Wednesday, January 21, 2009

GUTS 1/21/09 Plan - Change Wk2

G.U.T.S.

Wednesday 1/21/09

Change Wk 2


Concepts:

What is change?

  • Dictionary.com - “to make the form, nature, content, future course of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.”

  • Permanent change vs Temporary Change

    • Permanent change starts in spirit.- Temporal change starts in mind

    • Permanent change changes me – Temporal change changes circumstances

Why don't we change?

  • We don't think we need to.

  • Procrastinate

    • I'll change later when so-and-so happens”

    • I'm young, I have my whole life to work on that”

  • We think we're right.

    • I'm not changing who I am”, “That's just how I am”

  • Takes too much effort/time

  • Nobody else has to change.

    • All my friends are just enjoying themselves, they aren't worried about changing.

  • I'm not the problem.

    • The problem is my parents, school, neighborhood, skin color...etc.

Why do we need to change?

  • God has a standard for His children.

    • Eph. 5:1 – Be imitators of God.

    • Standard - “a rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment or comparison”

  • To reach maturity

    • We have to change to meet the other standards in our life.

      • You have standards at school, work, and home.

    • We have to change to be able to survive what happens in life.

  • God has a plan for you.

    • We have to change so that God can accomplish His plan for our life.

      • We are created perfectly how God wants us.

      • But, when we enter this world we are bent out of shape.

        • We are bent by a fallen world.

        • We are bent by people.

        • We are bent by experiences.

      • We have to change and be bent back into shape to accomplish the plan of God.

How do I change?

  • Tools for change

    • Meditating Word of God.

    • Confessing Word of God.

    • Targeted Faith & Prayer

    • Relationships (Church)

    • Tongues

    • Pain – we often don't change until there is some type of pain of staying the same


We want the students to leave knowing: God has a plan for me & I need to change to accomplish that plan. God has given me the tools I need to change and I know what my first step is.

Once everyone is seated we will ask them to change seats.

Welcome/Recap/Offering

Recap of last week:

What happened last week? How did we do with what we wrote on our popsicle sticks?

Kellee will talk about ATF...April 17-18.


We will ask everyone to change seats once again at this point.

Purpose: To start the night off with lots of fun energy and to get everyone back on the same page.

Stronghold Drama

Vickie and the team will do the stronghold drama.


We will ask everyone to change seats once again at this point.

Purpose: To provide a visual of change and breaking down strongholds.

Change is Bad”

Briefly explain what we mean by change. We are talking about permanent change, not temporary change.

  • Permanent change starts in spirit.- Temporal change starts in mind

  • Permanent change changes me – Temporal change changes circumstances

  • Sometimes permanent change starts with temporary change. Put yourself under law.


We will ask everyone to change seats once again at this point.


Most of us view change as a bad thing. Why do we resist change? After changing seats we will discuss the following:

  • How did it feel to be asked to change seats?

  • Did you view changing seat as an opportunity to sit with someone new or as an uncomfortable and undesirable change?

  • What are some things that make us resistant to change?

Purpose: To communicate what we mean by “change” and discover how we view change.


Change is Hard” (Small Groups)

One of the reasons we resist change is that it can be hard. We will now transition into our small groups. Each group leader should have an index card (you may need a few extras in case they rip it) and a pair of scissors. You will give them the following instructions. “Your team must cut a hole in this index card big enough for you to fit one of your team members through it.” Assure them that it is possible. After they have either accomplished the challenge or time has elapsed we will come back together as a whole group.

  • How does it feel when you are asked to do something so hard?

  • How do you react when the task seems impossible?

    • Do you give up? I'll never change. It's just the way I am.

    • Do you try to justify? None of the other groups are getting it done either.

    • Do you just joke about it?

    • Do you become angry?

Change is possible and change is necessary. So why should I even go through all of this?

Purpose: To provide a hands-on activity that seems impossible, and to discover how we react to seemingly impossible situations.


Why Should I Change?

  1. God has a standard that he expects His children to live by. Ephesians 5:1 says to be an imitator of God.

  2. The world has standards.

  3. God has a plan for you and you have to change for him to accomplish His plan.

  • We are bent out of shape and have to be bent back into what God created us to be.

  • Like the index card, we have to be changed to accomplish what we alone can't do.


I will show how to cut a hole in the index card big enough for me to fit through.


God wants to do what seems impossible in our lives. He has to cut things from us, and bend us, and stretch us into shape. But as long as we resist change, we have bound God's hands. I see us doing an altar call at this point for a couple of different things:


  • I'm in pain, I'm tire of the way things are, and I'm ready to change.

  • I know I need to change, but I don't know where to start.

  • I don't care, and I need God to break me.



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