Chris Heavner, Clemson, SC

Warm-up Question

What do you value about your best friend which makes you consider them as your best friend?

Believing and Belonging

Once a year, usually near the end of the year, we play a game at our mid-week gathering of college students.  They call it the “BFF Bowl.”  It is sort of a mix between the old Newlywed Game and a college bowl game.  Best Friends Forever (BFF’s) answer questions which show how well they know the other.  Last year, Alexa refused to answer the final question.  Looking back, it was a rather insensitive question, asking whether the other’s BFF had ever had a crush on another student in the group.  Alexa immediately shook her head; “There is no way I am going to tell you that about my best friend!”  Without a doubt, Jenna and Alexa were crowned “BFF’s.”  The integrity of their relationship was more important than winning some silly game.

 Perhaps you have a BFF.  Maybe you are a BFF for someone else in your small group.  Being a best friend means understanding what is of value to them and knowing what it is that they consider to be important.   It means knowing the other person and being known by them.

I have a BFF.  We don’t get to see each other all that often any more.  There are many things happening in his life that we never get around to talking about.  There are a lot of things that happen in my life which I don’t bother telling him.  When we talk, there are more important things for us to say.  Important things like affirming how grateful we are to have each other; and we thank each other for this precious relationship in which we are able to look past all the things happening and see each other as we truly are.

Discussion Questions

• Having a “best friend forever” isn’t simple. What are some of the reasons many of us don’t have a BFF?
• How would to describe the difference between knowing something about another person and knowing that person?
• How do we learn to trust another person enough to let them see us for who we truly are?

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:36-43

Revelation 7:9-17

John 10:22-30

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Jesus has been in Jerusalem for some two and a half months.  He has taught in the Temple, intervened to prevent an angry crowd from murdering a woman, and healed a man who was blind from birth.  All of this has happened openly and among the very persons who come to Jesus and demand “tell us plainly” whether you are Messiah.

In the eighth chapter, verses 21ff, Jesus tells them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he.”  (Note: Some versions omit that final pronoun.  Thus, Jesus says “you will realize that I am.”  For the significance of that, look back to the call of Moses, when Moses asks “Who shall I say has sent me?”  God says “I am.” – Exodus 3:14)

Jesus’ actions were a very clear statement of who he is and what he came to teach.  What more could he say?

In considering this passage, make sure not to overlook the possibility that those asking him to speak plainly may not have been looking for an answer.  They may have been looking for an opportunity to entrap him.  If Jesus were to commit blasphemy by claiming to be God, that would be to their advantage.  They may have come to Jesus looking for a way to condemn him, rather than looking for clearly stated information.

Of those who are unable to “hear” what Jesus has said so plainly, the gospel writer says they “do not believe.”  Jesus says, “You do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.” They do not believe; they also don’t seem to belong.  Believing and belonging are yoked.  One seems not to be possible without the other.  There are some things about Jesus we can only hear when we listen with believing ears.  There are some beliefs we can only hold when we understand ourselves as belonging.

This is a good time for us to pull out our copy of  Martin Luther’s Small Catechism and refresh our memory of the explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed.  It is not our own understanding or strength which leads to our belonging.  We are called, gathered, and enlightened by the Holy Spirit.  Flip forward a few pages to the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer.  Here, we are once again reminded that it is “God who strengthens us and keeps us steadfast in his word and in faith until the end of our lives.”

This encounter between Jesus and those who want him to tell them plainly occurs at the time of the Festival of the Dedication.  This festival (known more readily among us as Hanukkah) commemorated the re-dedication of the Temple in 164 BC.  The Temple stood as a reminder of the relationship God has with God’s people.  Unlike too many of our modern-day gathering houses which look more like huge lecture halls where those with deep secrets share their wisdom, the Temple served to remind us that at Mount Sinai a covenant was established between God and God’s people.  That covenant meant the people belonged to God.  They can hear and learn and understand and even believe because they belong.  They belong in God’s heart and their image is in God’s family photo album.

Amid the questions which ask whether Jesus is Messiah, John 10 encourages us to interject in the discussion our belonging to Jesus.  There are things about Jesus we may never be able to believe, until after we have realized that we belong to him.

