Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
Many games rely on a spinner to randomly determine the next move. “Twister” is one example.
Download and print the “Spinner” file. Place a spinner in the middle, or use an object the youth can spin. Wherever the spinner points, the volunteer who spun it must answer that question. The segments include questions about God’s will. We also included a blank space in case you want to create your own questions.
Our topic today is “Knowing God’s Will,” and many people consider this to be very important. However, some people would admit that they do not know God’s will for their lives. Is it a matter of talents you’ve been given that determines your vocation? Is it a matter of who you like or who your parents like that determines whom you marry, and when? How does a person discover God’s will for their life? Can you really do that with confidence? We’ll consider the story of Gideon recorded in the book of Judges, and we’ll take a look at how we can apply that to our lives today.
This is a short video and an idea to help you create your own video on this week’s topic, plus a few follow-up questions to spark discussion afterwards.
Create a video that illustrates this week’s lesson. Ask someone in advance to create follow-up questions based on this video.
Go to YouTube for an iBelieve Bible video on “Signs.”
These are more approaches to the same topic featured in the Teacher’s Guide, but just a different way of looking at it. Expect activities to illustrate the topic followed by some questions.
BASED ON DEUTERONOMY 2
By the time you’re a teen, taking baby steps doesn’t make a lot of sense. Or does it? The term “baby steps” comes from the first steps a baby takes. Even though we are no longer babies, it’s likely that we still take baby steps in other parts of life. This may happen when you try something new or work on addressing a fear. Instead, you might try stepping off a 1-meter diving board. Next comes jumping or diving off that board rather than just stepping off it. After you get comfortable with that, you might try a 3-meter diving board or even a high platform like Olympic divers use. Who knows, you might even try bungee jumping or sky diving next! You get the idea, right?
Education also involves a series of baby steps. You start with basic information and build on it as you grow and continue learning. If you started with the most difficult task, you might feel intimidated and want to give up. But following baby steps helps you build a foundation for adding more knowledge and skills.
Conduct a race with different sizes of shoes. Depending on the size of your Youth Sabbath School, you could race against the clock or compete against another team or teams. Based on how many different shoe sizes you have obtained, have that many volunteers go either to a point and back, or through a course, or you can put strips of painter’s tape on the floor, no more than 4-6 inches from each other to mark the baby steps for each stride in whatever shoes a person is wearing.
Declaring a winner probably isn’t as important as being able to take baby steps, and to “walk in another person’s shoes.” Ideally your participants will get to experience more than one set of shoes. It might be best to obtain your shoes from a thrift store since they can easily be ruined in an activity like this.
Another version of this relay type of activity is to vary the size of the steps taken. Use the painter’s tape and vary the space between the tape, either depending on the size of shoes being worn or the number of times a person goes through the course (with a different size of shoes each time). Go from baby steps to toddler steps to children’s steps to youth steps to giant steps. You can also return to smaller steps.
Our Scripture passage for today describes a man who has to learn how to take “baby steps.” The story gives the background of God’s people. Read about it in Judges 6:1-6 (NLT).
1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. 2 The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel,
4 camping in the land and destroying crops as far away as Gaza. They left the Israelites with nothing to eat, taking all the sheep, goats, cattle, and donkeys. 5 These enemy hordes, coming with their livestock and tents, were as thick as locusts; they arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare. 6 So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
God’s response was to send a prophet who reminded the Israelites of all Yahweh had done for them and their ancestors, followed by a “come to Yahweh” message of turning to God and listening to him (see Judges 6:7-10).
For this lengthy Scripture reading of the story, equip Youth Sabbath School participants with the shoes used in the earlier activity. Play a modified version of “Mother, May I . . .” by having them line up at the back of the room. As you read a portion of the story, have them listen and then when you pause, have them move forward the distance in baby steps they think are equivalent to the baby steps Gideon took in this story. There will be 14 segments of varying lengths. If they calculate correctly, they should reach the front of the room by the end of the 14th segment. If they gauge incorrectly, they need to return to the back of the room and start again. The reader determines whether or not they return to the back of the room. Depending on the size of your room, you may need to adjust the suggested number of steps and their length.
Here’s the story from Judges 6 (NLT), with the first baby steps.
