Winterfest



Winterfest 2019- Post-Event Lesson – 4“One S-T-E-P”This lesson will be a good follow-up to the entire Winterfest 2019 weekend, but especially for Jeff Walling’s lesson on Sunday morning.Reminder: Using the S-T-E-P acronym, Jeff addressed the question: “How do we take that one step that can make such a difference?”??See and Start See others and start conversations?(John 4 - Jesus and woman at the Well) Learn to see people around you as divine appointments that God allows you to have.? Learn to start conversations about Christ in natural ways. ?Tell & Talk Tell your story and talk about His glory.? (Mark 5:18-20)? Be ready to tell what the Lord has done for you but as you do give the glory to God.?Enter and Express Enter into their word: Listen to their story & Express your faith through love: (Paul says that’s the only thing that counts in Galatians 5:6.) Paul also set an example of doing that on Mars Hill. (Acts 17:22-23)?Pray and Repeat God’s the one who gives the increase so prayer is the key to open hearts. (I Cor. 3:7) We never know who God will use us to touch for Christ, so we don't get hung up on whether folks agree or not.? Just keep sharing: Pray and Repeat!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SCRIPTURE FOCUS: “If anyone would come after me, he must first deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35 NIV). “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24 NIV)It would be appropriate at some point in your meeting to sing the song, “Step by Step.” It might fit best before the lesson.STEP BY STEPOh God, You are my GodAnd I will ever praise YouOh God, You are my GodAnd I will ever praise YouI will seek You in the morningAnd I will learn to walk in Your waysAnd step by step You'll lead meAnd I will follow You all of my days{Repeat}And step by step You'll lead meAnd I will follow You all of my daysAPPROACH: We sometimes look at our Christian walk with high hopes and an expectation (sometimes unrealistic) that we should be farther down the road than we are. The reality of the matter is that following Jesus all of our days isn’t about fast-forwarding to our destination. Being a follower of Jesus means that we walk with Him every day--a journey that involves steps, not leaps. Following Jesus is about moving forward step by step. Sometimes those steps are small, sometimes they are big--but they are all still steps, moving us toward our goal. Our goal, as Christ followers is to become more like Jesus. But the problem comes when we think we’re going to accomplish that goal all at once. It’s a lifelong journey, a process. Following Jesus is about the steps we take every day, and as baptized believers, we have Divine assistance in taking those steps—He has given us His Holy Spirit. What is the step God is asking you to take? What’s holding you back from taking it? INTRO/ICEBREAKER OPTION 1: HOW MANY STEPS? This is a simple game to play before the lesson. Before your class session starts, count off how many steps it takes to get to different locations around your meeting area. For example:- How many steps does it take to get to the nearest rest room? - How many steps to get to the nearest garbage can? - How many steps to the front door? Select a few students to play the game up front. You can give them multiple choices for how many steps they think or just see who is the closest. This game can be as big as you are willing to go. - How many steps to the closest convenience store? - How many steps to the closest school? INTRO/ICEBREAKER OPTION 2: A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION This is a trivia game with only two possible answers. Therefore, the students have a 50% chance of getting the questions right each time. Select a few students to come up front to play the game. If you’d prefer and have a space large enough, you can allow everyone to participate. Tape off a few marks on the ground like hash marks on a football field (one in front of the other). Ask the students questions. If they get it right, they take one step forward. If they get the question wrong, they take one step back. Start from one wall and work your way toward the opposite wall. Provide a prize for the winning student if you’d like. This icebreaker provides the preview for the lesson in that we want to move forward, not backward. Here’s a few sample trivia questions: (Feel free to add your own) 1. When Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon, which foot touched first left or right? (Left) 2. Which have more friends, people who drive sports cars or people who drive SUVs? (Sports Cars) 3. Which is said to produce acne, shaving up or down? (Shaving Up) 4. Which can last longer without water, a camel or a rat? (Rat)5. (T/F) Japan has square watermelons? (True) 6. People who tuck in their shirts are better tippers, or worse tippers? (Worse) 7. Monkeys can be taught to read, or cannot? (Cannot)8. Which would you die of first, starvation or lack of sleep? (Lack of sleep) 9. Which would more 4 year olds prefer to have, cooties or a visit from the Boogie