What is the most important thing in your life? What is the number one priority?
Have you ever admitted that you are not perfect? You don’t do everything right? You do things that are wrong & immoral (lying, cheating, whining, complaining, disobeying, abusing others either emotionally or physically, and the list goes on…)?
Did you know that because you are not perfect; you are not allowed in Heaven, you are condemned to an eternity separated from the presence of God?
Have you ever acknowledged that Jesus Christ is real, and that He is God? Do you believe that He lived a perfect life?
Did you know that Jesus was killed? Did you know that He was killed for you on your behalf? He paid the price for your sin. Because He died, you don’t have to spend eternity separated from God. (We remember this on Good Friday)
Did you know that Jesus rose from the dead? (We celebrate this every Easter)
Did you know that by accepting Jesus’ payment as your own, you will go to Heaven when you die? Did you know that the decision that you make about Jesus will determine where you spend eternity. That and nothing else.
Some of you have heard the things that I just said and believed them. At some point in your life, you believed what the Bible says about going to Heaven and having a relationship with Jesus. You have accepted the gift of Jesus death on the cross as your ticket into an eternity with Jesus.
Others of you may be hearing this for the first time. Others of you have heard this before, but it just doesn’t make sense to you. You are not willing to believe that it is true. For some people, trusting in Christ is an easy thing to do. For others, it seems to be the most difficult decision that they ever face.
Do you know what having a relationship with Jesus means for your life when you die?
No matter what, you are going to Heaven. It doesn’t matter how bad you mess up.
You will never experience what Hell is like. You will be with God for eternity. You are going to Heaven.
Do you know what having a relationship with Jesus means for your life right now?
You have God living in you. You have the power of the creator of the universe in your body. (Colossal power – Itty Bitty living space)
You have God taking care of your life. You have God directing your life.
The Bible says that you have a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
If you have a relationship with Jesus, will you tell me something about it? What does that mean to you?
Footprints in the sand (briefly)
Have you told anyone about what you have? Have you told anyone about how they can have what you have? If what you have is so great, then why keep it to yourself?
What are the 4 purposes of our life that we have talked about so far?
1. Worshipping God – Showing God how much He means to us
2. Fellowship – Having deep relationships with other Christians
3. Become like Jesus – One day we will be made perfect
4. Serve
Guess what the final purpose of our lives is? Telling people about Jesus
A lot of us, myself included, have a hard time doing this sometimes. Do you know why?
Teens answer
The paralytic man (Luke 5:17 – 25)
One day as He was teaching …Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him in the house to lay Him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”…He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.
Here’s the secret:
1st you have to CARE about people.
I’m a person. I have a life. I have feelings. One day I am going to die. Do you care what happens to me or am I just occupying your time right now?
If that mans friends hadn’t taken him to Jesus, then where would he have spent the rest of his life? _________________ Do you think that he was glad his friends did it? _______
2nd believe that Jesus can save YOUR FRIEND.
You should ask your friend to come to “The Grip”. Oh, you don’t know my friend, they wouldn’t come. How do you know?
The worst that could happen – “I don’t think I’m going to go back.”
The best that could happen – Your friend could meet Jesus.
3rd Do SOMETHING about it.
If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, then it was because somewhere in your life someone cared about you enough to share that with you.
Showing posts with label Teen Talks - On Purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teen Talks - On Purpose. Show all posts
Saturday, March 3, 2007
On Purpose (part 4) - Perfect? Me? Maybe Someday
The Big Idea: You were created to become like Christ
Review –
1. We were created to worship God. We show the world and God how much God is worth to us.
2. We were created to have deep relationship with other people. We need eachother.
We were created for perfection.
Philippians 1:6
…He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about a relationship between God and us.
Point #1:
God loves you.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Point #2:
God wants you to be like Jesus.
Ephesians 4:14-15
…We are no longer to be children, …we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, specifically, Christ.
