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.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
1 John 3:1
We all desire the security and love of a family. That is why the most vulnerable are often the most drawn by the sense of belonging that social groups offer. When these groups provide for the place where families are broken or absent, they can help young people to grow and develop in healthy ways. But when these groups imprison their members through fear and violence, they can destroy young people’s lives.
Jesus knows the hurts that your teens have experienced. And He weeps. He reaches out to bring hope and love that fill the empty spaces in their hearts. He offers more than a false sense of family. He offers membership in His holy family, where love conquers hate and joy has overcome pain. He brings freedom, salvation, and abundant life. Thank Him for welcoming you into His loving arms and pray that your students will know the peace and joy that membership in His family offers.
Encourage the teens to talk with family members about the positive and negative influences of gangs, clans, and tribes. They can then share their practical step to avoid the negative influences of social groups.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Welcome the teens and ask them if they have been able to use the skills they have learned to make new friends. Invite a few students to share stories about making new friends with the whole group.
It is wonderful to make new friends. Good friends help us to be happier, healthier, and more confident. They help us with painful situations and help us to make better life choices. But not all relationships bring positive things into our lives. Some relationships have a negative influence on us, encouraging us to make poor choices and even causing us physical harm.
Listen to the following situations. Then we will talk about them together.
Matthew had a difficult family life, so he ran away from home when he was 12. Life on the streets was dangerous, so Matthew joined a gang for protection. He dropped out of school and spent his time defending his gang’s territory, drinking alcohol, and using and selling drugs. By the time he was 15, Matthew was in jail for killing a member of a rival gang.
Divide the teens into groups of 4–5. Ask them to discuss the following questions:
Joy grew up believing that gangs were family. Both of her parents were members of a gang, and her father was killed due to gang violence. By the time Joy was 14, she was allowing gang members to have sexual intercourse with her in exchange for money and drugs.
Have the teens discuss the following questions in their groups.
Gangs are an example of a negative social group. There are many different kinds of social groups. Some have positive and some have negative influences on their members.
What are some other social groups that can influence our behaviour and our choices?
If the students do not mention them, share any types of social groups that are common in your community or region.
Today we will talk about gangs and the influences they can have on our choices.
We all have needs. We have physical needs that must be met in order for us to survive. We also have emotional needs that must be met in order for us to experience healthy relationships and develop a positive view of ourselves.
What are some of these needs?
Allow 8–10 students to share their thoughts. Be sure the students mention physical needs such as food, water, shelter, and safety and emotional needs such as love and security.
These needs are all important, and it is okay to want these needs to be met. However, sometimes in an effort to meet these needs, we make choices that seem to meet our needs, but we find out that these choices do not meet our needs at all. In fact, they may make our needs into weaknesses that can be used to manipulate or control us.
Gangs are one of these types of groups. Most gangs are organized in order to participate in criminal behaviour. Gang members often wear specific clothing or mark their bodies in ways that identify them as members. Gang members use violence to protect each other from rival groups. Sometimes they are violent toward each other.
Though gangs may seem to provide the protection and sense of belonging that a family would, gangs do not offer the true benefits of a family. Membership in a gang is by choice, so a member can be removed at any time. Gang leaders often use this power to pressure members into doing things they do not want to do.
Let’s think about some of the influences gangs can have on our choices.
Influence 1: My gang is like my family. They care for me and make me feel as though I belong.
We all want to feel that we are cared about, and we all want to belong to a loving family. Gangs may provide this sense of belonging. Members can be identified by others through their clothing or appearance as part of the gang, and membership in the gang may make them feel special and important. Gangs may feel like an extended family, making members feel that they are protected and cared for.
But gang leaders are not loving parents or caring family members. They maintain power and control through violence and intimidation. They often encourage members to do things to hurt themselves and others.
What is 1 way you can avoid this negative influence?
Allow 2–3 students to share their thoughts. Answers may include: find friends who care for you, find trusted adults to give you wise guidance, or pray and ask God for wisdom.
God’s Truth: I can be part of God’s family.
We all want to be part of a loving family. But when this desire is not met, we may look for love and acceptance in unhealthy places. But we can be part of God’s family where we are loved and accepted. Listen to what the Bible tells us about God’s family.
Have a student read John 1:12 aloud from the Bible. If that is not possible, the verse is printed here.
Yet to all who did receive [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12
What do you think it means to be a child of God?
Allow 2–3 students to share their thoughts. Then guide them to understand that God loves us, cares for us, protects us, and guides us.
Optional: If you are using The NIV Action Study Bible, give the teens time to read about God’s love in the “What About This?” section on page 720.
Our families are not always joyful and loving. But when we accept Jesus, we become part of God’s family. God is a loving Father who cares for us deeply. He uses His power to help us, not to harm us. And He guides us in ways that are always right.
