Elevate Student Ministries

  Objective -  Students will learn that emotions display what they value and will discipline themselves to choose godly responses rather than fleshly reactions. Key Scripture -  Proverbs 25:28 - "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls." Key Thought -   Make your goal self-control. Lesson Summary - Today’s lesson is one of a four-part series called Tough Topics. In this lesson, students were taught a biblical approach to emotions.  First of all, we saw that emotions were God’s idea and that God Himself expresses emotions, though always in a righteous way. Emotions themselves are connected to what we value and being able to express emotions is a gift from God. However, while being able to express emotions is a gift from God, not all expressions of emotion are godly. Emotions can potentially lead us astray if they consume us and we fail to demonstrate godly self-control. Students were encouraged to “make your goal sel...

  Objective -  Students will learn that they are not alone in experiencing temptation and will develop a biblical practice of fleeing what tempts them. Key Scripture - 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Key Thought - Run from sin to win. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson is part of a four-part series called Tough Topics. In this lesson, students were taught a biblical approach to temptations. We observed that temptations are universal (“common to man”) and that even Jesus was tempted while on Earth, though He never sinned.  In our temptations, we saw how God is always faithful to us and always present with us, especially in our greatest times of need. Finally, we learned that the path to victory against temptation is to flee from sin. ...

  Objective -  Students will discover that violent tendencies are a symptom of inward pride and will be challenged to seek God’s power to replace their pride with tenderheartedness. Key Scripture -  Ephesians 4:31-32 - Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Key Thought -  Pursue victory over violence. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson is part of a four-part series called Tough Topics. In this lesson, students were taught a biblical approach for pursuing victory over violence. Beginning with the roots of violence, students saw how pride is at the core of someone who displays violent actions. They also discovered that anger reveals a murderous heart.  Rather than simply striving for behavior modification or merely trying to eliminate outward symptoms of violence, students were taught the impor...

  Objective -  Students will learn the biblical approach to financial stewardship and will be challenged to adopt the habit of giving, saving, then spending. Key Scripture -  1 Corinthians 4:2 - Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. Key Thought - Manage God’s money God’s way. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson is part of a four-part series called Tough Topics. Although this series covers a variety of issues, this lesson taught your student the counter-cultural concept that the money we have doesn’t truly belong to us; we’re merely stewards or managers of what already belongs to God. All money is God’s money that He is simply letting us use. The students were taught that a wise way to use money is to give first, save second, and then spend last.  Students have been encouraged to think about how generously they can give, how wisely they can save (and invest), and how discerningly they can spend. As a practical way to manage the money they r...

  Objective -  Students will learn the importance of perspective and will be challenged to embrace a godly perspective in all situations. Key Scripture -  Jonah 4:10-11 - "But the Lord said,'You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?'" Key Thought -  Keeping a godly perspective will yield a godly response. Lesson Summary -  In this final lesson of our four-part series from the Book of Jonah called Rerouted: Lessons from a Reluctant Prophet, we used Jonah chapter 4 to evaluate our personal perspectives. Jonah showed a selfish perspective that resulted in anger, revealed his hatred, and left him wallowing in self-pity. God’s compassionate perspective was revealed through His mercy and patien...

  Objective - Students will learn that God forgives those who repent and will be urged to repent of sin and receive God’s forgiveness. Key Scripture - Jonah 3:8,9 - Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Key Thought - Turn from sin and turn to God. Lesson Summary - Our lesson today was the third lesson of a four-part series from the Book of Jonah called Rerouted: Lessons from a Reluctant Prophet. In this lesson, students were guided through the third chapter of the Book of Jonah. The main example from this section of Scripture is the people of Nineveh, and from this chapter, it was revealed that repentance is a powerful work of God. Throughout the lesson, we compared repentance to fire. Fires need three things to exist: a spark, fuel, and oxygen. When oxygen is combined with a spark and the proper fuel, a reaction occurs that is visib...

Objective -  Students will understand the gracious and merciful nature of God and will be challenged to cry out to God in times of desperation. Key Scripture -  Jonah 2:9 - But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. Key Thought -  God can save those who’ve sunk. Lesson Summary -  Our lesson today was the second lesson of a four-part series from the Book of Jonah called Rerouted: Lessons from a Reluctant Prophet. The lesson highlighted the power of God’s mercy and grace and had the topic of repentance as the main theme. We defined repentance as a “change of one’s mind or purpose.”  Jonah’s prayer, while he was in the belly of the fish, was a desperate prayer of repentance. God delivered Jonah from the very edge of death by sending a giant fish to swallow him and preserve his life. The key thought from the message was that “God can save those who’ve sunk.” God’s grace and mercy can save absol...

