Welcome to What’s Happening in Gravity, a page where parents and students can stay up to date on the happenings of Gravity. We hope this page is a place where you can stay informed on what we have been discussing in Gravity, so you are able to continue the conversations within your families.
We talked about the rest of the book of Genesis! Check out these videos for an overview:
We talked about Genesis 3 and covered temptation, the results of the fall, our relationship with God, repentance, and the promise of a Savior.
We talked about what it means to be created in the Image of God: God’s special role for mankind, the relationship He desires with us, and the difference between that and a secular worldview.
We talked about the overarching story of the Bible and how that gives our lives purpose and a hope for the future. We then contrasted that with other world views such as Atheism and Islam. Hopefully it gave your student something to think about and something you can engage them with this week!
New City Catechism: Hope (1 Peter 1:3-6)
Sunday was the beginning of our new series where we will be taking a look at the New City Catechism. Our goal isn’t to memorize answers, but really to explore doctrine, theology, and a variety of topics foundational to our faith. My hope is that the catechism is a jumping off point for conversations that lead back to Biblical truth.
Our first question had to do with the concept of “Hope.” We started out by simply trying to define hope. What is it? Then we asked what are some things people hope FOR and what are some things people place their hope IN. Finally, we asked why hope was such an important concept. This conversation set the stage for the catechism’s question: What is our only hope in life and in death? The answer being, that we belong to God. Our one and only hope is in God. So, we looked at the character and nature of the God to whom we belong and the hope He provides to those who are His.
Guiding us along the way was a beautiful passage of Scripture, 1 Peter 1:3-6. In these verses we see a loving, merciful, just God, saving a people through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and then promising to guard them and their inheritance until that future day when it is finally and completely realized. Born again believers are assured of that future. We can wait in patient contentment for that future. Even through the trials and tribulations of this life, because our Hope is in God.
The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22)
There are many guiding principles or motivations that people live by: You only live once, Look out for #1, Follow your heart, To thine own self be true. But for Christian people, the one big overarching motivation in our lives is LOVE. And more specifically a love described in Matthew 22:34-40 as the Greatest Commandment: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself.
That was our focus, loving God and loving neighbor. But the big question we asked was: What does that look like lived out? The type of love being described in the Bible isn’t just a nice, warm feeling. And so, we examined several passages of Scripture meant to help us think about what love means and what love looks like. First, we looked at our love toward God, and we saw that this love is demonstrated through obedience to His word, through service, through desiring relationship with Him, and through devotion and worship. Second, we looked at our love toward man, and we saw that this love is costly, sacrificial, loyal, and others focused. Lastly, we looked at God’s love for us, and saw that this love looks like Christ. God’s love is a love that gives, generously and graciously for the good of others.
The Identity and Community of the Messiah (Matthew 14-20)
There is so much wonderful teaching in the Gospel of Matthew, but it’s hard to cover everything during a survey. For our lesson time, we focused on two topics and two sections of Scripture: 1) The Identity of the Messiah (16:13-17), and 2) The Community of the Messiah (18:10-36).
Who is Jesus? A good, moral teacher. A prophet. A madman. Or God in the flesh. Of all the important questions we face in our lifetime (Where to go to college, What career do I want, Who do I marry, Where do I live, etc), the most important question any of us will ever answer is found in Matthew 16:15: “Who do you say that I am?” The students were challenged to wrestle with that question. It’s a personal question that requires a personal answer, and that answer will impact everything else in one’s life. Will we confess Christ as God, Lord, Savior or merely a good man? Only a heart transformed by the power of the Gospel can answer like Peter: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Chapter 18 asks the question: “What does a heart transformed by the Gospel look like when it’s worked out and lived out in the community? As His earthly ministry draws to a close, Jesus is concerned about the community He will leave behind. Jesus challenges all those who take the name of Christ unto themselves, representing Him to an on looking world, to live together in grace and holiness and love. The community of the Messiah described in Matthew 18 is one in which we protect and pursue one another, one in which we fight against division by seeking to be reconciled, and one in which we generously offer forgiveness.
The Mission of the Messiah (Matthew 11-12)
Jesus is starting to face significant resistance to His ministry. From enemies, but also from friends. From just a little grumbling to terrible, wicked accusations. John the Baptist, a friend of Jesus, is in prison. And He doesn’t understand. Uncertainty and doubt is beginning to creep in. He’s facing death, and that wasn’t his expectation of what the Messiah’s arrival would bring. And so John asks two questions: “Are you the one who is to come?” “Shall we look for another?” Jesus responds with Grace, reminding John that Jesus is God the Messiah and that John has been chosen by God.
This interaction is contrasted against accusations made by the Pharisees. They claim Jesus is a lawbreaker and even Satan himself. Acts of mercy and grace and kindness by Jesus are met with anger, hatred, and a plot to kill him. Jesus, graciously calls them to examine their hearts, their intentions, their beliefs, and then warns them about the consequences of hypocrisy and blasphemy.
