(SMS) Shine

The Song: “(SMS) Shine by David Crowder Band

Main Point of Discussion: Life sometimes throws trials our way, but God promises to be with us in the dark times and bring beauty out of tragedy.

Introducing the Song:
The David Crowder Band has self-produced a visually stunning, entertaining video with a strong message about the way God works in the midst of our trials. Let’s watch the video then we’ll discuss the message behind the lyrics.

The Music Video:
The song’s video can be found at the following link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8cAU475dQo

Lyrics to “SMS (Shine)”:

Send me a sign
A hint, a whisper
Throw me a line
‘Cause I am listening
Come break the quiet
Breathe your awakening
Bring me to life
‘Cause I am fading

(surround me)
The rush of angels’ wings

(chorus)
Shine your light so I can see you
Pull me up I need to be near you
Hold me I need to feel love
Can you overcome this heart that’s overcome

You sent a sign
A hint, a whisper
Human divine
Heaven is listening
Death laid love quiet
Yet in the night a stirring

(all around)
The rush of angels

(chorus)

Oh the wonder of
The greatest love
Come for us
Oh the wonder of
The greatest love
Has come

(chorus 2)
Shine your light so all can see it
Lift it up cause the whole world needs it
Love’s come down what joy to hear it
He has overcome
He has overcome

Divide into Small Groups: Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

1. AROUND THE CIRCLE: Before we dive in, let’s go around and say our names and what some of our favorite toys were when we were kids.


2. ASK A FEW: Was using the Lite Brite board a more powerful way to communicate the story the song told? Why or why not?


3. ASK A FEW: What is your reaction to the love story that was played out in the video?


4. ASK A FEW: How do the lyrics match up with the story in the song? (Leader—answer you may be looking for: his heart must have felt overcome, but God brought beauty in the end)


5. ASK A FEW: What are the lyrics saying about how God works in the midst of trials?


6. ASK A FEW: In what ways can God personally relate to the loss that the character in the video went through?

Read the following passage from the Bible:

Romans 8:18; 26-28
18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later…26And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. 28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.


7. ASK A FEW: What is the “glory he will reveal to us later”? (Leader—answer you may be looking for: we will be rewarded for trusting God during hard times)


8. ASK A FEW: Why don’t we always know what God wants us to pray for? (Leader—answer you may be looking for: we can’t always see the big picture or how God’s sovereignty comes into play)


9. ASK A FEW: Do you believe the Apostle Paul must have gone through some serious suffering before he wrote the letter to the Romans? Why or why not?


10. ASK A FEW: How can knowing that the Holy Spirit is personally praying for us help in times of trials?

Now say something like:
A little earlier we read Romans 8:28, a verse that says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” It’s sometimes a verse that people quote to their friends who are going through pain. The problem with that is people in pain have a hard time seeing how their trials can be anything near “good,” so quoting this verse can have a reverse effect. What most people don’t know is that when Paul wrote this passage, his life was going well—he was in a pumped-up state of mind when he penned that promise from God. Not long after, though, he was arrested and thrown into prison where he couldn’t be a missionary anymore. The interesting thing is that God used that time in prison to inspire him to write most of the New Testament. So what seemed like the farthest thing from “good” for Paul actually became so in the end.

So this verse is not one you probably want to quote to people who are really struggling emotionally during trials—but you should keep it in mind for yourself when times are good so you can hold to its promises in the hard times.

11. ASK A FEW: Do you believe God can take any tragic circumstance and work it out for good? Why or why not?

Say something like:
We need to remember that the “good” here doesn’t necessarily equate to our personal happiness, but rather as in Paul’s case, it will be for the “good” in our relationship with God and his perfect plans.
12. ASK A FEW: How could God work things for good in the case of a serious loss like that character in the “Shine” video experienced?


13. ASK A FEW: Under what conditions does God work all things together for our good? (Leader—answer you may be looking for: God does so for those who love him and are concerned about following his call and purpose)


14. ASK A FEW: Have you ever experienced these promises in a personal way? If so, share what happened…


15. ASK A FEW: What are a few specific ways we could apply the promises of the Holy Spirit interceding and God working all things together for good to our lives?

Wrap Up:
One of the reasons David Crowder wrote “Shine” and produced the video was to remind us that Christ-followers have the amazing privilege of knowing that tragedy and loss are not the final statement in life. Not only that, but God takes the ashes of our fiery trials and brings beauty out of pain. Let’s reflect on what that might mean for us personally.

(Give students pencils and copies of the application exercise that follows and ask students to think about the prompts and fill in the blanks.)

We know that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses.
The weaknesses I need help with right now are:

We know that God works all things together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.
The things in my life that I am asking God to work together for good are:

We know that Jesus is the Light who shines in the darkness.
The dark areas of my life where I need Jesus to shine are:

Close in Prayer:
Close in a prayer that gives students a chance to trust Christ, then ask a few students to offer prayers of thanks to God for his promises.

Written by Lane Palmer