January 17, 2019
Middle School
This week the middle school students continued on their short “God Is” series, focusing on the justice and the mercy of God. The students explored a very familiar passage, John 3:16-21, in which Jesus talks about His purpose and summarizes the good news of the gospel. Ryan Donovan talked with the students about how the world is unfair as a result of sin, but because of the mercy of Jesus any who would come and confess and believe are given the same imperishable inheritance. Because God is just, He couldn’t simply let sinners enjoy this inheritance without punishment for their sin, so He sent Jesus and in His mercy He freed sinners from their slavery to sin. The cross is where God’s justice and His mercy meet, enabling us to live in the tension between God’s justice, and God’s mercy.
High School
This week, the high school students spent time in 1 Peter 1:1-10. We’re doing an inductive study through the book of 1 Peter, which always starts with prayer, moves to reading, then to observations about the text, study, interpretation, and then application. So, we did just that! It was really good to go through the text with the students, having them read, point out observations and questions, and then break into groups to study more. In summary of the first 10 verses, Peter is encouraging the dispersed Christians to rejoice in suffering, point them back to God’s grace in saving them, His current guarding of their inheritance, and His promise to deliver them. Peter says that the trials they are facing are more precious than gold, and a way that they are being refined for glory and honor! He then exhorts their faith, encouraging them that it brings about inexpressible joy, and the end result, salvation! It’s amazing how much there is in 10 verses of scripture.
Keep pressing into your students about what we’re talking about in youth group. My prayer is always that it’s a springboard into more and deeper conversations with them about how Jesus is impacting every aspect of their lives!
Categories: Youth 1 Peter, Youth Night Updates