The lesson was tied together by a time spent looking at the concept of REST. Jesus offers to remove the crushing burden of those trying to earn salvation by laboring under the yoke of good works. Jesus offers REST from sin and guilt and shame and death and legalism that can only be had by trusting in Christ’s death on the Cross.
The two big lessons we drew from these chapters were: 1) we can bring our hurts and uncertainty and doubt to God. We can confidently pour our hearts out to Him, knowing that He is gracious and can be trusted. 2) if we are following after Christ and living a life of repentance and faith and righteousness, then we can expect to face resistance and accusation just like our Lord.
The Mission of the Messiah (Matthew 10)
Christian people have the great privilege of participating in the Gospel Mission of our Lord Jesus. We get to take the good news to a lost and dying world. In chapter 10, Jesus deals with a major obstacle of our mission: FEAR. This gave us an opportunity to talk about our own fears, and the danger of being paralyzed by fear. We read many “FEAR NOT,” passages throughout the Bible, and took comfort in the fact that God is with us, God will protect us, God will not forsake us, and that we belong to Him. We learned that we can face the darkness, the scary things of this world, confidently because of who God is.
The Gospel of Matthew – The Message, Power, and Mission of the Messiah
Our focus during the last several weeks has been on three main topics: The Message of the Messiah, The Power of the Messiah, and the Mission of the Messiah. In Matthew 4 – 7 we see the temptation of Jesus, we hear His call to “Follow Me,” we are confronted by the Beatitudes, we are challenged to live authentically, and warned about the consequences of hypocrisy. Ultimately, what these first four chapters teach us is that a HEART transformed by the power of the Gospel leads to a LIFE transformed by the power of the Gospel.
From there we took a brief look at Matthew 8 & 9. These two chapters focus on The Power of the Messiah. Jesus has shown Himself to be the Messiah in word through His teaching, and now He shows Himself to be the Messiah through the performance of many miracles. Jesus ministers to the marginalized and forgotten, He heals illnesses, demonstrates power over nature, wields authority over the demonic, forgives sin, and even raises someone from the dead.
Sharing Your Faith
This week, our group wrapped up our series on apologetics by discussing the importance of talking about Jesus—and doing it in appropriate, loving ways.
This doesn’t mean Christ-following teenagers have to cave in and change their faith. It doesn’t mean that they avoid tough topics or challenging conversations. But it means that as followers of Christ, they need to treat other people with the same measure of respect they want to receive. Being rude won’t open people’s hearts to the message of Jesus—but being polite, respectful, and kind just might.
Here are some questions you might want to ask this week to keep the dialogue going:
When do you feel most confident talking to other people about Jesus? When do you feel least confident?
Do you find it difficult to be respectful toward people who hold different beliefs than you do? Why or why not?
What would help you talk about Jesus more boldly?
If you don’t know the right, best words to say when talking to someone of a different religion or worldview, how can you handle that situation?
Thank you once again for allowing us to partner with you in preparing the next generation of Christ-followers. Have a blessed week!
Moralistic Therapeutic Deism
In Gravity this week, we talked about Moralistic Therapeutic Deism — a philosophy that many teenagers have adopted, even if they’ve never even heard that phrase. This worldview looks and feels like Christianity, but misses the mark on who God is, what Jesus has done, and how we should respond to him.
The term comes from a book written by Christian Smith and Melina Lundquist Denton, titled Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers. They identified five beliefs for this worldview:
1) A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth
2) God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions
3) The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself
4) God does not need to be particularly involved in one’s life except when God is needed to resolve a problem
5) Good people go to heaven when they die
Consider asking your teenager these questions to fuel conversation at home this week:
Do you believe God is actively involved in your life? What is he doing?
Think about the difference between wanting God to be consistently involved and wanting God to be occasionally involved — how might that play out in your life?
What is wrong with the idea that most people are good, and that most good people go to heaven?
Is happiness and feeling good about ourselves the goal as a Christian? If not, what is more important?
Have a blessed week!
How to Communicate the Gospel
This past Sunday in Gravity, we did something a little different. Instead of having our normal bible study, we instead spent time talking about and learning how to communicate the Gospel of Jesus with people who do not know who Jesus is.
If your student was with us this past Sunday, spend some time talking with them about what they heard and learned. Focus your conversations around these questions:
What is the Gospel?
Why should we share the Gospel with people who don’t know Christ?
If you’re sharing the Gospel with someone, what things are vital to include?
Have a great week!
A Life Summed Up By Love
We’re spending two weeks exploring two critical statements Jesus made that he claimed summed up “the entire law and all the demands of the prophets” (Matthew 22:40). These commandments, found in Matthew 22:34-40, challenge us to love God wholeheartedly, and to love others as we love ourselves.
