During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
Before class, prepare a large, open area for the teens to play a game. If possible, draw a line at 1 end of the space.
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21
We all have goals in life. When we choose meaningful goals, we are motivated to achieve them. When we set goals that are realistic and when we have a plan to work toward them, we are more often successful in our efforts. This can give us great hope that we can and will improve our lives. However, for believers, there is more to consider. Our plans must align with what God has planned for our lives, and they should draw us and others closer to Him.
Think of your own goals. Are they meaningful? Are they realistic? Do they draw you and others closer to God? If so, thank God for His discernment in your goal-setting process and ask Him for the strength to follow the path He has set for you. If not, ask God for wisdom and guidance as you make a new plan. Invite Him to work in you and through you to accomplish the goals He has helped you to set. The Bible tells us that God, the giver of all good things, has planned a future filled with hope for you—and His purpose will prevail.
Encourage the teens to ask their family members, “What are your goals for the future?” They can then share their goals and work together to encourage one another to reach these goals.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the teens as they arrive. Ask them to share a problem they solved using critical thinking. Allow 2–3 teens to share their stories with the whole class.
When you are ready to begin the lesson, have the teens find partners. Be sure boys are matched with boys and girls with girls.
Have the pairs line up on the line at 1 end of your teaching space. Then explain the game.
Have the teens stand back to back. They should lean on each other so their feet are separated but their shoulders and the top parts of their backs are touching. They will move to the other end of the room and then back to the line by moving sideways, keeping their shoulders and backs together the whole time. If the pairs move apart, they must start again. If they fall down, they must start again. The first pair to move all the way to the other end of the teaching space and back to the line wins the game. If you have time, repeat the game. Then gather the class for discussion.
Communication was an important part of this game. The pairs that talked to each other were probably the most successful. This game required teamwork, and communication is an important characteristic of a good team.
Another thing that may have helped was setting goals. Those who tried to move all the way without stopping occasionally to move closer together and be sure in their steps often fell or were separated and had to start again. But those that took a few careful steps, adjusted their position, and then took a few more careful steps were the most likely to be successful.
This game can teach us something about setting goals and reaching them successfully. People who set goals and take carefully planned steps to reach them are more likely to achieve their goals. Today we are going to talk about setting goals and making plans to achieve them.
There are 3 different kinds of goals. The first is short-term goals. Short-term goals have 1 or just a few steps. These goals can be accomplished in a few hours, days, or weeks. These are usually tasks to complete or simple habits you want to establish.
Medium-term goals take a few months to achieve. These types of goals are often developing new skills that require practice to learn and improve.
Long-term goals involve several steps and may take years to achieve. These types of goals are usually lifestyle changes or things you want to accomplish a long time in the future. These might be things such as developing close friendships, improving difficult relationships, finishing school, or learning the skills needed for a job or career.
Making a long-term goal is like planting a seed in the ground. It needs attention and care for a long time to grow into a beautiful flower and much longer to grow into a tree.
Why do you think it might be important to set goals?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts. Then guide them to understand that goals help you to achieve what you want to achieve, they help you learn to work hard for what you want, and they teach you to be hopeful and focused. They also help you to recognize what is most important to you.
It is important to have all 3 kinds of goals. This helps you to stay hopeful and stay focused on achieving your goals. The most effective goals combine all 3 types of goals. For example, if your long-term goal is to become a more positive person, you should set short-term and medium-term goals to help you to achieve it, such as saying 2 positive things each day as a short-term goal and learning and practicing at least 10 new ways to encourage and praise others as a medium-term goal.
It is also important to have achievable goals. If you set goals you cannot ever reach, you
will be discouraged and lose hope because you will not be successful. For example, if your
long-term goal is to become a more positive person, you should not set a goal to always be happy. Sometimes even positive people have bad days or experience difficult or painful things. Instead you might set a goal that you will respond more positively when people get angry with you or when you start to worry.
It is also important to set goals that you can measure so you will know when you have achieved them. You need to be as specific as possible. For example, if your long-term goal is to be a more positive person, your goal might be that in 2 years you will respond well to difficult situations 8 out of 10 times.
