Light is useful for many things: safety, helping people see what's real and what's false, helping things grow, guiding, warming, etc.
In a contest between darkness and light, light always wins! As soon as the smallest light is turned on, the darkness is gone. The difference is how much light is present - some rooms/places are lighter than others and you get more of the benefits of light because of that.
John 8:12 - Jesus says whoever follows him will never live in darkness. By this he means surrounded by evil, untruth, or injustice - whether the person themselves is responsible for it (by committing acts of sin), or the victim of it.
John 3:19-21 - Darkness and sin are related: men loved darkness more than light because their deeds were evil. We're more likely to do wrong, and get away with it, when what we're doing can't be seen..
If a person has "the light of the world" in them, does that mean they will sin less? In a way - light exposes evil, makes you more aware of your sin. But it doesn't guarantee you'll act on that knowledge, and it might not happen right away. Old, bad habits might not seem wrong if you've grown accustomed to them; even after you know they're wrong, it can take a long time for you to stop.
Matthew 5:14-16 - You have the light, so shine the light, don't hide it.
So if light will chase away darkness, why is that so hard?
Sometimes we don't want others to know we have the light, sometimes we're not confident in the power of the light. Other Christians need to be together to maximize the impact.
Example: if trying to turn on 12 flashlights, only one at a time, in silence, it's not likely to be successful - unless - you coordinate efforts. In the same way, Christians need to know other Christians and combine their lights to fill the world with light.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
January 10-11: The Most Important Decision You'll Make This Year
We make lots of little decisions - the video showed kids choosing between sports activities, snacks, which subject to study first...but the most important decision you'll make is "Am I going to stand up for what is JUST?"
Justice = other words are "fairness", "being treated right"
The story of Micah: Lived in the Southern Kingdom (Judah), a time when people said they worshiped God (they kept up the sacrifices) but they treated the poor unfairly. Micah brought two complaints against the people:
1. The land of the poor was being seized and those people had nowhere to go
2. The prophets who should have warned against this were not true prophets - sometimes they said what they were paid to say
As a prophet, Micah brought a message from the Lord. To Israel - who asked "how religious are we supposed to be so that God isn't mad at us?" he answered - "God's already shown you what is good and he's been good to you! Just act justly, love mercy with your hearts, and walk humbly with him."
Micah 6:8 - "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (NIV)
What does it mean? Sometimes we can get an idea by looking at other Bible translations:
Other translations: "No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (NLT)
"The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must treat people fairly. You must love others faithfully. And you must be very careful to live the way your God wants you to." (NIrV)
In the world - in our country - in our towns - in your neighborhoods and schools - there is injustice. That's where you come in.
The decisions we make:
+ We can decide to do right
+ We can decide to do wrong
+ We can decide not to do wrong
+ We can decide not to do right
James 4:17 says if you know the good you ought to do and don't do it, it's sin.
Morgan's Story: Morgan McKeown of our church, preparing for another overseas missions project, this one to make a documentary about people who are slaves in Thailand. Hopefully later this year she will be over there.
What is a kid supposed to do? Use the "season" of your life to decide how you feel about injustice, just as Morgan is using this "season" to prepare to go overseas.
Important ?s for a 10-12 year old:
* Whose side am I on? Am I on the side of justice?
* What's important to me?
* How do I feel when I see people mistreated?
One way injustice/unfair treatment shows up among kids is teasing and bullying. Many of us have been teased. Some have done the teasing. But EVERYONE has known someone who's been in it. So everyone is part of the solution (or the problem).
If you're a teaser - know that this is not pleasing to God. You can do all the religious stuff you want, but God knows your heart by the way you live. Teasing is not justice. Especially if you're teasing someone you don't know. Friendly teasing among friends can be ok, but watch it - sometimes we go too far and are hurting feelings at the "friend"'s expense.
If you're the one being teased - know that God is on your side. He is for justice...but not revenge. The way we get justice is to appeal to the adults who are in authority.
If you're a witness to teasing - be a help to both sides. Discourage the teaser; encourage the one being teased. And use the adults who are in authority. Don't stay silent.
What if you decided in 2009 that you were going to stand up for justice?
What if we ALL decided in 2009 that we were going to stand up for justice?