This week we zeroed in on loving God. This isn’t just about having loving feelings for God; rather, it’s about loving God in every aspect of our lives and with all our effort. This kind of love is expressed not just through emotions but through obedience and “all-in” commitment.
This week, reflect candidly with your teenager about your own efforts and challenges in loving God this way. As you share, you demonstrate the balance of grace and earnest effort that characterizes a life of discipleship.
Consider talking together about these questions:
Why do you think Jesus focused first on love for God rather than on adherence to rules?
In what arena of life is it toughest to actively love God?
How can being more aware of God’s loving presence help us more intentionally love him during challenging times?
Thanks for loving your student and for supporting our ministry in prayer!
The Paralyzed Man
For this week’s “No-Namers” lesson, we met a paralyzed man and his incredible friends (Mark 2:1-12). They stopped at nothing to get their friend to Jesus, the one who could help him the most. We discussed that true meaning in life comes from believing in Jesus — and then from helping others experience him, too.
I encourage you to spend a few minutes this week talking with your teenager about our lesson. You might want to build your conversation around these questions:
When has a friend gone out of his or her way to do something meaningful for you? Why is it so important to have— and be —a friend like that?
What are some obstacles you face when you try to bring people to Jesus? How might you be able to move past those obstacles?
What can we do to show true friendship to someone this week and help bring them closer to Jesus?
Your prayers for our students and our ministry mean so much. We pray that you encounter Jesus in meaningful ways this week.
The Woman at the Well
This week, as we continued our series on biblical “no-namers,” we saw Jesus encounter the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. This lesson challenged students to discover how Jesus views people, especially those that society would deem as ‘less-than’. Also, we considered the idea of what things we are pursuing and ‘thirsting’ after in search of fulfillment and purpose. True fulfillment, we learned, comes through following Jesus rather than chasing relationships and other earthly pursuits that consume our time and energy.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teenager about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
Why do you think Jesus chose to talk to the Samaritan woman in the first place?
How does this woman’s story reflect the lives of a lot of the people we know?
How should Jesus’ interaction with this woman change the way that we view and treat other people?
We appreciate your prayers for our youth ministry and students. Have a blessed week!
The Rich Young Ruler
We’ve launched a new series focusing on four “no-namers”—people in the Bible whose names aren’t mentioned but who had significant interactions with Jesus. Each week, students are examining different Scripture passages to discover what it means to follow Jesus in a busy, materialistic, complicated world.
This week’s no-namer was the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-22. Students were challenged to consider whether they’re committed to Jesus’ patterns or their own. We discussed that true fulfillment comes through following Jesus rather than clinging to other “things” that often fill our time and energy.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
Why do you think the rich young ruler had such a hard time letting go of his possessions, even though they didn’t fulfill him?
What are some reasons it can be hard for people to follow Jesus?
What are some things in your life you’d have a hard time giving up, and why?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have an amazing week!
Personal Pain and Determined Faith
Sometimes doubters need rational answers; they benefit from wrestling with sound assertions and reasoning provided by Scripture, theology, science, and Christian apologetics. But sometimes the last thing a doubter needs is an “answer.” What he or she really needs is the loving presence of Jesus—because when doubts are caused by deep personal pain, we require a spiritual rather than a predominantly rational solution.
We all deal with pain in our lives, and we all know that high school can be a period of magnified emotions. Loneliness, stress, heartache, anger—all of these emotions can hit us full throttle. And when life hurts deeply, faith-related questions begin to swirl.
In our study, we examined how Martha and Mary dealt with their grief over the death of their brother, Lazarus, in John 11. Our students discussed how critical it is to come to Jesus in honesty and to choose faith even in the face of profound pain.
Connect this week by sharing candidly about your own experiences of pain.
When have you felt lonely, frightened, or even abandoned by Jesus? How did you make it through?
Be as open as you can. Model in your family the truth that faith can endure through even the darkest of times.
Doubt as a Pathway of Discipleship
Lots of factors can contribute to the doubts and spiritual questions teenagers face. Some are logical arguments posed by atheist friends, like “Where is the scientific evidence that God exists?” Some are philosophical questions stirred up by hard-to-face tragedies, prompting thoughts like, “If God is love and is all-powerful, then why did he let this (fill in the blank: terrorist attack, tornado, school shooting, and so on) happen?” Sometimes the most difficult doubts stem from the difficulty of grappling with personal pain; your teen may be wondering, “I’m hurting—where are you, God?”
This week’s lesson helped teenagers think through unhealthy doubt — doubt that’s like a roadblock — and the possibility of spiritually healthy doubt — doubt that serves as a pathway to deepened faith. In your families, share some of your own faith-strengthening journeys through doubt. Also talk with your teenager about our study, asking questions like:
What do you see as the key difference between faith-killing doubt and faith-strengthening doubt?
What questions or doubts have you had to face or work through so far in your faith?
