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Tough Topics - Going Through the Emotions

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  Objective -  Students will learn that emotions display what they value and will discipline themselves to choose godly responses rather than fleshly reactions. Key Scripture -  Proverbs 25:28 - "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls." Key Thought -   Make your goal self-control. Lesson Summary - Today’s lesson is one of a four-part series called Tough Topics. In this lesson, students were taught a biblical approach to emotions.  First of all, we saw that emotions were God’s idea and that God Himself expresses emotions, though always in a righteous way. Emotions themselves are connected to what we value and being able to express emotions is a gift from God. However, while being able to express emotions is a gift from God, not all expressions of emotion are godly. Emotions can potentially lead us astray if they consume us and we fail to demonstrate godly self-control. Students were encouraged to “make your goal self-control.” Since s

Tough Topics - Flee to Fight

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  Objective -  Students will learn that they are not alone in experiencing temptation and will develop a biblical practice of fleeing what tempts them. Key Scripture - 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." Key Thought - Run from sin to win. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson is part of a four-part series called Tough Topics. In this lesson, students were taught a biblical approach to temptations. We observed that temptations are universal (“common to man”) and that even Jesus was tempted while on Earth, though He never sinned.  In our temptations, we saw how God is always faithful to us and always present with us, especially in our greatest times of need. Finally, we learned that the path to victory against temptation is to flee from sin. Although we ma

Tough Topics - Victory Over Violence

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  Objective -  Students will discover that violent tendencies are a symptom of inward pride and will be challenged to seek God’s power to replace their pride with tenderheartedness. Key Scripture -  Ephesians 4:31-32 - Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Key Thought -  Pursue victory over violence. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson is part of a four-part series called Tough Topics. In this lesson, students were taught a biblical approach for pursuing victory over violence. Beginning with the roots of violence, students saw how pride is at the core of someone who displays violent actions. They also discovered that anger reveals a murderous heart.  Rather than simply striving for behavior modification or merely trying to eliminate outward symptoms of violence, students were taught the importance of putting away heart issues

Tough Topic - Put Your Money Where Your Faith Is

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  Objective -  Students will learn the biblical approach to financial stewardship and will be challenged to adopt the habit of giving, saving, then spending. Key Scripture -  1 Corinthians 4:2 - Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. Key Thought - Manage God’s money God’s way. Lesson Summary -  Today’s lesson is part of a four-part series called Tough Topics. Although this series covers a variety of issues, this lesson taught your student the counter-cultural concept that the money we have doesn’t truly belong to us; we’re merely stewards or managers of what already belongs to God. All money is God’s money that He is simply letting us use. The students were taught that a wise way to use money is to give first, save second, and then spend last.  Students have been encouraged to think about how generously they can give, how wisely they can save (and invest), and how discerningly they can spend. As a practical way to manage the money they receive, they were encour

Rerouted - Keeping the Right Perspective

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  Objective -  Students will learn the importance of perspective and will be challenged to embrace a godly perspective in all situations. Key Scripture -  Jonah 4:10-11 - "But the Lord said,'You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?'" Key Thought -  Keeping a godly perspective will yield a godly response. Lesson Summary -  In this final lesson of our four-part series from the Book of Jonah called Rerouted: Lessons from a Reluctant Prophet, we used Jonah chapter 4 to evaluate our personal perspectives. Jonah showed a selfish perspective that resulted in anger, revealed his hatred, and left him wallowing in self-pity. God’s compassionate perspective was revealed through His mercy and patience wit

Rerouted - Tough Topics

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  Objective - Students will learn that God forgives those who repent and will be urged to repent of sin and receive God’s forgiveness. Key Scripture - Jonah 3:8,9 - Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Key Thought - Turn from sin and turn to God. Lesson Summary - Our lesson today was the third lesson of a four-part series from the Book of Jonah called Rerouted: Lessons from a Reluctant Prophet. In this lesson, students were guided through the third chapter of the Book of Jonah. The main example from this section of Scripture is the people of Nineveh, and from this chapter, it was revealed that repentance is a powerful work of God. Throughout the lesson, we compared repentance to fire. Fires need three things to exist: a spark, fuel, and oxygen. When oxygen is combined with a spark and the proper fuel, a reaction occurs that is visible f

Rerouted - The Power of God's Grace and Mercy

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Objective -  Students will understand the gracious and merciful nature of God and will be challenged to cry out to God in times of desperation. Key Scripture -  Jonah 2:9 - But I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. Key Thought -  God can save those who’ve sunk. Lesson Summary -  Our lesson today was the second lesson of a four-part series from the Book of Jonah called Rerouted: Lessons from a Reluctant Prophet. The lesson highlighted the power of God’s mercy and grace and had the topic of repentance as the main theme. We defined repentance as a “change of one’s mind or purpose.”  Jonah’s prayer, while he was in the belly of the fish, was a desperate prayer of repentance. God delivered Jonah from the very edge of death by sending a giant fish to swallow him and preserve his life. The key thought from the message was that “God can save those who’ve sunk.” God’s grace and mercy can save absolutely anyone, no matter