Jump Week 3- Growing in Faith

On Sunday night we wrapped up our series titled "JUMP" as we touched on what it means to Grow in Faith and how that process looks.  We identified 4 things that God uses to grow us.  Disclaimer:  Everybody is different and God grows their faith in different ways, so it is imperative that we understand, some may experience growth differently than others, but we can recognize that God's heart is that we have faith and that we grow in faith!
1. Our faith grows through the TRUTH-  Intentional time in God's word, in the presence of others speaking and discussing His word, and through prayer.  God reveals himself to us through the Bible!

2. Our faith grows through TRIALS-  These are not always fun, but James writes that they are there to grow us.  How do we look at our lives when things are tough?

3. Our faith grows through TIME- Life experience and time walking with Jesus will help us learn to depend on Him and we will see Him work in our lives and in others.  It isn't always instantaneous. 

4. Our faith grows through TOGETHERNESS-  The Bible tells us that as iron sharpens iron, one many sharpens another.  God created the community of believers called the Church in order for us to encourage one another and to grow in faith.

Here are some good discussion questions on the topic:

-What is something in life that I really want to do that requires me to grow up and mature?

-Why is growing up or maturing important?

-Would it be okay to be a junior higher forever mentally or physically?  What about being a Junior Higher in your faith?

-We discussed 4 primary ways that God uses to grow us in faith; through the truth, through trials, through time, and through togetherness.  Which one of these has impacted your faith the most?

-Which one of these areas has been hardest for you to grow in faith through?

Jump Week 2- Living by Faith

In week 2 of our series "JUMP" we took a look at what it means to live by faith.  We examined Matthew 14:22-33 and took a look at Jesus' interaction with Peter in the mist of a huge storm on the water.  Jesus called Peter to get out of the boat and walk on water.  One minute Peter had AMAZING Faith- after all, he was one of only two people in the history of the world that walked on water!  The next minute he was faithless and drowning.  Jesus lovingly reached out and helped Peter.  How often to we have these experiences in our lives.  Peter was not so different from us today.  The Bible tells us that it is possible for faith to move mountains.  We also struggle with doubt in the mist of trials like Peter.  Wherever you or your student find yourself today, there is hope- because just like in this story, Jesus reaches his hand out to us!  Here are some of the questions that we discussed.

-What are some examples of how you have faith in somebody or something each and every day?

-Has there ever been a time where you really questioned if God is really there to care and provide for you?
-If you put yourself in the shoes of Peter who we talked about tonight, what are the wind and the waves right now in your life that cause you to doubt that you can trust God?
-What are some promises in the Bible that God gives us about our relationship with Him that can reassure us of His love and care in times of hardship or doubt?

-How do you think that you could grow to trust God in a greater way?

Jump Week 1- What is Faith???

                 What is Faith???

We started a new series this week at Crossroads titled "JUMP" and we are focusing on the subject of Faith.  In week 1, we explored the topic and sought to answer the question- "What is Faith".  Here is the definition that we gave about biblical faith:

Faith- Believing in God's word and acting on it because God loves me and has his best in store for me.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "without faith it is impossible to please God".  Its important that we know what faith is and seek to live it out.  The three main teaching points that we highlighted from our main text (Hebrews 11:1-3) were that:

Faith is: Substance of Hope
Faith is: Evidence of the Unseen
Faith is: an Active Process

Here are the small group questions:

-What are some things that I really  hope will happen for others?

-What are some things that I really hope will happen in my own life?

-Is there any situation in life right now that you think could be too big for God to fix?  What is it?

-The concept of faith is hard to grasp, but even harder without first trusting in the person of Jesus Christ.  Do you believe in who Jesus was and what He did for you by faith?  If so, has this decision impacted your ability to have faith in other areas of life?

Why Jesus week 4- "Is Jesus the only way to Heaven?"

If you hadn't noticed by now, the Gospel Journey series and the Why Jesus series parallel each other very closely with many of the questions surrounding the Christian faith.  This week as students consider "What was Jesus Message" in Sunday School through Gospel Journey Maui, we will be discussing the question "Is Jesus the only way to Heaven?" at Crossroads.  These are prime opportunities to share what we believe about faith in Christ, to challenge our students to solidify their own belief, and then to pray for and seek opportunities to share this truth with others.  I hope that as we come closer each week to Easter, we will all be a little bit more bold about what we believe to be certain about Jesus and the message he shared while he walked the face of the earth.  The question's need to force us beyond simply a head knowledge about Jesus, but a lifestyle of action that supports what we say we believe.  Here are the questions for the Why Jesus series finale:

Is Jesus really the only way to heaven?

