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home >>stonecroft>> who is jesus series>> what is god like series>>lesson 8>>lesson 9
What is God like Series - Lesson #9
This English Stonecroft 'Youth Discipleship Teaching' has been adapted from the Adult Stonecroft Trinity Series. The English Stonecroft Trinity Series - What is God like?. is available online from Stonecroft's corporate website. AS YOUTH ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON: Welcome Teacher,Trainers and students. Get all the Junior Youth to colour the colouring pages and visual aids until it is time to start.
GOD IS LIGHT Before participants arrive light a candle and place it somewhere in the room where it is not easily noticed. Make sure there is no chance for a fire hazard and that the candle is large enough to last until it is needed. Also make sure that it is away from any air draft or air conditioner / fan so that it doesn't go out! 1. OPENING GAME: (10 minutes) 2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes) |
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(Get children up and marching with actions.) Chorus:
Prayer: Heavenly Father we know you are light; and in You there is no darkness at all. Praise God You have made Your light to shine to us. We learn in the Book of Revelation 21:23 that the New Jerusalem does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for Your glory gives it light, and the Lamb Jesus is its lamp to your glory. 5. TEACHING
List the blessings which the following Bible verses reveal. A. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life… John 3: 36a B. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16: 24 C. “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
__________________________________________________________ E. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! F. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1: 13 G. God has said, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13: 5b Weekly Bible Verse Reading Review: Each day this week at home, you would have read the Bible passage f and answer the question, lets discuss your answers. 1. John 14:21-23 (To whom will God reveal Himself? . . . . ........... 2. Romans 5:6-9 (Why did Jesus die for us when we were sinners? . . . . .)... 3. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 (Who does Jesus want to be saved? . . . . .)........ 4. James 4:7-10 (What are the conditions needed for God to come near to us? . . . . .) 5. 2 Peter 3:9 (Why is God delaying the day of His judgment? . . . . )..... 6. Hebrews 11:6 (When you come to God, what must you have faith to believe? . . . . .) 7. Matthew 11:27-30 (Who does the Lord invite to come to Him? . . . . . ) ....... Did you write your own prayer to God, thanking Him for knowing you and showing you how to have a personal relationship with Him? Did you ask Him to be a vital part of your life? Who wants to come up first and share your prayer? ________________________________________________________
c. Teach the Lesson (15 minutes) How can I Please God? Purpose of the Lesson Prayer Almighty God, we thank you for all we have learned about You. We know we can never understand Your greatness because your fullness is immeasurably beyond human understanding. In Jesus’ name, amen. An evangelist who has spoken in many countries and has ministered to thousands of people said, “The world is full of individuals desperate to know God.” People all over the world want to know God. They may have no use for the church. They may not have respect for Christians, but they want to know God. Not only do people want to knowGod, but God wants people to know Him. We have studied enough to know that our finite minds cannot comprehend everything about our infinite God. But Moses, who wrote the first five books of the Bible, tells us in Deuteronomy 29:29 that God has already revealed what we need to know about Himself and about our life on earth and in eternity. 1. God has revealed Himself to humanity through these several ways:
Read the following verses. Using the list above, choose which way God has revealed Himself to us. Romans 1:20 . . . . . 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 2 Peter 1:20-21. . . . . 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private [interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but [holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. John 1:18. . . . . 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. Acts 1:8 . . . . . 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. God's Unique Attributes Some of God's attributes are unique to His divinity. No one else can have the following qualities: Self-existence, meaning complete independence Omnipotence (ahm-NIP-oh-tents), meaning all-powerful Omnipresence (ahm-nee-PREH-sents), meaning present everywhere Omniscience (ahm-NISH-ents), meaning knowing all things Immutability (im-MUTE-uh-bil-ity), meaning unchangeable Sovereignty (SOV-ren-tee), meaning unlimited authority ________________________________________________________2. Some of God’s attributes are unique—only He possesses them. However, God has other attributes which He does share with humanity in a limited form. a. Read the following verses and name those attributes that God shares with human beings. 1 John 4:16. . . . . 