Point #3:
This is for those of you who accepted Jesus, those of you who have put your faith in Jesus.
It’s all about God –
Salvation from death GOD DID IT –
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive…for by grace you have been saved.
Salvation from sin GOD IS DOING IT –
Ephesians 2:10
…We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Philippians 1:6
…He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
It’s all about Love –
Love –
Why do I do the things I do? What is the foundation? What is my motive?
Say some ‘one-word’ motives.
Hatred; Jealousy; Resentment; Uncaring; Love; What is love not?
Answer the question, If I _________ (this person), then I will do ___________?
Review what of those fits the mold of Christ Jesus (What would Jesus do?)
Ephesians 5:1,2
…Be imitators of God…and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us…
The Bible is the ultimate source of authority and of truth. In the Bible God reveals His character to us. We can look at the life of Jesus to see who God is and what He is like. But we have to read it to know.
How many of you have ever made a New Year’s resolution? How many of you have kept it? It takes discipline, but more importantly it needs to become a part of who you are, and not just something that you do.
God has given those who have believed in Him, the Holy Spirit as a guide
God uses all kinds of different circumstances in our lives to change us and mold us. We have all kinds of struggles at school at home in our neighborhoods. What are some of the things that we struggle with? What’s our biggest question? WHY
Romans 8:28
…We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who were called according to His purpose.
All things – Everything good or bad
The good – Our spiritual growth or our perfection.
-----------------------------------------
Breakout Session Guide D.L. stands for Discusion Leader -
So what? What stood out to you? What questions were raised as we were talking about this? Does this all make sense?
D.L. notes -
Write down or keep a mental note of the questions that are asked and how it was
and how it was answered. Make sure that you understand their question.
What are you going to do about it?
D.L. notes -
This is an area of applying what they have heard. This is a chance to talk about next
steps. 1) Start reading the Bible. Don’t have a Bible? Then take one of ours…
2) Is there a relationship that you are in that is bringing you down (boyfriend/girlfriend;
or maybe just a friend.)…
Take some prayer requests, and then pray with your group.
D.L. notes -
Encourage the other teens to pray for eachother. Praying is simply talking to God.
Write down the prayer requests. Pass out the communication cards, and let them fill
them out, collect them.
Review –
1. We were created to worship God. We show the world and God how much God is worth to us.
2. We were created to have deep relationship with other people. We need eachother.
We were created for perfection.
Philippians 1:6
…He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
The Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about a relationship between God and us.
Point #1:
God loves you.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Point #2:
God wants you to be like Jesus.
Ephesians 4:14-15
…We are no longer to be children, …we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, specifically, Christ.
Point #3:
This is for those of you who accepted Jesus, those of you who have put your faith in Jesus.
It’s all about God –
Salvation from death GOD DID IT –
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive…for by grace you have been saved.
Salvation from sin GOD IS DOING IT –
Ephesians 2:10
…We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Philippians 1:6
…He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
It’s all about Love –
Love –
Why do I do the things I do? What is the foundation? What is my motive?
Say some ‘one-word’ motives.
Hatred; Jealousy; Resentment; Uncaring; Love; What is love not?
Answer the question, If I _________ (this person), then I will do ___________?
Review what of those fits the mold of Christ Jesus (What would Jesus do?)
Ephesians 5:1,2
…Be imitators of God…and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us…
The Bible is the ultimate source of authority and of truth. In the Bible God reveals His character to us. We can look at the life of Jesus to see who God is and what He is like. But we have to read it to know.
How many of you have ever made a New Year’s resolution? How many of you have kept it? It takes discipline, but more importantly it needs to become a part of who you are, and not just something that you do.
God has given those who have believed in Him, the Holy Spirit as a guide
God uses all kinds of different circumstances in our lives to change us and mold us. We have all kinds of struggles at school at home in our neighborhoods. What are some of the things that we struggle with? What’s our biggest question? WHY
Romans 8:28
…We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who were called according to His purpose.
