MS/HS Combined

Sunday, November 19

 

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(Students will have a handout with the 4 Scenarios, Eph 5:6-14 (5:1-5 will be on the screen), and an outline with blanks (you’ll see them below) to fill in. 

Words in blue are the words which will be on their outline. 

Your names are in maroon-ish so you can see who has what part.  And I'm thinking we might all want to sit up in the front together on stools...think about if that would be more comfortable for each of you or if you want to each be seated and then come to the front when it's our time.)

 

 

(Monty)

Can you think of a time in your life when you were asked to do something, but you didn't have the information you needed to make it happen? Maybe it was a school assignment. Maybe your parents asked you to do something, but you missed an important detail. Regardless of the situation, it's not a great feeling when someone expects something from us, but we don't know exactly how to make it happen.

 

We’re going to read four scenarios where someone expects something from you. For each scenario, you’re going to have to identify what key information is missing that would keep them from satisfying the expectations of the person in the scenario and how they would go about getting it.

 

(Read each scenarios and ask for volunteers to share what info they think is needed to satisfy the scenario's expectations. Encourage creativity and thinking outside of the box!  We will go through them pretty quickly...2 answers is enough, we don't need more.  Anyone can respond with obvious answers.)

 

 

Scenario 1:  (Adrie)

This one’s for the girls. Your boyfriend’s birthday is coming up. You’ve asked him what he would like for his birthday. He said, “Oh, come on. You remember! We talked about it in the lunchroom the other day. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”  But you have 100% forgotten. What do you need to know, and how will you go about finding out?

 

Scenario 2:  (Miles)

Alright guys. Your turn. Your girlfriend asks you to do her a HUGE favor and drop off her beloved miniature poodle at the doggy spa for the day. “I know you know EXACTLY what Princess loves at her spa,” she says, as she makes a bunch of weird noises while she kisses Princess in the nose and passes the dog off to you. Of course, you have no idea what Princess loves at the spa. What do you need to know, and how will you go about finding out?

 

Scenario 3:  (Andie)

This one is for everyone. Right before you're getting ready for bed, you get an email from a kid you kind of know from one of your classes. The email contains an attachment that appears to be some sort of assignment. In the email, he says, "Here is my part of the group project. If you shoot me yours, I can get it all put together before tomorrow. Glad to have this one done with!” You legit have NO idea what he is talking about. Panic time! What do you need to know, and how will you go about finding out?

 

Scenario 4:  (Monty)

Finally, there’s nothing like a little family confusion to make you a nervous wreck. Consider this scenario: You wake up in the morning like you always do: grumpy, a little confused, in bad need of coffee and a shower. When you come downstairs, your mom greets you with a huge smile: “There you are! Today is the big day! Aren’t you excited?!?!” You search your mind. What is your mom talking about? Why is she so excited? Why are there balloons in the kitchen? What do you need to know, and how will you go about finding out?

 

(brief discussion of expectations)

 

 

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(Andie)

Read or have a student read Ephesians 5:1-2. When they’ve finished, help them fill in the blank on their outline:

 

Ephesians 5:1-2 Summary:  We are to ______________ our Father    (imitate)

 

• Say something like: In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul summarizes an argument he’s been making for several verses. He says that as God’s children, we are to imitate our Father. He gives some specifics in verses 3-5 when he says we imitate God by turning away from any sexual immorality and improper language. Paul says that anyone who routinely does these things is NOT a child of God. Let’s read verses 3-5.(have someone read it – it will be on the screen) This is the set-up for verse 6.

 

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(Miles)

Read or have a student read Ephesians 5:6. When they’ve finished, say:

• When Paul says in vs. 6 that the wrath of God is coming because of “these things,” he’s talking about that list He just said to stay away from. Sexual immorality. Language that is rude, or coarse, or hurts other people. In verse 6, what does Paul call people who do such things?Paul calls people who practice these things "sons of disobedience."

 

• Now that we have that foundation, I want us to read the entire passage, 6-14.

 

• Now, take a quick peek back at vs. 8. Paul calls us something in vs. 8 that sets up a comparison between "those who are disobedient" in vs. 6. This comparison is at the heart of what we’re talking about today. Can you see what Paul calls us that serves as sort of the opposite of “sons of disobedience”?

 

 

Those who are disobedient OR _______________  ____  ___________   (comparison of v.6 and v.8)    (children of light)

 

 

 

(Adrie)

 

Say something like: Okay, we're going to look at these verses we just read, and focus in on 3 expectations Paul has for us as followers of God.  this is something we would want to do if we're following God, living as believers.  So, this is not a list of rules.  This is a "hey, because you are saved, because you do know God, these are things expected of you" kind of deal.  Kind of like how a family has expectations...maybe even like replace the toilet paper, or put your dishes in the dishwasher...but this is more important because it's about life and about how you live your life.  Expectations.  Pay attention to these.  They will really help you. 

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Expectation #1 (vss. 7-8):

 

Live as people of ___________

 

God has a set of expectations for us as children of light. If you have come to saving faith in Jesus, you are a child of the light, a child of God. And the great thing is that in this passage, Paul communicates what some of those expectations are. Let’s look deeper at what he says.

 

Evidence of light is seen by a person’s goodness, righteousness, and truth

 

What does the word partnership make you think of?   (Technically, a partnership is the ongoing state of two or more people engaged together in the same activity.)

 

Knowing this, what is Paul trying to tell us?   (students may have lots of answers, but Paul is essentially helping us see that we have NO place being together with people who are actively living a life that goes against God’s will.)

 

 

 

(Andie – whenever Adrie is done with the previous question, or yall can just pass to Andie in a way that continues the convo)

 

Help students see that this will always take the form of relationships. Say something like:

• With whom are we partnered in our life that causes us to walk away from, not toward, God? Now, help your students see that we have to have people in our lives that do not know Jesus. How else would we fulfill God's command to make Him known to all nations? But there is a difference between having acquaintances (and friends) who are not believers and being "partnered" with people who lead us astray.

 

 

Expectation #2 (vs. 10):

 

Find out what _____________ the Lord  (pleases)   

 

How do we find this out?  What would you tell someone who asks “How do I find that out?”  (There is the implication here that it’s something that we have to work to accomplish.  The Bible tells us what we need to know.  Even think about the verses here in Eph 5…we’ve already read things God calls us to and what God calls us from.  That’s how we know, then comes the choices we decide to make and whether or not we choose God’s way or the world’s way.) 

 

 

 

(Miles)

 

Say something like:

• We can’t truly live like God if we don’t know who God is. We must decide to know God through prayer and meeting Him in the Bible. There is no excuse for us not reading the Bible regularly. We have access to everything God wants us to know about Him this side of eternity. Our problem isn't access (like it is for many people in the world). It’s desire. The question is, do you want to know God?

 

Expectation #3 (vss. 11-12):

 

Have nothing to do with deeds of _____________, but rather expose them.   (darkness)

 

 

What do you think Paul means when he says that we are expected to “expose the deeds of darkness”?  (Lots of possible answers here, but in this context, Paul is challenging us to call sin what it is. Our world has turned acceptance into a culturally mandatory trait. If we do not accept everything in all its forms, we are considered out of touch. We are candidates for being “cancelled.” And yet, we are called to call out sin.)

Why is this a hard thing to do?    (We hate to find ourselves on an island, especially as students. We go with the flow to keep from being singled out. But that's not what is expected of us. We are called to call out sin and shine God's light on it.)

 

 

 

Monty will wrap up