Bottom Line: Attaching ourselves to Christ requires “unattaching” ourselves from everything else, a choice that requires risk on our behalf.

INTRO:

It feels like God isn’t always there.

Sometimes it feels like He lets us down because He doesn’t do what we expect or want Him to do.

Becoming the beloved is going to take risk.

TRUTH:

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council (John 3:1 NIV).

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him” (John 3:2 NIV).

In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” “How can a man
be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
(John 3:3-4 NIV).

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8 NIV).

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?”
(John 3:9-10 NIV).

TENSION:

To truly follow Christ, there is a level of risk.

This feels risky to some of us, but this is true relationship. This is what is required of being the beloved.

APPLICATION:

The problem is that we don’t want to unattach ourselves from everything else.

To attach yourself to Jesus means that you must begin what might be a painful process of unattaching yourself from other things.

CONCLUSION:

Take the risk.

It’s worth whatever you have to unattach yourself from.

Divide your students into a few groups. Have one representative from each group come forward. Take a roll of sticky tape (duct or masking) and roll it around the student’s torso sticky side out—they are now the targets. Caution: Be careful not to tape too tightly or you may constrict normal breathing patterns. It is also a good idea to leave the student’s arms out just in case the student falls over. Then give each remaining student a normal drinking straw and a few Q-Tips. The idea is to see which team can get the most Q-Tips attached to their own target. If you want it to be more exciting have the targets run around, maybe on a figure eight you make on the ground! We also suggest goggles or sunglasses for the targets to wear for eye protection.

This was A LOT of fun and created a fun environment with both MS and HS students.

INTRO:

We are all attached to something.

We attach ourselves to things that will create an identity for us.

TENSION:

The most crucial question is, “Who am I?”

In our attempts to answer this big question, we all try to attach ourselves to something that will help define us.

TRUTH:

To know who you are, you have to go to the One who knows you.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

(1 John 3:1 NIV).

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17 NIV).

I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39 NIV).

APPLICATION:

Our identity is in God because He created us.

In God’s eyes we are worthy of being loved all the time because He sees us as redeemed in Christ.

CONCLUSION:

You are loved by God unconditionally.

Psalm 139:1-18 MSG

You are God’s beloved, the One He sees and is pleased with.

NOTE:  A great book to pick up for you and your student is, Who I Am In Christ by Neil Anderson.  It is a quick devotional read that will help the reader discover their TRUE identity!

We all have STUFF in our life that we are too attached to that drives our emotional world.  Our day’s outlook usually depends on how that STUFF goes.  For example, if we have worked hard studying for a test we can become so ATTACHED to it that if we don’t get the grade we think we deserve our attitude changes.  For parents, we become so attached to our job that if something doesn’t go as planned we often come home bring the baggage of our bad day to our family.  This is all because we are ATTACHED.

Now I am not saying that it isn’t important to study hard for a test or to work hard on a project at work, but if our emotional state is TIED to the outcome of those things (that in all reality really DON’T matter in life) than we have ATTACHED ourselves too tightly.

Instead of ATTACHing ourselves to things that change (such as money, relationship, etc), we need to attach ourselves to the ONE who NEVER changes.

Some of you will have a horrible day today due to the loss of the Buckeyes in the Feista Bowl.  Strings are attached too tightly to things that don’t matter!

I have been wrestling this past weekend over some confusion parents have about our upcoming Summer Camp and some of the things they are saying about behind my back.  Strings are attached to tightly to me over things that don’t really matter!

What I am learning and the challenge I have given our students is that we need to CUT THE STRINGS!  Instead of putting our focus on self and things let’s put it on God!!

INTRO:

Our moods can change quickly.

How many emotions do you experience in a typical day?

TENSION:

Our moods change because we’re attached.

People are like human yo-yos, up and down. Why do things in life affect us so much?

TRUTH:

We need to attach ourselves to something stable.

What if instead of clinging to other people, accomplishments, or stuff, we attached ourselves to something more stable?

“Who but a fool would make his own god—an idol that cannot help him one bit!” (Isaiah 44:10 NLT).

“He [the wood-carver] uses part of the wood to make a fire to warm himself and bake his bread. Then—yes it’s true—he takes the rest of it and makes himself a god for people to worship! He makes an idol and bows down and praises it! He burns part of the tree to roast his meat and to keep himself warm. Then he takes what’s left and makes his god: a carved idol! He falls down in front of it, worshiping and praying to it. ‘Rescue me!’ he says. ‘You are my god!’ Such stupidity and ignorance! Their eyes are closed, and they cannot see. Their minds are shut, and they cannot think. The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, ‘Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a chunk of wood?’ The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He is trusting something that can give him no help at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this thing, this idol that I’m holding in my hand, a lie?” (Isaiah 44:15-20 NLT).

APPLICATION:

Don’t let things that change define your emotional world.

CONCLUSION:

Attach yourself to the One who never changes.

What are you attached to? What are you trusting in to make a bad day good or a good day better?

How would you answer the question?