Though watching your child move into a season of doubt can be scary, remember that questioning can also serve as a powerful catalyst for spiritual growth. Jesus may be using doubt in your child’s life to help him or her dive deeper into honesty and may draw your child to know him more intimately through the process of searching out answers.
Loving Your Enemies
This week we discussed Jesus’ challenging command to love our enemies. Showing love to people who treat us badly doesn’t make us a doormat; instead, it makes us an on-ramp for them to know Jesus through us. We can do this only through Jesus’ power, not our own.
Loving our enemies feels backward because we live in a backward culture. But Jesus calls us to let go of our egos so we can share his love and pray for people who mistreat us.
Here are some questions you can use to begin a conversation:
Why do people mistreat one another, whether the behavior is intentional or not?
In what ways might you have mistreated someone this week, even by accident? What kind of forgiveness or grace do you want to receive?
Besides the fact that Jesus commanded it, what are some other reasons for loving our enemies?
The love of family enables young people to reach out in love to everyone around them. Thanks for all you do to support and love your teenager. May the Lord bless your family and turn all your “enemies” into good friends!
Belief and Unbelief
We’ve launched a new series titled “Dealing With Doubt.” Over the next several weeks, we’ll explore together several critical encounters Jesus had with individuals who were doubting, questioning, confused, or hurting. In this first lesson, we discussed the importance of honestly acknowledging spiritual questions in our lives.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Share openly about an experience of doubt or questioning in your own life. What questions or issues made it difficult for you to believe or were confusing and hard to understand?
Also, consider building a conversation around these questions:
What positive role do you think doubt can play in our lives? in our faith?
Do you have any doubts or spiritual questions that you’d like to talk about?
Be intentional about creating an environment of “patient listening” rather than “quick convincing.”
If your teenager is able to speak honestly about real questions, he or she will take greater courage in being candid with Jesus about those questions, too.
Being a Good Neighbor
We’re launching a new series about “Neighbors and Enemies.” To begin, we talked about loving our neighbors. It’s a familiar concept, yet the word neighbor includes and transcends all people we encounter. Because our relationship with Jesus and our relationships with people are so closely entwined, favoritism and exclusion shouldn’t exist.
That’s the powerful truth found in Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan. We challenged students to live out Jesus’ call to love others in a tangible way throughout the week. This could be a great opportunity to go out as a family and help someone or volunteer together. Then young people can share stories of expressing Jesus’ love to all people—especially to those who are hurting and need a friend.
Use these questions to start a conversation with your teenager:
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase good Samaritan, and why?
What are some ways Jesus helps us love other people the way we love ourselves?
Who in your life proves most challenging for you to love, and why?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. May God bless you in the coming week!
Doing the Common Work
In the third lesson of our “Servant Leadership” series, we explored John 21, where Jesus prepared a meal over an open fire for his disciples. He did this even though he was the resurrected Lord of Life! This simple yet amazing act reveals Jesus’ leadership style: He’s a loving ruler who serves his people.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teenager about our lesson.
Here are some questions to start your conversation:
Why do you think Jesus went to the trouble to cook a meal for his disciples?
By cooking for them, what was Jesus showing his disciples?
How do simple, everyday acts of service express love?
This week, how can we serve others in simple ways that show we care?
Thanks for letting us partner with you in ministry. We appreciate your prayers for all our students!
Doing the Dirty Work
In Gravity, we’re continuing with our theme of servant leadership. This week, we explored John 13, where Jesus washed his disciples’ feet. This act was shocking because Jesus knew he had “authority over everything” (John 13:3), yet he chose to approach his disciples in a rather humiliating fashion as a servant.
This act of service occurred just before Jesus was arrested, beaten, and then crucified. By humbling himself, Jesus revealed his idea of true leadership: a model of service and sacrifice for the benefit of others.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
With all the power Jesus had, why didn’t he make the disciples wash his feet?
When Jesus asked the disciples to copy his behavior, what do you think he had in mind?
What actions today might be comparable to washing feet in Jesus’ day?
This week, how can we serve others in a way that shows this kind of humility?
We appreciate your prayers for our students and our ministry. We’re praying for you and your family, as well.
Leading by Serving
We’ve launched a new series about servant leadership. Each week, students are examining a different Scripture passage to discover truths, insights, and principles about how Jesus-style leadership involves serving other people.
In the first lesson, we explored Matthew 20:20-28, where Jesus confronted his disciples about leadership and power. In a revealing scene, the mother of James and John suggested that Jesus give her sons special leadership roles at Jesus’ side in his kingdom. The resulting dialogue reveals Jesus’ idea of true leadership: service and sacrifice for the benefit of other people.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
Why do you think the mother of James and John ended up doing the talking for them?
What does Jesus’ idea of leadership look like? What does it cost?
What can we as a family do this week to show servant leadership?
What effects can serving have on the people who are served?
What effects can serving have on the people who do the serving?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have an amazing week!
