Synergy Discussion 7-30-25


Tonight let’s talk about the theme from Momentum. This should be helpful whether or not you went this year! Don’t just answer these questions on the surface and move on – take time to DIG DEEP so we can grow together.

 

Questions…

  1. Icebreaker: Create a scenario where somebody might decide to go HALF IN instead of ALL IN (example: swimming). Act out how that could go wrong – film it and send it to Aleigha!
  2. Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. What does it mean that Jesus went ALL IN for us?
  3. Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-17. How does God make it possible for us to go ALL IN for Him in return?
  4. Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-20. Why should we go ALL OUT to reach others? How has God equipped us to do this?
  5. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21. Discuss this in-depth. What exactly did Jesus do for us?
  6. Group Leader: Take time to pray for each person in your group.



2 Corinthians 5:14-21

14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

 

16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 

 

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 

 

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


 

Synergy Discussion 7-9-25

 

 

Psalm 18:16–29 (NLT) - Rescue 

¹⁶He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters. ¹⁷He rescued me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. ¹⁸They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress, but the Lord supported me. ¹⁹He led me to a place of safety (spacious place); he rescued me because he delights in me. 


²⁰The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. ²¹For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. ²²I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. ²³I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin. ²⁴The Lord rewarded me for doing right. He has seen my innocence. 


²⁵To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. ²⁶To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. ²⁷You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud. ²⁸You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. ²⁹In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.


 


  1. Read - AND ACT OUT - verses 16-19. 
  2. Verse 19 was our camp theme verse. List everything you can think of when you think of a “spacious place” (safe place) and write them down somewhere.
  3. David wrote this Psalm when God saved him from the attacks of King Saul. Group leader, or someone in your group… briefly tell the story of why David was running from Saul.
  4. This Psalm is completely fulfilled by Jesus. How can we see the death and resurrection of Jesus in Verses 20-24?
  5. Verse 25-29 talk about many attributes of God. Talk about each one and how that attribute brings comfort to believers.
  6. Pray together before you finish.



Synergy Discussion 7-2-25



Icebreaker: Today we are going to discuss the passages leading up to this year’s theme verse from camp. This section really focuses on some of God’s attributes. Before diving into the discussion, pick an animal from the Biddles’ farm and discuss its attributes.

 

 

God’s Mighty Power

⁷Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the mountains shook; they quaked because of his anger. ⁸Smoke poured from his nostrils; fierce flames leaped from his mouth. Glowing coals blazed forth from him. ⁹He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. ¹⁰Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew, soaring on the wings of the wind. ¹¹He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dark rain clouds. ¹²Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him and rained down hail and burning coals. ¹³The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded amid the hail and burning coals. ¹⁴He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused. ¹⁵Then at your command, O Lord, at the blast of your breath, the bottom of the sea could be seen, and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

 

 

  1. Read Psalm 18:7-15. Make a list of attributes of God do you see in this passage.
  2. Discuss each of the attributes you listed. Which of these are attributes we as humans can hope to emulate? Which are specifically characteristic of God and not us?
  3. Verse 14 talks about God scattering His enemies. Read Ephesians 6:10-12 and discuss who our true enemies are.
  4. Jesus already conquered the enemy when He rose from the grave. How does remembering this change our approach to life?
  5. How can we be praying for each other this week? Take time to pray for these requests – either one person lead in prayer or take turns praying.


Synergy Discussion 6-25-25



Icebreaker: Grab a rock from somewhere around Ryan and Laura’s house. List as many attributes about the rock as you can think of. 

Psalm 18

For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the Lord. He sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang:


¹ I love you, Lord; you are my strength. ² The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. ³ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.


⁴ The ropes of death entangled me; floods of destruction swept over me. ⁵ The grave wrapped its ropes around me; death laid a trap in my path. ⁶ But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.

