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Youth Group Topic: Conflict

February 10th, 2010 |

Author: Queenie

Once again this week we are going over Jim Burns “Uncommon Bible Study Outlines”

What’s Your Problem?

TOPIC

Dealing with conflict

DESCRIPTION

Christians often fear and avoid conflict. Yet the early apostles argued and fought about the essential issues of their day. This study explores some of the disagreements in the Early Church and draws some conclusions about conflict among Christians and how it should be managed.

KEY VERSE

“When the believers heard this, they stopped arguing” (Acts 11:18, NCV ).

BIBLICAL BASIS

Acts 10; 11:1-19; 15:1-29; Ephesians 4:26,29

The Big Idea

Conflict is a part of life even among Christians. The Bible teaches how we should face conflict, resolve it and get on with the work of God.

Aims of the Study

Examine how conflict is a normal part of human interaction.
Help students discover that they can settle their differences and move on after conflict
Help students implement a plan for dealing with conflicts.

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INTRODUCTION (a couple of options)

Divide students into smaller groups. Ask each group to develop a skit that illustrates a problem that is common to contemporary teen culture. Suggest things such as gang activity, parent issues, sibling rivalry, school issues or friendship difficulties. Instruct each of the students to go into separate rooms, write a brief (two to three minutes) skit, and then rehearse it so that they can perform it before the rest of the groups. The skit should demonstrate a conflict that includes an argument. The catch is to challenge them to come up with two outcomes for their skit. The first outcome should demonstrate what it might be like without using Christian principles or allowing God to be part of the solution. The second should bring godly principles into the situation. Of course, the second alternative should be the goal. Give groups a time limit of no more than 15 minutes to put their skits together. Then allow only 15 minutes for all of the groups to perform the skits. Watch your time carefully so that this exercise will not consume the entire meeting without allowing for the Bible study portion.
Show the following funny videos on Conflict

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5c5KMvR16c&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGL3lXFt5X8&feature=channel
Find a game that involves conflict

In The Word

Paraphrase the story of Peter’s vision in Acts 10 before looking at Acts 11 and 15. Read the listed Scripture passages and make the following points.

I. The Early Church Faced Serious Issues

A. Read Acts 11:1-3. Conflict had the potential of destroying the unity of the Church.

B. The issues were based on whether or not Jewish believers could associate with Gentiles for the purpose of evangelism.

II. Discussion Brought Understanding and Unity Read Acts 11:4-19. The arguing ceased because they faced theirdisagreements and talked it through.

III. The Early Church Gathered to Talk About the Issues

A. Read Acts 15:1-6. The circumcision issue (whether or not Gentile Christians needed to be circumcised to be saved) caused controversy in the Early Church.

1. Early Christian missionaries shared Christ, not Jewish custom.

2. Because of this, disagreements arose.

C. Remember, these were all Christians who were arguing.

D. They gathered to talk it through (see v. 6).

IV. The Early Church Referred to Scripture

A. Read Acts 15:12-18. Look at the process of gathering, listening, discussing and drawing conclusions.

B. Imagine how the discussion proceeded.

1. Was it ho-hum or passionate with loud voices and arguing and disputes? (Play it out for students.)

2. Note Simon’s conclusions.

V. The Early Church Resolved the Conflict Read Acts 15:19-29. The leaders of the Early Church concluded thatGentiles need not follow Jewish practices to be saved.

1. They listed the important issues to be followed—those with spiritual ramifications.

2. They dropped the nonessentials.

3. The leaders decided to send other church leaders to help convey the message face to face so that further confusion could be avoided.

VI. Conclusion

A. Six things to note about how the Early Church dealt with conflict:

1. They disagreed.

2. They argued.

3. They gathered together to deal with the problem.

4. They did not leave until it was settled.

5. They concluded in agreement.

6. They shared the conclusion with others.

B. Let the students discuss times in their lives when resolution of conflict brought a deeper understanding of an issue. Make the point that God does not want believers to avoid conflict to have a peace that will not last. Rather, He desires us to seek the truth and work out conflicts.

C. Discuss the following questions:

1. What was the last conflict that you had with someone? (No names, please!)

2. What was the conflict about?

3. What, if anything, did you do to resolve the situation?

4. If you did not resolve the issue, what needs to be done to resolve it?

5. Think about the person you have the most conflict with. Why do you think you have so much conflict with that person? (Again, no names!)

6. Finish the sentence: “I seem to encounter a lot of conflict when it comes to . . .”

7. What are some of the ingredients that cause conflict? (Examples: people not listening, gossip, differing opinions, lack of information.)

8. Finish the sentence: “I usually handle conflict by . . . ” (Examples: walking away, shouting, laughing it off, giving in, compromising, getting mad, pouting, being cruel, becoming violent, confronting the person.)

9. What is one thing that you learned from this lesson on how to deal with conflict?

Further Scriptural Help

Often, Christians miss the purpose and meaning of anger.

Refer to Ephesians 4:26: “ ‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Explain that anger causes us to underline our convictions, letting others know what we are passionate about, emphasizing why we feel strongly about an issue and perhaps righting a wrong. There is nothing wrong with anger. However, there is one rule: Do not allow your anger to become the cause of sin.
Also refer to Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.” Help students realize that anger should not be expressed in rage and it should not be used to manipulate others. The goal of our conflict is to grow together in Christ.

Scripture Verses

Acts 11:1-3 (New International Version)

Peter Explains His Actions

¹The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ²So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him ³and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

Acts 15:1-6 (New International Version)

Acts 15

The Council at Jerusalem

¹Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ²This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. ³The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. ⁴When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.

⁵Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

⁶The apostles and elders met to consider this question.

Acts 15:12-18 (New International Version)

¹²The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴Simon^[a] has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. ¹⁵The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
¹⁶” ‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
¹⁷that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’^[b]
¹⁸that have been known for ages.^[c]

Acts 15:19-29 (New International Version)

¹⁹“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. ²¹For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²²Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. ²³With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. ²⁴We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

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