REVOLUTION YTH VISION PACKET January 2019
2 NEW YEAR, NEW YOU. - - - - X Life is but a vapor. Welcome to Revolution YTH s January Vision Packet! We re aiming at doing something new in 2019 by bringing you a useful resource every month to help you grow, better understand your kids, and equip you for the super-important job of being Mom or Dad. Each month we ll give an outline of what we ll be discussing throughout the month. That way you ll have the inside scoop to get passed the one word answer to, How was YTH? Good. As we aim at creating better follow-through, we encourage you to evaluate what you want to change this year as you parent with God s help. In this adventure, God has called you to disciple your children: to teach them to obey all that He has commanded & to see Christ formed in them ( Deut. 6:1-9, Proverbs 22:6, Matt. 28:20; Gal. 4:19 ). Pages 1-4 you ll find an introduction to our series In Light of Eternity. On Page 4 you ll find great parent follow-up questions! Pages 5-13 are intended for Revolution YTH Leaders but feel free to read to know more of what discussions we re having to better disciple your children! You are irreplaceable in their life.
3 It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither. -C.S. Lewis SERIES: IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY - - - - X 1/16: HEAVEN ON MY MIND 1/23: TO LIVE IS CHRIST 1/30: WILL THIS MATTER IN ETERNITY? Living with eternity in mind is a high-calling for anyone, especially our YTH and what they face today at school & society. If we can help students understand the moment they meet Jesus face-to-face will be the most important moment of their lives we believe they will be able to face anything that comes their way. What they re facing: Post-Modern Ways of Thinking (science > faith, tolerance & acceptance of ungodly behaviors). Peer Pressure (promiscuity, drugs/alcohol, parties, dating relationship, social media: likes follows streaks ). F.O.M.O. (Fear Of Missing Out: viral trends, social gatherings, social media, & celebrity news). Identity Crisis (inconsistent, opposite sex attention, Christian beliefs vs. culture norms, depression/anxiety).
4 ASK THE MAIN Q s: - - - - X We understand having a lengthy & deep conversation with your teen isn t always the easiest. These questions are aimed at bringing the conversation deeper in a quick, realistic way. Ask these questions sometime after Wednesday night when you have at least 5 minutes to carry-on a conversation. (ex. in the car, at breakfast the next morning, after school Thursday). 1/16: Have you ever thought much about heaven before tonight/last night? (Follow-up: What do you think it will be like? ) 1/23: What would you say is the most challenging part of living for Jesus? (Follow-up: Why did you answer with? ) 1/30: What did you first think of when the question, Will This Matter in Eternity? was brought up? (Follow-up: What changes are you thinking about making because of that question? ) Our aim is to partner with you in discipling your kids to love & follow Jesus by having a Biblical worldview. As you ve probably already figured out, no one knows it all. Your kids want to be parented (as much as they say/act like they don t). We commend you for valuing your kids by not only bringing them to church, but being active in your parenting. It s worth it!
5 2019 LEADER FOCUSES: - - - - X With the start of 2019 and evaluating where we ve been and where we re going, let s highlight a few areas: 1. Communication : Let s aim to strengthen our communication this year. a. Sending and replying to texts and emails are simple ways to stay on the same page. b. Letting Anthony know if you can t make it to something is very helpful. 2. Preparation : Sending out Vision Packets will help everyone prep better and bring substance to Wednesday nights, our group times, and throughout the week with follow-ups. a. You re a leader for many reasons & please feel empowered to lead with your unique giftings. b. This Leaders Section of the Vision Packet will enable you to see the content coming and allow you to prep well & add/suggest anything to increase our effectiveness. 3. Execution : Putting everything together is a handful, but God is so faithful and helps everyone accomplish exactly what they re supposed to do. a. On a given night we re trying to have passionate worship, high-energy atmosphere, powerful message, fun community building, God encounters, cheerful giving, and create a welcoming/safe environment for people to be themselves...all in an hour and a half...for a lot of students. On top of that, communicating with parents about content & follow-through on their part. It can be a lot, but this team has & is doing it week in & week out! Super proud! We need you to continue stepping up into the role God has called you to. Without you, Revolution would not be the same. We encourage you to dream & find out what makes you come alive working with the YTH.