Read John 14:5-7

From Jesus’ own words… do you believe that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life… that no one comes to the Father except through Jesus?

Do you believe that a life lived apart from him, involves a serious consequence and that means eternal separation from him?

If you believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, are you willing to share it with your friends who don’t know or believe that truth?

 

Gospel Journey Week 9 Discussion Questions

This week's topic was "What is Jesus Message".  This portion of the series gets right at the heart to explain what Jesus said and why it is important that we consider His words.  Jesus can't simply be just a "nice guy".  As we explored before, He is either Lunatic, Liar, or Lord.  What did He have to say and what are the implications for us today.  Here are the corresponding discussion questions:

-If Jesus was born in our time, what would he need to do to prove He is God?

 

Read John 3:1-21

-What surprised you from this scripture passage?

.What is your reaction to Jonathan’s offended response at having to read the Bible?  How would you talk to a friend who felt the same way?

.Last week we asked Who is Jesus to you.  After you have considered that question, this week the question to wrestle with is this- What are you going to do with Jesus?

-Does knowing Jesus message motivate you to live differently?  How?

 

Why Jesus week 3- "Were Jesus' miracles just an illusion?"

We started off 2014 with a series titled "Incredible" and as a group we looked at several of the miracles that Jesus preformed while he was physically here on earth.  We have many instances of these miracles recorded in the Bible, while there are likely countless others that were simply just not written about.  Believe it or not, these miracles either draw people to believe in Jesus or create more skepticism about Him.  Some people seriously believe that many of the things that Jesus did were illusion.  In week 3 of our Why Jesus series, we look to dispel the idea that the miracles were just some crazy magic trick and that Jesus did these things to bring Glory to God, to heal those who were sick or oppressed and so that many would see or read about these things and put their faith in God.  Our hope is that remembering what Jesus did would just be fuel to the fire of our faith.  Here are the discussion questions from this week's portion of "Why Jesus"

Read Matthew 11:20-24
Why do you think people try to disprove or deny that Jesus’ miracles were authentic?

As we look at modern-day America , with our many churches, Christian TV and music, Christian schools, clubs, and camps– what are some parallels between America and Capernaum?

Are you at all like the city of Capernaum?  Have you heard over and over the good news of Jesus and still reject him in your own life?

Do you know anybody who’s in need of the miracle of forgiveness?  Would you care enough for that friend to bring them to Crossroads or tell them about Jesus?

 

Gospel Journey Week 8 Discussion Questions

This week's topic we will uncover is "Who is Jesus".  Many people have many responses to this question, in fact Jesus, not wanting to assume anything of his own disciples asked this question:
"Who do people say the son of man is?" followed by "But who do you say I am?" (Matt 16:13-17).  He wanted to be absolutely clear with his followers about who He was.  We want our students not just to verbalize who Jesus is as if they are only looking to get the "right answer", but we want them to understand and experience the truth and life changing power behind knowing who Jesus really is!
Here are the discussion questions from this week's video:

-How would you fill in this blank:  To me, Jesus is __________?

-Who do you say that Jesus is?

Read Matthew 16:13-17

-Has your answer about who Jesus is changed since we started watching this series?

-Is the idea that Jesus is the Son of God a human idea?  Why or why not?

-What did Jesus way would happen to those who don’t believe his claim of being God?  How does that effect how you believe?  What about how you live?

Getting to the Heart of Parenting Conference thoughts

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a two day conference featuring Dr. Paul David Tripp, who is a renowned teacher, professor, and pastor.  He has become well known for his travels and teachings on parenting.  His brother wrote the book "Shepherding a Child's Heart".  The conference was held at Wheaton Bible Church, and I would highly recommend parents who have kids from 0-18 in the home (or out of the home) to attend one of these conferences if possible.  It was revolutionary for me not only as a parent, but as an adult who works with students on a regular basis.  I believe that although many of the strategies and ideas shared are primarily best utilized in the home, if we cared for children and students and sought to teach them in the same way- watch out!  The world would look a lot different!

