(10-15 minutes)
Students will examine our tendency to cling to our possessions by reacting to the television show Hoarders.
(10–15 minutes)
Refer to the website for the A&E television show Hoarders at http://www.aetv.com/hoarders.
Ask if anyone in the group has a weird collection, crazy obsession, or bad habit they’d be willing to admit. (Share one of your own if possible.) Point out that while sometimes these are quirky, sometimes they can get out of control. Inquire as to whether or not anyone in your group has ever watched the television show Hoarders on A&E. Invite anyone familiar with the show to describe a typical episode. If no one has seen the show, explain that Hoarders is a documentary following people who have a self-destructive inability to let go of random possessions. Clarify that experts in psychology and organization are brought in to assist the hoarders in working through issues by identifying what is really important and ridding themselves of everything else. If you have the capabilities, play a clip from the show or walk through one of the virtual room tours available at the Hoarders web site at http://www.aetv.com/hoarders. Emphasize that, even when the subject of an episode recognizes that his life would be better without everything he has hoarded, it is still extremely difficult to let go.
Then ask: What are some things in our lives we might not really need yet cling to for security or comfort anyway? Allow for individual responses. Inquire as to why we have such difficulty letting go of these things. Say: Jesus doesn’t promise us safety, but He does offer us security in our relationship with Him. Today we’ll see that He asks us to let go of everything for His sake.