The Cross... WK 2
Announcements/Important Dates:
Summer Camp: July 21-25. This will be at Heart of Texas Baptist Camp (the same place we went to last summer). We will open registration on FRIDAY!!!
Abide Weekend: This is a youth conference-style event we will be putting on at our church. The dates are April 25-26 & the cost is $25. Do not let money be a reason for your child to not attend; we can help you in whatever way that looks like! Here is the sign up link: https://form.jotform.com/250846900950156
Senior Sunday: This is a Sunday where we honor our seniors. This will be on May 4th.
Senior BSM Road Trip: We take the seniors on a Saturday before they graduate to visit the BSM within driving distance to help them get plugged in during this next stage of life. This will be April 19.
Sunday School: We are walking through the Passion Week (Jesus’ last week on Earth). I do not have a way to share this curriculum on Substack, but I will have hard copies at the church, and they will be on the shelves outside the church’s atrium on the bridge! We start Sunday school at 9:45 AM on Sunday mornings and have classes for both your students as well as for YOU as parents as well!
Enjoy this week’s substack over Week 2 of “The Cross...”
Summary for March 26th—— A conversation on sin (Ephesians 2:1-10)
This week, we are building off of last week. Sin has separated us from God. Paul, writing to the Ephesians, is explaining this very thing. That we are dead in our sins. The only thing sin brings is death. HOWEVER, it’s only through God that we find redemption, hope, etc. We are hitting this idea that it is through God and God alone that we are fulfilled and satisfied, but more importantly, it’s through God alone that we are justified (made right) in the eyes of God. We cannot earn this, but this, or do anything other than believe in Him. It’s by grace through faith that we are saved. If we were able to do it without Him, we would have, but we aren’t. So there’s no boasting on our part because it’s all Him! Praise be to God that He saved me and offered me the chance to choose Him. This arguably is the greatest love story ever told!
Phrases that could cause some confusion:
DEAD: This is referring not to physical death,
but spiritual death. We aren’t able to just buy or
work our way to salvation.
PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR:
This is referring to Satan.
FLESH: This is referring to the part of us in our
nature that is against the Spirit. Many times we
give Satan credit for the weakness of our flesh.
FLESH: This is referring to the part of us in our
nature that is against the Spirit. Many times we
give Satan credit for the weakness of our flesh.
TRESPASS: This is referring to when we sin.
VS 10: We were created in Christ Jesus to do good
works he prepared beforehand. Works do not save
us, but since we have been saved we are moved to
do good works for Him. The works do not save us,
but are an outpouring of the grace we’ve recieved.
HE PREPARED BEFOREHAND: Christ
desires for all of His followers to do good works as
an outpouring of grace. You will identify His
followers by their fruit. He prepared beforehand
refers to the preexisting desire of Christ for us to
be workers of grace rather than iniquity. He has
desired us to be workers of grace long before we
were born.
Discussion Questions for parents and students:
This section gives you some ideas to talk with your students about this week's passage! Use one question, use them all, use none of them, and chat with them differently. However, don’t miss this chance to connect with your students this week about how God is moving in their lives!
Question 1: In Ephesians 2:1-10 it really shows that we can’t be saved on our own. What do you think about this?
Answer 1: Let them be introspective. Maybe even share some insight into your own beliefs. For example, even. though I’ve known this truth my whole life for a long time, I tried to perform for God by reading my Bible more and going to church more, but just because I do more things doesn't mean He’ll love me more. God’s love is not performance-based.
Question 2: What does it mean to have faith?
Faith is not the absence of questions. I, too, have many questions, but faith is believing even though we might not have all the answers. What I know to be true about the gospel is very verifiable. Such as I’m not perfect, I know Jesus was real, and I know He rose again. With all of this, Jesus says that since we are not perfect, we need Him to be the perfect sacrifice. The gospel is inclusive in that ANYONE who calls upon the name of Jesus can be saved, but yet there is exclusivity because we have to admit to ourselves that we’re not enough