Justice = other words are "fairness", "being treated right"
The story of Micah: Lived in the Southern Kingdom (Judah), a time when people said they worshiped God (they kept up the sacrifices) but they treated the poor unfairly. Micah brought two complaints against the people:
1. The land of the poor was being seized and those people had nowhere to go
2. The prophets who should have warned against this were not true prophets - sometimes they said what they were paid to say
As a prophet, Micah brought a message from the Lord. To Israel - who asked "how religious are we supposed to be so that God isn't mad at us?" he answered - "God's already shown you what is good and he's been good to you! Just act justly, love mercy with your hearts, and walk humbly with him."
Micah 6:8 - "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." (NIV)
What does it mean? Sometimes we can get an idea by looking at other Bible translations:
Other translations: "No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (NLT)
"The Lord has shown you what is good. He has told you what he requires of you. You must treat people fairly. You must love others faithfully. And you must be very careful to live the way your God wants you to." (NIrV)
In the world - in our country - in our towns - in your neighborhoods and schools - there is injustice. That's where you come in.
The decisions we make:
+ We can decide to do right
+ We can decide to do wrong
+ We can decide not to do wrong
+ We can decide not to do right
James 4:17 says if you know the good you ought to do and don't do it, it's sin.
Morgan's Story: Morgan McKeown of our church, preparing for another overseas missions project, this one to make a documentary about people who are slaves in Thailand. Hopefully later this year she will be over there.
What is a kid supposed to do? Use the "season" of your life to decide how you feel about injustice, just as Morgan is using this "season" to prepare to go overseas.
Important ?s for a 10-12 year old:
* Whose side am I on? Am I on the side of justice?
* What's important to me?
* How do I feel when I see people mistreated?
One way injustice/unfair treatment shows up among kids is teasing and bullying. Many of us have been teased. Some have done the teasing. But EVERYONE has known someone who's been in it. So everyone is part of the solution (or the problem).
If you're a teaser - know that this is not pleasing to God. You can do all the religious stuff you want, but God knows your heart by the way you live. Teasing is not justice. Especially if you're teasing someone you don't know. Friendly teasing among friends can be ok, but watch it - sometimes we go too far and are hurting feelings at the "friend"'s expense.
If you're the one being teased - know that God is on your side. He is for justice...but not revenge. The way we get justice is to appeal to the adults who are in authority.
If you're a witness to teasing - be a help to both sides. Discourage the teaser; encourage the one being teased. And use the adults who are in authority. Don't stay silent.
What if you decided in 2009 that you were going to stand up for justice?
What if we ALL decided in 2009 that we were going to stand up for justice?
Saturday, December 6, 2008
December 6-7: What will it be like in heaven?
Question: What will it be like in heaven?
What do we think of when we hear "heaven"?
When I was young, I had all the usual pictures come to my mind - but I also freaked out a little at the thought of "forever". We know, though, that heaven won't be scary - it will be wonderful. Our minds are small...God is big. So, there are things we can't even imagine.
Four things we know about heaven:
A. God will be there - the best thing.
1 John 1:5-7 says when we walk in the light we have "fellowship" with God.
"Fellowship" is when we are with someone and enjoying their company - for example, your mom or dad at the park, or an amusement park, playing with you, just having a good time, not expecting something of you or telling you what to do. Fellowship is great time together, each person enjoying the other person.
Q: Could a person who confessed their sins late in their life still go to heaven and experience God?
A: Yes - but they will have missed the fellowship they could have had with God all their life. What a waste!
In heaven, we will not have our sin nature with us - it will be the God life 100%.
B. Everything there will be for our good - because God loves us
Q: If God loves me, does that mean he'll give me anything I want?
A: No. There's a difference (sometimes) between what I want and what's good for me.
So...will heaven be non-stop roller coaster rides and candy and as much pizza as we want? Probably not. God knows, though, what's good for us. That is what he will provide.
And some things we request aren't good or bad for us, but they're not what we need. (Example: a new Wii, $500 cash, etc.) God will provide what we need; not always what we want.
C. We will be totally satisfied.
Rev. 21:3-4 says there will be no more pain or sorrow or suffering - we will want nothing and need nothing, because we will have all that we need.
"Forever" is like being in a place where you don't want to leave - things are perfect, you don't want the moment to end.
D. We will be changed.
Q: Seriously, how will I like heaven if it's not endless video games and ice cream?
A: You will be changed, you will be different when you get to heaven.
Anyone who has lived through changes knows they usually aren't something we look forward to - and then when they happen, it turns out OK.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says at the time of the trumpet sound, we will all be taken up and we will be changed in an instant. What are some of these changes?
- We'll have no body, or at least a different body (1 Cor. 15 tells us all about that).
