People Who Came Close… But Never Stepped In

What does it mean to be close to Jesus — but not surrendered to Him?

In a culture where faith can become casual, inherited, or performative, many students find themselves near Christianity without fully stepping into relationship with Christ.

Christian-ish is a 5-week youth curriculum designed to confront that tension with clarity, theological depth, and gospel-centered hope.

This isn’t a guilt-driven series.
It’s an invitation.

An invitation to move from almost… to all in.

What’s Inside the Curriculum Bundle

This is a complete, ready-to-lead teaching kit for youth workers, student pastors, campus ministers, and young adult leaders.

5 Fully Developed Teaching Sessions

Each session focuses on a real biblical figure who came close to surrender — but stopped short.

1. The Rich Young Ruler — When Good Isn’t Enough
2. Judas — Close to Jesus, But Never Surrendered
3. Demas — In Love with the Present World
4. Pontius Pilate — When Conviction Meets Fear
5. King Agrippa — Almost, But Never Stepped In

Every Lesson Includes:

Theological Background & Overview

• Historical context
• Biblical theology
• Cultural background
• Clear doctrinal grounding

Leaders don’t just teach stories — they understand them.

Leader Devotional

Before leading students, leaders are invited to examine their own hearts. Each lesson includes a pastoral devotional reflection with guided leader reflection questions.

Because transformation starts with the shepherd.

Pre-Lesson Team-Building Activity

Purposeful, engaging activities designed for older teens and young adults. These aren’t filler games — they reinforce the core theme of the night.

Icebreaker Questions

Thoughtful conversation starters that open discussion naturally without forcing vulnerability.

Real-World Illustrations

Each lesson opens with a powerful, real-world event or historical story that connects emotionally and intellectually with students before moving into Scripture.

Inductive Bible Study Questions

Structured in three movements:

• Observation
• Interpretation
• Application

Students don’t just listen — they learn to read Scripture deeply.

Clear Gospel Connection

Every lesson moves toward Christ.
Not behavior modification.
Not pressure.
But grace-filled clarity about what it means to step in.

Guided Prayer

Thoughtful, theologically grounded closing prayers that model honest surrender.

Printable 5-Day Student Devotional (For Each Lesson)

Each week includes a printable 5-day devotional guide students can take home.

Every devotional includes:

• A focused Scripture reading
• A reflection question
• A journaling prompt

Up-Front Games & Interactive Activities

The kit includes high-energy, room-engaging games that align with the theme of decision, courage, surrender, and drift — without feeling cheesy.

4K Graphics Included

You’ll receive high-resolution 4K visuals for:

• Social media promotion
• Slide backgrounds
• Teaching screens
• Series branding

Professionally designed. Modern. Youth-ready.

Who Is This For?

• Youth ministries (middle & high school)
• Young adult gatherings
• Retreat settings
• Campus ministries
• Discipleship intensives

Why This Series Matters

Students today don’t reject Christianity loudly.
They drift.
They delay.
They hesitate.

Christian-ish helps them name that tension — and respond to Jesus with clarity.

Not almost.
Not someday.
Not when it’s convenient.

Now.

Why Youth Workers Trust Breakaway Resources

Youth workers and children’s ministry leaders trust Breakaway resources because they are built on both a firm biblical foundation and real-world ministry experience. Every curriculum, ministry resource, and outreach tool is rooted in Scripture—handled with theological care, missional awareness, and a clear gospel focus. We are committed to sound doctrine, faithful interpretation, and Christ-centered teaching that aligns with biblical Christianity.

Our resources are forged in the field—tested in a myriad of ministry contexts across the U.S. and around the world. They’ve been used in churches, Bible camps, backyard Bible clubs, sports ministries, trauma-informed outreach settings, and cross-cultural partnerships. That means they are not only biblically solid, but also practical, adaptable, and effective with real kids in real-life situations—where ministry actually happens.

The post Christian-ish: Teen Bible Study Curriculum appeared first on Outreach and Ministry Resources.