man? (Cooties) 10. (T/F) Komodo dragons are extinct? (False) 11. Which was invented first, the lighter or the match? (Lighter) 12. All polar bears are which handed, right or left? (Left)13. Who blinks more often, men or women? (Women) 14. Which ones have tails, monkeys or apes? (Monkeys) 15. (T/F) Barn owls snore? (True) 16. Which do I prefer, Coke or Pepsi? (You’ll have to answer this one.) 17. How many total dots are on a pair of standard dice, 21 or 42? (42) 18. Michael Jordan shaves his head on Mondays and Thursdays or Tuesdays and Fridays? (Tuesdays & Fridays)19. What is America’s favorite lifesaver flavor, cherry or orange? (Cherry) 20. (T/F) Stratus clouds are typically at a higher altitude than cirrus clouds? (False) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------IDEA: You can illustrate the concept of today’s lesson by creating two small platforms, placing each one on opposite ends of the room. Teach from one platform for a while, then on the other one for a while. Make sure that the distance between the two platforms is far enough that it would be difficult for someone to “leap” across. Make the point that there’s no way to leap or jump from one to the other. You have to take smaller steps.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Transition to the next phase of the lesson by saying something like:God wants you to move forward, one step at a time. Your relationship with God is a marathon, not a sprint. Life is a result of steps. The way you get from where you are to where you want to be is one step at a time. Have you ever felt like following Jesus is too hard, like you have to go too far, like you have to make progress toward a goal that is so far away you can’t even imagine ever getting there? There ARE times, though, when you are so ready to give it a try. For example, when you are at Winterfest, you are ready to take on the world. But when you get home, it can quickly feel more like the devil took you on. The place you thought you should be was too far to jump. It’s a lot like what the United States did in its quest to reach the moon. Before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy challenged the country with the goal of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth” by the end of the decade. Acknowledging that the Soviets had a head start in their space program, Kennedy urged the U.S. to work diligently to lead the achievements of space travel because "in many ways [it] may hold the key to our future on earth."It took NASA, however, a few years to work out the wrinkles in order to land on the moon. In fact, NASA launched numerous Apollo missions before finally landing on the moon. Each of the previous Apollo missions was a step closer to reaching the goal. In January 1967, Apollo 1 was a tragic failure with the deaths of three astronauts in a launch pad fire. Apollo missions 7 and 9 orbited the Earth to test the modules. Apollo missions 8 and 10 tested components while orbiting the moon and returned with photographs of the lunar surface. Finally, with Apollo 11 in July 1969, the mission was accomplished. It took eleven Apollo missions to get to the moon, but every mission was one step closer to achieving the goal of landing on the moon and returning back to Earth. Upon landing on the moon and walking on its surface, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong declared, “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.” So how did we get to the moon? One step at a time. It’s the way you get anywhere.Neil Armstrong’s declaration of a “giant leap” was really the result of many steps. It takes steps to move forward. We learn to step before we can walk. Not many of you got up from the floor as an infant and started running and jumping. Why do we expect life to work any differently? We have to walk before we can run. BIBLE EXPLORATION:When we read the New Testament, following Jesus seems to be anything but a little step. He’s asking people to take some major leaps. For instance, when He said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35 NIV). To the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said, “Go now and leave your life of sin”(John 8:11 NIV). “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48 NIV). Jesus’ expectations seem very high for His followers. But when Jesus seemed to be making “leap” statements, He was really only asking each person to take a step. Everything that appears to be a leap is really a step. Jesus said to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him. Is denying yourself is a one-time decision? Do you think you can say, “I’m going to quit doing what I want and do what God wants,” and then you will always do that from that point forward? I know if I say that, probably about an hour later I’ll totally blow it. What about “go and sin no more”? Do you think that the woman, who had just been caught in adultery and whose life had been spared had better relationships instantly and drew good boundaries in her life? No, leaving a life of sin takes steps. She’ll have to cut off ties with some people in her life. She’ll have to start depending on God for things she had been futilely looking for in relationships. And what about Jesus’ statement about being “perfect”? How many of you feel perfect? How many of you strive for perfection but just never seem to get there? It’s a good goal. But it just seems impossible, doesn’t it? Why is that? It’s because Jesus was asking these people to do something they weren’t capable of on their own. They would need some help. Jesus knew that too. He even acknowledged that His requests were impossible without help. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said: “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27 NIV).Every big thing that Jesus asks us to do starts with a step. The challenge to love our enemies? A step. The challenge to forgive? A step. The challenge to be thankful? The challenge to be patient? The challenge to pray or read the Bible? Step, step, step. Even following Him begins with a simple step. Jesus extended the invitation time and time again to those around Him with two little words, “Follow me.” For some, those words seemed huge and they were reluctant to step. Others just simply got up and followed. But regardless of the weight of those words, the reality is that following Him requires a step. Then another step. Then another. It’s a myth to say if you are a Christian who wants transformed behavior then you will need to take a huge unrealistic leap. Your life will be magically be transformed. You will immediately kick the cussing habit. You will immediately stop lying. Instantly, all of your issues and struggles will go away when you take this one huge leap. You will be one person one minute, and you will leap to being a completely different person the next minute. You will be on earth one minute, and you’ll be on the moon the next. Maybe you’ve been there. Maybe you’ve tried to make that leap after a Winterfest in previous years.Maybe you’ve watched someone else try to make the leap. You heard them say, “I’m going to change the world. I’m going to completely change my life.” Then he or she came back, and after a few weeks, nothing about him or her had changed. Why? It’s not because the intensions weren’t good. It may be because the leap was too big. That person never saw the smaller steps. What happens if we take this leap and we fail? What happens if this leap is not realistic? How do we feel as a follower of Jesus? Taking leaps is an overwhelming task. If Christianity is about taking unrealistic leaps, then Christianity quickly becomes tiring and frustrating. God can work miracles sometimes, but what about the times He chooses not to operate that way, those times when instead He wants to walk you through something step by step? There was once a teenager named Justin. Justin attended church and went to some youth ministry activities. He wasn’t a believer, but he had been around the church since he was eight. Justin really knew the concepts of the Bible and what Jesus was all about. Justin’s mom was consistently talking with the youth minister, asking him to “convince” Justin to be a believer. The youth minister assured her that her son was making progress, but he was not fully there yet. One day, the youth minister met with Justin after school to discuss the difficulties and doubts Justin was having about being a Christ follower. Justin and the youth minister were having a great discussion and Justin was asking some really good questions. The youth minister was feeling as though Justin was ready to be baptized. At the end of the discussion, the youth minister looked right into Justin’s eyes and asked him, “Right now, are you ready to become a follower of Jesus?” Justin paused for a second and said, “I can’t really commit to that kind of change in my life right now. I’m not ready to jump in.” The youth minister asked, “What are you not wanting to lay down? Is Jesus Christ not worth it?” Justin started to get mad and blurted out, “You want to know why I’m not willing to do it? Here is why: I see no difference between believers and non-believers. I see way too many Christians who call themselves Christians, but there is nothing in their lives that reflect the teachings of Jesus. And it also seems that you and the church are too focused on the rules. I smoke. I smoke a lot. I feel like if I become a Christian right now then I’m going to have to instantly stop smoking. To be honest, I’m not willing to quit.” Justin was now extremely upset and as he started to leave, he asked the youth minister, “If I commit to Jesus right now, would you be able to handle me being a Christian and smoking?” The youth minister was at a loss for words, and Justin was so upset he left with no good-byes. The youth minister never was able to reconnect with Justin to continue the conversation. Justin was heading in the right direction. He had some momentum, but the questioning of the youth minister in addition to his perception of Christians caused him to stop and turn in the opposite direction. Justin had a misconception that