THE CONVERSATION

Purpose: Students encounter Jesus through the Gospel Message

Preparation:

• Be ready to help students counsel and plug them into a church

Supplies: 

• Response cards, pens, & follow-up forms
• Next steps cards & Bibles 

LEADER SIGN-UP

This is the last week of Club – check to see who is still committed for next year at Club.

RANDOM QUESTION

If money was no object, where would you go for vacation and why?

GET CONNECTED

[COACH/MENTOR] Before we get started and as we plan for summer, let’s take a moment to share what your churches are doing this summer for camp and mission trips. (allow the students and adults in the room to share about summer youth plans for their churches) Let’s welcome our student host for today, [insert name]!

WELCOME & OPEN PRAYER

[HOST] Hey everyone! Welcome to First Priority, we are so glad that you are here! Today [insert name] is going to talk about how much God loves us and wants to not only have a real conversation with us but wants to be in relationship with us. Whether you already are following Jesus or are just figuring things out, today is for you. Let’s first pray together!

SAMPLE PRAYER: God, thank you for club and for bringing us together today. Help us to have a clear mind and heart today to truly hear what it is like to be in relationship with You. Use [insert name]’s voice today to show us how we may begin and grow in our relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

GOSPEL MESSAGE

[SPEAKER] Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about simple ways to share Jesus as we head into summer, reviewing the Hand Gospel and learning the One Verse Gospel. We’ve also learned that it’s not just about what we say—it’s about sharing the truth with love and having gospel conversations that truly matter. But before we can share the Gospel, we need to know what it is. So, what is the Gospel? (Allow students to respond) The Gospel is simply Good News, the Good News that we, a broken people, can have a relationship with our perfect and holy Father. In Acts, chapter 26, Paul begins the chapter by saying, “So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense…”

Paul took a moment and without a fancy speech, he simply shared what Jesus had done in his life. Today, I am going to be like Paul. I want each of you to see and experience the Gospel in a real way.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” — Romans 6:23

The first part of the verse says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Wages are something you earn. If you work a job, you earn a paycheck because you’ve worked for it. In the same way, the Bible says that every one of us has earned something because of our sin. Sin is choosing our own way instead of God’s way. It’s more than just breaking rules, it’s living life independently from God. Every one of us has sinned. We’ve all lied, been selfish, disobeyed, or hurt someone else. None of us are perfect. And because of our sin, we’ve earned death. Yes, one day we’ll all experience physical death, but this verse is also talking about spiritual death, which is being separated from God because of our sin. That’s the consequence we’ve earned.

But the verse doesn’t end there. It says, “but the gift of God…” A gift is completely different from wages. You don’t earn a gift, and you don’t pay for it. Someone else pays for it, and all you have to do is receive it. God’s gift is Eternal Life. He’s not just offering us Heaven someday—He’s offering us a relationship with Him that begins now and lasts forever.

The verse tells us this gift comes “in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus lived the perfect life that none of us could live. He never sinned. He died on the cross to take the punishment that we deserved, and three days later He rose from the dead. Because Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, He offers us the free gift of Eternal Life, something we could never earn on our own. A relationship with Jesus isn’t about trying harder or being good enough. It’s about trusting in what Jesus has already done for us. Today, we each have a choice. We can continue trying to earn our way to God, or we can receive the free gift that He offers through Jesus Christ because of His love for us.

Everyone bow your heads and close your eyes. If you’ve never trusted Jesus as your Savior, you can do that today. You can experience the love He has for you right now. The Bible says that anyone who places their faith in Him will have eternal life and begin a relationship with God that lasts forever. I will help lead you in that conversation right now as we pray together. It is not these exact words that will save you but instead the heart behind your choice.

Repeat after me (pause after each line):

God, thank you for your love for me – and for making a way for me – to have a relationship 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 today to trust and follow Jesus – as the Lord of my life. – Amen. 

If you just prayed that prayer with me today, welcome to God’s family! This is the best decision you will ever make!

RESPONSE TIME

[SPEAKER] Take a moment to think about the decision you just made. We will now pass out response cards (Have your student leaders 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 information on the Follow-up Form.)

(Have the 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 share the Gospel and show his love to someone around you. Share the Gospel using the “One Verse Gospel.” Let them know the Good News you carry. Let’s pray.

SAMPLE PRAYER: God, thank you for those that accepted you today, Help us to continue to share with boldness your Good News. In Jesus’ name, amen.

GAME TIME – OPTIONAL

[HOST & COACH/MENTOR] (see the game time tab for options)