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LEADER’S GUIDE
LIVE INSPIRED
JULY 2013
• The Credo™ Leader’s Guide is a FREE resource created by
Barefoot Ministries® for use with the Credo Journal.™ Each
issue of Credo™ delivers a month’s worth of interactive
activities around a central theme. The Credo™ Leader’s
Guide gives youth leaders the ability to build on the
monthly theme in a small-group Bible study, mid-week
session or Sunday School class. The Leader’s Guide uses
the activities from the journal as illustrations and lead-ins
for digging deeper into God’s Word. As each Bible study is
dependent on the students having used the journal for their
daily spiritual journey, the Credo™ Leader’s Guide helps
youth workers keep their students accountable in their
spiritual walk.
• The Credo™ Leader’s Guide is available for download as
a PDF file at www.credojournal.com, by clicking on the
Leader’s Guide tab at the top of the page.
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• All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are
taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used
by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Version” are trademarks registered in the United States
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Each week’s small-group Bible study provides a leader’s lesson summary, a leadership tip for teens and
suggested activities. Often, the lessons will utilize media clips or other tools to help leaders engage
students.
Each lesson & student study sheet includes these sections:
Lead: This is the introduction exploration of the personal thoughts of students on the issue/topic
before reading what God’s Word says about it.
Link: Students dig into God’s Word by reading the Scripture and answering discussion questions
linking Scripture to the topic.
Live: Students make life applications from what they’ve discussed, read, and learned.
JULY, 2013: THE BIG PICTURE
Week One:
THE TITLE
SCRIPTURE
THE TOPIC
THE ACTIVITY TOOLS
Day 2, Peace and
Preparation
Philippians
4:4-9
Feeling
Peaceful
Various songs or clips; “Peace” Snacks
Video at credojournal.com:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=5
08598839157801&set=vb.108317069185982
&type=3&theater
Clip from Pursuit of Happyness at:
http://youtu.be/ajjGtsjI7CM
Week Two:
Day 14, Watch
Isaiah 2:1-5
Peace in
End Times
Week Three:
Day 19,
Planting a Seed
Luke 8:4-15
Using
Encouraging
Words
Week Four:
Day 27, Stories
from the Garden
(part 3 of 3)
Matthew
13:31-32
Week Five/
Extra Lesson:
Day 11,
War and Peace
2 Corinthians
13:5-7
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Matter
State of
Our Soul
Help Me Find It by Sidewalk Prophets
at: http://youtu.be/GIpIHfZ88PM
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LEADER’S GUIDE
LIVE INSPIRED
JULY 2013
Week One
Day 2, Peace and Preparation
Lesson Goals:
• Teach students the value of finding peaceful places on purpose.
• Help students understand that peacefulness rarely comes without preparing and
planning for it.
• Give students an opportunity to rest in God’s presence.
Leadership Tip For Teens: Teens in leadership practice making time to rest
with God. They choose to step out of their hectic schedules and technology
saturated multitasking world each day to just sit back and enjoy God’s company.
They rest in his Word. They worship with songs that reflect his peace. They
choose to prioritize and protect their quiet time. They lead by example in this
way. Applaud them for that this week (quietly).
The Topic: The main topic is peace. This is the result of our choices to kick
back in God’s safe place and know that in that place of relaxing with God we
can have communion, rest, worship, joy and a whole host of other healthy
realizations. Our peace is a conditional condition. It only comes when and if
we choose to “stop and smell the flowers along the way” of our life.
The Tools:
Movie/Media: VARIOUS
Clip Location: VARIOUS
Synopsis: Chosen clips, video, song or scene from your group’s choice.
Gospel Filter: Whatever your group or leadership chooses to use; these audio or video clips ought
to reflect the serenity of God and promote personal relaxation in God’s presence.
LEAD
Okay, so this shouldn’t be too tough to do: Have everyone in your
group stop what they’re doing, stop thinking about whatever’s stressin’
‘em out today, stop talking about whatever they’re all excited about…
just stop for a few minutes and listen to the sounds around you. (This
isn’t some transcendental meditation exercise… its actually just smart)
When everyone’s been quiet for a couple minutes ask them these
questions:
1. What’s the most difficult thing about stopping and relaxing?
2. What helps you relax? Why do you think that’s effective?
3. What sounds, songs or surroundings help you to realize the value
of quiet time?
