On Purpose (part 3) - Ohana Means Family

Balloons –
(Hand out the paper, pens, and balloons)
Say – answer these three questions on your piece of paper, stick it in the balloon, blow it up and tie it off.

What does it mean to be close or tight with someone?
Who in your life are you closest with?
Brother, Mother, Sister, Father, Someone from school, Someone from the neighborhood, etc…
What top three things about your relationship make it close?

Some of you were probably struggling really hard to think of someone in your life who you are really close to, someone you can share anything with, and who will share anything with you. Some of you were probably thinking through a list of names in your head, and trying to pick the one that best matched the description, whether they were a true match or not.

Raise your hand if you are glad you have or wish you had a really close friend.
Do you know why that is? You were made that way. We were made to be close with eachother. We were made for relationships…

When your relationships are good, you are happy. When your relationships aren’t good, you’re not happy.

Bobby was a part of a broken family. His mom and dad got divorced when he was 5. His dad didn’t want him. His mom couldn’t hold down a job. Bobby was eventually taken by the state and put in the Foster Care system. He stayed with the 1st family for 1 year. They already had 2 kids of their own. Their kids never really got along with Bobby, and the parents figured that they had enough of the situation so Bobby was moved on. Bobby went through similar situations like this for the next 7. By the time Bobby was 12 years old, he had lived in 18 different houses. By this time Bobby had developed a pretty self-destructive lifestyle. He thought that if nobody else cared about him, then why should he. Bobby turned 13. He was placed once again in a new house with new people, Bob and Carol. Bob was an architect and Carol was a house wife. Every night after work, Bob would come home and play catch or basketball with him. Carol always had a hot meal ready for him. They bought him new clothes. It wasn’t long before Bobby’s life changed, because somebody cared about him. Bobby was a part of a family now. 3 years later Bob and Carol adopted Bobby as their son.

If you have accepted Jesus into your life, then you are a part of a family.
“When we place our faith in Christ, God becomes our father, we become His children, other believers become our brothers and sisters, and the church becomes our spiritual family.”
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Breakout Session Guide -
1) What does it mean to be authentic and real people?

2) How many people actually know you? When you are here are you really you? What keeps people from being authentic with others?

3) We have to be accepting and encouraging people. What does it mean to be accepting and encouraging? Does it mean that we always agree on everything?

4) Read Galatians 6:2
Can we ever really have true fellowship with one another without sharing eachothers troubles and problems?

5) Do you feel like you are a part of this group or do you feel like you are just kind of here?

6) What makes this a place you want to be? What would make this a place you want to be? Do you think that you can be yourself?