All things – Everything good or bad
The good – Our spiritual growth or our perfection.
-----------------------------------------
Breakout Session Guide D.L. stands for Discusion Leader -
So what? What stood out to you? What questions were raised as we were talking about this? Does this all make sense?
D.L. notes -
Write down or keep a mental note of the questions that are asked and how it was
and how it was answered. Make sure that you understand their question.
What are you going to do about it?
D.L. notes -
This is an area of applying what they have heard. This is a chance to talk about next
steps. 1) Start reading the Bible. Don’t have a Bible? Then take one of ours…
2) Is there a relationship that you are in that is bringing you down (boyfriend/girlfriend;
or maybe just a friend.)…
Take some prayer requests, and then pray with your group.
D.L. notes -
Encourage the other teens to pray for eachother. Praying is simply talking to God.
Write down the prayer requests. Pass out the communication cards, and let them fill
them out, collect them.
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.”
------------------------------
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?
(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.”
------------------------------
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?
On Purpose (part 2) - Pleasing Him; Pleasing Me
adapted from Rick Warren's small group series (The Purpose Driven Life)
There was an old lonely man who made his living out of making wooden dolls and selling them. Some of the dolls he made were very plain, and he sold them for a few dollars. Those dolls were made for children to play with. He made other dolls that he sold for hundreds of dollars. They weren’t for children to play with at all. They were collector dolls. Each one of them was made by the old man’s hand with great care.
One day the man realizing that he was lonely made a doll that he did not intend to sell. He made this doll for himself. This doll was a magic doll. It would be unlike any other doll he had ever made. When he finished with the doll, it could talk to him. It could walk around the shop. It could listen to him. He made a living doll.
One day the doll was on his way to school. A stranger said, “Psst. What are hanging around with that old man for? Don’t you realize that you are special? You are a talking, walking doll. You could really be something. You should spend some time with me. I’m a lot more fun.”
At first, it sounded strange to the doll, but as the days passed he began to think about what the stranger had said. He figured, “I’ll never know unless I try it out. Maybe the stranger is right.” The doll began to hang out with the stranger. They did all kinds of things together. He saw places that he never even knew existed. It was great. He was having a great time. Every night he would go home, and that’s when the great time ended.
The old man would ask him where he had been all day. The doll would say, “You know. I was here and there. I saw a few of my friends.” For some reason the doll couldn’t tell the old man the truth about where he had been. He felt rotten inside. He thought, “If the stranger (now his friend) is right, then why do I always feel so rotten when I come home.”
Just as he was getting ready for bed, the old man walked into his room. He said, “I know where you have been. I can smell your clothes. I can see the shame in your eyes. Don’t you know that you weren’t made to be like that? I made you for me. I made you to be with me. Do you remember a few years ago, when we used to eat breakfast together every morning. We would sit down by the lake and I would teach you. You used to love me.”
The next day would be different. The doll would stop hanging out with the stranger. The old man and the doll would have breakfast together. They would spend the afternoon down by the lake getting to know eachother again.
Some dolls were created to be toys. Other dolls were created to be beautiful things to look at. But you were created to know Him.
God created you for a purpose. He created me for a purpose. I was created to worship Him. You were created to worship Him. You were created to love Him.
So what is worship? What do you think of?
Take some answers…
This is what the Bible has to say about what worship is:
Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30
…Offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.
(HOW DO I DO THAT?) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. – Romans 12:1-2
(HOW DO I DO THAT?) Jesus said, “…Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me… These things I have spoken to you, the My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it abundantly. – Jesus
We are selfish people. We go out into life trying to get ours. We try to get what ever we possible can out of life. We want the best stuff (the newest phone, the latest games, the fasted cars). All of those things are nice, but is that really what your life is all about?
So what do I do to show God how much He is worth to me?
