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With You: a 4-Week Teaching Series for Youth Ministry TOPIC: Friendship SCRIPTURE: the Old Testament DECORATING THEME: Collages AGE GROUP: Students Being a good friend is easy! As long as you make time to hang out, remember their birthday, and answer their texts, you're eligible for the Great Friend Award . . . right? Friendship might feel easy when life is easy, but it gets more complicated when your friends are hurting or struggling. What should you do? What should you say? What should you not say? When our friends need help, there are no easy answers, but in this 4-week series, we'll follow the lead of a few people who've been there. Through the stories of Job, Ruth, Naomi, Elijah, and Eli, we'll see how God invites us to "be with" people when they're grieving, lonely, in need, or feeling hopeless , and how God is already with them. BIG IDEAS & BIBLE STORIES Be with people when they're grieving. (Job's Friends Share His Sadness: Job 2:11-13, 16:2; Psalm 34:18; Romans 8:28) Be with people when they're lonely. (Naomi and Ruth Return From Moab: Ruth 1:1-18; I John 4:11-13; John 14:16) Be with people when they're in need. (A Widow Feeds Elijah: I Kings 17:8-16; Matthew 25:40; Luke 12:32-34) Be with people when they need hope. (Hannah Prays for a Child: I Samuel 1:1-20; Romans 15:13; John 8:12) WEEKLY CURRICULUM SUMMARIES: This week, we'll see what the story of Job and his friends can teach us about helping others deal with loss. Friendship isn't just about fun hangouts and inside jokes-it's also about showing up when things hurt. This week, we look at Job and his friends to see what they got right (and wrong) when he was grieving, and how just being present can mean more than saying the "right" thing. Their story reminds us to be with people when they're grieving. This week, we'll see what the story of Naomi and Ruth can teach us about helping others feel less alone. Loneliness doesn't always look obvious, but it hurts just the same-and showing up can make all the difference. This week, Ruth stayed with Naomi when she had every reason to walk away, proving that friendship means choosing people, not just when it's easy, but when it's hard. Her loyalty shows us to be with people when they're lonely. This week, we'll see what the story of Elijah and the widow can teach us about helping others when they're in need. Being with someone in need doesn't mean solving every problem-it means showing up, sharing what you have, and trusting God together. Elijah and a widow helped each other through a desperate situation by offering what little they could and refusing to give up. Their story shows us that one of the best ways to love others is to be with people when they're in need. This week, we'll see what the story of Hannah can teach us about sharing hope when someone is feeling hopeless. Sometimes, hope feels out of reach. In those moments, friends can remind us that God still sees and hears us. Hannah poured out her heart in prayer, and Eli reminded her that God hadn't forgotten her story, even when she felt hopeless. Their moment together shows us the power of showing up and pointing someone back to God-so be with people when they need hope. MEMORY VERSE: "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." -Galatians 6:2 (NIV)

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