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7th/8th gr. Axis Guide Sheet: Psalms – What are these for & why are there so many?! 1/26/22

 Small Group night

-          Topic intro

o   Psalms – The book of Psalms is a collection of different prayers & songs each evoking different emotions & experiences of what it means to be human. Some express outrageous joy & praise to the God who created & gave us life. Some give a voice to ways of being that instruct & inform us as people of faith. Some come from the darkness of life, honestly wrestling with what it means to live faithfully when suffering & sorrow are all around. Psalms teaches us to bring our whole selves to God, whether we are in joy or pain or anything in between.


Discussion starters:

 

-          If you had a soundtrack to your life, what would be the first song/title track?

 

-          What kinds of music do your parents listen to? What do you listen to? Is there any music you find in common?

 

-          Do you really think an ancient book of poetry can accurately describe the kinds of things we go through today?

-          What’s the easiest emotion to express? The hardest?

-          Are you comfortable sharing about how you’re honestly feeling at times? Or do you cover stuff up/bury it?

-          Who do you go to when you really need to talk about something? Do you talk to God about these kinds of things?

 

Bible talk:

 

-          Want to narrow your search? A few big topics to engage through the Psalms are

o   Psalm 3 Fear & Anxiety

o   Psalm 22 Pain/Hardship

o   Psalm 32 Confession/Forgiveness

o   Psalm 73 Doubt

 

-          Turn together to Psalm 1. Have a volunteer read it aloud.

o   God’s law = the Bible. What are some of the most important teachings we learn in the Bible? How might following God’s laws make someone prosper?

o   What do you think it means when the writer compares those who follow God’s laws with trees planted by water?

o   The Psalms talk a lot about both those who are happy & those who are wicked. How are those opposites? Do you think sometimes we have both of those happening in us? When have you struggled between those two options?

 

 

-          Now take a look at Psalm 13…

o   Why do you think such a sad Psalm is included in the Bible?

o   Why does the Psalm end with the writer saying he will sing to the Lord?


Activity ideas

Playlist – Many of the Psalms were, and still are, songs. Check out Youtube or Spotify and see what psalm songs you can find.

 

So many Psalms!!! – Just take time to flip through some Psalms & browse. Let kids know they can highlight, underline or sticky note Psalms that resonate with them.

 

Hit it – Alright band, it’s your time to shine. Compose a song (psalm) to God expressing something your group is feeling. I dare you to record a performance of it!

 

Title Track – For each of the Psalms on this list, come up with a song title for it, or draw something inspired by what you read. (Reading the Psalm will help J)

            -Psalm 1

            -Psalm 22

            -Psalm 23

            -Psalm 46

            -Psalm 51

            -Psalm 62

            -Psalm69

            -Psalm 84

            -Psalm 121

            -Psalm 127

 

 

Ok is Psalms starting to sound really weird when you say it now or is it just me?






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