Friday (5/25/07) was pretty fun. Before I get into that- just a quick note that we did not have too much going on for Sunday, 5/27, so there will not be another blog for that.
For youth group Friday night we started out with the pyramid. After getting some reluctant volunteers and then some switching later on, we finally formed a 6-person pyramid. After that we did a poetry activity, passing it on writing one line at a time without seeing the previous lines. It makes for interesting results that usually do not make too much sense. Some were still fun to read.
I opened the discussion by asking if the youth ever had a time where their peers or parents would not tell them somthing they wanted to know. Of course, this has happened in everyone's life before. Imagine a whole generation, or even generations, not knowing something. God has the perfect timing on when we should know things. And perhaps the biggest example of all is the mystery of Christ Paul says was revealed to him in Ephesians 3:2-6
"2Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."
God revealed that the Gentiles would receive salvation in the Old Testament. But the revelation through Paul is that the Gentiles would become equal heirs with the Jews! Amazing. In fact, that reminds me one of Jesus's teaching in Matthew, the Parable of the Workers Paid Equally. Read through it and I'm sure you'll see the connection.
I also brought up an idea from this passage in Ephesians that a friend told me a couple of weeks ago. It takes this idea of the mystery of Christ even further. Not only did all persons up to the time of Jesus' life not know, but the devil was also unaware of this plan. The devil was setting up the events for Jesus to be crucified thinking that would be his victory over God. Jesus being resurrected, providing salvation, and uniting Jews and Gentiles was why God allowed Jesus to be crucified, unbeknownst to Satan.
Now that I think about it, I am not sure how well that holds, since the Old Testament did prophesy that Gentiles would receive salvation. Maybe since Jesus was such an unlikely Messiah- as in, not the kind the Jews intended....I don't know. I just want everyone to think about it. And please comment any thoughts or if anything is revealed through studying this passage and prayer.
blessings
Monday, May 28, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Ephesians 1:15-23
This morning (5/20/07) we finished our more in-depth study of Ephesians 1.
In the first part, Paul thanks God for the Ephesians and desires deeply that they come to a deeper knowledge of Him. That is such a big thing! That's the basis for the 2 worship songs we sang also- "In the Secret" and "Knowing You." That knowing in verse 17 is more than just an awareness or a knowledge of facts (like you'd know about a movie star). It is real, deep, intimate, and more full (such as how you know a loved one).
Next we cross-referenced a couple of ideas is verse 18. Here it is from the NIV:
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
First, we cross-referenced our hope in Christ by looking at I Cor 15:19-23 and I John 3:1-3. These passages respectively tell us that our hope in Christ means that we will be made alive through the resurrection and that it makes us pure, like Him.
Second, we cross-referenced our inheritance in Christ by looking at Romans 8:15-17, Ephesians 1:3-14, and I Peter 1:3-6. They respectively tell us that if we share in Christ's suffering we will share in his glory; redemption, forgiveness of sins, knowledge of the mystery of His will, and the Holy Spirit which guarantees our inheritance; it will never go away.
Lastly, verses 20-23 tell us that Christ is the head of the church.
That is all for now. Chapter 2 next Sunday!
In the first part, Paul thanks God for the Ephesians and desires deeply that they come to a deeper knowledge of Him. That is such a big thing! That's the basis for the 2 worship songs we sang also- "In the Secret" and "Knowing You." That knowing in verse 17 is more than just an awareness or a knowledge of facts (like you'd know about a movie star). It is real, deep, intimate, and more full (such as how you know a loved one).
Next we cross-referenced a couple of ideas is verse 18. Here it is from the NIV:
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints."
First, we cross-referenced our hope in Christ by looking at I Cor 15:19-23 and I John 3:1-3. These passages respectively tell us that our hope in Christ means that we will be made alive through the resurrection and that it makes us pure, like Him.
Second, we cross-referenced our inheritance in Christ by looking at Romans 8:15-17, Ephesians 1:3-14, and I Peter 1:3-6. They respectively tell us that if we share in Christ's suffering we will share in his glory; redemption, forgiveness of sins, knowledge of the mystery of His will, and the Holy Spirit which guarantees our inheritance; it will never go away.
Lastly, verses 20-23 tell us that Christ is the head of the church.
That is all for now. Chapter 2 next Sunday!
Ephesians 2
Friday night we continued on with Ephesians 2. Although we first played the classic game of sardines. One person (or a pair) hides somewhere while the rest of the group waits in a closed off room for a few minutes. Then the group seeks the hiders, and when they find them, hide along with them. This is a great game and has always worked well with the groups I've led.
Ephesians 2 has two major themes: being alive in Christ (v. 1-10) and unity in Christ (v. 11-22). I focused on v. 3 for our devotional time. This is the verse from the NIV Bible:
"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
From this verse I brought up a mini-discussion on how good is good enough? 100% of humans sin. And it's not only Christians that do good in the world. If we had a spectrum of bad to good, where would humans need to be for God to accept them into heaven? If you were anywhere in the middle of that spectrum- what would happen if you came before God for judgment and His standard for entry into heaven was a little better than you thought?! The truth is that God demands 100% good to get into heaven. This cannot be accomplished without the gift of salvation of Jesus' redemptive work on the cross through faith.
