TM

Bearing gods Image

fall 2013: Personal Study Guide Ed Stetzer General Editor Trevin Wax Managing Editor

the gospel project for students

personal study guide, Fall 2013 volume 2, number 1 PRODUCTION and MINISTRY TEAM Vice President, Church Resources: Eric Geiger General Editor: Ed Stetzer Managing Editor: Trevin Wax content editor: Andy McLean DIRECTOR, STUDENT MINISTRY PUBLISHING: Jeff Pratt DIRECTOR, student ministry: Ben Trueblood Send questions/comments to: Content Editor, The Gospel Project for Students Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0174, Or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com Send questions/comments to: Publishing Team Leader, The Gospel Project: Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0102; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com. Printed in the United States of America

The Gospel Project for Students (ISSN 1939-0742; Item 005508013) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWays doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved. Photos: iStockphoto and Getty Images

TGP Personal Study Guide

SESSION 2

created to relate

ame the movie this quote is from, Wilson! If you said Cast Away then give yourself a gold star. Cast Away is about a guy who survives a plane crash only to find himself stranded on a deserted island. While on the island, his best friend becomes a volleyball he found in the wreckage. What Cast Away so hauntingly portrays is something the Bible tells us over and over again: we werent made for isolation and independence. We were not made to be alone. Instead, we were created for relationships and for community; and starved of relationships, we will inevitably fall apart. This week we will look at how we reflect God through our relationships. God intended for humanity to be a growing, multiplying community of people who brings glory to Him. As people made in His image, we were made to relate to God, one another, and the world around us. Because of sin, we fail in all three of these areas. Thankfully, through the work of Jesus Christ, these relationships can be restored.

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TGP Personal Study Guide

Ready Your Heart

What Matters Most

Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD. When I was a little kid, I was so competitive. I hated losing more than anything. I remember playing Connect Four with my Paw-Paw. If I got lucky and beat him, I would jump up and down, celebrate the victory, and taunt him for losing to a little kid. He would just smile and ask me if I wanted to play again. However, every time he beat me, I would cry, accuse him of cheating, and refuse to play anymore. I was such a poor loser and winner. Truthfully, he probably could have beaten me every time, but he chose to let me win occasionally so I wouldnt have a complete meltdown and we could play longer. Sadly, we dont always lose our intense competitiveness as we get older. We try to one-up each other with our grades, athletic ability, musical talent, or our college choice. As adults, the game just gets more expensive with who has the biggest house, most luxurious car, best-paying job, most expensive clothes, or the finest jewelry. Even as Christians, we play the comparison game. We rate each other on whos been a Christian longer, whos been on the most mission trips, whos got the most highlights in their Bible, who goes to the biggest church, whos got the best worship music, or whos got the biggest youth group. Honestly, God doesnt care about those things. When we get to heaven, God will not ask us how many games of Connect Four we won, how many points we scored in the big game, what was the square footage of our house, or how many seconds it took us to find the book of Habakkuk. The main concern that God has for us is our relationship with Jesus. God sent his Son so we could relate to Him. Because of Christ, we can know Gods love, faithfulness, justice, compassion, and mercy. Because of Gods grace, we can know Christ personally, and that is His desire for us.

Pause and Reflect

Who do you compare yourself to? How much time do you set aside each week for spiritual things? Does that communicate that your relationship with Christ is a priority? Why or why not?

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Ready Your Heart

If You Really Knew Me

Romans 13:8-10 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet, and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. If you really knew me, you would know that I havent watched many shows on MTV. However, one day I was flipping channels and I found a show that really captured my attention. The show was If You Really Knew Me. Each show featured one high school, five students that each represented a different subculture in the school, and the impact of a one-day program called Challenge Day. During Challenge Day about 100 students, representing the diversity of the school, would gather in one room to discuss stereotypes, unity, and the personal issues that they are facing. Two segments of Challenge Day were especially gripping. In the first segment, the students were divided into groups of about six to eight students. Their group assignment was to go around the circle and complete this phrase, If you really knew me, you would know that I It was heart-wrenching to hear their stories of hurts, struggles, and addictions. In the second segment, all the students participated in an activity called Cross the Line. The entire group stood on one side of the room, and they would cross the line and move to the other side of the room if they identified with the particular struggle that the host announced. It was eye-opening to see so many students who identified with various scenarios of drug abuse, suicide, racial discrimination, bullying, and sexual abuse. As I watched this show, I couldnt help but think of what these exercises would look like in a church or, especially, within a youth group. Like these students, we often compare ourselves to others, make quick judgments based on appearance alone, and isolate ourselves with barriers, walls, and disguises to hide our pain or keep others from comparing or judging us. The Bible, however, says that we are to love our neighbor. That means we need to reach out to those who are different than us, listen intently to those who need to share their story, and be honest with people who can keep us accountable. We are probably more alike if we took the time to really know each other.

