what matters most (web) -...
TRANSCRIPT
What
Matters MOST
Understanding your role in God’s story
Christ Church, PCA
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SCHEDULE
Chapter 1 THE STORY Chapter 2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chapter 3 THE PLOT THICKENS Chapter 4 THE PURSUIT Chapter 5 THE LEADING LADY Chapter 6 CASTING FOR YOUR ROLE Chapter 7 LEARNING YOUR LINES
BETWEEN YOU AND GOD Chapter 8 LEARNING YOUR LINES
BETWEEN YOU AND GOD’S WORLD Chapter 9 STEPPING ONTO THE STAGE
AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS Chapter 10 LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
TELLING GOD’S STORY THROUGH YOUR STORY
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REHEARSALS
An important part in discovering your role in God’s story is for you to understand the gifts and talents he has given you and figuring out how you can use them to help expand His Kingdom. Below is a list of different opportunities for you to explore at Christ Church. During this discipleship course you should plan on participating in the food pantry once and also choose at least two additional jobs from the remaining options. Plan on trying each job for at least one Sunday but more than one is even better! The contact person for each ministry area is listed (by congregation) so you can get in touch with them before you serve. CHRIST CHURCH FOOD PANTRY • Volunteer
Spend a Saturday morning volunteering with the Christ Church Food Pantry (located in the Community/Youth Center of the Mandarin Campus @ 9791 Old Saint Augustine Road). Help with checking in clients, filling carts, assisting clients getting groceries to their car and praying with those who request it. The pantry distributes food on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month (except November & December when it it’s the 2nd & 3rd Saturday). To help on a distribution Saturday, arrive at the community/youth center at 8 am, you’ll be done by noon. Another option is to help with bagging on the Thursday prior to distribution @ 4pm. You will be done no later than 5:30. Contact: Kathy Clements, 904-‐945-‐8338 or [email protected]
CHRIST CHURCH KIDS • Nursery
Invest in the youngest members of our church by participating in play, purposeful interaction, and assisting the teacher in the room. Must be at least 13 years old to participate. Contacts: Mandarin Congregation-‐ Carrie Shiver, 904-‐405-‐6413 or cshiver@christchurch-‐pca.org East Congregation – Amber Kubalewski, 301-‐997-‐5900 or akubalewski@christchurch-‐pca.org
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• Children’s Church Helper
Assist the adult leaders in the room. Make sure kids are participating and playing games properly, help with any crafts, written activities, taking attendance, etc. Contacts: Mandarin Congregation-‐ Allison Ristau, 410-‐279-‐1131 or aristau@christchurch-‐pca.org East Congregation-‐ Amber Kubalewski, 301-‐997-‐5900 or akubalewski@christchurch-‐pca.org
WORSHIP MINISTRY • Musician
For those who play an instrument and want to learn how to use those gifts for worship
• Vocalist For those who are gifted vocally and want to learn how to use your gift for worship
• Audio Assistant Learn how to set up and run sound for Sunday worship services (could be a valuable skill to learn for anybody that is interested), will require training Contacts: Mandarin Congregation – Meredith Williams, mwilliams@christchurch-‐pca.org East Congregation – Parker Roberts, 904-‐923-‐0101 or [email protected]
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SUNDAY OPERATIONS • Greeter
Greet and welcome folks attending worship, help visitors with information
• Usher (guys only) Assist with seating folks for worship, handing out bulletins, taking the offering and other tasks Contacts: Mandarin Congregation-‐ Don Christopher, 904-‐629-‐1047 East Congregation-‐ Adam Pogachnik, 904-‐403-‐8307
ADMINISTRATION/COMMUNICATIONS • Office Help
Help for an hour or two with the “behind the scenes” work that helps our church function including office work, filing, bulletins, supporting staff and member care. Mondays – Thursdays 9am-‐4:30pm. Contacts: Christine Kennedy, 904-‐705-‐1315 or ckennedy@christchurch-‐pca.org Katie Pogachnik, kpogachnik@christchurch-‐pca.org
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ONLINE RESOURCES
The video clips referenced in the @ Home sections can be found by clicking “What Matters Most” under the “Resources”
tab of each congregation’s webpage at
www.christchurch-‐pca.org
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THE STORY
“I wonder what sort of tale we’ve fallen into?”
- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord Of The Rings @ Home
Take a look – Have a family movie night. Pick a movie with a good story – a story with a happy beginning, a tragic turn of events, a main character that comes to save the day at great personal cost and restores things to the way they should be at the end (The Lord of the Rings or The Lion or The Witch and the Wardrobe would be good examples). As you’re watching, think about how you react to the different parts of the story – think about how you react to the story in your thoughts and in your emotions.
Talk about it – After the movie, spend some time talking with your family about the following questions:
• If you had to summarize the theme of the movie in one word what would that word be?
• If you were a character in the movie, which one would you be and why?
• What emotions did you experience during the movie and what prompted those emotions?
• Do you think it would be cool to be a part of this story? • Did anything in this movie remind you of your own life?
Write -‐ Use the following questions to help you write in your journal:
• If your life story was made into a movie what would the title be?
• Who would some of the main characters be (besides yourself!)?
• Describe some of the happiest moments in your life. • Describe some of the toughest times in your life. • Does your life seem like an unfolding story to you?
Backstory
Life, you’ll notice, is a story.
Life doesn’t come to us like a math problem. It comes to us the way that a story does, scene by scene. You wake up. What will happen next? You don’t get to know – you have to enter in, take the journey as it comes. The sun might be shinning. There might be a tornado
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outside. Your friends might call and invite you to a movie. You might fail a test.
Life unfolds like a drama, doesn’t it? Each day has a beginning and an end. There are all sorts of characters, all sorts of settings. A year goes by like a chapter from a novel. Sometimes it’s a tragedy, sometimes a comedy. Whatever happens, it’s a story through and through. And when it comes to figuring out this life you’re living, you’d do well to know the rest of the story. Story is the language of the heart. If you want to get to know someone, you need to know their story. Their life is a story. It, too, has a past and a future. It, too, unfolds in a series of scenes over the course of time. The biggest story of all is God’s story. God has been alive for all of eternity, so His story is vast. We can’t know all of it. In fact, it’s safe to say we know very little. However, the Bible gives us a peek and that peek helps us understand what we need to know about God. Like all good stories, it has a plot: a good creation, a horrific fall into sin, a long and faithful story of redemption, concluding with a final restoration. But the Bible is more than a report about what God has done; it is a living story, one that has power to change the lives of new generations. Belief in its message opens the door of the heart to God himself. In the coming weeks we will take a look at the different parts of this story and how your role in this story is a part of the cosmic story God is telling. Adapted from EPIC by John Eldredge and Storyline 2.0 by Donald Miller
Plot Points
Genesis 2:1-‐4 (The Message) Ecclesiastes 3:11
Psalm 119:105 2 Timothy 3:10-‐17
Catechism
New City Catechism Question 1 & 42 What Matters Most?
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR “I had always felt life first as a story—and if there is a story there is a story
teller.” - G. K. Chesterton
@ Home
Take a look – With your family, go to the youth webpage and view the video for Week 2 by Louie Giglio.
Talk about it – After the video, spend some time talking with your family about the following questions: • Do you think about God in the way Giglio describes Him in the
video? • How did watching the video challenge your thinking about God? • What influences the way you think about the character of God
(either for good or bad)? • What are some words you would use to describe God to someone
who has never opened the Bible or been to church? • Does it seem like the vast God described in the video could be the
author of your story? How so or not so?
Write -‐ Spend some time writing in your journal writing about how you view God, how knowing God influences your life, how God’s big story might relate to your personal story. Also write down some of the words you used to describe God in the discussion with your family. Next to each word write how you react to that characteristic or personality trait of God (for instance “it give me hope” or “it makes me afraid of him”). Be honest.
Backstory
You can learn a lot about an author from the stories he writes. The setting of the story, the characters, the plot, the ending, all give insight into his character. And the more you understand about an author the more insight you have into the stories he creates. As author of the Bible, God reveals much about Himself through its stories. He reveals a lot about Himself through your story too. Of course all of the stories of the Bible combined with all of the stories of every person on Earth still only give us a relatively small glimpse into the character of God. As the Louie Giglio video described, God is so vast that we will never fully be able to understand Him. But what we are able to know
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(through the Bible and what He created) is what we need to know to make sense of our own stories here on Earth. Read the following quote about God, you may need to read through it a few times to “get it” but as you read, consider what it reveals about your God. “God, existing in loving community as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, created all things to be His. The wondrous world God made was His kingdom, over which He would rule in delight and fellowship. He made man in his image, and established an amazing intimate fellowship with him, one filled with joy, peace, love and purpose, a fellowship absent any hint of fear, dread, guilt or shame. Man was to be “in God’s image”—like God in many ways, but especially in exercising responsible dominion of the world entrusted to him, a dominion that would result in the development of all dimensions of culture to honor God.”
