Our Lives Pass On The Good News

WHAT?

Welcome to our new series Pass It On! For the next few weeks, we'll be talking about the kinds of messages we tend to pass on to others.

PK-Make sure you don't butt dial when you're acting stupid...

I remember the day I bought Kayla's engagement ring. I put my pup Rocky in the car, and we went out to Shane Co. Jeweler in Franklin, TN.  I was so excited to pop the question and sing it to her, I started singing to Rocky "Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get maaarrieed."  He was excited too as he howled along with me.  It was super dorky I know.. but no one else was listening.. just me and the pup.  Or so I thought... the entire time I was acting like a moron, my Momma was listening in on the phone bc I sent her a phone call with my butt!  My Momma was usually nice and didn't like to make fun of me... but she relentlessly made fun of me for this til the day she died.

QUESTION | "What kinds of messages do people get excited to pass along?"

I know I'm not the only one who's ever been excited to pass on a message. What other kinds of messages do people get excited to pass along?

INSTRUCTIONS: Give a few students a chance to respond. If you have time, ask them to give examples or tell stories of their own. There are all sorts of reasons we pass messages along — maybe because that message is . . .

Funny.

Dramatic.

Shocking.

Adorable.

Or really good news!

But it's not just messages that we get excited to pass on to others. Have you ever heard of the idea of "paying it forward?" Maybe you've seen someone pay for someone else's bill at a restaurant, the grocery store, or a drive-through?

VIDEO | A Clip from "This Pizza Place Lets Its Customers Pay It Forward In Slices For the Homeless" (Fast Company)

This pizzeria has taken off because of their pass-it-on mentality. They've developed influence in their community, not just because of pizza, but because of the kindness they're passing on.

QUESTION | "Who's an influencer you think has done a lot of good for the world?"

Most of the time, influencers become influencers because of the things they pass along online. Some gained influence by passing on new dances, funny takes, makeup tutorials, or video game streams. But others gained influence by talking about things that really matter.

Who's an influencer you think has done a lot of good for the world?

INSTRUCTIONS: Give a few students a chance to respond.

When we hear the word "influencer," we often think about internet fame, but what if I told you that you had the opportunity to be the kind of influencer who makes an impact even beyond social media?

You may not own a pizzeria, have a million followers on Twitch, or be one of the more well-known people in your school, but you have some important and world-changing messages to pass on — not just with your words, but with your actions too.

SO WHAT?

But sometimes we accidentally pass on the wrong messages, either through our words or our actions. It could be as simple as accidentally giving your friend the wrong date for a party, or it could be something bigger.

We've all had moments when we sent the wrong message by accident or misinterpreted information by mistake. We all know that sinking feeling you get in your stomach when you realize you've messed up. That feeling only gets worse when the message you were supposed to pass on matters a lot.

*Kroger nametag pic*

Sometimes, you just need to speak up... When I turned 16, I started working at Kroger in Mt Juliet, TN.  I hated that job bc my boss was kind of a jerk.. But I liked hanging with the kids who worked there.  One day before work, we were all hanging out outside at the break table.  Some of the kids started to talk about this girl named Lindsey.  They were laughing while they made fun of the way that she talked.  Kids are mean like that sometimes...I felt kind of awkward in that situation bc Lindsey was my friend and all those kids making fun of her were my friends too.  So I just kind of chuckled along and didn't say anything.  The next day, I saw Lindsey and said hey, and she just gave me the death stare.  And I deserved it!  She found out that I was with those kids who were dissing her and was furious with me.  I didn't mean to hurt Lindsey, but I did bc I was too chicken to speak up and defend her in front of others...

If you’re familiar with the story of Jesus, you might know that all Jesus-followers everywhere have been challenged to pass on a very specific message to others. In the Bible, it’s often called “the good news.” Jesus calls us to pass on his good news with our words and our actions.

But what is the good news? What’s the message Jesus invites us to pass on?

INSTRUCTIONS: Give a few students a chance to respond.

The good news is that God came to earth as a person named Jesus to rescue us from sin and death! Jesus died, but now he’s alive — and through his resurrection from the dead, we can have new life too. That’s good news. That’s what we’re talking about when we say “the gospel.”

SCRIPTURE | Acts 9:36-43-

Tabitha Pic

In the book of Acts (which is in the Bible) there’s a woman named Tabitha. Tabitha had a pretty incredible — and unexpected — pass-it-on experience with the good news of Jesus.

Before we get to Tabitha, let me tell you about the book of Acts.

It was written by one of Jesus's followers named Luke, who was a doctor.

Luke also wrote the gospel of Luke. His gospel tells the stories of Jesus’ life, while Acts tells the stories of Jesus’ followers who went into the world to share the good news.

Luke wrote these books as a historian to help combat the false rumors and teachings that were circulating about Jesus. These books were Luke's way of passing on the good news of Jesus.

In the book of Acts is where we meet Tabitha.

Tabitha's name meant "gazelle" and her character matched her name—she was always active and moving- constantly helping those around her.  

Many people believe Tabitha was a widow, which was a difficult thing to be in that time and culture. Women who lost their husbands often found themselves unable to support themselves. But Tabitha not only found a way to support herself, she was committed to helping support others too.

Tabitha's faith moved her to pass on God's love and the good news by caring for others who were in need. Tabitha chose to pass on the good news of her faith through her generosity.

"Her life overflowed with good works and compassionate acts on behalf of those in need.

Because of this, Tabitha was loved deeply by those in her community. She developed a lot of influence!

So when Tabitha died, Peter walked into a room filled with women who had been impacted by her life and were now mourning her death.

