UMYFP Christmas Institute Bible Study 2011

8/6/2019 UMYFP Christmas Institute Bible Study 2011

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Tabl e o f Co n t en t s

INTRODUCTION 3

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL FOR FRESHM EN

Lesson 1: The Gift 6

Lesson 2: Too Short 8

Lesson 3: Signing Up 10

Lesson 4: Preparing Yourself : Removing theExcess Baggage 13

BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL FOR JUNIORS

Lesson 1: Choosing Sides 18

Lesson 2: Responding to Crit icism 23

Lesson 3: Dont Give Up 26Lesson 4: Live in Peace 30

BIBLE STUDY MATERIALS FOR SENIORS

ONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Lesson 1: Renewed Life Wit h Christ 36

Lesson 2: It s Show Time 38

Lesson 3: UMYFP COVENANT:Continuing Life Wi th Christ 41

Lesson 4: UMYFP COVENANT:Wit ness and Serve Towardsa Future with Hope 44

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INTRODUCTION

There is always a fir st time for everything. Sleeping out, going faraway from home, are just a few of t he things you could possibly look back do-ing it for the first t ime. I was so excit ed to att end my first Christmas Instit ute(way, way back)! I thought that meeting new friends and reuniting wit h oldones is already the fellowship expected in any other youth campsso I invitedclassmates and neighbors to come along. But the experience is not merely thefun side. It goes deeper t han that. It has changed my li fe and I am sure it willchange yours also. My parents back then reminded us that in t he ChristmasInstit ute (CI) we become better Christians and deepen our fait h, which arefun and exciting journey too!

This Bible Study material i s prepared especiall y for all those newcom-ers to the Christmas Institute. I hope that as you encounter new faces and cre-ate another cir cle of f riends, you will also meet the one true friend who is al-ways around, Jesus Christ. May you deepen this friendship wit h Him as youwalk through your Christian li fe. Have fun!

This guide focuses on the theme UMYFP Covenant: Cont inuing theJourney wi th Jesus into a Future with Hope. The verses from Phili ppians 2:12to 13 guide us in t his journey. Paul, whi le in pri son, reminds the beli evers inPhilippi to work with God as God is working in them. Paul reminds us that

our faith and salvation are not just a onetime event but a gradual process. Thisis what the Methodist Founder John W esley refers to as the Scriptural Way ofSalvati on. As Paul encourages the Philippians, he is also calling us to cont inueto deepen our faith with God alone. The CI experience is more than the rela-tionship among our co-youth and church workers. It is the relationship wehave in Christ that greatly matters. Even without our new friends, teachersand mentors we must continue to work and strengthen our faith because Godcontinues to work in us. This study is focused about the way of salvation andthe journey of our faith. Divided into eight parts, the first four are designed toint roduce the Wesleyan way of salvati on. On the other hand, the next fourparts are designed to strengthen that relationship we have built in Christ Je-sus, continuing journey of our salvation aft er our CI experience.

I. The Gift : A Christmas Story (Gods Love)

II . Short : All are Sinners (Responsibl e Grace)

III. Signing up: Removing excess and unwanted baggage(Transforming Grace)

IV. Preparing Yourself : Backsliding (Sanctifying Grace)

V. Holiness of Heart and Life: Sanctif ication (Towards Christian Perfection)

VI. Preparing for t he real world: Simulating t he Christi an l ife(Works of Mercy)

VII. Problem Solving: How to face challenges

VIII. On your own (Not just spirit but body as well)

IX. Referral: Calling for backup (Social Holiness)


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Pr esen t co n t ex t :

United Methodist Youth Fellowship in the Philippines, the challenge tolevel up i s in your hands. Its your choice to move to the next level. Do yourpart today before time runs out. We have great programs and planning, excel-lence in leadership but we must put it in action. This is now your time to ACT,your covenant to witness and serve wi ll require passion for CHRIST. Remember,the book of James says faith wit hout acti on is dead. Let your local church, dis-trict, annual and to the national be a living witness to serve God through theUMYFP nationwide.

Quest ion s f or Discussion s

1. How are you experiencing the truth of the scripture and the power of Godtoday?

2. As we seek to share the gospel of Jesus, what can we learn about answer-ing and asking quest ion from the text?

3. In what context as UMYFPers this text is applicable to you (Romans1:16)?Are you ready to wit ness and serve for the future with hope of our church?