4. How hard is it for any of us to find a place of peace? Why?
5. Tell us about a time when you did something on purpose to make
sure you and God were alone together.
6. How often should we find that place of peace? Why?
Read Philippians 4:4-9 (NIV2011)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be
evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever
is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it
into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
LINK
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Commentary:
Paul is reminding Christians of the importance and miraculous
power of being at peace with God. He gives us a set up for the time
we spend with the Lord. In those times we are called to find joy; he
even restates it to emphasize it. We are to be obviously gentle “to
all” without exception, offense, grudge or self-righteousness. We are
to recognize the Lord’s proximity to our physical position and let that
calm us so we can speak with him with gratefulness. It is perfectly
acceptable to make requests of God when we find ourselves resting
in his presence. That’s when we experience God’s unfathomable
peace that protects our hearts and minds. This peace didn’t come by
accident or automatically. When we choose to set up the environment
around us for a personal encounter with God, he responds with the
fruit of peace, ripe for the picking.
Paul then mentions what we ought to be thinking about: that
which is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or
praiseworthy. By making that list our thought filter, we will be following
Paul’s example. Even better, we’ll find ourselves in God’s presence.
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LINK
Discussion Questions:
1. What choices do these scriptures say we have to make before we
can realize God’s peace in God’s presence?
2. What are some of the differences between the scene Paul
describes here and our everyday lives?
3. What words does God’s Word declare as our thought filters?
4. How do our thoughts effect our time with God?
5. Where is God when we choose no-matter-what-joy and
gentleness towards others?
6. Where is God when our thoughts conform to Paul’s example and
God’s thought filters?
7. What would help us to each live more often in that place of
serenity instead of the chaos of our hectic lives?
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8. Does that peaceful place with God ever just happen or is there
something we’re supposed to do to make it happen?
Read through the Day 2 activity from the July 2013 Credo Interactive
Journal. FYI: The previous day’s activity was to plant something. This
activity calls for a couple of things. Whether you do them or just
challenge your students to do them in the next couple of days is up
to you. Either way, you should encourage them to “do something that
gives them a feeling of peace. They should also be encouraged to do
something that requires preparation. (This is the closing object lesson/
activity that you can do together).
Announce: I’m gonna stop here and have a cupcake, sandwich,
dessert, or other prepared snack. Sit down as if to expect the
snack to just appear. Show your disappointment that your snack isn’t
just appearing. Go as far as it takes for everyone in your group to
understand that whatever snack you announced you were going to
have would not miraculously appear just because you said it would.
Say, If I really wanted to have a snack, I should have known I
would have to prepare for it.
The same is true about the peace of God. If we want to
experience the peace of God, we have to prepare for it on
purpose.
If you feel particularly generous, bring out your prepared snack
and share with your group. One idea might be to play a peaceful song
or video while your students ice pre-made cupcakes. Call whatever
snack you choose “Peace” snacks and let it be a reminder each
time your students eat these kinds of snacks that it takes purposeful
preparation to bring peace.
Close your group time with prayer with your students.
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LEADER’S GUIDE
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JULY 2013
Week Two
Day 14, Watch
Lesson Goals:
• Teach students the importance of persevering to the end when peace is eventually
realized.
• Help students understand that the current struggles, both local and global are
temporary.
• Give students an opportunity to study God’s word about end time peace.
Leadership Tip For Teens: Teens in leadership are aware of the chaos around
them, both locally and globally. They know how unsafe much of the world is.
They realize that there are places near and far that are dangerous to their
spiritual and physical safety. They also have a certain hope in the peace that
God promises in his Word. They benefit from a big picture perspective that
promises that in the end, all is well. Give them opportunities to encourage
others who lack this perspective.
The Topic: The life of the average teenager is hectic at best. They face a
difficult and violent world. Good news for us is this: in the end, there will be
peace.
The Tools:
Movie/Media: Isaiah 2:1-5
Clip Location: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=508598839157801&set=vb.1083170691859
82&type=3&theater
Synopsis: Scripture video
Gospel Filter: None Needed
LEAD
Do a web search for current headlines. Make a list of all the headlines
that describe a chaotic event or scene. Make sure that some of these
headlines are local, while others are foreign or global… even universal.
Have this list ready when you begin your lesson.