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (love) Psalm 107:1. . . . . Oh, give thanks to the Lord , for He is good! Psalm 86:15. . . . . But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, 2 Peter 3:15. . . . . Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation (patience) Matthew 6:14. . . . . For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (ability to forgive) Matthew 11:29. . . . Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (gentleness and humility) Philippians 4:7. . . . . And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (peace) ________________________________________________________b. Using the attributes listed in Question 2a, give a few examples of ways in which you can reveal or express those characteristics in your everyday life. . . . Even the best of us will never become like God, but we are to be models of the godly qualities God has given us. He wants Christians to be examples of Himself. God Is Holy The next question is about a very important attribute of God that we mentioned very briefly in our second lesson. That attribute is holiness. ________________________________________________________3 a. What command is given on 1 Peter 1:15-16 ? . . . . . 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.' (God is holy. He wants us to be holy.) b. What would motivate you to strive to make this quality evident in your life? Hebrews 12:14 . . . . 14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (We want our lives to draw people to God by the holiness they see in us.) ________________________________________________________ 4. Using a few simple words, describe what you think of or see when you think of God. Be honest and accurate in what you understand about God. . . . Encourage each person to share. How did you answer that similar question in Lesson 2, Question 1?. . . . Knowledge of God is not only gained by studying the Bible. The Holy Spirit gives us understanding as we live through the varied experiences of our lives. Only those who have God’s Spirit living in them possess this knowledge. Doing God’s Will You may say, I have received Jesus into my life as my Savior and Lord, but how can I know what God wants me to do? How can I tell if a thing is something I want to do, or if it is God telling me to do it? . . . . . (Discuss) God tells us in His Word what He wants us to do. We can check our behavior and activities by the verses listed in Question 5. ________________________________________________________5. Read the following verses and, in a few words, write what God wants you to do. John 13:34-35 34 'A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.' (Love one another at all times and people will know you are a disciple of Jesus.) John 14:15 15 'If you love me, keep my commands. (If we love God, we will obey Him.) Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. (Offer yourself to God. Dedicate yourself to Him and desire to please Him.) Romans 12:2 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Don’t copy the behavior and custom of this world. Instead, let God show you His way for you to live.) 1 Thessalonians 4:3 3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; (Live a holy and pure life.) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (Be joyful. Keep praying. Be thankful.) Before making a decision, ask yourself these questions: • If I do this, will it please God? • Will it help-or hinder-my walk with God? • Will this choice reveal my love for God? • Will it show others that I love Him? • Am I more interested in doing my will than I am in doing God's will? Read Psalm 25:4-5 4 Show me your ways, Lord, Remember, God's ways are not your ways. Be willing to do all God reveals to you and He will reveal His will. ________________________________________________________One of the things that pleases God and enriches our lives is to study His Word. We have had an opportunity to practice doing that in this Bible study. ________________________________________________________ 6. Keeping in mind all that you have learned through this study, namethree or four things that you are planning to do to please God. . . . Have everyone give their answers to this question. Suggest that they list the good ideas other people give on the blank page at the end of this lesson. Glory to God The more we learn about God from His Word, the more aware we are of His purity, holiness, righteousness, and wisdom. The closer we come to the light, the more clearly we can see our sinfulness. The more aware we are of the utter lack of anything good in us apart from God, the more Jesus Christ can be seen in us! But, because of our pride, we do not see ourselves as helpless, powerless, and utterly dependent on God. The greatest blessing we can receive is to know that we are nothing and that we have nothing that will make us acceptable to God. We are helpless, destitute, and completely dependent on God. He offers us His sufficiency when we have no sufficiency of our own. God can give us His life, but we can receive it only when our attitude is one of humility. Only then can our yielded, surrendered life bring glory As Christians, we should each ask ourselves: Does my life reveal the truth about God? A key factor in living for God’s glory is our attitude and our motivation. Each day as Christians, we should reveal evidence that the Spirit of God is at home in us. When our daily lives reveal what God is like, God uses our lives to reach others and bring glory to Himself. 