4. What relevance do these warnings such as earth quakes, war, corrupt ion,and politics in the church have for us today?Explain.

5. In what practical ways are you actively serving Christ?

This is my covenant of service to Christ after Christmas Inst itute 2011

_______________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________.

Cl osing song : Covenan t

Let me walk with you, as I journey to this land , Searching for a meaning as each moment passes by

Let t he hand of time be lik e footpr int s in the sand , As I carr y you fr om the dawn to the setti ng sun.

Chorus:

Wit h just one hand we can tr avel far t ogether , One's life shari ng in love

I wi ll hold you for ever , Yes, I love you with al l my heart .

There'll be many crossroads as we walk along the way, There'll be many questions as we live life day by day

This wi ll never mat ter i f t he Lor d wi ll a lways be there, He wil l surely fi nd the answer s 'coz he cares

Repeat Chorus:

Yes, I love you wit h all my heart.

Cl osing Pr ayer

Each one should read his/her own Covenant of Service to Christ. Then theBS leader wil l close it in prayer.


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Lesson 4

UMYFP Coven an t -Wit n ess an d Ser ve

To war d s a f u t u r e w i t h h ope (Level U p)

Text : Ph il ippian s 2:12-13, Roman s 1:16

Th e Real D eal : Divide your BS group into two, each team should come upwith a word or short phrase that fi ts in the category to the left and begins wit hthe lett er above each box. Try to be creat ive. Your team scores a point for eachresponse that no other team has. (5 minutes)

Text Expl ain ed :

The passage from Phili ppians and Romans makes us aware that we are look-ing forward to witness and serve. Paul here enters a large discourse of justi fi ca-tion in the latter part, making a proof that he is ready to proclaim the gospel nomatter what happens, whether the result is good or evil. Paul was not ashamedof the power of God working in him (Phil 2:13).

Our Wesl eyan H er i t age:

Wesley insists that as United Methodists our personal salvation involvesChristian mission and service to the world. By joining hearts and hands, we as-sert that personal religion, evangelical wit ness and Chri stian social action arereciprocal and mutuall y reinforcing. Scriptural holiness entails more than per-sonal piety; love of God is always linked wi th love of neighbor, a passion of jus-tice and renewal in t he life of t he world. The general rule represents one tradi-tional expression of the intrinsic relationship between Christian life and thoughtas understood within the Wesleyan tradit ion. Theology is the servant of pi ety,which in turn grounds social conscience and the impetus for social action andglobal i nteraction, always in the empowering context of the reign of God.

Category P T W

Times we are glad

that Jesus is fighting

Accusations that

Satan makes of

Evidence of Satan'sanger

Ways we are pro-

tected by God.

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BIBLE STUDY M ATERIAL

FOR

Fr esh men


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BIBLE STUDY MATERIAL FOR

FRESH M EN

Lesson 1

The Gi f t

Game: So met h in g Pr ecious

1. Divide the class into three groups. Tell them to bring to t he leader f ive it emslisted in the paper. The it ems are: a perfume; a handkerchief; a box; a ribbon;and a red heart shaped object.

2. Give the class fi ve minutes to accomplish the requirements.

3. Whi chever team brings ALL the complete it ems wins and receives a prize. Ifthe team cannot complete the items stil l give them a pri ze.

All the three groups wil l probably not be able to complete the re-quired it ems. But all the three groups wil l sti ll be given a pri ze. Let the group

analyze the signif icance of not deserving to receive a prize. Compare andmake analogies with the gif t God gives us even if we do not deserve it .

Object and Anal ysis: A gif t

We usually receive wrapped gifts on Christmas. Imagine your excite-ment and joy when you receive these wrapped gif ts. You cant wait to open thegift . You want to unwrap it the moment you receive it . In our excitement, weimmediately and unconsciously tear the gif t wrap. We are thri ll ed because wewant to know whats inside the wrapper. The fun is different to receiving anunwrapped gift. And most of us prefer t he former.

God is giving us a gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes, this Christmas.

This is a gift that will change our lives forever. It is a very precious and impor-tant gift. Would you be will ing to unwrap the gift beneath the swaddlingclothes that God is giving us?

O u r Sc r i pt u r e: John 3:16; Luke 2:1to 16


Trivia: Did you know that the fi rst conference of all Methodists was held onChristmas?The first ever meeting of all Methodist preachers in America hap-pened in Balt imore, Maryl and in December 24, 1784. This was called theChristmas Conference and this marked the birt h of the Methodist Church.