  1. Read Psalm 18:1-6. What attributes of God do you see in this passage?
  2. Leaders: Talk about a time you called out to God in prayer and he answered. OR talk about a time you felt you were able to trust in Him through difficulties. Ask if anyone else would like to share the same.
  3. David called out to God and acknowledged Him as worthy of praise BEFORE God rescued him. How can we confidently call out to God EVEN IF we haven’t yet seen him work in a situation? (Short Answer: Because we’ve seen Him do it before.)
  4. Read Hebrews 4:14-16. We can boldly approach God’s throne because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Discuss why understanding the gospel is so important in approaching God in prayer
  5. What opposition might we face during the summer? Especially away from our regular Synergy meetings or a week at camp? What is a current situation where you need to call out to God? - Use this as an opportunity to take prayer requests in your group. 

Synergy Discussion 5-21-25

 

Icebreaker: "What is the weirdest piece of clothing you own?“ (they can also pick their favorite)

If you have a question you like better, feel free to ask it!

 

Groups Leaders: Today we will be studying through Ephesians 6 – and the armor of God – to help us prepare for the changes of Summer and attacks we may face from Satan.


Ephesians 6:10-12

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 


Main Thought: Bold faith fully relies on the Lord’s strength, not our own. While we often face opposition from other people – they are not our ultimate enemy. Our true enemy – Satan – wants to see us fail and turn away from Christ when things get hard.

 

Group Leaders: You don’t have to share specifics, but is there a time you put your energy toward conflict with other people instead of recognizing spiritual warfare? We all do it!

 

Discuss: How does it change our perspective when we recognize our true enemy? What can we do to remind ourselves of this truth from Scripture? (talk about Prayer, Bible Study, Accountability, etc.)

 

Ephesians 6:13-17

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 

 

Main Thought: God has given us everything we need to resist the enemy.

 

Group Leaders: Which of the pieces of armor stands out to you the most? How have you seen its effectiveness in your life?

 

Discuss: Talk through each of these and discuss how we can use them to fight the enemy’s attacks:

  • Truth, Righteousness, Peace of the Gospel, Faith, Salvation, God’s Word

Ephesians 6:18

…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints…

 

Discuss: Why is prayer so important in this spiritual battle? What happens when we forget to pray?


Group Leaders: Pray for each person in your group individually – pray for each person that they would be able to recognize spiritual warfare, put on the full armor of God, and lean on others for support. 


Synergy Discussion 3-26-25

 

 

Icebreaker: "If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and why?"

If you have a question you like better, feel free to ask it!


Groups Leaders: Today we will be looking at the main thoughts from the past 3 lessons and thinking about how to apply them to our everyday lives.


Lesson 1 – Daniel & His Friends in Exile

Main Thought: Bold believers praise God anywhere they go, look different from those around them, use their gifts to serve, and trust God with the results.

 

Group Leaders: Talk about choices you’ve had to make to look different from those around you. You could also talk about somebody else you’ve seen do this well.

 

Discuss: What does it mean to "look different" from those around you at this stage in your life?


Lesson 2 – Lukewarm Faith

Main Thought: We can resist compromising our faith by evaluating friendships, spending time with Jesus, and serving others.

 

Group Leaders: Talk about a time you felt you were slipping into lukewarm faith and what God used to bring you back.

 

Discuss: What are some signs that someone might be slipping into lukewarm faith? How can we help each other stay strong?

 

Lesson 3 – The Fiery Furnace

Main Thought: Bold faith allows us to keep standing with others because the God who rescues is with us.

 

Group Leaders: Talk about how friendships in your life have impacted your faith in good and bad times.

 

Discuss: How do your friendships influence your faith, for the good or the bad? How can we encourage your friends to stand boldly too?

 

Spiritual Gifts

We have talked several times the past few weeks about using our gifts to serve others. Take the last few minutes to take the spiritual gifts assessment: https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/quizzes-and-assessments/what-type-of-spiritual-gifts-do-you-have-quiz.html

 

After you get your results, share them at this link: https://forms.gle/AqwExXDfsK5wYPG68


Please do this even if you took the assessment with us last Spring!


NOTE: Please be heading back to the youth room by 7:55!


Others can scan this QR code on their phones


Spiritual Gifts QR Code