HIGHS AND LOWS: (15 minutes)
Write down one high and one low from your week in your prayer journal and share them with the group. Pastor Breen or another student will gather them in prayer as we light our candles.
REVIEW: (3 minutes)
What sticks with you from last class? You may refer to your one sentence summary from last week if you are stumped. What questions remain about Peter’s healing of the crippled man?
EXPERIENCE THE WORD: (7 minutes)
Today, we will watch a scene from the miniseries “AD: The Bible Continues” which shows Peter and John’s arrest and trial. I do not recommend the whole series because much of the material is fictional, but when they do get to the Bible sections of Acts, it is visually stunning and impactful. Begin on disc two, and choose “play all.” Fast-forward to 10:23 and watch until 16:42.
CONNECT BIBLE ACTIVITY: (5 minutes)
Turn to page 1254 in your Connect Bible and complete the activity entitled “Persecution.” Make a copy of your work for Pastor Breen is you are doing this for homework.
DWELLING IN THE WORD: (25 minutes)
First, read Acts 4:1-22 from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (take turns reading aloud, verse by verse). Answer the following questions about the whole story as completely as possible (group activity: do this with your parents):
Comprehension Questions:
- Who came while Peter and John were speaking to the people? (verse 1)
- How did they feel about what Peter and John were teaching about Jesus and resurrection of the dead? (verse 2)
- What did they do to Peter and John? (verse 3)
- How many believed Peter and John that day? (verse 4)
- What question did the high-priestly family ask of Peter and John? (verse 7)
- With what was Peter filled? (verse 8)
- Why did Peter say that the man was healed? (verse 10)
- Where do we find salvation? (verse 12)
- When they saw Peter and John’s boldness, what did they realize? (verse 13)
- How did they feel about Peter and John? (verse 13)
- Who did they recognize Peter and John as? (verse 13)
- When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, what did they have to say? (verse 14)
- What was obvious? (verse 16)
- What couldn’t the high-priestly family do? (verse 16)
- What did the high-priestly family decide to do? (verse 17)
- What did they order Peter and John to do? (verse 18)
- How did Peter and John react to this? (verse 20)
- What happened next? (verse 21)
- How old was the healed man? (verse 22)
Content Questions:
- What stories or memories does this text stir up in you? You might remember a time when you were put down for doing the right thing, for example.
- What is my favorite part of this text? Why?
- What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
- What is God doing in this text? What is God up to?
TAKING IT HOME (3 minutes)
- During this week, in your prayers, try using “Out Loud God” as your title for God. You might choose to pray all of your prayers out loud this week.
- Write a one sentence summary in your prayer journal. In this sentence, describe your answer to the question “What did you learn about in Confirmation class this week?” in as much detail as possible.
OUT LOUD PRAYER: (2 minutes)
Crescendo Prayer from Heart Ignite by Lyle Griner and Diane Monroe, pg. 75.
Deep Roots Confirmation 