9/7/18

Intro

First Friday night? Welcome!

[Explain what we do every Friday night]

[questions are okay]

Sunday, meet for Large group, then breaking off into groups

Announce Leaders

Girls:

Jessica, 6th grade

Body

How do you grow to love something?

Fortnite

How? First-hand experience

Jesus - How do you grow into liking something and loving it?

Choices- we choose between Fortnite and reading the Bible

Acting like classmates by cussing, not caring about others, acting mean, OR upholding the Christian character

The choice of finding love by pursuing sexual or bodily lusts, OR be deeply satisfied in Jesus’ love and choosing to wait on Him for those desires to be satisfied in the right way.

There is a problem:

Jeremiah 17:9 NET

The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it?

The Sin-Problem

What is sin?

Breaking God’s standard of perfection: push the limit

We get so caught up in it that we don’t know we’re trapped

Christian bubble here, pretending

Haven’t sinned, our lives are together, that we want all the right things

Romans 3:23 NET

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

1 Timothy 1:15 NET

This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them!

My sins- bitterness at God for not blessing me like he did to other people

Romans 3:23 NET

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Made everything in my life sour.

Then He showed Himself to me

[cognitive therapy exercise]

Is this Biblical?

Isaiah 62:5 NET

As a young man marries a young woman, so your sons will marry you. As a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

What kind of “Christian” experience do you want?

Rules, a way of life, an honorable religion that you can adhere to and live within the guidelines, live comfortably, and maybe go to heaven?

The intense, awe-filled life, emotionally exhilarating, shaping and difficult and painful and wonderfully rewarding? Not only will you be sure you’re going to heaven, you’ll be a little piece of heaven on earth!

Pain of discipleship

A wife who doesn’t want to go through the pain of giving birth, and a husband who doesn’t want to change poopy diapers, dealing with difficulty in relationships should get a dog instead of a child.

Do you want to live a comfortable life

The pains of being a parent don’t discredit the value of having a child, but it validates the value.

Jr High/High school is required, but college isn’t. If you’re not willing to crawl through the trenches of homework, don’t enroll in college.

Homework and all nighter projects and trying to pretend you’re smart and realizing you need grace doesn’t discredit the value of going to college, but validates the value.

Graduating is proof of the fight

Don’t be afraid of the hard route—it’s the right route

Christianity is not the easy route, but it is the only eternally rewarding choice.

Questions

Have you ever tried to enjoy something that

What rules exist in our community at PCAC? What makes someone a spiritual member, and what makes someone unspiritual?

What is one accomplishment in your life that you worked hard for that didn’t come easy? What made you decide to pursue that?

What are the true marks/qualities of a Christian? What does it look like to personally experience Jesus in your life?

What does the world think about Christians? What does the world think about Jesus? Why is there a difference?

Read . Why did Adam and Eve hide from God? What was God’s response? How do we do this today?

What rules exist in our community (Plano, PCAC, etc.), and why? What roles do rules play in the spiritual life?

What are the true marks/qualities of a Christian? What does it look like to personally experience Jesus in your life? Read . How do we gain the Spirit in our lives?

Closing

The Solution

Story of when I crashed my bike and ran home and hid

Our greatest inclination- Hide

We run and hide from God like we try to cover up our mistakes

On our own private island with no beach, no food, and filled with mirages that are objects of our insanity, fooling us into thinking we’re happy without Him

Inseparable chasm between us and God

God has bridged that gap, crossed the bridge to our private island, and is face to face with us

Cognitive therapy exercise part 2

[Guide spiritually]

bring up the worst thing they’ve done or how God feels about them

Feeling that they’ve failed God for the thousandth time

How they hide it, but God takes it and it’s gone, open arms

Hebrews 4:14–16 NET

Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

We run from our problems, and Jesus has run toward us and met us. The solution all along to every problem is approaching God. And we will experience Him.

How do you want this semester to go? Are you ready to be changed at the cost of yourself? Or you want to stay on your private rocky-island?

This is a safe place

Safe place to ask questions about life, relationships, spirituality

Safe place to be challenged to push beyond what you know

I should be fired if things look the same a year from now

Invite you to talk to me. If you want to get coffee/boba, it’s on me

Invitation is open for me or any of your leaders. They love you.

[Maybe split them up into prayer groups if we have time]

Pray

Struggles with unsure feelings, insecurity, temptations

Forgiveness

Thank you so much!!!