Have the teens find partners. They can use the partners from the game or find new partners. They will stay with these partners for the rest of the lesson. Give the teens 2–3 minutes to think of some goals they have and share them with their partners.
When you set goals, it is important to make a plan for how you will achieve them. Here are some ideas to help you as you set goals:
Step 1: Choose a goal. When you choose a goal, ask yourself, “Why is this important to me? Is it short-, medium-, or long-term?” Christians should also ask themselves, “Is this goal pleasing to God?” Those who follow Jesus should pursue goals that allow them to live in more godly ways and bring glory and honour to God. Listen to what the Bible says about plans and goals:
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21
Have the teens discuss the following questions with their partners. Give them 2–3 minutes to do this. Then share the next step and Bible verse with them. Repeat this process for each of the goal-setting steps.
What does this verse teach us about setting goals?
How can you apply this to your own goal?
Step 2: List the steps you need to take to achieve your goal. For long-term goals, this might be a series of short- and medium-term goals. For short- and medium-term goals, this might be a list of tasks you need to complete. Listen to what the Bible teaches us about this:
Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you.
Luke 14:28–29
What does this passage teach us about setting goals?
How can you apply this to your own goal?
Step 3: Set a time frame for achieving your goal. Make sure the time you allow is reasonable. It is better to allow a slightly longer time to be sure you can achieve your goal and that you are able to do it well. Not allowing yourself enough time to accomplish your goal well can cause discouragement. Listen to what the Bible teaches us about this:
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21:5
What does this verse teach us about setting goals?
How can you apply this to your own goal?
Step 4: Check your progress. If you are not progressing as well as you would like to toward your goal, think about what created the problem and what would help you to be more successful. Then adjust your plan by changing the goal, the time you have allowed, or the steps you will take. Here is what the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, the younger man he was mentoring, to remind him to practice the skills he was learning:
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
1 Timothy 4:15
What does this verse teach us about setting goals?
How can you apply this to your own goal?
Step 5: Work hard and stay positive. If you want to reach your goal, you will have to work to accomplish it. If you do not achieve 1 of your goals, do not give up hope. Learn from your mistakes and try again. If you ask God for help with this, He will give it.
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
What does this verse teach us about setting goals?
How can you apply this to your own goal?
It is important to understand that doing all things through Jesus does not mean that we can do whatever we want or that we can achieve any goal we set. This passage does not tell us that we will not ever be hurt or discouraged or that we will have everything we want. It tells us that God will give us the strength to accomplish the plans He has for us. When we set our goals in ways that are honouring to God, He will help us to achieve the things He knows are best for us. Listen to something the Bible teaches us about God’s plans for us:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
What does this verse teach us about setting goals?
How can you apply this to your own goal?
We may not always achieve all of our goals. Sometimes this is because we do not work hard enough or because we set goals that are unrealistic. Sometimes this is because we set goals that are not the best for us. But we trust in the knowledge that God has good plans for us—plans for our welfare and plans filled with hope. He loves us, and He will help us to achieve His goals for our lives. He always helps us to grow in the ways He knows are best.
Think about the goals you decided on earlier. Then think about the things we have learned.
Which of the things we learned might be the most helpful to you in reaching your own goals?
Let’s go through the process for setting a goal together. I will remind you of each of the steps, and you will work with your partners to apply them to your goals.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, the teens can write down the steps of their goals on them.
Finally, make a plan for how you will work hard and stay positive. As we learned in the game at the beginning, one great way to reach your goals successfully is to have a friend to talk to who will help and encourage you along the way. You can share you goals with a friend and ask him to encourage you. This will help you to achieve your goals—and it will help you to develop a stronger friendship, too.
Give the teens 2 minutes to do this. Invite the pairs to pray for each other if they would like to. Then close with a blessing based on Philippians 4:13 and Jeremiah 29:11:
Blessing: May you know that God has hopeful and purposeful plans for your life and that He will give you the strength and confidence to achieve them. May you rely on Him as you walk toward the future He has planned for you!
Lead the students in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
