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.
Royalty and Ruin (Prophets and Kings)
Chapter 37 - Zedekiah Fails His Last Chance
A king’s lack of moral courage to act on his convictions causes disastrous consequences for his family and his people.
Jeremiah 37:1–39:18
2 Chronicles 36:1-23
1 Timothy 4:12
Ephesians 4:17-32
Acts 7:51
2 Chronicles 36:22-23
James 1:22
When my son and his friends play the Mario Brothers video game, there is a level where the character frequently becomes surrounded by a bubble. He needs a friend to pop the bubble in order to continue playing the game. As the players in that game need others around them to help them, we also need each other as we play this game of life. King Zedekiah recognized that he needed Jeremiah to tell him messages from the Lord. Unfortunately, Zedekiah did not follow the commands of God. He was disgraced and taken captive to Babylon. He and several other kings in our lesson this week had “game over” experiences because they made the wrong choices. What can we learn from their tragic stories? Let’s explore how we can follow God and trust Him to help us overcome discouragement, temptations, or other problems we face in this game of life.
Supplies Needed: paper, pens, game
When we study the Bible, we find many object lessons that apply to our personal lives. Sometimes we open our Bibles during a time of discouragement and read a verse of God’s wisdom that answers the exact problem we are facing. Jesus used parables to teach and illustrate His gospel message. Humans have multi-dimensional abilities to feel, think, burn energy, imagine, and do creative things. Experiences we have in our lives and the objects around us can also teach us something about God. For the opening activity, attempt to discover a spiritual lesson or illustration from a game. Look around your house for a board game, or pick your favorite video game or computer game. Think about the structure of the game, the objective, how the game is won, and the obstacles. Write notes on what you observe, then consider sharing what spiritual truth you discovered on social media. Use the following questions to generate a discussion.
Although Zedekiah’s, Jehoiakim’s, and Jehoiachin’s stories all ended in tragedy because they rejected God, our story does not have to end in ruin. In the lesson this week we found that several of the kings did evil in the sight of the Lord and turned away from Him. But, then Cyrus became king, and he made it his purpose to praise and glorify God while building a temple for Him in Jerusalem. We have plenty of opportunities to obey God’s Word. He wants us to choose to believe in Him, to follow Him, and to live the purpose He created us to serve.
Read each Bible passage, then discuss the questions. If you are still worshiping from home, consider discussing one or more of the questions on social media, in a Zoom meeting, or in a group chat with friends.
Young, But Influential
Read 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV).
12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.
Christian Life Now
Read Ephesians 4:17-32 (NIV).
17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Soft or Hard Hearts
Read Acts 7:51 (NLT).
51“You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!”
Read 2 Chronicles 36:22-23 (NIV).
22 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: 23 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’”
Read James 1:22 (NIV).
22 Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Even though this week’s lesson mostly covered kings who turned away from God and what happened when they dishonored Him, it is inspiring to read about King Cyrus. He chose to listen to God, and to have a purpose that brought honor and glory to God—building God’s temple in Jerusalem. He played the “game” of king successfully because He not only acknowledged God and gave thanks to Him, but honored God by his actions. Make the choice today to follow God and live out His mission in your life, too.
Consider doing one of the following:
Keep a daily journal of object lessons you learn about God in your day-to-day life.
Plant flower seeds in several pots. Once they are several inches tall, give them away. Think of how your spiritual life needs time, attention, and care to grow. Consider the fruit that grows in your life when you have a relationship with God.
Pray that God will help you find a project or a goal to achieve which will bring honor to Him.
Ask a friend to be your prayer partner. Pray together once each week.
Make an obstacle course in your yard or create a fitness challenge to test your ability to complete a goal. Share this experience and any spiritual lessons you learned from it on social media.
To illustrate what you believe is God’s mission for your life, make a vision board with magazine clippings, words, drawings, quotations, etc. Share a picture of it on social media.
By Steve Case
It’s great to be in a tightly-knit group, but getting to that point often proves challenging. Sometimes a simple game does the magic, but other times nothing seems to work. How does a group come together? Are there certain ingredients we can count on, or is it just hit-and-miss, better luck next time?
Although each group is unique, you can count on some key principles and follow a basic flow to foster closeness and community in your group—whether that’s with 5 people, 50, or 500.
Youth ministry veteran Steve Case has put together this “bag of tricks” which he collected over decades of experience. You may have seen, led, or possibly invented some of these activities, but now you have them arranged in a flow and with descriptions that will enable you to craft your own group-building experiences.