Discussion Questions:
1. What is going on in the world?
2. What would you say is the worst event in the past 6 months or
so? Why?
3. What is the main tragedy that defines your generation? Why?
4. What’s the scariest thought you have about the future of the
world?
5. Why does is it always seem like the world around us is in constant
chaos?
6. Why should Christians have a better outlook on what’s going on
than people who don’t know Jesus?
LINK
Read the Day 14 activity from the July 2013 Credo Interactive Journal.
Instead of reading the scripture, show the video at https:
//www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=508598839157801&set=vb.108317
069185982&type=3&theater
Isaiah 2:1-5 (NIV 2011)
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
1
In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as the
highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will
stream to it.
2
Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the
LORD, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we
may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem.
3
He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They
will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation
will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
4
5
Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.
COMMENTARY:
Isaiah is prophesying about a distant future state of the world.
Some say this is the time of Christ or the Christian era. Others believe
this to be a time after the return of the Lord, the time of the antichrist
and even the rapture of the believers. It could be argued either way
and in some ways, both. For example verses 2-3 could have been
the time of Christ while here on Earth two millennia ago. Perhaps,
they could refer to future events. Verse four could have already taken
place if it is to be taken figuratively or it may be a time yet to come if
to be taken literally. Either way, verse five is certainly a present tense
challenge which we should still be heeding.
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Discussion Questions:
LINK
1. What images in the video stand out to you the most and why?
2. According to verse 2, when do all of these events take place?
3. How many of you think we’re living in the “end times” right now?
Why or why not?
4. How would the world be different right now if these verses
(especially verse four) were describing the present era?
5. What does Isaiah challenge us to do in the present? (Verse 5)
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6. How should the promise of future peace affect our present
perspectives?
Take a few more minutes encouraging your students to adopt a longterm focus. Whatever is going on in the world right now is temporary.
The point is to live ready for the coming peace. If we have peace from
God in us, we can trust that God can handle all the chaos on Earth.
He is a promise keeping God that has declared the time of peace IS
COMING. That’s good news worth sharing.
Close your group time with prayer with your students.
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LEADER’S GUIDE
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JULY 2013
Week Three
Day 19, Planting a Seed
Lesson Goals:
• Teach students the power of encouraging words.
• Help students understand their responsibility to encourage others by their words.
• Give students an opportunity to choose words of encouragement no matter what.
Leadership Tip For Teens: Teens in leadership tend to be your group’s
sources of encouragement. They life the spirits of everyone when times are
tough. They help others see the best in the situations like they do. This week,
celebrate these students by showing how their encouraging words help boost
the morale of the entire group or church. Maybe take a couple of minutes to
encourage them with kind words.
The Topic: Any of us could be discouraged at any time. So, this week we’re
looking at planting seeds of encouragement by using encouraging words.
The Tools:
Movie/Media: Clip from Pursuit of Happyness Basketball Clip
Clip Location: http://youtu.be/ajjGtsjI7CM
Synopsis: This movie is about the life lessons of a down and out man trying to raise his child. This
is a rags-to-riches story. Chris goes from broke to successful stock broker as this movie develops.
Gospel Filter: In this scene, Chris tells his son at first that he’ll never be a professional basketball
player. Then, after seeing his son’s dejection, he encourages his son to never let anyone tell
him that his dreams can’t come true. He encourages his son to protect his dream. This word of
encouragement could be seen as an example of the power of encouraging words from believers
to other believers.
LEAD
Watch the clip from Pursuit of Happyness at:
http://youtu.be/ajjGtsjI7CM. Then discuss these questions:
1. What was the effect of the father’s words after Christopher
declared that he was going pro?
2. What did Chris, the father, realize after his son put the ball in the
bag?
3. What was the effect of Chris’s words on Christopher after he
encouraged him?
4. What are some of the hurtful things that you’ve been told or have
told others?
5. What are some of the most encouraging words you’ve ever said
or heard?
6. What power do words of encouragement have over your
behavior?
7. With this in mind, what words should we choose to use towards
those around us?
LINK
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NIV 2011)
9For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our
Lord Jesus Christ. 10He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may
live together with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.
Read Hebrews 3:12-14 (NIV 2011)
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that
turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is
called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We
have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the
very end.
