29 Jesus Explais Eteral Life to Nicodemus Joh 3:1-17 Death seems far away to most teeagers. They may woder why they ought to sped time thikig about eterity whe they ve oly just begu life i the here ad ow. It s importat to help studets uderstad that oly God kows whe they ll die ad that the decisios they make today will affect their eteral future. STUDY WHAT STUDENTS DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP Bible Poit Jesus gives us eteral life. 1 Faith Coectio 2 Bible Exploratio Nursery Tour (about 10 mi.) Take a tour through the church ursery. Media Coectio (Optio) (about 10 mi.) Liste to ad discuss a sog writte for babies or toddlers. Moder-Day Nicodemus (about 25 mi.) Explai Jesus message of salvatio i their ow words. music player, a sog writte for babies or toddlers Bibles, paper, pes Choose a sog writte for babies or toddlers from a well-kow source, such as Disey, Sesame Street, or Dora the Explorer. Key Verse For God so loved the world that he gave his oe ad oly So, that whoever believes i him shall ot perish but have eteral life (Joh 3:16). Weavig Faith Ito Life Studets will let the power of Jesus gift of eteral life impact their hearts ad lives. Seior High Sprig Quarter
30 STUDY WHAT STUDENTS DO SUPPLIES EASY PREP 3 Weavig Faith Ito Life 4 Lastig Impressios The Gift (about 10 mi.) Study the Key Verse ad apply its meaig to their lives. Eteral Life Respose (about 15 mi.) Cosider how to respod to God s gift of eteral life. Daily Challeges (about 5 mi.) Choose a Daily Challege to apply God s Word. Weavig Faith at Home (about 2 mi.) Talk about how to share what they leared with their families. Bible Bibles, paper, pes, reflective music ad music player (optioal) Seior High Hadbooks or 1 copy per studet of the Takig It Home hadout (at the ed of this study) Sprig Quarter Seior High
31 Jesus Explais Eteral Life to Nicodemus Joh 3:1-17 BIBLe BACKGROUND FOR LEADERS A Night Visit This passage tells of Nicodemus ighttime visit to Jesus. Why did Nicodemus come at ight? It may have bee difficult to get time aloe with Jesus durig the day because of all the people followig him. Or Nicodemus may have come at ight because as a member of the Sahedri, the rulig coucil of the Jews, he did t wat to be see. Nicodemus opeig commets idicated respect for Jesus, but he stopped short of sayig that Jesus was the log-awaited Messiah. Nicodemus was curious because of the miracles Jesus had performed ad ackowledged that Jesus could have doe them oly through God s power. Rescued From Death Jesus referred to Numbers 21, where poisoous sakes ivaded the Hebrews camp as a puishmet for their complaiig. Whe the people cried out i aguish ad repetace, God told Moses to make a sake of broze ad lift it high o a pole. All who looked upo the sake would be saved from death. Jesus explaied that, i the same way, he would be lifted up so that all could look o him ad be saved from eteral sufferig ad death. Ad he helped take Jesus dow from the cross ad bury him (Joh 19:39). At some poit, Nicodemus apparetly looked o the oe who was lifted up o the cross ad believed. The Jesus Coectio Jesus did t come to make you a more religious perso, but rather a ew perso oe capable of respodig to a life-givig friedship with him. Reread Joh 3:1-17 ad imagie how disorietig Jesus words soud. Nicodemus was a professioally religious perso with a early perfect spiritual pedigree. However, that was t importat to Jesus. Take a quick persoal ivetory. Whe evaluatig yourself spiritually, do you rely o beig religious or o beig i a relatioship with a lovig God? Talk to God about what really matters i your relatioship with him. You ca write your prayer here. Believig i Jesus Joh 3:16 is probably the most frequetly quoted verse i the Bible, ad for good reaso: It s a cocise statemet of the good ews of Jesus Christ. But the verse that follows is early as importat. Jesus missio is ot to codem the siful world but to provide eteral life for all who believe i him. We do t kow if Nicodemus chose to accept Jesus teachigs that ight. We do kow that he later stood up for Jesus i a meetig of the Sahedri (Joh 7:50). Seior High Sprig Quarter
32 FAITH CONNECTION Nursery Tour Say: Oe of the thigs we ll be talkig about today is babies. But it s bee a while sice we were babies, so let s refresh our memories. We re goig to go observe the babies i our church ursery. Remember to be quiet so we do t disturb them, but make metal otes about thigs you otice about their behavior ad abilities. Take studets o a walkig tour of the ursery. Remember to respect security policies ad remai outside the ursery rooms, observig through doors or widows. Talk With Studets Lead studets i this discussio. Studets ca fid these questios i their Seior High Hadbooks. What did you otice about the babies behavior ad abilities? Why would we cosider it bizarre for a teeager or a adult to behave the way you saw babies behavig? What makes you glad you re ot a baby aymore? How is beig bor similar to other ew starts i life? How is it differet? Give some specific examples. Say: Today we re goig to talk about how JESUS GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE. To begi to discover the