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Vertical Edge Large-Group Leader Guide: Paul Presses On to the Goal Fall 2011Copyright © 2011 Group Publishing, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this quadfold may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher, except where noted in the text and in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, visit group.com/permissions or e-mail Permissions at inforights@group.com.

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Thanks to our talented Living Inside Out curriculum team!Zach Carlson, Wes Comer, Joyce Douglas, Kate Elvin, Sue Geiman, Deborah Helmers, Alison Imbriaco, Gary Locke, Randy Maid, Becki Manni, Peggy Naylor, Jennifer Nystrom, Paul Povolni, Bethany Schulenberg, Joani Schultz, Rodney Stewart, Ali Thompson, Kelli Trujillo, Shawn Vander Lugt, Joey Vining, Adam Walsh, Anne Wilseck, Christine Yount Jones, Andrea Zimmerman

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

978-0-7644-6562-8 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 13 12 11 Printed in the United States of America.

GameCreative Movement

Large Group YOU’LL NEED

Tear off for easy planning.

© Group Publishing, Inc. © Group Publishing, Inc. Living Inside Out

Choose Your optionsEach option below is designed to last 10 minutes. The option used to tell the Bible story is designated with the Bible image. Always choose this option for your large-group time. Use the chart below to plan your large-group time in whatever order fits your needs.

YOU’LL NEEDYOU’LL NEED

Living Inside Out • groupslivinginsideout.comLiving Inside Out • groupslivinginsideout.com

Round 1 Round 1 Round 1 Round 1

Large-Group Leader Guide Week 4

GroupHave kids form two groups and get on opposite sides of the room. Place a bowl or bucket at the back of the room, and pick a child from each group to come up front with you.

expLainOpen your Bible, and read Philippians 3:12-14. Say: everything in the Bible helps us become closer to God and shows us how to get there. however, along the way it might get a little rough. u our goal is to be like Jesus, and it might not be an easy path.

shoot Give the two kids each a wrist disc shooter, and tell them their goal is to shoot the discs into the bowl or bucket on the far side of the room. Say: Your shot won’t get you all the way there. shoot the disc, run to where it lands, and pick it up and shoot it again. Explain to the groups on the sides of the room that they all must run in place as fast as they can while chanting, “Press on, [name of kid from their group]!” until their group member’s disc is in the bowl. Have kids start shooting, chanting, and running on “go.”

reLoaDWhen the first round is finished, read Philippians 3:12-14 again. Then have the first two shooters select two new shooters from their groups, and start the disc race again. This time, the groups must do jumping jacks while chanting, until the discs are in the bowl. Repeat the game as time allows, reading the Scripture passage each time. You can add sit-ups, push-ups, or any other exercise you can think of. Then have kids get into their small groups.

DisCuss in Groups DVD shoot for the Goal QuestionsCue screens as kids answer each of the following:

• Whatmadethisgameeasyorhard?

• Whatkindsofthingsmakeyouwanttoquit?

• WhathelpsyoukeepfromquittinginyourrelationshipwithJesus?

MaKe the ConneCtionSay: There’sasaying:“Ifyoudon’tquit,youwin.”Paulhadadifficultlife.prison, mobs chasing him, people wanting to hurt him, shipwrecks…Yet through it all, he didn’t quit. he pressed on. he looked forward. he still focusedonGod.Hesawthefinishline.Paultellsusthateventhoughlifemightgetdifficult,weneedtostayfocusedonthegoal.u our goal is to be like Jesus.

Bible • TV or VPU • DVD player • Sights & Sounds DVD • wrist disc shooters • bowl or bucket

Shoot for the Goal

partner upHave kids get with a partner and stand facing each other. Have them decide who will go first.

iMitate the oppositeSay: When i sound the air horn, the person starting will do hand motions and make faces. the other partner will try to do the opposite. so if your partner smiles, you frown. if your partner raises a hand, you lower yours. one, two, three…Sound the air horn. Give the kids about 30 seconds, and then sound the air horn and have kids switch roles. After another 30 seconds, sound the air horn again and have kids sit down.

DisCuss in Groups DVD Mirror image QuestionsCue screens as kids answer each of the following:

• Explainwhatyouhadtodotomoveinoppositewaysfromyourpartner.

• Whataresomesituationsatschoolorhomewhereyouneedtodotheoppositeofwhatotherkidsdo?

