Just for Teachers

Welcome to The Bridge

The Bridge is designed to help junior high students build a biblical foundation while engaging with topics that matter in their everyday lives. Students will move through different topics and series that help them understand The Bible, develop godly character, and apply biblical truth to real-life situations. We’ve designed this with a Sunday school youth class or mid-week youth group in mind.

Our goal is simple: help students know Jesus, understand the Bible, and confidently follow Him in today’s world. We want to make full-circle pursuers of Jesus.

Quarterly Rhythm for Year 1

Each quarter follows a consistent structure that balances Bible study, character development, practical life topics, and wisdom for everyday living.

Quarter Structure

  1. Mark 
  2. Mark
  3. Mark 
  4. Hot Topic
  5. Character Study (OT)
  6. Mark 
  7. Mark
  8. Hot Topic
  9. Character Study (NT)
  10. Mark 
  11. Mark
  12. Mark
  13. Wisdom 

Why This Structure?

This rhythm helps students experience the Bible from multiple angles throughout the quarter:

  • Mark helps students know Jesus.
  • Character Studies help students learn from real people in Scripture.
  • Hot Topics help students connect biblical truth to everyday life.
  • Proverbs helps students develop practical wisdom for daily decisions.

We mix it up througout the quarter to keep each week interesting and fresh for students.

Weekly Lesson Flow

Every lesson follows the same basic structure. This consistency helps students know what to expect and allows leaders to focus on discussion and discipleship.

1. Snapshot (6–8 Minutes)

Start each lesson by watching the lesson video together.

The Snapshot provides a big-picture overview of the lesson and introduces the main biblical truth students will explore.

Teacher Tips

  • Videos can be found directly embedded in the topic online, or at the Bridge Youtube Channel. Take a look at the Year 1, 2 and 3 playlists for all the videos you’ll need.

2. Icebreaker (5–10 Minutes)

After the video, lead the group through the provided activity or discussion starter.

The purpose of the Icebreaker is to:

  • Build relationships
  • Get students talking and comfortable
  • Create a natural bridge into the lesson topic

Teacher Tips

  • Use this time for students to introduce themselves with their name, grade, etc.
  • Feel free to change up the ice breaker or examples if they aren’t relevant to your student’s age group/life.

3. Highlights (10 Minutes)

Next, read through the lesson’s key talking points and Scripture passages together. We encourage you to have students take turn reading them. This keeps them engaged and involved.

This section reinforces the lesson’s main ideas and helps students engage directly with God’s Word.

Teacher Tips

  • Encourage students to use their own Bibles whenever possible.

Goal

Students should leave this section understanding the lesson’s primary biblical truth and where it is found in Scripture.

4. Unpack (20–25 Minutes)

This is the most important part of the lesson.

Use the discussion questions to help students process what they learned and apply it personally. You as the teacher should ask the questions and encourage students to participate. Feel free to be involved in answering the questions yourself.

Teacher Tips

  • Ask one question at a time.
  • Feel free to change up questions or ask your own as you get to know your classroom better.
  • Give students time to think before answering.
  • Ask follow-up questions that help students go deeper.
  • Encourage students to interact with one another, not just the leader.

Helpful Follow-Up Questions

  • Why do you think that?
  • What stands out to you about that?
  • Have you ever experienced something similar?
  • What does this teach us about God?
  • How should this affect the way we live?

Creating a Healthy Discussion Environment

  • Listen carefully.
  • Appreciate every student’s contribution.
  • Redirect conversations gently when necessary.
  • Avoid turning discussion time into a lecture.
  • Keep bringing students back to Scripture.

Goal

Students should leave with a clearer understanding of God’s Word and one practical way they can respond to it.

Leader Expectations

You do not need to be a Bible expert to lead students effectively.

Your role is to:

  • Create a welcoming environment.
  • Facilitate discussion.
  • Encourage participation.
  • Build meaningful relationships.
  • Point students back to Scripture.
  • Help students take practical next steps in their faith and make disciples.

