How to Teach Teenagers About Trusting God in Uncertainty

Time needed: 1 hour

Materials Needed: Bibles, whiteboard, markers, post-it notes

1. Set the Scene

   Begin by creating a safe space for honesty. Ask students to reflect quietly, then share if they want:
   What’s something in your life right now that feels uncertain, unstable, or unresolved?
   
   You’ll likely hear a range—grades, friend drama, family tension, college stress, sports performance. Validate their responses. Many students feel pressure to project confidence, so this may be one of the first times they name what’s unknown in their lives.
   
   Introduce the theme of biblical trust: trusting God is not about predicting outcomes—it’s about surrendering to God’s character even when we don’t know what’s coming next.
   
   Pro Tip: Encourage your students to stop asking “What if?” and start practicing “Even if.”

2. Walk Through the Story of Daniel 3

   Open your Bibles to Daniel 3 and work through the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three teenagers are faced with a life-or-death ultimatum: worship a false god or be thrown into a furnace. What’s remarkable is not just their courage, but the way they express it in verses 16–18: “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us… But even if he does not, we want you to know… we will not serve your gods.”
   
   Slow down and read that again. Ask students:
   What do you notice about the way they talk about God?
   Why would they still trust God even if He didn’t save them?
   What do you think their trust was actually rooted in?
   
   Use this passage to dismantle a performance-based view of faith. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn’t trust God for a specific outcome—they trusted God because of who He is.
   
   Pro Tip: Write “God can. God will. But even if He doesn’t…” on a whiteboard and let students unpack each part together.

3. Tie It to the Gospel

   God doesn’t just call us to blind trust—He models what it means to live with uncertainty and surrender. Point students to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood as He cries out: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
   
   In that moment, Jesus modeled a fully human response to fear and uncertainty—but He also surrendered Himself fully to the Father’s plan. This is not the trust of denial. It’s the trust of someone who knows the Father’s heart.
   
   Ask:
   Why does Jesus’ example matter when we talk about trusting God?
   What does His “not my will” prayer teach us about faith under pressure?
   
   Then connect it back to your students: Trusting God in uncertainty doesn’t mean ignoring pain. It means following the path Jesus walked first.
   
   Pro Tip: Help students write their own “not my will” prayers—short, honest declarations of trust even in their fears.
   
   

4. Lead Through Application & Discussion

   Transition into small group or whole-room discussion. The goal here is to move from understanding to owning. Use questions like:
   What situation in your life right now makes it hard to trust God?
   What outcome are you still holding tightly to?
   What does it look like to release that to God—not just in theory, but this week?
   
   Let students wrestle here. Trust isn’t usually a one-time decision. It’s a habit—something they’ll have to practice over and over as new uncertainties show up.
   Make space for silence. A few moments of quiet reflection can go further than a rushed conversation.
   
   Pro Tip: Remind them that trust isn’t passive. It’s active surrender. Choosing to pray, obey, and move forward—even if.

5. Interactive Activity – “Even If” Wall

   Wrap up with an embodied, memorable experience that lets students articulate their trust.
   
   Instructions:
   Give each student two sticky notes. On the first, they write something uncertain or unresolved in their life. On the second, they finish this sentence:
   “Even if ___ happens, I will still trust God.”
   
   Invite them to place both sticky notes on a large poster board or a wall in the room. Let them read others’ declarations if they feel comfortable. After everyone has posted, read a few “Even if…” statements aloud (anonymously) and pray over the board as a group.
   
   Pro Tip: Take a picture of the wall and send it to the group later in the week as a reminder of the trust they’re learning to walk in.