This year’s Lent and Easter lessons are a bit of a “choose your own adventure.” The youth lessons are organized in nearly the same template as our normal lessons would be, with a few exceptions:

1. Instead of listing a preferred game at the beginning of each lesson, we recommend that you download and choose your favorites from the free resource, “51 Youth Ministry Games & Icebreakers.”

2. If you do not gather for lessons or classes on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, or Easter Sunday – no worries! Combine elements from lessons for in-person gatherings. Another option would be to modify the lesson materials and send them to families as discussion questions throughout the month. In the Lent and Easter seasons, we encourage all to worship as their schedules allow. This series goes through Palm Sunday, but it does not include other Holy Week days (including Easter), and youth are encouraged to worship as part of the larger body of the church on those days.

3. The worship series for children, youth, and adults is organized around a playlist and involves music since the scriptures follow Psalms. You may swap some of the game time for music time. If your facilities allow, you may also consider using music videos for each song, which are easily searchable on YouTube or other video sites. We recommend you preview the videos before use. You can also find “karaoke” versions of the songs so that you have lyrics available for discussion. The “official” playlist for the series can be found on Spotify and the Psalms and song titles can be found below

Ash Wednesday: Sustain in Me - Psalm 51, *“Fix You” by Coldplay
Lent 1: Rescue Me - Psalm 91, *“Rise Up” by Andra Day
Lent 2: Conceal Me - Psalm 27, *“Head Above Water” by Avril Lavigne
Lent 3: My Soul Clings - Psalm 63, *“Light of Home” by U2
Lent 4: Surrounds Me - Psalm 32, *“Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves
Lent 5: Fill Me (With Laughter) - Psalm 126, *“Cover Me with Sunshine” by P!nk
Lent 6: Steadfast Love - Psalm 118, *“You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen
Maundy Thursday: You Have Loosed - Psalm 116, *“Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo
Good Friday: Do Not Be Far -Psalm 22, *“The Hanging Tree” from Hunger Games and *“Strange Fruit” by Billie Holiday
Holy Saturday - *“A Safe Place to Land” by Sara Bareilles and John Legend
Easter: Steadfast Love, a New Cut - Psalm 118, *“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” by Dolly Parton

*If you or the youth have other songs they would like to include or make links within discussions, please be creative. It simply takes a bit more planning.

Note to the Teacher

The key word in this lesson is protection. The discussion encourages students to think about support, endurance, and care from multiple perspectives. The activity helps youth understand how support can be built and broken. Times are based on a fifty-five-minute lesson period but may be adjusted.

ICEBREAKER/GAME/ORGANIZING ACTIVITY (15 minutes)

“51 Youth Ministry Games & Icebreakers”

READ SCRIPTURE (5 minutes)

Today's scripture reading touches on endurance, steadfastness, and support. As we read the scripture and hear the song, let’s consider what these qualities have in common.

Read scripture. Read Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16.

Listen to “Rise Up” by Andra Day. (If you or the youth have other songs they would like to include or make links within discussions, please be creative. It simply takes a bit more planning.)

Say something like,

Rescue me. Perhaps Jesus said it during his temptation in the wilderness. Certainly, the psalmist says it over and again in many ways. We call out to God to rescue us today, sometimes with a certainty that God will answer and other times out of desperation, hoping God will listen when it seems no one else will. Where in our lives are we calling out for rescue, and how might God be calling us to reach out in love to rescue our neighbors?

DISCUSSION (15 minutes)

What are some of the promises God makes in Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16? How do these verses describe God's protection and care?
In Psalm 91, what do you think it means to "dwell in the shelter of the Most High" and to "rest in the shadow of the Almighty"? How might this image help us understand God's presence?
In "Rise Up" by Andra Day, the lyrics speak about pushing forward despite struggles. How does the message of the song relate to the ideas of faith and trust found in Psalm 91?
Think about a difficult time that someone you know has experienced. How might the words of Psalm 91 or the lyrics from "Rise Up" have encouraged them to keep going? When giving support, which do you think matters more – words or actions?
Psalm 91 refers to God rescuing and protecting. We’re skipping ahead in the Easter story, but how does our church understand Jesus’ death and resurrection as part of rescuing or protecting humanity?
"Rise Up" has lyrics about lifting others up in times of struggle. Can you connect those lyrics and how Jesus cared for people, even in his suffering?
Some people might struggle with Psalm 91 because it sounds like a guarantee of protection, yet we still experience suffering. How can we try to make sense (reconcile) of that scripture in light of the reality of challenges in life?
Do you think faith is more about waiting for God's protection or actively stepping out and trusting God, even in the unknown? Why? If it means stepping out, how can you offer God’s love or protection to others in ways that are physically safe for you and not intimidating for them?

ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION (20 minutes)

Take this lesson to the next level by rewriting the Psalm.

Say something like, “If you had to write a modern-day version of Psalm 91 or an additional verse to ‘Rise Up,’ what would it say? How would you express God’s presence, love, and protection in today’s world?”

Option 1: As a whole group (if fewer than five people), write a contemporary version of Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16. Incorporate as much current slang as possible. For imaginary bonus points, have one of the adult leaders read the updated psalm and post it across youth ministry/church-approved social media channels. For even more imaginary bonus points, have youth talk about how others have supported them in times of struggle OR how they would be willing to offer help and support to someone vulnerable.

Option 2: Use an AI song generator to set Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 to music or create an additional verse to “Rise Up.” Free options include voicemod.net or song.do and others. Make sure to incorporate the challenges most frequently experienced by young people and their families in your community in the new verse. If you are unsure what these might be, consider inviting a community advocate from a local nonprofit or a missions committee person from your church to talk about the needs they most frequently see.

Close in the usual manner for your group, including prayer.

TOTAL TIME: 55 min.