aswer, we ll examie some similarities betwee beig a baby ad beig a ew Christia. Media Coectio Supplies music player a sog writte for babies or toddlers Media Coectio Easy Prep Choose a sog writte for babies or toddlers from a well-kow source, such as Disey, Sesame Street, or Dora the Explorer. Media Coectio (Optio) Istead of the Nursery Tour activity, liste to a sog writte for babies or toddlers from a well-kow source, such as Disey, Sesame Street, or Dora the Explorer. After the sog, have studets tur to a parter ad discuss the followig questios. Studets ca fid these questios i their Seior High Hadbooks. Why do babies or toddlers ejoy listeig to this kid of music? Why do t you liste to music like this aymore? Talk With Studets Lead studets i this discussio. Studets ca fid these questios i their Seior High Hadbooks. Sprig Quarter Seior High
33 Why would we cosider it bizarre for a teeager or a adult to sped all day listeig to this kid of music? How is beig bor similar to other ew starts i life? How is it differet? Give some specific examples. Say: Today we re goig to talk about how JESUS GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE. To begi to discover the aswer, we ll examie some similarities betwee beig a baby ad beig a ew Christia. 2 BIBLE EXPLORATION Moder-Day Nicodemus Have studets form six groups, makig sure each group has a Bible. A group ca be as small as oe perso. Have someoe read aloud Joh 3:1-2 to everyoe. Say: Whe Jesus aswered Nicodemus, he explaied his full missio: to give us eteral life. You ll each get a couple of verses of Jesus aswer to read. With your group, you ll read your verses ad come up with as may ways as possible to explai the compariso Jesus makes to eteral life. You ll thik of ways Jesus aswer coects to eteral life, ad you might also thik of other aalogies to take Jesus aswer further. You ll have five miutes to read ad discuss. Moder-Day Nicodemus Supplies Bibles paper pes Assig each group oe of the followig passages: Group 1: Joh 3:3-4 Group 2: Joh 3:5-7 Group 3: Joh 3:8 Group 4: Joh 3:10-12 Group 5: Joh 3:13 Group 6: Joh 3:14-15; Numbers 21:4-9 After five miutes, have groups go i order sharig a summary of their verse or verses ad the highlights of their discussio. Had out paper ad pes. Say: Now let s read the culmiatio of Jesus message to Nicodemus. Joh 3:16-17 expresses the mai poit he was tryig to make. Read these verses together. The write a brad ew, moder-day aalogy that ca help people uderstad the message i these verses. You might focus o the idea that Jesus willigly paid the price for somethig he did t do, or how eteral life is a ueared gift. Whe studets have fiished their aalogies, have each group joi aother group i order to share aalogies. The ask for a few studets to share their aalogies with everyoe. Seior High Sprig Quarter
34 Talk With Studets Lead the etire group i this discussio. Studets ca fid these questios i their Seior High Hadbooks. What phrases or ideas do you thik are the most complex i this passage, ad why? Nicodemus had a tough time uderstadig Jesus words. Whe have you struggled to uderstad truths Jesus spoke i the Bible? Joh 3:16 is a well-kow verse from the Bible, but Joh 3:17 is t. Why is the truth of verse 17 as importat as the truth of verse 16? How ca your moder-day aalogies give you a deeper uderstadig of what Jesus did for you? How ca these aalogies help you talk to people who are t followers of Christ yet? Say: God wats to have a eteral relatioship with each of us. But we must allow ourselves to be bor ito God s family, ackowledgig that we ca t ear our way to eteral life. We must choose to accept God s gift ad ackowledge that JESUS GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE. It s all about what Jesus has doe for us payig the ultimate price by takig the puishmet for our sis. 3 WEAVING FAITH INTO LIFE The Gift Supplies Bible The Gift Say: Let s reread oe of the verses from today s Scripture passage. This is our Key Verse, ad it summarizes how we ca have eteral life. Read Joh 3:16 aloud: For God so loved the world that he gave his oe ad oly So, that whoever believes i him shall ot perish but have eteral life (Joh 3:16). Studets ca fid these questios i their Seior High Hadbooks. What are some specific ways you ve demostrated your love for aother perso? How have other people demostrated their love for you? Why does true love demad actio, ot just emotios or feeligs? How is God s love similar to the love you feel toward sigificat people i your life? How is it differet? Why does God give us the choice to receive the gift of eteral life, istead of forcig us to accept it? Sprig Quarter Seior High
