Category: Month 3

Mark these Key Words: Follow, Faith, Ransom

Matthew 16:24-27

“Then  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples,  ‘If  anyone  wishes  to  come  after  Me,  he  must  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.’”

What Cross are you carrying for Jesus?

A Cross that we can carry for Jesus is to be bold for His name, and share our faith with our friends/family.  Jesus gave it all for us, and part of denying our self and picking up our Cross is to proclaim and share what He did for us on the Cross.

How are you “denying yourself” to follow Jesus in your current lifestyle?

In order to deny yourself, you must be willing to give up everything and anything to chase after and follow Jesus.  What are you hanging onto?  Maybe a girlfriend, or the American dream, whatever it is, you must be willing to set it aside for the calling that Jesus has on your life.  God will honor this mentality! “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”

Matthew 17:20

“And He said to them, ‘Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.’”

In what ways are you exercising your faith lately?

What mountains are there in your life currently? You can exercise your faith by spending time in prayer as a group for those mountains, and trust that God can do a lot with just a little faith.

Matthew 18:3 & 4

“And said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”

What is Jesus saying to you personally in this passage?

God is concerned with your humility.  Jesus displayed the greatest act of humility as He gave His life for the world (Philippians 2:6-8).  He calls you to humble yourself as much as possible, and wants you to have the innocence of a child when it comes to your faith.

Matthew 19: 5 & 6

“and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 

How are you honoring your future wife in the way you are treating girls in the past 30 days?

Purity is of utmost importance to God!  One day, you will be joined with another woman/man.  It is never too late to start over and walk in purity.  Be willing to do whatever it takes to have purity of the eyes, mind, heart and soul (Job 31:1, Hebrews 12:1).

Matthew 20:26-28

“It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for man.”

How are you living this passage out with your mom lately? Your team/classmates?

Serving your mom could look like doing the dishes, mowing the lawn, or taking her out to dinner.  With your team/classmates you could serve them by writing an encouraging note, picking up their tab at a restaurant, or asking them how you can pray for them.

Matthew 22:35-40

“One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

The greatest commandment! I’m Third! How are you living out that motto and how do you intend to live it out this week?

(Personal Answer)

APPLICATION:

How do these passages relate to me today? What changes does it bring to my life? 

LOCKER ROOM: 

What are some practical ways that you can practice “putting yourself last” this week?

MEMORY VERSE:

Matthew 20:28   “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

MY PRAYER

Adoration: Father, today I praise You for…

Confession: Father, please forgive me for…

Thanksgiving: Father, today I’m thankful for…

Supplication: Father, the people and things that I wish to pray for today are…

Mark these Key Words: Word, Life, God

John 1:1 & 2

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” 

What does this verse say about the deity of Jesus Christ?

It shows that God and Jesus were together in the beginning, which proves that He is fully God.

John 2:14 & 15

“And He found in the temple those who are selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.”

If your body is a “temple of the Holy Spirit” what do these verses say to you about your activities with your “temple of the Holy Spirit” if Jesus came inside?

Jesus values and cares about the house of God.  As Christians, we should be men and women who take care of our temple.  Our bodies are the dwelling place of God, and we should conduct ourselves in absolute purity, we should not put harmful substances into our bodies, and we should take care of our health to preserve the dwelling place of God while on this earth.

John 3:20 & 21

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”  

How are The Word of God and the Spirit of God like a flashlight in the dark cave?

The only way you can get rid of darkness is through light, in other words, because light kills darkness.  Picture yourself attempting to navigate the “Kanakuk cave” with no flashlight.  Similarly, the only way you can kill sin and navigate this dark world is through God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 119:11, Galatians 5:16).  Turn on the lights!

John 4:13 & 14

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” 

How is Jesus’ indwelling Spirit like water that keeps you from being thirsty ever again?

Jesus is not talking about a limited and temporary earthly experience; He is speaking of an indwelling Spirit who will meet our needs in time and in eternity.  Obedience and trust is great evidence of God’s indwelling Spirit inside of us.  Trust God, obey His commands, follow Jesus, and accept the grace He freely bestows, and you will never thirst again.

John 5:6-8

“When Jesus say him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, ‘Do you wish to get well?’ The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.’ Jesus said him, ‘Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.’”

What does Jesus’ conversation with the sick man say to you personally?

(Personal Answer)

John 6:35

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’”

How is Jesus speaking to your heart when He says “I am the bread of life?”

(Personal Answer)

APPLICATION:

How do these passages relate to me today? What changes does it bring to my life?

LOCKER ROOM: 

What about Jesus make Him unique in these verses to any other spiritual figure in history? 

MEMORY VERSE:

John 1:1-2

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 [a]He was in the beginning with God.”

MY PRAYER

Adoration: Father, today I praise You for…

Confession: Father, please forgive me for…

Thanksgiving: Father, today I’m thankful for…Supplication: Father, the people and things that I wish to pray for today are…

John 7:18

“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

In what ways do you use your talents for your own glory?

(Personal Answer)

In what ways do you use your talents for God’s glory?

