“Who’s Counting”
Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
Taking a stand for Christ is a challenge when it is a call to live differently from all those around. However, God finds ways to speak hope and clarity into our lives.
How was your week? Did you find yourself having to make any difficult choices? Life is full of choices—will you wear jeans or shorts to school? Will you binge watch something or do your homework? Those are easy choices, but what about the difficult ones? How do you decide what you are going to do? Our lesson is about the choice each of us have to make: Will you follow God or not? It may seem like a no-brainer, but many people struggle to make this decision. Our lesson will provide you with the opportunity to evaluate decisions that were made by people in the Bible and give you the opportunity to make your own choice.
Who do you trust for news: Fox News, CNN, The Guardian, The Hill, or Yahoo? Wherever you get information, you had to make a choice about whether they are trustworthy or not. Every day we are bombarded with information that we use to make choices, so again, how do you decide what you are going to believe. That’s the crux of our lesson. God asked His people of old to make a choice and He is asking you to make the same choice: Choose to follow Him or choose to take a different path. One leads to a saving relationship and one leads to destruction.
Read 1 Kings 18:20-22.
20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
But the people said nothing.
22 Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets.
A man lay in a hospital bed in terror wondering what the next day would bring. He was having a necessary lifesaving surgery the next day, but the surgery itself might cost him his life. As the hospital chaplain and he talked, it became obvious that the patient didn’t have a solid faith to lean on. Over the course of the next little while, the conversation twisted and turned, but finally ended up with the ultimate decision. Would the patient go into surgery with his faith solidly on God or would he leave his life was up to chance as it had seemed to be up to this point?
Isn’t this the same question that Elijah posed to Israel? Do you choose God or Baal? What must it have been like to be Elijah up on Mt. Carmel?
Our situation today isn’t much different. Those who choose God are outnumbered by those who are making different choices. What evidence or information do you need in order to make this choice?
Read 1 Kings 19:14-18.
14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
Read Revelation 18:2, 4, 5.
2 With a mighty voice he shouted: “ ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “ ‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.
Back to the hospital: As the conversation with the patient began to wrap up, the chaplain shared the story of Jesus and the thief on the cross. For a moment the room went silent, but then the patient began to pray the first prayer of his life.
“Jesus, I am a sinner. I need you in my life. I have done some terrible things, but I choose you as my savior. Please save me. I trust you whatever happens.”
The room went silent and then the tears began to flow. After a while, the man looked up and with a smile on his face said, “It’s OK, now that Jesus is my best friend.”
A week later, the man went to sleep in Jesus, but some of his final words were: “I love Jesus!”
For many of you studying this lesson, your life is ahead of you. The decisions you make will have a significant impact on how you live your life and the confidence you will have when you face difficult decisions.
Who do you choose?
Read 1 John 1:9.
9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Read Psalm 103:10-12.
10 “He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
In 2 Chronicles 20:1-15, we witness a pivotal moment in the history of Judah, as King Jehoshaphat faces a grave threat to his kingdom. News arrives of a formidable coalition of enemy forces amassing to attack Judah from the east, comprised of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Meunites. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Jehoshaphat does not rely on his military might alone but immediately turns to seek the Lord's guidance and protection.
Calling upon all the people of Judah, Jehoshaphat initiates a nationwide fast, summoning them to gather in unity at the temple in Jerusalem. The scene is one of collective urgency and desperation as the nation unites in prayer, acknowledging their dependence on God in the face of imminent danger. Standing before the assembly, Jehoshaphat leads the people in a heartfelt prayer, invoking God's sovereignty, power, and faithfulness to their ancestors.
Jehoshaphat's prayer serves as a poignant reminder of God's past deliverance and His enduring promise to protect His people. In response to their sincere supplication, the Spirit of the Lord moves upon Jahaziel, a Levite in the assembly, who delivers a message of divine reassurance and guidance. Jahaziel assures Jehoshaphat and the people that the battle does not belong to them but to the Lord. He encourages them to stand firm, trust in God's promises, and witness His salvation. This divine revelation fills the people with renewed hope and confidence, instilling in them a profound sense of faith as they prepare to face the daunting challenge ahead.
As they depart from the temple, Jehoshaphat's words echo in their hearts, reminding them of the timeless truth that victory ultimately belongs to the Lord. With this profound conviction driving them forward, the people of Judah prepare themselves not for battle, but for a manifestation of God's power and deliverance. Their journey ahead is fraught with uncertainty, yet they march forward with hearts fortified by prayer, unity, and the unwavering belief that their God is faithful to His promises. This pivotal moment in Judah's history serves as a testament to the enduring power of faith and the transformative impact of seeking God's guidance in times of crisis.
Share about a time when you stood by and watched God handle someone who hated you.
Read 2 Chronicles 20:1-15.
After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat.
2 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3 Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4 The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6 and said:
“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you. 7 Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 8 They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying, 9 ‘If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’
10 “But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them. 11 See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
13 All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.
14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jahaziel son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite and descendant of Asaph, as he stood in the assembly.
15 He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
1. What was the impending threat that King Jehoshaphat and Judah faced?
2. How did King Jehoshaphat meet the threat posed by the enemy forces?
3. Where did the people gather to seek help from the Lord?
4. Who led the assembly in prayer before the Lord in 2 Chron. 20:1-15?
5. Who gave a word of God’s hope to King Jehoshaphat and the people?
6. What was the key divine word given to King Jehoshaphat and the people?
7. What are those things you find difficult to turn over to The Lord?
8. In what areas of your life do you find it least likely that you will trust in God?
In the aftermath of Jahaziel's prophecy, a palpable sense of unity and determination sweeps through the gathered assembly. The people of Judah, buoyed by the assurance of God's intervention, find newfound strength amidst their fear and uncertainty. Inspired by Jehoshaphat's leadership and the divine guidance they have received, they resolve to trust in God's promises and face the impending threat with unwavering faith.
This passage underscores that God’s miraculous power is displayed when trepidation and peril loom. God always shows up for His faithful people and brings hope in His own way. Below, find some application activities to interface with this lesson. These are simply to provide ideas for your usage, or to invite you to imagine and create some of your own, as you impact the lives of teens for God’s glory.
