THE CONVERSATION

WELCOME & OPEN PRAYER

[Host] Hey everybody! Welcome to First Priority. We’re so glad you’re here! Today [insert name] is going to talk about how having a real conversa!on with God can make a difference. Whether you’ve been following Jesus for a while or you’re just figuring things out, this is for you. But first, let’s take a second to pray and get our hearts ready. Let’s pray!

Sample prayer: God, thank You for bringing each of us here today. Help us to really hear You and understand what it means to have a relationship with You. Speak through [insert name] and show us how we can begin and grow in our relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

GOSPEL MESSAGE

[Speaker] We have talked about having Gospel conversations the past few weeks, and the word Gospel simply means Good News. It is good news that broken people like us can have a rela!onship with a perfect and holy God. The truth is that God has a design for every area of our lives — our school life, our home life, and our future. God desires to have a rela!onship with us, but just like Romans chapter 10 verse 14 tells us: “How will they know unless someone tells them?”

Today I am that “someone.” I want you to know how much God loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to earth to pay for our sins. Romans chapter 3 verse 23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That includes you and me.

Our sin comes at a cost. Just like we read on the Life/Death card, Romans chapter 6 verse 23 tells us, “For the wages (cost) of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” While we were still sinners, living a life separated from God, Jesus died for us. He took on all our sin and shame so that we could be forgiven.

But He didn’t stay dead. He rose again three days later, so that we, you and I, could have the promise of Heaven. That is the Good News. God sent His only Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life, die a terrible death on a cross to pay the punishment for our sins, and rise from the dead so that we would not be separated from Him.

That’s the Gospel, and I wanted you to hear it from me, because I care about where you spend eternity. I know what Jesus saved me from, and He can save you too.

Romans chapter 10 verse 9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

This verse is all about how we can be saved. It’s not about being perfect or doing everything right. It’s about believing in your heart that Jesus is alive and saying out loud that He’s Lord. When we believe and confess that, we’re choosing to follow Him, and that’s where real life begins.

This is the conversation we have been talking about for weeks. Are you ready to have a conversation with the God who created you? You can do that today!

I want to ask everyone to bow your head and close your eyes. If today you’ve realized that you want to begin a rela!onship with Jesus, by trusting Him and following Him, you can have a real conversation with God right now. I’ll help lead you in a prayer but know it’s not the exact words that save you. God sees the heart behind the choice.

Repeat after me (pause after each line):

God, thank You for loving me — and making a way for me — to have a rela!onship with You. — I confess that I am a sinner. — I believe that Jesus had to die on the cross — in my place — and that He rose from the dead — so that I could have a relationship with You. — I choose to trust and follow Jesus — as Lord of my life today. — Amen.

If you prayed that, welcome to God’s family! That’s the best decision you could ever make.

RESPONSE TIME

[Speaker] Take a moment to think about the decision you just made. You’ll get a response card now. (Have FOLLOW”UP TEAM pass out Response Cards.) At the top fill out your name, grade, who invited you, and what church you go to. Here’s what the My Response Today means:

• If you just said YES to Jesus, check that top box. We want to celebrate with you.
• If you’re not sure yet, that’s okay. Check the “not interested” box.
• If you already follow Jesus, check that box, and tell us when you made that decision.
• Don’t have a church or a Bible? Mark those boxes, and we will help you with that.

Take a minute to fill out the card and then raise it in the air when you’re done so someone can come grab it.

(FOLLOW-UP TEAM: If you see that a student checked the top box, follow up with them before they leave, and give them a NEXT STEPS card. Also, if they want to get plugged into a church, take a moment to find out who invited them and see what church you can plug them into. If they checked that they need a Bible, have them available.)

(Make sure you give the cards to the club mentor so they can put the informa!on on the Follow-up Form.)

(Have student host come back up to give the CHALLENGE and PRAY.)

CHALLENGE & PRAY

[Host] If you said yes to Jesus today, we celebrate your decision! If you already have a relationship with Jesus, your challenge for this week is to be “that someone” for someone else. Share the Gospel with someone using your Life/Death card. Let them know the Good News you carry! Let’s pray!

Sample prayer: God, thank You for those that began a rela!onship with You today. Help us to continue to be bold about sharing the Gospel with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

GAME TIME – Optional

[Host & Mentor] (See the Game Time tab for options.)