lesson loop 10.21.15

This is 2nd part of a mini-series on “Wholeness in a world of sexual brokenness”

• Last week - sexual sin
• Last night - helping friends with SSA

Big Idea: Helping friends with SSA requires good theology, authenticity, humility, accountability, and patience.

Worldview Assumptions -

• The Scriptures are inspired and meant to teach us how to live.
• The Scriptures begin (Gen. 1-2) with God’s good design - including marriage (Adam & Eve)
• Gen. 3 tells us how sin spilled into the world and created havoc - brokenness.
• Any deviation from God’s good design is a manifestation of our brokenness, including when it comes to our sexuality.
• Definition of sexual sin: any abuse of the physical pleasure that God designed for a husband and wife. (MS - again, if you don’t understand what I mean… parents)
• Conscious expressions of SSA are sinful. (chose words carefully)

If we are going to help those who struggle with SSA, it will require:

Good Theology

What makes a “sin” a sin?

Affirm their unique "image bearing"

Genesis 1:27-28; 2:15-25

male & female (both reflect God uniquely & complimentarily)
the point is not to make every man and woman the "cookie cutter" picture of masculinity and femininity.

Authenticity
Genesis 8:21
Psalm 51:5
Jeremiah 17:9
Romans 3:9-19
It’s not about “straight” or “gay” - None of us are straight...
Isaiah 53:6 (screen)
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned-every one-to his own way…
Bible has a word - (iniquity)

Humility

Listen & learn - We need to hear people's stories and know who we are ministering to.
James 1:19 - on screen
1 Peter 3:15-17
(When people visiting the church ask what our view on homosexuality is, we should ask them why that question is so important to them before we throw a bunch of Scripture at them)
Important side note...
*Making gay jokes need to be completely unacceptable and forbidden in our youth group.

Accountability
More than “fellowship”
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
James 5:16

Patience
Be committed for the long haul
Ephesians 4:1-2
humility (already talked about)
gentleness (also talked about)
patience - we are all a work in process; masterpiece
*It takes us all a while to change (some temptations may not change)

If you would like to download all of my notes from the last 2 weeks, you can do so here: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2zJ0haVL2YNczZWLWliU3VQQ1k&usp=sharing

lesson loop 10.2.15

Middle School: "The Church: What it's for"

Big Idea: The Church is called to interact with the world in specific ways.


The Church is called to...


1. Be in the world but not of it (John 17:14-19)
*We are the same as those in the world (in some ways), but in other ways we are radically different.
*Jesus does not want us to hide from the world. He prayed to His Father that we would be sent into the world (on mission!)

2. Show the world how Christians love (John 13:34-35)
Our love for other Christians = Christ love for us (that's a crazy standard!!)
According to Jn. 13:35, one of the clearest ways the world will know we really are Christians is by the love we have for each other.

3. Share the gospel with the world (Matt. 28:18-20)
"make disciples" (while you are going - school, soccer, band, choir, etc...)
Is this a scary thing??
Yes, which is why Jesus reminded the disciples that He would be with them (and us!)

High school - Mark 16:9-20 ("Changed by the Risen Son")

Big Idea: When a person encounters the risen Christ, they are changed!

I began by talking about the confusion surrounding the ending of Mark - and how even thought there are different between New Testament manuscripts, we can still trust the Bible. It is reliable, and is perfect in the original manuscripts.

When a person encounters the risen Christ, they are moved from...

1. Fear to Joy! (v. 8-10; Matt. 28:8-10)
God will move us from simple fear to Godly fear!

2. Sadness to Hope! (v. 12; Lk. 24:13-32)

3. Doubt to Faith! (v. 11, 13-16; John 20:19-22)
There are plenty of things that God has promised us, but it goes against all of our senses, and so we struggle to believe it...
* Carrying our cross is worth it
* Christ is enough
* (similar to the disciples) We struggle to believe that death has lost its sting!!

4. Paralysis to Power! (v. 14-20; Lk. 24:45-49; Acts 2:40-41)
Christ knows our struggles. He has compassion on us. And He will meet us where we are.