- Some of heaven we just can't understand until we're their and then it will be - oh, of course, I get it now! Like a frog explaining to a tadpole what it'll be like to have legs and jump on land.
- Our attitude will totally change. We will be ok being in a place that isn't all about giving us exactly what we want. We will be happy letting God be the center of attention. Ex: my mom being happy to sit and watch us at amusement parks & ski places; Jason's wife agreeing to go to the Madagascar movie because it's what her boys wanted to do.
** This happens as we "grow up" as Christians - we learn to "live beyond ourselves" - to have experiences where we put our needs second, and we let someone else have our time, our attention, our money, our help - and we discover IT'S ALL OK!
Examples:
Missionary from our church who lives among the poor in South Africa
Missionary family that works among the Indian tribes in Peru
When you give away money you wanted to spend on yourself
When you wait for someone who's in front of you who moves more slowly, instead of barging ahead of them
When you are deliberately nice to someone you don't want to be nice to
When you let someone go in front of you in a line
When there are 2 sodas left, with one flavor you want and one you don't - and you let your friend have the flavor you wanted, and you take the other
When you fast (go without eating for some meals)
When you do something extra at home without being asked - more than you are required to do for your chores
...and you discover it's ok!
Ask yourself: What am I willing to try to live beyond myself?
Saturday, November 29, 2008
November 29-30 - Why do people sin?
Question: Why do people sin?
What does James 1:15-17 tell us about sin?
A. It tells us God does not sin and is not tempted, nor does he tempt
B. It tells us that we have evil desires living inside of us
C. It tells us that temptation plays on those desires until sin begins
D. It tells us that when sin is fully grown, it leads to death
So, in order:
1. We have sin living in us
2. We are tempted
3. We think about sinning
4. We follow through on sin
5. Because we sin, it leads to death
The sinful nature in us is like a huge appetite: "FEED ME!"
In answer to your questions:
Why did God make sin? God did not make sin! He doesn't cause it either!
Who created sin? Did it just come to be when Eve ate the fruit? Sin wasn't really created. It happened when people made wrong choices.
Why did God put temptations in this world? God doesn't tempt anyone. Temptations play on the evil desires that are in us (the sinful nature).
Who causes people to sin? Again, they come from the desires of our sin nature. We are responsible for our own sin.
Does God ever sin? No!
Are babies born with sin in their life?
Ex: four figures.
The first is INNOCENT - it has never sinned. The Bible tells us Adam & Eve were this way when created.
The second is FALLEN - no longer innocent, because it has sinned. The Bible tells us the human race is fallen.
The third is FORGIVEN.
The fourth is GLORIFIED. This is a person living in heaven. All sin is gone and God has given them "God life" forever and ever.
Which one...
deserves heaven? The innocent, if any - it has not sinned. But none of the others deserves God.
is sinful? The Fallen, and the Forgiven (yes, forgiven people still sin!) By definition, an Innocent person has never sinned, and a Glorified person cannot have sin and be in the presence of God
is saved? The Innocent (although no one today is innocent), the Forgiven, and the Glorified. But, the Forgiven one isn't perhaps "yet" saved, in the sense that the Glorified one is.
The journey moves in only one direction - from Fallen to Forgiven to Glorified - you cannot travel backwards! (and that's good news!)
Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...
So which figure represents how we are when we're born?
Views vary:
1. Some say we are born innocent and choose to sin; we might, or we might not. It is all a choice.
2. Some say we are born innocent but for sure we will sin; sin is just too strong.
3. Some say we are born already guilty of sin.
In the case of babies, they are either innocent, or sinful but not accountable.
The good news is - sinners can escape punishment! God shows "mercy" to people when he puts "the God life" in them although they are fallen.
What does James 1:15-17 tell us about sin?
A. It tells us God does not sin and is not tempted, nor does he tempt
B. It tells us that we have evil desires living inside of us
C. It tells us that temptation plays on those desires until sin begins
D. It tells us that when sin is fully grown, it leads to death
So, in order:
1. We have sin living in us
2. We are tempted
3. We think about sinning
4. We follow through on sin
5. Because we sin, it leads to death
The sinful nature in us is like a huge appetite: "FEED ME!"
In answer to your questions:
Why did God make sin? God did not make sin! He doesn't cause it either!
Who created sin? Did it just come to be when Eve ate the fruit? Sin wasn't really created. It happened when people made wrong choices.
Why did God put temptations in this world? God doesn't tempt anyone. Temptations play on the evil desires that are in us (the sinful nature).