• WhydoesfollowingJesussometimesmeanthatyouneedtodotheoppositeofwhatothersdo?

MaKe the ConneCtionSay: u our goal is to be like Jesus. and sometimes that means that we won’t be like others around us. We don’t want to be rude about it, but we can kindly do the opposite of what people are doing when it’s not like what Jesus would do. sometimes we need to be different because u our goal is to be like Jesus.

TV or VPU • DVD player • Sights & Sounds DVD • air horn

Mirror image

Preschool Supplies Lower Elementary Supplies Upper Elementary Supplies

• nosuppliesnecessary • maskingtape• stickynotes• optional:paper,pencils,tape

• containerofatleast30marbles• maskingtapeordouble-sidedtape• timerorstopwatch• pens• stripsofpaper

Bibles • Bible Memory Makers® • “Living Inside Out Every Day!” handoutsSmall Group WhAt GROUpS WiLL NEED

Teach the Key Verse anytime during large group.

Choose Your Options Get Your Supplies Planning Notes

Welcome Connect With Groups

• Sights&SoundsDVD

Sing It Out Praise & Worship

• Sights&SoundsDVD

Make A Scene DVD Drama: Press On

• Sights&SoundsDVD

Bring It To Life Group Craft: Self-Portrait

• Sights&SoundsDVD• paper• pencils,crayons,ormarkers

Life In Action Creative Movement: Mirror Image

• Sights&SoundsDVD• airhorn(provided in kit)

Live It Out Game: Shoot for the Goal

• Sights&SoundsDVD• wristdiscshooters(provided in kit)• bowlorbucket

Bible • TV or video projection unit (VPU) • DVD player • CD player

Acts 16:16-34; Philippians 3:12-21

Paul Presses On to the Goal

Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: Vertical Edge granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. groupslivinginsideout.com

Key Verse

t The Point u

“Work willingly at whatever you do.” —Colossians 3:23

Our goal is to be like Jesus.

8 ” 8 . 1 2 5 ” 8 . 2 5 ” 8 . 3 7 5 ”

Allow 10 minutes Allow 10 minutes

Lead

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Allow 10 minutes

Praise & Worship

Connect With Groups

WelcomeWelcome

DVD Drama Group Craft

Tear

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for e

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plan

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© Group Publishing, Inc.© Group Publishing, Inc. © Group Publishing, Inc.Living Inside Out

YOU’LL NEED YOU’LL NEED

YOU’LL NEED TV or VPU • DVD player • Sights & Sounds DVD

YOU’LL NEED

Copy this page, and distribute to your leaders.

Living Inside Out • groupslivinginsideout.com Living Inside Out • groupslivinginsideout.comLiving Inside Out • groupslivinginsideout.com

Round 1 Round 1 Round 1 Round 1

Large-Group Leader Guide Week 4

easy options:• SingalongwithDVD

lyrics and motions.

• SingalongwiththeCD.

• Showmediaslidesprovided on the CD.

Leader Tip

Using Paul’s word picture as a framework, imagine yourself as an athlete running a long-distance race. Be brutally honest with yourself: How have you been running lately? Has it been more like an easy jog? Or a limp? Or an easily sidetracked stroll? Ask God to guide you as you “run” with greater focus and impassioned determination, pressing on toward your ultimate goal of knowing Christ.

LIVING INSIDE OUT

Paul Presses On to the Goal

nothinG neWPaul, traveling with Silas, healed a young girl suffering from demon possession. Soon after, a crazed mob attacked them, stripped them down, and beat them severely. To add to their day, officials shackled them and threw them in prison. Despite it all, Paul and Silas praised and worshipped God behind bars, loudly enough for the other prisoners to hear. Nothing could compel them to keep quiet about Jesus.

theY Just Won’t shut up!Paul and Silas’ imprisonment is one of many accounts of early Christians facing persecution because of their determination to share the good news. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was praying to Jesus even as people threw stones; James, John’s brother, was killed for his faith; and Peter was imprisoned for it. Paul was beaten to near death repeatedly; nevertheless, when he recovered from his injuries, he went right on proclaiming the truth about Jesus. One thing the book of Acts shows us again and again about early Christians is that they were determined—nothing, not even threat of death, could deter them from proclaiming Jesus’ message and following his mission for their lives.

the pursuitPaul wrote about this mind-set in Philippians 3, using athletic imagery to compare faith in Christ to a race. Paul said, “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize.” This isn’t some lackadaisical jogger meandering down a path. This is a determined athlete, putting all his effort into that final push to the finish line. Like World Cup athletes, striving with all their physical power to move the ball to the goal, Paul depicted a Christian faith characterized by strength, courage, endurance, intensity, and single-minded focus.