Why People Don’t Talk About Sin
We finished the second lesson of our current series, “The Truth About Sin.” The first week we spent some time looking at just what sin is, and this week we discussed why people seem to avoid the topic of sin. As you can imagine, we had a really engaging conversation!
Our discussion focused on 2 Corinthians 7:5-16. In these verses, the Apostle Paul refers to another letter he wrote to the Christians in the Greek city of Corinth, a letter that has been lost. While we may not know the specific content of that letter, we do know that it affected its audience, based on Paul’s words here. The people responded with the right attitude, one of teachability and correctability. Sin can be a touchy subject, but when addressed appropriately, it can lead to genuine life-change.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teenager about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
Why do most people avoid the topic of sin?
When has someone demonstrated courageous honesty in a conversation with you, and what was that experience like?
Why is it so rewarding to have friends and family that we can be honest with?
Have a wonderful week!
The Most Important Question
In this lesson, we explored John 9:1-38, where Jesus healed a young man who was born blind. This miracle of Jesus actually created a measure of trouble for the young man as he was looked down upon by his friends, abandoned by his family, and kicked out of his religious community – all because his sight was restored!
The beautiful end of the story shows Jesus meeting him at a time of need and bringing things back into focus with an on-target question: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” There’s a lot going on in this passage, but one truth is clear: Despite what’s happening in the lives of our students, Jesus wants to know if they believe in him.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teenager about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
What has Jesus given you a vision to do or to be?
Do you ever struggle with your identity as a follower of Jesus?
What are some similarities between physical blindness and spiritual blindness? What are some differences?
What can we do as a family to make sure we’re constantly answering the question about whether we believe in Jesus?
Thanks for all your continued prayers for our students and our ministry. Have a blessed week!
At the Foot of the Mountain
To continue our series on culture, we explored Matthew 17:1-14 this week. After some of the disciples climbed a mountain with Jesus, they witnessed his appearance change. God’s presence was so strong it was like Jesus’ face was the sun. But Jesus didn’t stay up on the mountaintop. He took the disciples back down, where people who needed healing and forgiveness waited to encounter Jesus. Similarly, he wants to take us to the foot of the mountain, where we can love and serve those who need him.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking to about our lesson. Consider using the following questions in your conversation:
What might it have been like to experience God’s presence on that mountaintop?
What are some ways you encounter God during your day-to-day life?
Jesus took the disciples up a high mountain to be alone with God the Father. When’s the last time you made this kind of effort to be alone with God?
How did Jesus’ time alone with God fuel him for ministry at the foot of the mountain, with people who needed him? What “fuels” you for living out your faith?
Thank you for all the ways you support our students. It makes a huge difference!
Abide – Stay Connected to Your Life Source
This week, we studied John 15:1-12, where Jesus uses a beautiful, clear metaphor to describe himself as our life source. He explains that he is the vine, and we are the branches.
In our culture, we often look for meaning and identity in many other sources. But only when we recognize Jesus as our life source can we experience complete, fulfilled joy. In verse 11, Jesus says he has spoken these things so our joy will overflow.
This week, spend a few minutes reviewing our lesson. Here are some questions you can use to fuel your conversation:
How does being connected to Jesus, our vine, make you feel more alive?
In what ways is this connection evident in people’s daily lives?
What are some things that might try to disconnect you from the vine?
How can you be aware of those things and prevent them from interfering with your relationship with Jesus?
We appreciate your prayer and support for our ministry. May God bless your week!
For God So Loved The World
We’ve launched a new series on the topic of culture—lessons that focus on engaging society without being swept away by it. Each week students are diving into conversation and Scripture to unravel wisdom, truth, and encouragement for living a Jesus-centered life in a self-centered world.
In our first lesson, we read Jesus’ prayer from John 17:13-19, which focuses on protection, wisdom, and purpose. He prayed not that God would take us out of the world but that God would protect us from the evil one. With God’s protection and love, we can be a shining light in our society.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teenager about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
Jesus prayed that God would protect us from the evil one. What’s it like to know that God is actively protecting you from evil?
Why do you suppose Jesus would pray that we “not be taken out of the world”?
How do people become so comfortable within our culture that Jesus is no longer their top priority? What can we do if we realize that’s happening to us?
Thank you for your commitment to our ministry, as well as your prayers. Have an outstanding week!
Why Jesus Withdrew
This week we wrapped up our series on the habits of Jesus. It has been an incredible time diving into the life of Jesus and discovering how his regular habits connect to our own lives. But instead of just looking at the habits themselves, we’ve explored why Jesus practiced each habit.
In this final lesson, we looked at Luke 5:16, where “Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” It was a powerful lesson seeing how Jesus needed to get away from people and the demands of life—just like we need to do. Jesus withdrew because he was tired, he needed a break, and he needed to refocus.
This week, I encourage you to withdraw. This could be withdrawing to the mountains, the ocean, a park—or withdrawing to the coffee shop. Consider building your conversations in your families around these questions:
When do you like to get away?
