main take-away point: we deserve death due to our sins. but God has offered us forgiveness and a new start through Jesus Christ.
Hook! (10-15 mins)
there's not much of a hook in this lesson, but what you could do is to tell your kids a story.
not any story, but the story of humanity - how low we have fallen, and how God has gone out of the way to redeem us.
The Larger Story (page 78)
(1) there's a villian in this story. (2) he deceived humanity and caused us to fall too. (3) God has rescued us through Jesus. (4) the villian uses lies as his main tactic to keep us from God. He uses live ammunition and his attachs are real. (5) his goal is to cause us to doubt the heart of God toward us. (6) God offers to restore us, but allows freedom to choose, because without freedom of will, there is no love and relationship.
you can make it more exciting by not telling them what the story is, and letting them guess. (though most of them would get it after point 3)
Book! (30-35 mins)
Read John 3 : 1 - 17
1) What happened in the passage?
Nicodemus, a pharisee, and also a member of the Jewish ruling council talked to Jesus.
2) What was Nicodemus' question?
He wanted to know how to enter God's kingdom!
3) How do we enter God's kingdom then?
to be born again!
what does that mean? O______________O
Being born again is a common theme used in the church, but do we know what it means? (i hope so)
[at this point, don't be tempted to jump right into the whole idea of being "born again" - this will be slowly laid out in the lesson! instead, elaborate on Jesus' exchange of words with Nicodemus - on what Nicodemus understood of 'being born again' and what Jesus actualy meant]
Nicodemus took it literally - to start life all over again as an infant
Jesus meant it figuratively - to start life anew as a child of God - spiritual transformation
4) Why is being "born again" such an important idea?
Bescuase it is how Jesus best described how we are rescued from the rebellious nature of our first birth.
[elaborate on how we have "inherited" our sinful nature from adam]
rom 3 : 23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
rom 6 : 23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
5) We obviously deserve nothing more than death. But God loves us so much, that he sends his ONLY SON Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. What condition(s) does he demand of us?
john 3 : 16
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
only that we believe.
The "second birth" happens when we accept the God-story of John 3:16-17, that God loved us so much that He did not leave us without hope but provided a rescue through His Son, Jesus.
6) can we have this forgiveness without believing?
obviously not!
We have a choice in the matter, and we can choose to hold on to our rebellion until it drags us to our death, physically and spiritually.
The answer to Nicodemus' question, "But how can anyone be born when he is old?" is "by the forgiveness of God that comes through faith in Jesus!"
Took! (10-15 mins)
God loves us and wants to rescue us from the bondage and death that comes from the sin in our lives. God offers us forgiveness and a new start through Jesus Christ.
God has taken the lead, and he's waiting for our response.
What should we do?
#1 admit we need forgiveness
obviously, we all have sinned and need forgiveness. if we claim to be perfect and sinless, we are merely hypocrites just like the pharisees.
#2 Confess our faith in Jesus as the one who gives us a new start
we have be willing to admit where we have gone wrong, and be humble to ask him for help.
#3 Commit to extending the forgiving power of Jesus to others.
now that we are born again in Christ, we should be more like Christ, and to a "Christ-ambassador" to those around us.
eph 4 : 22-24
2 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Close in prayer!
Remember to pray for your kids each time, that God would allow these "seeds" that you plant in their hearts each sunday to grow. That in time to come, they too will come to know our Lord Jesus as you now do(:
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