Savin’ Me

June 1, 2007

Main Point of Discussion:
Christians are left on earth so they can share the saving message of the gospel with others.

The Music Video:
“Show me what it's like To be the last one standing.”

Although they had a small-time start in Canada, they are now huge in the US. Nickelback smashed onto the Billboard charts in 2001 with “How You Remind Me” and has convinced us to buy more than 14 million albums since then. Nickelback’s presence has been felt in the pop, hard rock, alternative, and metal crowds. In other words, your teenagers know who Nickelback is!

But just because Nickelback is big doesn’t mean they play nice. From “Fight for All the Wrong Reasons” to “Animals” to “Side of a Bullet,” the band issues its fair share of dangerous messages. Their lyrics are often laced with sex, jealousy, sex, violence, and sex. As much as you may want to turn Nickelback “off,” remember that many kids choose to turn them “up.”

It is possible to teach students about God and His love by using Nickelback’s music without endorsing their music to your teenagers. (The practice of using secular material for sacred purposes goes all the way back to the Apostle Paul. See Acts 17.) You can easily download the video from iTunes for a measly $1.99.

Introducing the Music Video:
While passing out a copy of the song lyrics, say, “You may have already heard Nickelback’s song “Savin’ Me” off their All the Right Reasons album. Reference the lyrics if you need to while watching this music video. Then we’ll talk about it together.”

Song Lyrics:

“Savin’ Me”

Prison gates won't open up for me
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'
Oh, I reach for you
Well I'm terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can't hold my soul and
All I need is you
Come please I'm callin'
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

[chorus]
Show me what it's like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I'll show you what I can be
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me

Heaven's gates won't open up for me
With these broken wings I'm fallin'
And all I see is you
These city walls ain't got no love for me
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And oh I scream for you
Come please I'm callin'
And all I need from you
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

[chorus]

And all I need is you
Come please I'm callin'
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin', I'm fallin'

[chorus]

Say it for me
Say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me

Transitional Statement:
This video shows a man consumed with saving someone’s life because his own life had been saved.

Large Group Questions:

1. What would it feel like to have the ‘sight’ that he had?
2. How would it change your everyday life?
3. Why do you think he felt so responsible to ‘save’ others?

Transitional Statement:
Maybe you’ve wondered why God doesn’t just take people straight to heaven when they trust Christ. Wouldn’t it be great if He did? But He doesn’t because when we are given the free gift of salvation, we have a responsibility to ‘pay it forward’. We don’t know how long people have to live like the guy in the video, but we do have a message that can reset everyone’s eternal ‘clock’ to eternity!

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, everybody take a turn and tell us any memory about a fire, a firefighter, or a firefighter movie.
2. ASK A FEW: Did any of you ever want to be a firefighter? Why or why not?

Read the following passage from the Bible:


Jude 1:23
Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment.

Explain to the students that Jude is calling all Christians to be ‘firefighters’ of a spiritual nature by rescuing them from the flames of judgment.
3. ASK A FEW: What feelings come up when you hear this verse? (e.g., excitement, fear, confusion, etc.)
4. ASK A FEW: What does ‘rescue’ look like here? (Leader-the answer you’re looking for: sharing the gospel and being used by God to ‘save’ them from an eternity in hell)
5. ASK A FEW: How is this like being a firefighter?

Read the following passage from the Bible:


1 Corinthians 9:16
Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!


6. ASK A FEW: Do you think the guy in the video feels ‘compelled’ to save others? Why or why not?
7. ASK A FEW: Why don’t more Christians feel ‘compelled’ to share the gospel with others?
8. ASK A FEW: The word woe here actually means to curse yourself. Would you feel like cursing yourself if you blew an opportunity to ‘save’ someone? Why or why not?

