Recap of Summer

Review: Making the Most of Your Summer

If you remember back in May we stepped out of the Gospel of John and I did a stand alone lesson on making the most of your summer. Tonight I want to circle back to that, review how it went and look ahead to this school year.

Listen carefully because there are going to be several instructions.

When I dismiss you, come up front and grab your sheet off the board and take it back to your seat.

Then you are going to look over your goals and grade yourself.

How did it go? Did you accomplish that goal? Did you fail? Did you even try? What altered or changed the goal?

If you don’t have a sheet, I have some blanks that you can fill out—think back to your summer—what are some things you did that perhaps achieved a goal you set? What is something your learned this summer? Something you tried for the first time?

We will then come back together and review some of these?

Let’s come back together.

Does anyone want to share a physical goal they set and achieved?

Does anyone have a physical goal they set and did not complete?

Does anyone have a spiritual goal they set and achieved?

Does anyone have a spiritual goal they set and did not complete?

Does anyone have a leisure goal they set and achieved?

Does anyone have a leisure goal they set and did not complete?

What are some reasons you did not reach your goals?

Does anyone remember the verse we covered when working through these?

1 Timothy 4:12 ESV

12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

We talked about setting an example in our speech, conduct, faith, love, and purity.

I am not going to ask you how you did in those areas but hopefully you progressed in those areas in some way over the summer.

I also want to acknowledge some of you completed those goals and since then have come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Your goals may change or may be renewed now that you have the Holy Spirit.

We also covered Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

Ecclesiastes 11:9–10 ESV

9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

We are to enjoy our youth—you have time and money you could do things over the summer that we don’t all get to do.

Some of you went to Alive or Cedar Point. I was not able to go to those things because of health, family or job. It’s not that I didn’t want to or couldn’t afford it, I didn’t have the time.

Enjoy those times.

As we move into the school year I want to encourage us as a group again before we get back in the Gospel of John in two weeks.

I want to encourage us to be a good friend.

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 ESV

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Pastor Mike covered this a couple weeks ago.

We can encourage and help each other. We are designed to be together rather than alone. That is why we are called to have friendships and even marriage because we are designed to be in community.

I would echo what Mike says—I don’t believe any of you that say you don’t want friends, that you just want to do your own thing.

We are called to be in relationship with each other and to encourage one another.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We together can push one another to love and good works. We can sanctify each other. We can encourage one another. We can push one another.

I have heard from others and think we should be considering: what are you doing to be a good friend? What are you doing for others? Stop thinking about ourselves and think about others.

We can encourage someone through friendship and we can share the gospel through friendship.

I am not saying you should be friends with everyone and anyone for the sake of the gospel, but our friendship can be a picture of the great friend.

We can win someone to Christ with love, honesty, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen.

Friendship can help sharpen iron and it can share the gospel.

I would be mistaken to not end with this: true satisfaction will not come through friendship. It will come through the Best Friend.

John 15:15 ESV

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

If you belong to Christ, he has made you friend. And he was willing to lay down his life for his friends.

Cityalight has a great song:

I have a friend, the kindest friend And Jesus is His name He hears my cry by day or night And wipes my tears away

His name is True King, Lord of Creation Ruler without end I call Him Hope, Peace, Wonderful Savior And what joy that Jesus calls me friend He calls me friend

Friendship is not the end all but it is a tool given to us by God.

As we go through the school year—how are we doing in being a friend to others. Are we encouraging those around us or are we tearing them down.

Here is some things to think about:

When was the last time you sent a note to someone asking how they are doing. Perhaps encouraged them.

When was the last time you asked someone else what they wanted to do rather than always doing what you wanted?

When was the last time you went to someones game/competition/job/event to support them?

When was the last time you put someone up?

These things do achieve anything but they often reveal our desires and heart. It helps show us what we value—oftentimes its ourselves.

Before we end I want to pass out new goal sheets. I would like us to set some goals again for the school year. This is a bigger chunk of time—now until May. We will circle back to these and see how we did.

Remember these should be things that you can do—they should be achievable. Don’t put graduate from Med School—you can’t do that between now and May. If you are 12, don’t put get your license.

I will collect them when your done and then there is snack in the back.