Who causes people to sin? Again, they come from the desires of our sin nature. We are responsible for our own sin.
Does God ever sin? No!
Are babies born with sin in their life?
Ex: four figures.
The first is INNOCENT - it has never sinned. The Bible tells us Adam & Eve were this way when created.
The second is FALLEN - no longer innocent, because it has sinned. The Bible tells us the human race is fallen.
The third is FORGIVEN.
The fourth is GLORIFIED. This is a person living in heaven. All sin is gone and God has given them "God life" forever and ever.
Which one...
deserves heaven? The innocent, if any - it has not sinned. But none of the others deserves God.
is sinful? The Fallen, and the Forgiven (yes, forgiven people still sin!) By definition, an Innocent person has never sinned, and a Glorified person cannot have sin and be in the presence of God
is saved? The Innocent (although no one today is innocent), the Forgiven, and the Glorified. But, the Forgiven one isn't perhaps "yet" saved, in the sense that the Glorified one is.
The journey moves in only one direction - from Fallen to Forgiven to Glorified - you cannot travel backwards! (and that's good news!)
Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned...
So which figure represents how we are when we're born?
Views vary:
1. Some say we are born innocent and choose to sin; we might, or we might not. It is all a choice.
2. Some say we are born innocent but for sure we will sin; sin is just too strong.
3. Some say we are born already guilty of sin.
In the case of babies, they are either innocent, or sinful but not accountable.
The good news is - sinners can escape punishment! God shows "mercy" to people when he puts "the God life" in them although they are fallen.
Friday, November 21, 2008
November 22-23: Guest Speaker - Tom Wiest
Tom Wiest, from Pioneers, spoke about his family's work among indigenous people in Peru.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
November 15-16: What's the deal with Satan?
Question: What's the deal with Satan?
Things the Bible tells us about angels and Satan:
Angels are sent to minister to those who believe (Heb. 1:14)
God created angels - they are not gods (Col. 1:16)
When angels sinned, some were sent to hell (demons) (2 Peter 2:4)
We are not to worship angels (Rev. 22:8-9)
Satan is also called "the ruler of the kingdom of the air" (Eph. 2:2)
He is also called "prince of this world" (John 12:31)
And also called "liar and the Father of all lies" (John 8:44)
He entered Judas and tempted him to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3)
He fell from heaven after his rebellion (Luke 10:18)
There is an eternal fire prepared for him (Matthew 25:41)
He tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)
He has been "sinning from the beginning" (1 John 3:8)
He prowls around us like a lion, waiting to devour (1 Peter 5:8)
If we resist him, he will flee (James 4:7)
1. Satan gets people to fear him
Ex: The Wizard of Oz - got people to fear him by pretending and showing himself to be more powerful than he really was
In the same way, Satan flexes his muscles, but doesn't really have all the power he pretends to have. People who worship Satan over God believe he is all-powerful, when he isn't.
2. Bible depicts him as a lion, a dragon, our enemy, the accuser - so why is he so angry?
Satan was created, an angel, who led a rebellion in heaven (see Rev. 12:1-12). Wanting to be on the level of God, and not achieving it, he was cast down to earth, where he wanders.
He tries to lead people down the wrong path by making the path to death look like the path to life!
3. Satan's goals
Satan looks for our weak points and tempts us there. Once he's "inside", it leads us to other sins.
Ex: Someone who thinks they must be perfect may be led to cheat, and then to lie to cover up the cheating, etc. Or, someone who gets angry easily with others may be led to hate others, and then to gossip about them, and so on.
Knowing that Satan works in this way, the job for us is to strengthen our outer defenses...don't let Satan hit you at your weak spot. Where is your weak spot that you need to defend against? James 4:7 says if we resist the devil he will flee from us.
5. Other questions about Satan -
Who created hell? It's a place reserved for Satan and his angels
Does God love the devil? The devil was created by God. For sure, as a created being, he was once loved. But the point is that the devil will never repent. He will not go to heaven. He already had eternal life with God and rejected that. Every human gets another chance; the devil has forever blown his.
Why can't God destroy Satan and sin? He is! When Jesus came out of the grave, that broke Satan's power - people no longer had to die. Life is available to everyone who comes to Jesus. Satan has power - but it's not the kind of power God has. In Genesis 3:15 it says the serpent will strike the heel of "the woman's offspring"...Jesus; but Jesus will crush his head. So, we are living in "the beginning of the end" of evil.
