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Not Okay: a 4-Week Teaching Series for Youth Ministry TOPIC: Hurt & Pain SCRIPTURE: Gospels DECORATING THEME: Puzzles and Brainteasers AGE GROUP: Students Take a deep breath. Unclench your jaw. Clear your mind. Close your eyes. (Now open them to keep reading.) There's a lot we can do to respond to our feelings of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, it can feel like we're constantly stressed and anxious. School, tests, and relationships are just a small sample of everything on our plate. So what do we do when we feel completely overwhelmed? During Jesus' ministry, he spent a lot of time with people during some really stressful moments of their lives. Through these stories and some wisdom from the Psalms, we'll explore what we can do when our stress levels are high and we need guidance. We'll take a look at how when we're not okay, Jesus offers hope. We'll be secure knowing when people reject us, Jesus never will. We'll explore what it means to know when it's not easy to do what's right, it's still worth it. And we'll share our trust in God knowing when we feel uncertain, Jesus offers guidance. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES When you're not okay, Jesus offers hope. (Jesus Heals a Sick Woman: Mark 5:25-34, Romans 15:13, Psalm 39:7) When people reject you, Jesus never will. (Jesus Sends Out the Twelve: Mark 6:7-12, Psalm 91:1-2, 1 Peter 5:6-10) When it's not easy to do what's right, it's still worth it. (John the Baptist Beheaded: Mark 6:17-29, 1 Peter 3:14-18, Hebrews 13:18) When you feel worried, Jesus can be trusted. (Do Not Worry: Matthew 6:28-35, Psalm 23, Philippians 4:6-7) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, we'll hear the story of a bleeding woman and see what happens when we reach out to God. The woman who reached out to touch Jesus' robe was exhausted, desperate, and out of options. But in that overwhelming moment, Jesus didn't ignore her. He stopped, listened, and called her "daughter." When everything feels too heavy, Jesus reminds us that we don't have to carry it alone. When you're not okay, Jesus offers hope. This week, we'll explore what it means to be secure in Jesus as he sends his disciples from town to town. Rejection can sting, whether it's a friend who stops texting back or a group that just doesn't get you. Even Jesus experienced rejection, including in His own hometown. But He didn't let that rejection define Him. Instead, He kept inviting, sending, and loving people fully. That's because no matter how others treat us, when people reject you, Jesus never will. This week, we'll focus on John the Baptist and his time talking to Herod while in prison and find encouragement to keep following God through Peter's words to a persecuted church. Doing the right thing isn't always easy. Sometimes it comes with real consequences. John the Baptist knew that when he stood up for truth, while in prison. Peter reminds us that staying faithful is worth it, even when we are persecuted. Choosing what's right won't always be comfortable, but it will always matter. When it's not easy to do what's right, it's still worth it. This week, we'll see how Jesus guides us through our worries and read a psalm from David that shows us the way God takes care of us. Worry can be loud. It fills our minds with what-ifs and worst-case scenarios. But Jesus offers another way. He reminds us to notice how God cares for the flowers and birds, details we usually overlook that show us how trustworthy God really is. David wrote something similar: in the darkest valleys, God is still guiding. That's why when you feel worried, Jesus can be trusted. MEMORY VERSE: "By what authority are you doing these things? they asked. And who gave you authority to do this? Jesus replied, I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism-was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!" Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

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