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, clear a large area for the Connecting activity. Draw a line down the middle of the open space. Use tape if the space is inside and a stick if it is outside. Place a stone on each side of the line. The stones should be as far from the line as possible but an equal distance from the line. On each side, mark an area large enough for a few students to stand in. It should be near the stones. These areas will be the jails.
The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. He said, “Mighty warrior, the Lord is with you.”
Judges 6:12, NIrV
When God called Gideon a “mighty warrior,” Gideon may have wondered if God knew whom He was talking to. Gideon’s family was the weakest in the region, and Gideon was the youngest in his family. Gideon lived in fear. In fact, he was hiding in a winepress when God delivered this message. But God knew Gideon, and soon Gideon began to believe what God had said about him. Gideon learned to trust in God and found victory over his fear.
Have you ever doubted God’s presence in your life? Have you ever experienced fear as you faced an impossible challenge? Do not be afraid! The same God who conquered the Midianites with torches, jars, and trumpets will give you a battle plan. Believe who He says that you are and what He can do through you! He will help you to conquer fear and doubt. The Lord is with you, mighty warrior! You can put your trust in Him.
Encourage the teens to ask their family members, “What do you do when you are afraid?” They can then share that God is worthy of our trust, and He will help us when we are afraid.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the students as they arrive. Ask if any of them had experiences that reminded them that God hears and sees them. Invite them to share their stories with some of the other teens.
When you are ready to begin class, divide the teens into 2 teams. Have them stand on opposite sides of line in the large open area and explain the game. Tell the teams that the sides they are standing on are their team’s bases. Point out the stones placed on each side, and tell the students these are their teams’ treasure. Point out the area on each side that will act as the jail for that team.
When we start, each team will try to grab the other team’s treasure. The members of the other team will try to tag you. If they tag you when you are on their side of the line, you must go to their jail. If you can grab the other team’s treasure and bring it back to your team’s base without being tagged, your team wins!
Give the teens a few minutes to play the game. If time allows, repeat the game with different teams. Afterwards, gather the class for discussion. If possible, teach the rest of the lesson in this area. Leave the line marked down the middle of the space to use later in the lesson.
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts about each of the following questions:
Some students may say they felt anxious or afraid when they were on the other side of the line or that they were anxious or afraid that their treasure would be taken.
What did you consider more important—protecting your team’s treasure or trying to get the other team’s treasure?
It is normal for the teens to feel anxious about different aspects of the game. There are no right or wrong answers.
In some ways, this game shows how we often live our lives. Protecting ourselves and the people and things that are important to us can make us anxious or even afraid. We might wonder: What if we lose these things? What if someone we care about leaves or dies? Even doing things that involve risk can also cause us to be afraid. We may wonder what will happen if we do not succeed. Will we lose more than we gained? Today we will learn that with God, we can overcome fear!
Optional: If possible, share the images from The Action Bible.
Gideon was a young man in Israel during a time when God’s people lived in fear of their enemies, the Midianites. Every year for 7 years, the Midianites had invaded Israel. They ruined the Israelites’ crops and stole their livestock. The people of Israel hid in caves and in the mountains to escape. They had become so poor and afraid that they cried out to God for help.
One day a young Israelite man named Gideon was threshing grain. He was hiding in a winepress that was sunken into the ground so the Midianites would not find the grain. Suddenly, an angel appeared. Listen to what the angel said.
Have a student read Judges 6:12–15 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, the passage is printed here for you.
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Judges 6:12–15, NIV
Allow 2–3 teens to answer each of the questions below.
How did Gideon describe himself? How would you describe him?
They may suggest that Gideon described himself as the least in his family. They may say he was afraid of the Midianites. He was weak and from an unimportant family. He doubted that he could do something important like saving Israel.
Why do you think Gideon saw himself this way?
He lived in fear, and he had experienced many years of fear, suffering, and poverty.
How did God see Gideon? Hint: what did the angel call him?
He saw Gideon as a “mighty warrior.”
Why do you think God’s view of Gideon was so different from the way Gideon saw himself?
Gideon’s view of himself and his future was shaped by his negative experiences and his lack of hope. He could not see what God could see.
Would you have believed the angel if he had delivered a message like this to you? Why or why not?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts.
Gideon doubted what the angel said, so he asked for a sign that the message was truly from God. Gideon prepared a bowl of food and brought it to the angel. The angel touched the food and fire consumed it. Then he instructed Gideon to destroy the altar to Baal, a false god, and build a new altar to God. He was to sacrifice a bull on the new altar. So Gideon did as the angel asked, but he did so at night instead of during the day.
Why do you think Gideon did these things at night?
He was still afraid.
Gideon was afraid of his family and the townspeople. He did not want others to find out what he had done. When the people found out, they wanted Gideon to be punished. But Gideon’s father suggested that if Baal was a real god, he could punish Gideon. But Baal was not a real god, so no punishment ever came. The people began to recognize Gideon’s courage. They could see that the Lord was with him, so they began to follow him.
