(5-10 minutes)
Students will create lists in order to recognize that Christ calls His followers to trust Him with everything.
(10 minutes)
Provide a pen and paper to each student, as well as a dry erase board and dry erase marker.
Ask: What are some things that you can’t imagine life without? Make a list of their answers on the board. After a few minutes, direct students’ attention to their blank paper. Using the group list as a starting point, instruct everyone to create a personal list of life-defining things. Challenge them to make their lists as specific as possible, (eg. specific foods, hobbies, friends, family, interests, plans, and dreams.)
Say: Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you will have to give up everything you love and lose your identity. But following Christ does mean that your identity is found in Him because you love Him the most; You hold everything else with open hands so that He can use, remove, or give new things to best honor Him. Clarify that our culture says all of these things make us who we are, but our Creator says that He made us for His purposes.
Direct students to read their lists and then hold it out in their hands. Before closing with the prayer below, say: If you are willing to trust that God’s plans are better than your own, even if it means everything on this list changes, open your hands. If you’re not ready to trust Him with everything, hang on to your list and ask yourself what on your list is worth more than abundant life with Christ.