35 Say: God wats every perso to be with him for eterity. But he does t force us to follow him. Eteral life is a gift available to ayoe who accepts that Jesus died i our place to pay for the wrog thigs we ve doe. We must become like babies beig bor ito God s family i ackowledgig that there s othig we ca do to ear eteral life. We re simply bor ito the family whe we ackowledge that JESUS GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE. Eteral Life Respose Had out paper ad pes, ad make sure everyoe has a Bible. Ecourage each perso to fid his or her ow space i your meetig area. Say: Sped some time reflectig o God s gift of eteral life. Perhaps you have ever accepted this woderful gift ad you wat to be bor ito God s family. Perhaps you wat to thak God for this awesome gift. Maybe you wat to be remided i a fresh way of how geerous this gift is. Maybe you wat to reach a better uderstadig of what Jesus did for you. Thik about what you wat to do ext, ad cosider readig our passage from Joh 3 agai to cosider the truth Jesus shared. Eteral Life Respose Supplies Bibles paper pes reflective music ad music player (optioal) Optioally, play reflective music. Allow teeagers about 10 miutes to reflect, ad the have studets form groups of two or three. Have studets sped a few miutes discussig their respose to Jesus words from Joh 3, ad the prayig together ad askig God to help them grow closer to Jesus. Talk With Studets Lead studets i this discussio. Studets ca fid these questios i their Seior High Hadbooks. What ew discoveries have you made today about eteral life? How might your respose to Jesus chage your life? Say: Whe a baby is bor, parets sed out birth aoucemets to tell everyoe how happy they are that the ew baby has come ito their family. Whe we choose to follow Christ ad believe that JESUS GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE, we have a reaso to celebrate. Sometime this week, tell a family member or a fried about your decisio to receive God s gift of eteral life or take time to tell someoe else how he or she ca make that same decisio, too. Seior High Sprig Quarter
36 4 LASTING IMPRESSIONS Daily Challeges Supplies Seior High Hadbooks or 1 copy per studet of the Takig It Home hadout (at the ed of this study) Daily Challeges Have studets get out their hadbooks, or distribute Takig It Home hadouts to all studets. Say: JESUS GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE. Let s thik about how this truth ca affect our lives this week. Direct studets to fid this week s Daily Challeges o their Seior Hight Hadbooks or their Takig It Home hadouts ad choose oe to do this week. They ca choose oe or more of these three optios: Tell somebody else about the gift of eteral life Jesus offers each oe of us. Share with that perso how kowig you have eteral life through Jesus has affected your ow life. Make your ow birth aoucemet to celebrate the eteral life you ve foud i Jesus. Look for sigs of life this week, ad make a list of ew aalogies that ca help you better uderstad eteral life. Ask God to help you uderstad i ew ways how great this gift is. Talk With Studets What s a practical way you re goig to do your Daily Challege? Share a time, a place, or other ideas. Allow time. Say: God loves you so deeply that he set Jesus to pay the price for your sis ad offer you the gift of eteral life through Christ. Jesus shared this importat message with Nicodemus, ad it s just as importat for us today. Let s see the sigificace of how JESUS GIVES US ETERNAL LIFE as we follow through with our Daily Challeges. Weavig Faith at Home Ecourage studets to talk with their parets about the Daily Challeges they chose ad what they leared about eteral life. Studets ca also do the Talk With Your Family activity o their Takig It Home pages with their families. Talk to your Director about emailig the FREE FamilyCoect to all your church s families. Available at group.com/digital. Close with a ope prayer for God to help your studets uphold the commitmets they ve made ad to live more fully i light of eteral life with Jesus. Sprig Quarter Seior High
37 Jesus Explais Eteral Life to Nicodemus Joh 3:1-17 Bible Poit Jesus gives us eteral life. Key Verse For God so loved the world that he gave his oe ad oly So, that whoever believes i him shall ot perish but have eteral life (Joh 3:16). Daily Challeges Tell somebody else about the gift of eteral life Jesus offers each oe of us. Share with that perso how kowig you have eteral life through Jesus has affected your ow life. Make your ow birth aoucemet to celebrate the eteral life you ve foud i Jesus. Look for sigs of life this week, ad make a list of ew aalogies that ca help you better uderstad eteral life. Ask God to help you uderstad i ew ways how great this gift is. Faith Joural What does it mea to be a child of God? Talk With Your Family Read Romas 6:1-10 with your family, ad discuss these questios: What does eteral life with Jesus mea for our lives here o earth? How has your life show that Jesus is alive i you? What does it mea to die with Christ ad to be alive i Christ? TAKING IT HOME Quotables The Apostle Joh declares, Whoever believes i the So has eteral life, but whoever rejects the So will ot see life, for God s wrath remais o him (3:36). This verse declared a marvelous prophecy that belief i Jesus as the So assures a idividual of eteral life. Joh F. Walvoord, The Prophecy Kowledge Hadbook As a family, create a photo album or list of people you kow who you would like to be bor ito God s family. Use this photo album or list as a prayer list, askig God to give you opportuities to share your faith i Jesus with these idividuals.! OK TO COPY FaithWeaver NOW group.com Seior High Sprig Quarter