1) Accept His gift of eternal life with Him. (We’ve talked a lot about this)
a. God wants to have a relationship with You, but you have to accept His gift of eternal life first.
i. Admit you are a sinner. That means to admit that you aren’t perfect. Your life doesn’t measure up to God’s standard of holiness. Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and continue to fall short of the God’s standard.
ii. Believe the good news – Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a sinless life, was put to death, was buried, and rose again. And he did it for you.
iii. Accept the gift. Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
b. Say this to God –
i. I admit that I’m not perfect. I don’t meet your standard of holiness. I believe that you died for me. I accept that gift as payment for my sins.
c. If you just prayed that prayer, then write, I DID IT on your Comm. Card.
2) If you’ve already done that, then write “I’ve already done that” on your card.
a. Now get baptized.
i. Baptism has nothing to do with becoming a Christian. Baptism is simply publicly identifying yourself with Jesus. You are saying, “I’m with Him.”
ii. It is a public display of affection for Jesus
b. Write on your card, “I want to be baptized.”
3) If you’ve already done that, then write, “I already got wet” on your card.
a. Now live right. Make up your mind to be right.
b. Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
c. If you have accepted Jesus into your life, then do you realize what you have?
i. “And you were dead, but have been made alive”
God is worth giving everything to. He is worth our devotion. He is worth our time. We were made to do Life Together with Him, to be in relationship with Him. It’s how we were made. It doesn’t work any other way.
Breakout Session Guide D.L. stands for discussion leader -
What did you get out of the story about the doll?
D.L. notes – This is a pretty open-ended question, but the main intent of the story was to
Communicate that when the doll was doing what it was intended to do, it was happy.
The other things that the doll got involved in only brought it shame. This may be a time
To share any ‘doll’ moments that you may have had in your own life.
Read Romans 12:2. It says that we should not conform to the patterns of this world. What are some of the patterns (values) of this world? How does this world draw you into those patterns?
D.L. notes – Have the teens list off some of this worlds’ values. Some ways that we are
Drawn into them are “you will be liked if you...” “you will be more attractive if you…”
Let them come up with the answers. Maybe have them give some specific scenarios from
Their own lives.
What is your greatest priority in your life?
D.L. notes – Encourage honesty here. You can help them by saying, “Fill in the blank: If
Nothing else gets done today except for ____________ then today has been a good day.”
Read Mark 12:30. What is God’s greatest priority for your life?
D.L. notes – Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. –
Mark 12:30 Have them expand on what that actually means. Talk about passion (The
object of your passion is the most important thing.)
There was an old lonely man who made his living out of making wooden dolls and selling them. Some of the dolls he made were very plain, and he sold them for a few dollars. Those dolls were made for children to play with. He made other dolls that he sold for hundreds of dollars. They weren’t for children to play with at all. They were collector dolls. Each one of them was made by the old man’s hand with great care.
One day the man realizing that he was lonely made a doll that he did not intend to sell. He made this doll for himself. This doll was a magic doll. It would be unlike any other doll he had ever made. When he finished with the doll, it could talk to him. It could walk around the shop. It could listen to him. He made a living doll.
One day the doll was on his way to school. A stranger said, “Psst. What are hanging around with that old man for? Don’t you realize that you are special? You are a talking, walking doll. You could really be something. You should spend some time with me. I’m a lot more fun.”
At first, it sounded strange to the doll, but as the days passed he began to think about what the stranger had said. He figured, “I’ll never know unless I try it out. Maybe the stranger is right.” The doll began to hang out with the stranger. They did all kinds of things together. He saw places that he never even knew existed. It was great. He was having a great time. Every night he would go home, and that’s when the great time ended.
The old man would ask him where he had been all day. The doll would say, “You know. I was here and there. I saw a few of my friends.” For some reason the doll couldn’t tell the old man the truth about where he had been. He felt rotten inside. He thought, “If the stranger (now his friend) is right, then why do I always feel so rotten when I come home.”
