Going Places Week 3-Speak Up

WHAT? What are we talking about today?

QUESTION | "What are some key ideas we've talked about these past few weeks?"

Welcome back to our final week of Going Places. We've been talking about how our friendships, like road trips, are a journey. Let's keep talking about the types of friendships that are fun and can endure bumps in the road.

INSTRUCTIONS: Ask the following questions and allow a few students to respond. Highlight the Big Ideas we talked about: friends don't miss a chance to care for each other, and friends aren't afraid to challenge each other.

What are some key ideas we've talked about these past few weeks? What do you remember from this friendship theme?

ACTIVITY | Hit The Road, Jack! (Week 4)

I'm curious about your road trip destination "hot takes." Maybe you think vacations are lame and you'd rather stay home. Maybe you'd prefer planes to cars any day.

Sharing any hot take can be nerve-wracking. It takes courage to speak up when you know what you're about to say may evoke pushback.

ACTIVITY | Awkward Road Trip

Having a hot take and being able to walk away after saying it is one thing. Now imagine you're stuck in a car with those words hanging in the air. Let's talk about random conversation topics and how to navigate them.

INSTRUCTIONS: For this activity, you will need a prize for the winner. To play, recruit two students who like acting or improv, and use adult volunteers if you don't have enough players. This is an improv game in which everyone will continue a conversation using only questions for as long as possible. The first one to pause for five seconds or say something that isn't a question loses. Give a prize to the winner. Here are a few questions you could use to get them going: What song could you listen to over and over and not get tired of? How many bones have you broken? If you could switch places with anyone for a week, who would you trade with?

In this game, you can only speak in questions for a whole conversation. You cannot repeat questions and should try to move the conversation forward. Your questions can be as weird as you like! If you pause for five seconds, then you're out. These questions were weird and funny, but how do you react when faced with deeper questions? How would it feel to talk about your honest opinions and beliefs about who God is? In our friendships, part of the journey is sharing the core things we believe. Being honest about what you're thinking, especially your beliefs, is tough in any relationship. It's okay not to have it all figured out, but it helps to talk about your faith with others without fear of being canceled or having our questions hang in the air. Maybe you find it hard to share who Jesus is and what he has done to change your life. Or you think Jesus is cool, but all this Christianity stuff seems pretty out of touch, and you don't want to tell that to your friends, who brought you here. Or maybe you've grown up in the church, and telling friends you have doubts is terrifying.

SO WHAT? Why does it matter to God and to us?

SCRIPTURE | Matthew 16:13–20

Jesus and Peter's friendship showed us what it looks like to be honest about what we believe. Just like them, we have to figure out how to move forward even though things might get awkward. In the story we're about to read, many people were starting to believe that Jesus was sent by God, but others rejected that idea. His relationships were going places, but not always in the most positive direction. INSTRUCTIONS: Read Matthew 16:13–20

Matthew 16:13–20 NIV

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Jesus took his closest friends to the district of Caesarea Philippi. This area, on the edge of Jewish territory, was quiet, green, and cool. Jesus intentionally chose to slow down and get away from the action of crowds to spend quality time with his friends. Jesus made the time to have tough conversations with his friends. He asked, "Who do you believe I am?" and Peter answered correctly — Jesus was the Messiah. Before bringing up this type of question to a friend, sit and think about how you would answer. You may not come up with a definitive answer, but the questions that pop up would be perfect conversation starters with a close friend.

Discovering who Jesus is to you is an important part of your faith.

SCRIPTURE | Matthew 16:21–23

Jesus' questions didn't end there, and it got a little awkward. Look what happened next.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read Matthew 16:21–23

Matthew 16:21–23 ESV

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Jesus endured a lot of grief from the religious leaders of his day, the Pharisees. The way Jesus lived and taught undermined their conviction that keeping meticulous rules was the only way to live faithfully. The Pharisees didn't like Jesus and planned a way to execute him. Jesus trusted his friends with the knowledge of who he was and his eventual persecution. The revelation was so huge that he swore his friends to secrecy and demanded honesty among the group. Peter had a strong reaction to the reality of Jesus' mission, which evoked an equally intense rebuttal from Jesus. This conversation is key to who Jesus was. The word "Messiah" means savior, the one who will rescue God's people. This was the person the Jewish people had been waiting for.