It begins by telling us how God’s story begins—and how our story begins in the Garden of Eden. It begins by telling us how life should look. We should live in a sweet intimacy and fellowship with God—like growing children who get along well with their Father and talk with Him about absolutely everything without ever feeling guilt, embarrassment, or frustration about his rules. We should get excited to wake up each day to live our lives in our Father’s world, doing business for Him so that He is excited about all we do creatively with his world.
This is the way it should be, but it is not the way things are. That’s not because our Father is different than the one described in the early chapters of Genesis. It’s because we are different.
The Author of the Grand Story told in the Bible is awesome. The story of creation tells of His power: to create all things merely by speaking! But even more, He’s the King of the whole creation. He’s the one who assigns how both plant and animal kingdoms are to reproduce, “each after its own kind.” He’s the one who created time on the 4th day. And to cap it all off, He made us to be His sons and daughters, to be His “spitting image.” We were made to live in deep fellowship with Him, and to get an absolute kick out of living life in His world, showing Him each day what we had done, and hearing Him say to his children: “great job!”
You may think that this amazing life was just for Adam and Eve alone. But it was not; it was God’s design for all of us. No, you and I are not
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in charge of all of creation, like they were. Each of us has a much smaller set of responsibilities. Yet each of us is unique, created with special gifts and abilities to serve our Father with creativity and joy—all designed to make Him happy! That’s why he made you!
Plot Points
Genesis 1 John 1:1-‐5 Psalm 86:8-‐10 &15 Hebrews 12:1-‐2 Catechism
New City Catechism Questions 2-‐6 What Matters Most?
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THE PLOT THICKENS
“And there was war in heaven.”
- Revelation 12:7 @ Home
Take a look – With your family, view the two video clips from the movie Apollo 13 (Week 3) posted on the youth webpage.
Talk about it – After you view the videos spend some time talking with your family about the following questions: • What thoughts and emotions do you think the different characters
were experiencing during the first clip (the launch)? • What thoughts and emotions do you think the different characters
were experiencing after the second clip (Houston, we have a problem.)?
• Sometimes things we can’t control affect us. Share an example of a time when you experienced a problem cause by someone or something else? How did you react or respond?
• Sometimes we create our own problems and difficulties. Share an example of a time when something you did or didn’t do resulted in problems for yourself and/or others. How did you react or respond and how was the problem resolved?
Write -‐ Journal about the last time you betrayed someone AND about the last time you were betrayed. How did it make you feel? Why? Over your lifetime there have most likely been some times when “something went wrong” that have changed the course of your story. Sometimes the change is small sometimes it is big. Write down a list of these events.
Backstory
Stories, if you notice, always have a twist. Usually things start of well enough but then something happens that moves the plot in a different direction and affects the rest of the story. Sometimes an evil character is introduced who sets out to make bad things happen. These stories are not new, in fact every single one of these stories in one way or another is an echo of God’s original story. Early on in God’s story we read about the creation of Adam and Eve. Not long after they are introduced to us we learn how they were tempted in the garden by Satan and ultimately decided to rebel
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against God. Along with their decision came consequences as God had promised – consequences that still affect us to this day.
First, there were some very personal consequences in the relationship between God and Adam and Eve. God had promised that “the day you eat of the forbidden fruit, you will surely die.” So, immediately they did. No, not physically, but spiritually. Spiritual death means separation from God. Instead of living in intimate closeness with the God who used to talk with them face to face daily in the cool evenings, Adam and Eve ran and hid. They covered themselves. They were ashamed because they were guilty. You know what that feels like.
Second, there were consequences in the relationship between Adam and Eve themselves. The man and woman felt shame between each other for the first time, sewing loincloths to cover that shame. (3:7).
Third, there were consequences in their roles. Adam was to be the one managing God’s entire creation. But now he would have to deal with thorns and thistles. Creation would itself be broken. Work would now be difficult. And Eve, who was to serve God at Adam’s side would still be called to bear children, but now it would be painful—both during delivery and afterwards, when her children would break her heart. On top of this, they would experience tension in their marriage, fighting and arguing over “whose the boss around here?” (See 3:16).
Finally, that first sin had a profound effect on the whole cosmos God had made. Before, heaven and earth had been one. Now, heaven and earth experienced a rending, a tearing apart, a rupture. Adam and Eve could no longer walk in the presence of God in the garden anymore. God kicked them out of the garden, banishing them until the matter of their sin and rebellion would be resolved.
From this point on the plot line changes and the story shifts. Now God begins His work of restoring His creation to the way He meant it to be. He pursues the ones He created even though He knows that it will cost Him much.
Plot Points Genesis 3
Romans 3:10-‐12 Romans 5:12 Ephesians 5:5-‐6
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Catechism New City Catechism Questions 7-‐20 What Matters Most?
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THE PURSUIT
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full.” - Jesus
@ Home
Take a look – Together with your family, watch the video for Week 4 posted on the youth webpage. The clip this week is from is from the movie Luther and portrays an important (and historical) moment of the life of Martin Luther. In case you are not familiar with his story, it is important to understand that he was a monk in the Catholic church in Germany around the start of the 16th century – a time of great corruption in the church (including the practice “indulgences”-‐paying money to the church to receive forgiveness for sins). He stirred up trouble by boldly confronting the church in his writings and ultimately by posting 95 statements rejecting the church’s practices. Both the Pope and Holy Roman Emperor at the time demanded that he recant (say that he no longer believed what he wrote was true) – if he did not he would be excommunicated and essentially signing his own death warrant. This is where the scene begins.
Talk about it – After viewing the video, discuss the following questions with your family: • What was Luther’s motivation to respond the way he did? • What do you think was his ultimate goal? • Why was he willing to risk so much for this? • Do you think that Luther had any idea of the impact his stand
would make? • Talk about a time in your own life when you pursued something
even though it would cost you.
Write -‐ In your journal, write about what you think it means to be pursued (in a positive way). Have you had people – family or friends who have pursued a relationship with you? If so what was that like – how did it make you feel, how did they pursue you? Have you seen evidence in your life that God has/is pursuing you? One of the ways God has pursued each of us is through sending Jesus – what does that mean to you personally?
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Backstory
We’re going to back up in God’s story a bit to the end of Genesis 1, where we find a world that was “at rest.” God was happy with it, got an absolute kick out of it, in fact. The word the Bible usually uses to describe life like this is “shalom.” It is usually translated “peace”, but it means more: everything in harmony, just the way it’s supposed to be.
But at the end of Genesis 3, the shalom is gone, replaced with restlessness and tension, warfare even, between the descendants of evil (“seed of the Serpent”) and those of Adam and Eve.
You know what the most amazing thing about God our Father is? He didn’t sit back in his recliner stewing in anger and divine rage for a few thousand years until he cooled off. Immediately, and I mean right then and there, he announced his plan to set everything right again. He would pursue a solution! He would forgive, heal, remove sin, reconcile his people to himself. He would put Satan in his place once and for all.
I wouldn’t have done that. I’d have been furious, vengeful, spiteful. But “God so loved the cosmos (created world)” that he immediately promised to send in the hero of our story -‐ Jesus. See it there, in Genesis 3:15? No, Genesis doesn’t use his name, but says to Satan: “he will bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.”
What he’s talking about there is the long warfare between Christ and the Evil One. The Evil One would cause all sorts of trouble throughout history, and especially cause suffering to Jesus at the end of his life on earth. Satan would think he won. But Jesus would ultimately crush Satan’s head. God would pursue that victory relentlessly.
It doesn’t always look that way, does it? It often seems like evil is winning. But God’s promise is true. He has already won the victory through the cross. But he has not yet put Satan in his place—in the pit of hell forever. That part of the victory is still to come.
We live today between the “already” and the “not yet.” There is still evil in this world—and it is profound. But God is at work setting things right, marvelously and mysteriously using the Words and Deeds of the church, leveraging the living faith of people who believe and embody the gospel of grace. And he promises that He will be victorious. He says it clearly: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Rom 16:20).