See Andy Stanley's book "How Good is Good Enough" and Bruce Wilkinson's book "A Life God Rewards." Both are short and good reads.
Ephesians 2 has two major themes: being alive in Christ (v. 1-10) and unity in Christ (v. 11-22). I focused on v. 3 for our devotional time. This is the verse from the NIV Bible:
"All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
From this verse I brought up a mini-discussion on how good is good enough? 100% of humans sin. And it's not only Christians that do good in the world. If we had a spectrum of bad to good, where would humans need to be for God to accept them into heaven? If you were anywhere in the middle of that spectrum- what would happen if you came before God for judgment and His standard for entry into heaven was a little better than you thought?! The truth is that God demands 100% good to get into heaven. This cannot be accomplished without the gift of salvation of Jesus' redemptive work on the cross through faith.
See Andy Stanley's book "How Good is Good Enough" and Bruce Wilkinson's book "A Life God Rewards." Both are short and good reads.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Ephesians 1
Well after a few requests, we are finally starting our series on Ephesians! We did this chapter both on Friday, May 11, 2007 and Sunday, May 13, 2007:
First off, we played this game called "Amoeba." This was just for fun. Everyone joins hands in a circle with a chair in the middle. The point is to avoid touching the chair in the middle, amidst being pushed and pulled by your surrounding players. If you touch the chair, you are out. If two people let go with their hands and break the circle, they are both out. This was a pretty fun game, but left a lot of people with sore hands and arms!
After that was another get-to-know-you game with M&Ms. Everyone had to say one thing about themselves for every M&M they had.
After that we read Ephesians 1, and I brought up a few points:
"9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." Ephesians 1:9-10
God makes his plan known to us, just like with our getting to know you game. That plan? To unite Jews and Gentiles in one body. This was not made known until Christ's death and resurrection.
"11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" Ephesians 1:11
What is the purpose of His will? To offer salvation to the world. Refer to the Great Comission in Matthew 28:16-20 or Mark 16:15-18.
For Sunday, the two points from Friday were brought up along with these:
Oral readings back then were usually intoned or chanted, rather than spoken. If you had heard this passage in that way, what would you think it was? Many would associate it with a Psalm, which are heavily associated with songs from past to present.
Paul mentions how God blesses us MANY times in this first chapter.
i.e. vs 4- chosen to be holy and blameless
vs 7- redemption through his blood, forgiveness of sins
and so on...
We did a couple different things after that. I really believe it's important not to just read the bible and read in the same way every time. We should meditate on it, memorize it, study it, put it in our own words, pray it, etc. So we did a couple of those things on Sunday. I had the youth paraphrase verse 4 in their own words. In the NIV translation, it reads:
"4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."
And finally, we each took a verse to incorporate into our prayer time at the end. I encourage everyone to try something new this next week, whether it is to meditate on a passage, memorize a verse, or whichever method that I suggest above. These are just a few ways the scriptures can become alive to us. I'll end with this:
"16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Ephesians 1:16-17
One of the greatest things we can do is get to know Christ better. Learn to be more like Him. Point others to Him. There is no secret about what God is about. My question for tonight is: Are you looking for Him?
blessings
First off, we played this game called "Amoeba." This was just for fun. Everyone joins hands in a circle with a chair in the middle. The point is to avoid touching the chair in the middle, amidst being pushed and pulled by your surrounding players. If you touch the chair, you are out. If two people let go with their hands and break the circle, they are both out. This was a pretty fun game, but left a lot of people with sore hands and arms!
After that was another get-to-know-you game with M&Ms. Everyone had to say one thing about themselves for every M&M they had.
After that we read Ephesians 1, and I brought up a few points:
"9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." Ephesians 1:9-10
God makes his plan known to us, just like with our getting to know you game. That plan? To unite Jews and Gentiles in one body. This was not made known until Christ's death and resurrection.
"11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will" Ephesians 1:11
What is the purpose of His will? To offer salvation to the world. Refer to the Great Comission in Matthew 28:16-20 or Mark 16:15-18.
For Sunday, the two points from Friday were brought up along with these:
Oral readings back then were usually intoned or chanted, rather than spoken. If you had heard this passage in that way, what would you think it was? Many would associate it with a Psalm, which are heavily associated with songs from past to present.
Paul mentions how God blesses us MANY times in this first chapter.
i.e. vs 4- chosen to be holy and blameless
vs 7- redemption through his blood, forgiveness of sins
and so on...
We did a couple different things after that. I really believe it's important not to just read the bible and read in the same way every time. We should meditate on it, memorize it, study it, put it in our own words, pray it, etc. So we did a couple of those things on Sunday. I had the youth paraphrase verse 4 in their own words. In the NIV translation, it reads:
"4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight."
