2018 Beach Retreat Leader Manual

WEDNESDAY: WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
PRAY. It is always a great idea to open your condo time
with prayer. You can pray specifically for students’ walls to
be torn down and for God to move in their hearts and lives.
NOW BEGIN BY OPENING UP THE DISCUSSION
TIME AND ASKING WHAT THEY THOUGHT OF
THE FILM.
This might be awkward at first as some students might not
be as comfortable with each other yet. Allow for some
awkward silence and give them a chance to build some
courage to share.
Write their responses below:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
• When Brian decided to confront his bully and
then got beat up himself, he probably felt like
a failure. When was a time that you failed to
accomplish a goal in your life? Maybe failed to
step out of your comfort zone when you knew
you should have?
This is a question that if you dwell on it too long, the
students could start feeling bad about themselves
for no good reason. You might want to answer this
first with an example from your own life to start the
discussion and allow them to see you as a real person.
• Brian realized he stepped out of his comfort zone
and confronted his fears. When was a time you
succeeded in accomplishing a goal in your life?
Maybe a time when you stepped out of your
comfort zone?
Some students will want to brag on themselves.
Keep this moving and on the right track. Make sure
everyone says something they succeeded in so
they can have some encouragement throughout the
discussion and into the rest of the week. It can be
something really big or super simple.
• Peter, in the Bible, felt like a failure when he
denied Jesus, but then Jesus restored him to
move forward and change his story. How did it
feel to have failed and/or succeed at that goal?
Again, be very positive with them if they are talking
about their failure. This could be a very important
question to some of your students because they will
realize how they feel and be able to process and
move forward with changing their story.
• Brian realized in just one week his story changed
because he decided to step out of his comfort
zone. How has failure or success helped you in
your story of life? What have you learned from
it? How can you apply what you learned?
Help the students get very specific. Ask them how
they are going to do something and really get down
to the specifics about what they can do.
• How could God use your story to change
someone else’s story? Who specifically does God
have on your heart right now that you could help
change their story?
This might be a great time to get really practical. Have
them write down this person in their Silent Sounds
book. Have them all stop and sit in silence praying for
that person or multiple people. Someone that they are
thinking about might be in the room with them so be
cautious about saying the name out loud.
BIBLICAL TEXT USED TODAY IN THE FILM:
Matthew 26:31-35
Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all
fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will
strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be
scattered.’ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of
you into Galilee.” Peter replied, “Even if all fall away
on account of you, I never will.” “Truly I tell you,”
Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster
crows, you will disown me three times.” But Peter
declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never
disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
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