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COMMENTARY:
These two scriptures are examples of over a dozen different
scriptures that command us to encourage other believers. In the
1 Thessalonian passage, we are shown how Christ is our example
and source of encouragement. Due to the fact that we can “receive
salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” we have an encouraging
truth to share. We have a truth to offer the hopeless that ought to
encourage pre-Christians to come to faith.
In the Hebrews passage, we are commanded to keep the faith
and “encourage one another daily.” That is to say that no day should
come and go where we have not allowed the Lord to encourage
other believers through us. In this era of technology, particularly
social media, there’s no reason why we couldn’t choose to keep this
command.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
LINK
1. What is the most encouraging truth you know?
2. How many of your friends would benefit from you sharing that
encouraging truth with them?
3. What might happen if you were to muster the courage to share
God’s good news with people that don’t have the hope you
have?
4. How often would you benefit from encouraging words from
people who cared enough to share them?
5. According to Hebrews 3:13 what could our daily encouragement
of other believers prevent?
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6. If the Gospel (good news) is shared by using words of truth to
convince people who don’t know Jesus yet that the Lord loves
them enough to save their souls, what words should we be
sharing today?
Read the Day 19 activity of the July 2013 Credo Interactive Journal.
The gist of this activity is to use words of encouragement from God’s
Word, the Holy Bible, to encourage others to come to a personal
relationship with Christ. You can direct your students to each make
a list or you may poll them for a brainstormed list that everyone can
share.
Give them a few moments to practice sharing God’s Word with
each other. A wise college student, now missionary doctor, once
observed that “one of the reasons Christians sometimes have such a
difficult time talking to non-Christians about God is because we don’t
talk about the Lord among ourselves very much.”
Challenge your students to encourage each other daily using
God’s Word. THEN challenge them to plant seeds of encouraging
words among those who don’t know Jesus YET.
Close your group time with prayer with your students.
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JULY 2013
Week Four
Day 27, Stories from the Garden (Part 3 of 3)
Lesson Goals:
• Teach students the principle of kingdom growth that Jesus taught in the garden.
• Help students understand how doing little things inconspicuously grows the
kingdom exponentially.
• Give students an opportunity to plan a ministry of small intentional acts of selfless
encouragement.
Leadership Tip For Teens: Teens in leadership are often your behind-thescenes people. These are the unsung heroes of God’s ministry through you.
These are the teens who do the little things to encourage you and others “just
because.” Though they don’t often let the right hand know what the left hand
is doing, you are aware of the selfless deeds. If you are aware, others might be
too. Take some time to highlight their example without embarrassing them or
stealing their rewards.
The Topic: The little things we do matter. Especially true as it pertains to
growing God’s Kingdom, every little thing we do matters to others and to the
Lord. Therefore, these small seemingly inconsequential acts ought to be done
more often than less.
The Tools:
Movie/Media: Liberty Mutual Full Commercial
Clip Location: http://youtu.be/XtIsiKu_JUg
Synopsis: This long commercial is a video of random acts of selflessness, seen by others and then
paid forward until it comes round full circle in the end.
Gospel Filter: The tag at the end of the video says it all. “If you give a little love, you can get a little
love of your own.” Then it adds a quote from Jesus: “love your neighbor as yourself – Matthew
22:39.”
LEAD
Watch the Liberty Mutual Full Commercial at:
http://youtu.be/XtIsiKu_JUg. Then discuss what you saw using these
questions:
1. What were some of the selfless acts you saw in the video?
2. Which acts do you think meant the most and why?
3. How heroic were the people who did the selfless acts of
kindness?
4. How many of the people that were helped seemed to be known
by those who helped them?
5. Does that matter? Why or why not?
6. What would have changed if any of those in the video had not
done their selfless act while others watched?
7. How does this video show that doing selfless things for others is
a way of showing them love like God’s?
8. How much do the little things we do for God and others matter?
Why?
Read Matthew 13:31-32 (NIV 2011)
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed,
which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all seeds,
yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the
birds come and perch in its branches.”
LINK
31
COMMENTARY:
In the big picture here, Jesus is teaching about the Kingdom of
God. In this brief description, Christ takes a familiar small object (the
mustard seed) and makes an object lesson out of it. The mustard
seed is the smallest act or word that God uses through our vocal
chords and lives to grow the Kingdom to the universal size that it is
or can become. The supposition here is simple. If we do little things
to show God’s love or if we speak truth and kindness into the lives of
those around us that don’t know Jesus yet, we will be helping God
to grow the Kingdom. Eventually a life of selfless encouragement will
be trusted by the faithless. When trusted, the believer can share the
gospel from the mustard seed smallest opportunity to grow God’s
Kingdom and family.
