RYM

Have you ever been asked one of these questions: “Did Jesus really say that he was God?” “Did Jesus really die and come back to life?” “Did Jesus really say that he was the only way to get to heaven?” Maybe you have grown up hearing the answers to those questions, but you have never actually known where the Bible says it. Maybe you are struggling with believing it yourself. Maybe you have no idea why it matters. This class will explore the foundational claims of the Christian faith, what Scripture says about them, and why it matters today.

I’ve heard it said, “If you want someone to know the truth, tell them; if you want someone to love the truth, tell them a story.” As God’s created human beings, there is something within us that responds more deeply to stories than to anything else in the world. The world itself is trying to shape and mold and form us with its own stories—false narratives that lead us away from our Creator. But the Bible is telling us a different story. In fact, the Bible is just that—a story. From Genesis to Revelation, the Scriptures are giving us one enormous, true, historical, prophetic, poetic, epic story that does way more than just tell us the difference between right and wrong. It’s a story that will shape and mold us into the people God intended us to be if we will let it. This week we’re going to talk about the power of storytelling, the deception beneath the stories that the world is telling us, and the beauty within the greatest story ever told.

Have you ever been asked one of these questions: “Did Jesus really say that he was God?” “Did Jesus really die and come back to life?” “Did Jesus really say that he was the only way to get to heaven?” Maybe you have grown up hearing the answers to those questions, but you have never actually known where the Bible says it. Maybe you are struggling with believing it yourself. Maybe you have no idea why it matters. This class will explore the foundational claims of the Christian faith, what Scripture says about them, and why it matters today.

Authentic biblical Christian community is one of the main ways God has intended us to know and experience His love for us in Christ. This kind of community does not “just happen” - we not only receive blessing from it, we are called to be a blessing in it. In order for us to foster the kind of community that will bring a sweet and strengthening experience of God’s love, we need to better understand God’s design. Join us for a seminar that will not only teach you how you can be used by God to be a blessing and build Christian community, but it will also be fun and engaging...Christian is a magical ministry leader (come see for yourself!).

Authentic biblical Christian community is one of the main ways God has intended us to know and experience His love for us in Christ. This kind of community does not “just happen” - we not only receive blessing from it, we are called to be a blessing in it. In order for us to foster the kind of community that will bring a sweet and strengthening experience of God’s love, we need to better understand God’s design. Join us for a seminar that will not only teach you how you can be used by God to be a blessing and build Christian community, but it will also be fun and engaging...Christian is a magical ministry leader (come see for yourself!).

Authentic biblical Christian community is one of the main ways God has intended us to know and experience His love for us in Christ.  This kind of community does not “just happen” - we not only receive blessing from it, we are called to be a blessing in it.  In order for us to foster the kind of  community that will bring a sweet and strengthening experience of God’s love, we need to better understand God’s design.  Join us for a seminar that will not only teach you how you can be used by God to be a blessing and build Christian community, but it will also be fun and engaging...Christian is a magical ministry leader (come see for yourself!).

Please note: Due to a technical error, John's talks for HSFL1 did not record properly. This is a recording of the same lesson at the 2019 MSFL conference.

What’s your typical day filled with? School, homework, tests, sports, and work. What are some of the relationships you deal with? People who make you laugh, people who make you cry, people who make you mad, and people who annoy you. What do you think about during the day? School, sports, movies, girls/boys, money, future, your body, their body, dating, sex, Snapchat, music, Instagram, celebrities, video games and YouTube. How do you feel about your day, your relationships, and your thoughts? On one hand, many of these things can foster thoughts of joy and excitement. On the other hand, many of them might make you want to run and hide. What’s your day filled with? In a word…stress.

Since we live in a sinful world, nothing comes easy. Even the good things in life are hard. In this current cultural climate, middle and high school students are among the most stressed people. Worry, anxiety, and depression among students are the highest in history. But God’s Word speaks to every moment in human history. God, in his sovereignty, wanted you to live in this current time in history. How can you learn to live with the stresses of life? How can you deal with anxiety and worry in a helpful way? This elective seeks to answer those questions for God’s glory and your good.

Please note: Due to a technical error, John's talks for HSFL1 did not record properly. This is a recording of the same lesson at the 2019 MSFL conference.

What’s your typical day filled with? School, homework, tests, sports, and work. What are some of the relationships you deal with? People who make you laugh, people who make you cry, people who make you mad, and people who annoy you. What do you think about during the day? School, sports, movies, girls/boys, money, future, your body, their body, dating, sex, Snapchat, music, Instagram, celebrities, video games and YouTube. How do you feel about your day, your relationships, and your thoughts? On one hand, many of these things can foster thoughts of joy and excitement. On the other hand, many of them might make you want to run and hide. What’s your day filled with? In a word…stress.

Since we live in a sinful world, nothing comes easy. Even the good things in life are hard. In this current cultural climate, middle and high school students are among the most stressed people. Worry, anxiety, and depression among students are the highest in history. But God’s Word speaks to every moment in human history. God, in his sovereignty, wanted you to live in this current time in history. How can you learn to live with the stresses of life? How can you deal with anxiety and worry in a helpful way? This elective seeks to answer those questions for God’s glory and your good.

Please note: Due to a technical error, John's talks for HSFL1 did not record properly. This is a recording of the same lesson at the 2019 MSFL conference.

What’s your typical day filled with? School, homework, tests, sports, and work. What are some of the relationships you deal with? People who make you laugh, people who make you cry, people who make you mad, and people who annoy you. What do you think about during the day? School, sports, movies, girls/boys, money, future, your body, their body, dating, sex, Snapchat, music, Instagram, celebrities, video games and YouTube. How do you feel about your day, your relationships, and your thoughts? On one hand, many of these things can foster thoughts of joy and excitement. On the other hand, many of them might make you want to run and hide. What’s your day filled with? In a word…stress.

Since we live in a sinful world, nothing comes easy. Even the good things in life are hard. In this current cultural climate, middle and high school students are among the most stressed people. Worry, anxiety, and depression among students are the highest in history. But God’s Word speaks to every moment in human history. God, in his sovereignty, wanted you to live in this current time in history. How can you learn to live with the stresses of life? How can you deal with anxiety and worry in a helpful way? This elective seeks to answer those questions for God’s glory and your good.

You don't have to look far to realize that things are not the way they should be. We see a broken world in the media, pop culture, our churches, and even our hearts. Scripture says that nothing is immune to the effects of sin. In fact, our own sin actually makes us hostile towards God and others, alienating us from our Creator and our communities. This can feel like a hopeless situation. But God, being rich in mercy, sends us Jesus Christ, His only Son. Jesus lives a perfect life, humbles Himself to the point of death, and finally overcomes death by rising from the dead, defeating sin once and for all. That is Good News! But what was it all for? Jesus came so that we might be reconciled to God and others. Now instead of hostility and separation, we have peace with God. United to Christ by faith, we are sent out to bring this good news of reconciliation to others, and to embrace the reconciliation that is found through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.