WEEK 2: The Distracted You
READ Genesis 3:8-11
"Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' 10 He answered, 'I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.' 11 And he said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?'"
OVERVIEW & SETUP
We often wear masks because we're hurt or afraid of being hurt. Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves and hide their shame and what they saw as imperfections. God knew that Adam and Eve chose to listen to someone else’s voice and not His.
God wants to speak to us. God is speaking to us. In a world that tells us who we’re not, hurts us, distracts us, and tempts us to wear our ‘masks’, God is telling us who HE sees when He looks at us. While Satan tries to distract us, God wants to tell us that—while, yes, we aren’t perfect—that we are loved and that he has a perfect plan to use us...imperfections and all.
ASK + DISCUSS
Which honestly speaks louder in your life at this point in time: God's voice or distractions/the voices of others?
READ Luke 8:7 MSG
"Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it.”
We can’t hear God when our minds are full with thoughts, worries, fears, and plans, or if we’re quicker to open up Snapchat and Netflix before we open our bibles or spend time in prayer. These distractions are what Jesus was referring to as ‘weeds’ in Luke 8. The ‘seed’ is what God is doing and wants to continue doing in our lives.
Luke 8 says that the seed began to grow while the weeds grew with it.
EXPLAIN: If you’re in a small group, your seed is growing. You’re taking steps towards what God wants to do in your life, but is hearing God’s voice over distractions a priority? If not, watch out! Eventually the weeds will continue to grow and choke what is growing in your life and you won’t see the fruit.
These distractions can be: hurt caused by others, worries, money and material things.
ASK/DISCUSS
What else can be added to the list? What are some of the distractions in life that make it hard to hear God’s Voice?
CHALLENGE THEM: Take time to look at your time.
Being intentional with the time you have available to you in a day…takes time! How much time and effort does it take to grow weeds? None. Weeds are a sign of neglect. When you neglect your time with God, the weeds start to grow in your life.
The easiest way to hear God’s voice is through God’s Word.
READ Psalm 40:6-8 MSG
"Doing something for you, bringing something to you—that’s not what you’re after. Being religious, acting pious—that’s not what you’re asking for. You’ve opened my ears so I can listen." So I answered, “I’m coming. I read in your letter what you wrote about me, And I’m coming to the party you’re throwing for me.” That’s when God’s Word entered my life, became part of my very being.”
Spending time listening to God through His Word must be a habit—a part of how we live our lives every day.
CHALLENGE THEM: When you have ‘free’ time (before school, before bed, on the weekends) take time to turn to God’s word first and be quiet.
1 Kings 19:12 says that when God spoke to Elijah, it wasn’t in a wind or earthquake or fire; it was in a gentle whisper. If you want to hear God whisper to you, you have to be quiet.
ASK/DISCUSS
- Why is sometimes so hard for us to use God’s Word as our guide in life?
- What are some ways that we can shut out the “distractions” around us?
PRAY
- Pray for the strength and discipline to overcome the specific distractions your students described.
- Pray for the student's to have a life-changing experience of hearing God's Word in a real way.