Worship: One is the Loneliest Number
Preached to: Middle School Students
Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn
The lesson focused on the power of worship, emphasizing how it can be expressed in all emotions—whether happy, sad, or frustrated. Students were previously assigned to write their own psalms, reflecting personal experiences with God. An activity involving a Nerf battle illustrated how working together is more effective, paralleling the importance of corporate worship.
The teaching highlighted Acts 16, where Paul and Silas worshiped in prison despite their suffering. Their worship led to a supernatural earthquake, freeing them and opening an opportunity to share the gospel with the jailer and his household, who were ultimately saved and baptized.
The discussion underscored how worship releases spiritual power, explained through the acronym POWER:
P: Perspective is gained – Worship shifts focus from problems to God.
O: Others come to faith – Worship can lead others to Christ.
W: Warfare begins – Worship serves as a spiritual weapon against the enemy.
E: Encouragement is received – Worship uplifts and strengthens believers.
R: Restoration is achieved – Worship brings spiritual renewal and healing.
The message concluded with encouragement to engage in personal and group worship, emphasizing upcoming events like a worship night on March 9th and the importance of preparing spiritually for Easter. The closing prayer asked for students to grow in their understanding and practice of worship, both individually and together.
Keep up with all that’s going on at Amplify Youth, including dates, times, sign-ups, and forms, on our main page.
-
STARTER:
The session began with a fun Nerf battle, illustrating how teamwork provides an advantage, emphasizing that life—and worship—is better together than alone.MESSAGE:
The teaching focused on the power of worship, using Acts 16 as an example, where Paul and Silas worshiped in prison despite their suffering. Their praise led to a supernatural earthquake, freeing them and opening the door for the jailer's salvation. Worship was framed through the acronym POWER:P: Perspective is gained – Worship shifts focus from problems to God.
O: Others come to faith – Worship can lead others to Christ.
W: Warfare begins – Worship is a spiritual weapon against the enemy.
E: Encouragement is received – Worship uplifts and strengthens believers.
R: Restoration is achieved – Worship brings renewal and healing.
DIG DEEPER:
Students discussed how music influences emotions and shared personal experiences of how different types of music impact their moods. They reflected on the challenges of worshiping alongside imperfect people, realizing that worship is about focusing on God, not others' behavior.APPLICATION:
Students were encouraged to set aside personal worship time throughout the week and come prepared for upcoming group worship events, like the March 9th Worship and Prayer Night, ready to engage wholeheartedly and experience the power of worship together. -
Acts 16:16-34 (NLT)
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes.
17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.”
18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her.
19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.
20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials.
21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.
23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape.
24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
Paul and Silas Praise and the Earthquake
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!
27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.
28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”
32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.
33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.
34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.
-
🍽 Discussion #1: Worship Beyond Sunday
📌 Question: What are some ways we can worship God that don’t involve singing?
💬 Follow-up: Have you ever felt close to God while doing something like serving, praying, or just being grateful?
🙏 Challenge: Let’s each name one thing we’re grateful for today and turn it into a quick “thank you” prayer.🍽 Discussion #2: Worship in Every Emotion
📌 Question: In youth group, we talked about worshiping God in different emotions—happy, sad, frustrated, afraid. Which emotion do you think is hardest to worship in? Why?
💬 Follow-up: King David worshiped even when he was scared or angry (Psalm 42, Psalm 55). How do you think worship can change our perspective in tough times?
🙏 Challenge: Let’s each pick an emotion and find a Psalm that reflects it this week. We’ll share what we find at the next meal!🍽 Discussion #3: Writing Our Own Psalm
📌 Question: If you were to write your own Psalm to God, what would it say? Would it be a praise, a question, or a cry for help?
💬 Follow-up: David was really honest with God in the Psalms. Do you feel like you can be that honest with God? Why or why not?
🙏 Challenge: As a family, let’s each write a short sentence or phrase that expresses how we feel toward God today. We’ll put them together as our own family Psalm!
