elements | grace
Lesson 1: A Gracious God Objective: The point of the lesson is that your students would understand how God’s grace is to be understood as His goodness and loving-­‐kindness toward people, and how this shapes their interactions with Him. Scripture Focus: Psalm 31:19, Micah 7:18, Psalm 145:8-­‐16 Overview: Grace is the foundation of God’s relationship with humankind. As a concept, grace is expressed quite a few different ways in Scripture. But for the purposes of this lesson and this series, grace can be thought of as the overwhelming goodness of God—His mercy, kindness, and ultimately salvation—poured out over us. Oh, and one more important note: it’s completely, 100% undeserved by us! That’s the essential quality of grace. It is simply God’s unearned goodness. Grace is most fully seen in those moments where we have the least right to expect anything, and then are lavished with God’s favor. When we understand grace like this, we see examples of it all throughout Scripture. In this lesson, your students will see how grace flows out of God’s character, and how this shapes their interactions with Him. Teacher Prep Video
The elements Teacher Prep Videos are short videos designed to help you grasp the main points of the lessons as you prepare to teach. To access your “grace Teacher Prep Video,” click on the URL below. • https://youthministry360.com/grace-­‐teacher-­‐prep Bible Background
The Bible Background is a simple and straightforward way to help you prepare to teach the lesson. The Details Who wrote these Books? Psalm 31 and Psalm 145 are ascribed as “a Psalm of David.” The second king of Israel, and noted giant-­‐slayer, David wrote 73 of the 150 psalms. Micah is the prophet who authored the book that bears his name. Micah was a prophet from a region just southwest of Jerusalem. When were the Books written? Both psalms would have been written sometime during David’s lifetime, which most scholars believe was between 1030 BC and 962 BC. There is reason to think that David wrote Psalm 145 toward the latter portion of his life. Micah was prophesying in the southern Kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, which would put the writing of this book anywhere from 750 AD to 687 BC. What was the purpose for writing these Books? Psalm 31 Scholars debate on the exact genre of this psalm. Some think it’s a “lament,” while others believe it to be a psalm of thanksgiving. There are both elements present. Micah Micah is writing to bring God’s prophetic message against His people. God speaks out against both Samaria and Jerusalem because of their rebellion. Psalm 145 This psalm is an acrostic where the verses each begin with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It’s a psalm that praises God’s attributes by lifting a song to the “Great King.” The Main Point This is the first study in a three-­‐lesson look at the concept of grace. This first lesson defines God’s grace as wrapped up in His goodness and loving-­‐kindness. In Psalm 31 and Micah 7 we see evidence of God’s grace and goodness expressed in His love four pouring out His favor on His people. Psalm 145 forms the heart of the lesson by fleshing out what God’s goodness and grace look like. This first lesson will function more as a foundational lesson to help students define grace, and identify how it impacts their interactions with God. Lesson Plan
The Lesson Plan contains three elements: An introductory activity called The Lead In; the Bible study section called The Main Event; and an application-­‐focused segment called The Last Word. The Lead In •
•
Goal: The idea of this exercise is for students to notice identifying characteristics of each superhero or villain they’ve been given. Set-­‐Up: Bring enough 3” x 5” note cards so that each student can have one. Any other kind of paper should work just as well if you’re in a crunch. Prepare these cards ahead of time by writing the characters mentioned below (or use your own), one on each card. The list of heroes and villains could include characters such as Batman, Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, Thor, Mario, A Ninja Turtle (Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, or Michelangelo), Bilbo Baggins, Joker, Lex Luthor, Loki, Bane, Shredder, Magneto and so on. (Feel free to customize this list to reflect your students’ influences.) FIRST, distribute to each student one note card a piece. Explain to the students that they should not tell anyone which character they have. Once they have their card, instruct them to hold it close so no one else can see. NEXT, begin in any order you’d prefer and ask students to describe their character using one word at a time. Explain that they can’t use any names in their descriptions. As students share their single word descriptions, allow anyone who wants to try, to guess who the student is describing. Whichever student guesses correctly assumes the note card of the person they guessed. Continue to move around randomly, going from student to student having them attempt to describe their character in one word. The student with the most cards after everyone has had a turn is the winner. THEN, once you’ve finished the game, lead students in a brief discussion. Ask: • Which character was the hardest to figure out? • Which character was the easiest to figure out? • What made it so easy to identify that character? FINALLY, transition to “The Main Event” by wrapping up the activity. Say something like: •
Though it took a little more on some than others, we were pretty successful at guessing the character based on a description about some aspect of their characters. We’re kicking off a three-­‐
lesson look at the concept of grace. We’re going to see that just like in our activity, we’re going to be able to recognize grace in God because it literally has its roots in His character. Let’s jump right in and see if we can’t define grace and learn exactly how it impacts our lives. The Main Event •
•
Goal: The idea is for students to grasp how grace flows from the goodness of God’s character. Set-­‐Up: None FIRST, ask students to define “grace” in their own words. If a definition is difficult, ask for real life examples of grace. There are no wrong answers here, and most people feel that they understand this concept to some degree. The goal is that by the end of the lesson, those students who have a “sort of” idea about what grace is have transitioned to a place where they know exactly what it is, and how it affects their relationship with God. Allow students to wrestle with the definition a bit. Then, help fill in the gaps. Say: • Grace can be thought of as the overwhelming goodness of God—His mercy, kindness, and ultimately salvation—poured out over humankind. NEXT, transition your group to your time of Bible study. Inform students that they will be looking at several Bible verses in an attempt to discover how God’s grace flows out of who He is. Instruct students to find Psalm 31 in their Bibles. Remind students that David wrote the passage you’re about to read. Then, read or have a student read Psalm 31:19 aloud, then ask: • This verse shows that God’s goodness is