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Back to School Bible Lessons for Youth Groups

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Bible study can help teens prepare spiritually for the challenges of school life.

Adolescence is a season of transition and personal formation. Teens have left childhood behind but still need the positive guidance of parents and ministers as they seek to form their own self-identity and chart their future. Heading back to school means not only the resumption of academic work but also the return of positive and negative peer influences. Parents and ministers can instill values and wisdom in a teen's heart by providing clear and relevant Biblical guidance. Such values and wisdom will help a teen remain focused and productive.

  1. Peer Influence

    • Peer influence can be a powerful factor in a teen's life. Anita Smith of the Institute for Youth Development writes, "Every parent remembers what it's like to be young and influenced by friends." The words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 provide a powerful lesson on personal integrity and a proper view on the opinion of others. He writes that, "it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you." His says we must defer all judgment to God. God sees all and will judge the secrets of everyone's hearts. It is God's praise that will matter in the end. Parents and ministers can help teens prepare for school by reminding them only God's opinion is perfect and ultimately matters most.

    Vision and Goals

    • A person who sets goals makes progress. Noted motivator Zig Ziglar writes, "Studies tell us that only 3 percent of people in the USA set goals, and they are among the wealthiest people in the nation!" Solomon warns in Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no revelation (vision), the people cast off restraint." Vision and goals can motivate a teen to maintain self-discipline in school. Parents and ministers should use Proverbs 29:18 to help a teen see the power of looking to his future and setting goals to get there. An Olympic athlete, for example, has a vision of winning the gold medal. He sets goals for exercise and diet as a result. This text and analogy should also help parents see that vision is a far better motivator than threat of punishment.

    Salt and Light

    • Parents and minsters must remind teens that Christians are called by Christ to be a positive influence on others. Jesus challenges Christians to be "salt" and "light" in Matthew 5:13-16. A Christian is "the salt of the earth." To be a Christian is to "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." John MacArthur notes in his "MacArthur Bible Commentary" that salt was used both as a preservative and a taste enhancer. Light has the obvious benefits of providing illumination. This text can remind a teen that his influence can have powerful, positive and lasting impact on his school friends.

    Sexual Purity

    • Teens need a healthy witness from parents and the Bible concerning the merits of resisting sexual temptations and how to think about the comments they from peers hear at school. Therapist Rob Jackson writes on the Focus on the Family website, "As a therapist I am routinely saddened that the vast majority of my clients who struggle with sex addiction, or those who are married to ones who do, were not mentored in any meaningful way at home." The texts of Proverbs chapter 5 and 7 discuss the folly of sexual sin. Parents and ministers can use these texts to demonstrate how the process of seduction unfolds and the consequences for straying into premarital sex.

    Work Ethic

    • Parents almost universally desire their children to succeed academically. Proverbs 22:29 states that a man who excels in his work will receive honor and recognition. Parents and ministers can use this text to remind teens that diligence will be rewarded.

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