Just as he was getting ready for bed, the old man walked into his room. He said, “I know where you have been. I can smell your clothes. I can see the shame in your eyes. Don’t you know that you weren’t made to be like that? I made you for me. I made you to be with me. Do you remember a few years ago, when we used to eat breakfast together every morning. We would sit down by the lake and I would teach you. You used to love me.”
The next day would be different. The doll would stop hanging out with the stranger. The old man and the doll would have breakfast together. They would spend the afternoon down by the lake getting to know eachother again.
Some dolls were created to be toys. Other dolls were created to be beautiful things to look at. But you were created to know Him.
God created you for a purpose. He created me for a purpose. I was created to worship Him. You were created to worship Him. You were created to love Him.
So what is worship? What do you think of?
Take some answers…
This is what the Bible has to say about what worship is:
Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. – Mark 12:30
…Offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.
(HOW DO I DO THAT?) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. – Romans 12:1-2
(HOW DO I DO THAT?) Jesus said, “…Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me… These things I have spoken to you, the My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it abundantly. – Jesus
We are selfish people. We go out into life trying to get ours. We try to get what ever we possible can out of life. We want the best stuff (the newest phone, the latest games, the fasted cars). All of those things are nice, but is that really what your life is all about?
So what do I do to show God how much He is worth to me?
1) Accept His gift of eternal life with Him. (We’ve talked a lot about this)
a. God wants to have a relationship with You, but you have to accept His gift of eternal life first.
i. Admit you are a sinner. That means to admit that you aren’t perfect. Your life doesn’t measure up to God’s standard of holiness. Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and continue to fall short of the God’s standard.
ii. Believe the good news – Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a sinless life, was put to death, was buried, and rose again. And he did it for you.
iii. Accept the gift. Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death (eternal separation from God), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
b. Say this to God –
i. I admit that I’m not perfect. I don’t meet your standard of holiness. I believe that you died for me. I accept that gift as payment for my sins.
c. If you just prayed that prayer, then write, I DID IT on your Comm. Card.
2) If you’ve already done that, then write “I’ve already done that” on your card.
a. Now get baptized.
i. Baptism has nothing to do with becoming a Christian. Baptism is simply publicly identifying yourself with Jesus. You are saying, “I’m with Him.”
ii. It is a public display of affection for Jesus
b. Write on your card, “I want to be baptized.”
3) If you’ve already done that, then write, “I already got wet” on your card.
a. Now live right. Make up your mind to be right.
b. Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
c. If you have accepted Jesus into your life, then do you realize what you have?
i. “And you were dead, but have been made alive”
God is worth giving everything to. He is worth our devotion. He is worth our time. We were made to do Life Together with Him, to be in relationship with Him. It’s how we were made. It doesn’t work any other way.
Breakout Session Guide D.L. stands for discussion leader -
What did you get out of the story about the doll?
D.L. notes – This is a pretty open-ended question, but the main intent of the story was to
Communicate that when the doll was doing what it was intended to do, it was happy.
The other things that the doll got involved in only brought it shame. This may be a time
To share any ‘doll’ moments that you may have had in your own life.
Read Romans 12:2. It says that we should not conform to the patterns of this world. What are some of the patterns (values) of this world? How does this world draw you into those patterns?
D.L. notes – Have the teens list off some of this worlds’ values. Some ways that we are
Drawn into them are “you will be liked if you...” “you will be more attractive if you…”
Let them come up with the answers. Maybe have them give some specific scenarios from
Their own lives.
What is your greatest priority in your life?
D.L. notes – Encourage honesty here. You can help them by saying, “Fill in the blank: If
Nothing else gets done today except for ____________ then today has been a good day.”
Read Mark 12:30. What is God’s greatest priority for your life?
D.L. notes – Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. –
Mark 12:30 Have them expand on what that actually means. Talk about passion (The
object of your passion is the most important thing.)
On Purpose (part 1) - What on Earth am I Here for?
adapted from Rick Warren's small group series (the purpose driven life)
The purpose of life has been a question that has been asked for years. Everyone has an opinion on what the purpose of life is.
