Here is a free youth group lesson on Job, based on Job 38-39.

This lesson will help students understand that life can and probably will be hard, but God is with us and wants to speak to us in the storms.

-Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth

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Youth Group Lesson on Job  

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

Bible: Job 38-39

Bottom Line: Life can and probably will be hard, but God is with us and wants to speak to us in the storms.

LEADER PREP

The Book of Job is a really tough book to read and even tougher to understand.

The testing of Job can raise real questions about God from youth and even adults.

It is important that you, as a leader, think about how you explain the problem of suffering, if and when the youth ask, because the question will come up.

Why is there suffering?

Why is there evil?

Does God cause it?

Why doesn’t God stop it?

This lesson doesn’t dig into these questions per se, but speaks more about how God speaks to Job in the midst of his pain.

But the question really might come up as to why God allowed Satan to test Job.

That is a tough one to answer, isn’t it?

I will say this: There is pain and suffering in this life.

We simply cannot deny that, and at some point, each and every one of us will be touched by this fact.

Why is there pain and suffering?

I would point to the Garden of Eden and the fact that God gave humans a choice: A choice to love him, to obey him,  and to live a life that is more blessed than any of us can imagine.

And the humans chose to live life their way and there has been pain, suffering, and misery ever since.

We live in a fallen world that simply is not the paradise that God designed it to be.

But…and this is a big but:  God is redeeming creation and redeeming us through Christ.

The pain and the suffering will not win because God loves us.

He will save us and redeem us.

Just like he did for Job.

Be sure to read the book of Job for yourself, but especially the last few chapters in which God really gives Job and all of us an amazing reminder of just how amazing God really is.

This is highlighted by the beautiful fact that God came to Job in the storm to remind him that God is there.

God is not done redeeming us and saving us from the misery.

THAT is the answer to the problem of evil and suffering.

SUPPLIES

This week’s opening game will be messy and will require clean up.

Let the youth know the week before that they need to dress to get dirty and wet.

Cooked oatmeal

Coins

Gummy worms

Kiddie swimming pool

Water balloons or hose to wash off with.

Whistle

Handouts with Job 38 and 39 for each youth (Use The Message version)

Brown paper on the floors spread throughout the room

Sharpies

OPENING GAME – I AM JOB

GAME PREP

Set up the kiddie swimming pool filled with cooked oatmeal, gummy worms and coins that youth will have to dig through to find the coins.

Be sure to have a lot of coins in the pool, but also make sure to blow the whistle after only 10 to 15 seconds to allow everyone a turn.

Divide the group into 3 to 4 teams and have them stand on opposite sides of the pool.

Have the teams line up and when you say ‘go’, the first person from each team will run to the pool filled with ‘treasures’ and collect as many coins as they can until you blow the whistle.

They will then run and tag the next person and they will take a turn until each person in the lines has gone.

For a fun twist, have adult chaperones have buckets of oatmeal to throw on the teams!

The messier the better.

Use a garden hose or water balloons after the game to clean up.

The team with the most coins and gummy worms wins. 

TEACH – Youth Group Lesson on Job

Today’s game was meant to illustrate just how messy life can get.

Let’s face it, how many times have you watched the news and wondered why things happen?

The question of suffering and why people hurt and why some people don’t is a question that people have asked since the beginning of time.

How many of you have asked why there is suffering, but worried that asking this makes you seem like you have little faith?

Well, the book of the Bible called “Job” is God’s way of saying that these are normal questions to ask.

The book of Job is about a man who seems to have a really great life and family.

And then everything, and I mean EVERYTHING seems to fall apart.

Can I have a volunteer who would like to be Job for us today?

Be sure to choose someone who is going to have a good time with acting out Job’s life.

Can I have 5 volunteers to come, read, and tell us about Job.

And “Job”, I want you to act out what we read about you, ok?

Reader 1:  Job 1:1-3

Say to Job:  Job, you got it pretty good huh?

Here’s where this story gets good.  Get ready, Job, ok?

Reader 2:  Job 1:14-15

Reader 3:  Job 1:16

Reader 4:  Job 1:17

Reader 5: Job 1:18-19

Job, how are you feeling now?

To the Large Group: How would you be feeling about right now?

Well, this is what Job did: Read Job 1:20-22

Be sure that Job doesn’t completely act out this verse.

But wait, Job, because this story isn’t over. Let me keep reading:  Job 2:7-10

Give Job a hand and Job, you can go ahead and have a seat and thank God that you aren’t Job, right?

To the Large Group: Ok, imagine that you were friends with this poor guy at this point?

What would you say to him?

Well, that’s how this story plays out.

Job’s friends come to sit with him to help, but to make a long story short (read the Book of Job) they tell him that he must have really made God mad for all this to happen.

And through it all, through all 42 chapters of this book, Job never loses his faith in God.

He asks God questions, though, and in one of the most amazing passages in the Bible, it says that God answered Job in the storm.

You gotta love this: God spoke to Job through the storm.

And God gives this amazing reminder to Job: God Is God.

I want you to read the words that God says to Job silently right now and think about the words that really strike you.

Imagine that you are Job and God is saying this to you: What would you think?

Pass out Handouts with Job 38-39 to each youth.

I want you to spread out throughout the room and take the time to really read the reply that God gives to Job.

Pick out a phrase that sticks with you.

Now, go to the brown paper that is on the floor and write those words with the pens.

Please do this in silence and keep on reading and re-reading God’s words until I call you back together.

Give the group 10 minutes to do the reflection, but allow for longer if you see that they are still reflecting and writing.

Grab the brown papers and read what the youth have written to the group.

Job didn’t just stay in this sad state.

The book of Job ends as God restores Job and gives him above and beyond what he ever had to begin with, and you get the idea that Job knew God in a very real and profound way.

Read Job 42:10-17

There are a lot of things that you can learn from this amazing book of the Bible.

But what we learn about God in this Book is that he is sovereign and that our suffering does not go unnoticed.

And that God will bring redemption out of the tough things that happen in our lives if we allow him to.

The pain and the suffering will not last forever.

And here is something really important to remember: God did not create us or this world to be this way and someday make things how He wanted them to be before we messed it up.

He will deliver us through Christ from the suffering.

God loves us so much that he simply will not leave us in that storm alone.

Close in prayer.

God,

You are mighty. 

You are more powerful than any of us can imagine.

Yet you are with us.

You speak in the storm to us.

Not with easy answers.

But with reminders

That life is fragile,

We are weak

But you are not.

You are God. 

You alone save us.

Redeem us in the pain.

We are thankful.

Amen.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What things that happened to Job would have been the toughest for you to endure?

What would you have done if you were Job?

How could the book of Job help someone who is suffering in life?

Which of the things that God said stuck out to you the most?

Has there been a time in your life when God spoke to you in a hard time?

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

End lesson.

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the…

ONE YEAR PASS – For one year save 93% on $1,440 worth of youth group lessons, Bible studies, games, events & more. Only available through March 28!

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