Fun with a ball

I don’t exactly have mad video recording skills, but we did have a lot of fun last night.  The main culprits with the ball were Nick, Chris, Bryan, Brandon, and Zack.

Parent Question – If God wants everyone in heaven, why doesn’t His plan involve everyone going there?

Tough Questions – Week 6

If God wants everyone in heaven, why doesn’t His plan involve everyone going there?

The parent question this week is, “If God wants everyone in heaven, why doesn’t His plan involve everyone going there?”  Before students ask you this question, they will have covered in their lesson the concept of God’s sovereignty compared to man’s free will.  They will understand that, in some inexplicable way, God remains completely in control of everything even though people make daily decisions for which they are responsible.  This certainly relates to the question they will be asking you.  Here are some notes on the subject.

God certainly does want everyone to be in heaven.  2 Peter 3:9b says God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  John 3:16 also reveals the extent of God’s love for a condemned world – He sent His Son to die for sinners.  But not everyone will go to heaven.  The verse goes on to say that “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” [emphasis added].  “Whoever” means that it is available to all.  2 Corinthians 5:15 says that Jesus “died for all that those who live…” [Emphasis added].  There is a distinction between “all” and “those”; not all will have eternal life.

Getting back to the question, why doesn’t God just give everyone eternal life?  If He truly loves the world and everyone in it, why couldn’t He just pardon everyone of their sin?  The reason why God does not do this is related to His justice and His holiness.

God is completely just.  We learn that we are sinners deserving death and separation from God by reading Romans 3:23 and 6:23.  God in His holiness cannot tolerate sin.  In Leviticus 19:2 we read God commanding the Israelite assembly to “Be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy.”  Our sin is something that God in His holiness cannot tolerate.  Here is what Colossians 1:21-22 says:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.

The question sent home with students is actually backward.  Knowing that God is holy and just, not able to tolerate sin, and knowing that those who have put their trust in Christ have been redeemed, the question should be rephrased.  It should be, “If all of us deserve judgment because of our sin, why did God allow some of us to go to heaven?”  Those who are sent to hell are only receiving what they deserve.  That does not mean we shouldn’t be filled with a passion to reach as many as we can with God’s love, but it does mean we should realize that none of us deserves heaven.  God is merciful.  God is loving.  He sent Jesus to take our place and pay for our sin so that some of us would spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Perhaps there is yet another question that we should ask:  “If we think God should allow more people into heaven, why don’t we care enough to share His message with others?”  We are God’s chosen instruments to spread His message.

Make these truths stick

Below are some optional things that you can do to really make some of the concepts in these notes come alive.  There is an illustration, an object lesson, and a family challenge.

Illustration

To illustrate why God won’t allow people into heaven who haven’t placed their trust in Him, here is an example you can use.  Let’s say you had a house that was nice and clean, with brand new, gleaming white, wall to wall carpet.  Youth and their friends are playing outside…in the mud.  You have just prepared a nice meal for them, and you want them to come inside.  The problem is that they are filthy.  You go outside on the doorstep and announce that they may come into the house for a meal, but they have to be clean.  Since they really don’t have any way to clean up, you stand out there to have them take off their shoes, and you hold towels for them to wipe the mud and grime away.  You cannot tolerate mud in your home.  It would not be a clean home if you did.  Suppose some of the friends refuse to clean off?  Will you allow them into your home?  No.  You have provided them with the opportunity, but they are the ones who refused.  God also has provided a way to heaven through Jesus.  Some have accepted, and others have refused; this is not God’s fault.  Heaven would not be heaven if sin were tolerated in it.

Object lesson

Experts say that bed sheets should be changed every two weeks.  When was the last time you changed yours?  Before the lesson, have your children wash their sheets (or you could change them yourself, but why rob them of the joy of housework?).  When they arrive home from the lesson, keep their bed stripped of fresh sheets.  As you talk about God’s holiness and the sin-free environment of heaven, relate this concept to fresh sheets.  There really is nothing quite like the feeling of climbing into a bed with fresh sheets.  Students who put fresh sheets on after this conversation (and perhaps shower as well) can climb into a clean bed with clean sheets to thank God for His holiness and the sin-free environment of heaven.

