Lent Youth Group Lesson

Here is a free youth group lesson for Lent, based on Luke 4: 1-13 – Jesus in the Wilderness.

As a kid growing up in New Orleans, I had a pretty warped view of Lent. All I really knew was that Mardi Gras was the last big party before it started. King cake, parades, beads, hanging out with family and friends. It was awesome.

But Lent? Not so much. I was told to give something up, and I didn’t really understand why. It just seemed like the fun had suddenly stopped.

As I grew older, I discovered at its core, Lent is a season of repentance, reflection, and preparing our hearts for the cross and the resurrection. It’s less about giving something up and more about the deeper question underneath it:

“What am I holding onto that keeps me from fully trusting Jesus?”

And that’s the big idea of this lesson!

It includes a reflection activity, helping students to honestly name what has a grip on their hearts and take a concrete step toward surrendering it to Jesus.

Nick Diliberto
Founder, Ministry to Youth 

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out this bundle:

YOUTH GROUP LESSON FOR LENT

Bible: Jesus in the Wilderness (Luke 4: 1-13)

Big Idea: “What am I holding onto that keeps me from fully trusting Jesus?”

Opening: “What’s In Your Hands?”

Supplies:

• Soft blanket or hoodie 
• Crown or toy trophy
• Phone
• Bible

Before students arrive, place the three objects where everyone can see them: a soft blanket or hoodie, a crown or toy trophy, and a phone with the screen lit up. When you begin, hold all three at once.

This blanket is comfort. The crown is power and control. The phone is recognition and attention. Imagine I have to walk across the room holding all of this. 

Now ask a student to toss you a Bible. Try to catch it without dropping anything. Let it be awkward and maybe even drop something.

I can’t hold the Bible unless I let go of something. I only have so much room in my hands. The same is true of my heart. 

What Is Lent Really About?

We’re now in the season of Lent. It’s a time of repentance, humility, reflection, preparing our hearts for the cross and resurrection.Traditionally, people “give something up.” But the deeper question underneath that is:

“What am are you holding onto so tightly that I do not have space to fully trust and follow Jesus?”

Set the Bible in a central place where everyone can see it. Tell them Tonight we are going to look at Jesus in the wilderness and ask together What are we holding onto that keeps us from fully trusting Him. 

Jesus in the Wilderness (Luke 4)

Read Luke 4:1-13

Jesus has just been baptized and the Holy Spirit leads Him into the wilderness. He is out there for forty days, alone, hungry, and worn out. That is exactly when temptation shows up. The devil throws all kinds of offers at Him that seem like they would fix everything fast and make life easier.

What is amazing is not just the details of each temptation, but how Jesus responds. Every time, He refuses to grab for quick fixes or shortcuts. Instead, He keeps trusting His Father. He leans on Scripture. He chooses obedience over what feels good in the moment. You can almost see this relationship inside the Trinity at work. The Spirit has led Him there. The Son is listening and obeying. The Father is the One He keeps trusting and quoting and staying connected to. Father, Son, and Spirit are all moving together as Jesus stands firm.

Jesus does not argue with the devil on His own or try to flex His power to show off. He simply keeps coming back to what God has said and who God is. He surrenders His hunger, His options, and His rights and says with His choices “I trust My Father more than I trust any of these offers.” In the middle of pressure and loneliness, He shows us what it looks like to have a heart that is already surrendered. That is the picture Lent holds up for us.

What Has a Grip on You?

Lent invites us to stand beside Jesus in the wilderness and be honest about our own hearts. Most of us are not out in a desert with no food for forty days, but we know what it feels like to be tired, stressed, lonely, or under pressure. That is usually when we reach for something to make us feel better fast. It might be our phones, certain friendships, a relationship, our image, our grades, our sports, our comfort, or even just staying busy so we do not have to think too deeply.

None of those things are automatically bad. They can even be good gifts. The problem comes when they start to run the show. When what people think of us decides our choices. When our need to feel safe and in control makes us ignore what God is asking us to do. When we turn to entertainment or distractions every time we feel empty instead of turning to God.