We ask ourselves questions like –
What do I want to be?
What are my goals, ambitions, and dreams for my future?
The focus is all on us. Some things that we aspire to do are very admirable. (Give me some examples) Some other things that we aspire to do are maybe not so much.
The secret to living a life of purpose is very simple. You have to start at the beginning.
It all starts with God –
God created you. He created you for a purpose.
Colossians 1:16 “Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.”
You can only discover your true identity and true purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Have any of you been told that you were not planned.
Maybe you were a honeymoon baby.
Maybe you were a ‘one-night stand’ baby
Maybe you were a ‘prom night’ baby
Maybe you were an accident (Impossible)
Maybe you were a mistake (Impossible)
No matter when you were born or under what circumstances you were born into, you are not an accident.
Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. You were created on purpose.
Psalm 139:16 {The author is talking to God} “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and all the days of my life were written in Your book, before there was even one of them.”
God tells us in Isaiah 44:2 “I am Your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.”
Why do you do what you do? What controls you? What guides you through life? Are you aiming for something? What drives you?
1) Guilt – Do you do things because you feel like you have to make up for something that you did in the past to someone?
2) Anger and Resentment – Are you out to get somebody, because of something that happened to you?
3) Fear – Do you not pursue opportunities, because you are afraid of something? What will they think? What if I don’t know what to say? What if she thinks I’m an idiot? What if he rejects me?
a. Legally Blonde – UPS guy and the Nail lady. She’s crazy about the guy, but she never talks to him. She’s afraid and intimidated.
4) Materialism – Do you always want more stuff? Are you never satisfied?
5) The Need for Approval – Do you allow other people’s expectations dictate what you do? Are you a people pleaser? Is your goal in life to please everybody?
There is more to life than just here and now.
How long is your life going to be? (Teens answer)
Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has planted eternity in the hearts of all men.”
How long is eternity? It’s really long. It doesn’t ever end. Our lives here on Earth are not even a fraction of the lives that we will live on the other side of our death.
This life is preparation for the next life.
If you live your life with Eternity in view, then your values will change. Why? Because there are eternal consequences for the choices that you make now before you die.
How do you see your life?
Is it a circus, a minefield, a roller coaster, a puzzle, a journey, a dance, or maybe something else.
What are the standards of this world? You’ve got to get yours. You have to be popular. Greed, lust, jealousy, hate, selfishness, and so on…
The Bible says, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God.”
Life is a test – What standards are you living by? What decisions are you making? Who are you serving, yourself or God?
Life is a trust – What are you doing with the life God gave you? Are you destroying it with drugs? Are you dropping down some sex or getting as close as you can without going ‘all the way’ when you want it? Or are you respecting the person that you supposedly ‘love’?
Life is temporary – The Bible says that life is a vapor. It’s here and then it’s gone. In that vapor, you decide what will happen when the vapor is gone.
How many of you have ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend?
As the girlfriend, is there anything that you boyfriend could do that would result in your getting angry with him? What?
As the boyfriend would you do that or would you try and please her (make her happy)?
When you do things to please her, you are showing that she is worth enough to you to not look at other people. She is worth spending a little less time with your other friends. She is worth it.
The ultimate purpose in my life and your life is to show how great God is, and how much he is worth. He’s worth:
- Doing right
- Taking time out of your day to spend with Him (prayer, bible reading, Sunday morning)
- Not messing up your life with drugs
- Putting off your sexual urges until you are married
- Loving and obeying your parents
- Surrounding yourself with positive friends
- And the list goes on.
The ultimate purpose of man is to show how much God is worth. Quite frankly, we do a horrible job of it.
One day you will stand before God and give an account for yourself –
Romans 14:10,12 “Each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God, and give a personal account to Him.”
The first question you will have to answer is, “What did you do with my son, Jesus Christ?” How you have answered that question will determine where you spend eternity.
