We Can Be Courageous!

Middle School

Lesson 7
Fall 2025
By: RLD Editorial Team
October 19, 2025

Lesson Focus:

We can be courageous with God’s strength.

Bible Basis:

Joshua 2:2-6, 9, 11, 15; Hebrews 11:31

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Internet access
Whiteboard and marker (or screenshared document)

Step 4:

Internet access
Paper
Pens/pencils

Summary & Links:

Students will watch a video about a courageous teen as they explore what courage is and Who they can turn to when they need courage.

Memory Verse:

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
—Philippians 4:13

Students will watch a video about a courageous teen as they explore what courage is and Who they can turn to when they need courage.

Materials Needed:

Internet access
Whiteboard and marker (or screenshared document)

As students enter today, have each student share one courageous thing they did last week. Allow plenty of time for volunteers to share their responses.

Courage can take on a lot of different forms. Being courageous isn’t just for firefighters or police officers, although they are definitely very courageous. Athletes, students, musicians, performers, family members, neighbors, and friends all can live courageously.

Share the following video [2:03]: Teen rescues 11-year-old boy from Snohomish County lake

Ask the following questions related to today’s video clip.

How did Gage show courage when he was swimming while holding the boy who could have drowned? (Answers may include the following: Gage chose not to assume the boy would be okay, he risked his own safety to help, he didn’t even have to think about whether or not helping was the right thing to do, etc.)
What might have happened if Gage had become too afraid to act? (The boy would have likely drowned.)
What do you think it means to be courageous? (As students respond, write their answers on the whiteboard (or screenshared document). Some examples may be: saving a life, being brave and trying something new; standing up for something or someone; going out of your way to do something to help another person; taking a risk [physical or emotional or spiritual]; praying for someone who is facing a hardship, learning something new; giving of your time; etc.)

Courage comes in a lot of different forms. Sometimes we feel helpless to act—perhaps out of fear. But we can be courageous with God’s strength. Today we’re going to talk about someone who tapped into God’s strength to act courageously, saved God’s people, and joined in their fight.

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

Internet access
Paper
Pens/pencils

If your class is meeting online, invite students to bring supplies with them to class.

Help students see that courage is something we all can possess with God’s strength. Rahab was not the only brave person in today’s Bible lesson. Joshua and Caleb trusted God to protect them in enemy territory. Joshua and Caleb had been found out to be spies, but Rahab hid them, keeping them safe and allowing them to escape. Rahab risked her life, home, and citizenship to follow Israel’s one, true God. It was a courageous act that ended up saving her life and her family.

At the beginning of today’s lesson, we looked at what it means to live courageously.

Why is God’s strength a necessity in living a courageous life? (It is hard to find courage in ourselves. As sinners we sometimes do the selfish thing rather than the right thing. God’s strength is necessary to live life courageously.)

Why do you think it is often difficult to be courageous? (Answers may include: peer pressure, the need to fit in; the strain of being labeled a “snitch” or tattletale or teacher’s pet.)

Doing the right thing is not easy for anyone but it may be even harder for middle schoolers who are trying to fit in among their peers. Distribute supplies (or invite students to have them ready at home) and encourage students to write down five goals they want to accomplish this school year. Allow a few moments for students to write them down. Ask students to put a star next to any of the things that will require courage on their part.

As your students work, you may want to play the following music video [4:38]: You Are My Strength – Hillsong Worship

If time allows, invite any students who wish to do so to share with the larger group what they wrote down and/or what they marked.

Oftentimes courageous people are labeled as heroes. These are the people we often hear about. Sometimes, however, doing the right thing is not a popular thing to do; even though doing something was courageous, it might not feel like or be acknowledged as heroic. Let students know that you will pray for them as they set out to accomplish some of the goals they wrote down. It takes courage to stand up for what’s right. Have a volunteer read Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Encourage students to write this verse on their piece of paper and put it in a place this week where they will read it often.

Conclude today’s lesson by asking God to give courage to each student who is desiring it with God’s strength. If some goals seem impossible, remind students that God is able.

Be sure to follow up with individual students to see how they went about meeting their goals and being courageous while doing so. Expect to have many more stories of courage next time your group meets again. Don’t be afraid to have students share how God provided strength in these times.

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School