Discussion Questions

• One belongs in the symphony if you can play an instrument. One belongs in the chess club if you know the difference between a knight and a pawn.  One belongs to Jesus because Jesus says you belong.  Have you heard this affirmation from Jesus?  Clearly? And powerfully enough that you have come to accept it?
• Why are there things which can only be known about Jesus by those who believe in him?
• Are there persons who continue to try trap Jesus? Or trap those who speak the words of Jesus?In some faith communities, there is a strong encouragement to “make a decision” for Jesus. What comfort do you receive in the Catechism’s insistence that Jesus is the one who has decided on us?

Activity Suggestions

• Plan your own version of a BFF Bowl. Whether or not you actually have a “Bowl,” arrive at the questions you would ask of the players.
• Make a list of all the places where you “belong.” With differing colors of highlighters, note those which have requirements (like being on the math team) and those where you belong because someone says you are welcome (like the youth group at church).
• Are there ever informal, unspoken conditions for being part of a religious community?
• Have a look at a Jewish calendar. Most Christians remember that Hanukkah is in latter December, but do we know when the other festivals occur?

Closing Prayer

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for making it crystal clear that we belong to you.  Our inclusion as your children makes it possible for us to trust in your promises and to believe.  Send us forth into the world to share with others the good news of your love.  Amen.

Bob Chell, St. Dysmas Lutheran, South Dakota State Penitentiary

Warm-up Question

What event changed your life so much that it can never go back to the way it was before?

Life Changing Event

On March 22nd Brussels was shaken by bombing at the airport and train station which killed 31 people and injured 300.  This was the latest in a wave of terrorist bombings which have shaken European cities.  Described as the worst attack in the country since World War II, it has undercut a sense of safety in Belgium.  Hotels and restaurants worry that tourism will be affected.  The sizeable Muslim population of the country is braced for a backlash which fails to distinguish terrorists from many who practice Islam.  Still, the country is slowly moving back to some semblance of normal.  As 27-year-old freelance film-maker Khael V stated,”We have to keep our heads cool and live on. We shouldn’t give them (the terrorists) what they want, which is fear.”

Discussion Questions

• The article states: “In the four days since the attacks, life is only slowly inching back to normal.” Is this good? Is this bad? When should things be ‘back to normal.’ If never, what should the new normal be?
• Was this event news in your world? Was it talked about in school or church? Should it have been? How much time and focus should events like this receive? What determines this? Relationships? Geography? Religion? What else?
• Who was there for you when your life changed, never to be the same? Who wasn’t? Are you angry, sad, happy?
• The young woman in this photo is Bethany Hamilton, shown shooting the curl eight years after her arm was bitten off in a shark attack when she was 13.   What factors determine if life changing events are good, bad, or a mix of both?

You can learn more about Bethany Hamilton from her book, Soul Surfer, which was also made into a film.

Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 9:1-6 [7-20]

Revelation 5:11-14

John 21:1-19

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

When reading scripture one way to figure out its meaning is to pay attention to what catches your eye or your ear. For me it was Peter putting his clothes on to jump into the water to swim to Jesus. A bit of basic research revealed TMI about ancient fishing practices, inner and outer garments, and original meanings of the words translated as ‘naked’ and ‘put on.’ I’ll spare you the entire explanation, but want to let you know he probably tightened the belt on the working clothes necessary to get into the water before swimming to shore. Nothing there for me.

How ‘bout verse 14 though? “This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.” Jesus had appeared to the disciples three times since being RAISED FROM THE DEAD and they had simply gone back to their old jobs, the ones they had before meeting Jesus three years before? How weird is that?

One of the men in prison where I am a pastor told me I nailed the lens by which the Bible should be read when I said in a sermon: “Scripture is the story of God’s relentless pursuit of people who fail to trust his promises.” I wish I could tell you the line is original with me but I don’t remember. Original or not, I know the insight came from someone else.