The second question you will have to answer is, “What did you do with what I gave you?” How you have answered that question will determine what you do in eternity. At the end of this discussion series on Purpose, you will be able to answer both those questions.
---------------------------------------------------
Breakout Session Guide D.L. stands for discussion leader –
What are your thoughts on the statement “You can only discover your true identity and true purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.” Do you agree or disagree and why?
D.L. notes – God created us for a purpose. Finding that purpose begins with Him. He
knows what that purpose is. You cannot know your purpose in life, if you do not the one
who created you (Colossians 1:16 – Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose
in Him.)
What would your family say is the driving force in your life? What would your friends say in the driving force in your life? What do you want it to be?
D.L. notes – Guilt, Anger, Resentment, Fear, Materialism, Need to be Approved are the
ones that we discussed. Some of the kids may have other ideas of things driving their
lives. Try and drill down to the core reason behind what they say, if it makes sense to.
This doesn’t need to be a point of debate. You can just accept what they say for what it
is.
If you were to live your life with eternity in view; what is one thing that you would stop doing? What is something that you would start doing?
D.L. notes – This question is focusing on values. Would your values change? Would
you treat you parents different? Etc… Be careful here, because this question is not
focusing on where you will spend eternity. If there is a God, and there are eternal
consequences for my actions (good or bad), then how will I live my life?
Rhetorical Question: What is God worth to you?
D.L. closing notes – God showed you how much you are worth to Him by sending His
only son to die for you. The only reason He did that was because He loves you.
John 3:16 (paraphrase– Because God loved you so much, He gave His only Son so that
you could have eternal life with Him. You need to make a decision. Will you accept
Jesus as your savior and live your life in a way to show that God is worth something?
It’s a faith thing. You recognize that you can’t get to Heaven, because of the wrong
things that you have done. Believe that Jesus paid that price for you (The wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.). Accept the gift as your
own. It’s that simple. Close by passing out the Communication cards. Ask them fill
them out. Then collect them.
The purpose of life has been a question that has been asked for years. Everyone has an opinion on what the purpose of life is.
We ask ourselves questions like –
What do I want to be?
What are my goals, ambitions, and dreams for my future?
The focus is all on us. Some things that we aspire to do are very admirable. (Give me some examples) Some other things that we aspire to do are maybe not so much.
The secret to living a life of purpose is very simple. You have to start at the beginning.
It all starts with God –
God created you. He created you for a purpose.
Colossians 1:16 “Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him.”
You can only discover your true identity and true purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Have any of you been told that you were not planned.
Maybe you were a honeymoon baby.
Maybe you were a ‘one-night stand’ baby
Maybe you were a ‘prom night’ baby
Maybe you were an accident (Impossible)
Maybe you were a mistake (Impossible)
No matter when you were born or under what circumstances you were born into, you are not an accident.
Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. You were created on purpose.
Psalm 139:16 {The author is talking to God} “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and all the days of my life were written in Your book, before there was even one of them.”
God tells us in Isaiah 44:2 “I am Your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born.”
Why do you do what you do? What controls you? What guides you through life? Are you aiming for something? What drives you?
1) Guilt – Do you do things because you feel like you have to make up for something that you did in the past to someone?
2) Anger and Resentment – Are you out to get somebody, because of something that happened to you?
3) Fear – Do you not pursue opportunities, because you are afraid of something? What will they think? What if I don’t know what to say? What if she thinks I’m an idiot? What if he rejects me?
a. Legally Blonde – UPS guy and the Nail lady. She’s crazy about the guy, but she never talks to him. She’s afraid and intimidated.
4) Materialism – Do you always want more stuff? Are you never satisfied?
5) The Need for Approval – Do you allow other people’s expectations dictate what you do? Are you a people pleaser? Is your goal in life to please everybody?
There is more to life than just here and now.
How long is your life going to be? (Teens answer)
Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has planted eternity in the hearts of all men.”