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Plot Points
John 10:7-‐18 Romans 5:6-‐8 John 14:5-‐7 Matthew 20:25-‐28
Catechism New City Catechism Questions 21-‐28, 49-‐52 What Matters Most?
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THE LEADING LADY
“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb
has come, and his bride has made herself ready. - Revelation 19:7
@ Home
Take a look – Together with your family watch the video for Week 5 – excerpts from the Royal Wedding (you only need to watch the first few minutes…unless you want to watch more!)
Talk about it – After the video, spend some time talking with your family about the following questions: • Why do you think there was so much interest in this wedding? • What do you think it would have been like to sit in Westminster
Abbey as a guest of the royal family and witness this event? • What thoughts and emotions would you guess were going through
Catherine’s (the bride) mind as she walked down that aisle? • How does this wedding compare to other weddings you may have
attended? How was it similar? How was it different? • The Bible uses the imagery of a wedding to describe the
relationship between Christ and His church – why do you think God does that?
• Does the church today seem like a beautiful bride to you?
Write -‐ This week write in your journal about how you view the church (the “universal” church that all followers of Jesus belong to and also the specific churches you have been a part of including Christ Church). How do you view your relationship with the church? How do you think God views your relationship with the church? Have you seen examples of Christ through His church? If so, write about that.
Backstory
A leading lady is a character that plays a supporting role, usually a love interest, of the lead character. In God’s story, the leading lady is His church. He has been pursuing His church (initially the people of Israel and now the followers of Jesus) ever since Adam and Eve were evicted from the garden. His pursuit it truly a love interest, in fact he often calls His church His “bride.” If you’ve read any of the stories about God’s people in the Bible though, you quickly see they often behave in a very ugly fashion. But even though His church may not be so attractive, God loves his bride completely.
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The Bible also uses other word pictures for the Church. God calls her “the Body of Christ.” Followers of Jesus are part of that body: arms, legs, fingers, toes (I Cor. 12). The Church is also called the Family of God, with believers described as brothers and sisters, God as Father and Jesus as our Brother.
Sadly, this side of heaven, unbelievers are surely mixed in with true followers of Jesus in the church. This side of heaven, unbelief is surely mixed in with faith within each of us, for we struggle to accept God’s grace because of our doubting spirits, and far too often cherish idols instead of Christ alone.
But there’s good news, too. The church is God’s chosen way to extend the “good news” of salvation in Christ. The goal of the church’s ministry, the so that of our life together, is that all things are set right. God said it plainly: “through him (Christ) God will reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20).
When Christians live in true and authentic community (loving one another, serving one another, praying for one another, teaching one another, worshipping together), when we together pursue justice and righteousness in relationships and in the city streets, in the corporate world and in the public schools, then the “good news” of the gospel is announced to the cosmos that—one day—all will be set right again.
Plot Points 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Revelation 19:6-‐8 Catechism New City Catechism Question 48 What Matters Most?
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CASTING FOR YOUR ROLE
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only
because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” - C.S. Lewis
@ Home
Take a look – Together with your family watch the video for Week 6 – Stop & Think
Talk about it – After watching the video sit down and discuss the following with your family: • Chan challenges us to stop and think about our relationship with
God. Together read Matthew 27:27-‐54 then talk about what the crucifixion means to your family.
• What is the difference between religion and following Jesus? How can you tell them apart?
• When we talk about being in a relationship with Jesus, what exactly does that mean? How is it similar to our other relationships, how is it different?
• Share about some of the challenges to following Jesus in your life and then pray for each other.
Write -‐ If you have already decided to be a follower of Jesus with your life then write in your journal about how you came to follow Him. If there was a specific moment when everything “clicked” write about that. If it was more of a process over time, share that. If you still aren’t certain about your relationship with Jesus please don’t feel like you have to fake it. It is important for you to allow God to continue to reveal Himself to you. If this is the case for you, write about the questions you may have or the things that hold you back from being a follower of Jesus.
Backstory
Every single person has a role in God’s story. That’s a fact. Some are enemies of God’s great rescue plan. Others are actually sons of God, actually part of God’s great solution. But how can you know what your role is?