  Objective -  Students will learn that disobedient pursuits rob us of peace and will be challenged to find peace in godly pursuits. Key Scripture -  Jonah 1:10 - Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, “Why have you done this?” For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Key Thought -  Peace is found in godly pursuits. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson was the first of four lessons in a series from the Book of Jonah. The title of the series is Rerouted: Lessons from a Reluctant Prophet. We analyzed the life of a reluctant prophet named Jonah and studied the beginning of his power struggle with God. Jonah began resisting God by following a disobedient pursuit. As a result, a reroute was needed. Instead of following God’s call for his life, we saw how Jonah sought his own plans in an attempt to obtain a sense of peace. None of his actions proved to be successful, but while Jonah pursued his own agenda, God ...

  Objective - Students will learn that all religions do not worship the same God and will be challenged to stand for the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Key Scripture -John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Summary - This lesson was the last lesson of a four-part series on Apologetics called Incompatible: Defending the Faith Amid Disagreements. During this series, students have been learning to defend their Christian faith with gentleness and respect. Your student learned that the similarities between religions do not mean they worship the same God. Other religions depend on works to earn salvation, but only the God of the Bible made a way for man to be reconciled to Him. You see, God created us to be with Him (Psalm 100:3), but our sin separates us from Him (Romans 3:23). Because of our sin, we have no hope of eternal life nor can we have a relationship with God. The bad news is, our ...

Objective - Students will learn that Scripture never contradicts itself and will study the Word of God contextually to handle perceived contradictions properly. Key Scripture -Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Summary - This lesson was the third lesson of a four-part series on Apologetics called Incompatible: Defending the Faith Amid Disagreements. During this series, students will learn to defend their Christian faith with gentleness and respect. Your student learned that while many people accuse the Bible of having contradictions, these supposed contradictions are the result of not understanding the various passages of Scripture in their proper context. As God’s Word, the Bible is faithful and consistent, and we must commit to studying it contextually so that we will understand it properly. We took four so-called contradictions in the Bible and saw them from a different perspective. In doing so...

  Objective - Students will learn about the nature of truth and will be challenged to live in accordance with the truth while lovingly speaking the truth to others. Scripture - John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. Summary - This lesson was the second lesson of a four-part series on Apologetics called Incompatible: Defending the Faith Amid Disagreements. During this series, students will learn to defend their Christian faith with gentleness and respect. In this lesson, we covered the topic of Truth vs. Relativism.   “Relativism” is defined as “the belief that morality is relative to the individual and there is no morally binding objective source of authority or truth above the individual.” While there is no denying the fact that some truths are subjective, there is objective truth in our world. This objective truth is not defined by any individual but is true regardless of anyone’s feelings. To be clear, subjective truth is a claim regarding a dep...

                    Objective - Students will learn that they can respectfully disagree with someone and will choose to respond with biblical truth and a Christ-like attitude. Scripture - 1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. Summary - This lesson was the first of a four-part series on Apologetics called Incompatible: Defending the Faith Amid Disagreements. During this series, students will learn to defend their Christian faith with gentleness and respect. Your student is learning the importance of allowing the Lord to have first place in their hearts. In this lesson, we touched on the topic of tolerance and made a point to properly define the word. Tolerance is “an allowance for the existence of beliefs or practices differing from, or conflicting with, one’s own.” It is “the willingness ...

  Objective - Students will learn about God’s love and be encouraged to show the same love to others.  Key Scripture - 1 John 4:7 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Key Thought - God living in you wants to love through you. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson was the last of a four-week series called Guaranteed. This series is a book study of the New Testament Book of 1 John and is called Guaranteed because the author of 1 John reminds us of several guarantees that we have from God.  Today, your student learned about the love of God and how we are supposed to be loving others like God loves others. God is the standard of how we are to love because God is love. God showed His love by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for all of humanity.  Since God loved us, we are to love others. But in order to love like God, we must first have a relationship with Him. According to John a...

