What In-N-Out Burger Can Teach Students About Junior High “Drama”

JH-drama

What can In-N-Out Burger teach students about junior high drama?

A lot in fact.

As we all know, middle schoolers have a way of stirring up a lot of “drama”.

And if you live in an area where In-N-Out Burger exists, odds are your middle school students really love their food. In fact, I’m getting hungry just writing about In-N-Out.

That’s why we are sharing this FREE lesson with you. It’s a lesson teaching students how to deal with jr high “drama” using In-N-Out Burger (yum) as a starting point.

This is the first lesson in our new series – Drama Queens & Blow Up Kings: A Fast Food Look at Jr High Drama.

The full version of this series comes complete with series artwork, PowerPoint slides and so much more.

Share this page on Facebook or Twitter to help other middle school leaders get this free lesson.

Enjoy!

LESSON SNAPSHOT

  • Key Verse: 2 Tim. 2:22-24
  • Description: The drama we show to others comes directly from the drama we fill our own lives with; garbage in, garbage out.
  • Visuals: Tabloids/Celebrity Gossip Magazines, Fast Food Meal

LARGE GROUP – TEACH

[Slide 1 – Series Title Slide]

Today we are starting a new series about Jr. High/Middle School DRAMA! We will talk about the craziness that surrounds you with all the things that are served up every day in your schools, around your house, and even here at church, but we’ll do it in a slightly different way. Our new series is called: “Drama Queens and Blow Up Kings,” and we are going to take a “FAST FOOD look” at drama! Let me explain.

[Slide 2-“Drama Queens: (logo)]

For you ladies, your drama comes out in a slightly different way than with the guys. Girls, you tend to be DRAMA QUEENS. You get wrapped up in the emotional, relational, and social side of things. You have to be the QUEEN of your group, and the way you might get there is through gossip, cliques, or other emotional/social means.

[Slide 3-“Blow Up Kings: (logo)]

Guys, however, are a little different. Guys are not as much into being gossipy or letting their emotions show. They tend to be “BLOW UP KINGS.” The drama in your life and your circle of friends come out in physical ways. You don’t quietly pull your friends off to one side or try to hurt other guys emotionally. You do it physically by blowing up and getting into physical or verbal fights.

Transitional Statement: You see, even though the drama in your school, home, and life come out in different ways depending on whether you’re a guy or girl…or even who you are. All of it comes from the same places of sin, culture, and being human. Let’s look at our key verse.

[Slide 4– Key Verse: 2 Tim. 2:22-24]

Read: 2 Tim. 2:22-24, read it aloud for the group.

(* For additional commentary & study help see: www.biblestudytools.com, or www.biblegateway.com )

Say Something Like: Check that verse out! We are supposed to be living differently and “flee” the old ways of being a young person in our world. A part of that is staying away from “foolish talk, stupid arguments and causing quarrels.”

Group Question: (raise your hand survey response)

  • How many of you hear a lot of foolish talk happening with people your age?
  • How about arguments over stupid stuff?
  • Do you see people getting in fights verbally or physically because of dumb drama?

Alright, it would seem this is a problem for almost everyone?” Let’s look at the last part of the verse. It tells us the opposite way to act. [Have volunteer read verse 24b] 

Group Question: (volunteer answer)

  • Instead of “Drama” we are to be what 3 things?

Transitional Statement: So, it’s not just in our own personal life that we see and experience drama. We are fed a constant diet of it everywhere.

[Slide 5- “Reality Shows, Teen TV, and Tabloids”]

Do This: (VISUALS) Hold up a couple different Teen Magazine, and Tabloids.

Wherever we go, we see this. Whether it is the grocery store checkout or on TV, we are being fed a very unhealthy, over-the-top portion of Drama—Gossip, Backstabbing, Lying—with reality shows and even teen TV shows. We constantly are being filled with drama. And just like someone who eats nothing but fast food, eventually it will affect you. Eventually, the drama MUST come OUT!

Do This: (VISUAL #2) Hold up your fast food meal. As you talk, take each item out and hold it up. Maybe even be a bit dramatic at the end when you say the “drama MUST come OUT!” J

Transitional Statement:“What you put IN your heart will come OUT of your mouth and into your life.”

*Optional Visual: Create an additional slide with graphics/logos of popular reality shows that are “drama.” (Keeping up with the Kardashians, Real Housewives,The Bachelor, etc.) You could also  include graphics/logos from popular teen/tween shows that are based on “drama.” (Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Secret Life of an American Teenager, etc.)

[Optional: Video Clip: Trailer for “Super Size Me”] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Lkyb6SU5U

[Slide 6- Lesson Title: IN (the heart) & OUT (the mouth)]

This is the main point. What comes into our hearts is what comes out of our mouths. Let’s read our key verse. 