In the Bible, that question is answered quite simply. First, I’ll tell you how it’s NOT answered:
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It’s not a matter of talent: how smart or gifted you are.
It’s not a matter of ethics and hard work: how hard you try to please God by being good, giving lots of money to charity, and avoiding the really bad sins that so many others commit. It’s not a matter of external religion: praying X times a day and going to church X times in your life.
How can a person know his or her role? By answering this simple question: “what is your relationship with Jesus Christ?”
If you know who Jesus is, and maybe follow some or even all of his teachings, you may know about him. But that’s not the same as a living in relationship with him. A relationship with Jesus involves knowing him, loving him, talking with him and listening to him (prayer and reading and meditating on the Bible), and trusting him to take care of your sin problem completely. “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
The only tryout that matters is the one where God hears your heart and the words of your mouth: “with the heart one believes and is justified (made right with God), and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Ro 10:10) Has He heard your audition?
Plot Points
Mark 8:34 Romans 10:8-‐9 Ephesians 2:8-‐9
Galatians 2:20 1 Corinthians 1:1-‐9 Catechism New City Catechism Questions 29-‐33,35 What Matters Most?
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YOUR ROLE – BETWEEN YOU AND GOD
““God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures
our lives by how we love.” - Francis Chan
@ Home
Take a look – With your family, go to the youth webpage and view the video for Week 7 – Stop Praying by Francis Chan
Take a bite -‐ Plan a family meal together sometime this week and not just any meal but a thanksgiving meal! That doesn’t mean you have to prepare tons of food but make it a special night, a celebration, maybe fix (or order!) some of your favorite foods.
Talk about it – • As you sit down for the meal read the passage mentioned in the
video, Revelation 4 • As you eat, talk about what would be the first words out of your
mouth when you first see God in all of His glory. Spend time talking about what it would be like to be a part of that scene.
• Close your meal praising God in prayer with some of the words you talked about.
• How does this compare to the way we usually pray? Why do you believe that is the case?
Write -‐ Read Psalm 16 and Psalm 13. These two psalms, though both written by David, come from two very different places in David’s relationship with God. In Psalm 16 you can almost feel his comfort, his wonder, his closeness to God. In Psalm 13 you can sense his distance, his anguish, even fear. Which psalm do you associate with more right now? Maybe a combination of each? Take a little time to jot down a “psalm” of your own right now. It doesn’t have to be poetry or rhyme but maybe use these psalms (or others) as a guide to express to God how you feel about him, questions you have of him – that kind of thing. Maybe you can add to it as the week goes on. Just be real, be honest.
Backstory
If you carried around a secret electronic device that made a digital recording of every thought and every word of every day of the last year of your life, what would be the main topic of the recording?
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If you’re like most people, the answer is simple: “ME!” We talk about ourselves a lot, we think about ourselves even more, and we worry too much about what others are thinking and saying about us (even though most people are so busy thinking and talking about themselves that they don’t have much time for you and me!).
But when God rescues you from Sin through Jesus Christ, something changes deep within you. You begin to think more—much more—about Him, and about others. The Bible calls that “love”—and it is focused completely on others.
And one of the first places love shows up in our lives is in our prayers. Instead of merely asking for stuff for yourself, you begin to pray for others. You pray for God’s blessing on them. You pray that God’s kingdom would come “on earth as it is in heaven.” You pray for the grace to forgive others the way God forgave you.
What do your prayers reveal about your heart? Do they show a heart still consumed with self? Or one rescued from self and sin, and given over to God?
Plot Points Matthew 6:5-‐15 Psalm 29:2 Psalm 119:105-‐108 Ephesians 3:14-‐21 Catechism New City Catechism Questions 38-‐41 What Matters Most?
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YOUR ROLE – BETWEEN YOU AND GOD’S WORLD
“Whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues in it…they will be blessed in what they do.” - James 1:25
@ Home
Take a look – With your family, go to the youth webpage and view the video for Week 8 – Whole Church Whole Gospel Whole World Take a test – Don’t panic! This isn’t for a grade. Take the “Which Gifts Do You Have?” test and when you’re done complete the “Scoring Grid” so you can see what are your strongest gifts.
Talk about it – Talk about the following with your family: • How do you respond to the idea that God has a purpose for your
life, your story in this world, right now? • What are some ways that you have seen the church or
missionaries or other followers of Jesus make “Kingdom life” real here in this world now?
