Series: UPSTREAM (September 12th - October 3rd)

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?

Series: THE BIBLE DOESN'T SAY THAT (April 28th - May 23rd)

Unfortunately, there are erroneous beliefs about God and Christianity that have snuck their way into modern church culture. These popular phrases or ways of thinking are in direct conflict with what scripture actually teaches. This 5-week series looks at different phrases the Bible doesn’t actually say, comparing them to what the Bible actually does say. This guide comes with a passage, topic, and “big idea” of the sermon. Also included under each week is a list of ideas, illustrations, and talking points to help you prepare for your message. Our aim is for this guide to spark your imagination, assist you in planning your sermon, as well as offer a boost to your study time.

Week 1 God helps those who help themselves | Matthew 6:25-33 (4/18/17)

In this passage, Jesus calls for us to seek after the kingdom of God first, not ourselves; if we do, everything else in life will fall into place. Our modern culture idolizes self-sufficiency. Everyone needs to take care of themselves, first. Look out for number one. Focus on your needs before anyone else’s needs. God’s plan for our lives is the exact opposite. Focus on the kingdom first, and God will take care of your necessities. Following Jesus is about living a selfless life. The key to this passage is verse 33. If we focus on seeking God, there will be nothing in life we need to worry about. Our relationship with God needs to be our top priority.

Week 2 Obedience always leads to financial blessings. | Philippians 4:10-13 (4/25/17)

As Paul illustrates in his own life, when you rely on God, you will find satisfaction in whatever situation (good or bad) that life hands you. There are some individuals and groups who believe that putting faith in Christ entails automatic financial blessings and favor. Their picture of an obedient, Christian life is one full of wealth, happiness, and relative ease. This simply, isn’t true. Take Paul’s life, for example (2 Corinthians 11:16-33). In this passage, Paul writes that there have been times in his personal life where he had much, and times where he had little. God taught him how to find joy in both situations. He can handle anything in life through Christ’s power. It’s easy to trust that Paul means what he says when we realize he’s writing this letter from prison. This passage provides a context for the often misused: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Christians often quote this phrase believing that with Christ on their side, they will find success in all their endeavors. What Paul says is nearly the opposite. Paul can handle the times that feel like success and the times that feel like failure because he relies on Christ for strength. Much of the prosperity gospel is meant to give hope to those who come to Christ, when, in reality, it can cause unnecessary doubt. If the apostle Paul was not secure in his theology, he might feel shame for the hard times. “I must not be a very good Christian if I’m going through this.” There could be people in your congregation with the same fears because of the trials in their life.

Week 3 Do not judge others. | 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (5/2/17)

Paul emphasizes to the Corinthians that God set up the church as a family where brothers and sisters in Christ should hold each other accountable. While Jesus does say in Matthew 7:1-6, “Do not judge,” it is not meant, as some treat it, to be a blanket statement for all forms of judgement—as if we are all to mind our own business and never get involved in the lives of those around us. Jesus, in Matthew 7, is teaching against an inappropriate form of judgement. He’s warning against hypocrisy. Do not judge others as if you have the authority of someone who is perfect. In I Corinthians 5, Paul calls out the church in Corinth for their pride in the fact they weren’t judging a man in the church for having a sexual relationship with his father’s wife. Paul expects the couple to be removed from the church before their behavior causes more people to sin. There are a few distinct characteristics of this situation that warranted the type of church discipline Paul calls for. It was public knowledge. Everyone knew what was happening. It was consistent. This was not a one-time affair, but an ongoing relationship. It was unrepentant. In the eyes of those participating, there was nothing wrong with this wicked and destructive behavior. In vss. 9-13, we see that this situation is the result of the church not looking out for each other. They were concerned with not associating with sinners outside the church, but forgot to take care of the sin inside of the church. If someone claims to be a brother or sister in Christ, but their consistent fruit shows otherwise, it’s important to address that situation before it hurts others. This will also, hopefully, bring the wayward souls back into the fold. God formed the church for community, accountability, and honesty. We must be willing to submit ourselves to this design.