becoming a Christian meant that he had to immediately quit smoking. This misconception caused Justin to stop moving forward. No one could force him to take a step forward. He had to make it for himself. Justin was too focused on the leap of becoming a brand new person that he missed the step of surrendering his life to the One who created him for a purpose. Justin got frustrated and fled. When you walk with God, it’s inevitable that He will change you to be more like Him. But the “leap” mentality says that you must have every question answered before you step. You need to be healthy and well before going to the doctor. The leap mentality says that you should work out all your issues before you commit to Jesus. The leap mentality says that you have to know the answer to every question and not have any doubts before you step towards Jesus. But Jesus isn’t looking for leaps, just simple steps. He says, “Follow Me.” If there are any changes that need to happen in your life, He’ll get to those in His time. As followers of Christ we celebrate every step. We would have celebrated Justin becoming a Christ follower. That is a step in the right direction, creating a forward motion. But only Justin could choose to take a step. There is nothing we could have done to make him step, except to trust that the God will continue to pursue him. Some of you may hear that story and think that Justin didn’t really mean it. That maybe he simply knew the right words to say, but when it came down to making a real commitment, he wasn’t willing to do it. He loved cigarettes more. But let’s look honestly at our lives. Is there something about the way you live your life that you know isn’t pleasing to God? What if you thought, like Justin, that you had to change those things before you could be a Christian? It would be impossible. Just like Jesus told us in Mark 10:27, we can’t be the people He has called us to be unless we are in relationship with Him.Justin may have grown up in the church. He may have known a lot about God. But what he didn’t realize is that following Jesus begins with a step. He didn’t see that the people around him who don’t seem to struggle with the same things he does just have different struggles. And God gently walks them through the process of helping them take the steps they need to draw closer to Him. Justin could have taken the step. He could have said, “Jesus, I want You. I smoke, but You say You’ll take me as I am. I trust that you’ll change my life as we take steps together.” Because remember, following Christ is about steps, not leaps. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you’d prefer, you can use this story of going to the gym to exercise:It’s like exercise. Working out is one of those things we know we should do, but we just don’t. Imagine if you were given a membership to the local gym. The one-year membership came with a bonus--a trainer. You meet with the trainer to set up a program that you will follow for six weeks--so you have a plan. You even set a few goals like drop a few pounds and increase your energy level. It starts out well. You follow the plan and hit every machine on the list. After two weeks, you think, “I can do this exercise thing.” Well, until you go into the gym one day and your trainer says to you, “Looks like you’re doing a good job on the strength training, but don’t forget about the cardio.” You’re like, “I’m supposed to do that too?” So you add some time on the bike and treadmill to the mix. Suddenly the whole routine gets a lot harder. You are really tired when you leave the gym. But gradually over time, you begin to feel more energy. Apparently you weren’t going to reach that energy goal by just lifting some weights. You had no idea of how to get from where you were to where I wanted to be. You would probably still be wondering why you didn’t feel energetic if it wasn’t for that note. You knew that you wanted to lose a few pounds and have more energy but until you met with the trainer, you just didn’t know the steps to get there. What about you? Where is that point where you want to be? Many of us want to be different than we are. It’s good to be comfortable being who God made you to be, but most of us want to find ways to be better at being us. Sometimes we just don’t know how to get there. So we look around us and wonder, “How did he get such a great physique? How did she lose 20 pounds? What about spiritually? How do you do the things you think a Christian should do? How do you read the Bible? How do you pray when you have a hard time focusing on anything for more than five minutes? How do you become like Jesus when you feel so far from that ideal? How do you get from where you are to where you want to be? One step at a time.