Here are some of my main takeaways:

The Family- Is God's primary learning community

-If as parents we are only trying to restrain and control behavior, we haven't given our kids anything!
-Point to God every opportunity that you can in your relationship with your children
-It's hard to give away (faith) what you don't have yourself
-Don't begin by asking God to open your kid's eyes.  Begin by asking Him to open your eyes!
-One of the most important things is to teach Christ's love, and that will take sacrifice!
-If we don't put God in the center of their world- they will be in the center of their own world!

Parents: In God's economy NOBODY can replace you.  The church is meant to EQUIP you and the School and State to help resourcefully.

The Heart- is the causal core of your personhood.  Its the heart that shepherds, shapes, and controls behavior
-Lasting change in the life and behavior of a child travels through the pathway of the heart (Matthew 15:11-30, Luke 6:43-46, Mark 7:17-23)

My Personal  Conclusion:
This was just a small sample of the overall Biblical picture of parenting that was presented.  Our job as parents and leaders is to care for, cultivate, and challenge the heart of our children and students.  It is a big challenge because like us, our kids and students are born sinners with a will and a desire to serve-self every minute of the day.  If we want to see our children and students live a life that honors and points to Christ- we need to model it for them and consistently, in love, speak that truth into their lives.  It takes work- its not free or easy, but it's worth it!  As a parent myself, I am in the thick of all this as well.  That being said- we as a community want to help you fulfill your call by God as parents to lead and disciple your children.  God gave that responsibility to parents and we want to help equip you and support your ministry at home!

If you wanted to check into more resources by Paul David Tripp you can check out his webpage HERE.

Gospel Journey Week 7 Discussion Questions

This week, the video topic was "What happens after we die".  Every belief system deals with this question and there are several different takes.  Here are the questions for this week.

-What happens after we die?

.What do you think happens to people when they die?

.Do people have control over what happens to them after they die?  Why or why not?  Do you have any proof or evidence of what you believe? 

Read 1 Corinthians. 15:12-18 (NLT)

.What is the connection between Christ’s resurrection and ours?

.Why is the hope of all Christians founded on the resurrection of Christ?

 

.Is it possible that only Christians are resurrected and non-believers just die?  Why or why not?

Why Jesus week 2- "Was Jesus God, or just a good man"?

In week 2, we are exploring the question, "Was Jesus God, or just a good man".  In this week's lesson we will consider C.S. Lewis' famous "Trilemma" regarding Jesus:

1– He is a Liar
2– He is a Lunatic

3– He is Lord

Here are the questions that we had the students dissect in small group on this subject matter.

 

If you were alive when Jesus was walking the earth, which of these labels would you have put on him?

Today, who do you believe that Jesus is?

If we truly believe that Jesus is Lord, what should our response to him be?

How would you share with a friend who thought that Jesus was just a good guy? 

What would you say convinced you to believe what you do about Him?

 

Why Jesus Week 1- "What's the Big Deal about Jesus?"

This Sunday night, we will be beginning a new series titled "Why Jesus".  This series will aim to answer some basic questions surrounding the person of Jesus and why he came to earth.  The first week's title is "What's the Big Deal about Jesus".  Listed below are discussion questions that are follow up from the lesson.

 

-Have you ever heard people say that Jesus was fake or wasn’t really the messiah?  How did you  handle that situation?

- What is the difference between a prophecy and a prediction?

-Why is it important for Christians to know about the prophecies from the Old Testament that are related to Jesus? 

-How can knowing about these prophecies produce faith in somebody’s life?

-How can believing in the fulfillment of over 400 prophecies about Jesus help you share your belief with others?

 



 

Gospel Journey Week 6 Discussion Questions

Why Do Bad Things Happen- Week 6

-Do you think that the things that happen in our lives– even the “bad stuff” is randomly put there, or is there some reason behind them?

-Which cast member’s perspective best represents your answer to why bad things happen?  What do you base your personal belief on?

Read Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-11, 3:14-19

-How do these verses explain why bad things happen?

-Greg distinguished two kinds of “bad”: moral evil vs. natural disasters.  Ex) Hitler’s holocaust vs. Tsunami in Indonesia. 
How would you explain the difference?  What is the source of each one?