Remember: discipleship happens best through consistent relationships, meaningful conversations, and faithful engagement with God’s Word.

Final Encouragement

Students are looking for authentic adults who care about them and point them toward Jesus.

Don’t worry about having all the answers. Be present. Ask good questions. Listen well. Trust God’s Word and His Spirit to do the work.

Your faithfulness week after week can have an eternal impact.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15b

Lessons in Quarter 1

  1. Mark: The Action Gospel
  2. Mark: The Strangest Influencer
  3. Mark: The Mission Begins
  4. Hot Topic: Back to School Tips
  5. Originals: Noah
  6. Mark: The Upside Down Kingdom
  7. Mark: The Final Word
  8. Hot Topic: Can I Trust the Bible?
  9. The Sequels: Timothy
  10. Mark: Jesus’ Busy Life
  11. Mark: The Ultimate Outcast
  12. Mark: Rulebook vs Relationship
  13. Wisdom: Fear of the Lord

*Insert where necessary in the quarter.

Snapshot (6-10 min)

Get started by watching the lesson video as a group. In this lesson, students learn about Joseph. Joseph’s story shows how God can keep working even when life feels unfair or confusing. Through betrayal, slavery, false accusations, and years of waiting, Joseph stayed faithful and trusted God’s bigger plan. In the end, God used Joseph’s suffering to save many lives and bring restoration to his family. Joseph’s life also points us to Jesus, who suffered and was rejected but ultimately brought salvation to the world.

Icebreaker (5-10 min)

Would You Rather: Go around the room and have each student answer this question:

Would you rather know your whole future right now or have it be a surprise?

Transition: Joseph actually got a glimpse of his future through dreams, but he had no idea how difficult the journey would be to get there. His story shows us that even when we don’t know what’s coming next, we can trust that God sees the whole picture.

*Leaders this is a great opportunity to do introductions. Have students answer the question, along with their name, grade, etc.

Highlights (10 min)

Take turns reading the talking points and Scripture passages aloud. These points help summarize the lesson and give students key takeaways for the day. Have students read the talking points and verses.

  • God can bring something good out of painful situations. Joseph’s brothers wanted to hurt him, but God used what happened to eventually save many lives. Genesis 50:20.
  • Doing the right thing matters even when nobody is watching. Joseph chose to obey God when Potiphar’s wife tempted him, even though doing the right thing ended up costing him. Your choices, whether seen by people or not, still matter to God. Genesis 39:9.
  • We can either choose to get bitter or better. Joseph had the power to get revenge on his brothers, but he chose forgiveness instead. Forgiving someone does not mean what they did was okay—it means refusing to let bitterness control you. Genesis 45:5.
  • Joseph’s story gives us a picture of Jesus. Joseph was rejected and suffered before God used him to save others. Jesus was also rejected and suffered, but through his death and resurrection he offers salvation to everyone who trusts in him. John 6:35.

Unpack (25 min)

Read through the questions one at a time and discuss them as a group. Encourage everyone to participate, listen well, and share honestly. This is an opportunity to learn from God’s Word and from one another.

  1. What part of today’s lesson stood out to you the most? Why?
  2. Joseph kept trusting God even when his life seemed to keep getting worse. What makes it hard to trust God when things don’t go the way you hoped?
  3. Have you ever had something happen that seemed really bad at first, but later you could see something good come from it? What did you learn?
  4. Joseph chose to do the right thing even when no one from his family was around. What are some situations where it can be tempting to act differently when parents, teachers, or leaders aren’t watching?
  5. Joseph had plenty of reasons to stay angry and bitter. What do you think helped him forgive instead?
  6. Are there any areas of your life where you are still holding on to bitterness and need to forgive?
  7. What is one situation in your life right now where you need to trust that God sees the bigger picture, even if you don’t?