The Main Focus- The Power of Choice

Introduction- Choices fill every day of our lives. Am I going to wear this? Eat that? Date so-and-so? Follow what my teacher or mama said? Some are easy; some difficult. Some don’t matter; some have weighty consequences. Ruth is a book in the Bible full of important choices.

Key Passages- Ruth 1:1-7

Scripture & Discussion- What are the four choices made in this passage?

How does each one come out of a lack of trust for God, and ultimately pride?

What were the consequences of these choices?

Gospel Connection- We each make important decisions every day; none more so than that of saying YES to God or saying YES to self and the world. We are not made like a programmed robot. God created us with the power to choose Him (the fullness of life) or to reject Him (resulting in death). But in His great love, He reached out to each human through paying the price for our sins and bad choices. He paid that price with His life; dying so we wouldn’t have to. But the choice is ours- will we choose to follow Him and accept the free gift of life?

Practical Questions- Are you ever prideful?

Do you ever make these same decisions, like Adam & Eve, that you know what’s best?

Memory Verse- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

-Christina Hickman- Mentor Coordinator

I recently read a great article that gets to the heart of not only ministering to youth but is also applicable to mentoring and specifically gospel driven mentoring. It addresses a common pitfall many working with youth fall into. Legalism.

But why does youth ministry tend to be legalistic? They give four reasons but I’ll touch on the first one because it also speaks to how mentoring can become legalistic: The desire to see results.

As a mentor we desperately want to see growth or change in our mentees. We want them to act better in public, do better in school, memorize Bible verses, etc… But mentoring is long term and growth and change is often gradual at best and non existent at worst. Check out this excerpt:

“Like any ministry profession, youth pastors (or mentors) want to see changed lives. At the same time, youth pastors (or mentors) need to view themselves as sowers, planting gospel seeds for harvest down the road… Wanting validation for their tireless labor, youth ministers occasionally focus on behavior modification as a means of providing tangible proof of the efficacy of their ministry.”

I’m reminded of Paul as he addresses the divisive Corinthian church when it comes to our role in ministering to others:

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” 1 Cor 3: 6-7

Let us rejoice in planting seeds in our mentee’s lives and trust the One who gives the growth.

For the full article click here.

-Billy Rose, Director of Mentoring

-Christina Hickman, Mentor Coordinator

Introduction:
Often when we are young our emotions can easily get the best of us. Out of all the particular things we feel, anger in our youth is shown through fits & acting out and more often than not it is because someone has crossed us or our hopes and desires. In today’s lesson we will look at why that is, while also seeing a righteous type of anger that isn’t primarily concerned with self but with God and others as the party being crossed.

• Key Passages: John 2:13-22

• Scripture & Discussion:

1. Has there been a time that you got really angry or upset? Why?
2. Has there been a time you tried to defend someone or something?
3. Why was Jesus so angry? (John 2:14,16)
4. How do we know? (John 2:15)
5. What authority does Jesus have?
6. How does Jesus show His power? (John 2: 18-22)

Gospel Connection

In our sin we have stirred God’s wrath, anger, towards us but we are removed from under it by His grace towards us on the cross. Through the destruction of Jesus body and His raising from the dead we find life.

• Practical Questions:

• What makes you angry?
• Is this anger stirred by a violation against you or against God?

• Memory Verse:

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”(John 2:19 ESV)

Memory Verse:  “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” John 2:11

Introduction:
Our expectations can influence our thoughts, feelings and actions. In our lesson today we will look at the expectations of God’s people concerning the Messiah. Jesus was not who the Israelites were expecting, their hopes were set on a conquering king who would overthrow the Roman empire ruling over them. It is no surprise then to know that when Philip tells Nathanael that they have found the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, he asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”.

• Key Passages: John 1: 43-51; 1 Corinthians 1:18-19, 21,25

• Scripture & Discussion:

1. How would you describe South Dallas? [The places & people]
2. How might someone not from South Dallas see S.D.?
3. Discuss Trayvon Martin and how expectations affected the outcome.
4. Discuss what God’s people expected and who Jesus was in actuality. (John 1:43-51)
5. How do people respond to when you do things they don’t expect? (1 Corinthians 1:18)
6. Does God seek to work by our expectations or does He set His own? (1 Corinthians 1:19)
7. How does God work through His people and to what ends? What does this verse say about it (the wisdom of God? (1 Corinthians 1:21)
8. How do our ways compare to God’s ways? ( 1 Corinthians 1:25)

Gospel Connection
God’s economy is different from our own, in that what we value is drastically different than what He values. Jesus did not come as a worldly King with wealth and power, but as a carpenter from Nazareth. In Christ we see the wisdom of God, and to the watching world it seems like foolishness. It just does not make sense. In coming as He did Jesus fulfilled the Father’s expectations, just not ours and it is here that the cross looms largely. It frees us from having to live under the weight of expectations, because Jesus has met them all, and given His reward to us freely.

• Practical Questions:

• How do our expectations influence our thoughts & actions?
• How do the expectations of others affect us?
• How do our expectations influence how we relate to others & to God?

• Memory Verse:

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

(1 Corinthians 1:25 ESV)

Every child I’ve spoken with has said they felt “not ready”. Most teachers I’ve conversed with feel their children “aren’t ready”. The tension in the classroom and out is high. A lot rests on the scores of these tests. The pressure is on!

-Christina Hickman, Mentor Coordinator