[Slide 7- Verse: Matt. 12:34-35]

Read: Matt. 12:34-35 you read it aloud for the group (* For additional commentary & study help see: www.biblestudytools.com, or www.biblegateway.com )

So if you fill your lives with nothing but a fast food diet of drama at school, at home, with your friends, and even at church; then you top it with a big portion of magazines and TV shows, what is going to come out? D-R-A-M-A!! Let’s look at the Menu.

[Slide 8- D.R.A.M.A. Menu Item #1: Division]

[Slide 9- Verse: I Cor. 1:10]

Read I Cor. 1:10, have a volunteer read it for the group (* For additional commentary & study help see: www.biblestudytools.com, or www.biblegateway.com )

Group Question: (raise your hand survey response)

  • How many of you have lost a friend or have had a friendship ruined by drama?

Drama DIVIDES; it doesn’t unite. We think if we share a bit of gossip, or we act in a certain way, it will draw us close to others. We will be more united as a group of friends if we talk smack about someone else. It never works, and we are left with… [Resentment]

[Slide 10- D.R.A.M.A. Menu Item #2: Resentment]

[Slide 11- Verse: James 4:1-2]

Read James 4:1-2. have a volunteer read it for the group (* For additional commentary & study help see: www.biblestudytools.com, or www.biblegateway.com )

Group Questions (Volunteers Answer)

  • What does it mean to “resent” someone?
  • What does it mean to “hold a grudge”?

Drama divides friends and causes hurt feelings that last a very long time. It also continues the cycle of drama. “I resent what you did or said, so I am going to get back at you by causing more drama.” It is a never-ending cycle unless we say NO, and it stops with us. The problem is, when we hold resentment toward others, we swallow it down like a big greasy hamburger, but after a while it comes back out like a big stinky burp in our… [Attitude]

[*Optional: Burp for effect J]

[Slide 12- D.R.A.M.A. Menu Item #3: Attitude]

[Slide 13- Verse: Phil. 2:3-5]

Read Phil. 2:3-5 have a volunteer read it for the group (* For additional commentary & study help see: www.biblestudytools.com, or www.biblegateway.com )

Say Something Like: Does your attitude STINK like a big nasty burp? 

Group Questions: (raise your hand survey)

  • How many people have ever had someone burp in their face?
  • How many people wanted to throw up on that person, because it was so bad?

It is a progression. It moves from division to resentment to bad attitudes and it comes out in a response of… [Meanness]

[Slide 14- D.R.A.M.A. Menu Item #4: Meanness]

[Slide 15- Verse: Prov. 17:4]

Read Prov. 17:4. Have a volunteer read it for the group (* For additional commentary & study help see: www.biblestudytools.com, or www.biblegateway.com )

Drama really grows out of our human, sinful meanness. If left unchecked it takes over everything. Maybe you or someone you know is known for being a “mean girl” or “mean guy” because they are truly the Drama Queen or Blow Up King with everyone! But what is that really all about? It’s about trying to be #1 and the need for… [Attention]

[Slide 16- D.R.A.M.A. Menu Item #5: Attention]

[Slide 17- Verse: Prov. 13:10]

Read Prov. 13;10. (* For additional commentary & study help see: www.biblestudytools.com, or www.biblegateway.com )

Absolute PRIDE and the need for attention is the end result; the core of drama. It’s the idea that I have to have everyone see me, hear me, feel me or want to be me.

Group Question: (Volunteer Answer)

  • What was the first sin?
  • What was the one before Adam and Eve?

Answer: PRIDE, Lucifer’s pride and need to “Be God”

Drama—all of it—comes from one place and one individual: SATAN and his pride. That does not fit with who we should be as Christians or as humans. God needs to be number one. He is the one that all our attention belongs to. The second sin was pride, too. Satan tempted Eve with that same lie, “You can be like God.” 

It is time for us to make the choice we need to make every week for the next couple weeks. Are you ready? Here it is…

[Slide 18– Choose Not To Be Involved in JH Drama! – 2 Tim. 2:22-24

SMALL GROUP/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Fun/Bonding:

  • What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
  • What is your favorite menu item?

Lesson Discussion/Reflection:

  • Do you think people are too wrapped up in other people’s drama?
  • Do you think YOU are ever wrapped up in drama?
  • What do you think the biggest cause of drama is around you? (NO NAMES!)
  • Guy Question: Do you see yourself as a “Blow Up King” getting into physical drama? How about others your age?
  • Girl Question: Do you see yourself as a “Drama Queen” getting into emotional drama? How about others your age?

Prayer Challenge:

  • Is there any drama going on in your life or in your relationships that we can pray about?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE:

– Game Ideas: Use the FREE powerpoint quiz: Are You Lov’n It? from Youth Leader Stash as part of this lesson or series: (http://youthleaderstash.com/2010/04/15/im-lovin-it/) or create your own Fast Food Trivia Quiz.

– Series Introduction Bumper: This is a quick video bumper that you can feel free to use as-is or as an inspiration to create your own: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTOZhXfT744