Illuminate Session 2(April 1)

Bottom Line: God is present in the storms of our lives because of what Jesus experienced on Good Friday. 

Parents, to follow up with last week's SS topic, bring up this question in conversation with your teenager this week: If the idea of bread represents God’s provision physically but also spiritually, emotionally and relationally, where do you feel like you need God to be your bread right now? How do you need to be filled?


For this week we will talk about water. “I feel like I’m drowning here. I just can’t seem to keep my head above water.” Are these phrases you’ve heard your students say, or maybe you yourself have said? We all deal with the storms of life and so did many people in Scripture—from Noah, to David and even to Jesus, as He endured death on the cross. But God promises to be present with us. And the story of Easter, the story of Jesus’ own separation from God and triumph over death, is what allows us to find hope in God’s presence. God sent Jesus to be our Living Water. In the turbulence that we face, we are not alone. 


It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it.
Jordan
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b

The Cross (March 18-25)

If the cross is where we come to die, then how do we live? Because the cross is not the end of the story. There is also an empty tomb. The cross isn’t just about death, it’s about life. We die to something, but we also live as well. After all, Jesus says: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV). This past week, we talked about not settling for a half-life, but a life that is full. Parents, follow up with your teen this week on the challenge they accepted or denied last week: What does it mean to live life to the full? How does that compare to my life? 

This next week we begin a new series entitled "Illuminate". “Give us this day our daily bread.” This sounds familiar to most of us, even if we haven’t been in church for very long. But what does this actually mean? What does bread represent? To the Israelites in the desert, it meant that God would literally provide food for their groaning bellies. For the people listening to Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount, it represented what they needed, both physically and spiritually, to make it from day to day. And for us, bread represents the One who came to be our true provision. Jesus can provide for us. He can sustain us. So where do we need that provision?

  

It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it.
Jordan
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b

The Cross Session One (March 11)

Most of us think of the cross as the place where Jesus died for us. That is true. But it’s also about more than that. The cross isn’t just the place where Jesus died. The cross is the place where we die too. It’s not just an event that happened thousands of years ago. It’s an ongoing part of being a follower of Jesus. This week students will discover the ongoing, sacrificial life Jesus called His disciples to lead—a life characterized by the cross.

Parents, talk with your kids about this question: What are some ways that I am challenged to sacrifice myself in everyday life?  
Also, check out www.orangeparents.org for more help in parenting and connecting with your teen.

Next week in Sunday School we will be meeting with all ages(6-12th grade) together in the fellowship hall. We will continue our discussion of the Cross and students will have the opportunity to identify the things in their lives that need to die in order to follow Christ, and literally nail them to a cross. Please be in prayer for our students this week!

It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it.
Jordan
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b

New Friend Request Session Three: Ignore? (March 4)

Relationships=conflict. It’s natural. It’s part of two people relating to one another because at some point, you’re not going to agree. One person will do something the other person doesn’t like. One person will let the other person down. One person will say or do something stupid. It happens. And at some point, it happens to us—either we’re the person making the mess, or the one who is feeling the effects of the mess. So how do you navigate your way through the drama? Do you just ignore it and hope it goes away? Do you just drop that friend? Or do you find a way to work it out? The choice is yours.

Hey parents! Talk to your teen this week about friendships. Work this question into conversation: What is the biggest fight you’ve ever had with a friend? What was the outcome?  
It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it.
Jordan
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b

Session Two: Respond? (Feb 26)

Someone to listen to my problems. Someone to do stuff with. Someone to talk to constantly. Someone to hang out with. When you make a list of what qualities you want in a friend, how many of the things on your list involve what that person can do for you? Most of us would have to admit that it’s a lot. But the best friendships are ones that are not just about what the other person can do for you—the best friendships also involve how you can be there for someone else. How you can listen, instead of always talking. How you can give someone space when he or she needs it, or just hang out when your friend needs that too. In other words, the best friendships are not centered solely on you—and that’s a good thing. 

Parents work this question into a car ride conversation with your teen this week: What are some ways you’ve been able to help out your friends? 

It may be out of left field. It may not be the way you've ever thought. Consider it.
Jordan
“He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26b