Student Challenge:


9. ASK A FEW: Many of you were rescued by someone willing to share the gospel. Is anyone willing to share the story?
10. ASK A FEW: Do you think God can use you to help save others in the same way? (Leader hint: Encourage your students with the truth that God wants to use them to save others and He will use them if they will allow Him.)
11. ASK A FEW: Is there someone in your life who needs to be ‘rescued from the flames of judgment? If so, are you willing to do anything about it? (Leader hint: Share what you are personally doing about this challenge as well.)

Transitional Statement:
God calls us to be like the guy in the video—to save others by rescuing them from the flames. He’s given us the message of the gospel so we can share it with others! Take this candle and let’s rejoin the rest of the group.

(Pass out small, inexpensive candles to everyone in the breakout groups as they return to the large group.)

Wrap Up:

1. Make sure the room is as dark as possible, while still being safe.


2. Make sure every student from each breakout group has a candle.


3. Make sure you are VERY CLEAR with the following instructions:
   
   Stand in front of the group, with your small candle lit and say, “Tonight we saw a video of a man who risked his life to save someone else. We also read about our responsibility to pay it forward and share the gospel. It’s easy to see that we live in a world filled with people who need to be saved from pain, despair, and sin. These people need someone to go to them, and share the life-saving love of Jesus with them.”
   
   At this point have 2-4 adult leaders come forward and light their candles from the flame of yours. Then have them move through the crowd and light SOME of the students’ candles. Let me repeat that: light ONLY a FEW of the students’ candles!

   Instruct the adult leaders moving through the crowd to whisper into the ear of every student that is chosen to receive light for their candle to NOT LIGHT ANYONE ELSE’S CANDLE. Simply have the adult leaders quietly whisper, “Do not, under any circumstance, light anyone else’s candle. Got it?” Have them nod or answer that they understand you. (Hint: you might want to tell the leaders to go to trustworthy students, not the knuckleheads of the group.)

   When the adults have finished moving through the crowd, hopefully ONLY the candles that they lit are the candles that are presently lit. If that is the case, say, “You will see that everybody has a candle, but not everyone has light. Anyone in here, who has a lit candle, only has a lit candle because someone chose to go to you and offer you light. However, there are many of you in here that still do not have light. It is because no one chose to go to you and offer you light. How does that make you feel?”

   Give them a moment to ponder the question. Then say, “Here is the truth: there are many people who are alive, but still need to be saved. If people who have been saved do not go to them, they may not ever be saved. Anyone who has been saved by Jesus must go with Him and save others!”

   Finally, say, “If you are not happy with how this room looks now, then take your candle and carefully light someone’s candle next to you.” Give them a moment to do this and say, “Now, if you do not like the way this world looks, go and save someone’s life by telling them about the life-saving love of Jesus.”

Close in Prayer:
Close in a prayer that gives students a chance to trust Christ, then ask God to give everyone courage to go and save lives with Him. Then have students extinguish their candles for safety sake.

Wrap Up #2 – An Alternate Ending:
Years of youth ministry has taught me that the coolest of ideas can be ruined by not anticipating the knuckleheads in the group. So if you have someone in your group bent on shortchanging the experience for others, here is a saving reaction to get the same point across:

Say, “You may have noted that the adult leaders ONLY LIT a few candles in the room. But in looking around the room now, it appears as though everyone’s candle is lit. And truthfully, we leaders DID NOT want everyone’s candle lit, but it is just too much to ask of people to keep light to themselves, isn’t it?”

Then say, “Just like in the video at the beginning of the night, one person saved a person who saved a person, and so on. One light leads to three lights, which leads to ten lights, which leads to every light being lit. But no candle is lit without someone intentionally sharing their light. The same is true with people. If we who have been saved by Jesus do not intentionally go and share His life-saving love with others, they might never be saved.”

Close in Prayer:
Close in a prayer that gives students a chance to trust Christ, then ask God to give everyone courage to go and save lives with Him. Then have students extinguish their candles for safety sake.

Written by David Smith and Lane Palmer