December 26, 2021: Justice and Deliverance (Nahum 1:1-3, 6-8, 12-13, 15)

To engage the learners in a study of the Scripture text:

distribute instead copies of the “Our Just God” exercise from the activity page, which you can download here. Have students complete the exercise in their groups. Discuss results. The “Good News” exercise from the activity page can be used after either alternative for expanded consideration.

To encourage personal application:

Ask students to use the blank side of one of the handouts to write a commitment prayer about living for God in the new year. Direct them to consider words, phrases, and ideas from today’s text. State that you will offer opportunities for sharing results with the class as a whole, but you will not put any on the spot to do so. Offer that opportunity after no more than one minute to jot down thoughts for their individual prayers.

Close the class with sentence prayers, led by volunteers (possibly recruited in advance) to voice specific individuals (named or unnamed) who need to hear the message of justice (wrath to come) alongside the message of restoration offered through Christ (forgiveness). You as teacher can offer the last of the prayers to wrap up.

• If all your learners are online, consider using Zoom Breakouts (which you can learn about here).
• If some of your learners are online and others are in the classroom with you, consider breaking the in-person learners into groups together and using Zoom Breakouts for the online learners.

Note: Whenever you distribute copies of anything, use hard-copy (paper) handouts for those physically present and e-copies for those joining online via Zoom, etc.

Tip: For a tutorial on how to use Zoom breakouts, go here. For many other Zoom tutorials, see here. A key to using Zoom effectively without fumbling is to practice ahead of time!