• Share the results of your gifts test with your family and see if they agree with the results. Were you surprised by anything in the results?
• With the knowledge of where you are gifted in mind, imagine with your family some practical ways that you might join in Jesus’s “world wide restoration project” both now and in the future.
Write -‐ Take the information you learned from your gifts test and your discussion with your family and spend sometime writing about how your life might help God restore His world. Write about how you can help now and be honest about the obstacles that might stand in your way and discourage you. Write about steps you can take to help prepare you to serve Him more in the future.
Backstory
James Clavell wrote a gripping novel titled “King Rat.” The book tells the story of American Prisoners of War in a cruel Japanese concentration camp toward the end of WW II. One of the prisoners, “Corporal King”, is the main character. He’s a slick scam artist, a “poser” if you will, but in camp the other prisoners looked up to him because he seemed to be doing better than anyone else by a long shot. While everyone else was going hungry, King came up with a scheme to
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feed himself by trading a “secret food” to other prisoners in exchange for other daily necessities. The secret food? He called it “mouse deer,” and convinced every one that it tasted wonderful and was very nutritious for them. But “mouse deer” was not what he said it was. It was actually rat meat, and worse, meat from rats that had gotten fat off the dead corpses of prisoners.
King was flying high in the camp, the head guy, the man everyone had to know to get ahead. He seemed to hold all the cards and have all the power but his glory was a charade.
When the war ended and the camp was liberated, King was devastated. Now he would be a nobody, just another rail thin liberated prisoner. Worse, his fellow prisoners would know how big a creep he really was.
In our world, lots of people appear—on first glance—to be quite significant. They have important jobs, big houses, expensive cars, fashionable clothes. They come from seemingly good families. They have lots of impressive credentials. They look a lot like Corporal King.
But if you could only see their insides, you’d know better.
What is it God looks for in our life of service to him? Certainly not the façade, the veneer, the outside of our lives. What God looks for is our heart of service. Hearts that have been rescued from sin are hearts driven and inspired by God himself. They are hearts filled with the Holy Spirit he gives to us. They are hearts set out to make a difference in the world, not for themselves but for God’s Kingdom.
Plot Points James 1:26-‐27 2 Corinthians 9:6-‐14 John 13:34-‐35 Matthew 25:31-‐46 Catechism New City Catechism Questions 34,36-‐37 What Matters Most?
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STEPPING ONTO THE STAGE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS
“I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;! today I have become your father’” - Psalm 2:7
@ Home
Take a look – It’s time to bring back the 80’s this week and watch the clip for Week 9 – from the classic E.T. The Extra-‐Terrestrial
Talk about it – After you’ve viewed the video, talk about the following questions with your family: • What was Elliot’s (the young boy) first impulse once he left the lab
after he found out E.T. was alive? • What do you think was the primary emotion he was experiencing? • What are some experiences in your life that have been so great you
couldn’t wait to share the news with someone? • Has anyone ever shared with you about trusting Jesus with his or
her life? Have you ever shared with someone? If so, talk about those experiences.
Write -‐ This week in your journal, write about other people’s stories that you have heard that may have impacted you or influenced you in some way. If you are a follower of Jesus and have shared about that with others, write about what that was like. If you have not shared with others consider if God may be calling you to do so.
Backstory
Lots of people are “observers” of Jesus. They watch from a distance, but never get involved.
But Jesus isn’t impressed. He told his disciples to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe everything I have told you.” Baptism is our formal “introduction” to the grand rescue story to which God has called us. Baptism is the sign that we belong to him because we have been washed by Jesus’ blood. Baptism is a sign—like a wedding ring is a sign of marriage—that we have been united with Christ: we died with him on the cross, and we were raised with him from being dead.
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Many of you were baptized as infants. Don’t worry if you don’t remember. The point of baptism is God’s promise of love to you (which doesn’t need to be repeated just because you didn’t understand it), and God’s claim that you must, one day, answer him with your own heart and mouth. We call that answer a “profession of faith.” What we mean by it is that you declare that you believe in Jesus, trust in him, commit to follow him and live in relationship with him yourself. Your parents can’t do that for you. You must respond yourself.