Pause and Reflect

If I really knew you, I would know that you Are there any people that you intentionally avoid? Why? Who can you be open and transparent with?

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Ready Your Heart

This is My Fathers World

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. In 2008, Disney released one of its most unique movies, WALL-E. Its unique because the primary character is not a princess in distress, and large chunks of the movie have no dialogue whatsoeveryet it is still very entertaining. The movie features a small robot, named WALL-E, who remained on Earth 700 years after it had been abandoned by all humankind because they now live in a space station operated by the Buy N Large Corporation. WALL-Es job is to collect garbage and clean up the mess to make it habitable for humans to return. As the movie progresses, WALL-E finds himself on a ship that is taking him to the Buy N Large Space Station. When he gets there, he finds all the humans riding around on hover chairs, watching TV, and video chatting. The people never get out of their hover chairs, and they are so lazy that they drink their food because chewing it would waste too much energy. This lifestyle of laziness has left them unable to even stand because of their weight and lack of muscle strength. The characters in this movie traded their lives of responsibility for a life of comfort and laziness. Their decision left the earth in ruins to be maintained by trash-collecting robots. Now I realize that this is a fictional movie, but it is tempting to make decisions that enhance our comfort and ease our responsibilities. One tremendous responsibility that God has given us is to be good stewards of the earth He has provided for us. Unlike the movie, a space resort doesnt exist. This earth is the only one we have, and we have been given the responsibility to care for it. Even little things like picking up trash, recycling, and buying energy-efficient devices are responsible acts that we can do not only to protect our environment and ecosystem, but to glorify God in being responsible caretakers over the created order.

Pause and Reflect

In what ways do you take your responsibility to protect the earth seriously? What is one simple thing that you can start doing that will help the environment? Who can you encourage to help you in this effort?

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God created us to relate...

God intended for humanity to be a growing, multiplying community of people who bring glory to Him. As people made in His image, we were made to relate to God, to one another, and to the world around us. But because of sin, we fail to relate correctly to God, to each other, and to the world. Only through the work of Jesus Christ can the restoration of our relationships be accomplished.

The first and most important relationship human beings have is with God. God created us in His image so that not only would we know and love Him, but also that we might reflect His glory and beauty throughout our lives. We were created to submit joyfully to our Creator. We are constantly tempted to believe that the latest technology, or wealth, or love, or beauty, or sex is going to make us happy. We take pride in all sorts of things. But the prophet Jeremiah reminded us that all these paths are unsatisfying. All the things we boast of are nothing compared to knowing and relating to the God who made us, for without Him, life will ultimately disappoint.
We have a longing for joy, love, and beauty that no amount of food, sex, friendship, or success can satisfy. We want something that nothing in this world can fulfill. Isnt that at least a clue that this something that we want exists? This unfulfillable longing, then, qualifies as a deep, innate human desire, and that makes it a major clue that God is there. Tim Keller

To Him.

In what ways can your life show the priority of knowing Jesus? What may be some signs that understanding and knowing the Lord are not your priority?  Do you think of spiritual disciplines (like prayer and Bible study) as chores or as part of an ongoing relationship?

W  hy is it important to understand how the gospel restores our relationship with God?

To one another.
 ost of our dissatisfaction in relationships M is self-centered, cloaked carefully in language about having our needs met.  What are some signs of self-centered relationships? What if we approached our relationships with total disinterest in ourselves? What if our relationships were marked by the desire to lay down our own demands in order to care for others? It would require us to listen well, to truly understand the ones we love, and to die to ourselves again and again.

Self-sacrificing, other-centered love is at the heart of all meaningful relationships.

To the world.

Just as our relationships with God and one another should be marked by love, so should our relationship with the world. Our impact on the world should be similar to our impact on one anotherwe should love it in a transformative way. This means a loving stewardship of creation and a loving engagement with the culture around us.  What are some examples you see around you of sins work of distortion and corruption?
As broken as the world may be, as stained by sin, and as full of corruption as it is, it is still our earthly residence. While our ultimate citizenship is in Heaven, we are still called to live out our lives here, and our ultimate hope is not in its destruction, but its restoration.

W  hat are some ways we can take seriously the command of Genesis 1:28 to rule wisely over the world God has given us?

What should shape all of our relationships? Love. Love of God, love of neighbor, and love of the world around us. Since God has loved the world, and loved us, with a transformative, life-giving love, we are to do the same.

Conclusion

Are the relationships in your life marked by genuine love for God and others? In what relationships in your life do you see your selfishness the most?

Encore

created to relate God created us to relate...

