LESSON 12: READ AND RESPOND
THEME: OVERCOMING STRUGGLES AND FEARS – 2
VERSE: Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
VOCABULARY: anxiety, panic, college, present, rock bottom, lose, counselor, overcome
STORY: There is a woman. Her name is Silvia. She is 28 years old. Silvia is a lawyer. She has studied for many years to become a lawyer. When Silvia was younger she really struggled with anxiety. Her anxiety caused her to fear many things. Some days her anxiety was so bad that she wasn’t able to get anything done. Her anxiety would cause her to not even be able to spend time with her friends. The idea of having to enter a house with many people would cause her to panic. This went on for many years. When she went to college it became so bad that she sometimes would miss classes. She would miss classes because she couldn’t stand the idea of having to present in front of many people. This was very hard for her because she had dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Silvia knew she needed to be able to be in front of people and present her arguments in order to be a good lawyer. One day during her first year in college she hit rock bottom. She knew she was failing her classes and that if something didn’t change she would lose her dream of becoming a lawyer. She started seeing a counselor who suggested that she also start seeking the Lord. The counselor knew that the Lord could help her become more aware of what was causing her anxiety and that He alone could help her overcome her fear. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Silvia started to understand that with the help of the Lord she could overcome her anxiety. All she had to do was seek Him in all that she did and His peace would fill her. After a lot of healing and time spent with the Lord, Silvia was able to finish school and she became a lawyer just like she had always wanted to be.
STORY WITH QUESTIONS: There is a woman. (Is there a woman or a man?) Her name is Silvia. What is her name?) She is 28 years old. (How old is she?) Silvia is a lawyer. (What is her job?) She has studied for many years to become a lawyer. (What did she do for many years?) When Silvia was younger she really struggled with anxiety. (What did she struggle with?) Her anxiety caused her to fear many things. (What did her anxiety cause?) Some days her anxiety was so bad that she wasn’t able to get anything done. Her anxiety would cause her to not even be able to spend time with her friends. (What could she not do?) The idea of having to enter a house with many people would cause her to panic. (What did her anxiety cause her to do?) This went on for many years. When she went to college it became so bad that she sometimes would miss classes. (What happened in college?) She would miss classes because she couldn’t stand the idea of having to present in front of many people. (What did she not want to do?) This was very hard for her because she had dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Silvia knew she needed to be able to be in front of people and present her arguments in order to be a good lawyer. (What did she need to be able to do to become a lawyer?) One day during her first year in college she hit rock bottom. (What happened her first year?) She knew she was failing her classes and that if something didn’t change she would lose her dream of becoming a lawyer. (Was she doing well in school?) She started seeing a counselor who suggested that she also start seeking the Lord. (What did the counselor suggest?) The counselor knew that the Lord could help her become more aware of what was causing her anxiety, and that He alone could help her overcome her fear. (Who could help her overcome her fear?) Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (What does this verse teach us?) Silvia started to understand that with the help of the Lord she could overcome her anxiety. All she had to do was seek Him in all that she did and His peace would fill her. (Who would fill her with peace?) After a lot of healing and time spent with the Lord, Silvia was able to finish school and she became a lawyer just like she had always wanted to be.
ACTIVITIES:
- Review the vocabulary words. Listen to the Vocabulary File for pronunciation. Look up the meaning of any words you don’t know.
- Listen to Audio 1 as you read through the story.
- Listen to Audio 2 – Story with Questions as you read through the story and answer the questions.
- Discuss the following questions:
- What holds us back from pursuing our dreams?
- Should we ever let fear hold us down?
- Who can help us overcome our fears/anxiety?
- What are some things we can do to overcome our fears?
- End the class with prayer.