Sunday AM - Make gods For Us - 2.8.26

Intro

What does the phrase, “have your cake and eat it too” mean?

What are some examples of this? (things people want without having to give something up)

What do you think it shows about our society when we approach life this way?

A lot of us have a both/and mentality

We want to make a lot of money, and also not work too hard

We want good grades, but don’t want to study

Spiritually… we want God and other things. We love him and our sin. We worship Him and are obsessed with following culture’s guidelines.

The Bible makes it clear - gain the world and lose your soul (Matt. 16:26-27)

Losing the world and finding life in Christ is so much better. When we follow God’s commands, we live the way God designed us to live - free from sin and shame.

Come up with a definition of worship (write down)

We were made to worship

Exodus 32:1-6

Why do you think humans are so prone to worship things other than God?

What are some things that we worship? (write down)

What are we saying about the things that we worship when we worship them?

What are we saying about God when we worship other things?

Psalm 115:4–8 “Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them.”

We become like what we worship. We become what we behold.

Only God is worthy of worship

Exodus 32:7-14

What would have been just for God to do in this story?

Why did God withhold justice?

Moses steps in — Jesus steps in

God would be completely just to cast us from His presence because of our sin. But he relents because of the saving work of Jesus.

All of the wrath that we deserve gets put on Jesus

No admixture of wrath

God knows quite well how hard we find it to love Him more than anyone or anything else, and He won’t be angry with us as long as we are trying. And He will help us.

What are some ways we can “try” to love God more?

Remember: we’re not getting God to love us by trying. We’re not better Christians because we try, it’s just a natural outflow of a changed person

Life-defined

Think about your own life. What are you tempted to worship instead of God?

What is one next step you can take to worship God this week?

Faithwalkers next week

Think about past ministry times that have encouraged them as well as possible new ministries that could bless the next high schoolers in the future.