Family Challenge

The question was related to asking God why He wouldn’t have everyone to go to heaven.  The reality is that He asks us to share His message with others.  As a family, pick out people in your lives whom you will pray for and share the message of salvation with this week.  Pray daily for those people and encourage each other in telling them about Christ.

Tough Questions Series Overview

Below is our official schedule for the Tough Questions series.

**Update** Due the the weather-related cancellation on 2/10/10, our schedule has changed.   The schedule below reflects this change.

Tough Questions Series Schedule

Winter Breakout Information

Hi Parents and Students,

The final trip sheet for Winter Breakout is available in our ‘forms and files‘ section.   Please take a look at it and let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks!

Summer Mission Trip

Summer Mission Trip

The dates of our summer mission trip are July 24-31.  We are headed to Connecticut where RBC has been partnering with a church plant.  This trip is actually not just for students.  It is for children and adults.  On the youth side of things there will be plenty of special projects and activities just for youth, but I would encourage you to consider making this a family trip.  Our plan is to create opportunities for families to serve together and experience the joy of ministry.  There will be projects for adults, as well.

While our summer calendar is being solidified, be aware that there may be other events (such as a camp) in our programming as well.  There will also certainly be weekly activities and projects just like last summer.  I mention this to you so that you can mark your calendars for the week of our mission trip (July 24-31) but also plan for your student to be involved in a host of other events this summer.

Reminder for this Wednesday

Youth Christmas Party

As you may already know, this Wednesday is our youth Christmas party during Fuel (6:30-8:00pm).  While students have gotten a barrage of information about the night, I thought it would be beneficial to make sure parents are aware of the night’s details.

First off, we are doing a gift exchange.  The request is for each student to bring a wrapped (or gift bagged) item that costs $5 or less.  Gag gifts are okay, but we are asking for common sense to be used.

Secondly, we would like guys to bring a 2-liter of soda and girls to bring a snack or dessert to share.  It should be a fun night!

As a little side note, after this Wednesday there will be no Fuel meetings for the remainder of December.

FaithWeaver in Sunday School

Beginning December 6, the youth ministry will be covering the FaithWeaver curriculum during Sunday School.  You may have heard this FaithWeaver term thrown around the church recently, so let me take a moment and remind you about it.

FaithWeaver is a curriculum from Group Publishing that takes learners on a 3 year study through the Bible.  That means that students will have the opportunity to go through the Bible twice in youth ministry.  But FaithWeaver isn’t just about youth ministry.  There are age-appropriate tracks from pre-school all the way to adults.  The key idea is this:  Families can cover the same topics each week and discuss/apply them together throughout the week.

Pastor Bobby is publishing ideas for further discussion and family activities on the family ministry blog page.  For your convenience, you’ll notice that  link to the family ministry blog is also on the right as a permanent way for you to link there.

Parents, you have the opportunity to take part in a FaithWeaver class for adults, which will help you to learn exactly what your youth are learning.  The class is being taught by John Fergis, and there has been some great feedback from it already.  It will aid in discussion throughout the week.  We’re looking for ways to assist families grow in their faith together.  I hope you’ll take advantage of this big opportunity!

Winter Breakout

This is just a reminder to get your Winter Breakout forms in by Sunday, December 13, along with a $50 deposit.

If you have a financial situation that is a limiting factor, please see me privately, and we’ll work something out.  We don’t want anyone to not be able to go due to finances.

If you need the form, just click on the ‘forms & files’ tab at the top of this page!

Jabez

Wednesday night we talked about Jabez and the way that he hoped in God for blessing, even though his name essentially meant “pain-causer”.

I have 2 copies of a book called The Prayer of Jabez for Teens, and I’d like to give them away.  Here is all you have to do to get your hands on a book:

Memorize Jabez’ prayer in 1 Chronicles 4:10.  Recite it to Kevin to get your book. Hurry – there are only 2 books to give away!

Salvation

We’re looking at Salvation this Sunday in our Core Beliefs series.

So, what is salvation all about – what does it mean to be saved?  Send Kevin your response to have it read this Sunday at the beginning of Sunday School…you may even be rewarded for your answer…