Kids Camp 2024 Session 2 Morning 1

How do I get on God’ path? John 3:16-18.

Introduction

Good Morning! How many hours did you all sleep last night?

Has anyone memorized Psalm 25:4 “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.”

Start off with a question. How many of you all have been lost in a store before?

Tell the story of how i wandered off when i was little. I wandered around the whole store of Bank’s Market but couldnt find mom. But she found me. I was lost then i was found.

Relate back to our lesson from the night before. We were in the presence of God, humanity was on God’s path, but when we sinned wandered off and away from God’s path. But as we will see this morning there is a way for us to be back on God’s path, but it not through anything we can do. Rather it is through Jesus alone to bring us back on God’s path.

John 3:16–17 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Pray

The Father wants everyone on the path. Point 1- John 3:16 A

The context of the passage because of the for. It is a conjunction. We have to look back at the text to see what is happening.

Speaking with Nicodemus a Pharisee. Someone who was supposed to know about the incoming Messiah. But he was having this meeting with Jesus at night. We then get to Jesus’ response to Nicodemus.

Must be born again. Do I get rebirthed? No it is a spiritual rebirth. Just like we saw last night, we were physically and spritually with the Father, but now we are far off. We must be born again.

But also he refers to Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness it was a sign of hope for the Israelites of freedom and saving from their bondage and slavery. Jesus is referring to the eventual death on the cross. Jesus is saying that death, is something Christians will be able to look at as hope.

We do. The cross necklace and such

How radical of a thing that is. It would be like putting an electrical chair on our neck nowadays.

For God loved.

What does it mean to love something?

Go on to share about the diet and I love Cheesecake. Does God love me like my cheesecake? No it is a different meaning.

The Four Loves, he says there are four basic kinds of love. He gives them their Greek names:

philia—the love of friendship and camaraderie;

eros—the love of romance and desire and sexual attraction; and

storge—the love of affection that arises through natural attachment, a child, a dog, a favorite old shabby sweater, a spot in the woods.

agape—the God-like self-giving love even toward enemies;

This type of love is an agape type of love. It is a selfgiving, self sacrificial type of love.

God loves us the enemies. Romans 5:10 “While we were enemies”

Think of those who hung Jesus on the cross. The Romans hated Jesus, the Jewish people also put him there.

But we see his love did not stop with those who were already loving him. Rather it extended to us. We are God’s enemy

But he loved the world.

Application

Who are we to love? Those who are only nice to us?

No not just them. But to all humans, this sacrificial love.

Which leads to the next point

The Father sent the Son to get us on the path. Point 2 John 3:16 B

He gave his one and only son.

Walk through the life of Jesus. We know that he is fully man as he born of the virgin Mary.

But we also know that he was fully God, since he was born with no physical earthly Father.

We know that Jesus is part of the trinity of God. Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Walk through the pain and torment Jesus took on the cross. The nails, the breathing, then finally the death where he is pierced on his side and his last drops are water.

Hypovolemic Shock.

We must respond the Son Point 3. John 3:16 C- 17

Who ever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life

Is knowing good enough?

What is the difference between believing/faith and knowing.

Use the parachute illustration

I know through book and such the parachute will work

But the believe/faith getting punted out. That thing better work! Can not save myself

Also the chair illustration

Mark 1:23–24 “And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.””

James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

God did not send Jesus to condemn us. But to save us and love us.

Conclusion

How do I respond?

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:13 “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

How will you respond.

We are sheep without a shepherd Matthew 9:36 “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

We can not save ourselves, we must rely on the Son of God to save us. He loves us. Respond to him this morning.

Small Group Questions

How do you know God loves you?

Can I/you get back on the path ourself?

Why is Jesus able to get us back on the path with the Father?

How do you need to respond to Jesus today, or this week?