Better QuestionWhat’s your ultimate goal in life? What are you aiming for? Perhaps the better question is, How hard are you going after that goal? Is your spiritual goal simply like a Post-It note, stuck somewhere in the back of your mind? Or is it the driving force behind all you do? Do you press on, striving with the full force of your heart, soul, and strength toward that prize?

instruCtHave kids sit in a circle with their small groups. Pass out paper and pencils, crayons, or markers to everyone. Say: We all picture ourselves in different ways. We all have dreams about what we’re going to be like when we’re all grown up. i’d like you to draw a picture of what you think you’ll be likeasanadult.Whatdoyouwanttobe?Don’tshowanyoneelseyourpicture! Allow three minutes for the kids to draw. Then have them place their self-portraits facedown in the middle of the circle.

GuessSay: put all the pictures together, and mix them up. then turn them over one at a time. You’re going to guess whose self-portrait each one is. Make sure you don’t give it away if the portrait is yours!

DisCuss in Groups DVD self-portrait QuestionsCue screens as kids answer each of the following:

• Talkaboutwhatyouwanttobewhenyougrowup.

• Whatkindsofthingsmightstopyoufrombecomingwhatyoudrewinyourportrait?

• WhatcouldyouchangeaboutyourportraittomakeitlookmorelikeJesus?

MaKe the ConneCtionSay: We all have dreams. We all have goals. We’ve thought about what our lives will be like when we’re older. and all of those things are wonderful. the challenge as we’re growing up is to stay on the right path. the challenge is to grow up to be like Christ. u our goal is to be like Jesus.

TV or VPU • DVD player • Sights & Sounds DVD • paper • pencils, crayons or markers

Self-portrait

introDuCeSay: the greatest athletes in the world all have one thing in common: they all work hard to get better at what they do. to get really good at something, it’s going to take work. Watch this video to see a kid just like you work hard to accomplish his goal.

WatCh DVD “press on”Cue the DVD to the video “Press On.”

DisCuss in Groups DVD press on QuestionsCue screens as kids answer each of the following:

• Whatdidyoulearnaboutworkinghardfromthisvideo?

• Tellapartneraboutatimeyouwantedtoquitbutdidn’t.

• WhatkindsofthingscanGodhelpyouaccomplishifyouworkhardandpresson?

MaKe the ConneCtionSay:Ifyouquit,you’llneverfindoutjusthowmuchyoucando!u our goal is to be like Jesus, and to be like him, we need to work hard—even when itgetsdifficultandwefeellikequitting.Liketheboyinthevideo,Jesusreachedhisgoal.Theboywasfinallyabletodotheskateboardtrick—andhe got there with hard work.

press OnTV or VPU • DVD player • Sights & Sounds DVD

sinG“Living Inside Out” (Song 1)

“Doin’ It for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23) (Song 2)

“The Work of His Hands” (Psalm 19:1) (Song 6)

“I Will Never Fail You” (Hebrews 13:5b) (Song 7)

praYThank God for giving us strength, and ask for help to live our lives in such a way that we become more like Jesus.

MaKe the ConneCtionSay: Startingthingsiseasy—finishingisthehardestpart.TodayPaul,throughhisactionsandhiswords,isgoingtoshowushowtofinishstrongandultimatelyreachourgoal.Andwhatisthatgoal?u our goal is to be like Jesus.

Count DoWnPlay one of the countdowns. Have children get with their small groups, and get them excited to worship!

GreetHave small-group leaders greet kids in their groups.

announCeMake any announcements, and collect offerings.

TV or VPU • DVD player • Sights & Sounds DVD

Countdown

Acts 16:16-34; Philippians 3:12-21Acts 16:16-34; Philippians 3:12-21

Paul Presses On to the Goal

Permission to photocopy this page from Group’s Living Inside Out®: Vertical Edge granted for local church use. Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. groupslivinginsideout.com

Key Verse

t The Point u

“Work willingly at whatever you do.” —Colossians 3:23

Our goal is to be like Jesus.

8 . 2 5 ” 8 ”8 . 1 2 5 ”8 . 3 7 5 ”