God also encourages us to love others as a caring family would. Listen to how Jesus tells us we should treat others.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:34
How would you express this kind of love?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Then guide them to understand that we should treat others with honour, show care and concern, and help one another.
Influence 2: Gangs can help to provide food, money, or protection.
Sometimes people rely on gangs for protection and provision. These groups may provide safety, shelter, food, and ways to earn money. Joining a gang may seem like a good solution for getting the things you need. And obeying the leaders may seem like the only way you can continue to be part of this group. Members may be beaten or even killed for deciding to leave the gang.
What is 1 way you can avoid this negative influence?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Answers may include: look for safer ways to provide for your needs, such as getting a job or seeking help from a trusted adult.
God’s Truth: God cares for all of my needs.
A gang may provide food and protection, but these things usually come at a cost. In order to have them, members must give up their freedom to choose to do what is right and submit to those who encourage them to do things that are wrong. In addition, those who decide to leave a gang are often beaten or killed as an example to cause fear in others. But God cares for all of our needs—emotional, physical, and spiritual. Listen to what the Bible tells us about God’s care for us.
Have 2 different students read Philippians 4:19 and Matthew 6:31–32 aloud from the Bible.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ … Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
Matthew 6:31–32
What do these verses tell us about God providing for our needs?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Then guide them to understand that God knows our needs and that He is faithful even in our times of need.
Influence 3: If I do not join a gang or do not do the things I am told to do, I will be hurt or rejected by the gang.
There are leaders who misuse their power in all types of social groups. They use fear as a form of control. They threaten physical harm to those who do not obey them, or they may threaten the members’ families and friends. They may even hurt or kill other group members in order to keep their power.
What are some ways you can avoid this negative influence?
Allow 2–3 students to share their ideas. Answers may include: praying, asking for help from a trusted adult, or seeking help from the authorities.
God’s Truth: God is more powerful than any earthly leader, and He is always with me.
Some leaders use power and fear to control others and force them to obey. But God does not control us, and He does not force us to obey. Instead, He walks alongside us, even in the most difficult times. He loves us and helps us, and His ways are always right. Listen to what the Bible tells us about His presence in our lives.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
What do these verses tell us about God’s presence?
Allow 2–3 students to share their thoughts. Then guide them to understand that God is with us always, even when we are in trouble. He will help us.
Gangs may meet some physical and emotional needs. They may help protect and give a sense of belonging. But gangs use fear to keep control of a person so he does what is commanded. If he does not obey, he may be forced out, hurt, or even killed.
These needs and fears are real, and being part of God’s family does not take these needs and fears away. But we can always share our fears with God. He promises to be with us always, even when we are afraid or in need. He will never leave us. And His love is more powerful than anything we have ever known.
At the beginning of the lesson, we talked about some teens who made poor choices as a result of being part of a gang. Now that we have learned about some of the negative influences of gangs and discovered God’s truth about these influences, let’s talk about another situation. As you listen, think of the negative influences and how they can be replaced with God’s truth.
Miguel is lonely. His mother is dead, and his father works a lot. Miguel’s older brother invites him to join a gang. “It will be great,” he says. “You will get nice clothes and good food. Plus, it is always exciting! You will have many new friends!”
Miguel thinks that his brother’s offer sounds good. But joining a gang would mean that he would have to quit school and leave home. He wonders if he would be happier and feel safer if he joined the gang.
What should Miguel do? Why?
Divide the teens into groups of 3–4. Have the teens discuss their ideas with their groups. Then allow 2–3 groups to share their answers with the whole class. Answers may include: talk to a trusted adult, find good friends to spend time with, and ask God for help.
What would you say to Miguel to help him to see the God’s truth?
Have the students role-play their conversations in their groups. One of the teens can play the part of Miguel, and the others can present him with God’s truths to explain why he should not join a gang.
We may think a gang will make us feel loved and accepted. We may think it will help us to meet our physical needs. We may even be afraid of the consequences of not joining a gang or of not obeying the leaders when they are asking us to do things that are wrong. But God has a better way.
As we have learned, God calls us to follow His way instead of the ways of the social groups that influence us negatively. We can replace these negative influences with His truth. We can trust that He loves us and will be with us even in difficult and fearful situations.
Have each group stand in a circle facing each other. Have them discuss the following questions with their groups.
When you share your practical step, take a step toward the middle of the circle and place your arms around the shoulders of those next to you. You are part of a group that cares for you. This is a place where we are all important and where we can all feel that we belong. If you would like to, pray together and ask God to help you to avoid the negative influences in your life by relying on His truth.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, give the teens time to do the activity on their pages.
Give the students about 5 minutes to complete this activity. Then close with a blessing based on Romans 15:13:
Blessing: May God fill you with joy and peace as you trust in Him instead of in the ways of the world. May you experience His hope and power as you seek to follow Him instead of the negative influences in your life.
Lead the children 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.
