Prior to students arriving, write the following statement at the top of the whiteboard (or screenshared document): I feel ___________ today. As students come into class, have them write (or share with you so can record) a word or phrase below the statement that describes their answer. Examples: happy, tired, stressed out, hungry, mad, worshipful, thankful, etc.

After most students have had a chance to write something, begin your group time by reading the sentence and filling in the blank with what students have written down. Don’t use anyone’s name specifically.

If someone wrote that they felt confident, save that for last and then proceed. If no one mentioned that they felt confident, comment that no one mentioned it and proceed. Confidence is one of those things that people don’t often associate as a feeling. It is a feeling, but it is also more than that. Feelings come and go. Being confident or acting confidently is something that is a broader concept, but it is a trait that exudes from a person’s inner being, person, or personality. Confidence is contagious. If you are around a confident person, your confidence in him or her grows.

Invite students to call out the names of people they consider confident. Some might name friends or family members, others may respond with the names of celebrities, some students might choose to mention their coaches or teachers or music leaders. After a few students have called out names, ask volunteers who shared a name to elaborate on why they picked that person to describe confidence. For example, a student may say, “My band director, Mr. Smith, bellows out commands to us and we listen carefully” or “My best friend isn’t afraid to go to a party where he doesn’t know anyone.”

Confidence can take on many forms. That is what makes confidence such a unique and great trait to have, but that may be why most of you didn’t use it to fill in the blank when you answered how you were feeling earlier.

Share the following clip with your students [4:19; start at 0:30]:
5 Ways We Show Confidence With Body Language

• What thing that the video shared about confidence rang true with you? (Answers will vary.)
• Do you think confidence is an important trait to have? Why? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
• Do you feel confident most of the time? Why do you think that is? (Answers will vary. Invite only volunteers who want to share with the group to do so. Most teenagers lack confidence and may find this a difficult issue to discuss.)
• Does feeling confident help you when you approach people or enter a new situation such as a school assembly or a party? Explain how confidence and our ability to approach others might be connected. (Answers will vary but assure students that having confidence and our ability to approach others do go hand in hand.)

Confidence in ourselves may come and go depending on how well we know how to do something or how sure we are about our knowledge in a certain area. But we can always be confident in approaching God when Jesus is on our side. Let’s find out more.