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------CONCLUSION:It’s a commitment you might’ve made at Winterfest…..Have a few students in your group share testimonies about steps they have taken since Winterfest and how God has helped them along the way. (Teens love to hear from other teens. It’s easier to relate to someone your own age going through similar life lessons. Maybe you can select a few students earlier in the week and help them prepare and organize their thoughts. What was the step they took? How did they feel before and after the step? How did God help them? Are they willing to take another step?)Jesus’ goal for us is the step, not the leap. As we close, what is the next step for you? Maybe it’s just to believe that God exists. Maybe for you it is to forgive someone who hurt you. Maybe it is to trust God with a relationship, or read His Word more or pray more. The step is different for all of us. Do you feel pressure to take a huge leap? Remember, it’s not about leaping. Following Jesus is about taking one step. Then another. Then another. It’s a step you take every day. Just like the Apollo space missions, there is one thing you can do today to move forward. One step of obedience. If the leap is “making a difference for Christ at your school,” then that doesn’t start with a pep rally or lunchroom sermons. It starts with the step of building a real relationship with someone, and in the process of sharing who you are find ways to share what you believe. If it’s the leap of cleaning up your language, then it’s the step of being conscious of what you say. Life is about making the next right choice, and then the next right choice. The only choice we have is the one for this moment. You might be beating yourself up because you can’t make the leap. You’re frustrated because your life isn’t where you think it should be. You’re blind to just how far you’ve come and totally locked in on where you want to be. Just remember it’s all about the steps--even if it’s small steps, barely moving steps. Some days you’ll do better than others. And when you don’t do it well, His grace and mercy are there, ready to help you take another step. And what if God doesn’t have that same expectation you have? What if He doesn’t expect you to be just like someone else? What if the way you got from where you are to where you want to be was just by the steps you take every day? Is it possible that He wants you to simply move moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step toward being the person He wants you to be? You step into something new, not into the same old thing. Moving backwards is the old self. In Christ we are the new self. The old self is dead, but the new self is alive and well. It’s the you that you were created to be. We are only truly alive when the Spirit is alive in us. What new step is God calling you to take? Right now you have to ask yourself two basic questions. One—am I willing to take the step forward? And two--what type of step am I willing to take? If you step forward letting the Spirit guide you, then you will be transformed more into God’s image. Take a step forward today. God doesn’t expect perfection. He doesn’t expect you to instantly arrive at some point that would require a huge leap. You may not yet have the kind of relationship with God that you are striving for, but your relationship with Him is personal and real, a relationship that grows step by step. So what’s your next step? What is the step God wants you to take? Give each student a blank index card and have them write: “In my relationship with God, my next step is ______________________________________________________________________.”Give them time to think about it and fill it in. Let them keep their cards. Pray over them asking God to bless them to take that next step with courage and determination. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Illustration: You have the option to include the illustration below at some point in the lesson. “Great Babies” A group of tourists were traveling through Europe visiting historical sites. They were impressed that so many small villages were the birthplaces of great artists, poets, composers, and political leaders. While the group was strolling through a particularly picturesque village, one of the tourists approached a man who was sitting in front of a building and asked, “Excuse me, but...were any great men or women born in this village?” The old man thought for a moment and replied, “No. Only great babies!” Everyone starts off as a baby—with the opportunity to grow into greatness. This is true not only in the world but also in the kingdom of God. When we become Christians, we are “born again” as “babies in Christ.” We have to grow. Paul wrote, “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready” (1 Corinthians 3:2). These words were written to adult believers—yet Paul addressed them as “infants.” But we can’t stay babies forever. We need to grow. The writer to the Hebrews said, “Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…” (Hebrews 6:1). That’s why it’s important to be in worship services, Sunday school, youth group, Bible studies and the like. They are opportunities for growth. Step by step; one step at a time. The “great men and women” of the faith, just like you, started out as babies. ................
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