I find it comforting that the disciples were clueless dolts who didn’t get it the first time, or the second time, and who—even when they got it— often forgot it, only to be reminded again. That’s the way I have experienced God’s Spirit working in my life; coming again and again, giving me multiple chances to catch on, to get it, to make sense of life changing events and to find God’s promise in those events, even when hidden in deep pain and grief.

Discussion Questions

• Do you know anyone who has transformed the deep loss or pain in their life into something positive? What do you think enabled them to do this? Ask them and report back next week.
• Looking back to when you were a child, some deep losses seem silly now while others still carry deep hurt. How have these events changed and shaped your life for the better or for the worse?
• If, or when, your deepest fear becomes reality what will enable or prevent you from getting back to normal, or better yet, to a new and better normal?

Activity Suggestions

• Ask the person you thought of in the first discussion question or a parent or grandparent about these experiences in their lives and their impact. Report back next week.
• Watch the movie, or read the book, “Soul Surfer.” Discuss what you like and dislike about it.
• Do books and movies with super happy endings inspire you by their positive attitude or depress you because they make things look too easy?

Closing Prayer

God, we are so concerned about our own problems and worry about problems that we don’t even have that we are oblivious to the deep pain of others. Open our eyes, our ears, and our hearts to those whose families are splitting, who struggle with depression, addiction, anorexia or other pain not easily seen. When we are that person, give us courage to respond when you reach out to us through others and to recognize your presence in our lives. Amen.

Andrew Karrman, DesMoines, IA

Warm-up Question

What is the scariest thing in your life?

Paralyzing Fear

 Whether you want to be a part of it or not, we are all constantly bombarded with political ads and conversations during this time of year. No matter which side of the aisle you are on, there seems to be one thread that is constant in everything we see and hear: Fear. And that has been the case for the last couple of decades. During this time anger and alienation between political parties have been growing themes in every political cycle.

According to Rasmussen Reporting nearly 3 out of 4 Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track (Rasmussen Reports). The 2015 American Values Survey cites: “The number of Americans citing crime, racial tensions, and illegal immigration as major problems increased substantially between 2012 and 2015.” While there is no way to measure racial tensions, some things are measurable. During this time the total number of crimes have actually dropped across all categories while the total population has increased, resulting in a significantly lower crime rate (Disaster Center Crime Report). Pew Research reports that the population of illegal immigrants has decreased from its peak in 2007 (Pew Research Center). Jobs, GDP growth (a measurement of our wealth as a nation), and the number of Americans with health insurance have all risen since 2012, pointing towards a trend in the right direction. Despite evidence to the contrary, doom and gloom seem to dominate the political landscape now more than ever.

Norman Ornstein, a world renowned political scientist, proposed that what most people know about society and the economy comes from cable news, talk radio, blogs and their amplification from emails and other social media shared by close friends and relatives. This leads politicians to lean on long lists of enemies which they believe Americans should be afraid of. Republican candidates claim that our perceived problems come from Mexicans, Muslims, “political correctness”, and “Washington”. Meanwhile, Democrats espouse the evils of “Big Money”, racial injustice, and gun ownership as the major issues driving fear in America. Regardless of which side you identify with, it’s clear to see that our political campaigns are fueled first and foremost by fear.

Many Americans have found ourselves having above all, a faith in these stories of doom, and social media doesn’t seem to be helping.  As we sit and stew in our self-selected circles of fear reinforcement, we become paralyzed by our fear. Regardless of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, our fears leave us unable to actually do anything even when we do come up with a good idea to effect change. As a nation, America seems to be addicted to fear itself. Whether it is a different racial group, the overbearing rich, the grasping poor, or the lofty brainiacs, we will cling to fear far more easily than we look for hope.

Discussion Questions

• What sorts of things have you heard people say they are afraid of?
• Why do you think we seem to ignore the real statistics and lean on our fears when making decisions?
• Where do you get your news from? Do you always consider the source and what they may be trying to get you to believe? How can you do this?
• What role do you think social media and cable news have played in the amount of fear people feel about the world today?

Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 5:27-32

Revelation 1:4-8

John 20:19-31

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings

For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

The Gospel this week begins with the disciples locked away and paralyzed by fear after Jesus’ body goes missing. Despite this, Jesus comes and tells them to go out and share the good news with others. When Thomas returns to the locked room and hears the other disciples recount what took place, he finds the disciples’ story hard to believe and says he just won’t take them at their word. He wants to see Jesus himself. This story is often used to condemn Thomas for not believing, but this time let’s look at the story from Thomas’s perspective.

While all of the other disciples are locked in a room afraid of what might happen to them, Thomas is outside. Why? We don’t really know, so all we can really do is speculate. Maybe the disciples were hungry and Thomas drew the short straw and had to bravely leave to get food. Maybe he was out investigating the claims of Mary Magdalene who had told the disciples that she had seen Jesus. Maybe he was out telling people about the good news of the empty tomb. Whatever the reason, Thomas isn’t with the others when they are locked away and afraid of the world around them.

When Thomas finally does return, his friends tell him that while he was gone their dead friend came and told them to go out and forgive the sins of others. Thomas doesn’t believe them. But would you have believed them? If Jesus really did come back from the dead and tell the disciples to do something, why would they still be locked away in this room. Thomas doesn’t doubt Jesus, he doubts the disciples.

Even when we come back to this scene a week later, nothing has changed. The disciples are still locked in their room afraid of what lies beyond (no wonder Thomas doesn’t believe them!). Then Jesus comes again and tells Thomas to touch him and believe. However, the text never says that Thomas actually touches Jesus. Instead, just seeing Jesus is enough to have Thomas’s doubts answered (unlike the fearful disciples) and he becomes the first person in all of the gospel of John to declare that Jesus is God.

Because Thomas was willing to admit to the doubts and fears that paralyzed the other disciples, he opened himself to hearing Christ’s answer. Doubt helped Thomas to grow and expand his faith, while fear caused the other disciples to lock themselves away. Thomas is a model of a hard-earned faith which will be able to withstand doubt and fear.

“Do not fear” is a common refrain throughout scripture. When Jesus spoke the words, “Peace be with you,” he was reminding the disciples of that very idea. However, when faced with the death of their friend, leader, and teacher, the disciples are paralyzed by fear despite the overwhelming evidence that their fears are unfounded. Jesus uses this peace to call his disciples to action by telling the disciples to go out just as Jesus did in his own life.

Doubt is the pathway to faith and freedom from fear. Doubt is what allows our faith to grow through questioning, investigation, wondering, and discussion. The end of the text tells us exactly why it is written. It is an invitation to those of us who haven’t been able to see Jesus after his death on the cross. But it’s not an invitation to lock ourselves away and wait to get into heaven because we’re afraid of what we might see, do, or have done to us. Rather, it is an invitation to allow our belief to free us from fear and lead us through questioning into a life of action!

Discussion Questions

• What is a time when you’ve been paralyzed by fear? What did it feel like at the time? How do you feel about it when you reflect on the situation today?
• In verse 27 Jesus says, “Do not doubt but believe.” Who do you think Jesus is questioning, Thomas or the other disciples? Why?
• Do you believe that doubt is the opposite of faith? Why or why not? What about fear?
• What would it look like to behave like Thomas in today’s political environment? What about behaving like the other disciples?

Activity Suggestions

Break up your group into smaller groups of 3-5 youth. Have youth use their smartphones to look up a political ad featuring some sort of fear (or look them up for them before hand). Ask them to summarize what the candidate is trying to say and have them create a response ad (most likely a skit) which uses doubt to dispel the fear that the ad created.

Closing Prayer

My Lord and my God, thank you for your presence here among us today. Help us to believe that Jesus is your son and our Messiah. Please help us to keep from falling into the trap of fear and use our doubts to free us so that we can live lives of faithful action. Amen.

Dave Dodson, Fort Walton Beach, FL

Warm-up Question

How do you decide how to spend and how to save your money?

Resurrection

Though I’m a fan of a wide range of music, I must admit that I never cared for the works of rapper Waka Flocka Flame.  His earlier albums always seemed to me to celebrate the wrong sort of things: materialism, egoism, and sexual exploits, for a start.  Call me old-fashioned, but I like my music humble.

