Limited Edition (HS)

Connect:

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hey guys, So in your small groups, you were given a task to look at some characteristics of Jesus and create a theme as an individual and as a group for your year. Would anyone like to share what they came up with?

Have students list them:

Awesome! So here’s the thing, this theme for your year should be the base for every goal you set for the year.

Now we should ask, what is the purpose of making a goal? To achieve it and in the end become better. Hopefully you would want to reach one goal only so you can set another. Here’s something to think about when it comes to your goals.

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Every goal you set has a potential to be met.

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In other words, whenever you set a goal, you are creating an opportunity for yourself to reach a new potential.

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I don’t think anyone would argue with the fact that we all want to be better versions of ourselves at the end of the year.

But here is the question you need to ask yourself: What is the best version of yourself?

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All of us have some idea of what is better for us, but where did that idea of better come from?

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What does it mean to be better and what is the standard of “the best?”

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Here’s what I want you to take away today, the best version of yourself is God’s version of yourself.

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We live in a culture where the standard for better is based upon the things we see in the world.

Getting more money

Getting more followers

Getting respect from people‌

But here is the thing, if we are created by God, that means that God has already a version of us that He has designed for us. That version of ourselves has been tainted by sin and so when we think of better versions, we are thinking selfishly. This is normal and there is nothing bad about desiring something for yourself. But if we lose sight of what God’s version of us is, which really isn’t about us, we will miss out the best for what God truly desires for us.

Here’s what Paul says about the version God desires for us.

Romans 8:28–29 (CSB)‌

28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

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God’s version of us is the image of Jesus Christ.

But here is the challenge, God’s version for us is at war against every idea of what is best for us.

Looking at another passage in Ephesians, the author, again being Paul, talks about what it means to grow in Him, and the idea against growing in Him.

Ephesians 4:13–14 (CSB)

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

So again, the goal is to become like Christ. But the challenge here is that we are like little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

What does that mean? It means that there are a lot of people saying different things about who you truly are and who Jesus is. Some say Jesus was just a good teacher, some say he was just a prophet, but we believe Jesus was the Son of God fully God and fully man, and through Him, we have been given every spiritual blessing in the heavens and on the earth. That through Him we have access to God the Father for all eternity. Our Jesus is God the Son and He helps us become like Him because God’s version of us is His Son Jesus.

All of you have made the theme for your year based on the characteristics of Jesus Christ but Here’s my challenging question for you:‌

Do you know Jesus well enough to know what it means to become like Him?

‌Do you have a committed relationship with Him to the point where you want to put away every practice and belief that goes against what His Word says? You and I have been given the standard, and here’s the truth, we will fall short of it every time. The Word here is important in Ephesians, that is GROWING

It is a process and we won’t finish it until God takes us home with Him. But here’s the thing, He has given us help to make it through every storm, every circumstance, every good season and bad season do you know who that Help is? The Holy Spirit. he is God our Helper in every situation.

If today you want to commit to knowing Jesus or have more questions, come find me or a small group leader and let’s just talk about this.

PRAY

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