Christmas conferencing and fellowships not only have a spir it ual sig-nificance but also a historical value. One of the reasons why the annual fellow-

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Reflect on thi s short story. Noel works at a local fast food restaurant. Al-though it is a common practice among his coworkers, Noel never underchargeshis fr iends who come in. He also resists the temptation t o snack on a handful offries or an ext ra burger, insisting upon paying for every meal he eats at work . Inthe last few days a substantial amount of money was taken from the cashier dur-ing Noels shif t. A shif t supervi sor, who has always disliked Noel, t ried to con-vince the manager that Noel was the thief. Because of Noels reputation for hon-esty, the charge was dismissed as the spiteful attack t hat it was.


Do you know of a UMYFPer who is honest in his/her covenant wit h the LORD?

1. Covenant is deeper than promise, differentiate the two.

2. In the text that Paul writes to the Philippians, What i s the covenant ofthis people that even without his presence they are stil l t rustwort hy?Compareto your covenant t o the Lord today.

3. As Young People what do you suggest t o develop strong and att ainablecovenant?

4. What i s your covenant wit h the Lord to continue a li fe wit h Christ?Are youdoing them?Start making your covenant.

My covenant to the Lord from now on

____________________________________________________________________________________.

Fr om t h e Real D eal : To fulf il l your covenant you need the Armor of Godsuch as: Gospel, power/powerful, l iving, active, enduring, alert , love, hope, stand.

Cl osin g So n g: KAYBUTI BUTI M O

K aybuti buti mo Panginoon, Sa lahat ng oras sa bawat ar aw

Ikawy l aging tapat kung magmahal, Ang iyong kaawaay magpawalang hanggan (2x)Koro:

Pinupuri, sinasamba kita, Dakilang Diyos at Panginoon,

Tunay ngang Ikawy wal ang katulad, Tunay ngang Ikawy di nagbabago

M abuti ang Di yos na sa akin ay nagmamahal(2x) (2x)

CLOSIN G PRAYER:

Lord of Covenant, we know you did your part and you are always with us.We believe as we made a covenant with you today, we believe that you wil l con-

tinue to be a loving God no matter what. Thank you for your faithfulness and weare now faith servants by your grace and mercy in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen


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pel.As you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now muchmore in my absence (Phil 2:12). The believers had always been eager to knowGod whether or not Paul is with them. This should encourage us to do our ut-most, because our labor shall not be in vain. God is ready to concur with Hi sgrace and assist our faithful covenant. Observe that though we must use our bestendeavors in working out our salvation, yet we stil l must be dependent upon thegrace of God.Phil 2:13 says because God is always at work in you; to makeyou willing and able to obey his own purpose. God has given us undeservedgrace so we can never claim or pretend to deserve it . Gods good will to us is the

cause of His good works in us and He is under no engagement to His creatures,but those of his gracious COVENANT.


The underlying energy of the Wesleyan theological heri tage stems from anemphasis on practical divinity, the implementation of genuine Christianity in thelives of beli evers. Methodism did not arise in response to a specific doctrinal dis-pute, though there was no lack of theological controversy. Early Methodistclaimed to preach the scriptural doctrines of the Church of England as containedin the Arti cles of Reli gion, the Homilies, and the Book of Common Prayer. Theirtask was not to reformulate doctrine, but to summon people to experience the

justifying and sanctifying grace of God and encourage people to grow in theknowledge and love of Christ through the personal and corporate disciplines ofChristian li fe. The thrust of the Wesleyan movement of the United Brethren andEvangeli cal Association was to reform the nation, part icularly the church and tospread scriptural hol iness over t he land. Wesleys ori entation t owards the prac-tical is evident in his focus upon the SCRIPTURE WAY OF SALVAITON. Heconsidered doctrinal matters primarily in terms of their significance for Chris-tian Discipleship. The Wesleyan emphasis upon the Christi an life faith and loveput int o practice has been the hallmark of t hose tradit ions now incorporatedinto THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. The distinctive shape of theWesleyan theological heritage can be seen in a constellation of doctrinal empha-sis that di splay the creating, redeeming, and sanctifying activity of God.