Imagine my surprise, then, when Waka Flocka gave an interview in September 2015 in which he decried his former materialism.  In his own words, he recalls an experience in which he travelled to Africa and met a teenaged boy who had never owned a pair of shoes.  Ever.  Waka Flocka was absolutely stunned by this.  As he put it, “That’s why I stopped wearing jewelry! I started traveling, I starting seeing these [people].  I was giving my diamond chains, breaking them apart!  I’m dead serious.  It changed my perception on life.”

According to Waka Flocka, he now sees the music industry as being meaninglessly materialistic and missing out on what really matters.  Instead, he has begun investing his money in technology, healthcare, and environmental programs.

It’s the last part of Waka Flocka’s quote that gets me the most.  Remember, he said, “It changed my perception on life.”  In other words, rapper Waka Flocka Flame experienced a rebirth.  His entire perspective changed, and it affected his values and his priorities in a very tangible way.

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever spoken with a friend or family member after not seeing them for years? Was it difficult or strange to talk with them?  Did they seem like the same person?
• In what ways are you a different person than you were before high school? In what ways are you the same?

Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Day

Acts 10:34-43

1 Corinthians 15:19-26

Luke 24:1-12

(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings
For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

Alleluia!   Jesus is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Easter is truly a special time for the Church.  Today, we celebrate the culmination of Lent and our season of awaiting the resurrection.  Our focus today is on Jesus’ miraculous resurrection from the dead, three days after his death on the Cross.  It is that resurrection that serves as the most powerful witness to the divinity of Jesus.  As we hear the story of the followers of Jesus finding the tomb empty, we share in their overwhelming joy and amazement: Jesus is part of Almighty God, and he came back for us!

 The amazing news is that the resurrection story isn’t only about Jesus!  The theme of resurrection and rebirth is incredibly important in Christian theology.  Today, let us remember three distinct truths about rebirth and resurrection in our faith:

1. God replaces what we release. Many of us choose to give up something for the season of Lent.  Often, it is something that we thought we could barely live without (perhaps chocolate, soda, or one of a thousand other luxuries).  Yet now, forty days later, we have realized the truth: We were fine without those things.  It turns out that God’s love sustains us magnificently, no matter what.  This invites us to consider what we’re still holding on to.  Are you stressed about school?  Are you worried about family and relationship issues?  Are you holding onto guilt from something that happened in your past?  Give those burdens up!  God is there to help us take those burdens off of our shoulders.
2. We can always be reborn. We sometimes speak of being “born again” as followers of Christ.  This isn’t a one-time thing!  We make very human mistakes, and we stray away from God (sometimes even when we don’t intend to).  However, we always have the invitation to be reborn.  This is the nature of God’s forgiveness: We are given the gift of a new beginning from an amazingly gracious God!
3. What is lost isn’t lost forever. You are the one sheep out of the hundred, and the Shepherd is committed to finding you.  You are the lost coin, and God will never give up on finding you.  Even when all looked bleak, and the disciples had given up hope, Jesus came back.  God’s faithfulness is so great that we cannot separate ourselves from God’s divine love.  Even if you feel lost sometimes, know that you are never too far away for God to reach.

In Luke 24, we are shown what to expect.  Jesus’ followers arrive at the tomb to find it empty.  Two men in radiant white (an angels?) tell them that they are looking in the wrong place.  Don’t we do the same?  We dredge up old fears and stresses, guilt and shame.  We won’t find anything worthwhile there.  It’s time to leave those in the tomb, for Jesus is risen!  He is risen indeed!

Discussion Questions

• Have you ever felt God’s providence in your life? Have you ever felt that God has put someone in your path to show you God’s love and support?
• If you were one of the disciples on that first Easter morning, what would Jesus’ resurrection have made you feel and do? How would you respond to His resurrection?
• Why do you think the Church places such importance and ceremony on Easter?

Activity Suggestions

We may celebrate the New Year on January 1st, but Easter marks another important beginning in our faith!  Celebrate the occasion in true New Year’s fashion by sharing resolutions for your new beginning.  What will you do with the fresh start God has given us?

