Series Overview
With every season comes new and different challenges but also the chance to experience incredible joy. Through sunshine or rain, storms, and blue skies, seasons and weather are important to growth, but not just for flowers and trees. How we respond to each season of life helps us grow in maturity and can spur us to a deeper faith in God. This is especially true when it comes to our emotions. Just as seasons come and go, so do our emotions. And how we choose to handle those emotions can shape us and teach us a lot about how God cares for us. No matter what emotion we may be feeling or what we may face, because of Jesus, we can learn to trust that God knows how we feel. Jesus showed us how to face life with resilience, and because of it, we can trust God no matter what.
Memory Verse
“Be strong, all you who put your hope in the LORD. Never give up.” – Psalm 31:24, NIRV
Week One (January 5)
Jesus Wept
Bible Story: John 11:1-45
Key Question: Who can you talk to when you’re sad?
Virtue: Resilience – Getting back up when something gets you down
We start the month in John 11:1-45 with a peek into Jesus’ personal life. After the death of one of His friends, Jesus wept — even though He knew what would happen next. Jesus trusted that God would be with Him in His sadness and wept anyway, showing us He is there with us in our sadness too.
Sometimes, our problems can feel so big that it’s difficult to talk about them with others because we think they don’t understand. However, God has created us for relationships, and we don’t have to do life alone. We hope this question not only invites preteens to find people in their lives they can trust, but also know that God is there for them no matter what.
Week Two (January 12)
Do Not Worry
Bible Story: Matthew 6:25-34
Key Question: What kinds of things do you worry about?
Virtue: Resilience – Getting back up when something gets you down
In Week 2, we head to Matthew 6:25-34 for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In it, Jesus reminded everyone not to worry about tomorrow because “Tomorrow will worry about itself.” Every day will have its own set of troubles, but God will provide for us, just like the birds and the flowers.
Are there moments in your life where you find yourself overthinking something or where you worry about something more than others? Worry, however, doesn’t help to change the circumstances; it just makes us spiral. We hope this question helps preteens discover patterns in their lives where they’re prone to worry so they can be quick to combat worry with trust.
Week Three (January 19)
Slow To Anger
Bible Story: John 11:1-45
Key Question: What do you do when you feel angry?
Virtue: Resilience – Getting back up when something gets you down
In Week 3, we turn to James 1:19 where James writes about how we should respond when situations begin to get a little out of hand. When we’re quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry, we allow ourselves to respond well so we don’t sin in our anger.
Think back to the last time you felt really angry. Did you pitch a fit or ice someone out? When we let anger fester, it can cause us to act outside of our character or be different people than who we typically are. We hope this question helps preteens begin to think through good ways they can respond to anger without taking it out on others and hurting them in the process
Week Four (January 26)
Paul + Silas
Bible Story: Acts 16:16-40
Bottom Line: God can help you choose joy.
Virtue: Resilience – Getting back up when something gets you down
We close out the month in Acts 16:16-40. While Paul and Silas were preaching the message of Jesus, they were arrested and thrown into prison! All seemed hopeless, but instead of complaining and giving up, they sang songs and worshipped God.
What’s your favorite thing about nature? Is it the sunrise, waterfalls, or maybe
the fresh smell of grass? As much as those things may make you happy, there is true joy to be found. As preteens begin to think through this question, we hope they start thinking through the differences in happiness and joy and look to the One who gives true joy.