What do you do when you take a break from people?
Even if it isn’t me, do you have someone with whom you can share about these times away?
Thanks for supporting this ministry. Have a blessed week!
Why Jesus Gave
This week, we’re continuing our series on the habits of Jesus. Each week, students are looking to Jesus, at one of his habits, and exploring how this habit relates to their own lives.
In this week’s lesson, we looked at Luke 20:20-26, and we discussed how Jesus said to “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” We saw that Jesus had a habit of giving, but maybe not for the expected reasons. Jesus gave because he knew he was valued, because he trusted God, and because he was secure.
This week, find some time to talk in the car or at the dinner table. Consider these questions:
What is your favorite possession, and why is it so meaningful?
What could you give someone else—whether it’s time, money, a possession, or an act of service?
How do you plan where you’ll spend your money?
Thanks for supporting our students and this ministry. Have a great week!
Why Jesus Served
We’re continuing our series on the habits of Jesus. His life provides the perfect example of habits that become a way of life, and this week, we discussed Jesus’ habit of serving.
As we read and examined Luke 4:14-22, we discussed how Jesus didn’t see service as an added task or two on his calendar. Service was a way of life, flowing naturally. For Jesus, service was a God-planned way for him to impact others. Jesus surprised others by how he approached service. This can be true for all of us as we allow Jesus’ work in our lives to produce naturally flowing service.
Find time this week to talk about the lesson, including what was most surprising or challenging. Feel free to use these questions as conversation starters:
How do you compare acts of service to your chores at home? How are they different?
In what ways do you enjoy serving others?
What random act of kindness can you do this week? Can I help?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have an amazing week!
Why Jesus Prayed
This past Sunday, we started a new series in Gravity called “Habits of Jesus,” and we began discussing how Jesus is the perfect example of how to live. Even Jesus had habits—things he did regularly. In this first lesson, we talked about Jesus’ habit of praying. Later in this series, students will also explore Jesus’ habits of giving, serving, and withdrawing.
Jesus prayed—talked to God—about lots of things. Jesus prayed by himself. He prayed publicly. And through Jesus’ example, we see that prayer is just talking to God about life. Jesus prayed so he wouldn’t fall into temptation. Jesus prayed because he was facing difficulties. Jesus prayed to receive help.
This week, talk about the lesson and share what prayer has meant in your own life. Consider starting with these questions:
When do you pray? Are there better times than others?
What do you pray about?
How have you seen Jesus answering your prayers?
Thank you for supporting your teenager and continuing the discussion on prayer. Have a great week!
How Did Jesus Spell Relationship? LOVE.
It was great to be back in Gravity this past Sunday! We’ve now wrapped up our series focusing on the theme “Friends and Family.” Through studying various Scripture passages, we have been learning about their life-giving relationships with other people and with God.
In this third lesson, we read John 13:34-35 and discovered the new commandment Jesus gave his disciples right before he died on the cross. This was a simple commandment: to love each other the way Jesus had loved them.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
What are some traits of Jesus’ love? What does his love offer us that nothing else in this world can offer?
What obstacles might hinder us from carrying out Jesus’ new commandment?
Think of a time you struggled to love someone close to you. How did you overcome that struggle? What did Jesus’ love look like in that moment?
Thanks for all of your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have an amazing week!
Jesus’ Family Tree
In Gravity, we are continuing our series focusing on the theme “Friends and Family.” By studying different Scripture passages, students are discovering the eternal value of relationships with God and with one another.
In this second lesson, we explored Matthew 12:46-50, where Jesus’ teaching is interrupted by the arrival of his mother and brothers, who want to speak to him. Jesus uses this opportunity to invite the crowd to become part of his heavenly family by saying, “Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother!”
This week, we hope you’ll consider spending a few minutes talking with about our lesson. You can build your conversation around one or all of these questions:
If Jesus had pointed to you in a crowd and called you his family member, what thoughts would have raced through your mind, and why?
Jesus invites us to care for and love each other just as he loves us. What does it look like to love someone the way Jesus loves them?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have a great week!
In the Beginning, God Created Relationships
We’ve begun a new series focusing on the theme “Friends and Family.” For the next three weeks, we will study different passages of Scripture to discover the powerful, life-giving exchange that happens in relationship with God and with people he’s given to us to share life with.
In this first lesson, we looked at Genesis 2:4-25, where God is in relationship with Adam and Eve. Through his perfect love, God gave the first couple everything they needed. Even when they disobeyed his command not to eat the fruit of one tree, God pursued them and brought them out of hiding. God desires to engage in authentic relationship with us, as well, and he wants to be at the center of our relationships with others. God’s perfect love provides all we need, and together we can trust him.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teenager about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
What might it have been like to live in a garden that God created for you, with everything you needed to enjoy life with God?
How can trust and honesty build relationships?
When have you relied on a person so much that you began placing your trust in him or her instead of in God?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have a great week!