-Jonathan said that good things can sometimes come out of evil.  What do you think?  Can you think of an example?

 

 

Connect.Ignite.Advance- Winter Camp Re-Wind

At Crossroads on Sunday night, we will be reviewing the thoughts shared on our Winter Camp trip.  The theme for the weekend was "Connect.Ignite.Advance" and focused on being connected to God and Others, having our hearts ignited by His message (The Gospel), and then doing our part to advance the message and share with others.  Here are the questions that students will be covering in small group together this week

-Why is it important for us to connect regularly with God?

-Why is it important for us to connect regularly with other Christians?

-What are some things that we spend our time on instead of connecting with God?

-What can you do to connect with God more often?

-God calls us to share his message (The Gospel) with others.  What are ways that you can advance the Gospel with others this week?

 

Gospel Journey Week 5 Discussion Questions

The topic of discussion for this Sunday (2/16) revolved around the question "Why are there so many Religions?  and Can they all be right?"

Week 5- Why are there so many religions?

-Why do you think that there are so many religions?

-Is it possible that they can all be right?  Why or why not?

Read Romans 1:18-22

-Why would some people refuse to believe in and worship God?

-Is it possible that the God of the Bible is the same as God(s) of other religions? 

-How can we know that the God of the Bible is the one TRUE God?

-How does fulfilled prophecy show that the Bible is inspired by God?

Gospel Journey week 4 Discussion Questions



Here are the discussion questions for this weeks Gospel Journey Maui video!

Week 4- Is it religion or relationship?

-Why is it difficult to stop trying to work for our salvation and to start trusting in what Jesus did?

Read Matthew 7:22-24

-How does these verses show the difference between religion and relationship?

-The verses talk about "knowing" God.  Do you think these verses are about "knowing" God in your head or "knowing" God in your heart?

-What are some key elements needed in developing a relationship with somebody if we want to really get to "know" them?

-What are some things that we are able to do in order to "know" God the way He desires us to know him?

 

Gospel Journey Maui- Sunday School Reality TV adventure!

A few weeks back we started a new DVD series titled Gospel Journey Maui.  Gospel Journey is produced by Dare 2 Share Ministries and has the flavor of a reality TV series minus the elements that MTV insists wins viewers over.  Its all about having discussions of faith revolving around the Gospel.  Each week I will be posting the title of the video, along with any discussion questions we tackled as a group.  Hopefully this resource will help you dissect the subject matter with your students a little further at home!  Here is a little clip that shows what the series is like with our discussion questions listed below.


Week 1- Is There A Higher Power? 1/12/14

-What evidences do you see on a regular basis that might prove that there is a higher power or a God?

Read Psalms 33:6-9
-what stands out to you the most about this passage?

-how might this passage help you answer the question “Is there a God”?

-what stands out to you the most about this passage?

-this God that created the world from nothing is not just an artist that stands at a distance, He created the world and everything in it, but declared that we (Mankind) was his Greatest creation.  It’s the first part of the Gospel acrostic.  Do you believe that, above all else, God created us to be with him?

Week 2- What is the Purpose of Life (part 1)? 1/19/14

-Do you think that most teens struggle with finding purpose in their lives?  Why or why not?

Read Ecclesiasties 2:11

-What does Solomon mean when he talks about chasing after the wind?

-What was it that made everything Solomon pursued feel meaningless?

-What are some things you or others might do in order to find purpose in life?

-Are you content with what you have or are you wanting more from life?

 

Week 3- What is the Purpose of Life (part 2)?  1/26/14

-Do we need a purpose in life? Why or why not?

Read Ecclesiasties 12:13-14

What it mean to obey God’s commands?

Does it motivate or intimidate you to know that everything you do will one day be judged by God?

In the video you heard several different viewpoints on what people believe “our purpose is in life”.  Christians believe that our purpose is to KNOW God and to MAKE HIM KNOWN.  Like Zane, are you ready to embrace this purpose and to share it with others?

In addition to the discussion questions, we challenge students to take home the handouts and work to memorize the Dare 2 Share Gospel acrostic.  This is a simple and complete explanation of the Gospel story.  We call it "Life in 6 Words"