These Sunday School lessons are ready to print .pdf's. They can be taught in a variety of settings but my favorite is Sunday School or youth group in comfy old sofas. Gather the kids around, pass out the lesson plans and begin a heartfelt discussion on topics important to teens. Check out my tips on using these lesson plans leading your youth group and ways to really connect with middle school kids.

The Beauty Inside

The goal of this youth Bible study lesson is to help the kids be able to judge themselves and others by Biblical values and to realize the difference between the worlds value system and God’s.

I read a column that Philip Yancey wrote, printed in his book “I was just wondering.” The column was called “High School Reunion”. It’s a little off our track but he talks about the animal kingdoms natural selection process of the survival of the fittest. The strongest and most beautiful of a species mates and survives. It explains a lot of human behavior and how our self-esteem is wrapped up in our external images if humans were simply only animals. However, when God made us in His own image, gives us a soul, we became much more than an animal. We are called as Christians to behave quite different than animals and fight against the theory that “biology is destiny.” Back on our subject: It’s important to note that long after our “animal” bodies fall away our souls remain. Our “inner” characteristics should be of far more importance than our outer appearances.

It is a two page lesson plan with a pre-lesson activity. Some prep time is needed. You'll have to download some pictures from the internet that I could not supply because of copyrights.

Recently updated with a pre-lesson activity.

This is an awesome book and a fun read. I quote it in the lesson above. You'll better understand where this lesson is coming from and enjoy reading it too.

I Was Just Wondering, Revised By Philip Yancey / Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Updated from the 1989 original, this collection gathers 44 of Yancey's most stimulating columns straight from the pages of Christianity Today. Distilling his extensive knowledge of theology, literature, philosophy, sociology, and history into short, pithy essays, Yancey treats you to penetrating observations on the universe, the earth, the church, and the Christian life. 246 pages, softcover from Eerdmans.

Conviction or Condemnation:

Guilt: This youth Bible lesson brings the truth of scripture to bear on the self-esteem issue of guilt and the feeling of worthlessness kids can get from their peers. We find out how to determine whether the feelings a person gets in their heart concerning their actions is from God, seeking correction, or from the enemy, trying to separate them from God. Satan is "the accuser of believers" while the Holy Spirit convicts a person to bring correction. Doug Fields new book Refuel (shown above) will help alleviate the guilt kids sometimes feel if they don't have the "awesome" quiet-times some people insist that a real Christian must have.

This is a one page Bible study with leaders guide. Pepper the back of the Bible lesson with picture of the kids from previous group activities. See Christmas add-on below.

Christmas Bible Lesson:

I turned the Conviction or Condemnation Bible study above into a Christmas lesson by making and handing out the Who-I-Am-In-Christ, Christmas Tree shown here. I received the basic tree as an e-mail. The name of the creator was missing. Then I pulled some pictures off the web and made it into a .pdf. Learning their identity in Christ really ties into the lesson on self esteem and Christmas as the gift's Jesus brought to us.

The .pdf prints two on a page. Trim it down to make a nice holiday postcard or gift handout for your Sunday school class.