11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh,
and I am the least in my entire family!”
16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
17 Gideon replied, “If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me.
18 Don’t go away until I come back and bring my offering to you.” He answered, “I will stay here until you return.”
19 Gideon hurried home. He cooked a young goat, and with a basket of flour he baked some bread without yeast. Then, carrying the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out and presented them to the angel, who was under the great tree.
20 The angel of God said to him, “Place the meat and the unleavened bread on this rock, and pour the broth over it.” And Gideon did as he was told.
21 Then the angel of the Lord touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand, and fire flamed up from the rock and consumed all he had brought. And the angel of the Lord disappeared.
22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23 “It is all right,” the Lord replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” 24 And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and named it Yahweh-Shalom (which means “the Lord is peace”). The altar remains in Ophrah in the land of the clan of Abiezer to this day.
25 That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. 26 Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”
27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord had commanded. But he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of his father’s household and the people of the town.
28 Early the next morning, as the people of the town began to stir, someone discovered that the altar of Baal had been broken down and that the Asherah pole beside it had been cut down. In their place a new altar had been built, and on it were the remains of the bull that had been sacrificed. 29 The people said to each other, “Who did this?” And after asking around and making a careful search, they learned that it was Gideon, the son of Joash.
30 “Bring out your son,” the men of the town demanded of Joash. “He must die for destroying the altar of Baal and for cutting down the Asherah pole.”
31 But Joash shouted to the mob that confronted him, “Why are you defending Baal? Will you argue his case? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal truly is a god, let him defend himself and destroy the one who broke down his altar!” 32 From then on Gideon was called Jerub-baal, which means “Let Baal defend himself,” because he broke down Baal’s altar.
33 Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel.34 Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him. 35 He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their warriors, and all of them responded.
36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, 37 prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.”38 And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.
39 Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” 40 So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning, but the ground was covered with dew.
That’s only halfway through the story. Take the next chapter, Judges 7, and plot this on the “Footprint Outline” you provide for each participant. (The first sheet is for this part of the lesson, and the second sheet is for the application portion of this lesson toward the end.)
Work either individually or in small groups and jot notes on your “Footprint Outline” for when you think Gideon moved forward (and how much) as well as when he moved backward (and how much). The following 10 segments for Judges 7 are on the “Footprint Outline” handout:
Gideon started with a question about God’s whereabouts when bad things happened to the Israelites. The angel messenger called Gideon to deliver God’s people, and promised that God would be with him. Gideon began to take baby steps. Eventually he took regular size steps, and even giant steps. But it all started with trust in God and taking baby steps. When we follow Gideon’s example, we will take steps in response to God’s call in our lives.
Take the second sheet from the “Footprint Outline” handout earlier in the lesson. The second sheet is the application portion that asks two questions:
Spend some time meditating on these two questions at the end of Youth Sabbath School. Some might be ready to write their commitment at that time. Others might need more time and can take this with them. Follow up with the teens this during the week or next week at Youth Sabbath School.
For more texture, consider the following in relation to the two questions above:
BASED ON JUDGES 6:11-16; PROVERBS 3:5-6; ISAIAH 30:21; COLOSSIANS 1:9-10; EXODUS 13:21-22; MATTHEW 6:26; PSALM 32:8; 1 CORINTHIANS 16:8-9; JUDGES 6:36-40; GENESIS 45:3-8; 1 KINGS 19:10-12; JONAH 1:1-3; 3:1-3; ACTS 9:3-6; MATTHEW 4:18-22; EXODUS 3:4-6, 10-12
I’ve got good news and bad news for you. First the good news: God has a plan for your life. Now the bad news: I don’t know what it is, and you may not know either. This may be a disappointment to you. Please don’t walk out right now. We need to see this through to completion. Let’s start with a few questions.
Our Scripture passage for today tells the story of Gideon, including how he tried to discover God’s will. We often think of Gideon putting out the fleece to get a sign from God. But God revealed his will to Gideon before the fleece experiment. Let’s read the verses in Judges 6:11-16 (NLT) and see if you can identify God’s will for Gideon, and how it would happen.
11 Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash of the clan of Abiezer. Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites.12 The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!”