  Objective - Students will learn that the world’s temptations will not last and will be encouraged to follow the will of God.  Key Scripture - 1 John 2:16 - For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. Key Thought - The world never lives up to the hype. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson was the third lesson in a four-week series called Guaranteed. This series is a book study of the New Testament Book of 1 John. The series is called Guaranteed because the author of 1 John reminds us of several guarantees that we have from God.  Today your student learned about the guaranteed outcomes from following the temptations of the world and following the will of God. Following the world’s way of thinking is guaranteed bondage. Following the will of God is guaranteed life.  First John 2:16 tells us that there are three different kinds of temptation that the world uses to tempt al...

  Objective - Students will learn that Jesus stands up for them when they sin and will trust Him as their Advocate. Key Scripture - 1 John 2:1-2 - My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Key Thought - Jesus is there for you. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson was the second of a four-week series called Guaranteed. This series is a book study of the New Testament Book of 1 John. The series is called Guaranteed because the Author of 1 John reminds us of several guarantees that we have from God.  The first thing your student learned today was that Jesus is an Advocate. This means that when Christians sin, Jesus pleads our case before God the Father. Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead so the payment for sin would be paid. By believing in Jesus as ...

  Objective - Students will learn the difference between walking in the light versus walking in darkness and will be encouraged to find their delight in following God. Key Scripture - 1 John 1:7 - "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." Key Thought - Delight comes from walking in the light. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson was the first of a four-week series called Guaranteed. This series is a book study of the New Testament Book of 1 John. The series is called Guaranteed because the Author of 1 John reminds us of several guarantees that we have from God.  Today your student learned about the difference between walking in the light (a.k.a.: with God) and walking in the darkness (a.k.a.: in sin). We focused on three guarantees found in the first chapter of 1 John.  ● No matter what we do, the holiness of God is guaranteed (1 John 1:5). ● If we walk i...

  Objective - Students will grasp that God’s standard for a marriage relationship is to be between one man and one woman for life and will be challenged to view marriage the way God does. Key Scripture - Genesis 2:24 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Key Thought - Trust the Designer and stick to His plan! Lesson Summary -  Tonight’s lesson was the final lesson of a four-part series on relationships. The title of the series is Relationship Goals: Navigating with Wisdom. This lesson highlighted marriage. At their age, if teenagers are going to navigate marriage with wisdom, they must begin by understanding God’s design for marriage and choose to view marriage the way He does. God made marriage to be a lifelong promise between one man and one woman in which each partner gives of themselves completely for the good of the other. The marriage relationship is designed to give us a beautiful picture of Ch...

    Objective - Students will learn that God cares greatly about their dating life and will be challenged to take the time to ask wise questions before making any decisions about dating. Key Scripture - Proverbs 2:10-11 When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you. Summary -  Today’s lesson was the third of a four-part series on relationships. The title of the series is Relationship Goals: Navigating with Wisdom. In this lesson, students were challenged to use God’s wisdom specifically in the realm of dating relationships. While the Bible never uses the word “dating,” it doesn’t mean that the Bible is silent when it comes to principles that can be applied to dating. God’s Word is sufficient for all things in life (2 Peter 1:3).  While we learned several principles from the Word of God on the topic of dating, we began by letting the students know two biblical principles that must be ...

  Objective - Students will understand the importance of edifying friendships and will choose to invest in healthy friendships while avoiding those that are toxic. Key Scripture - Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Summary - Today's lesson was the second of a four-part series on relationships. The title of the series is Relationship Goals: Navigating with Wisdom. This lesson sought to give healthy parameters on friendships while encouraging your student to also consider what type of friend they are being. The constant struggle in the social life of many teens is the yearning to be accepted by peers as an individual. Some suggest that it’s a constant tension of trying to stand out just enough to be noticed while also fitting in. The Book of Proverbs has a lot to say about friendships. Good friends will build us up and make us better, while toxic friends will break us down. As a way to connect with the content of the lesson th...

  Objective - Students will understand how purity is to be pursued in all aspects of life and will identify areas in their lives where they must surrender to God’s standard for purity. Key Scripture - 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Summary – Today’s lesson was the first lesson of a four-part series on relationships. The title of the series is Relationship Goals: Navigating with Wisdom. When it comes to our relationships, purity needs to be at the foundation of all of them. It should be our goal in every relationship to pursue purity. God calls us to be pure, which means to be “free from what pollutes or weakens; free from moral fault or guilt.” We spent a portion of the lesson focusing on sexual purity, but in reality, God calls us to be pure in all of our relationships. We focused on being pure in our words, actions, thoughts, and motives. Students often...