stored up and then given out to a specific group of people. Who are they? o Answer: Those who fear Him and find refuge in Him. • What do you think it means to fear God? Why is this important in experiencing His goodness? o Answer: To fear God means to realize how big He is in power and majesty. How awesome He is. It’s not a fear like you may think. Though God created the world with a word, and could certainly end our lives pretty easily, fear here is more like reverence, or really intense respect. David reminds us that if we live in “fear” of God, with a love and a reverence, God will show His goodness and grace to us. Inform students that this simple verse has already laid a good foundation of what grace is and how God administers it. Explain that in this verse you saw that God’s goodness is special, stored up, but most importantly it’s abundant. THEN, before you read the next verse, give the students a little context for the passage in Micah. Use these points to help: • Micah was a prophet who often prophesied about a coming destruction for Jerusalem. (I’m sure he had a ton of friends.) • He was lamenting in this chapter at the decrease of God’s people’s devotion and love for Him, and their indulgence in worldly things. • Micah is attempting to remind God’s people of God’s goodness and why they should worship Him instead of bringing about destruction by their own disobedience. Read or have a student read Micah 7:18. Ask the following questions about this verse: • At the beginning of the verse, how is God’s goodness in His character displayed? o Answer: Sin puts God’s people in bondage, but He pardoned that sin and brought them out of it. God LOVES to show His goodness to His people. •
•
Why is it important to note that His anger, while not retained forever, is noted in this verse? Why would God be angry? o Answer: Hundreds of years of sin and disobedience had caused God to be angry with His people. He had been patient. But He was about to stop holding back judgment on them. God is a just God. And while He is gracious, He also requires that transgressions (or sins) be punished. Micah finds it hard to comprehend that God would show mercy when He has the right to be angry. Why do you think that was? o Answer: Because Micah didn’t see God give the rebellious, sinful Israelites what they deserved. But Micah had to realize that showing grace through His goodness is just as much a part of God’s character as righteous judgment is. God’s justice is complimented by His grace. NEXT, read Psalm 145:8-­‐16 aloud for your students. Before you do, instruct them to count how many times God’s graciousness is referenced in these 8 verses. Read the passage. Then ask how many times they counted the word grace. o Answer: At least 10 times in these verses, God is praised for His graciousness and goodness. • Where in this passage do you see specific verses describing the administration or the exercising of God’s goodness and graciousness? o Answer: v. 9 good to all, compassionate to all he has made; v. 13 faithful and loving; v. 14 upholding those who fall; v. 15 the idea of provision and blessing coming from God. • Why is this important for us to see God exercising His grace in this way? o Answer: It’s important in reminding us that He IS good. He embodies faithfulness, so there is no need to wonder if God will be faithful or not. Each description is yet another reminder of who He is. Explain to students that just as God IS love, God IS goodness. He IS grace. He IS mercy. He embodies all of these wonderful expressions of grace and compassion. Graciousness flows from Him because it’s who He is. Grace, and the desire to pour it out on His children, is wrapped up in God’s identity. FINALLY, share with students why understanding God’s grace is so important. Say something like this: • We’re all sinners (Rom. 3:23, 6:23) and deserve to pay for that sin. But because of the abundance of God’s goodness, because of the active nature of His grace and mercy, He shows grace to His people. It is who He is. While we can’t claim to understand God completely, we can understand how He has revealed Himself to us. Challenge students to begin looking for evidence of God’s grace in their lives. Explain that once they do, they will begin to see that they are surrounded by goodness, all the time. Transition to “The Last Word” to wrap up your lesson. The Last Word •
•
Goal: The idea is for students to ask if God’s grace is something they have embraced and be reminded that it is not through our works, but through His character. Set-­‐Up: No set-­‐up required. FIRST, explain to the students that we repeatedly see in these Scriptures that God is gracious to His people. It may be a good time to ask students if they have experienced that grace in their lives. Embracing God’s grace for salvation is when we begin to experience His goodness toward us. THEN, ask your students if they ever feel guilty or undeserving of grace in their lives. Try to help them understand that it’s pretty common to feel distant from God when we are aware of our sin. But help them see that God’s grace isn’t dependant on us; it’s dependant on Him. And Scripture is clear: God chooses to show us grace because He is loving and good, not because we are deserving of it. NEXT, instruct students to think about the game at the beginning of the lesson and ask this question: (You may or may not want this to be something students answer out loud, depending on the closeness of your group. Keeping it internal is OK.) • If it was your name on that note card passed out earlier, how would you describe yourself? • Is there evidence in your actions of God’s grace moving through you and in you? • Would others be able to recognize God’s goodness and graciousness to you through your description? FINALLY, encourage students to embrace the grace offered to them through Christ. Say something like: • We’ve seen through our lesson today that our God is a good and gracious God. He cares about you deeply, and wants you to experience His grace daily in your lives. Though He doesn’t want us to abuse His grace, He does want us to accept it and live every day as His children. If you ever feel unworthy to accept it, remind yourself that you are – but God shows it anyway because it is who He is. Live with the truth that it’s not what you do to earn grace, but who He is that allows us to receive it. Close in prayer. • Don’t forget to distribute the “Grace: Lesson 1” devotions to your students. If you’re printing them, have them available for students as you wrap up class. If you’re texting a link, posting them on Facebook, or some other means of electronic distribution, make sure you inform students of when they will be receiving them. • Consider texting students a couple of times during the week to encourage them to follow through with reading the devotions. We Want To Hear From You . . . • Do you have questions about a lesson? • Something that worked particularly well you want to share? • Something that didn’t work you want to bring up? We value your feedback! Please do not hesitate to email us with your questions, comments, or concerns, at [email protected].