Does Satan have power? Yes, but only in the way the Wizard of Oz did. Much of his "power" rests on suspicions we hold and fears that aren't realistic.
Things the Bible tells us about angels and Satan:
Angels are sent to minister to those who believe (Heb. 1:14)
God created angels - they are not gods (Col. 1:16)
When angels sinned, some were sent to hell (demons) (2 Peter 2:4)
We are not to worship angels (Rev. 22:8-9)
Satan is also called "the ruler of the kingdom of the air" (Eph. 2:2)
He is also called "prince of this world" (John 12:31)
And also called "liar and the Father of all lies" (John 8:44)
He entered Judas and tempted him to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3)
He fell from heaven after his rebellion (Luke 10:18)
There is an eternal fire prepared for him (Matthew 25:41)
He tempted Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)
He has been "sinning from the beginning" (1 John 3:8)
He prowls around us like a lion, waiting to devour (1 Peter 5:8)
If we resist him, he will flee (James 4:7)
1. Satan gets people to fear him
Ex: The Wizard of Oz - got people to fear him by pretending and showing himself to be more powerful than he really was
In the same way, Satan flexes his muscles, but doesn't really have all the power he pretends to have. People who worship Satan over God believe he is all-powerful, when he isn't.
2. Bible depicts him as a lion, a dragon, our enemy, the accuser - so why is he so angry?
Satan was created, an angel, who led a rebellion in heaven (see Rev. 12:1-12). Wanting to be on the level of God, and not achieving it, he was cast down to earth, where he wanders.
He tries to lead people down the wrong path by making the path to death look like the path to life!
3. Satan's goals
- Keep people from knowing that forgiveness of sins is possible
- To ruin the lives of people who do believe, by making them think "God could never love me" (he accuses us before God - and he's right! But, the death of Jesus covers any sin, and our salvation will not be undone.)
Satan looks for our weak points and tempts us there. Once he's "inside", it leads us to other sins.
Ex: Someone who thinks they must be perfect may be led to cheat, and then to lie to cover up the cheating, etc. Or, someone who gets angry easily with others may be led to hate others, and then to gossip about them, and so on.
Knowing that Satan works in this way, the job for us is to strengthen our outer defenses...don't let Satan hit you at your weak spot. Where is your weak spot that you need to defend against? James 4:7 says if we resist the devil he will flee from us.
5. Other questions about Satan -
Who created hell? It's a place reserved for Satan and his angels
Does God love the devil? The devil was created by God. For sure, as a created being, he was once loved. But the point is that the devil will never repent. He will not go to heaven. He already had eternal life with God and rejected that. Every human gets another chance; the devil has forever blown his.
Why can't God destroy Satan and sin? He is! When Jesus came out of the grave, that broke Satan's power - people no longer had to die. Life is available to everyone who comes to Jesus. Satan has power - but it's not the kind of power God has. In Genesis 3:15 it says the serpent will strike the heel of "the woman's offspring"...Jesus; but Jesus will crush his head. So, we are living in "the beginning of the end" of evil.
Does Satan have power? Yes, but only in the way the Wizard of Oz did. Much of his "power" rests on suspicions we hold and fears that aren't realistic.
Friday, November 7, 2008
November 8-9: Why does God let bad things happen to us?
Question: Why does God let bad things happen to us?
Thanks for all the questions submitted so far...keep them coming...if your question isn't answered right away, know that we are getting to it. Some questions have to be answered first - questions about God creating the world, how sin came in - before we can answer other questions, like do animals go to heaven.
1. "Bad things" entered the world when Adam & Eve "fell" ("The Fall" = the first sin, the first act of disobedience to God)
Q: "What 'bad stuff' came into the world after the Fall?"
As we talked about last week, God could not have created us to have choices unless there was also the choice to disobey. Love for him that is not chosen wouldn't mean anything.
Remember Teacher Mr. X and Teacher Mr. Y? In Teacher Mr. X's world, there was no misbehavior, but there were also no choices. In Teacher Mr. Y's class, wrong things probably would happen.
2. Because there is sin, we have suffering
3. What we call evil isn't always necessarily evil
If I want something good to happen, and it doesn't happen, is that a bad thing?
Ex: It rains on my birthday, so I can't have the party in the park. Evil? No - inconvenient & bad, yes - for me.
Ex: I get grounded for lying to my parents. Evil? No. A bad thing? Yes, for me.
Ex: I (Mark) swam out too far and almost drowned. Very scary. Was it an evil thing? No, but uncomfortable and horrible.
