20240903 Youth Group
Hang Out
Ezra’s Announcements
- Discipleship Bootcamp 9/7 (free)
- Worship Night 9/27 (Sacramento) $5
- Up All Night 10/11 (Sacramento) $20?
- Middle School Fall Retreat 10/18 $199
- High School Fall Retreat 11/1 $199
Cyndi’s Game
- Rock ‘em Sock ‘em (tube sock game)
7 minute Notebooks
Ezra’s Discussion: Love
Have you ever been annoyed by a sibling, a teacher, or a parent?
Have you ever cringed at something you remember yourself doing or saying?
God loves and values every human being, including those that you can’t stand.
““You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”
-Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)
God loves you, even when you aren’t cool, aren’t saying or acting the right ways, and are clueless about what is right. He loves you even now. His love is strong enough to help us to love others in that way if we allow it to mold us to love others more like how He does. God’s love is transformational. Embrace Him. Let Him transform you with His love.
“For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths, from the realm of the dead.”
-Psalms 86:13 (NIV)
Jesus loved others radically, in ways the culture around Him found to be scandalous or confusing. But miracles followed that love, as it was coming from the perfect will of God. He regularly spent quiet time with the Father.
“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.”
-Luke 5:13 (NIV)
So when you are tempted to say critical things that could devalue others, even as a joke, stop and consider what Jesus might say in the same position that you are in, and come back to the Father in prayer.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
-Romans 5:8 (NIV)
Prayer: “Lord God, Help us to see others the way that You do. Make our hearts more like Yours and capable of loving in a transforming way. The way that we want to be loved when we are hard to love and appreciate, thank you for loving us first and making the first move. Help us to follow you better. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.”
Challenge: How can you show love to someone that you have difficulty with? How should you approach them? What would God say to the person that is on your mind right now? What do you think God wants you to communicate to them? For practice, find 1 or 2 people in the room and give them a word of encouragement. (Verbal or written, public or private) It might just make their day.
Affirmation Circle Activity
(Take turns affirming each other and only say “thank you” as a response, do not deflect the affirmation.)
Andre’s Closing Prayer
Attendance
- Cyndi & Luna
- AndreT
- Ezra
- Sebastian
- Eden
- Gideon
- Venessa
- Zelia
- Ollie
- Isella
- AndreR