ONO Youth Sunday Takeover

Introduction

Name, where I work, connection to Jess

It is a priviledge for me to share the Word this morning as we all celebrate our graduates for this year and the next step they take in their journey.

Impressed with their theme of “reflection”

I think it shows a level of maturity in the students

As Christians, reflection is one of the more powerful and meaningful things we can do, but in our fast paced, busy world, its often one of the more neglected Christian disciplines.

Reflection - Serious thought or consideration. Contemplation, deliberation, pondering.

It’s more than just looking backwards on the past week, month, or year…its looking back and asking ourselves,

How do these events, actions, words, etc…inform my life for today?

Reflection is not simply about where we have been, but where we are going!

There are two main purposes that I see when it comes to relfection, and that is: GROWTH and PERSPECTIVE

Main Points

Growth

You can see this idea of growth in one of the Scripture verses read by one of the students this morning:

James 1:22-25

James 1:22–25 (ESV)

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

James is talking about putting our faith into action.

Not just reading the words of Scripture with no application

Hearing or reading of Scripture is good, but if there is no doing that follows, what was the point?

What’s the point of the looking in the mirror, and seeing a reflection of yourself, and then walking away and completely forgetting what you looked like?

The reflection didn’t serve a purpose!

What good does it do to reflect, if there is no growth from it?

Perspective

Perspective is so important because it often informs how we live our lives, and how we perceive the events and actions in our lives.

Story of boy pushing outhouse into river

Two very different perspectives as to the severity of the boys actons.

One of the greatest examples of perspective that I see in Scripture can be found in the story of Joseph in Genesis.

To give a quick summary of his story

He was the favorite son of Jacab who had 12 sons.

His brothers hated him for this

They sell him into slavery

Just as things start looking up in the his masters house, he is falsely accused of attempted rape by his master’s wife

He is sent to prison, some scholars say it was as long as 14 years.

He ends up as second in command in all of Egypt

God gives him supernatural ability to interpret a prophetic dream that pharaoh had, which gave him the insight to created storehouses for a 7 year famine that was to come upon the land.

All this leads up to the moment where Joseph’s brothers end up standing before him trying to buy food during this famine....and now Joseph as the second most powerful person in the world has the opportunity to get revenge on his brothers.

Joesph’s perspective - Genesis 50:19-20

Genesis 50:19–20 (ESV)

But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

One thing is for sure....Joseph didn’t get to that conlusion without serious amounts of previous reflection, and seeing God in the bigger picture!

Conclusion

So here is my prayer, specifically for the graduating class of 2021.

I pray that as you enter into this new phase of life, that your reflection on this past year, and the past several years of your life

Would give you valuable perspective, into how God has been moving in and shaping your life

And that you would grow as individuals in your character, in your Christian witness, and in your relationship with our incredible Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

(Maybe have Jess do this) Would you all join with me in praying for our graduates?