Hangin Tough

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April 10th 2016 .:. .:. Room 301

Pathways Kids Weekend Small Groups

This curriculum is for the 9, 10, 11 and 12 year olds

This Weeks Scope

The Tough Kept Going

Bible Story: The Tough Kept Going (Cloud of Witnesses) Hebrews 12:1 (Supporting: Hebrews 11)
Bottom Line: When life gets hard, remember how others persevered.
Memory Verse: But those who trust the LORD will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles.
They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak. Isaiah 40:31, NIrV
Life App: Perseverancerefusing to give up when life gets hard.
Basic Truth: I need to make the wise choice.

Welcome Time
What You Need: Offering container
What You Do:
Invite kids to put their offerings in the offering container.
Ask kids to name some projects, skills, or activities they are working on or have worked on in
the past. For example, playing an instrument, building a LEGO structure, craft project, making
up games with specific rules, soccer, baseball, etc.
Talk about things they have kept up with and other things they may have given up on or put on
hold. Ask questions such as:
o Have there ever been times when you wanted to give up on a project or activity?
o What makes you want to quit instead of keeping on?
o How do you know when to keep doing something or when its time to quit?
o Did you regret that you quit or were you kind of relieved? Is it possible to feel regret and
relief at the same time? Why or why not?
Lead your group to the Large Group area.

Activity #1
4/5/6 Challenge
What You Need: paper, colored markers for each kid
What You Do:
Ask everyone to gather around and pass out markers. They can take turns and share the
markers as needed.
Read Hebrews 11:1-3 out loud. Focus in and repeat the part about how faith is hoping for and
believing in things we cant see or havent seen ourselves.
Ask students to write, draw, or doodle examples of things they hope for and believe in but cant
actually see with their physical eyes. [Make It Personal] (If you participate as part of the
group, it will be even more powerful.) Talking together and coming up with more things is
encouraged.
If you want to take the activity further, move to a different spot and talk about how the passage
encourages us to throw off things that hinder or stop us and flee from sins or wrong choices that
so easily entangle and trap us.
Now pass out black markers. Students can write down examples of things that make our faith
hard and things that tempt us and arent Gods best for us. Students may not want to share
these out loud and thats okay.

Activity #2
What You Need: Biblical People Cards Activity Page; 1 set for each group, Blank Cards Activity
Page; 1 card for each kid, markers, the crowd the kids created during People Like Me in Social
What You Do:
Give kids each a Biblical People Card and a Blank Card.
Give them a minute or so to look at the cards with the biblical people on them and read their
stories. Let kids trade cards with others if they want to.
Then ask kids to fill in the blank card with a person they know who can give them
encouragement based on experiencea parent, teacher, mentor, or even you, their Small
Group Leader!
They can write that persons name and a couple facts about them.
What You Say:
In the Bible story today, we heard about all those people in the Bible who showed perseverance and
didnt give up. When we think of them, its like theyre cheering us on and reminding us to keep going.
There are other people we can think of toopeople we know who encourage us to never give uplike
teachers or parents or coaches.

[Make It Personal] (Share about a person who gives you encouragement when youre
tempted to quit. Maybe its a friend who helps you keep studying when you want to go to
the mall, or someone at work who helps you tackle tough projects a step at a time, or a
trainer at the gym who cheers you on to do just one more rep, or a mentor at church who
reminds you to keep reading your Bible when youd rather watch TV.) [Bottom Line]
When life gets hard, remember how others persevered.

Activity
Opposites

#3

What You Need: No supplies needed

What You Do:
Provide an opportunity for kids to share something difficult theyre going through or a situation
that seems impossible for a friend or family member to face.
Remind kids that God has surrounded us with examples of others He has helped through
impossible situations, both past and present. [Bottom Line] When life gets hard, remember
how others persevered. Refer to the cloud of witnesses mentioned in todays lesson. Each
had a faith story that grew out of an impossible situation that God helped them through.
Form a circle and invite one of the kids to stand in the middle. Encourage someone in the circle
to pray out loud for the kid in the middle. (If kids are super hesitant to pray aloud, volunteer to
pray in their place.)
Let everyone take a turn standing in the circle and being prayed for by yourself or one of the
kids.
Close with the following prayer.
What You Say:
Dear God, thank You that nothing in our lives ever happens without You knowing about it. Thank You
for caring about the things we face that are hard. We ask for Your help to persevere. Help us not to give
up but to keep onto soar like eagles by putting our trust in You and continuing to do what we know is
right. In Jesus name, amen.
4/5/6 Challenge
What You Do:
Lead kids in the following visualization exercise.
What You Say:
Think of sometime this coming week where you KNOW you will have to persevere. Visualize in your
mind this time and situation. Take a minute to think of what you can do so you wont get too tired or feel
too weak to finish well. Share it with the group or with me privately.
Note: Leaders, this is a great chance for you to write these down and when they will happen (or type a
note on your phone). Then you can follow up with a text or postcard to let the students know youre
thinking of them and praying they can persevere this week with Gods help.