How long is eternity? It’s really long. It doesn’t ever end. Our lives here on Earth are not even a fraction of the lives that we will live on the other side of our death.
This life is preparation for the next life.
If you live your life with Eternity in view, then your values will change. Why? Because there are eternal consequences for the choices that you make now before you die.
How do you see your life?
Is it a circus, a minefield, a roller coaster, a puzzle, a journey, a dance, or maybe something else.
What are the standards of this world? You’ve got to get yours. You have to be popular. Greed, lust, jealousy, hate, selfishness, and so on…
The Bible says, “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God.”
Life is a test – What standards are you living by? What decisions are you making? Who are you serving, yourself or God?
Life is a trust – What are you doing with the life God gave you? Are you destroying it with drugs? Are you dropping down some sex or getting as close as you can without going ‘all the way’ when you want it? Or are you respecting the person that you supposedly ‘love’?
Life is temporary – The Bible says that life is a vapor. It’s here and then it’s gone. In that vapor, you decide what will happen when the vapor is gone.
How many of you have ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend?
As the girlfriend, is there anything that you boyfriend could do that would result in your getting angry with him? What?
As the boyfriend would you do that or would you try and please her (make her happy)?
When you do things to please her, you are showing that she is worth enough to you to not look at other people. She is worth spending a little less time with your other friends. She is worth it.
The ultimate purpose in my life and your life is to show how great God is, and how much he is worth. He’s worth:
- Doing right
- Taking time out of your day to spend with Him (prayer, bible reading, Sunday morning)
- Not messing up your life with drugs
- Putting off your sexual urges until you are married
- Loving and obeying your parents
- Surrounding yourself with positive friends
- And the list goes on.
The ultimate purpose of man is to show how much God is worth. Quite frankly, we do a horrible job of it.
One day you will stand before God and give an account for yourself –
Romans 14:10,12 “Each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God, and give a personal account to Him.”
The first question you will have to answer is, “What did you do with my son, Jesus Christ?” How you have answered that question will determine where you spend eternity.
The second question you will have to answer is, “What did you do with what I gave you?” How you have answered that question will determine what you do in eternity. At the end of this discussion series on Purpose, you will be able to answer both those questions.
---------------------------------------------------
Breakout Session Guide D.L. stands for discussion leader –
What are your thoughts on the statement “You can only discover your true identity and true purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.” Do you agree or disagree and why?
D.L. notes – God created us for a purpose. Finding that purpose begins with Him. He
knows what that purpose is. You cannot know your purpose in life, if you do not the one
who created you (Colossians 1:16 – Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose
in Him.)
What would your family say is the driving force in your life? What would your friends say in the driving force in your life? What do you want it to be?
D.L. notes – Guilt, Anger, Resentment, Fear, Materialism, Need to be Approved are the
ones that we discussed. Some of the kids may have other ideas of things driving their
lives. Try and drill down to the core reason behind what they say, if it makes sense to.
This doesn’t need to be a point of debate. You can just accept what they say for what it
is.
If you were to live your life with eternity in view; what is one thing that you would stop doing? What is something that you would start doing?
D.L. notes – This question is focusing on values. Would your values change? Would
you treat you parents different? Etc… Be careful here, because this question is not
focusing on where you will spend eternity. If there is a God, and there are eternal
consequences for my actions (good or bad), then how will I live my life?
Rhetorical Question: What is God worth to you?
D.L. closing notes – God showed you how much you are worth to Him by sending His
only son to die for you. The only reason He did that was because He loves you.
John 3:16 (paraphrase– Because God loved you so much, He gave His only Son so that
you could have eternal life with Him. You need to make a decision. Will you accept
Jesus as your savior and live your life in a way to show that God is worth something?
It’s a faith thing. You recognize that you can’t get to Heaven, because of the wrong
things that you have done. Believe that Jesus paid that price for you (The wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.). Accept the gift as your
own. It’s that simple. Close by passing out the Communication cards. Ask them fill
them out. Then collect them.
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