And finally, we each took a verse to incorporate into our prayer time at the end. I encourage everyone to try something new this next week, whether it is to meditate on a passage, memorize a verse, or whichever method that I suggest above. These are just a few ways the scriptures can become alive to us. I'll end with this:
"16I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better." Ephesians 1:16-17
One of the greatest things we can do is get to know Christ better. Learn to be more like Him. Point others to Him. There is no secret about what God is about. My question for tonight is: Are you looking for Him?
blessings
study of James 3-5
This was our study on Sunday, May 6, 2007:
A couple weeks ago, we went through the first 2 chapters of James. Last Sunday (5/6/07) we completed our study. James has a lot of practical advice for living the Christian life.
3:3-12 The tongue is compared to many things, including a rudder on a large ship and a spark that starts a fire. It can cause a huge change in direction or cause a lot of damage. We best watch the things we say and don't say!
One example I used was me driving in traffic. I'll be the first to admit that I get upset when traffic is heavy. It's crazy how I will be singing worship to God along with CDs one minute, then curse other drivers that annoy me the next! I certainly need to watch my tongue as well! As it says in this passage, a spring cannot produce both fresh water and salt water.
"2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:2-3
When we ask for things from God, sometimes we ask for the wrong things or ask for the wrong motives. We need to ask yourselves: Am I trying to satisfy my own desires or fulfill God's plan. It was unanimous that we should study "listening to God" in the future.
"7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:7-10
5 ways to be near to God: 1) submit to God, 2) resist the devil, 3) lead a pure life, 4) grieve for your sins, and 5) humble yourselves. There were questions regarding the 4th way. We need to grieve over the sins that we do because while many of them are enticing and may feel good at the time, they cause God pain. We need to grieve over those sins and not fall to them anymore!
The rest is very practical and straightforward. James writes about judging, doing good today and not boasting about tomorrow, warning the rich who oppress the poor, persevering during suffering, and prayer. Like I said, James has a lot of practical advice for Christian living. It's short- and should be read frequently. My prayer is for all of us to follow these spiritual pearls.
A couple weeks ago, we went through the first 2 chapters of James. Last Sunday (5/6/07) we completed our study. James has a lot of practical advice for living the Christian life.
3:3-12 The tongue is compared to many things, including a rudder on a large ship and a spark that starts a fire. It can cause a huge change in direction or cause a lot of damage. We best watch the things we say and don't say!
One example I used was me driving in traffic. I'll be the first to admit that I get upset when traffic is heavy. It's crazy how I will be singing worship to God along with CDs one minute, then curse other drivers that annoy me the next! I certainly need to watch my tongue as well! As it says in this passage, a spring cannot produce both fresh water and salt water.
"2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." James 4:2-3
When we ask for things from God, sometimes we ask for the wrong things or ask for the wrong motives. We need to ask yourselves: Am I trying to satisfy my own desires or fulfill God's plan. It was unanimous that we should study "listening to God" in the future.
"7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:7-10
5 ways to be near to God: 1) submit to God, 2) resist the devil, 3) lead a pure life, 4) grieve for your sins, and 5) humble yourselves. There were questions regarding the 4th way. We need to grieve over the sins that we do because while many of them are enticing and may feel good at the time, they cause God pain. We need to grieve over those sins and not fall to them anymore!
The rest is very practical and straightforward. James writes about judging, doing good today and not boasting about tomorrow, warning the rich who oppress the poor, persevering during suffering, and prayer. Like I said, James has a lot of practical advice for Christian living. It's short- and should be read frequently. My prayer is for all of us to follow these spiritual pearls.
Trust
This was for youth group on Friday, May 4:
First we did trust walks. It's a great activity to build trust within any group. We sure had some interesting results! What you do is pair people up and put a blindfold on a person in each pair. The partner who can see has to lead the other person, but they cannot touch the other person to guide them. They can only use their voice. First, I had the youth pick their own partners, then I picked new partners that they were not as familiar with.
Questions: How did it feel to be led? Was it scary at all?
How about when you led? Did you feel a sense of power?
How was it different with people you did not know as well?
Do you trust God with what happens in your life? Can God trust you?
Both are important! We read I Corinthians 4:1-4 and Proverbs 3:5
"1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." I Corinthians 4:1-4
"Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
I really believe those last 2 questions are ones we need to be asking on a consistent basis. Based on these 2 scriptures, our relationship with God is like that with other humans in regards to trust. It is a 2-way street. I pray for all of us to be trustworthy and to trust in the Lord.
First we did trust walks. It's a great activity to build trust within any group. We sure had some interesting results! What you do is pair people up and put a blindfold on a person in each pair. The partner who can see has to lead the other person, but they cannot touch the other person to guide them. They can only use their voice. First, I had the youth pick their own partners, then I picked new partners that they were not as familiar with.
Questions: How did it feel to be led? Was it scary at all?
How about when you led? Did you feel a sense of power?
How was it different with people you did not know as well?
Do you trust God with what happens in your life? Can God trust you?
Both are important! We read I Corinthians 4:1-4 and Proverbs 3:5
"1So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. 2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me." I Corinthians 4:1-4
"Trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
I really believe those last 2 questions are ones we need to be asking on a consistent basis. Based on these 2 scriptures, our relationship with God is like that with other humans in regards to trust. It is a 2-way street. I pray for all of us to be trustworthy and to trust in the Lord.
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