When we acknowledge that nothing we possess comes by our own doing, and acknowledge that everything comes from God, we are using our talents for His glory.  Whether it be intelligence, athletic ability, or a creative mind it all comes from the Lord, and those talents and gifts can be developed through our own merit and hard-work, but we should always give the glory back to God (James 1:17, John 1:3).

John 8:10 & 11

“Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on and sin no more.’”

What does Jesus’ conversation with the adulteress woman say to you personally?

(Personal Answer)

John 9:3

“Jesus answered, ‘it was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of the God might be displayed in him.’”

What is the purpose of Jesus’ miracles? When people see the “miracle” of God’s transformation of your life, how can you use that transformation for God’s glory?

One clear purpose of miracles was to authenticate the character of Jesus and his relationship with His heavenly Father.  Miracles manifested Jesus’ and glory, and helped display that He was who He said He was.  Miracles also helped to display His Grace and foreshadowed what He was going to do on the Cross when He would heal people.  Because God has healed you and transformed you through His work on the Cross (2 Corinthians 5:17), you can use that transformation for His glory by telling others your testimony (Revelation 12:11).

John 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

What does Jesus mean with He says to you, ‘I have come to give you life abundantly?”

It was through His death on the Cross and then defeating death through resurrecting from the dead that He gave us life.  When Jesus says He wants us to have life and have it to the full, He knows that the only way we can achieve this is through Him and what He did on that cross.

John 11: 9 & 10

“Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.’

How has Jesus’ life in you kept you from stumbling in recent months?

(Personal Answer)

What causes you to stumble the most and how can Jesus help you?

(Personal Answer)

APPLICATION:

How do these passages relate to me today? What changes does it bring to my life? 

LOCKER ROOM: 

What are some ways we can communicate with God regularly?

MEMORY VERSE:

John 10:10 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

MY PRAYER

Adoration: Father, today I praise You for…

Confession: Father, please forgive me for…

Thanksgiving: Father, today I’m thankful for…

Supplication: Father, the people and things that I wish to pray for today are…

The Body is the Lord’s Part 1

Mark these Key Words: Sin, God, Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” 

What does the “temple of the Holy Spirit” mean?

1 Corinthians 6:20

“For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

With what price did God purchase your body?

1 Corinthians 6:18

“Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body?”  

What is God saying when He says, “the immoral man sins against his own body?”

Why is sexual immorality worse than other sins?

John 8:34

“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin…’”   

How does sin enslave you?

1 Corinthians 6:12

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”  

What is God saying in this passage?

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God.”

If sanctification means to be “set apart” for God’s honor and glory, what is this passage urging you to do with your “vessel” (your body)?

APPLICATION:

How do these passages relate to me today? What changes does it bring to my life? 

LOCKER ROOM: 

What does God’s Word say is the reason for purity?

MEMORY VERSE:

1 Corinthians 6:12

 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”

MY PRAYER

Adoration: Father, today I praise You for…

Confession: Father, please forgive me for…

Thanksgiving: Father, today I’m thankful for…Supplication: Father, the people and things that I wish to pray for today are…

Mark these Key Words: Sin, God, Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” 

What does the “temple of the Holy Spirit” mean?

It means the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.  In Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit was within the temple, and had a specific room called the holy of holies in which he dwelled.  After Jesus came and gave His life for us on the cross, He took our sin and we became the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).  It was because of this act that we became the new “temple” and dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:20

“For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

With what price did God purchase your body?

God purchased us through the death of His son on the Cross.

1 Corinthians 6:18

“Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body?”  

What is God saying when He says, “the immoral man sins against his own body?”

God is saying that immorality is against your own body, and ultimately sinning against the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. 

Why is sexual immorality worse than other sins?

Sexual sin is worse because it is against the human body; Christians are committing the sin against the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

John 8:34

“Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin…’”   

How does sin enslave you?

Everyone is a slave in the spiritual sense. We are either slaves to sin, which is our natural state, or we are slaves to Christ.  When Christ died on the Cross for our sins He paid the penalty, and allowed us to become slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18) instead of sin.

1 Corinthians 6:12

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”  

What is God saying in this passage?

God is saying that we have been set free from the law!  Therefore, we have the freedom to take part in “all things”, but due to our sin nature and love for Christ, we abstain from certain things to show our reverence and love for Jesus and to not be mastered by anything. 

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God.”

If sanctification means to be “set apart” for God’s honor and glory, what is this passage urging you to do with your “vessel” (your body)?

This passage is urging us to be set apart, and abstain from sexual immorality.  We must do whatever it takes to set our vessels apart for holiness (Hebrews 12:1).

APPLICATION:

How do these passages relate to me today? What changes does it bring to my life? 

LOCKER ROOM: 

What does God’s Word say is the reason for purity?

MEMORY VERSE:

1 Corinthians 6:12

 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.”

MY PRAYER

Adoration: Father, today I praise You for…

Confession: Father, please forgive me for…

Thanksgiving: Father, today I’m thankful for…

Supplication: Father, the people and things that I wish to pray for today are…