Next Level Prep - Middle School

Introduction

Who is ready for High School? What parts are you most looking forward to?

freedom

driving

opportunities

job/money

phone

dating

So many great things come with getting older.

So many things become harder with getting older.

So many more opportunities come with getting older.

HOW CAN YOU PREPARE FOR GETTING OLDER? This is the question we will be focusing on these next two weeks.

Proverbs 16:3 ESV

3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Before we get to committing and planning, let’s do something a little different!

Activity (GUYS vs GIRLS)

SWORD DRILLS (10 Minutes)

2 Timothy 2:22 “22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Proverbs 16:3 “3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

Psalm 1:3 “3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Romans 6:13 “13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”

Psalm 71:17–18 “17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. 18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.”

CHANGE CUP (10 minutes)

Have students get a cup. Blue for girls, pink for guys.

Set cup on ground, laying on its side.

When I say go…

GIRLS NEED TO PLACE THE PINK CUPS DOWN

BOYS NEED TO PLACE THE BLUE CUPS UP

What if I told you stepping into High School is a quick change like that? You had a plan and set it out before you AND then high school completely adjusts how you’ve been living life.

How do you prepare for this? THINK about our verse of the month

Proverbs 16:3 “3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

The unknown part of High School can be approached with readiness, IF you learn something really important right now - “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

WHERE CAN YOU LEARN HOW TO DO THIS?

HOW CAN I BE SUCCESSFUL NOW AND IN HIGH SCHOOL WITH THIS?

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? (commit)

What are some things you would say that you are COMMITTED to?

(ga-lawl) this word often times means to roll. In the Bible it would talk about moving a large rock. How is this connected to building our understanding of commit?

The visual the Bible is trying to show us is that we have this rock/boulder on our shoulders and we’re trying to carry it through life.

What are the 3 BIGGEST things in your life?

school; sports; family; friends; clubs; hobbies; video games

The BIGGEST things in your life are what takes the time of your life

How can you be successful in MS and prepare for HS? ROLL all things of life onto God. If we ROLL everything onto God does that mean we don’t have to be concerned or involved?

Ex. of School: roll that onto God — don’t worry about studying or learning

That’s not it! In Genesis, when it uses this GALAL (ROLL), it often involved shepherds removing a boulder from a well so the sheep could get some water. The idea is that you have given the parts of your life to God. We allow Jesus carry the boulders in our life and show us where to go BUT WE STILL HAVE TO TAKE ACTION AND DRINK THE WATER. We still have to use the time we have committed to God to glorify God

Committing time in school; sports; family; friends; clubs; hobbies; video games

WHERE CAN YOU LEARN HOW TO DO THIS?

The focus of these two weeks is preparing for the NEXT LEVEL, for yall it is High School.

As we focus on this PREPARING, where do you go to learn how? Social media and movies show a false advertisement of what High School is like. It is so easy to UNINTENTIONALLY build up this dream of what High School will look like.

Maybe you have seen some High Schoolers and think they’re pretty cool. They begin to shape your dream of High School.

If you were like me in Middle School, my dad told me what his high school experience was like and in my “know-it-all” DUMBNESS I told him it’s not like that anymore. ——Now that I’ve gone through that time, the main ideas of what my dad said are right!

So you’re getting all this input on HOW TO PREPARE FOR

SHORT ANSWER: church & home / church or home

HOW CAN I BE SUCCESSFUL NOW AND IN THE FUTURE?

2 Timothy 2:22 “22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

COMMIT TO FLEE & PURSUE —— —— How well do you think you understand FLEE & PURSUE? It’s kinda like dodgeball. When temptation comes flying at your head, what do you do? FLEE…GET OUT OF THE WAY.

Volunteer blindfolded throws dodgeball at others

This is similar to how satan attacks your life. It is likely things that are enjoyable and fun. One thing that is different, satan isn’t blindfolded. He follows your life trying to interupt what God is doing.

How can you be successful? MOVE OUT OF THE WAY (this involves removing us)

filter your CLOSE FRIENDS

filter your THOUGHTS & CONVERSATIONS

filter your CONTENT INTAKE

How can you be successful? STICK TO GOD’S WAY (this involves placing us)

focus on KNOWING THE BIBLE

focus on BEING WITH OTHER BELIEVERS

focus on BEING REPENTANT