Covenant wi th God today meri ts honesty. UMYFPers find i t very diff icult t oprove that t heir covenant in t he Lord to Continue a life wit h Christ is now thegreat wall of challenge. As the text in Phil ippians reminds us that we are theyoung people of the Church who need to abide by the covenant t o the Lord. Re-member Gods covenant to Noah (Genesis 9:11-13And I will establish my cove-nant wi th you; neit her shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood;neit her shall there any more be a flood to destroy t he earth. And God said, This isthe token of t he covenant which I make between me and you and every li vingcreature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in t he cloud,and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the eart h.) Let us keep

our covenant and never break it .

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ship of Unit ed Methodists Youths is held during the Christmas season was toremember the significance of the Christmas Conference.

Gr oup D iscussion :

The whole world pauses for a holiday season during Decemberespecially Christians. But t he Chri stmas season has become so commercial-ized. Santa Claus became the symbol of Christmas for children. It has becomea tine for parties and vacations for barkadas and families wit hout even know-

ing what they are celebrating. How about you; how did you celebrate Christ-mas?W hat did you celebrate last December 25?Did you have exchange gif ts?What is the meaning behind such gift giving?What things should we neverforget during Christmas?

Son g of Ref l ect ion and Anal ysis:

Jingle Bells Jingle Bells Jingle All the Way

O what fine it is to r ide in a one horse open sleigh, Hey!

Jingle Bells Jingle Bells Jingle All the Way

O what fine it is to r ide in a one horse open sleigh, Hey!

This song has long been a tradit ional Christmas song that even carol-ing kids frequently sings. This is a very jolly and fun song to sing. But why didthis became a Christmas song?W here is the Christmas message in this song?Is your celebration of the Christmas season similar t o the signifi -cance/insignif icance of this Christmas song?

Co mpar e w i t h t h is o t h er Ch r ist mas so n g :

Joy to t he Wor ld t he Lord i s come, Let eart h receive her k ing

Let every heart prepare Hi m room

And heaven and nature sing, And heaven and nature sing

And heaven and heaven and nature sing

Appl icat ion :

As we celebrate the Chri stmas season let us remember its reason.When you sing Chri stmas songs, make sure the message of Chri stmas is inyour song. When you give gifts, make sure that you know why you are givingand receiving them. When you are going to a Christmas party, make sure youhave the right reason for your celebration.

Pr ayer :

Dear God, you are the God of uncondi tional love who gave your SonJesus Christ on Christmas day to show your love to the world. Help us under-


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stand that the reason for our celebration i s the new l ife that you offered to usthrough the birth of Jesus Christ this Christmas. Move int o our heart s as wereceive your precious gift to us. Teach us to love you more by loving ourneighbors as you have loved us. Amen.

Lesson 2

To o Sh o r tT o p i c : Al l a r e Si n n e r s

Game: Reac h

1. An invi tation lett er is placed on a very high area.

2. Ask each member of t he group to reach the invi tation wit hout jumping orusing leverage materi als.

3. Whoever reaches the letter wins.

Object and An al ysis:Mich el an g e lo s Cr eat io n o f Ad am

This famous masterpiece of Michelangelo is paint ed on the SistineChapels ceil ing. This is the art ists depiction of creation in Genesis. But one of

the most int eresting sections of t his paint is the stretched-out arm of God(interpreted as an old man) to Adam. Look at the difference between Adam(left) and God (right): God is all-stretched out to Adam while Adam is seem-ingly laidback and hesit ant. Notice that the fingers of God and Adam nevertouched. What would have happened if Adam tried a lit t le harder to reachGod?

Ou r Scr ipt ur e: Romans 3:23


John Wesley is the founder of the Methodist movement. He was apriest of the Church of England and was also the leader of the Christian group

called the Holy Club. The Holy Club practi ces holiness from oneself to thesociety, emphasizing that the fi rst step in our journey towards holiness is rec-

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Lesson 3

U M YFP Co ven an t - Con t in u ing Li f e

W i t h Ch r i st

Text : Phi l ippian s 2:12-13

So ng o f Pr epar at io n: STILL

Hi de me now, Under your w ings, Cover me, wit hin your mighty hand

When the oceans r ise and thunders roar , I w il l soar w it h you above the storm

Father you are king over t he flood, I wi ll be sti ll and know you are God

Find r est my soul, In Chr ist al one, Know hi s power, In quietness and trust

Th e Real D eal : The Armor of God. Discover the Bible passages that say

about our Christian armor t o continuing life with Chri st . (Fil l in the blank, againit s a Bible dri ll )

1. Romans 1:16 --- I am not ashamed of the _________________ because it is the___________ of God for the Salvat ion of everyone who believes.

