Middle School Week 2: The Word

The Main Thing:

Spending time with Jesus through His Word changes me.

Start Talking (Conversation Starter):

If you had to spend an entire day attached to one person, which would be the worst option: a teacher, someone who never talks at all, someone who never stops talking, or someone who chews really loudly?

Need some movement-based icebreakers for your group? Find some options here!

Explore the Scripture:

Read Luke 24:13-35 as a group. Help students start talking about it together. What stands out? What doesn’t make sense? Are there things that confuse them or words they don’t understand?

Unpack It:

Discuss what you read and what you heard.

• Look at verses 25-27 and 32. What did Jesus help the two disciples understand through Scripture? How did it affect them?

• What do you think this story can teach us about spending time with Jesus through His Word?

• Think back to the message you heard. What takeaways did you have?

Own It:

Make the Scripture personal.

• Be honest: When does reading the Bible feel interesting to you, and when does it feel more like homework or another thing you’re supposed to do?

• What things make it difficult for you to spend time reading the Bible? (e.g., not understanding it, being busy, getting distracted, not knowing where to start, etc.)

• How could your approach to reading the Bible change if you saw it as time with Jesus instead of something to check off a list?

• What’s something you’ve learned about Jesus through the Bible that has changed the way you think about Him, yourself, or your life?

Live It:

Take action to apply what you learned.

• In your Leader Overview are three ways students can spend time with Jesus through the Word. Talk about each one, and challenge your group to do one of them.

Prayer: End your meeting by asking Jesus to help your group know Him more through His Word. Ask Him to give students curiosity, understanding, and a desire to spend time with Him as they read.