Discussion Questions:
1. How big do you think a full grown mustard tree? (about 20 feet)
2. How is the Kingdom of God like the mustard seed?
3. How large can the kingdom grow from each “seed’ planted?
4. What would happen to the Kingdom if nobody planted “seeds”?
5. How can you tell if the Kingdom of God is growing
in our community?
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Read the Day 27 activity from the July 2013 Credo Interactive Journal.
Then close your group lesson or discussion with these thoughts and
questions:
1. Trace your spiritual genealogy as far as you can. Who told you
about Christ? Who told them? Who told them, etc. etc.?
2. What did those that heard Jesus teach this parable do with the
lesson? How do you know?
3. How can the littlest things we do have the biggest impact for
God and others?
4. What would keep the Kingdom from growing exponentially
bigger?
5. What would keep the Kingdom continuing to grow exponentially?
6. How do Christ’s words encourage you today?
Close your group time with prayer with your students.
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JULY 2013
Week Five
Day 11, War and Peace
Lesson Goals:
• Teach students the importance of self-examination of their spiritual life.
• Help students understand their choices in life are between war and peace within.
• Give students an opportunity to make a decision about their eternal destiny.
Leadership Tip For Teens: Teens in leadership have a peace within that
comes from an assurance that it is well with their soul. They have made a decision for Christ. They continue to make the decision to live for Christ at peace
for themselves. They practice spiritual self-examination frequently. That is, they
often ask themselves how healthy their relationship with God is.
The Topic: When all the questions in life are asked the only answer that matters is the one that declares that the state of our soul is well.
The Tools:
Movie/Media: Help Me Find It by Sidewalk Prophets
Clip Location: http://youtu.be/GIpIHfZ88PM
Synopsis: This is a song about seeking God to show us the way Heavenward through life.
Gospel Filter: None Needed.
LEAD
Show the video clip of “Help Me Find It” by Sidewalk Prophets found
at: http://youtu.be/GIpIHfZ88PM
Discussion Questions:
1. What does the band pray in this song?
2. What needs do the artists express in this song?
3. The song asks the question of God, basically, “Can You help me
find my way towards Heaven?” What is God’s answer?
4. If you’ve ever prayed a prayer like those in this song, how did
God respond to you?
5. When facing choices on the road of life, why does it matter which
way we choose to go?
6. What are some of the distractions we face when seeking God’s
directions for our lives?
7. Which way do you choose to go most often: your way, God’s way
or your way IS God’s way?
READ 2 CORINTHIANS 13:5-7 (NIV 2011)
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not
realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6And I trust
that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7Now we pray to God that
you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the
test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
LINK
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COMMENTARY:
Paul is talking to people who claim to be part of the Christian
church. These are believers who have struggled with very important
life-changing decisions. Their choi ces are literally life and death
choices. If they choose to follow Jesus and the teachings of the
Apostles, they could lose everything they had. If they choose to follow
God’s ways, they would gain eternity with God forever. As it was
with them, so it is still with us. There is in our heart either a place of
torturous indecision or there is perfect peace with God. Every day is a
test of faith.
As Paul and millions like him have found, there is health and
peace in constantly living the test for our souls. We must do as these
scriptures command and constantly examine ourselves to see whether
or not our faith in God remains.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Why are we supposed to examine ourselves spiritually?
2. What is the result of a failed spiritual examination?
3. What is the reward for a person who chooses to continue in their
faith?
4. Which would you prefer: a life of failed spiritual faith or a peace
with God and his promise of eternal life? Why?
Read the Day 11 activity from the July 2013 Credo Interactive Journal.
Have your students assume a position of least distraction from those
around them. Then go through this closing section with them.
Ask:
1. In your personal life, do you feel at war or at peace? Explain.
2. On your campus or in your community, do things seem at or at
peace? Explain.
3. In this world, do you see mostly war or peach? Explain.
4. What can you do for those who don’t have God’s peace in their
souls?
5. What can you do for yourself? Or better stated, What can God
do for you today?
Close your group time with prayer with your students.
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