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Eternal ConnectionsMemory Verse: Luke 12:31 (TLB) “He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”
Why would you want to develop a relationship with God? Do you really need Him in your life? Why aren’t cool clothes, hanging out with your friends, movies, books, concerts, shopping, camping, sports – why wouldn’t they be enough? What is missing? What need is not being filled by things, places, people, and money? Is there more to life than these things? Who is the coolest person you know? Isn’t God greater than that person? After all, He created you, the world, the universe and all that is in it. He wrote the laws by which they still operate. He gives us the opportunity to get to know Him through His Word – the Holy Bible and through a relationship with His Son Jesus. Did Jesus have a relationship with God? Mark 1:35 "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed." Luke 5:16 "So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed." How do you generally spend your time? Do you spend time worrying about how you look and what kinds of clothes to wear? Do you worry about not fitting in with the kids in your school or church, or what they think about you? Do you worry about what you are going to be eating at your next meal? Are these important things to worry about? Why or why not? Matt. 6:24-34 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God[d] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” God says that we are not to worry about food and clothing, because He will provide what we need just as He provides for flowers, birds and wild animals. He knows we need these things, but He knows we also need something more. God desires a personal relationship with you. You are very special to Him. Jesus died for your sins. God created this world and everything that is in it for you. He started out with nothing and made a place for you to live where you can breathe the air, grow food in the ground and use what He has provided you to shelter, feed and support yourself and/or your family. He knows that in order for you to get to know Him you will need time to do so, so He gave us the Sabbath and Holy Days. Exodus 16:24:30 24 “So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. 25 Moses said, “Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the LORD. There will be no food on the ground today. 26 You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day.” 27 Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. 28 The LORD asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? 29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the LORD’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” 30 So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day." God provided enough food for the Israelites on the sixth day so they would have the Sabbath free to fellowship with Him and with their friends and families. God gave them time to learn about Him and develop a relationship with Him. He also gave us the Holy Days so we could spend time with Him. How did you get to know your best friend? Think back and remember what the steps were that you took to get to know this person or these people. Did you spend time with them talking and interacting with them? Did you watch how they were with other people? Did you have things in common? Did it just happen or did you have to work on it? Did you show an interest in things they were interested in? How did you develop this relationship with your best friend or friends? Do you think those things would help you to develop a relationship with God? Isn’t it enough just to go to church and be good? Why or why not? Isa 64:6 “ We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” Going to church and being good are worthy things to do, but they, in themselves, aren’t enough to develop a complete relationship with God. How do you develop a relationship with God? Could we use some of the same things we do to develop a relationship with people to develop a relationship with God? Is that a good use of our time? How do we develop a relationship with our friends?
How do we develop a relationship with God?
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "pray without ceasing" James:5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." 2 Timothy:2:15 "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that doesn’t need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Matthew 6:30 33 "Seek the Kingdom of God] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." 2 Peter:3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Habakkuk 2:14 "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." Philippians:2:9-11 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Spend time on the Sabbath and Holy Days getting to know God. Be real with God. He knows you better than you know yourself. Realize that you are not perfect and neither are other people. Spend time making yourself a better person rather than trying to make everyone around you better. Be a better friend to your friends Put God first in your life and He will take care of your needs. Share Him with those who want to know about Him. He wants a relationship with them too. Develop that Eternal Connection with God. Return to Teen Ministry Here. |