Meeting aim: To understand why feelings are important and to identify the emotions of others and ourselves.
Preparation: You will need: a whiteboard or flip-chart paper and pens, prizes, the advice scenarios, found here, and some Bibles. So often when we discuss emotions and feelings there is a negative connotation to it, as if it is a sign of weakness. This is an opportunity to debunk this myth and show how Jesus had emotions too!
Emotional charades
15 minutes
First of all, ask for a volunteer to be the scribe. Ask the rest of the group to shout out all the emotions they can think of and ask the scribe to write them down. Encourage the group to be more creative in their thinking of emotions rather than just ‘happy and sad.’ What emotions have they felt this week? Tired? Thankful? Anxious? Hopeful? Guilty? Joyful? Angry? Cheerful? Rejected? Loved? Overwhelmed? Hateful? Daring? Insecure? There are so many emotions that we can feel, so get them thinking!
After a good amount of emotions have been written, split the group into two teams. Ask for a volunteer from each team to come to the front. Secretly give them an emotion from the board. They should then both act it out to their teams and the first team to guess it correctly wins a point! This can be done for as long as time allows - you could have a prize for the winning team.
Jesus had emotions
15 minutes
Say: Jesus’ emotions played a huge feature in his life. As we study his life we discover so many scenarios where he experienced a whole heap of feelings - from being known as a man of sorrows to a man of joy!
Ask: Take a moment to ask the group if they can think of any examples of when Jesus felt and expressed his emotions in the Bible.
Here are some examples that could help this discussion. You could even split them up, asking small groups to discuss and identify the emotions.
Jesus is tested in the wilderness (Matthew 4)
An example here is when Jesus said: “Away from me Satan!” (v10) and the devil left. I doubt Jesus said it in a quiet, timid voice, but rather with a powerful tone showing just how much he wants and believes in honouring God.
The guards mock Jesus (Luke 22:63-65)
By the guards mocking Jesus, how do you think that affected how he felt? Did he feel rejected and lonely?
Gethsemane (Mark 14)
When Jesus says: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (v34) it is highly unlikely that he was feeling cheerful. How does an overwhelmed soul feel?
Say: It’s important to take note of our feelings instead of ignoring them. They are a part of who God created us to be. Our emotions can help us grow our sense of self-worth and can help guide us through life. Emotions are so powerful that they can help us know when to support a friend who is upset or know when to walk away from an argument. Jesus had feelings; if we are on a quest to become more Christ-like beings then it’s time to learn more about them!
Advice time
15 minutes
By offering advice to others using our Christ-like nature, the group will be able to look outside themselves and begin to identify emotions of others and subsequently themselves. You can use the scenarios we’ve prepared here, or create your own.
Say: We all come across different friends and family members who sometimes need advice - including ourselves! Jesus was incredible at giving advice to others and now it’s time for us to offer the advice.
Split your group into pairs or small groups and say: pick a scenario together and discuss the questions at the end. Be ready to explain the scenarios and questions to the rest of the group afterwards.
Take some time to ask each group to feed back their thoughts on the scenario(s). Can they relate to any of them? Does anyone have their own real-life scenario to share? In future sessions with this group, could you focus on the emotions that are going on in the passage you’re looking at as well as the actions being taken?
Close
5 minutes
Take a moment to pray for the group, asking God to help us all realise the power of feelings and remember that they are strength and not a weakness. Perhaps ask one of the group members if they would like to pray for you all.
Say: Over the next week I challenge you to try and identify your emotions and see if they match some of the emotions we have explored today. When you’re reading your Bible think about whether there is an emotion at play in the passage and bring it back to share next week.