2. Hebrews 1:3----The Son is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact repre-sentation of his being, sustaini ng all things by hi s _______________word.

3. Hebrews 4:12----For the word of God is __________and ___________. Sharperthan any doubled edge ___________.

4. 1Peter 1:23---- for you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but ofimperishable through the ___________ and ___________ word of God.

5. 1Peter 5:8--- -Be self cont rolled and ___________.6. 1Thessalonians 5:8 ---But since we belong to the day, let be self control led,putting on _____ and ______ as a breastplate, and t he ___________of salvation as ahelmet.

7. Ephesians 6: 13---Therefore put on the full armor of God so that when theday of evi l comes, you may be able to _______ your ground, and aft er you havedone everything, to stand.

Text Expl ain ed :

Paul, whil e in pr ison, exhort s the believers in Phil ippi to diligence and seri-ousness in t heir Chri stian Life. You need to work out for your salvation. In t he

text, Paul urges the Phil ippian Christ ians to be ready always and obey the gos-


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Son g bef or e c l osing pr ayer :

STAN D UP, STAN D UP FOR JESUs

Stand up; stand up for Jesus, ye sold iers of the cross

Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss

From victor y to victor y Hi s army shall He lead

Ti ll every foe is vanquished and Chri st is Lord i ndeed

Stand up; stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey

Forth t o the mighty conflict, in t his His glori ous day

Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes;

Let courage r ise with danger, and strength t o str ength oppose

Stand up; stand up for Jesus, the stri fe wil l not be long

This day t he noise of bat tl e, the next t he victor s song

To those who vanquish evil a crown of l ife shall beThey wi th the king of glor y shall reign eternall y.

Cl osing Pr ayer :

Lord Jesus, You CALLED me to these purpose now I am standing showingup as salt and li ght of the WORLD. I know i t is not so easy, rather it is hard t ofollow your command, but I wil l do my best because I know Youre with me al-ways. Give me strength that I need, knowledge, right att it ude. I pray to enjoyyour l ove as I share to other people. I love You, Jesus. Thank you for the Cross.Amen

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ognition that we are sinners and that the only way to salvati on is through Je-sus.

Wesleys group grew and became known as the Methodi sts. Whenthese Methodists migrated to America, Wesley sent preachers to help the lo-cals in t heir spiri tual needs. These preachers shared to both Methodists andnon-Methodists. People reali zed how sinful they are and the only way to befree from doing bad things is to receive Gods grace. There is no amount ofgood works that can heal our sin-sick souls. We must recognize that we needGods healing.


I am not perfect. I am only human Familiar?W e tend to make ourimperfection an excuse when we do wrong because we dont want t o admitour sinful acts. Maybe youre the boyfriend/gir lf riend that upsets your girl -friend/boyfriend when you forget your monthsary or even anniversary. Or achild that worr ies his/her parents because you went home very late. Or an em-ployee who didnt complete his/her job on time. The Bibl e tells us that human-it y severed it s perfect relationship with God when Adam and Eve disobeyedHim. The book of Romans reminds us that all humans are sinners. Are you justgoing to be a sinner forever and keep sinning?Or would you bring it all t o God

and accept His redempti on?

1. We have a broken relationship wit h God, what are the consequences?

2. Can this broken relationship wit h God st il l be restored?How?

3. Should being human an excuse to make mistakes?Is being a sinner an ex-cuse to keep doing sins?


Amazin g Gr ace

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wr etch like me.I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that t aught my heart t o fear .

And Grace, my fears relieved.

How pr ecious did that Grace appear,

The hour I f ir st believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

'Ti s Grace that brought me safe thus far

and Gr ace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.His wor d my hope secures.He wil l my shield and porti on be,

As long as life endures.

Yea, when thi s flesh and heart shall f ail ,

And mor tal li fe shall cease,

I shall possess wit hin t he veil ,

A li fe of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years,

Bri ght shining as the sun.

We've no less days to sing God's pra ise,

Than when we've first begun.


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This song was wri tten by John Newton, a slave trader, who was con-victed by the amazing grace of God that kept call ing him to change despit ehis background of being profane, even mocking God.