A complete package of 15 Bible study sessions + graphics bundle designed for youth and young adults, highlighting the courage and resilience of some of the many inspiring women of the Bible.

This series traces the stories of women from the Old Testament to the New, showing how God meets us in our fear, guilt, grief, shame, hardship, and more — and calls us into courage, resilience, and grace. From Eve’s struggle in the garden to Phoebe’s faithful service in the early church, these 15 sessions invite youth to discover:

• Finding Your True Identity in Christ – moving beyond labels, mistakes, or cultural pressures.
  
• Breaking away from fear, guilt, shame, and more – seeing how God’s grace restores and redefines.
  
• Living Courageously in Faith – learning resilience from women who trusted God in hardship.
  
• Serving with Purpose – following the example of New Testament women who followed Jesus and served the church.

It’s not just Bible study — it’s a journey of identity, resilience, and calling that points to Christ at every step.

Session 1: Eve, Grace and Redemption
Session 2: Sarah, Faith Rewarded
Session 3: Miriam, Bold but Broken
Session 4: Rahab, No One’s Too Far
Session 5: Deborah, God’s Girl Boss 
Session 6: Ruth, Loyalty, Love, and Legacy
Session 7: Abigail, Courageous Peacekeeper
Session 8: Esther, The Queen Who Risked it All
Session 9: Mary, Courage in the Unknown
Session 10: Samaritan Woman, From Shame to Strength
Session 11: Forgiven Woman, Courage to Come Close
Session 12: Mary Magdalene, Faithful When Others Fled
Session 13: Martha of Bethany, Resilient in Grief
Session 14: Priscilla, Teacher of Truth
Session 15: Phoebe, Faithful in the Shadows

This brave and resilient women of the Bible curriculum is designed to fit seamlessly into a variety of ministry settings, including:

• Youth Groups – engaging lessons, games, and graphics that connect with teens.
• Bible Studies – in-depth, inductive study sessions for young adults or families.
• Camps & Retreats – ready-made content for themed weekends or week-long series.
• Girls’ Retreats – empowering stories of resilience to inspire courage and faith.
• Family Bible Studies – adaptable sessions that spark meaningful conversations at home.
• Mentoring Sessions – helpful tools for one-on-one or small group discipleship.
• Women’s Ministry Gatherings – intergenerational studies that highlight God’s faithfulness.

Whether used in a weekly series, a one-time event, or a long-term discipleship track, this bundle gives you everything needed to inspire, equip, and empower.

What’s Inside the Studies

Each session includes:

• Backgrounds & Summaries – clear overviews of each woman’s story.
• Leader Guides – step-by-step help to teach with confidence.
• Leader Preparation Questions – reflection prompts to prepare hearts before leading.
• Icebreakers – fun, easy activities to kick off discussions.
• Inductive Bible Study Questions – guiding youth into observation, interpretation, and application.
• Gospel Connections – showing how each story points to Christ.
• Journaling Prompts – personal reflection opportunities.
• Creative Prompts – short activities to engage imagination and faith.
• Suggested Weekly Challenge – practical faith steps to live out the lesson.
• Fun Group Games – themed, youth-friendly games and activities tied to the story.

Graphics Bundle

• High-Resolution 4K Title Slide for presentation screen.
  
• Lower Third Graphic Slide  for powerpoint, teaching or video presentations.
  
• Logo Graphic for branding your study series.
  
• T-Shirt Graphic for group identity and momentum.

This curriculum equips leaders to run engaging, Scripture-centered studies while giving students creative ways to connect with God’s Word and live it out.

The post Girls, Grit & Grace: Brave and Resilient Women of the Bible appeared first on Outreach and Ministry Resources.

In life it’s easy to get caught up in playing for the approval and the opinions of others, but in the end, it’s not our scoffers or critics by whom we will be judged, only God. This book offers 52 weekly devotions for what it looks like to play for an audience One—to seek first the approval of God over all other voices and influences in our lives.

