Middle School Leader Overview – “Been With Jesus”
There’s a difference between knowing about Jesus and actually being with Jesus. The people we spend time with, the voices we listen to, and the things we give our attention to can shape who we’re becoming. Throughout this series, students will discover that following Jesus isn’t just about doing things for Him. It’s about spending time with Him, because being with Jesus changes us.
In Acts 4:13, people noticed something different about Peter and John: They had been with Jesus. Throughout the series, students will explore what being with Jesus can look like in their own lives. Jesus teaches His disciples to pray (Luke 11:1-4), two disciples recognize Jesus as He opens the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:13-35), Peter encounters Jesus in the middle of a storm (Matthew 14:22-33), and Jesus shows His disciples what serving looks like by washing their feet (John 13:1-17). Each week, students will come back to the same truth: Being with Jesus changes me.
Middle schoolers are forming their identity while relationships, experiences, and influences shape them every day. This catalog will create space for students to consider who they’re becoming and how spending time with Jesus can shape them. Prayer, reading the Bible, worship, and serving aren’t just Christian activities to check off a list. They’re ways students can be with Jesus, know Him more, and become more like Him.
🔎Leader Lens🔍
Students may already know they’re “supposed to” pray, read the Bible, worship, and serve. The challenge is helping them see these practices as more than just things they do for God.
Help them understand this isn’t about measuring spiritual growth by how many of these activities they might do. Instead, continually bring them back to relationship. Help them ask themselves, “How can I be with Jesus in this?” The goal isn’t a longer spiritual to-do list but an active faith where spending time with Jesus becomes part of their day-to-day rhythm — something that marks them as having been with Him.
Discussion Tips
Keep bringing students back to relationship over routine. Prayer, the Word, worship, and service are ways to spend time with Jesus, not boxes to check.
Make room for honesty. Some students may love these practices, while others may find them boring, confusing, awkward, or unfamiliar.
Ask follow-up questions that help students notice change. What are they learning about Jesus? What are they learning about themselves? How might time with Him change the way they think, respond, or treat others?
Make the practical tools feel like invitations, not assignments. Students don’t have to try everything. Help them discover one or two ways of spending time with Jesus that they can actually practice.
Each week, continually help your group get practical around this question: Being “marked” starts by being with Jesus. How will you spend time with Him this week?
A Prayer Before You Start
Jesus, help me lead students closer to You. Give me wisdom to listen well, ask meaningful questions, and show them that following You is about more than what they do; it starts with being with You. Help our group discover how to spend time with You through prayer, Your Word, worship, and serving others. As we spend time with You, change us and shape who we’re becoming. May our lives show others that we’ve been with You. In Your name I pray, amen.
Weekly Connections
Week One | Prayer
Help students see prayer as more than asking God for things, saying the right words, or something they remember to do when life gets difficult. Prayer is time with Jesus. Give students room to be honest about what makes prayer feel confusing, awkward, or easy to forget while helping them discover practical ways to connect with Him.
Leader Insight: When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, He gives them a simple model that centers on God, dependence, forgiveness, and guidance (Luke 11:1-4). Students don’t need impressive words to spend time with Jesus. Help them experiment with practical tools like breath prayers, praying through God’s Word, journaling, silence, or the ACTS method. Being with Jesus through prayer changes us.
Practical Tools: Talk about these with your group as a way for them to practice the week’s focus.
Breath prayers: Short and simple prayers said in one breath. On the inhale, say a name or quality of God. On the exhale, express a need or desire. (e.g., INHALE: “God, you are my anchor.” EXHALE: “Help me have peace and patience through this.”)
Prayer journaling: Write down the focus of what you’re praying for each day. Go back and review your prayers every so often to see how God has moved in you or around you.
The ACTS method: Stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Praying to God in this order helps remind us who He is and positions our hearts to hear from Him. (e.g., God, You are mighty and full of grace. I confess I’ve been worrying that You can’t or won’t bring me through this situation. Thank You that You hear every word of mine and You’re already working. Please help me trust You and follow You closely while I wait. Amen.”) Looking for a more visual guide to use yourself or share with your group? Check out this one Pastor Holly featured on “Highlights”!