Family Feud
This past Sunday, we’ve wrapped up our “Identity” series. Each week, students have examined a different passage of Scripture to find truths and insights about discovering their identity in Jesus.
In our final lesson, we brought it all home by exploring John 8:38-47, where the conversation between Jesus and the Jews escalated to the point where it became pretty heated. It reached a place where Jesus drew a line in the sand and challenged people to consider if they were legitimate children of God.
It is so important for teenagers to learn how to choose well. The spiritual choices they make will determine whether or not they spend eternity with Jesus. As we conclude this series, I challenge and encourage to consider the value and benefits of being part of God’s family—and how the most important thing in life is passionately pursuing a deep love for Jesus.
Here are some questions that can help fuel your conversation this week:
What people have shaped or influenced your spiritual journey? How have they been like spiritual fathers or mothers to you?
What are some characteristics or traits of Jesus that you’ve seen displayed in other people’s lives?
What are some spiritual truths God has been teaching you recently?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have an amazing week!
Be Real With Yourself
We’re continuing our series focusing on the topic “Identity.” Each week, students are examining a different passage of Scripture to discover truths and insights about discovering their identity in Jesus.
This past Sunday, we explored John 8:33-37, where Jesus declared that people in his Jewish audience—despite being descendants of Abraham—were still enslaved in their sins. In this passage, Jesus spoke about what being part of his family really looks like. Slaves have no permanent rights in the home; those rights are reserved for the children of that household. Jesus’ objective was to get people to understand the importance of being a son or daughter who is adopted into God’s family.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
What does it mean to be real with yourself about your shortcomings?
How can you be adopted into God’s family?
Once adopted into God’s family, what do you think are the benefits to being part of his family?
Thanks for praying for our students and our ministry. Have a blessed week!
The Freedom Factor
This week, we launched a new series called “Identity,” and each week, we are examining a different passage of Scripture to discover truths and insights about what it means to find our identity in Jesus.
Jesus offers a promise and reassurance for those who believe in him. He said that if we are truly his disciples, we will know the truth, and the truth will set us free. Jesus’ point is simple, focused, and all-encompassing. It leaves no room for questioning or compromising. Remaining connected to or “dwelling” in Jesus and his teachings is the true measure of discipleship. It is what separates people who are really free from those who merely appear to be free. It also speaks to how our identity is found in Jesus and not in the ways of the world. Jesus is the pathway to truth and the only way to experience freedom.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson.
Consider building your conversation around these questions:
Do you find it difficult to believe Jesus’ love for you is unconditional? Why or why not?
What does it mean to you to remain faithful to Jesus’ teachings?
Have you ever felt like your relationship with Jesus was based on your behavior or how good or bad you were?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have an amazing week!
I Am Dangerously Good
This week, We’ve finished the last of four lessons that dig deep into how Jesus described himself in Scripture, in a series called “In His Own Words.” We’ve been discovering the ways Jesus “framed” who he is—his purpose, motivation, and intentions.
In this last lesson, we paid “peculiar attention” to the five “bullet points” in Jesus’ job description—this proclamation of his mission kicked off his public ministry.
Quoting a prophecy in Isaiah, he said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
We explored together the incredible truth that Jesus is determined to set us free from whatever imprisons us. He can’t help himself – he does so because he loves us.
This week, spend a few minutes talking with about our lesson. Consider asking these questions:
Which “bullet point” in Jesus’ job description means the most to you, and why?
It’s hard to think of ourselves as “captives,” but what’s something in your life that makes you feel like a prisoner sometimes?
Based on his mission statement, what do you know for sure about Jesus?
Thanks for letting us partner with you in this amazing faith adventure. Have a blessed week!
I Am Buried Treasure
We’ve now finished the third of four lessons that dig deep into how Jesus described himself in Scripture, in our series called “In His Own Words.” We’re discovering the ways Jesus “framed” who he is—his purpose, motivation, and intentions.
In this third lesson, we slowed down to chew on two very short parables Jesus told — the pearl of great price and the treasure buried in the field — that Jesus uses to describe himself. The idea behind each of these parables is simple: Once you understand what an incredibly valuable treasure Jesus is, it’s a no-brainer to give everything you have to gain him.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Here are a few questions to consider asking:
What’s the most valuable thing you own, and what makes it valuable to you?
In some countries it’s illegal to follow and worship Jesus publicly—if you lived in such a country, but the government said you could buy a “license” to follow Jesus publicly, what would you be willing to pay for it, if anything? Explain.
What aspects of who Jesus is make him a “treasure”?
Thanks for praying for our students and our ministry. Have an awesome week!
I Am The Perfect Reflection Of God
We’re two lessons into our series focusing on how Jesus described himself in Scripture—a series we’re calling “In His Own Words.” Each week, we’re exploring the ways Jesus “framed” who he is—his purpose, motivation, and intentions.