Believing Jesus is the Messiah means we believe Jesus died on the cross to free us from everything that separates us from God. We are always putting up barriers between God and us, and Jesus knocks down those barriers. Through Jesus, God does great work in the world. Because of God's love for us, Jesus died on the cross. When we trust and believe that truth, we can be a part of building God's kingdom here on Earth. When we realize that Jesus has defeated the scariest thing to us, death, we can have hope of a loving and just world. That was why Jesus reacted so intensely with Peter. Jesus wanted Peter to understand the importance of his suffering and death for our sins. Peter correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah, and this is what saviors do — they save. Perhaps the reality of the inevitability and gruesomeness of Jesus' death was too much for Peter to handle, but Jesus wanted to assure Peter that he was on the right track.

SCRIPTURE | 1 Peter 3:15–16

We know this experience impacted Peter in a big way because we read about his reaction in a letter he wrote later to a group of early churches.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read 1 Peter 3:15–16

1 Peter 3:15–16 NIV

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

This passage challenges us to be ready to share our stories and have conversations about our beliefs with each other. As Jesus transforms our lives, we want to share that goodness with those around us. Peter also gave us tips on how to share what we believe and why that's so important. By this point, Peter had probably shared about the confrontation with Jesus a million times. He knew there were ways to share faith in loving and not-so-loving ways. Sharing your beliefs is important, as is sincerely caring for your friends. We want to show gentleness and respect for the person we're talking to and for the message we're trying to convey. Don't panic if you get some pushback from your friends. Remember to be gentle in your words and hold respect for the person you're talking to. In this way, we are following Jesus' example that friends aren't afraid to talk about what they believe.

NOW WHAT? What does God want us to do about it?

IMAGE | An Argument GIF Of Your Choice

INSTRUCTIONS: When you get into an argument with your parents video

Having a reaction to harsh news is part of being human. It's hard to keep a straight face or temper our emotions when talking about or listening to a topic that means a lot to us. Take the posts we see on Instagram or TikTok of people disagreeing, for example. Three-hour response videos and detailed dissections on arguments are not what Jesus or Peter had in mind. Peter encouraged us to be gentle and respectful when we talk about what Jesus has done in our lives. Shouting or fuming about the love of Jesus may have the opposite effect of Jesus' message. Here are a few ways we can have respectful and honest conversations about our faith.

BE CURIOUS:

Ask lots of questions! This community, your small group, the leaders here, and the church should be the safest places to ask questions. Be a person who models openness and safety for your friends. Instead of trying to only get your point across, be curious about how Jesus works in their lives and in the world.

BE AUTHENTIC:

Pray for your friends and for opportunities to share with them. Let them know what you've been learning when it feels appropriate. Write down your story and be prepared for times to share it. Be bold and share some of your thoughts and encouragements on social media. Post about what God has been teaching you lately, and kindly engage in the conversations that occur.

BE GENTLE:

Instead of passing judgment, be gentle when you ask questions and when your friends respond. Even if you tell friends you don't understand or disagree, you can do so with clarity, kindness, and empathy. Notice your volume and tone when speaking about subjects that are important to you.

BE RESPECTFUL:

Be patient and listen to your friends' stories and what it looks like to consider sharing your own story. Don't assume what you believe is what everyone believes. Remain curious and respectful when discovering new or different beliefs you share.

STORY | "Sharing Our Beliefs" Panel

INSTRUCTIONS: Ask a few former students or volunteers to talk about a time when they shared what they believed with others. How did it go? Did it grow their friendships? They can share a time someone talked about their faith or a hot-button issue, but the conversation stayed civil. They can share about an injustice they cared about and how they took action.

Close friendships grow, and your faith grows when you talk about what you believe. You may have different opinions and beliefs, but you can still care for each other and your friendship, even if you come across differences. You will be going places throughout your adventurous life. Consider who are in your passenger seats, and make sure they are people you can talk honestly with about both mundane and deep topics. The only way people will know how God works in the world and in your life is to share it!

RESPONSE | Perfect Road Trip Roster

INSTRUCTIONS: For this response, you will need the handout included in the week four materials and something to write with. Spend some time guiding students through the questions on the flyer.

The takeaway from this talk is not "how to convert your friends." This is about sharing what you believe and being honest about your story and where God has shown up for you. If you feel like you don't have any friends, this can be an encouragement to take a chance on a relationship. Invite a lab partner to hang out, or suggest studying with someone who has helped you remember when your assignments are due. These simple steps can lead to having friends with whom you can have these conversations. Take this paper and keep it somewhere you will see it. Pray for the people on this sheet. Pray that when opportunities to share happen, you will be ready to meet them with gentleness and respect. Remember that

friends aren't afraid to talk about their beliefs.