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The Exchange: a 4-Week Teaching Series for Youth Ministry TOPIC: Wisdom SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy DECORATING THEME: Relay Races AGE GROUP: Students We all make exchanges - all the time, in fact! Whether you're shopping, texting your best friend, swapping snacks at the lunch table, or returning a wave to a neighbor, most of the exchanges we make aren't very memorable. But the exchanges that stick with us are the exchanges we have with people who impact our lives for the better. Maybe you've exchanged meaningful advice, wisdom, or encouragement with your friends, family members, heroes, coaches, pastors, or younger people you've invested in. Those exchanges are what this series is all about. In this four-week series from 2 Timothy, we'll explore some advice the apostle Paul gave to Timothy, a guy he was mentoring, because we can learn from Paul's wisdom too. Through it, we'll see how we can all exchange wisdom with each other (no matter our age) by helping each other discover our gifts, develop discernment, get equipped, and find strength. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES We can help each other discover our gifts. (Paul encourages Timothy: 2 Timothy 1:1-14; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 Corinthians 12:6) We can help each other develop discernment. (Paul shares his wisdom with Timothy: 2 Timothy 2:8-9, 14-18, 22-23; Proverbs 3:5-6, 4:6-7) We can help each other get equipped. (All Scripture is God-breathed: 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Psalm 119:97-105; Hebrews 4:12) We can help each other find strength. (Fought the good fight and finished the race: 2 Timothy 4:6-18; Psalm 121; 2 Corinthians 12:9) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, we'll see how Paul encourages Timothy and Peter encouraged others to use their gifts. Like passing a baton in a relay, our gifts aren't meant to be kept to ourselves-they're meant to be shared. This week, we'll see how discovering our gifts often begins when someone else sees something in us we haven't seen yet. Whether giving or receiving, the exchange starts with attention and encouragement. We can help each other discover our gifts. This week, we'll combine the wisdom that Paul shares with Timothy and the wisdom from Proverbs on where to find help when making a decision. In uncertain moments, wisdom can feel like a flashlight in the fog-guiding us forward when it's hard to see what's happening. This week, we'll see how asking questions, sharing advice, and pointing each other back to Jesus helps us grow in clarity and confidence. No one has all the answers, but together, we can help each other develop discernment. This week, we'll see what Paul and a chapter from the book of Psalms say about how the Bible is a source of wisdom. Just like an athlete wouldn't head into the game without their gear-we need the right tools to navigate all of life's challenges. This week, we'll see how Scripture equips us with wisdom, clarity, and direction, and how we can help each other understand and apply what God's word says. When we share what we've learned, we can help each other get equipped. This week, we'll discover how Paul and the writer of Psalm 121 found wisdom and strength from God. When you're carrying something heavy, having an extra set of hands to help you can go a long way. This week, we'll see how God strengthens us in our hardest moments-and how we can support one another to keep going too. We'll never be stronger alone than we are together and when we help one another, we can help each other find strength. MEMORY VERSE: "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms." - 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

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