Part of "growing up" is being able to look at things the way someone else sees them - including God. When we can see ALL there is so see of something, we understand it better. Ex: 3-D glasses.
4. Evil is being overcome.
When Jesus came out of the grave, the process of evil being defeated began (like when Aslan rose in Narnia - and started to undo all the evil). More on that next week.
5. Sometimes good can come from evil - God works through things to make us better, stronger, and to change us.
Read Romans 8:28-32. Does verse 28 mean:
A. Only good things will happen to people who love God
B. God causes bad things to happen because they're good for us
C. Everything that happens to us turns out good in the end
D. No matter what happens, God is always working to make us like his son, Jesus
D is the best choice - as verse 31 says, "If God is on our side, who can be against us?" Nothing can happen that will derail God's good plan for us.
Ex: I'm not glad that the drowning incident almost happened, but I learned valuable lessons from it.
What have you been through that's been hard, but your own good has come from it?
Into small groups (each group take one passage):
John 9:1 - Jesus heals a man born blind
Philippians 1:7-14 - Paul in chains for the gospel
1 Peter 1:5-7
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Who was suffering in this passage?
What was the suffering?
What reason was given for why the person suffered?
Why is that "good"?
Thanks for all the questions submitted so far...keep them coming...if your question isn't answered right away, know that we are getting to it. Some questions have to be answered first - questions about God creating the world, how sin came in - before we can answer other questions, like do animals go to heaven.
1. "Bad things" entered the world when Adam & Eve "fell" ("The Fall" = the first sin, the first act of disobedience to God)
Q: "What 'bad stuff' came into the world after the Fall?"
- Adam & Eve could no longer live in the Garden of Eden (Q: Do we know where it was? No, not exactly. Clues from the name of the river, probably Iraq, but it wasn't found.)
- Adam would have to work the ground and there would be thorns and thistles
- Eve would have to submit to her husband rather than be his equal
- Eve would experience pain in giving birth
- The serpent (Satan) would be cursed (but, the same verse talks about Jesus coming to win!)
- People would die
As we talked about last week, God could not have created us to have choices unless there was also the choice to disobey. Love for him that is not chosen wouldn't mean anything.
Remember Teacher Mr. X and Teacher Mr. Y? In Teacher Mr. X's world, there was no misbehavior, but there were also no choices. In Teacher Mr. Y's class, wrong things probably would happen.
Bonus: Where is Jesus mentioned in the passage? Verse 15 - her offspring will crush his (Satan's) head
2. Because there is sin, we have suffering
- Caused by ourselves - ex: we get grounded, we fail tests, we get yelled at, we lose friends
- Caused by others - ex: all the evil things kids do to each other
Ex: Logan's white jeans at dusty summer camp! It didn't matter if he was trying to stay clean or get dirty, he was going to get dirty!
If I want something good to happen, and it doesn't happen, is that a bad thing?
Ex: It rains on my birthday, so I can't have the party in the park. Evil? No - inconvenient & bad, yes - for me.
Ex: I get grounded for lying to my parents. Evil? No. A bad thing? Yes, for me.
Ex: I (Mark) swam out too far and almost drowned. Very scary. Was it an evil thing? No, but uncomfortable and horrible.
Part of "growing up" is being able to look at things the way someone else sees them - including God. When we can see ALL there is so see of something, we understand it better. Ex: 3-D glasses.
4. Evil is being overcome.
When Jesus came out of the grave, the process of evil being defeated began (like when Aslan rose in Narnia - and started to undo all the evil). More on that next week.
5. Sometimes good can come from evil - God works through things to make us better, stronger, and to change us.
Read Romans 8:28-32. Does verse 28 mean:
A. Only good things will happen to people who love God
B. God causes bad things to happen because they're good for us
C. Everything that happens to us turns out good in the end
D. No matter what happens, God is always working to make us like his son, Jesus
D is the best choice - as verse 31 says, "If God is on our side, who can be against us?" Nothing can happen that will derail God's good plan for us.
Ex: I'm not glad that the drowning incident almost happened, but I learned valuable lessons from it.
What have you been through that's been hard, but your own good has come from it?
Into small groups (each group take one passage):
John 9:1 - Jesus heals a man born blind
Philippians 1:7-14 - Paul in chains for the gospel
1 Peter 1:5-7
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Who was suffering in this passage?
What was the suffering?
What reason was given for why the person suffered?
Why is that "good"?
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