To begin the session:
Distribute the “Prayer Requests” exercise from the activity page, which you can download here, to be completed as directed. After one minute, ask volunteers to share their responses, especially to the final question.
After the activity, lead into Bible study by saying, “Life can be difficult. But Jesus offers hope in all situations. Today we’ll examine one passage that explores this idea.”
To engage the learners in a study of the Scripture text:
Distribute the “Patterns in God’s Will” exercise from the activity page, to be completed in pairs (or small groups) as directed. Bring the class back together after 15 minutes to discuss what they found. Supplement their answers with information from the lesson commentary as needed.
- 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!