6 FOLLOWING GOD IN YOUR LEADING: - - - - X Small Group is connection time. We want to place a focus on connecting with a few students on a consistent basis to enable easier relationship building. Many life impacting moments happen outside the four walls of a church though and if we re not there, we may be missing moments to truly disciple our students. OUR students. I know it s pretty easy to justify how it s the parents job to raise their kids (which is true), but can we adjust our thinking more to include us in that picture? Do we actually care about the lives of the YTH students we see coming through our doors? When someone has anxiety, suicidal thoughts, been abused, falling off into drugs/alcohol, etc. do we really care? Maybe I should say, Do we care enough to actually do something about it? Something I desire to see this year is for us to get organized to a point where every student is having someone reach out to them at least once a month. We re collecting contact info throughout January to give us the most up-to-date student roster so that we can at least message them once a month encouraging them, asking for prayer requests, and/or to set up a time to hangout. Besides communicating with them through messaging, something I ve been thinking about more is having a student over for dinner (at the table with my family) more often. To see leaders outside the church walls is huge for students. They are already looking up to you & then you get to be yourself & show them what a Christ-follower looks like, talks like, acts like in different settings, it s a powerful witness. The walls can come down and we can example Christ to the next generations. What s God placing on your heart? Is it coffee meet-ups? Leading a Bible study sometime during the week? Organizing a game night or movie night? Going to more sporting events or plays? Leading an outreach or volunteer opportunity? Planning a World Changers fundraiser? All of these are awesome and I believe when we pray and put in the extra time/money/effort we ll see a generation worshipping the Lord. Can you pray and dream about what God is calling you to? What s Your Part?
7 GROUP QUESTIONS & STUDY GUIDE: IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY - - - - X WEEK 1 // JAN. 16TH >> HEAVEN ON MY MIND 1. IF YOU WERE TO DIE TONIGHT, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN? a. Let everyone answer in percentages or feelings before getting into the other questions. After everyone is done, then move on. We ll explain heaven, hell, salvation, and more. 2. DO YOU BELIEVE HEAVEN IS REAL? a. Yes : Genesis 1:1 God created the heavens and the earth. It s the place where God lives. Our Father in heaven, we recite in the Lord s Prayer. It s the place where his presence uniquely dwells to bless. It s the place of our treasure ( Matt. 19:21 ), our citizenship ( Phil. 3:20 ), our inheritance ( 1 Pet. 1:4 5 ), and our stored-up hope ( Col. 1:5 ). Heaven isn t a mere concept or state of mind; it s a real location ( John 14:2 3 ; Acts 1:9 11 ; 7:55 56 ). When followers of Jesus die, though our bodies remain on earth, our souls immediately enter God s presence ( Phil. 1:23 ; 2 Cor. 5:8 ). This is a temporary situation or intermediate state until the day when Jesus returns and our bodies are raised (resurrected body) & reunited with our souls forever. 3. DO YOU BELIEVE HELL IS REAL? a. Yes : God created hell for the punishment of the devil & his angels and not as a place for human beings to suffer. Jesus said: Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil & his angels' - Matthew 25:41. Hell was created as a place of judgment for Satan & those who followed him in their rebellion against God. The Bible says that the devil & his angels will eventually be consigned to
8 hell: And the devil who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire & brimstone where the beast and false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever & ever. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books... And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. - Revelation 20:10, 12, 15. b. To Recap: 1) The Bible teaches the reality of a final place of judgment for the wicked. 2) Those who spend eternity in hell, do so because they rejected God's love and His provision for salvation. 3) It is God's desire for everyone to come to Him by faith and receive the salvation that He offers. 4. WHAT MAKES SOMEONE GO TO HEAVEN OR HELL? a. The only reason someone can go to heaven is because God left heaven to come to us. Two thousand years ago, in the person of Jesus Christ, God lived the life we ve failed to live, died the death we deserve to die, and rose again so that all who embrace him might enjoy him forever. If you re trusting Jesus for salvation, the Judge of the cosmos looks at you sin and all and sees his spotless Son. People are saved through grace by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of the world. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. - John 14:6 b. Hell is the rejection of the above answer. Apart from the grace of Jesus Christ, and believing in Him for salvation, there is no way to enter heaven. 5. NOW, IF YOU WERE TO DIE TONIGHT, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU WOULD GO TO HEAVEN? a. Revisit the question and if anyone is not at 100%, ask them if they would like to be confident in their salvation. If they say yes, lead them through a simple salvation prayer such as the one below - in point b: b. "Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, & help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
9 6. WHY D O YOU THINK IT S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HEAVEN RIGHT NOW? a. Nothing will have a greater impact on our lives right now than thinking about eternity. Instead of escaping from life, thinking about Heaven should make us be more diligent right now. Jesus said, As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me - John 9:4. What difference should Heaven make to us? First, it should make us live for things that will last. So much of what we do is temporary and fleeting, and has no lasting significance. But when we keep our eyes on Heaven, we ll want to live for things that have eternal value. Jesus said, Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you - John 6:27. Second, Heaven should make us want to live for Christ instead of ourselves. Jesus came down from Heaven for one reason: to make it possible for us to be with Him in Heaven forever. He did this by becoming the final sacrifice for our sins by His death on the cross. Once you understand this and welcome Him into your life, you ll never be the same. Some day you will die and stand before God. Could anything be more important than being prepared for that day? Don t go down the wrong road, but turn to Jesus Christ and by a simple prayer of faith invite Him to come into your life today. Remember: Life is short but eternity is forever. 7. IN THINKING ABOUT HEAVEN, WHAT CHAN GES DOES IT MAKE YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR LIFE? a. Some examples may include changes in time management, reading the Bible, praying more, social media use, entertainment use, friendships, relationships, family, more or less sleep, laziness or being too busy, quality time with God, being free from sin struggles, etc. b. Try not to accept very vague or generic answers. Try to go deeper.
10 WEEK 2 // JAN. 23RD >> TO LIVE IS CHRIST 1. LAST WEEK RECAP: a. Heaven and Hell are real. God wants everyone to spend eternity with Him. The Bible says we are citizens of heaven seated in heavenly places who can now live in light of eternity knowing God is so amazingly good. We want to be well pleasing to God everyday. 2. THE CHANGES WE TALKED ABOUT DOING LAST WEEK, OR THE ONES YOU THOUGHT ABOUT DOING, DID YOU SEE ANY MOVEMENT IN THOSE AREAS? a. Yes : Please share what changes you made. ( That is so awesome! ) b. No/Not Really : Living in light of eternity and having an eternal mindset is a shift in the way you live. We want to really encourage everyone here to make bold choices for the sake of their eternity. God gave you all and our all is what He wants in return. 3. LET S TALK ABOUT DECISION MAKING. THINK ABOUT THIS: ARE YOU AWARE OF MAKING CONSCIOUS DECISIONS? IN OTHER WORDS, DO YOU THINK BEFORE YOU ACT, SPEAK, OR RESPOND KNOWING THE OUTCOME BEFORE CHOOSING? a. Yes/For the Most Part : Please share a tip or advice for others to start thinking more before they speak, act, or do. What helps you make good decisions? b. No/Not Really : Let s think of a recent time when you did think before you acted. I would guess the outcome was better because you thought it through first. When we are more aware of the cause and effect of our actions, we can live more like Jesus (with His help). 4. DO YOU SUPPOSE THINKING ABOUT DEATH GIVES US PERSPECTIVE ON LIFE? a. To know that after death there is life, after the darkness there is day well, it changes your perspective. That insight, the psalmist says, can give you wisdom. It can give you understanding. The wicked, the psalmist says, go into the darkness of the tomb, but they also go into the darkness of eternity. Those who live apart from God live in eternal darkness. They live apart
