Our ever-evolving society has an impact on
every generation of young people, including your current students. But through
Jesus, society will also feel the impact of teenagers who are following Jesus
and living lives of service and influence.
This four-lesson series will encourage young
people to stay fully connected to Jesus while being fully engaged in society.
Through Scripture, students will examine how to remain faithful to him without
removing themselves from—or being swept away by—the world Jesus has called them
to love.
Lesson
1: For God So Loved the World | John 17:13-19 (9/12/17)
In our first lesson, we read Jesus’ prayer
from John 17:13-19, which focuses on protection, wisdom, and purpose. He prayed
not that God would take us out of the world but that God would protect us from
the evil one. With God’s protection and love, we can be a shining light in our
society.
This week, spend a few minutes talking with
your teenager about the lesson. Consider building your conversation around
these questions:
- Jesus
prayed that God would protect us from the evil one. What’s it like to know
that God is actively protecting you from evil?
- Why do you suppose Jesus would
pray that we “not be taken out of the world”?
- How do people become so
comfortable within our culture that Jesus is no longer their top priority?
What can we do if we realize that’s happening to us?
Lesson
2: Abide—Stay Connected to Your Life Source | John 15:1-12 (9/19/17)
This week, we studied John 15:1-12, where
Jesus uses a beautiful, clear metaphor to describe himself as our life source.
He explains that he is the vine, and we are the branches.
In our culture, we often look for meaning and
identity in many other sources. But only when we recognize Jesus as our life
source can we experience complete, fulfilled joy. In verse 11, Jesus says he
has spoken these things so our joy will overflow.
This week, spend a few minutes with your
teenager reviewing our lesson. Here are some questions you can use to fuel your
conversation:
- How
does being connected to Jesus, our vine, make you feel more alive?
- In what
ways is this connection evident in people’s daily lives?
- What are some things that might
try to disconnect you from the vine? How can you be aware of those things
and prevent them from interfering with your relationship with Jesus?
Lesson
3: At the Foot of the Mountain | Matthew 17:1-14 (9/26/17)
To continue our series on culture, we
explored Matthew 17:1-14 this week. After some of the disciples climbed a
mountain with Jesus, they witnessed his appearance change. God’s presence was
so strong it was like Jesus’ face was the sun. But Jesus didn’t stay up on the
mountaintop. He took the disciples back down, where people who needed healing
and forgiveness waited to encounter Jesus. Similarly, he wants to take us to
the foot of the mountain, where we can love and serve those who need him.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few
minutes talking to your teenager about our lesson. Consider using the following
questions in your conversation:
- What
might it have been like to experience God’s presence on that mountaintop?
- What
are some ways you encounter God during your day-to-day life?
- Jesus took the disciples up a
high mountain to be alone with God the Father. When’s the last time you
made this kind of effort to be alone with God?
- How did Jesus’ time alone with
God fuel him for ministry at the foot of the mountain, with people who
needed him? What “fuels” you for living out your faith?
Lesson
4: Jesus’ Irreplaceable Love | 1 John 5:16-21 (10/3/17)
As we wrapped up our series on culture this
week, we discussed 1 John 5:16-21. This Scripture instructs us to keep away
from anything that might take Jesus’ place in our hearts. With so many things
in today’s culture clamoring for our time and attention, this can be hard to
follow.
This week, I encourage you to take a few
minutes to review our lesson with your teenager. Please consider these
questions for your conversation:
- In your
life and your daily schedule, what things sometimes take a higher priority
than your relationship with Jesus?
- How can you tell when Jesus falls
to second place—or lower—in your life? What needs of yours don’t get met
when that happens?
- How does seeking Jesus first and
making him the center of our life shift our attitudes? our actions? our
outlook?