Time to Get Real About Worship

Preached to: Middle School Students

Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn

This week at Amplify Youth, we kicked off an exciting new series on worship, exploring what it truly means to value God in our lives. Worship isn’t just about singing songs or going through the motions; it’s about declaring God’s worth through our words, actions, and priorities. Using John 2:12-17, where Jesus cleansed the temple, we learned how distractions and misplaced values can hinder authentic worship.

Students reflected on obstacles that might take God’s place in their lives—like sports, phones, or fear of judgment—and brainstormed ways to overcome them. Through group discussions and personal reflection, they were challenged to evaluate their relationship with God and how they show His value daily.

True worship starts with the heart. As we continue this series, let’s commit to removing distractions and prioritizing God in every aspect of our lives. Worship isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are.

Keep up with all that’s going on at Amplify Youth, including dates, times, sign-ups, and forms, on our main page.

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• Sermon Outline

  Starter:

  • Activity: Students were asked to consider what one item they would save if their house was on fire, emphasizing personal value.

  • Purpose: This activity illustrated how different things hold varying levels of significance for individuals, transitioning into the concept of valuing our relationship with God above worldly possessions.

  Message:

  • Main Idea: Worship is more than singing songs or outward expressions; it is a declaration of God’s value in our lives.

  • Biblical Basis: John 2:12-17 recounts Jesus cleansing the temple, expressing righteous anger at the misuse of a sacred space. This story was used to highlight how misplaced priorities can detract from true worship.

  • Key Lesson: Just as Jesus corrected those in the temple, we must confront anything that takes precedence over God in our lives and realign our focus on Him.

  Dig Deeper:

  • Discussion Groups: Students explored the perspectives of different people in the temple story—merchants, disciples, and Jesus.

    • Merchants valued profit over the sanctity of the temple.

    • Disciples observed Jesus’ actions, learning the significance of righteous anger and passion for God’s house.

    • Jesus acted out of zeal for God’s honor, showing that worship must be pure and focused on God.

  • Practical Reflection: Students identified modern-day distractions that might replace God as their priority, such as sports, entertainment, or fear of judgment during worship.

  Application:

  • Identify Obstacles: Students were encouraged to reflect on personal distractions or habits that hinder their ability to worship fully.

  • Create Solutions: Write down one obstacle and a practical solution to overcome it. Examples included better time management, creating boundaries for extracurriculars, and committing to personal or community worship.

  • Commit to Action: Students were provided with devotionals to guide them in prioritizing worship and valuing their relationship with God in daily life.

  Conclusion:

  • Distribution of weekly devotional as a reminder of the lesson

  • Closing prayer reinforcing the main points of the sermon

• Scriptures

  1. John 2:12-17 (NLT)

  Jesus Clears the Temple
  12 After the wedding, he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.
  13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem.
  14 In the Temple area, he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money.
  15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables.
  16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”
  17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”

• Dinner Table Discussion Guides

  Discussion 1: What Do You Value Most?

  1. Starter Question: If you could only save one object from your house, what would it be and why?

  2. Explore: Why do we place value on certain things? How do our priorities reflect what we value most?

  3. Reflect: What are some ways we can show that we value our relationship with God above everything else?

  Discussion 2: What is Worship?

  1. Starter Question: What comes to mind when you hear the word "worship"?

  2. Explore: Discuss how worship is more than just singing songs—it’s about showing God’s worth in how we live, act, and prioritize our time.

  3. Reflect: What’s one way you can “worship” God this week outside of church?

  Discussion 3: Overcoming Obstacles to Worship

  1. Starter Question: What are some distractions or activities that keep us from fully focusing on God?

  2. Explore: How do these distractions impact our ability to grow closer to God?

  3. Reflect: As a family, decide on one thing you can do together this week to worship God—like praying, reading scripture, or listening to worship music.