SELF CONTROL Program Target: To help youth recognize the value of self-control.

What to do: Set up four stations around your meeting room, placing poster board, magazines and newspapers, glue, markers and scissors at each. abel each according to the !reas of Self"ontrol listed below. #ivide your group into four smaller groups and send each to one of the stations where they$ll find the following instructions% 1: Food
&se words and pictures from the magazines to create a collage illustrating why it$s important to e'ercise self control in this area of your life. !s you work, discuss% (. )hat kinds of problems do people have e'ercising self-control with food* +. )hat kinds of messages do we get from society and the media about food* ,. )hat does -od$s )ord have to say about it* .. /ow does a lack of self-control in this area affect our lives* 0. )hat are some tips to help people be more selfcontrolled in this area* 2: Entertainment &se words and pictures from the magazines to create a collage illustrating why it$s important to e'ercise self control in this area of your life. !s you work, discuss% (. 1s it really necessary to have self-control over what kinds of entertainment we choose* +. /ow does the entertainment we choose affect us* ,. )hat does the 2ible have to say about our choice of entertainment* .. )hat are some principles "hristian youth can apply to help them e'ercise self-control in this area of our lives* 3. Drugs !"#oho" &se words and pictures from the magazines to create a collage illustrating why it$s important to e'ercise self control in this area of your life. !s you work, discuss% (. )hat kinds of problems arise when people don$t e'ercise self-control in this area* +. )hat kinds of messages do we get from society and the media about drugs and alcohol* )hat messages do we get from church* 3arents* 4riends* ,. )hat does -od$s )ord have to say on this topic* .. #oes self-control in this area mean 5ust saying no or e'ercising moderation* $. Edu#ation &se words and pictures from the magazines to create a collage illustrating why it$s important to e'ercise self control in this area of your life. !s you work, discuss% (. )hy does it take self control to get an education* +. )hat are some of the messages we get from others that might keep us from e'ercising selfcontrol in this area* ,. )hy is it so important to be self-controlled about our education* .. /ow can the 2ible help us in this area*

!llow about .6 minutes for this activity, then bring the groups back together to present their collages, and talk through the discussion 7uestions together. Pre%aration Time: -et a large selection of current and recent magazines 8a variety of types% sports, women$s magazines, teen magazines, etc9, newspapers and catalogues. :ou may want to recruit youth group members in advance to bring in magazines to make sure you have enough. 3rovide poster board, scissors, markers and glue.

1f you have more than +. young people attending your meeting, set up ; stations instead of ., with two stations for each category. #ivide into ; smaller groups rather than . larger ones, which will give everyone more opportunity to be involved. 1f your total group of young people attending your meeting is very small 8less than (+9, drop one or more of the categories and set up only + or , stations instead of .. &i'"e Te(t: 2y faith <oses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of 3haraoh=s daughter. /e chose to be mistreated along with the people of -od rather than to en5oy the pleasures of sin for a short time 8/ebrews ((%+.-+0, >1?9. )es%er or C"osing Thought: )e live in a culture that tells us% ife is short@ grab what you want right awayA )e don$t often hear the message of patience, delayed gratification, self-denial. :et these are the principles not 5ust of "hristian living but of all successful living% learning to use self-control to put off shortterm pleasure in pursuit of long-term goals. /elp youth to focus on the big picture B not on rules and regulations, but on what they want to accomplish in life through -od$s power, and what kind of self-control they$ll need to achieve those goals.