Week 4 Suffering always comes from sin. | James 1:2-4 (5/9/17)

No matter what the cause of our trials, we know that God will use it to strengthen our walk with Him. Job’s three friends wrongly claimed his suffering must be a direct result of sin. Many Christians deal with other believers in the same way. An article from Bradley Hospital gives helpful advice for talking to children about tragedy. It ends with this paragraph. “Finally, remember that tragedy is a part of every life—the job of parents is not to shield their children from tragedy, but to help their children become resilient enough to survive it. This is not often a job that anyone can do alone, and if you need help, ask for it, from friends, family, clergy, or helping professionals.” Job never found out why he was suffering. There’s not a point in the story where he learns about the conversation between God and the Devil. Things might happen in our lives where we never get to know why. But we can hold onto the fact that God will use them for good anyway.

Week 5 God won’t give you more than you can handle. | 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (5/23/17)

God will give you more than you can handle, but He will never give you more than He can handle. Paul felt like his affliction was more than he could handle, and he wanted to be open about his experience (vs. 12). All throughout 2 Corinthians, Paul makes a point to boast in his weakness and his need to rely on God for strength. It is easy for a Christian to talk themselves into thinking that a having weakness makes them a bad Christian. In actuality, recognizing your own weakness is an essential part of growing in your walk with Christ. When Jesus is the Lord of your life, you are trusting Him enough to hand over control of everything. You no longer rely on your strength to get through difficult times. God does the heavy lifting. Most of us could never complete two-hundred push-ups, but if we trust the strength of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to do the push-ups for us, then no amount of push-ups could stress us out. Paul leads by example in boasting in his weakness and need for God to get him through trials. If we want our church culture to be that of Christ followers willingly admitting their weakness and need for God’s strength, it starts with us wisely doing so from the stage.

Series: OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN (March 7th - April 4th)

Week 1 Worship | Matthew 6:5-9 (3/7/17)

When you’re putting together a piece of furniture, your child’s toy bike, or even a Lego set, the first step is always the most important. The first step determines how the rest of the project will look. If you get the first step wrong, the finished project will be distorted. In that same way, the “first step” of prayer is extremely crucial. It determines how the rest of your prayer will look. When we worship God (“hallowed be your name”), it changes what we ask for and what we feel like we need to confess. Pastor Timothy Keller once remarked, “What you think about in your private time is what you worship.” Jesus calls for us to make time to pray in private. If we are only committed to praying at church, have we really made God our God? We worship God by praying even when we don’t get recognition from others (vs. 6). During this series on prayer, set up a daily prayer text message group that sends out prayers of worship to God.

Week 2 God’s Sovereignty, Praying for Others | Matthew 6:10 (3/14/17)
When you pray, ask God to change our world so that it better reflects the perfect love and security of heaven. Often, when we look at the world, we can become so discouraged by what we see that we believe nothing good can be done—we are left only to sit back and wait for the consummation. While God will ultimately redeem and renew the world at the end of the age, he wants to start now—through us. This part of the Lord’s Prayer acknowledges this. As N.T. Wright says, “Jesus is coming—Plant a tree.” Have you given up hope on the world? Or, do you acknowledge God’s sovereignty to make a change?

Week 3 Praying for Our Needs | Matthew 6:11 (3/21/17)
We shouldn’t be ashamed of asking God to provide for our needs. After worshipping God, acknowledging His sovereignty, and prayer for others, we then get to the part of the prayer where we pray for ourselves. Asking God for things isn’t wrong, but does that comprise the majority of our prayers? Is it the first thing we think about? If we’re not careful, we can become consumed by our selfish desires. Notice that Jesus says “daily” bread. This emphasizes constant, daily reliance on him—not excess.

Week 4 Forgiveness | Matthew 6:12-15 (4/4/17)
God’s forgiveness should so consume our hearts that we are willing to forgive others.
Notice the conjunction that begins this verse. It connects the “physical” (daily bread) to the “spiritual”—“almost as if to say that life sustained by food is not enough. We also need forgiveness of sin and deliverance from temptation. If we have truly accepted God’s forgiveness as a gift, then we will naturally be led to forgive others. When we lose track of God’s grace, temptation and evil creep it (vs. 13).