Week Two | The Word
Students can easily approach reading the Bible like homework — something they know they should do because it’s expected of them. Help them shift from simply reading words on a page out of duty to recognizing Scripture as an opportunity to spend time with Jesus and know Him better.
Leader Insight: On the road to Emmaus, Jesus walks with two disciples and helps them understand what the Scriptures have been pointing toward (Luke 24:13-35). By the end, they recognize Him and realize their hearts were burning within them as He opened the Scriptures. Help students find a realistic way to engage with the Bible, whether that’s a devotional, an audio Bible, memorizing Scripture, reviewing sermon notes, Bible journaling, or reading through a book of the Bible. Being with Jesus through His Word changes us.
Practical Tools: Talk about these with your group as a way for them to practice the week’s focus.
Devotionals: A devotional that’s aligned with a topic of interest or a need is a great way to spend time in the Word. Show youth how they can use resources like the YouVersion Bible app to find devotionals on any topics they need.
Memorizing Scripture: Having short bites of the Word memorized helps us remind ourselves of God’s promises when we need them most. (e.g., “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3) Consider challenging your group to memorize our series verse: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13) Need encouragement or a reminder of why this matters? Check out this message.
Read through a book of the Bible: It might sound intimidating, but study guides, commentaries, and doing this with others can help. Encourage your group to try it, and consider doing a Bible Club this week where your group reads through a book together. (You can also watch this clip of Pastors Steven and Holly talking about the importance and approach of reading the Bible.)
Week Three | Worship
Worship can easily become about a song, a moment, or what students are doing on the outside. Help them understand worship as a response to who Jesus is. Encourage students to consider what has their attention and how recognizing who Jesus is can change their response to Him.
Leader Insight: In Matthew 14:22-33, the disciples experience fear in the middle of a storm, but after Jesus reveals His power, they respond by worshiping Him and declaring who He is. Help students connect worship to their everyday lives through practices like gratitude, praise, a worship playlist, or paying attention to what they’re listening to and asking, “What is this producing in me?” Being with Jesus through worship changes us.
Practical Tools: Talk about these with your group as a way for them to practice the week’s focus.
Create a worship playlist: If your youth don’t already have one, now’s a great time! You could even create a shared playlist together that the whole group can listen to throughout the week.
Start and end the day with praise: When you wake up, immediately take a minute or two to praise God. It can be for His faithfulness, the rest He gave you, the home you’re waking up in, your health, or anything. Do the same thing just before going to sleep; tell God how much you love Him, and thank Him for what He did for you that day.
Gratitude journal: Keep a notebook or notes app handy, and have a minimum amount of things you’re going to thank God for every day. (e.g., Set a goal to thank God for eight things every day this week, and write them down. Remember the GR8FUL exercise from Pastor Steven’s “Do The True You”?)
Week Four | Service
Serving can feel like another task — something students do because an adult asked, because someone needs help, or because it’s what Christians are supposed to do. Help students see serving differently: When they follow Jesus’ example and love people through practical action, service becomes another way their time with Him shapes how they see and love others.
Leader Insight: In John 13:1-17, Jesus takes the position of a servant and washes His disciples’ feet, then tells them to follow His example. Help students notice needs they can meet right where they are — sitting with someone who is alone, buying someone a snack, writing an encouraging note, meeting a practical need, or serving with an outreach partner. Meeting those needs is serving, and being with Jesus through service changes us.
Practical Tools: Talk about these with your group as a way for them to practice the week’s focus.
Volunteer with an outreach partner: Elevation always has opportunities to serve! Connect your group through some outreach events, and encourage them to go serve. Bonus points if you sign up to serve as a group!
Leave a kind note: Tell your group to think about someone (e.g., a teacher, a coach, a family friend, etc.) they appreciate. Encourage them to leave that person a kind note, thanking them for what they do.
Sit with someone: Have your group think about what they see at school. Is there a student who often sits alone at lunch, or someone else who could use some companionship? Encourage them to spend time with that person this week.