Appl icat ion :

In our sinful state, is there a chance for us to be forgiven by Christ?How about your worst enemy who have commit ted the gravest sin to you?Can God st il l forgive and change him?

Pr ayer :

Lord, forgive me for I am a sinner. I know you gave your Son JesusChrist to live and die for me for the forgiveness of my sins. He also restored mybroken relationship wi th you. I accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior inmy heart . Heal me of my sinfulness and help me to become more li ke Jesus.

Lesson 3

Sign in g upT o p i c : U n d es er v ed g r a c e a n d j u s t i f i c a t i o n

(pr ac t i c i n g t h e g r a c e f o r yo u r sal v at i o n )

Game: Sign up (8-10 par t ic ipant s)

Materials: Bible

The objective of t he game is for the part icipants to reach the alt ar andbe enrolled in the Tropang CI in fi ve steps. Everybody should join. The facil it a-tor will ask questions and the parti cipants will respond to each question.Those who cannot proceed to the next step wil l have to go back to start andwait for t he next round. There can be three rounds or unt il all the participantsreach the alt ar.

Step 1: The facili tator wil l invite everybody to join. For example, Those whowant t o be part of Tropang CI come in f ront . Then, all contestants should doa jumping jack for 8 counts. All those who can do it can proceed to step 2.

Step 2: All contestants should show their Bibles. All those wit h Bibles can pro-ceed to step 3. (Part icipants who left their Bibles on their chairs cannot pro-ceed to the next step and have to wait for t he next round.)

Step 3: With their Bibles held in both hands, the part icipants should do astretch up and bend down for 10 counts. Those who can do the stretching ac-tivi ty can proceed to step 4. Alt ernati ve: Balance the Bibl e on t he head.

Step 4: Part icipants who reached this level should recit e one memory verse.Those who recit ed one verse can proceed to step 5.

Step 5: Participants who reached this level should do a stretch up, sit on theair, and bend down wi th the Bible held in both hands whi le recit ing their

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A lot of people, especially the youth, face the challenge to show it if theytruly want to be the salt and light of the world. Being salt and light will serve asevidence of renewed li fe in Chri st. UMYFP today should exist not only havinginward change but also outward change. If t here is a time in the past that you arelazy to study your lessons in school, doing house hold shores, and in reading theword of God; now you need to show i t by regularly obeying your parents andfollowing all the instruction for you to grow up. Prove as UMYFPer thatWesleyan Spir it ualit y and Christ ian discipleship i s manifested in all aspects ofyour life. Make it as a major part of your Christian life. Serving people will merita lot, but we first need to strengthen our spir it ual lives, we must seriously readthe word of God, pray, and have fellowship wit h other Christians. This strengthwi ll help us face the batt le of thi s world and MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Do notforget to show CHRIST in your life.


1. What are the issues today bothered you?Is it spending time on the com-puter, facebook-ing, games, friends outing, etc.?

2. Do you find i t boring to serve as Salt and Light by showing up your faithin Jesus, to other people?

3. How do you react to this issue: many UMYFPers today are only active inyouth activities but not in their local churches?Are you one of them?

4. How did Jesus chall enge His disciples to be salt and light of the world?Asked to you, would you take the chall enge?(Verse 16) Expl ain.

5. Identi fy your strengths and weaknesses in sharing your fait h and be saltand light for Christ. Briefly elaborate your answer.

RESULT OF SH OW I N G UP

1. Persecution. ____________Agree_______________ Disagree

2. Blessing and Insult. ____________Agree_______________ Disagree3. Eternal Li fe in heaven ____________Agree_______________ Disagree

REACTI ON / REFLECTI ON

From the Real Deal, Your KNOWLEDGE (96%), being HARDWORK(98%), Your ATTITUDE (100%), And most of all the LOVE OF GOD (101%), Isthe amazing grace of all. You got the answer. Use it for your fait h journey.