1. to Him (Gen. 1:26, Jer. 9:23-24). In the previous session, we looked at Genesis 1:26-28 as a foundational passage that affirms we were created in the image of God. We were created to reflect His glory. Lets return to this passage again to see what it tells us about relationships and how we reflect God through the way we relate. The first and most important relationship human beings have is with God. God created us in His image so that not only would we know and love Him, but also that we might reflect His glory and beauty throughout our lives. We were created to submit joyfully to our Creator. Youve probably heard the expression, Its not what you know; its who you know. The right connections with the right people can open all kinds of doors of opportunity. On the other hand, without relationships, the doors remain firmly closed. In other words, connections matter! We are constantly tempted to believe that the latest technology, or wealth, or love, or beauty, or sex is going to make us happy. We take pride in all sorts of things. But the prophet Jeremiah reminded us that all these paths are unsatisfying. All the things we boast of are nothing compared to knowing and relating to the God who made us, for without Him, life will ultimately disappoint. Jesus set the example for life with God in a busy and distracting world. He would spend time in solitude to pray (Luke 5:16), would rise early to meet God in prayer (Mark 1:35), and would respond to trials and hardship by withdrawing to be alone with God (Matt. 14:13). There is mystery in this God the Son withdrawing to pray to God the Father. And yet, we can understand this awe-inspiring reality once we remember that Jesus was fully God and fully man. He lived a human life, and His example perfectly demonstrates what an ordinary life of prayerful relationship with God looks like. 2. to one another (Gen. 1:27; Rom. 13:8-10). Lets go back to Genesis 1 again and pick up where we left off. After we see how God created us to relate to Him, we see that He made us in His image to relate to one another. God didnt create us to be alone with Him. He also created us to relate to one another. Selfsacrificing, other-centered love is at the heart of all meaningful relationships. Both men and women are made in Gods image, and both are given the commission to rule and reign over creation. Most of our dissatisfaction in relationships is self-centered, cloaked carefully in language about having our needs met. The counsel of the world centers on getting what you want out of the relationships you have. Were advised to subtly manipulate our parents, siblings, and friends into changing for our satisfaction. But what if we approached our relationships with total disinterest in ourselves? What if our relationships were marked by the desire to lay down our own demands in order to care for others? It would require us to listen well, to truly understand the ones we love, and to die to ourselves again and again. Such skills would transform any relationship. If the Lord cultivates in us the kind of character that makes us attentive and empathetic towards others, it will transform the dynamics of any relationship. The Bible invites us to follow Christs example, living without a great deal of concern for how it benefits us in the short term. Instead, were told to store up treasures in heaven, knowing that loving
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Encore

others and following Jesus is a better way to live than the self-centered and unsatisfying misery that marks life apart from Christ. 3. to the world (Gen. 1:28). The final command in Genesis 1 shows a third aspect of what it means to bear Gods image: we relate in a particular way to the world. Remember how the passage ends? First, notice that our purpose, our work, is tied to the world. For many people, the world is seen only as a terrible, sin-stained place, something from which we cannot wait to escape when we eventually die. Such a dismissive attitude has far-reaching consequences and is disconnected from Gods original intent for us. We are embodied creatures, having both a soul and body, immaterial and material parts. In fact, God wanted us to be intimately tied to the earthso much so that in Genesis 2 he shows us that were actually formed from dust. When death appears in Genesis 3, were reminded that we ultimately return to dust. As humans, we are earthly creatures. Just as our relationships with God and one another should be marked by love, so should our relationship with the world. Our impact on the world should be similar to our impact on one anotherwe should love it in a transformative way. This means a loving stewardship of creation and a loving engagement with the culture around us. The most loving thing we can do is share the gospel. But a focus on evangelism does not excuse us from failing to steward the world well, as Genesis 1 commands us. Can it possibly have been Gods desire for humanity to overfish species to extinction, to destroy ecosystems with industrial waste, and to deplete entire landscapes in order to exploit resources? Whatever one might believe about our environmental impact (and Christians disagree on proposals and details), we should consider the choices we make in the light of the responsibility weve been given by God to be a good steward over the earthsomething that should be done with love, wisdom, and generosity. Conclusion What should shape all of our relationships? Love. Love of God, love of neighbor, and love of the world around us. It is as Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:5 that the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. This is what the gospel accomplishes when it creates lasting heart change within a persongenuine, authentic, Christcentered love. And it is because of this love that one can have a true love for others and the world around him. As image-bearers, were called to reflect the God who made us. God has loved the world, and loved us, with a transformative, life-giving love. This love, reflected through His people, is not merely a warm and fuzzy feeling, and it certainly isnt the kind of intoxicating infatuation that marks most romance stories. Its a transformative power, leaving deep impact on all that it touches and changing it for the better.

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