13 “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”
14 Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”
16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”
There are a number of Bible texts which provide evidence that God has a plan or will for your life. Let’s consider several of them. Have different people look up different texts. In addition to reading the text, consider the context to see how this particular verse fits in with the whole message. We’ll read two sets of seven passages from the Bible.
Depending on the size of your group, you can give these to individuals or to small groups. Feel free to add to or delete from this list.
ACTIVITY: NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK
Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, “That would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack!” This is simply a way of stating something is nearly impossible to find.
Few people have actually tried to find a needle in a haystack, but you can try a version of this with your group. Instead of bringing in a complete haystack (that would be a mess to clean up, wouldn’t it?) and then trying to find a needle in it, try hiding a small object in the room before Sabbath School begins. It should be something that most people wouldn’t have in their pocket or on their person already. For example, don’t hide a dime youth might have a dime with them (or would they?). Pick a foreign coin, ping pong ball, colored paper clip, thumb tack, or something similar. Divide the youth into two (or more) teams and see which team can find the hidden object first.
Before you describe the small object they are seeking, show this 2:31 “Mythbusters” video about actually finding a needle in a haystack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9SubidKrm0
Give a brief description of the item, leaving out some key details—you can share more information after a couple minutes of searching. Give the competing groups a chance to plot a strategy. No, they won’t be able to be as elaborate as what you saw on “Mythbusters”! But at least let them strategize. The groups should start searching at the same time. Let them know that they have only 5-8 minutes to find it. (You can set the time frame depending on the size of your room and group.)
After 2 minutes, describe the item in more detail. Add more details after 2 more minutes (as if describing something small in greater detail makes it easier to spot). You can choose whether or not you want to give hints on the location, such as, “I would limit my search to this half of the room.”
When the object has been found, or when the time limit has expired, name the winner and then get ready to debrief
Lots of people want to find God’s will for their lives. We looked at several Bible passages about hearing from God, and then we considered several Bible characters whom God specifically called. These stories can be thrilling, but they stand out because they happened to just a few people in the Bible. For example, God spoke to Elijah, but the rest of the Israelites had to get their message from Elijah rather than from God. Jesus called certain disciples by name, but he didn’t call everyone in the same way.
Often when a person wants to discover God’s will for their life, it has to do with a specific decision they need to make, such as where to go to school or whether to accept a certain job. We usually hope for a quick response—especially if they decision has to be made today.
We’ll limit our application to Romans 12:1-3 (NLT). Paul just presented his longest and most detailed description of how to have a relationship with God (Romans 1-11). That’s the basis for the verses here. Basically, if you’re not with God in your heart and mind, then it’s usually more difficult to discover God’s will for your life. Commit to a relationship with God—that’s the first step. Here’s the passage:
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Here it is in bullet points, with your application:
This is a bonus just for the youth leader—a quick tip and an illustration to enhance your youth leadership. You may already know this idea, have learned it through trial and error, or just need a quick reminder.
If you’re asking a deep question, usually you’ve already given it some thought yourself. Those listening are just hearing it, and some ponder longer than others, especially if they choose to give more than a superficial answer. If the silence pressures you to answer your own question rather than waiting for participants, give permission for the silence by saying something like, “This question requires some time to reflect before answering, so I’m going to ask it, but please don’t answer out loud for about 10-15 seconds, okay?” Then ask your question and let there be silence. Restate the question after the 10-15 seconds. That small pause could lead to a deeper discussion.
Here are a few resources to add to your collection as a Youth Sabbath School leader. The fourth week of each month will have a few resources for a variety of purposes.
1. The Culture Translator Email Newsletter
This free email newsletter features a short summary of notable items from teen culture during the past week, and how to engage youth in conversation about those things.
2. That Christian Vlogger featuring Justin Khoe
https://www.thatchristianvlogger.com
Justin Khoe, a Seventh-day Adventist young adult, shares videos on topics geared for teens. Check out Justin’s vlog at and sign up for Bible studies he makes available as well.
3. Creation Sabbath – October 26, 2019
Join Seventh-day Adventists around the world in celebrating Creation Sabbath on October 26. Visit the Creation Sabbath website to find sermons, videos, and more.
4. Decision-Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen
This book provides a comprehensive look at the topic of discovering God’s will for your life.