Somewhere In the Middle
“The theme of this song, truly begins with this song, “Somewhere in the Middle”. I’ve been in this place so many times I could design postcards. The sadness of knowing I’m not where I should be and the numbness that sets in can be devastating. But know this: God loves, heals, and restores!” – Mark Hall
(I’ve never used this one, but it looks like a hoot! Feel free to change up the questions at the end if you feel necessary. I’d also love to read about the changes you made and the results in the comments section below! –Andy)
Materials Needed:
- Recording of “Somewhere in the middle” by Casting Crowns
- 4 Buckets
- Water (to fill the buckets)
- Stool
- 12 sponge balls (make your own!)
- Blindfold
Scripture:
- Psalm 1
- Proverbs 14:14, 16:8
- Isaiah 50:10
- Matthew 12:30, 16:24-26
- 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, 5:14-17
- Galatians 2:20, 5:1, 6:7-8
- Philippians 3:7-11, 4:11-13
- Revelation 2:1-5, 3:14-21
Intro:
- Divide the students into small groups
- Have them compete against each other in a game of “Sponge Ball”
- Get the 4 buckets, each filled with water.
- Place the buckets equally distant away from a stool that’s in the middle (use the buckets to form a square around the stool)
- Have 3-4 sponge balls in each bucket
- Have one team put a student at each bucket.
- Have another team seat one of their members on the stool in the middle.
- Have the other members stand around the stool without touching it or the person sitting on it
- On your count, have students at the bucket throw their sponge balls at the person seated on the stool.
- Have the students standing around the stool attempt to block the sponge balls as they’re thrown.
- Award 1 point to the throwing team for each ball that hits the “target” person sitting on the stool.
- For a twist, play the final round with the person seated wearing a blindfold and double the number of sponge balls to be thrown.
- When all the sponge balls are thrown, have the teams switch places. You may add more buckets or sponge balls to the game as you need them. It helps to have an impartial judge counting the number of hits.
Discussion:
- Ask students if they were challenged in their attempts to block the incoming projectiles.
- As the person who sat on the stool if they were challenged, or if they felt helpless. Were they at the mercy of those surrounding them? How’d it feel to get caught in the middle of the crossfire?
- As you begin your devotion time, encourage them to think about a time in their spiritual life when they felt like they were caught “somewhere in the middle” of doing what they need to do and not doing it.
- Share the following points with your students, adding your own illustrations and anecdotes to make this devotion personal to your friends:
- We are FREE in Christ to do what’s RIGHT (Galatians 5:1)
- We begin to look like things we fill our lives with (Galatians 6:7-8)
- We are incapable of pleasing God through our own power, but must rely on Him and trust in Him completely (Galatians 2:19-21)
Conclusion:
- Have your group listen to the song, “Somewhere in the Middle”.
- Challenge them to realize where they are in their lives. Are they:
- Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves?
- Somewhere between the altar and the door?
- Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more?
- Pray for those who are struggling with being caught “Somewhere in the Middle” in their lives.
- Encourage them and remind them and remind them that they have the chance to start each day fresh with Christ!
Written by Mike Wilson.
The official Bible of Youth Pastor Plus is The Message//Remix, published by NavPress.
Please Leave a Reply