11 from the light. That's part of the understanding: when life is over, it is not over. When the act is done, the play continues. They live in eternal darkness forever. When you put your trust in Jesus Christ, you are putting your trust in the God of resurrection. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is God and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved," Paul wrote in Romans (10:9). What is significant about believing that Jesus rose from the dead is trusting that more than 1,900 years ago Jesus came forth from the grave and was a victor over death and darkness. The promise is that what happened to him will happen to us. That understanding changes everything. For the believer in Jesus Christ, for the righteous person, we do not go out into death and into darkness. Instead, we go home to God. 5. TO LIVE IS CHRIST, TO DIE IS GAIN. IS A BOLD STATEMENT. PAUL EVENTUALLY WAS MARTYRED FOR FOLLOWING JESUS. HE BACKED IT UP BY LIVING IN SUCH A WAY THAT HE WAS SO CONFIDENT THAT BEING WITH JESUS WHERE HE S AT WOULD BE BETTER THAN LIVING HERE ON EARTH. WHAT DOES, TO LIVE IS CHRIST, TO DIE IS GAIN. MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT? a. In perspective of death and knowing everyone will die until Jesus returns, To live is Christ, to die is gain means that true-living is actually found in Christ. To believe, follow, and obey is the purest, most-satisfying life we could ever live. When that vision gets fuzzy, can the words of Paul echo into our ears to remind us Jesus is worthy! 6. IF CHRIST IS OUR LIFE (MEANING WE ARE ALL ABOUT HIM), WHAT TRAITS SHOULD BE TRUE IN OUR LIFE? 1) Holiness is a Priority. i. Holiness produces faith and spiritual power; carnality produces faithlessness and a life void of spiritual power. 2) God s Word is the Source of Authority. ii. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
12 3) Reliance on God s Strength, Not Man s. iii. God reminds, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior God is always the fourth man in the fire. 4) Keep His Word Despite Setbacks. iv. Faithful Christians keep the course regardless of the storm...regardless of the criticism...regardless of the heat. We must teach perseverance. Charles Spurgeon rightly noted, There will be three effects of nearness to Jesus humility, happiness, and holiness. If these three are not present, hard questions need to be asked: Do I have a rebellious spirit? Do I love the things of the world more than the things of God? Have I let bitterness and pride set in? - There are more outworkings to what traits should be seen in a believers life, these are broad strokes to help cover the wide-range of true statements and Biblical principles. Challenge them to pick an area of their life to work on this week to glorify God. WEEK 3 // JAN. 30TH >> WILL THIS MATTER IN ETERNITY? 1. LAST WEEK RECAP: a. To live is Christ, to die is gain. We focused on death and life. We went through some traits that should be evident in our lives and we challenged each other to pick an area to work on. 2. YOU CAN BE HONEST, ON A SCALE OF 1-10, HOW MUCH DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR DECISIONS IMPACTS YOUR ETERNITY? (1 BEING NEVER, 10 BEING ALWAYS) a. Let everyone answer before getting into the other questions. After everyone is done, then move on. We ll talk about more practicals as the questions go on. 3. IS THE QUESTION, WILL THIS MATTER IN ETERNITY? HELPFUL TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES? a. Yes. Living with eternity in mind is a high-calling for anyone, especially our YTH and what they face today at school & society. If we can help students understand the moment they meet
13 Jesus face-to-face will be the most important moment of their lives we believe they will be able to face anything that comes their way. b. Revisit the list from the bottom of Page 3 for a reminder of some of things YTH face today. 4. IN TALKING ABOUT ETERNAL REWARDS (REWARDS WE LL RECEIVE IN HEAVEN FROM GOD BECAUSE OF HOW WE LIVE HERE ON EARTH), HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE? 1) The Glory Of God In Our Resurrected Body 2) Intimacy With Jesus (Revelation Of God) 3) Strategic Work Assignments (Throne And Authority) 4) Heavenly Praise Or Honor From God 5) Heavenly Crowns And Jewels (Precious Stones) 6) Heavenly Garments (White, Bright, Many Colors) 7) Heavenly Food (Tree Of Life And Hidden Manna) 8) Life In The New Jerusalem (Authority And Revelation) 9) Heavenly Gold, Riches And Treasure - Which one stands out? Our choice to live for Jesus & love will be rewarded forever! 5. NOW THAT WE VE TALKED ABOUT ETERNITY, HEAVEN, HELL, AND LIVING FOR JESUS. HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON MAKING WISE DECISIONS THAT WILL MATTER IN ETERNITY? 1) Live everyday with purpose, knowing every moment matters. - How you start your day and finish your day are very important. 2) God loves to reward those will diligently seek Him. Prioritize God. - That takes quality time and effort. (Bible reading, prayer, worship, community). The spiritual disciplines are not there to take away, they re there to give life. 3) Before deciding something, consciously think about what the outcomes will be. - Live In Light of Eternity.
14 REVOLUTION YTH VISION PACKET January 2019