College and Career 2 nd Quarter Online Activities

Transcription

1 College and Career 2 nd Quarter Online Activities Lesson 1 Jesus is the ultimate light packer. When sending His disciples on their first journey without Him, He gave very specific packing instructions: Don t take any money (take no gold or silver or copper in your belts) or a change of clothes (no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff). Just leave your suitcase home. Don t take anything but the shirt on your back. (Pg. 6) Why do you think Jesus instructed the disciples to travel lightly? Perhaps Jesus gives this advice so his disciples will learn trust. It is Jesus way of encouraging them to engage with the people they meet. After all, when you don t have enough to go on, you have to turn to those around you. But there is another possible explanation. The items Jesus tells his disciples to leave behind are just the kinds of things that worshipers were told to leave outside the temple before they entered. People were to divest themselves of these things before stepping on holy ground. So when Jesus tells His disciples to travel light, He is encouraging them to approach the whole world as if it is holy ground, a place where you can expect to encounter God. What would it mean for you to enter each day in this way? What do you think you would need to leave behind on your journey working for the Lord?

2 Lesson 2 What are your most valuable treasures? Every person has something that is uniquely special for him or her. Perhaps it is a favorite toy, a beloved book, or a family heirloom. There is something that you have that is considered all yours and it is extremely important to you. (Pg. 13) Why was Mary s gift to Jesus so treasured? What has been the most important gift or present you ve ever received? Would you be willing to give that gift or present to Jesus? Why or why not?

3 Lesson 3 Why is fear such a powerful emotion? Have you ever experienced an earthquake? If you have not, how scared and afraid do you imagine you would feel when you begin to feel the ground underneath you moving back and forth? The guards who were placed at the tomb of Jesus were so afraid that they went into shock. The two women present at the tomb, however, were not shocked into fear by the sight of angel and feeling of the ground quaking beneath their feet. Rather, the two women left the tomb with fear and great joy. (Pg. 20) Why did the women who knew that Jesus had been raised from the dead leave His tomb with fear? What emotions do you think the women, the guards, the disciples, and chief priests could have felt?

4 Lesson 4 How important are the promises of Jesus to your faith? (Pg. 27) Jesus is described as the Word of God. This is why the Gospel according to John begins the way it does. Jesus is depicted as the literal spoken utterance of Almighty God. Jesus, as the very Word of God, is understood as the Bible itself but during His earthly ministry Jesus speaks and make promises to His original Twelve disciples as well as to us. What promise did Jesus give the Twelve? Look through the all the Gospel narratives and search for promises made to us today by Jesus Christ.

5 Lesson 5 What does grace mean in your own words? (Pg. 34) Grace is the unmerited love of God that both forgives and transforms the sinner. This is why you often hear the phrase we are saved by grace. Grace is God s attitude of love and forgiveness toward us. How do you respond to God s grace? What is the difference between thinking about grace as the Presence of God rather than grace as something you can personally possess?

6 Lesson 6 How do you define condemnation in your own words? (Pg. 41) Condemnation is the act of punishing, e.g., condemning someone to a punishment. Prior to Jesus sacrifice for our sins we were due the condemnation and punishment Jesus took upon Himself on the cross. This is why we are redeemed. And as the redeemed we should live a life in the Spirit and not the law. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law and summarized it be commanding us to love God and our neighbors. Living by the Spirit is to live a life that seeks to love God and our neighbors just like Jesus Christ did. Who are considered Children of God? Can you image the type of punishment humanity is due from God if Jesus Christ had not redeemed us?

7 Lesson 7 Describe what it means to be grafted into the family of God. (Pg. 48) Paul uses the analogy of tree branches to illustrate how the Gentiles were grafted into the family of God. A twig is inserted into a slit on the branch or trunk of a living plant. This is how the twig will receive sap from the plant. It is as if a piece of living tissue is surgically transplanted on another piece of living tissue. It really is a delicate operation. How do you treat those who are different than you? What analogy would you use to compare the process of being made a member of God s family?

8 Lesson 8 List the seven gifts mentioned in Romans 12:1 8 (Pg. 55) God has gifted each person. We all have a unique set of gifts, talents, and skills that God has blessed us with but it is up to us to use them or lose them. Some people may appear to have more gifts than others but it is not matter of counting and comparing or contrasting one s gifts with someone else. It is up to you to develop your gifts and then use them for the glory of God. What is God s Call on your life? Explain why you should never think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, even as you work with the gifts God has given you.

9 Lesson 9 How often do you celebrate the Lord s Supper? Would you like to celebrate the Lord s Supper more or less? (Pg. 62) On the night in which Jesus gave Himself up for us He took bread, gave thanks to God for it, shared with His friends and said, Take, eat. This is my body. Do this in remembrance of me. It should be easy to understand that every time thereafter that the disciples ate bread they remembered that special moment in the upper room with Jesus. Of course they could not have imagined how important the ritual would become in that moment but once they did realize it, bread never appeared to be the same again. How do you recall God s mercy in your life? A ritual is something you do regularly. What are the most important rituals for your life of faith?

10 Lesson 10 Why was Barabbas arrested in the first place? (Pg. 69) Crucifixion was a form of capital punishment in the ancient world. But more than that, it was used as an intimidation method against anyone thinking of rebelling or revolting against the government of the time. Many people functioned as political activist and revolutionaries who wanted to change the system of government but they were all arrested and/or killed before it could happen. When you reflect on Christ s death do you also think about ways you have betrayed, denied, or abandoned Him? Do you consider Jesus a revolutionary figure?

11 Lesson 11 What is our inheritance from God according to the New Covenant? (Pg. 76) A mediator is a person who attempts to make the parties involved in a conflict or disagreement come to an agreement. Jesus Christ is our mediator with God in the sense of bringing us together through the disagreement that separated us. Jesus Christ is the blood that took the place of the blood of animal sacrifices forever. This means we are forever able to have a right relationship with God. How do you maintain a relationship free of guilt with God? What is your favorite thing about the New Covenant Jesus Christ mediated between God and us?

12 Lesson 12 How do you increase your faith? (Pg. 83) Faith can have many fancy meanings and phrases thrown behind it. Faith is trust in God and God alone to be God. Many people regularly pray for God to increase their faith. However, they often lack an understanding or appreciation for how such an increase can occur. If you are praying for the capacity to trust God more, God will only place you in more and more increasing difficult situations where you have to choose to depend on Him or not. When you choose Him in the midst of difficulties your faith is increased but not before or without the difficult situation. Has there been a philosophy or ideology that has interfered with your faith? How does your life of faith form other areas of your life?

13 Lesson 13 Explain which Beatitude is the most difficult challenge for you. (Pg. 90) Blessed is to experience the fullness of God in this life here-and-now. This fullness may come to us in big things or small things. The air we breathe with every breath we take may be considered a small thing because we often take it for granted, but it is indeed a very big thing. God blesses us every moment of every day. Do you think it is possible for human beings to naturally live according to the Beatitudes? Why or why not? What is the difference between your understanding of happiness and blessedness?