WELCOME
What two symbols have we had so far?
The heart that tells us that God loves us and the divide sign that means sin separates us.
The past two weeks have been full of hard truth. We all do things wrong and those wrong things affect our relationship with God and others. It seems impossible to overcome because we cannot be perfect.
What is the next sign? (show bracelet) The Cross!
But if we think back to the beginning of our lessons and remember that God loves us and wants a relationship with us, we have hope.
“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” 1 Peter 3:18
WARM-UP
Need a game – something with sacrifice (not literal but where you give yourself or something you have up for a teammate)
In today’s game you had to give up something to save a teammate. That is what God did so we could be in an eternal relationship with Him.
WORKOUT
Consider your team. If you miss a shot, strike out or fumble the ball, are you still on the team? What if you get injured and have to sit on the bench or sideline? Are you still on the team? In both cases, of course you are! The same idea applies to God’s team. In the Old Testament, God’s people, the Israelites, offered sacrifices to God to keep their relationship in good standing. Bulls, lambs, birds, even wheat or grain were sacrificed often so the Israelites could enjoy God’s favor. People have been messing up since the very beginning, but God had a plan.
You see sin does not stop God from loving you. He does not like the choice we made but He loves you. Because of God’s great love, He became a human being in Jesus Christ and gave His life for you. At the cross, Jesus took your place and paid the penalty of death that you deserve for your sins. Jesus could do that because He lived a perfect life – He never, ever sinned.
WRAP-UP
How is that possible? Jesus lived a perfect, sin-free life. Next week we will look more at that. Until then, think about what you would sacrifice for something you loved?
(pray and break the Huddle)