COLOSSIANS 1, 2 WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS SESSION 4 LEAD IT: HIGH SCHOOL GOALS As students experience this session in Colossians, they will Explore some awesome truths about God. Discover what it means to have God calling the shots in their lives. Be challenged to let their day-to-day be empowered by God s work in their lives. MATERIALS: Group a white board and colored pencils a piece of a puzzle and the cover of the puzzle box (or a picture of a puzzle piece and whole puzzle displayed on laptop, projector, or your phone) cardstock for cubes (see Taking It Inward activity, p. 5) several pairs of scissors (unless cube templates are precut) MATERIALS: Each Student student journal pages for Session 4 student Scripture sheets for Colossians a notebook for keeping Scripture sheets and journal pages a Bible (or Bible app) and pen Prayer After your students have gathered, read one of the passages below (from Setting the Heart in your Leader Prep) to segue into prayer and today s focus in Colossians. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. Matthew 11:28 29 Review To stay connected to the big themes in Colossians, ask a few review questions. What s something new you learned about Jesus from the last session? Had Paul ever met the Colossians? -apparently not (2:1) Bonus Question: Other than Colosse, what s the only place that s been mentioned in Colossians so far? -Laodicea (2:1) OPEN Begin the session by holding up a puzzle piece and discuss the following questions: Have you ever hidden a puzzle piece so that you can be the one to place the last piece of the puzzle? Can you guess what picture this puzzle piece is a part of? NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 4 1
Can you tell from the size of the piece how many pieces are in the puzzle? -Generally, the smaller the piece the more pieces in the puzzle. Does anybody know how many books are in the Bible? 66 If the Bible were a puzzle, it might say on the cover 66 Pieces. How else is the Bible like a puzzle? Analogies abound, but seek to elicit five or six before moving on. Here are a few to use as examples: -each book, or even chapter, is a piece of God s big picture -the Bible puzzle is not complete without an understanding of all the books -it helps to build the edges first, to set the context -it helps to see the big picture as you put all the pieces together Eventually explain that in a puzzle, every piece contributes to the big picture (display the picture of the finished puzzle at this point). Just like a puzzle piece, every book of the Bible contributes to the full picture of God. If you want a total, accurate picture of God, you have to go on a God-hunt that takes in the whole Bible! This study in Colossians is part of that hung. DIGGING IN Explain to your group that they will be diving into Colossians today with a twist. Divide your group into 2 teams (If you only have two students, that s fine. The teams will consist of one student!). Explain that each team will receive a section from Colossians 1 and 2 to work through together. Colossians 1:1-20 Colossians 1:21-2:19 While the group is reading and marking, make two columns on the board: Universal Info about God and Personal Info about God. After students have read their assigned passages and conferred with their team have one student from each team share their groups findings. List these facts in the appropriate column on the board as each team shares. Encourage students to make notes in the space provided on their journal pages regarding universal and personal info about God. After your teams have shared compare their responses to the possible responses below. Acknowledge the team who found the most correct answers from their passage. Universal Info about God Team 1 -Has a will for individuals. (1:1) -Is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. (1:3) -Has grace. (1:6) -Is invisible; Jesus is His image. (1:15) -All His fullness dwells in Jesus; this pleases Him. (1:19) -Reconciled Himself to all things through Jesus (by making peace through His blood). (1:20) Team 2 -Is invisible; Jesus is His image. (1:15) -All His fullness dwells in Jesus; this pleases Him. (1:19) -Reconciled Himself to all things through Jesus (by making peace through His blood). (1:20) -Commissions people. (1:25) -Commissions people. (1:25) -His mystery is Christ. (2:2) -All the fullness of the Deity (God) lives in bodily form in Christ. (2:9) -Raised Jesus from the dead. (2:12) -Disarmed the powers and authorities; made a public spectacle of them. (2:15) -Causes the body to grow. (2:19) 2 NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 4
Personal Info about God Team 1 -Can fill us with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. (1:9) -Has knowledge that we can grow into. (1:10) -Strengthens us with His glorious might. (1:11) -Has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (1:12) -Has rescued us from the dominion of darkness. (1:13) -Has brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. (1:13) Team 2 -Has rescued us from the dominion of darkness. (1:13) -Has brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. (1:13) -We were once alienated from Him. (1:21) -Reconciled us by Christ s physical body to present us holy in His sight. (1:22) -Chose to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery Christ in us, the hope of glory. (1:27) -We were once alienated from Him. (1:21) -Reconciled us by Christ s physical body to present us holy in His sight. (1:22) -Chose to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery Christ in us, the hope of glory. (1:27) -Made us alive with Christ. (2:13) -Forgave all our sins. (2:13) -Canceled the written code against us. (2:14) -Took it away; nailed it to the cross. (2:14) TAKING IT INWARD After you ve acknowledged the winners, discuss these questions: What do you see about God that s new to you? What s something here that you needed reminded of? Why? What do you see about God that could cause you to drop everything and worship? Is there any trend or common theme you see in the personal info about God? Try to elicit that God is initiating the actions; we re the ones acted upon. Once your students see that it s God who s in the driver s seat, ask: Who benefits from all God is doing in these verses? -We do! Now ask the group to use the responses under Personal Info to complete the following sentence as a way of focusing on all the benefits they now can enjoy. (Point them to the space provided under Benefits Package on their journal page.) Benefits Package Because of what God has done, I -can be filled with the knowledge of God s will. -can grow into God s knowledge. -am qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints. -am rescued. -am brought into the kingdom of the Son He loves. -am reconciled. -am alive with Christ. -am forgiven all my sins. NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 4 3
