YOUTHQUEST BASKETBALL

We were back to our regular program after our all-star week last week. Congrats to our MVP's who displayed initiative (our Character Matters trait) of the month all night. Next week our program will be cancelled but we'll resume on the 10th.

DEEP THOUGHTS

Maybe the biggest single barrier to deep connectedness for most of us is simply the pace of our lives. The requirement for true intimacy is chunks of unhurried time. - John Ortberg

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

SPEND IT. SAVE IT. GIVE IT BACK.

Yesterday we talked about money. We talked about how God is the source of all we have. He has given us so much to be thankful for, and He is counting on us to take what He has given and use it wisely. In this lesson, we focused on managing our money and being good stewards of what God gives us.

Our main reading was 2 Corinthians 9:7-8, "Each man should what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work.

Here's what we studied

Spend it

· How much money (allowance) do you receive each week?

· What types of things do you spend your money on?

· Is it OK to spend money on ‘stuff’?

· Have you ever spent your money on someone else?

· How do you manage the money you spend?

- Get a container and write, "Spend it" on it. Then write, "It's okay to enjoy what God has given me" on it.

Save it

· Why is it important to save some of our money?

· Is saving money a ‘strength’ or a ‘weakness’ for you?

· What is something that you could save your money for?

· Do you think you would be willing to save 10 percent of your money for future things?

- Get a container and write "Save it" on it. Then write, "Put something aside for what's to come" on it.

Give it back to God

Read Deuteronomy 14:22-23

· What is a ‘tithe?’

· Can we give more than 10%?

· By giving, what do we communicate to God?

· Is there a difference between our ‘tithe’ and an ‘offering?’

- God has called us to give 10% of what we receive. Your tithe is what you give back to the church (the place where you worship God). However, your offering is what you give above and beyond your 10% (example – sponsoring a child, helping missionaries, homeless, etc.) The purpose of giving is not to see something in return, but to demonstrate obedience, trust and to love for God.

- Read Matthew 25:14-30

· What happened o the man who was given five talents?

· What happened to the man who was given two talents?

· What happened to the man who was given one talent?

· What is the point of this parable? What is Jesus trying to communicate?

- If you can trust God with a little, He will trust you with much

- Also a key point – you have to try – don’t bury your talents because of fear

· What should we give back to God?

· When should we give back to God?

· Why should we give back to God?

· Would you be willing to try to TITHE each week?

- Get a container write "Give it back to God" on it. Add “Deuteronomy 14:22-23 and 2 Corinthians 9:7-8” on the ‘give it back to God’ label

- Remember, you can’t out-give God (Malachi 3:10 – we can actually test God with regards to money. Mark 12:41-44 – God doesn’t want our money, he wants our heart – how we spend our money reveals a great deal about our heart. Trusting him with your money now and forming good habits helps you to give more cheerfully and willingly as you get older.

HOW DOES THIS APPLY?

· Is there anything in your life that is keeping you from trusting God with all that you have?

· How can your leader or a good friend keep you accountable in this area?

TAKE HOME CHALLENGE

- Using your allowance or other earnings:

1. Place 10% in “give it back to God” container

2. Place 10% in the ‘save it’ container

3. Place the remainder of the money in the ‘spend it’ container.

* Taken from Active Bible Studies

YOUTHQUEST JUNIOR HIGH

This past Friday we looked at Quest #4, "Here Comes Trouble!" We watched some tough scenes on world poverty, wars and stuff and talked about the thing that we have done that have gotten us into trouble as well as whether or not we thought the world is getting better or worse. We talked about sin and hell and our plan (if we have one) of avoiding hell. Our session is March 5 and is entitled, "Something For Nothing."

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

This past Sunday our topic was, "Armour of God." While most of us may not spend time in the military, we talked about the importance of defensive armour and offensive weapons in our spiritual lives. Our Main passage was Ephesians 6:10-20.

HOW DOES THIS APPLY?
· What areas of the armour do you need to better understand?

· How can the “armour” be real in your life?

· Do you think that if you were faced with opposition you could stand firm?

· Why do you think it is important for you to know and understand these six pieces of our faith?

* Taken from Active Bible Lessons

SENIOR HIGH YOUTHQUEST

FOLLOWING AFTER GOD - WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

On Friday we looked at our part 6 of our series entitled, "How Does Believing in God Affect My Financial World?"

We talked about the "dot.com" days where in a generation we went from devoting ourselves to one company for 30 years in hopes to being promoted to senior management to hoping one lucky stock investment would make us rich. We talked about Shawn Fanning, who became a multimillionaire of 19 by inventing Napster. Then we talked about how in an instant, it all collapsed in an economic crash (100, 000 jobs vanished from the Internet economy since December 1999 and 435 Internet based companies folded (since 2001).

The main passage we looked at from the Bible was Mark 12:41-44

The Widow's Offering

⁴¹Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴²But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.⁴³Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Challenge

Jesus believed that the way we spend our money reveals a great deal about our heart - it is like a living biography of our lives. He believed this was true for committed Christ-followers, and it was true for those who did not follow God. But contrary to what many believe, God does not want your money-God wants your heart. When the heart connection is there, we carry that connection right into our financial world

How do you respond?

Self Reflection

1. How does the fact that God does not want my money but my heart affect my understanding of God?

2. What does the way I view my money say about the condition of my heart?

3. What do I want it to say?

4. How can I begin moving in that direction?

* Taken from "Following After God - What differences does God make?" - Daniel Hill.

DEEP THOUGHTS

Ironically, we tend to devote massive amounts of time to making money, running errands, and succeeding at our jobs, but we neglect giving our most valuable possession - time - the experience for which we were created: community - John Ortberg