WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?
Jesus first asked the disciples, “Who do others say that I am?” It was easy for them to answer because it required no conviction, no commitment, and no risk. But then he follows that question with another, “Who do YOU say that I am?”
It was a simple but profound question and one that each of us must still answer today. Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Then Jesus responded, “Blessed are you… For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” It was a defining moment for Peter and he would spend the rest of his life figuring out what that answer meant for who he was and how he lived.
It is God, in His grace that reveals the truth of Himself to us. And when, though His grace, we can come to accept His revelation of truth, then our perspective, in fact our entire life will change. Like Peter, we will spend the rest of our lives figuring out what Jesus means to who we are and how we live.
I am please to announce
a new Bible Study / Youth Camp series entitled
“Who Do You Say that I Am?“
MY OBJECTIVE
In the lessons and activities for this new Bible Study series / youth camp curriculum, my objective is to bring each participant, teacher and student, into a functional personal relationship with Jesus Christ so that each person KNOWS who Christ is to him or her.
This is an update of one of my most successful Bible Studies that I prepared for a large international church a number of years ago. While written a few years ago, the truth of who Jesus is, has never changed. God used this series to bring many youth to salvation and a closer walk with Christ and I know God wants to do the same with your youth.
These lessons are designed to help each participant get to know Jesus Christ in a more intimate fashion by looking at who He was, not only by His own statements, but also through the eyes of several Biblical characters.
And it is my prayer that God might reveal the truth of himself to each student and teacher so that they not only come into a close relationship with Christ, but also live to become a reflection of Him in the way they live their lives.
THE LESSONS
There are 7 Primary Bible study Sessions in the series, but you can pick and choose from these for a shorter youth camp or series:
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- Jesus the Life Saver
Matthew tells the story of Peter and Jesus walking on water. Peter, like us, has gotten “in over his head”, beyond his ability to handle the situation, and in his moment of desperation is crying, “Jesus! Save me!” Just like Peter, we’ve all been in “hot water”, crying out for God to save us. Through Christ’s response, a power change takes place not only Peter, but also in the rest of the disciples.
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- Jesus, My Friend
Imagine the thought of being friends with the Son of God! Awesome! But entirely and utterly possible and real to everyday life. John, the writer of the book of John, had a very special friendship relationship with Jesus Christ. Five times in the book of John, he refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” He obviously was absolutely sure of Jesus’ love for him. In a Gallup pole of teens in the USA, “meaningful relationships” was one of the top five items that youth listed as needs. What could be more meaningful than to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe!
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- Jesus, Fear Slayer
God is well aware that we all experience fear. There are 365 “Fear Nots” in the Bible – one for every day of the year. Fear is not uncommon to any of us. We’ve all been there. Done that. But if there are 365 “Fear Nots” in the Bible, should fear rule our lives? No! But how do we deal with the reality of fear in our lives? We can look at the disciples in the boat as a model for dealing with fears.
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- Jesus, the Healer
Christ’s cleansing is immediate and lasting, but the healing may take a long time… the scars may be with us, not because we haven’t been healed, but because we are not at peace with ourselves. Christ cleanses and heals us instantaneously, but our response is often like that after we have twisted an ankle… we may be healed, but we are afraid to use it… afraid to put our weight on it, not able to trust ourselves.. So often our wounds are also self inflicted. We keep wearing that sandal that causes blisters… eating that food that causes heartburn… grabbing that thistle, but afraid to let go… crying out for the thorns, but desiring to have that rose… A relationship that is abusive seems better than no relationship… negative attention is better than no attention… and hurt is better then dealing with the problem face to face… In this lesson we want to remove the thorns so that festered wounds can begin to heal…but also realize that if the wound has festered a lot of ugly stuff may need to come out…
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- Jesus, The Obedient
Jesus has been teaching the people through parables and illustrations. He has taught of love for enemies, self-evaluation before we judge others, of how actions reveal the heart of person, and of putting our faith into practice. After these teachings he went to Capernaum. There a Centurion, with a sick servant, sends some Jewish elders to seek Christ’s help! And through that encounter we learn much about what it means to be obedient. Christ would later be tested with the ultimate in obedience as he was obedient even to death on a cross.
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- Jesus, The Spirit-Powered Man
Jesus returns to Nazareth after having been tempted in the desert. News has spread about him to the entire countryside. Through Him, people discover that the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives will make a visible difference. What a difference a Spirit controlled life will make to our witness to the world!
- Jesus, The Cleanser
We begin immediately before the Passover feast, the time when Jews celebrate their deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians, the time when the blood of a lamb, is slaughtered as a symbol of God’s covering over of sin, of God’s forgiveness. Christ will soon be that lamb, his life poured out in suffering, his death upon the cross as the Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world. Christ has just predicted his death, He is about to predict his betrayal by one of these men whose feet he is to now wash.
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