shared at PCTC that may speak to your situation.
GOD: Read Together:
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or
his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither
this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might
be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when
no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After
saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s
eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and
washed, and came home seeing.
8 His
neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to
sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How
then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He
replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam
and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
YOU: At PCTC we said the line repeatedly, “God used spit. God used dirt. Imagine what he can do with
you.” How does this change your perspective on your giftset? What are some situations that may just
require you to jump in there and go to work regardless of your abilities?
Discussion Questions:
How would you define being creative? How would you define having a God-given gift?
In the story in Mark 2 where the paralyzed man’s friends lower him into the ceiling, there are several
aspects of the characters that speak into our situation. While none of them had an obvious specific skill,
what did they have that lead to the great outcome of the story?
What are some ways you can start bringing the Kingdom to your school, sports field, job or anywhere else
that maybe isn’t extremely obvious?
SESSION THREE
THE DOWNLOW
Session 3: Unfathomable Grace – Every teen has gone through something different. Sometimes on
our adventures we look around and quickly realize that we have gotten completely lost. We want
to give students the opportunity to share about their current struggles that are holding them up for
the incredible adventure ahead. We more importantly want to convey God’s forgiveness and grace
in every single one of those circumstances.
Main Point: There are NO limits to God’s forgiveness.
Main Scripture: Acts 9:1-31
THE SCRIPT
ME: STORY: This would be a great opportunity to share a story of a time when you were truly lost. Perhaps
it was on the road, in the woods, in life, it doesn’t matter. You want to convey feelings of fear and
hopelessness. Perhaps you were saying something along the lines of, “I don’t think I’m ever going to make
it out of here.”
WE: What was a time when you were lost physically? Have you ever been lost emotionally before? Perhaps
you didn’t know what to do next and were yearning for direction. How do those two scenarios feel the
same, what do they have in common?
GOD: There was a story of a man who was immensely lost in scripture. Let me give you a little background.
We’re going to be talking about a man that you are extremely familiar with: Paul. Only we’re going to be
talking about Paul before he was Paul, when he was Saul.
BACKSTORY:
Imagine for a moment that this is the week of Saul’s arrival at Damascus.129 By this time Saul has gained a
reputation as the ringleader of the movement to make Christianity extinct. A devout Hellenistic Jew of the
tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, Saul was a member of the Pharisees and was taught by none
other than Gamaliel, whom we have already met (Acts 5:34-40). Saul did not agree with his teacher,
Gamaliel, on how the Christians should be dealt with, however. Rather, he sought the arrest, trial,
conviction, and punishment (with imprisonment the norm and death the ideal, it would seem) of those in
Jerusalem.
His career as a persecutor of Christians seems to have begun with Stephen, but it quickly spread to all the
Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 7:58–8:3). Saul was not content to punish some and to drive the rest from the
“holy city.” He did not want to merely contain Christianity or to drive it from Jerusalem; he wanted to rid
the earth of Christianity and its followers. Thus, his opposition to Christ and His church took on a
“missionary” spirit. Saul went to other cities where he sought to arrest Christians and to bring them back to
Jerusalem for punishment. Damascus, a city some 150 miles to the northeast of Jerusalem, was one such
city. Word was out that Saul would soon be arriving.
Read Together:
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high
priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who
belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he
neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground
and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who
are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told
what you must do.”
7 The
men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul
got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand
into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In
Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The
Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named
Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to
restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,”
Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to
your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all
who call on your name.”
15 But
the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the
Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my
name.”
17 Then
Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the
Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see
again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he
could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the
synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he
the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to
take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews
living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 After
many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of
their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers
took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26 When
he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing
that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how
Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had
preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem,
speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,[a] but they tried
to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to
Tarsus.
31 Then
the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened.
Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
Imagine how lost Saul must have felt throughout this journey. Of course, he was physically blind and
became as physically lost as possible. However, the feelings of being lost must have been overwhelming
when he became a Christian and everyone was still terrified of him.
YOU: We talked about how sometimes forgiving and accepting God’s grace is the best way to move
forward. (Use a visual at this point – perhaps a bag and some heavy objects.)
Imagine we are going on a hike and every so often while you are hiking you pick up a rock and put it in your
bag. After a while it will become crippling to walk and you will buckle under the pressure. Eventually we
need to simply let the weight out before our adventure can move any further.
Discussion Questions:
What is it that makes it so hard to forgive ourselves even after God and others have forgiven us?
What is a weight that you are carrying that you need to take out of your bag (remove from your life)?
Application: At PCTC some groups challenged students with this optional activity: Write a handwritten
letter to someone you need to ask for forgiveness from. Confess how you may have hurt them, and let
them know of your desire for reconciliation and unity. If someone has hurt you or caused you a struggle,
write out a letter offering forgiveness.
SESSION FOUR
THE DOWNLOW
Session Four: Unstoppable Love – The main wrap up. The journey never truly ends. We get to a
place in the weekend where students must be truly “sent out.” However, our students will not be
sent out without an agenda or goal. We want to end the conference with a charge to do ministry,
and do it covered with love. We want to teach students to have a love that is radical, tangible and
sustainable. If you have ever been on a really great adventure before, you want to share it with
everyone you know.
Main Point: Share your adventurous faith with everyone.
Main Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9
THE SCRIPT
ME: Share the story of a time you heard something, learning something or saw something and you just HAD
TO SHARE IT IMMEDIATELY. The more in depth with this story the better. Share some details of you acting
out the situation to the people you were sharing with. You want to really drill home this idea of having
something locked in your brain that you NEED to GET OUT!
WE: Have you ever witnessed, heard or learned something that you needed to share immediately? Has
someone ever told you a secret so juicy there was no way you weren’t going to share it with someone else?
Why is it you think you have never felt this same way about the gospel?
Obviously, Jesus thought it was important to share about salvation and a relationship with Jesus. He knew
better than anyone else the right way to do it, and he shared it by example but also through parables.
There is a quick parable Jesus tells in Matthew that can give us a little guidance on how to not lose heart
while trying to bring the people around us in on our adventures! The parable can be found in Matthew
13:1-9.
GOD: Read Together:
Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him,
so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories
in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a
footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The
seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and
since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out
the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and
even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and
understand.”
This can be incredibly complicated at first glance. Luckily you aren’t the only one who was confused. The
people listening to Jesus were also confused. So, he continues in verses 18-23 explaining what he is talking
about it.
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on
the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the
evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil
represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have
deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for
believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but
all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is
produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word
and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Something that is important to remember is that in many ways we are the sower from this parable. We’ve
got these living seeds and we just want to throw them around to everyone that will listen. We throw seeds
through our actions and through the things we say. Something it becomes very clear is that it’s not up to us
who receives it. It’s both up to God and up to every individual person.
YOU: What are some ways you have shared the joy you received from the weekend at PCTC with the
people around you? How does your approach to how you share it change based on who you are sharing
with? Have you tried to explain PCTC to someone who isn’t a Christian in hopes of getting them excited
about your faith?
Discussion Questions:
What are some ways your actions will spread seeds at your school? Or on the sports field? Or in the locker
room? Or in your home?
Do you think there is a wrong way to spread the seeds? Do you think there is a wrong approach to telling
people what your weekend away was all about?
Application: Who is one person you want to come on your next church trip? Develop a plan to get them on
the trip and not scare them away!