Artificial Identity Week 4
Middle & High School Students
Wednesday, October 23rd
6:30 – 8:30

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2

Renowned author and theologian Henri Nouwen defined three lies about identity: I am what I have. I am what I do. I am what others think of me. This series encourages us to consider that our Creator determines our value, our worth, and what God thinks about us is the most important thing about us.

THIS WEEK’S BOTTOM LINE: 
What God thinks about me is the most important thing about me.

iGroup Discussion Questions

PREPARING FOR iGROUPS

BOTTOM LINE: What God thinks about me is the most important thing about me. 

SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 18:7, 1 Psalm 139:13-18

GOAL OF SMALL GROUP: To help students shift away from finding identity and value in the words and opinions and others and toward the truth of what God thinks and says about who they are.
 
THINK ABOUT THIS: Middle and high schoolers tend to let the voices of others influence the way they see themselves. (Okay, this may not just be middle and high schoolers!) The comment section on Instagram, the views on TikTok, the gossip in the hallway, the words spoken over them—it all has an impact on who they perceive themselves to be. Even if those opinions are rooted in kindness, they’re still fleeting. As you talk to students about finding an authentic sense of self, point them to the voice of God first and foremost. The value we all have is rooted in the truth of who God made us to be, and it’s from that place that we can live as our authentic, true selves. 

TRY THIS: Take time to create a list of truths about who God says we are from Scripture. Share the list with your iGroup and encourage them to add to it as they discover more of what God says about them. Let it be your Small Group’s reminder to return to when they need to remember what God says is true about their authentic identity.

AI: Artificial Identity
iGroups for October 23

Ask the group to answer…

1. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how likely you are to talk about someone else in a negative way.
2. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how likely you are to talk about yourself in a negative way. Is it different than talking bad about someone else? 
3. Think and share. How do you think your words impact others? How have you been impacted by the words of others?
4. Read Psalm 139:13-18. When we read the way David describes how God thinks about him, what do you observe? How much does God’s opinion of David matter to him?
5. What might’ve been different about David’s story if he let the opinions of people around him hold more weight?
6. What might change for us if we looked to God’s opinion of us over the opinions of the people around us?
7. Take time to write down, at least, one thing you know God says is true about you? *iGroup Leaders: Help here by pointing students to Scripture or giving examples to start.
8. What’s one way you can focus on truths like you just wrote down? Share with your iGroup so you can hold each other accountable this week. 

Bottom Line... What God thinks about me is the most important thing about me. 

Scripture... 1 Samuel 18:7, 1 Psalm 139:13-18

Memory Verse... Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

Memory Verse Challenge…
Take a memory verse card with Romans 12:2 to memorize.
Quote the memory verse to your table leader OR a volunteer to earn a Llama Dolla!!  
On the back of your memory verse card write down the step you plan to take everyday this week to get to know and connect with God more.