This doesn’t mean you have no affinity or accountability to your teammates, coaches, family members, or neighbors. Playing for the audience of One means those relationships will be more deeply impacted by the fact that you are playing for a bigger purpose—the chief aim being to please your God and bring Him alone the glory in your life. Playing for an audience of One means you will bring honor to your godly leaders, while ignoring the critics, the haters, and those who are not in your corner. It will even entail overcoming your most difficult opponent: yourself (your fears, your insecurities, your doubts, your lack of confidence). None of these need to get the final word in your performance or the spiritual marathon you are running. By playing for an audience of One, you choose to put God first over all others, including those inner voices that speak contrary to God’s best intentions and His ultimate reign over your life.

Each devo comes with a prayer and questions for personal reflection or group discussion, fitting for athletes, coaches, parents of athletes, and sports ministry leaders who work with athletes. The format of the devos also work well for fostering devotional times and gospel sharing at sports camps/clinics during mission trips.

The post Playing for an Audience of One: Sports Ministry Devotional appeared first on Outreach and Ministry Resources.

Kintsugi is a 500-year-old Japanese art with an interesting philosophy. In kintsugi, broken pottery is valued as a treasure rather than a piece of trash. The art treats breakage and repair as part of the esteemed history of an object—something of a redemptive beauty—rather than something to disguise, cover up, or replace altogether. That’s why in Japan, people will pay big money for the elegance and aesthetic appeal of “golden joinery,” the kintsugi method of mending a vessel after it has been fractured.

The brokenness of our past is an integral part of our unique story, and God’s glorious art of making beautiful things out of broken pieces. When you consider all the people in Scripture who God used in redemptive ways, there is hope for anyone. God never sanitizes the stories of people in the Bible. Our modern church curricula and publishing agencies often “clean up” the stories of these “heroes,” especially when teaching them to children in Sunday School classes. Yet God gives the entire account for a reason. He gives the whole story—the good, the bad, and the ugly. The flaws and failures of others are canonized for a purpose. This is so that we would not glorify their successes or their failures, but that we would always make much of the God who is gracious enough, and faithful to love them despite themselves.

Abraham’s brokenness could be seen in the apparent biological flaw of being too old for God to use. Timothy’s brokenness could be seen in the opposite—being timid in the face of people who thought he was too young for God to use. Peter’s brokenness was exposed in his temperament, his impulsive behaviors, and his rash words at times. Plus, he denied Jesus three times when so much was on the line. The brokenness of Ruth and Naomi was felt in the grief of widowhood, the loss of loved ones. Hagar’s brokenness was rooted in a love triangle manifesting itself in jealousy, bitterness, and rejection. Hosea’s broken marriage was an embarrassing adulterous object lesson for an entire nation. Jephthah’s mother was a prostitute. Samson had a real problem with womanizing and revenge. Gideon was fearful and insecure. Martha was a chronic worrier. Elijah got suicidal. Jacob was a conniving, scheming cheater. Jonah was a prophet who ran from God because he didn’t like the people God sent him to minister to. Paul was persecuting Christians… before he became one. Noah got drunk… after doing something heroic for God. Joseph, well he came from a dysfunctional family that would’ve been typecast for a Netflix drama involving sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, abuse, and betrayal. These are the “elite” characters of that number one bestseller of all time—The Holy Bible.

Each of these characters are a picture of kintsugi—the way God views and values broken people, uses them for His glory, and redeems their stories for other broken people like you and me to be inspired with hope. Broken people are a treasure to God, and He has proven that throughout the ages.

If Jesus were the one telling our stories to others, what would the narrative sound like? If He was the one sharing your testimony, how would the story be told? What would be included? Imagine how pure, raw, and unrefined that would be.

The post God Uses Broken People: 33 People God Used Who Were Broken appeared first on Outreach and Ministry Resources.

