Things are a little quiet this week on the news front, but that doesn't mean we don't have some valuable information for you. Let's take a look at what our youth will be learning this week in this edition of our Weekly Youth Ministry Update!

Lesson Focus

God created the Passover to protect the Israelites from the final plague and to remind them of his power and grace. The death of the firstborn sons and livestock of Egypt showed that God was more powerful than Pharaoh, who finally said the Israelites could go. The Passover foreshadowed Jesus as the spotless Lamb whose blood saves us from our sins.

Key Passages

Exodus 11:1–9, 12:3–14, 12:29–34; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Describe how God protected the Israelites from the final plague.
• Describe how the Passover foreshadowed Jesus Christ.

Review Questions for at Home

1. What kind of heart did Pharaoh have toward God? A hard heart.

2. What is a hard heart? A stubborn, rebellious heart; a heart that refuses to obey God.

3. What was the tenth plague? Death of the firstborn sons and livestock of Egypt.

4. How did God tell the Israelites to protect themselves from the tenth plague? Exodus 12:7. Sacrifice a lamb and spread its blood on the doorposts.

5. What is the word for the top of a doorway? Lintel.

6. What kind of lamb did God require? Exodus 12:5. One-year-old male without blemish (perfect).

7. During the tenth plague, the Israelites were instructed to stay in their homes and eat a special meal called what? Passover.

8. What did they eat for this meal? Exodus 12:8. Roasted lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread.

9. What does leaven do to bread? Makes it rise.

10. What would unleavened bread remind the Israelites of? Leaving Egypt in a hurry with no time to prepare.

11. What time of day did God strike the Egyptians with the tenth plague? Exodus 12:29. Midnight.

12. Who died in the tenth plague? Exodus 12:29. All the firstborn sons and livestock of Egypt.

13. What did Pharaoh do after he lost his firstborn son? Exodus 12:31–32. He called Aaron and Moses and told them to leave with all the Israelites.

14. Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God? He is the perfect sacrifice whose blood takes away our sins and protects us from God’s judgment just like the lambs in Exodus had to die to protect the people from the tenth plague.

15. Who in the New Testament called Jesus the Lamb of God? John 1:29. John the Baptist.


ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS MAY NOT BE COVERED BASED ON TIME.

On Wednesday we have a special meal for the youth, authentic ramen bowls! It's going to be a delicious time so come hungry!

This week come to the auditorium (DOOR #1) and make sure to bring a friend!

Youth Group is from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.

We will be studying Matthew 12:22–32 and focusing on the truth that disciples of Jesus recognize his supernatural power rather than doubt.

Questions to ask in the car or around the table

• When has Jesus done something unexpected in your life?
• In Mark 9:24, a man said to Jesus, "I believe; help my unbelief!" What is something in the Bible or about Jesus that you’ve doubted?

• How will you express belief in who Jesus is throughout this week?
  
  

We are now starting an ongoing project where the youth group is supporting a child in Guatemala. Each week, we will be doing an "offering" of sorts. If students are asking to bring money to youth group, know that it is for a legitimate reason.

Please remember that when participating in our programs we ask that students abide by these policies and procedures. These include things like how we will respond in case of emergencies, what kind of DRESS CODE we will be asking students to adhere to, our policy on CELLPHONES at youth group, and our WEATHER CANCELATION policy. 

More Screen Time, More Stress? Study Links Device Use to Teen Mental Health

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by News-Medical.

In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers investigated how lifestyle behaviors in children moving into adolescence can affect symptoms of stress and depression.

Their findings indicate that children who used mobile devices and reported greater screen time were more likely to experience depression and stress during adolescence, highlighting the importance of reducing device usage.

While most previous studies have focused on individual lifestyle behaviors, few considered the impact that these behaviors jointly can have on mental health in young people. Addressing this research gap can help identify the most important risk factors and, thus, the most effective interventions to promote mental well-being.

In this study, researchers examined the associations between multiple lifestyle behaviors, including diet quality, sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity in Finnish children over eight years old, and mental health symptoms faced by the same individuals in adolescence.

The data was obtained from an eight-year study that followed children into adolescence. Data were collected at baseline, after two years, and at the end of the study.

A physical activity questionnaire was used to collect information on the use of computers and mobile devices, time spent watching television, total screen time, physical activity (supervised, unsupervised, and overall), and participation in sports.

Additionally, participants were given wearable devices with sensors to assess the duration of sleep, sedentary time, and physical activity.

During the eight-year follow-up, the adolescents were asked questions to identify whether they were experiencing symptoms of depression. They also reported on their perceived levels of stress.

Of the 504 children included in the final sample, 51.8% were boys. Of these, 187 adolescents had complete data on their lifestyle behaviors (self-reported) in addition to the mental health assessment. In contrast, 170 had complete data on lifestyle behaviors measured through the wearable device.

On average, the participants reported spending two hours a day on physical exercise, while the device readings showed that 0.7 hours daily were spent in moderate-to-vigorous exercise.

On average, participants spent 4.7 hours a day using screens and slept approximately nine hours each night.

Individuals who reported higher mobile device use, computer use, and total screen time reported feeling higher levels of stress. Using mobile devices and spending more time on screens was also linked to experiencing more symptoms of depression.

We hope this update has been helpful. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the information in this newsletter, or how you can become involved.

Thanks for loving our teenagers!

Kyle Creel
Family Pastor
New Hope Christian Church
217-317-0707