Church Of Christ - Youth Group

Today we’re looking at a passage of Scripture that I’m sure you didn’t think you’d be reading this morning. Head on over to Numbers 6:22-27 and see what’s up.

“The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

I’m sure this has happened to you. You’re sitting in class, deep in thought, taking a test, when suddenly a sneeze flies out of your mouth. Two-thirds of the class turn around and shout, “God bless you.” Then you say, “Thanks,” and accept the gesture.

The fact is we have already been blessed. Every Sunday in church, we hear the words of our text. We are constantly being reminded of God’s grace for us. Our Triune God has blessed us once and for all. This blessing is a three-fold blessing. First, He blesses and keeps us. He looks after us and keeps His eyes on us. The Holy Spirit helps us to stay on the narrow path of faith. Second, He sends His grace down upon us. The Bible constantly gives us examples of how He gives us grace through His Son, forgiving our sins. Third, He gives us peace. Through His grace, we have the peace of mind, body and soul, which we will soon be with Him in His heavenly kingdom.

So, the next time you sneeze and someone says, “God bless you,” remember you have the assurance that God has blessed us. Then you can say, “Thank you! I already have been!”

Points To Ponder: What are some ways in which God has blessed you? What can you do when you feel that God isn’t blessing you? What does the blessing mean to you?

Prayer Possibilities: Thank God for blessing you and others. Ask God to continue to bless you and everything you do. Ask God to bring His blessing upon someone in your life.

Today we are looking in the mirror as we look at Galatians 6:1-4.

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.”

Cynthia was sick and tired of hearing about all of the sinful things her friends were doing on the weekends. “How can they call themselves Christians?” she wondered. She felt the same way towards her unbelieving friends. “Compared to them, I’m almost perfect,” she thought.

Cynthia was not realizing the fact that she, too, still sinned and couldn’t come close to being perfect in God’s eyes. It can be easy to sometimes think like Cynthia or even just have a thought like that. Galatians 6:1-4 says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.”

Cynthia now saw everyone as even with herself, because everyone is righteous before God because of Jesus. She was determined to carry her friend’s burdens and help them overcome their struggles with sin, while still working on her own sins, out of love for God.

Points To Ponder: Why is it easier to see other people’s sins? How can we find out how to help our own sin? How can we help others and ourselves overcome sin?

Prayer Possibilities: Ask God to help you deal with sin daily. Pray for others caught in a specific trouble or sin. Thank God that He forgives all sins because of Jesus.

We are looking at 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 today. This is a fairly long passage so I’ve only quoted a few verses below. Please click the link and read the entire text before you continue.

“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”

Imagine this scenario:

One summer several years ago, you and your family went on a weekend vacation. You had a great time and thought everything was perfect. Nothing could bring you down; that was until you got home. You arrived at your house and everyone was very tired. As you got onto the porch, your dad noticed that something was wrong. Your dad said, “It looks like we have been robbed.” Everyone was shocked. It was the furthest thing from any of your minds. This happens to many people all the time and it is always very shocking.

In much the same way the Lord will come very unexpectedly. Paul said through the Lord’s inspiration, “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape.” The Lord will come in much the same way as the thief that would break into your home. Paul also stated, “So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So, do not be afraid of the coming of the Lord. Instead, be prepared for it and accept it as your passage to heaven. The Lord may come at any time, so live every day as if it may be your last, and do all things to the glory of God.

Points To Ponder: When will the Lord come? How can we prepare for His coming? Who will be saved?

Prayer Possibilities: Ask the Lord for help to live in His glory. Thank the Lord for choosing you and creating a place for Christians in heaven. Ask for help to always be prepared for His coming.

Today we are taking a look at God’s perfect love. Read 1 John 4:16-21 to start.

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine died. I had not known him very long, but his death was enough to make me feel very empty inside. It was a sudden unexpected death that caught everyone by surprise. All efforts to save his life failed. I can still picture him in my mind, but I picture him differently. He is in heaven with the Lord, and this gives me great comfort to know this.

“In the way love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the Day of Judgment,” says John. If God hadn’t shown His unconditional love by sending His Son, then we would never have the assurance of going to heaven. However, since “God is love,” He sent His Son to die in our place so that we can have confidence we are saved. That is a big comfort to anyone who has lost someone close to them because they can rely on the fact that they are in heaven, a place much better than earth.

God’s love is there all the time for you and me, not just through the hard times, but also through our daily life. We can wake up in the morning confident to face anything because we can rely on the love of God. God’s love has no limits. It is endless, unchanging and, best of all, it’s free. Since God showed us His unconditional love, we should reciprocate the same kind of love to all of mankind. “We love because He first loved us,” is what John says. We should want to go around and spread the love of God. It’s the best kind of love there is. God’s love is the only love that gives us full assurance, through faith, that a person will be saved.

Let’s spread God’s love to all so everyone can someday meet up in heaven in our Savior’s waiting arms where there will be no more tears, only happiness and love.

Points To Ponder: How often do you really think about God’s love? Do you really show your love daily? Do you fully understand God’s self-less love for you and me?

Prayer Possibilities: Pray for help to show your love more to all people. Pray that God’s love comforts you daily, whether the matter is small or large. Finally, pray that the Lord will keep you in His care so you can one day go to heaven to be with Him.

How often do you prepare yourself to go out with your friends? What do you put on? When you play sports you put on your equipment, but how many of us put on our “armor” every day as we go into battle? What battle you say? Read on and we’ll see. Ephesians 6:10-17 is our passage today.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Mark was on the first string varsity football team. Every day, after school, he went to the locker room and suited up for practice. Before he went out on the field with his teammates, he made sure that he had on a helmet, shoulder pads and cleats. With all this on, he walked out onto the field full of confidence. He knew that his equipment would protect him.

Just like Mark, we also have battles to fight. Not physical battles, but spiritual ones. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against authorities, against powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Also, like Mark, we should suit up. Not with helmets and cleats, but with God’s Word. Ephesians 6:10-17 says, “Put on the full armor of God…the belt of truth…the breastplate of righteousness…the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation…the sword of the Spirit…and with your feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

How can we prepare for a spiritual battle? You can begin by reading your Bible regularly, and when your time of battle comes, pray to God for strength.

Points To Ponder: What spiritual battles have you faced in your life? Did you put on the full armor of God? How did you do this?

Prayer Possibilities: Pray for strength to fight spiritual battles. Pray for the people against whom you are going to battle. Thank God for giving you armor to put on.