Peter raised Tabitha from the dead, but then what happened? Tabitha's pass-it-on mentality didn't only affect a group of widows. The whole town heard of what God did in and through Tabitha's life, death, and life again. In fact, the passage says that many believed in the Jesus. Her faith and her pass-it-on lifestyle changed lives for eternity.

When Tabitha passed on the good news of Jesus to others, it resulted in changed lives and deep love for Tabitha in her community. But Scripture tells us that sharing the good news of Jesus can sometimes result in us making a few enemies.

When the good news of Jesus was first beginning to spread throughout the world, there was a lot of opposition from both religious and government leaders.

Even today in some parts of the world, it's illegal to be a follower of Jesus. Passing on the good news can actually make you wind up in jail. Depending on the context in which you live, it's not unheard of to face challenges because of your relationship with Jesus — both then and now.

But this shouldn't surprise us. Jesus said things could get tough for his followers.

Mark 13:9–11 NIV

“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

Title Slide

Jesus didn't pretend it would always be easy to share the good news of Jesus. But he assures us the Holy Spirit, who is our Teacher, will always give us the right words to say at the right time.

And remember, Jesus wasn't a stranger to difficulty. Because of his message, he experienced all kinds of hatred, mockery, imprisonment, and even death. So when Jesus tells us to continue passing on the good news even when it's difficult, he's speaking from personal experience. The disciples’ path is the same as Jesus’-it's hard.

But no matter how difficult, uncomfortable, or even dangerous it can sometimes be to talk about the good news of Jesus, it's worth it. The news that Jesus is alive, and that he can give us new life too, is the best news ever. It's news worth passing on.

When Tabitha was resurrected from the dead, her second chance at life was a catalyst that led to the good news of Jesus being passed on to others. But she was passing on the gospel long before that:

Tabitha had already received new life long before this incident with Peter. Her life began to be transformed the moment she met Jesus.

After she met Jesus, Tabitha's everyday life was dedicated to passing on the good news by loving others like Jesus would.

Her resurrection from physical death was just one more way God chose to use her life to pass on the good news of Jesus.

You and I will probably never be resurrected from the dead like Tabitha was, but that's okay. If we've met Jesus, we've already found new life in him. Our lives are already being transformed. We already have a miraculous story to tell.      Like Tabitha, our lives can pass on the good news.

NOW WHAT?

It’s easy to see how we can use our words to pass on the good news of Jesus, but sometimes we forget that our actions can pass on the good news of Jesus too. Like Tabitha, we all have gifts, talents, and resources at our disposal that we can use to pass on the message of Jesus.

INSTRUCTIONS: Before your teaching time, gather a few objects to symbolize a variety of gifts and talents — like clothing (which Tabitha made to care for people in need), a microphone or musical instrument (for music), a wrapped gift (for generosity), sports equipment (for athletics), books (for learning), or kitchen utensils (for cooking, baking, or serving food). Display each of these items as you list each example below.

Tabitha was skilled at making clothes, so she used her time and talents to make clothing for those in need. This tangible way of loving others gave her influence in her community. Because people trusted and loved her, they were also curious about the Jesus she followed.

But what about you? How can you use what you have to love others and pass on the good news with your life, like Tabitha did? Maybe you . . .

Love music or are a talented musician. Maybe you could connect with others over your shared interests or use the music you create to share the good news of Jesus.

Love to give gifts or have more than you need. You could show others the love of Jesus by living a life of generosity.

Love to play a sport. You could connect with others through the sports you play and share the good news of Jesus with your teammates.

Love to learn. You could put together a small group of friends who want to read books or study the Bible together to learn more about who Jesus is.

Love to cook or are looking for a way to serve. Just like Tabitha shared the good news by caring for others’ physical needs, you could feed people who are hungry, maybe by serving food at a local shelter or giving a meal to someone who’s having a hard time.

The point is, passing on the good news of Jesus shouldn’t just be a one-time event. It should be part of our everyday lives — something we do regularly through both our actions and our words. Because when sharing the good news is a regular part of our lives, our lives can have a bigger impact.

REFLECTION | The Pass It On Board (Week 1)

Tabitha gave what she had to others, and that's what made her life so influential.

She passed on the good news to others by loving them like Jesus would. Because Tabitha met people's needs, lives were changed by the gospel.

Yes, her resurrection was a miracle — but her life demonstrated the miraculous love of Jesus long before Peter raised her from the dead.

What about you? What needs can you meet? Who can you love with the love of Jesus? How has God gifted you to share the good news of Jesus with others? This week, think about what you can do to live out the gospel, because:

OUR LIVES PASS ON THE GOOD NEWS

INSTRUCTIONS: Before your teaching time, print and cut the handouts provided in your Week 1 folder. Place one under each seat, along with a pen. Encourage students to write down some specific ways they could serve others and meet needs in their communities. Challenge them to think more about during the week and in discussions with each other.

PASS IT ON CHALLENGE

INSTRUCTIONS: We suggest using this series as a launching point for this quarter's Discipleship Activity, The Pass It On Challenge. You can find this resource in the discipleship section of your dashboard.

WHAT TO SAY:To introduce this challenge, say something like . . . Hey everyone! I'm so pumped to start the Pass It On Challenge. This is a challenge where you'll learn how to share your faith story so you can take the good news of Jesus and pass it on! You'll first hear someone's faith story, then you'll reflect on your own story, and then finally you'll have the opportunity to share your own faith story. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves. For now, we're just going to listen to someone's story and see what we can take away from it. Show "I am Second" Video of Reed Robertson from Duck Dynasty (5:33)

Small Group Intro