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Lesson 2

I t s Sh o w Time

Text : Mat t h ew 5:13-16

Th e Real D eal : A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z-Is equivalent to 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 2122 23 24 25 26.Based on this formula, 1=A /A=1, find the hidden words and get t he sum of t he

following. See how God is amazing. (5 Minutes).1. 11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5= _________________________

2. 8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11= _________________________

3. 1+20+9+20+21+4+5= _________________________

4. 12+15+22+5+15+6+7+5= _________________________

Read Text : Mat t h ew 5:13-16

Text Expl ain ed :

You are the salt of t he Earth; if t he salt l ost it s salt iness it is indeed worth-

less. You are encouraged to support fellow Christians who are suffering. TheApostle was the salt of the earth for they must go into all worlds to preach thegospel-- its show time.Now t hat we are Christs disciples, we are alreadyrenewed; we learned the gospel and are tasked to teach it to others - we are aSALT. We should not only Be Good but alsoDo Good. At the same time asLIGHT of the world, we must show enlightenment to those who live in dark-ness. Let others see your good works that they maybe convinced of the trut h andpower of our faith. Let your l ight shine before men that t hey may be saved, thosearound us must not only HEAR our GOOD W ORDSbut SEEour GOODWORKSthat all will be convinced that our faith in Christ Jesus is more than areligion.


The coherence of fait h with ministries of love forms the discipl ine ofWesleyan Spir it ualit y and Christ ian discipleship. The General rule was origi-nally designed for members of Methodist Societies who part icipated in the sacra-mental li fe of the Church of England. The terms of membership in these societieswere simple: a desire to flee from the wrath to come and to be saved from theirsins. Wesley insisted, however, t hat evangelical faith should manifest it self inevangelical living. He spelled out this expectation in three-part formula of theRule: it is therefore expected of all who continue therein that they should con-tinue to evidence their desire of salvation by (1) Doing No Harm, (2) DoingGood, and (3) Staying in love with God.

11

memory verse. Those who can perform all these are considered winners. Alt er-nati ve: stand in one leg and balance the Bible on the head.

Before starting the game, make sure no one has cardio-respiratoryproblem. Those with heart problem or asthma can do the alternati ve, i.e. standin one foot.

Game An al ysis:

Our Christian li fe is like thi s game, in what ways?

The invi tation is always open, how can you join?

What can the Bible signify?

Object: Flowing water wit h glass.

Pict ur e Anal ysis:

1. If thirsty what does flowing water do?

2. Is the water always there?

3. How can we drink from the flowing water?

Lesso n Pr esent at ion :

Water i s the source of l ife. It is vital for our sustenance and existence.Studies showed that a human can go for 30 days wit hout food but wit h wateronly. But humans can die in three days of no water. This is because it dries outour bodies. In the same way, our spiri t needs water li ving water that comesonly from God. Without this water, our spiritual l ives will dry out. But wherecan we get t his water?And how often can we get f rom it?

The Bibl e tell s us in John 4:14 that, God is the eternal spring of l ivingwater t hat never goes dry. The wonderful thing is that God offers this eternalliving water t o us 24 hours a day seven times a week. Thus, we can get thisli ving water t o make us spiri tuall y alive anytime, anywhere. The offer is alwaysthere, we only need to respond. We need to bring our cups and receive thisliving water.

Ou r Scr ipt ur e: Ph il ippian s 2:12-13.

1. Read Phili ppians 2:12-13. How does it relate to the popular Fi li pino saying,nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa?

2. This verse captures the essence that Gods grace is always present . However,humans need to respond to that grace from God. What i s the human responsethat Paul was telling the Christians in Philippians?

3. Our salvation begins from the grace that comes from God. However, wemust cooperate with Gods grace for the salvati on of our souls. This is the es-


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sence of working for our salvation. As humans, we are given an abil it y torespond to this grace. When we are working out our salvati on and who isreally at work?


John Wesley talked about t he prevenient (preceeding) grace and thesancti fying grace that helps us move towards Christian perfection. This is thegrace from God that is offered to everybody. W hile humans are corrupted bythe works of sin, prevenient grace allows persons to engage their God-given

free wil l to choose the salvati on offered by God in Jesus Christ . When we re-spond to that prevenient grace we are changed from one glorious state to an-other. We then receive the sancti fying grace from God that moves us closer toChristian perfection.


Imagine a world class athlete that you admire. Before he/she became aworld class athlete what are the things that he/she needs to do months beforethe competit ion?Does he/she undergo training?How often do you thinkhe/she trains: once a week, twice a week, monthly or daily?W hy does he/sheneed to train?As Christians who desire to be Christ-l ike, do we need to prac-tice our faith only once a week, twice a week, monthly or daily?How do wework out our faith or what is the best way to achieve Christian perfection?