Closing Prayer

Holy and Loving God, in you we find peace, hope, life, and love.  Your power sustains us, and your everlasting faithfulness gives us joy beyond measure.  May we reflect your love to all of your creation, bringing a message of hope and rebirth to a tired and hungry world.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Herb Wounded Head, Brookings, SD

Warm-up Questions

• Do you want to know what people say about you? Why or why not?
• If there’s one word you would hope people would use to describe you, what would it be?

Put on Trial

 It’s hard to open up your social media account or YouTube without seeing a political advertisement these days. Political conversations get incredibly messy during this time of year, especially the year before a presidential election. By messy I mean it’s hard to figure out who is telling the truth about a certain issue. Candidates start to point out flaws in the other person’s stance or position rather than explain their own. That makes it even more difficult to figure out because hardly anyone is presenting their own position! They’re just trying to present their opponent in a negative light in order to gain favor with the popular vote. On a more local level, have any of you had experience with this?

It’s teenage social sorting 101. Put other people down, point out their flaws and you become “popular.” At least, that appears to be what’s happening. Rather than just trying to win a popularity contest, people are being put on trial for being different or not fitting in to the usual social norms. They are tried and convicted for no other reason than they don’t look or act like “everybody” else, whatever that means. People say untrue things about us mainly to build themselves up on a false foundation. Paul mentions gossip right away in his book to the Romans. Proverbs 21:24 says, “Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.” If we put other people on trial, that means only one thing: we’re only looking out for ourselves.

Discussion Questions

• Describe a time when you felt like you were on trial, whether it was from parents, peers or teachers. How did you feel that time?
• Now describe the ways that you were able to come back from that trial. Who was there with you?

Sunday of the Passion

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Philippians 2:5-11

Luke 23:1-49
(Text links are to Oremus Bible Browser. Oremus Bible Browser is not affiliated with or supported by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. You can find the calendar of readings for Year B at Lectionary Readings
For lectionary humor and insight, check the weekly comic Agnus Day.

Gospel Reflection

In our Gospel text, Jesus is put on trial as well. His own disciples deny him. The religious elite tell half truths about who Jesus says he is, and the people in political power have Jesus put to death by crucifixion. It’s an ugly, terrible scene, one that is at the core of the Christian witness: That Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. There are days when it feels like we have been put on trial, and that everyone has abandoned us. We suffer pain, rejection, ridicule and shame, all because of what people perceive as differences among us.

In our political realm, it seems that the differences are what divide us. When the opposite is most certainly true. It is in our differences that we find wholeness. It is in our differences that we discover a deeper connection with all that is around us. There is a way to look at the world that doesn’t see it as all a threat. One of the many things that set Jesus apart was his ability to see God’s presence in those who were outcast, rejected and abandoned. He was so willing to embrace the unembraceable that those sheer acts of hospitality were an offense to those in power and control. It was one of the things that got him killed.

However, we do know that the suffering and death of Jesus is not the whole story. Jesus doesn’t simply stay in the tomb, he comes back. Humanity gave Jesus the worst possible thing that was available at the time, and it wasn’t enough to keep Jesus down. It wasn’t enough to keep God from continuing to love us.

Discussion Questions

• Can you think of examples where Jesus was able to see God’s presence in those who were outcast, rejected and abandoned?
• Who are some people you know that need to know that they are not alone.
• What are some ways that you can embrace the unembraceable in your midst?

Activity Suggestions

• Have participants look at their Facebook feed for a day and count how many posts they would call affirming, judgmental, or neutral.  Talk about how you classify supposedly “funny” posts such as “Wardrobe Fails at Walmart” or informational posts like “Hottest Red Carpet Looks at the Oscars.”  What is going on with those posts?
• Ask all players to arrange themselves in a circle. Instruct each player to think of three statements about themselves. Two must be true statements, and one must be false. For each person, he or she shares the three statements (in any order) to the group. The goal of the icebreaker game is to determine which statement is false. The group votes on which one they feel is a lie, and at the end of each round, the person reveals which one was the lie.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we reach out to you in times of thanks and in times of distress. Help us to trust always in your grace and never-failing love for us, the love that will always give us peace and set us free. Amen.