INTRODUCTION
The Israelites had been given the promise of a new life, freedom and security, but as we read the story of the exodus, we discover how soon they appear to throw it all away. This session explores the moment when they are given a choice: to choose to follow God and be given the future and hope he had promised them, or to continue as they were and miss out on the opportunity to enter the Promised Land. This session explores how we have the same choice to make, giving young people the chance to respond.
Begin the session by inviting the young people to share their own stories of ‘life-changing moments’. These could be as simple or profound as the group decides and may include things like moving house, the birth of a sibling or a bereavement. You may wish to prime one or two leaders to share their own brief stories first. Explain to the group that many of these life-changing moments were out of our control, we may have just found ourselves caught up in the circumstances. Today, we are going to be looking at a life-changing invitation that each of us holds in our hands.
Provide Bibles and ask the group to look at Deuteronomy 30:15-20. Explain some of the context to this passage; that it was Moses speaking to the Israelites at a point when they had been wandering around, choosing not to follow God, and here God gives them another opportunity to choose to follow him and to enter the land he had promised to give them.
Explain to the group that God was offering an invitation here, but that the Israelites still had to actually make a choice: to continue going their own way or to follow God’s plan for their lives and “cross to the other side”.
TRACK: THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL
Play the track and provide copies of the lyrics for the group to follow. As a group, discuss:
- How does this remind you of the story we have looked at?
- What is the ‘something special’ God offers to us?
- What does it mean for us to get to the other side?
- What does this song mean to you? How do you respond?
Invite one of your leaders to share a little of their testimony, talking about what it has meant for them to choose life and make a decision to follow Jesus. Take the opportunity to share more with the young people about what it means for them to reach a point of choosing to follow Jesus, as appropriate to the young people in the group.
Pray with the young people on a one-to-one basis, if appropriate. Remind the group that they have this opportunity to accept God’s invitation to choose life. Offer the opportunity to talk about this more if they wish to do so.