7 a. Why did God create people? Isaiah 43:6a-7 Bring my sons from afar (for His glory) b. How can we bring glory to God? Read John 15:8 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (by bearing much fruit, which means that our attitudes and actions show that we live in union with God and show His presence in our lives.) That is the purpose of our lives—to bring glory to God. In 1 Peter 4:11 we are told of another way we can bring glory to God. . . . . Whatever we do to serve God, we cannot do in our own strength. Instead, we invite God to do it through us in His way. This brings glory to God. Did you know we can glorify God by enjoying fellowship with Him? Read Psalm 16:11 11 You make known to me the path of life; Don’t wait until you get to heaven to enjoy being in God’s presence and having fellowship with Him. That is a bit of heaven you can enjoy right here on earth. We bring glory to God when we obey Him. We have learned much about the perfect character and personality of the Holy God we worship. He not only created us, but has provided the way for us to have an intimate relationship with Him. We can choose to live our lives under His control and at the end of this life spend eternity with Him. What a wonderful God He is! How are we going to put into practice all we have learned about God in this study? Turn to Colossians 3:1-10 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ________________________________________________________6. APPLICATION / ENCOUNTERING GOD: CLOSING PRAYER:
HOME ACTIVITY: Go home and write your own prayer to God, asking Him to help you apply the things you learned in this Bible study. Thank Him for His promise to be with you forever. Next session you may share your prayer if you like. To conclude our study, let's praise God together by reading aloud together Psalm 150 Praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; Praise him for his surpassing greatness. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD. -Psalm 150:1-2, 6 NIV Prayer Almighty God, we thank you for all we have learned about You. We know we can never understand Your greatness because your fullness is immeasurably beyond human understanding. In Jesus' name, amen. ________________________________________________________Take Home Weekly Bible Readings: LESSON #9 Print 'Weekly Bible Verse Readings', one for each youth to take home. Each day this week, read the Bible passage for the day and answer the question. 1. Mark 12:28-31 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' 29 'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." 31 The second is this: "Love your neighbour as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these.' (What ar the two most important commandments?) ...........(To love God with all your being and love everyone else as much as you love yourself.) ________________________________________________________2. Matthew 4:10 10 Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." (Who are we to worship and serve?) .....................(Only worship and serve God) ________________________________________________________ 3. Matthew 12:50 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.' (What demonstrates that we are truly related to Jesus Christ?)...................(That we do what He wants us to do; obedience) ________________________________________________________ 4. John 14:23 23 Jesus replied, 'Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.' (How do you show that you love God? ) ....................(Obey the teaching of the Bible, God's teaching.) ________________________________________________________ 5. Philippians 1:9-11 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God. (What will happen if you always choose the best?) ................(Your life will be filled with good qualities which Christ will form in you.) ________________________________________________________ 6. 1 Corinthians 10:31 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (How can you bring glory to God?) ............................(Do all you do for God's glory. Remember the importance of the right attitude.) ________________________________________________________ 7. 1 Chronicles 16:23-29 23Sing to the Lord , all the earth; 25 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; 28 Ascribe to the Lord , all you families of nations, (What does verse 29 tell the people to do?) .......................(Give God glory, bring an offering and worship Him.) ________________________________________________________ Write your own prayer to God, asking Him to help you apply the things you learned in this Bible study. Thank Him for His promise to be with you forever. You may share your prayer at the Bible study, if you like. DOWNLOAD Weekly Bible Readings: LESSON #9 Bring back your 'Weekly Bible Verse Readings' so you can discuss your answers at the next session. DOWNLOAD Lesson #9 Teaching Manual NEXT WEEK: We start a new Series, the 'Who is Jesus?' Series. We get to know God in this first 'What is God like?' series we will get to know Him even better now through what Jesus did for us when He was on earth. As you learn about Jesus, the Son of God, may you truly know Him and accept the message He came to earth to bring.
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