In this second lesson, we explored John 5:19, where Jesus explains the overshadowing purpose for the Incarnation—God becoming man. Yes, he came to save us from the penalty of our sin and he came to restore us to intimate relationship with God. But overshadowing all of that is this truth: He came to show us exactly what the God we can’t see, hear, taste, or touch is really like.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teen about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
Brennan Manning says: “We cannot deduce anything about Jesus from what we think we know about God; however, we must deduce everything about God from what we know about Jesus.”
How does this impact your view of God?
What’s something true about Jesus that challenges how you’ve seen God in the past?
What’s the most encouraging thing you’ve learned about God by seeing his “reflection” in Jesus?
Have an amazing week!
Fall Retreat
This past weekend, six of us from Gravity travelled to Camp Michindoh in Hillsdale, MI, for a fall retreat! We were joined by 6 other churches and over 60 other high schoolers from the Kalamazoo area.
The theme of the weekend was “AFTER”, looking at the reality that God wants us to be people after his own heart. We had a great time of growing together in faith and community, not to mention all the fun we had playing basketball, volleyball, card games, and capture the flag!
I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
This past Sunday, we launched a new series focusing on how Jesus described himself in Scripture — it’s called “In His Own Words.” Each week, we will explore the ways Jesus “framed” who he is—his purpose, motivation, and intentions.
In this first lesson, we explored John 14:1-6, where Jesus promised his disciples that the terrible things that were about to happen to him on the cross would be overshadowed by the hope and certain strength of his presence. He is “the way, the truth, and the life,” and none of us can find our way to God on a path other than him.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
How does Jesus’ bold statement that he is the only way to God compare to our culture’s stance on “finding God”?
If we treated Jesus as the only source of truth and life, how would that change or challenge the way we live today?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry. Have a great week!
Your Answer Changes Everything!
This Sunday, we wrapped up our exploration of Jesus’ critical question “Who do you say I am?” from Matthew 16 by exploring what Jesus said next to his disciples. After they “got it” when it came to his identity, he clarified that believing the truth about him inevitably demands changes in us: following him, denying ourselves, being willing to give up our lives for him.
This is not easy stuff for us to grapple with. The cost of discipleship is the highest price we could ever pay: It costs everything. Like a powerful if/then corollary, Scripture ultimately says to all of us, “If you really believe in Jesus, then….”
As you discuss this week’s lesson:
When is it hard for you to follow Jesus?
How does Jesus’ call to self-denial challenge you?
What does it mean to you to be willing to give up everything for Christ?
If he is who he claims to be, then that changes everything— for each and every one of us.
Have a great week!
Who do YOU Say Jesus Is?
While teenagers undoubtedly hear some negative or critical opinions about Jesus from the secular culture, they likely also hear opinions like this: “Jesus was a kind man who worked for peace” or “Jesus was a wise and good teacher.” These generally positive ideas about Jesus cloak a dangerous idea: Jesus was tame and innocuous.
This type of stance toward Jesus fails to deal with the historical, biblical accounts detailing Jesus’ own claims about himself—and they were anything but tame! This week, as we continued exploring Jesus’ question “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15), our teenagers looked at the confrontational nature of Jesus’ identity claims and the response they demand from each of us. We must either accept Jesus at his word or reject him. There is no safe, tame, nice-guy option.
This week, talk about our study, using questions like:
What stands out to you as Jesus’ more radical claims?
How would you describe the options for how people could respond to Jesus during his time and culture? How about today?
What’s been most challenging or inspiring to you about this series so far? Why?
Thanks for all you do, and have a great week!
Who Is Jesus?
We’ve launched a new series focusing on the critical question Jesus asked his disciples: “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). It’s a question we each must personally consider in our own interaction with Jesus. What do we really believe about him, about his purpose, and about his role in our lives?
This week we focused on the key theological ideas in Peter’s answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Teenagers dug deeper into the Old Testament idea of the justice, mercy, and hope the Messiah would bring. We also explored more deeply Jesus’ claim to be not only God’s Son, but to be one with the Father (John 10:30).
Teenagers are in a critical place in their spiritual development as they develop and deepen their own sense of conviction about Jesus’ true identity. This week, I encourage you to spend a few minutes talking about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
What kinds of opinions about Jesus do you hear from your friends or at school?
How do you normally react?
What did it mean to Peter to say Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God? Why?
What do these ideas—Messiah and Son of God—mean to you personally?
Thanks for all your prayers for our students and our ministry.
Have an amazing week!
Gravity Kickoff!
This past Sunday, our high school group Gravity kicked off the year with pizza, games, and laughter! We had a fun night of playing outrageous games, eating too much pizza, and learning more about what Gravity is going to look like for the year. At the end of the night, Nathan shared part of his testimony and reminded students that a relationship with Jesus is more than just following a “boring set of rules.” This coming Sunday, we will begin diving into the Word, and exploring what it means to be a follower of Christ.