You might think that Gideon believed the angel now, but he still doubted! So he asked God for 2 more signs. Listen to the next part of the story from the Bible.
Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water. Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.
Judges 6:36–40
Why do you think Gideon continued to ask questions and test God?
He was probably afraid of the Midianites. He may have wanted to know that he could trust God.
By this time, 32,000 men had gathered to follow Gideon. They marched to the hills surrounding the Midianites’ camp. It may have looked as though Gideon’s army could easily claim victory over the Midianites. But God had another plan. Listen to what He told Gideon to do.
The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
Judges 7:2–3
Divide your students into 2 groups. About two-thirds of them will sit on 1 side of the line used for the earlier game, and the rest will sit on the other side of the line. Tell them that the smaller group represents the those who did not leave Gideon’s army.
Look at how much smaller Gideon’s army became. How do you think that made Gideon feel?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts. Some may say that he was afraid.
What reason did God give Gideon for making the army smaller?
So that God could claim the glory instead of Gideon.
Why do you think Gideon did as God asked?
He knew he could trust God to bring victory.
Again, God asked Gideon to make his army smaller. This time Gideon was to send his men to the brook for a drink of water. Everyone who knelt down to drink with his face in the water was sent home. Only those who cupped the water in their hands stayed to fight. Again, Gideon obeyed God. Now only 300 men remained.
Divide the smaller group that represents Gideon’s army by having about two-thirds of them join the larger group across the line.
Now Gideon’s army was even smaller. How do you think he felt now?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts.
Next, God gave Gideon another challenge. Listen to God’s plan.
Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
Judges 7:16–18
Divide the students remaining in Gideon’s army group into 3 different groups. Have them stay on the same side of the line but in separate areas.
God told Gideon to divide his very small army into 3 groups. Instead of telling them to attack with weapons, He told them to blow trumpets and shout.
How do you think Gideon felt when he heard God’s plan?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts.
Gideon’s small army followed God’s instructions. They surprised the Midianite army in the middle of the night. The Midianites were confused and turned their swords on each other. Gideon’s army won the battle, and the Midianites fled.
Have the teens return to their regular places for discussion.
Optional: If you are using The NIV Action Study Bible, the teens can read more about the pottery jars Gideon’s men carried in the “Ancient Archives” section near Judges 7.
What did God teach Gideon through his experiences?
He had been fearful and became confident. He had doubted God and learned to trust Him. He had overcome his fear by relying on God.
What did Gideon do a few times in the story that may have helped him to overcome his fear and become more hopeful?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts.
Gideon asked questions. He asked God why bad things were happening. He asked God how he could possibly save Israel. He asked God to show that He was worthy of trust.
Do you think it is okay to ask God questions? Why or why not?
Allow 2–3 teens to share their thoughts.
You can ask questions of God. He always listens, and His answers are always right and true. He knows when you are afraid, and He understands your fears. He will be with you when you are afraid.
Many people in the Bible asked God questions. Gideon is just one example. He overcame his doubts by asking God for assurance. As he learned to trust God, his confidence grew. Listen to this example of how we can share our questions and fears with God.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
Psalm 34:4–5
What does this passage teach us about overcoming fear?
We can ask God for help, and He will deliver us. When we trust in Him, we will never be ashamed. We need God’s help because we cannot do this on our own.
What does this passage teach us about sharing our doubts with God?
He will listen to us and answer us when we seek Him.
Set the sticks in a place where the students can see them.
Asking God for help does not mean that we will always get what we want. Sometimes God’s plan is different than ours. Sometimes we still need to do the things that make us afraid, as Gideon did. But God is always good, and He always does what He promises. We can trust that He will do what is best for us in every situation. He will help us to break the hold that fear has in our lives.
What questions do you have for God? Is there something you are afraid of? Something you are worried about? Something you are in doubt about? You can ask Him anything! If you would like to ask God to break the hold of fear on your life, you may come and break a piece from a stick. As you do, ask God to help you. Only He can set you free from your fear.
Pause to allow the teens to think about their questions and break pieces from the sticks. Then gather the teens on 1 side of the line from the Connecting activity.
Think about the question you have for God. Then ask Him! As you do, step across the line to the other side. Think and pray about your difficult emotions melting away from you. Feel your fear or anger leaving your body. Breathe deeply and think about God’s peace replacing your difficult emotions. Think about God walking with you.
If you are not yet ready to trust God with your fears and doubts, ask Him to help you to trust Him more, as Gideon did. He is worthy of your trust!
Give the teens some time to do the activity.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, have the teens complete the activity on their pages.
Close with a blessing based on Psalm 34:4–5:
Blessing: May you call out to God in your times of fear. May you trust Him to walk with you when you are afraid, and may you know His peace.
Lead the teens 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.