Then discuss the obvious question: So what? This is all great info, but what difference does it make? The next exercise ( Cross Checking ) will help them see that this info about God can make a difference in their day-today. Ask them to find a place where they can have a little solitude, like a corner of the room, a hallway, or an empty room nearby. They should take their journal pages, Bibles, pens and Scripture sheets. The exercise is printed here for your reference. CROSS CHECKING Has it ever dawned on you that God is working harder to maintain a relationship with you than you re working to relate to Him? And because of all the work God has done, you can experience everything you listed in your Benefits Package. Think about God working hard to establish and maintain a relationship with you as you read these verses from your Bible. Jot down everything that God is doing in these passages. Philippians 1:3 6 Philippians 2:12 13 Titus 3:4 7 Picture a scene between you and God. Imagine Him working overtime to give you everything you need to overcome what you once were separated from Him, a spiritual orphan, condemned to die. The fact is, you don t have to imagine. You just have to believe! But here s the question: Can anyone who knows you see that you believe in all God has done for you? Does it show? What do you still hang on to or what do you still do that shows you haven t really grasped what God s done for you? As you answer the following questions, jot a note about what you can change to make each truth about God part of your day-to-day. Truth: God can fill you with the knowledge of His will. (1:9) When you re seeking God s will about something, which do you spend more time doing? praying and searching God s Word; listening to others talk about, or teach about, God s will. Truth: God has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (1:12) Which do you let determine your present identity and outlook on life? sinful past; skills and talents; shortcomings or failures; spiritual inheritance, which is incredible! Truth: God has rescued you. (1:13) Do you picture your salvation as a dramatic rescue? Are you profoundly grateful for it, or has it gotten a little ho-hum? Truth: God reconciled you by Christ s physical body to present you holy in His sight. (1:22) Have you ever felt too dirty to be in God s presence? How could knowing what happened to Christ s physical 4 NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 4
body change the way you feel about that dirt? Truth: God made you alive with Christ. (2:13) Do church squabbles or ministry pressures suck the life out of you? If not these things, then what keeps you from experiencing the spiritual life you know is possible in Christ? Truth: God forgave you all your sins. (2:13) Do you carry around guilt or regret about the past? Have you ever found yourself saying, God forgave me, but I can t forgive myself? A tight hold on these truths can lead to an extremely fulfilled life! So what s your hold on these truths? Do they affect your decisions? How you feel about yourself? How you feel about others? Rate yourself on the scale below. No effect Extreme effect 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 If you put yourself at less than 6, what have you let distract you from these truths about God? Think about the first readers of Colossians. What do you think Paul was saying to them by emphasizing this info about God? TAKING IT INWARD Call the group back together and do the following exercises. 1. Ask volunteers to share how they rated themselves on the scale and why. 2. Ask students to share which truth they ve most neglected in their day-to-day lives. 3. The truths we ve looked at are truths Satan hopes we ll forget! What can we do to make sure we never forget them? Some ideas: 1. Have each student select at least one truth (try to have all the truths assigned to at least one person to own over the next few days). They could look up cross-references in their Bibles or favorite Bible study app, follow the chain in a Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, pray about that truth, or write a poem or story about it, or create a piece of art that expresses the truth. Then ask the owners to share their insights with the rest of the group. This could happen in a worship setting, in a devotional booklet produced by the group, or be distributed via e-mail or social media. 2. If you re an arts-and-crafts type, make a single cube out of card stock. Write a truth on each face of the cube. You can make a basic six-sided cube (and write your six truths) or use a cube template that has more sides (Google cube template ). Once you ve made the cube(s) and have written the truths on each side, find a way to make it a daily reminder for the group such as using it in a picture or video to share. 3. Some of your students have friends who desperately need to know the truths about God in Colossians 1 and 2. Brainstorm ways the group could share these truths with friends who need them. Students may want to write down names of people to pray for. NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 4 5
PUTTING INTO PRACTICE Give students a minute to write down a Colossians Takeaway on their journal pages perhaps a universal truth about God that keeps them grateful for what He s done for them. Close in prayer. If time allows, let each student offer up a one-sentence prayer of thanksgiving for something they listed in their benefits package or a new truth they learned about God. For example: Thank you God for qualifying me to share in the inheritance of the saints. 6 NOTHIN BUT CHRIST LEAD IT: High School SESSION 4