Full Circle (Week 3; Prompts)

Intro: Build a Tower

*Explain the connection between building a tower and sharing the Gospel (having a good foundation)

What worked well with building the tower?

What challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?

Did you build the tallest tower you could? Why or why not?

Were there any general building principles that seemed to be common among those teams with the taller towers?

Review

*Talk about The Cause Circle

*Talk about how Jesus modeled The Cause Circle (show slide on screen):

Prayer: Jesus often went off to be alone to spend time in prayer.

Care: He cared deeply for those in need—helping and healing people’s physical, emotional, and relational needs.

Share: Prayer and care laid the foundation and helped people open up, so that He could more effectively share His message—out loud, with words.

*Review last week & preview this week

Body

The Big Idea: People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

What are a few examples of stories about Jesus that demonstrate how central love and care were in His life and ministry?

Healing the sick

Feeding the hungry

Forgiving sin

Dying on the cross

Crying over Jerusalem

Etc.

*Talk more about how Jesus modeled Care

*Talk about how Jesus cared for the “losers”

*Point back to Luke 5

Luke 5:17–20 (ESV)

17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

Luke 5:24–25 (ESV)

24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.

How do you see care being demonstrated here?

Jesus meets spiritual needs (v. 20)

Jesus meets physical needs (v. 24-25)

What do you imagine it would be like to live your life as a paralyzed person back in Jesus’ day?

No wheelchair access

No medical care

No government safety net for the disabled

No way to earn a living

Etc.

*Talk about how both this man’s friends and Jesus displayed care to him

*Talk about how Jesus treated them as people, not projects

*Refer back to the Big Idea

*Point to 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

What are the characteristics of love based on this passage?

Love is...

“Love is patient” - Patient

“.... and kind” - Kind

“Love does not envy” - Content

“… or boast” - Modest

“It is not arrogant” - Humble

“or rude...” -Polite

“It does not insist on its own way” - Considerate

“It is not irritable” - Even-tempered

“… or resentful” - Forgiving

“It does not rejoice at wrongdoing.” -Gracious/Grace-Giving

“… but rejoices with the truth” - Truthful/Truth-speaking

“Love bears all things” -Unswerving/Undeterred

“... believes all things” - Faithful

“... hopes all things” - Hopeful

“… endures all things” - Endures

*Talk about how God calls us to THIS type of love.

*Talk about how this can look different depending on the situation

*Prepare to brainstorm (write down ideas on handout)

What are ways that we could demonstrate Care for others this week?

Time

Help

Listening ear

Gifts

Notes

Acts of kindness

Standing up for someone who is being bullied

Sitting with someone at lunch

Offering to pray

Etc.

*Talk about how some of our friends are dealing with some really heavy stuff

*Explain that listening is more important than trying to solve someone’s problems

*Talk about thehopeline.com/ebook

*Mention that they can always come to me and other leaders when they have questions about difficult situations

*Mention that they have 24/7 hotline as well

Application

*Instruct students to write on their handout exactly how they are going to demonstrate care towards one of their unsaved friends this week.

*Mention that they will be asked to share how it went next week

*Review the Gospel

God created us to be with Him. But…

Our sins separate us from God. These…

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. But…

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. So that…

Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life. And this…

Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.

*Explain how this is the reason that we care for our unsaved friends

*Pull out two chairs

*Explain that one chair is your friend, another chair is you

*Explain how God has put them in their lives for a reason

*Challenge them to live this out this week

PRAY