2022/04/19 Youth Group

Announcements:

• Dance-a-thon

• Youth Camp Registration

Game: Freeze Tag

Notebooks

Ezra’s Talk: Noticing a Need

Can we learn today from a historical story we read about in the Bible?

I think we still can.

“So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”

-Exodus 17:10-13 (NIV)

When your spiritual leaders get tired, they need your support. Who is called to support the leaders? In this story two men were prompted to, Aaron and Hur helped out by holding up Moses’ hands.

I didn’t read in the story that Moses asked Aaron and Hur to come over and give him a hand, although he would have been fine to. They just noticed a need and acted, because they were paying attention to the ongoing battle and were invested in it’s outcome.

Joshua led the battle along with a group of soldiers. What do you imagine the non-fighters were doing during this battle?

Does God still prompt us to notice what is happening in the lives of our leaders?

Does God speak to us and give us concerns about the outcome of His mission in this world and in our community?

What are we battling against?

When we seem to be losing the battle, what seems to be happening with our leaders? What do you think they need?

1. Verbal Encouragement

2. Physical Assistance

3. Recruiting help

4. Other

If God is all powerful, He could have just said the word and made the battle over in a second. Why didn’t He?

Is there anything to be gained by the group struggle they went through?

Think of the different people mentioned and imagine what was hard for them with their role:

1. Moses (listening and responding to God with miraculous power)

2. Aaron (those who notice a problem and are willing to help)

3. Hur (those who help fix the problem)

4. Joshua (sacrificing to obey God’s command in leadership)

5. Israelite Soldiers (obeying instructions from the leader, while doing the risky and hard work)

6. Israelite Non-Soldiers (people whose future depends on the outcome, and support the soldiers through meeting their needs for food and water, medical assistance, etc.)

7. Amalekite enemies (those who are fighting against God, believing they might win this battle)

Which of the roles do you think you are more closely aligned with?

1. Has God spoken to you directly and made it clear that He is going to do powerful miracles through your obedience?

2. Has God given you the ability to notice where something is going wrong and motivated you to relieve the pressure of an overburdened leader?

3. Have you been asked to help with something related to leader support that clearly needs to be done, and are ready to help?

4. Are you called to lead others in a risky mission with passion and possible sacrifice?

5. Are you called to go do something important that seems risky or involves sacrifice, but not as the leader?

6. Are you called to pray and support the others that are taking the risk and doing the sacrifice, but are not able to go yourself due to the stage of life you are in or your particular skills and abilities?

7. Are you fighting against the will of God or imposing your own will, even a will to do nothing at all – hoping He gives up and let’s you have your way intimately?

Let’s Pray

Attendance:

1. Ezra E

2. Karyn

3. Cyndi

4. Cuyler

5. Noah

6. Zion

7. Eden

8. Bryan

9. Zelia

10. Isella