When you do, God gives you another sign to remind you of that relationship. That sign is the Lord’s Supper. There we eat and drink bread and grape juice. Why? To be reminded that the Christian life is not lived by our own effort and strength. Instead, the central power of our faith is Jesus: He is the one whose death on the cross sealed our rescue, and brought us back to the Father.
It’s good to be reminded of that fact. Some days, we think too highly of ourselves, and act as if we don’t need a Savior. The Lord’s Supper reminds us otherwise. Other days, we think we’re too sinful for God to ever accept us again. The Lord’s Supper reminds us why he does.
Plot Points 1 Corinthians 11:23-‐26 Matthew 28:16-‐20
Romans 6:4-‐11 Catechism New City Catechism Questions 44-‐47 What Matters Most?
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LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!
SHARING GOD’S STORY THROUGH YOUR STORY “Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—! those he redeemed from the
hand of the foe” - Psalm 107:2
@ Home
Take a look – With your family, go to the youth webpage and view the video for Week 10 – Katie’s Story
Talk about it – After the video, spend some time talking with your family about the following questions: • What stands out to you about Katie’s story? • What do you learn about God from her story? • Do you believe she is a true follower of Jesus? Why? • What can you learn about telling your story from her story? Write -‐ Over the past several weeks you have been collecting different parts of your story through your journal. Now it is time to put it all together! Spend some time composing your story, writing as you would speak it to a friend or someone you meet. You will want to avoid religious words (like “saved” or “sin”) so that your story can be shared with those who aren’t familiar with those terms. It needs to be authentic, real and honest. If you need some help getting started draw a timeline of your life with your birth on one end of the line and today on the other. Look through the different entries in your journal and make notes about the events that have shaped your life along your timeline. Don’t be afraid to get your family to help. Start at the beginning of your timeline and write about how each event, each challenge, each celebration affected the relationship between you and God. If you remember a specific time when you decided to follow Jesus spend some time writing about how you came to that decision. If following Jesus has been challenging for you be honest about that. If you aren’t sure where you stand in your relationship with Jesus don’t fake it! If you feel that your story isn’t dramatic or interesting enough remember it is God who is authoring the story of your life and He believes it is a story worth telling. Also remember that God is the main character, not you.
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Backstory
You’re sitting in the theater as the music plays and the credits roll at the end of the blockbuster movie you’ve just watched. You had been anxiously waiting to see this movie for over a year – you had high hopes that it would be good. And it was more than good, it was better than great, it was awesome! What happens next? You leave the theater never to say a word about the movie ever again right? Of course not! You would excitedly talk to your friends as you left the theater, when you got home you most likely would share with your family, and the next day at school you’d be talking to your classmates. Good stories are meant to be shared and over the past several weeks we’ve been exploring the greatest story there was, is or ever will be – God’s story. And the truly remarkable thing about God’s story is that you aren’t just watching it on a screen in a darkened theater, you are part of the story!
The Apostle Paul understood his role in God’s story and was constantly telling other about it. He actually tells his story in the Bible 3 times. 3 times! He was obviously excited to share what God had done in his life changing a bloody murderer into a humble follower of Jesus. He knew that the main character in his story wasn’t him but God and when he told his story he made very sure that he gave God the credit.
That’s why the Bible is so big on you telling your story. The verse at the top of this page, from Psalm 107:2, encourages you to do just that. The Psalmist wants us to “tell our story” of rescue, of redemption.
We don’t do it to make us look good. In fact, when we tell our story we usually have to be honest about what God has rescued us from. To use the language of the Psalmist, we admit what the “foe” was that held us captive, and how God set us free and gave us new life. That gives God the credit.
Why should we do that? Because telling our story is an important part of helping others understand who God is and look to Him for help. They receive hope when they might have been hopeless. They learn to admit their real broken condition in sin, when they might have been deceiving themselves thinking everything was ok. And they gain a friend whose story connects with their hurting life.
We’ve been studying God’s long story of rescue, God’s long pursuit of broken sinners and this rebellious world. God is the one who loves,
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who pursues, and who saves. You and I are the ones who have been blessed by it.
Tell that story through your story. He wants you to. And you will be blessed in the telling!
Plot Points
Revelation 12:11 Acts 26 (Paul’s Testimony) Psalm 107:1-‐3 What Matters Most?