SESSIONS:

1. The Inner Battle

2. No Condemnation

3. Discouragement, Depression, Suicidal

4. Worry and Anxiety

5. Dysfunction, Rejection, and Loneliness

6. A Better Struggle (Struggling for Growth in Others)

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The post The Struggle Is Real: Youth and Young Adult Bible Study Series appeared first on Outreach and Ministry Resources.

The leader guides come with background summaries and overviews, and include group discussion questions in a format of ice-breaker, inductive, instrospective, and application. Comes with printable handouts (Talk Sheets), high resolution logo/graphics/backgrounds for banners, visuals, and presentations, as well as a PowerPoint template.

SUMMARY:

What can an ancient Jewish exile teach us about living with courage in a world growing increasingly hostile to people of the Christian faith? Just like the Old Testament story of Daniel, Christ-followers today find themselves in a changing world where “cancel culture” runs rampant, social bullying has become the norm, and Christian persecution is on the rise. These are times of hostility and uncertainty. Apart from the grace and abiding presence of Jesus, our hearts would surely faint. But we are not alone, and that makes all the difference in our lifetime.

Living as a captive in a land far from home, Daniel didn’t conform to his world but transformed it. It wasn’t easy, but it was all part of God’s redemptive plan. We too, have been divinely placed and positioned in a broken world for such a time as this. God has a plan, and we are part of His purposes to be light in the darkness around us. To be faithful to that calling we will need courage. Fortunately, this kind of boldness doesn’t come from our human strength, or something we must manufacture on our own—God wants to give it to us! He is all-sufficient to do that just as much as He is all-sufficient to save us from our sins. God wants to equip us with courage.

In Deuteronomy 31:6 it says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them…” Yet it also tells us why we can be bold and fearless… “for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” That’s an awesome promise for each of us today. Because our strength and courage come directly from the God Who is mighty to save, even the most timid person can be clothed and equipped to live with boldness in the face of the most intense persecution.

Lesson 1: Courage to Remain Pure

Lesson 2: Courage to Stand Up

Lesson 3: Courage to Speak Out

Lesson 4: Courage to Trust God

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The post Among Lions: Daniel Youth Bible Study Series appeared first on Outreach and Ministry Resources.

The leader guides come with background summaries and overviews, pre-lesson activities, icebreakers, student exercises, discussion outlines, team building activities, and printable handouts (Talk Sheets). Includes high resolution logo/graphics/backgrounds for banners, visuals, and presentations, as well as a PowerPoint template.

Lesson 1: God Has a Plan Even When Life is Hard. Though Gideon’s people had turned their back on God and were reaping the consequences, the Lord still heard their cries of distress. No matter  how ugly our circumstances get, no matter how far we have wandered, God is still faithful, and He still has a plan for our good and our future.

Lesson 2: Confronting Our Idols and Insecurity. God calls us to worship Him alone, with uncompromising devotion. Before Gideon could lead his people to bravely face their oppressors, he first had to confront his people’s idolatry and his own insecurities.

Lesson 3: Our Doubts and Fears Don’t Disqualify Us From God’s Plan. Through Gideon’s story, we see that God is much bigger than our weaknesses, and He takes great and gracious measures to overcome our trepidation and our fears, so that we can serve Him with a brave heart.

Lesson 4: The Dark Side of Success and Power. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat people’s weaknesses; it gives us the good, the bad, and the ugly, so that we might learn to “guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”

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Lesson 1: Thriving by Becoming Part of Something Bigger Than Ourselves (living out God’s “one another” commands).

Lesson 2: Thriving by Valuing Others and Loving Our Neighbors (a study on the Good Samaritan).

Lesson 3: Thriving by Overcoming Our Fears and Weaknesses (a study on the youthful leadership of Gideon).

Lesson 4: Thriving by Putting Our Small In The Hands of a Big God (a study on the boy who gave Jesus his five loaves and two fish to feed the multitudes).

Lesson 5: Thriving by Trading In Our Complacency for Compassion (a study on Nehemiah; God wants to break our hearts for the things that break His).

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