Lent is a season where we slow down enough to notice those patterns. We ask questions like What do I run to first when I am stressed What do I feel like I could not live without What am I secretly afraid to lose What do I keep choosing even when I know it pulls me away from God Those are the things that might have too strong a grip on our hearts.

Jesus shows us a different way. In the wilderness He keeps trusting that His Father is enough. He does not chase the easy way out or the quick fix. He lets His desires, His fears, and His options sit under God’s will instead of above it. That is what surrender looks like for us too. It is not pretending we do not care about comfort, success, or being liked. It is choosing to trust God more than we trust those things. It is saying “I want You more” with our actual decisions.

I invite you to answer this question:

“What am I holding onto that keeps you from fully trusting Jesus?”

Once you name it, you can then surrender it to Jesus. 

What Surrender Really Means

Surrender does not mean pretending those desires don’t exist. It doesn’t mean you stop caring about friends, or the future, or feeling safe. Surrender means you place those things in God’s hands instead of clutching them in your own.

Repentance is more than saying “sorry.” It is turning around. It is loosening your grip on whatever is running your life and handing it to Jesus. Humility is admitting “I cannot save myself. I cannot manage my life on my own. I need You.”

When we reflect on our lives, we’re inviting the Holy Spirit to search our hearts. We might pray “God, show me what I am trusting more than You. Show me what I am afraid to let go of.”

As we do that, we are preparing for the cross. On the cross, Jesus surrendered everything for us. He let go of comfort, power, and recognition. He chose obedience all the way to death because He loves us. The resurrection shows that God’s love and power are stronger than sin, fear, and even death.

When we see that, it becomes easier to trust Him. The more we trust Jesus, the less power sin and those false “gods” have over us Lent becomes a season of re learning to say “Father, I trust You more than I trust my comfort, my control, or my image.”

Reflection Activity: “Surrender Stones and Open Hands”

Supplies:

• One small smooth stones per student
• Pens or markers that can write on them or small labels
• A cross, picture of a cross, or simple focal point at the front of the room.

Explain that this will be a quiet, personal time. Invite students to sit comfortably with their stone in their hand, palms closed at first. Ask them to close their eyes if they are comfortable and pray silently “Holy Spirit, show me one thing I am holding onto that keeps me from fully trusting Jesus.”

Give them a few minutes of silence. Encourage them not to overthink. Whatever rises to the surface first may be what God is highlighting a habit, a person, a fear, a secret, a plan, or an attitude like pride or control.

When they sense what that is, have them slowly open their hand and look at the stone. Ask them to write a single word or short phrase on it. Tell them they do not have to show anyone if they do not want to.

Now, point to the cross or focal point.

Say: Something powerful happens when we take what has been hidden in our hands and place it at the feet of Jesus. This does not magically fix everything, but it is a real choice to surrender and trust Him.

Invite students to come forward whenever they are ready. As they walk, encourage them to pray quietly “Jesus, I am letting go of this and I am trusting You.” They place their stone at the cross or on the table, then return to their seat with their hands open as a symbol of being ready to receive from God. Play soft instrumental or worship music while this happens.

After everyone has had a chance, close in prayer. Thank God for seeing every stone and every heart. Ask Him to give your group courage to keep surrendering throughout Lent and to prepare your hearts to walk with Jesus through the cross and into the joy of the resurrection.

Small Discussion Questions

If you feel comfortable sharing, what did you write down on your stone?

Before today when think of Lent, what came to mind first? Has your view of Lent changed at all after this lesson? Why or why not?

In your own words, what does it mean to “hold onto” something in your heart? What are some examples of things others your age might hold onto too tightly?

When life feels stressful or overwhelming, what do you usually reach for first to feel better or more in control? How might that reveal what you are holding onto?

We talked about how our hearts only have so much “room.” What are some signs that your heart is getting too crowded or distracted to really pay attention to God?

Sometimes surrender sounds like “losing” or “giving up.” How could surrendering something to Jesus actually bring more freedom, peace, or joy instead of less?

If a friend said, “I want to trust Jesus more, but I do not know where to start,” what is one simple step you could share with them?

(End Lesson)

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