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Justified: a 4-Week Teaching Series for Youth Ministry TOPIC: Justice SCRIPTURE: New Testament DECORATING THEME: Comic Books AGE GROUP: Students Anger is such a big, powerful emotion. It can lead us to acting compassionately, or it can lead us to make choices that could be harmful to ourselves or others. But, no matter how hard we try to avoid them, there are always going to be experiences that make us angry - especially when it comes to relationships. Even Jesus himself was angry once. So if we can't completely avoid anger, how do we control it? Through stories of Jesus and advice from Paul and the Psalms, we'll explore ways for us to shape our responses to anger rather than allowing them to shape us. We'll see the ways our anger - justified and unjustified - can be a space for us to grow in our relationship with God. We'll learn practical skills like when we feel angry, pause to ask God why . We'll also see how when we're angry, Jesus shows us how to respond and we can still show grace because when we're angry we don't get hurtful. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES When you're angry, pause to ask God why. (Jesus Predicts His Death: Mark 8:31-33, Psalms 139:23-24, Psalm 86:5-7) When we're angry, Jesus shows us how to respond. (Jesus Clears the Temple Courts: John 2:13-22, Amos 5:22-24, Micah 6:8) When you're angry, you can still show grace. (Jesus Teaches Nicodemus: John 3:1-17, Ephesians 4:31-32, 2 Corinthians 12:9) When you're angry, don't get hurtful. (Instructions for Christian Living: Ephesians 4:22-27, Psalm 119:9-16, Romans 12:17-21) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, we'll hear a story of a time when Peter's anger got the best of him. Anger can sneak up fast, especially when things don't go the way we expected. Peter thought he was protecting Jesus when he lashed out, but his reaction revealed more fear than trust. Sometimes, anger points to something deeper going on inside us. God can help us understand what's really going on. So when you're angry, pause to ask God why. This week, we'll watch as Jesus cleared the temple, showing us how to respond when our anger feels justified. When Jesus flipped tables in the temple, it wasn't out of rage. It was because people were being mistreated and God's house was being misused. His anger wasn't about losing control; it was about making things right. Jesus responded with clarity, purpose, and love for what mattered most. When we're angry, Jesus shows us how to respond. This week, we'll hear about the interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus and discover Paul's words about the grace God shows us. This week, we see how Jesus could've met Nicodemus with frustration or judgment, but instead, He responded with patience, truth, and grace. And Paul reminds us that we're called to extend that same kind of grace, even when it's hard. Anger doesn't have to shut people out. It can become an opportunity to show love, because when you're angry, you can still show grace. This week, we'll explore Paul's encouragement to keep anger from controlling us. Anger isn't something to avoid, it's something to handle wisely. Paul tells us to deal with anger before it grows into something harmful, because when we don't, it starts to control how we act and how we treat others. Retaliation and revenge only lead to more hurt. We can choose peace, healing and self-control because Scripture teaches us when you're angry, don't get hurtful. MEMORY VERSE: "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." Ephesians 4:26 (NIV)

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