Trinity is not just a character in The Matrix…it is the term for the forms we believe God takes. We believe that God shows himself to us in 3 ways: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Think of it like this…the compound H2O is water, right? Can’t water take different forms? Water can be ice, liquid, or steam. They are all made of the same thing, they just take on different forms. Does that make sense?
Let’s look at the first part of the Trinity…God the Father. God created everything. Much like your father created you, this makes him the father of all things. Look at Genesis 1:26,27. What do you think it means to be created in the image of God? How might knowing that EVERYONE is made in His image change the way you look at and treat other people?
God wants a relationship with us. He loves us so much that He gave up His own Son so that we don’t have to die for our sins!! (we’ll get into that a little later!) What does 1 John 4:7-12 and 16-20 say about how we should show God’s love for us?
God, as our creator, gave us some rules to live by. We call these the Ten Commandments.
You shall have no other gods before me
What are some things you make more important than God?
You shall not make for yourself an idol
What do you worship besides God? Money? Music? Friends? Problems?
You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God
This means using God’s name as a swear word. Here’s a question, how would you feel if every time your friend bumped their elbow, they cursed you? How can someone stop taking God’s name in vain?
Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy.
We need a specific time to Worship God and praise Him for being, well, GOD! We also need time to rest and relax from the crazy pace of our lives. Without this regular Sabbath, we burn out and forget that God is the King of our lives. Name 2 things that you can change to start using the Sabbath better?
Honor your Father and your Mother.
Yikes…I break this a lot. My parents just make me so mad! Sometimes they don’t understand what I do and why, and they make all these rules I don’t like. However, they are older and they have lived a lot of life. I have to remember that they do always want what is best for me, and I need to honor (obey) what they tell me to do!
You shall not murder
Anyone need that explained? Ok, the deal is, God gave life, and He is the only one who had a right to take it away. Period. Moving on…
You shall not commit adultery
This one is tricky. Adultery is any sort of sex outside of marriage. However, the Bible also says that looking at someone in lust is adultery! This is because the act of lust belittles the person…it makes them not important as a person, but as an object of your desire. Don’t do that, it’s not nice, and YOU don’t want to be treated like that!
You shall not steal
On the surface, this one is easy…don’t take what is not yours. But, have you ever copied someone’s homework (stolen their hard work) or lied about your age to get into a game cheaper? Isn’t that also stealing? What else are some ways that people steal?
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
Hmm, ok, so don’t lie, right? Not only that, but don’t gossip and don’t spread rumors either. How much of your conversation with your friends revolves around things you HEARD but did not SEE? That can be hurtful to people, can’t it? What is a good way for you to stop gossiping or spreading rumors?
You shall not covet
Who knew jealousy was a sin? It takes you attention from the blessings you have in your life and turns it to things you think you need…but God has provided for you everything you need! What are some ways coveting (or jealousy) can get you in trouble?
Now, God the Son (not SUN!)
Jesus did many, many amazing things on his short 33 years on earth. He was born to a mother who was a virgin. When He was baptized, a dove flew to Him and a voice in the sky spoke. He healed sick people. He loved children, and at that time women and children were not seen as useful members of society. He spent His time with society’s “undesireables” (people that were not considered “as good as” everyone else). The people He taught (His disciples) were fisherman, not religious leaders. He was born in a stable. His life was an example to us about how to live, love, and follow the right path.
If Jesus came to your school tomorrow, who would he sit with at lunch?
Read Luke 9:18-22. Who do you say Jesus is? Who does our world say He is?
In Luke 8:26-39 it talks about miracles. What is a miracle? Do you think that Jesus does Miracles today? What are they?
Read Luke 23:32-49. Why, after all of that suffering, did Jesus ask His father to forgive them? What does that say about how we should treat others?
Acts 1:1-11 says that Jesus will How can we be ready for this?
Now, God the Holy Spirit
Acts chapter 2 talks about the first appearance of the Holy Spirit. It was after the resurrection, and Jesus' followers were gathered in a room. Outside, people form many different countries had gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration of a Jewish Feast Day. Suddenly, a rush of wind and tongues of fire came down, on the disciples, and when they went into the crowd, all of the people there were able to understand their words...in their own language! This is what is known as Pentecost (the church's birthday, which we celebrate in May)...but it is also when God sent His Spirit to His people to empower them (make them able) to do His works. What kind of good works has God given you the power to do? Do you remember Peter? Jesus' apostle, who on the night of His arrest, denied even knowing Jesus? After the Holy Spirit came to him, he was changed into an outspoken, passionate man of God...and a great preacher! This is just one of the examples in the Bible of how the Holy Spirit changes us to be what God wants us to be. If you are a Christian, how has the Holy Spirit changed you?
It’s important to remember that the Holy Spirit is not some being sent by God…the Holy Spirit IS God the Father and God the Son, just in a different form. And when you accept Jesus as your Savior, it comes into your heart and gives you the direction you need to do God’s will.
God loves us, even when we sin and go against Him. We can’t earn His love or His forgiveness, and we really don’t deserve it. But God loves us so much that all we have to do is accept His love, say Yes to the gift He gave us through His Son, and receive it.
This sort of love and forgiveness is called grace. When we accept God’s gift of love through Jesus, the Holy Spirit brings God’s grace to us.
However, His grace is existent in our lives even before we realize it is there. Because it is existent, it prepares us to accept Jesus as our Savior, and helps us see how much we need God in our lives. John Wesley (the founder of United Methodism) called this “prevenient grace” or “grace that goes before”.
One way to understand this is to put it into action. In the box, put the names of three friends you want to invite to church or youth group. The, write examples of prevenient grace you see in their lives (ways that God is already in their lives, or things He is doing for them. These was will help you to invite them…give you an “in”) **********
So, how do you know that the Holy Spirit lives in you? Romans 8:16 says that the Holy Spirit assures us of His presence. The Holy Spirit also intercedes for us. Read Romans 8:26-27…what do you think this means?
Probably the easiest way to see if the Spirit lives in you is talked about in Galatians 5:22-23. These are known as the fruits of the spirit. If the Holy Spirit is alive in you, these fruits are seen in your life. How can you help these fruits to be seen in your life? Which ones are obvious already? Which ones do you need some work on?
Ok, another session down! That was a long one! Don't forget to type your name in the box before you hit send!