I have decided to fol low Jesus; I have decided to fol low Jesus

I have decided to fol low Jesus; no tur ning back, no tur ning back

Though none go wi th me, sti ll I w il l foll ow, Though none go wit h me, sti ll I w il l foll ow

Though none go wi th me, sti ll I w il l foll ow, No tur ning back, no turn ing back

Appl icat ion :

Our salvation start s when God offered his Son Jesus Christ to die forour sins. How do we respond to this grace from God?

Pr ayer :

Lord, I offer myself to you. Please take away all that is sinful withinme. Take away the past that hinders me to look forward, whether it s my atti-tude, habits, and desires. Lord, I dont deserve Your grace yet You sti ll are wil l-ing to give it to me. Clean me oh, Jesus for I come before you shameless andhumbled. Help me to practice the fait h I have in You. Help me to be like You.

Thank You, oh Father. Amen.

37

There are UMYFPers in our church procrastinate, dwell ing only on what istemporaryworldly t hings, inf luence, power, authorit y. If we allow t his to con-tinue, we might be losing the future of our church. Satan is also making it s wayto us. Zaccheus couldnt go near the Lord because of the crowd, whi ch hindershim from seeing Jesus. Like Zaccheus, there are so many things that crowd oursight to Jesus and we end up losing focus on Him. We need to climb our ownSycamore tree to see the bigger picture and see Jesus coming forth us. Wit h openhearts and spirit , accept Christ Jesus offer of a life renewed found only i n Him.


1. What are the hindrances that you encountered while preparing for Christ-mas Instit ute 2011?

2. Did you find help (Sycamore tree), t hat offer you financial support andencouragement t o attend the Christmas Inst it ute 2011?

3. How would your spiritual life go to a deeper faith?Explain briefly.

4. What attitude would you like to remove upon listening to the lessontaken from the Story of Zaccheus?Why?

5. Do you really have a renewed life with Christ?Or still looking for a CALLfrom Jesus to seek and save you because you are sti ll LOST?

RESULT OF REN EWED LI FE WI TH CH RI ST

1. Experience a great joy in your life and family as well.

2. Your focus is Jesus and not with other people who serve as deceiver ofyour faith.

3. Enjoying a li fe free from bondage of Sin. And Experience unlimi ted graceof God.

From the Real Deal, the Dragon, tempter, Satan, Devil , Beelzebub areLOSTif we have aRENEWED life with CHRIST. RENEWED UMYFPer FOREVER.

Son g bef or e c l osing pr ayer :

Read your Bible, Pray everyday (3x)

(2x)

And you Gr ow, grow, grow

And you Gr ow, grow, grow(2x)

(2x)

Cl osing Pr ayer :

Lord Jesus, today, as we first involved ourselves in t his Bible Study group, itis you that we encounter. Great is your power and love that you call us even

amidst t he unavoidable hindrances. You made the way to seek me. Thank youfor your patience Lord. I am saved because of You. My life is changed. Amen


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Sen io r ONE CAN M AK E A DIFFERENCE

Lesson 1

Ren ewed Li f e Wi t h Chr ist

Text : Luke 19:1-10

Th e Real D eal : Look up the Scriptures li sted below. There you wi ll findsome names and descript ion of Satan. (5 minutes to play)

1. Revelat ion 12:7 __________________________________

2. 1Thessalonians 3:5 __________________________________

3. Romans 16:20 __________________________________

4. John 8:44 __________________________________

5. Matthew 12:24 __________________________________

Read t h e Text : Luk e 19:1-10

Text Expl ain ed :

Many conversion stories of believers of Jesus Christ were not writ ten in de-tails in the Gospel, unless they are ext raordinary li ke the life of Zaccheus. Zac-cheus was a short man, working with the government as tax collector. He cheatspeople and everyone in his town knows his wrongful acts. One day, Jesus passedJericho. Zaccheus was so excited to see Him but his physical buil t limit s him tosee over the crowd. He climbed over a Sycamore tree and t here he found Jesus.His eagerness led him t o a renewed l ife in Christ despit e his physical hin-drancea turning point .

The gracious design of God is to seek and save which was lost.


Our Doctrinal history: the pioneers in the traditions of Methodism thatflowed together into the United Methodist Church understood themselves asstanding in the central stream of Christian Spir it ualit y and doctrine; loyal heirsof the authentic Christian tradition. In John Wesleys words, theirs was the oldreligion, the religion of the Bible, the religion of the whole church in the purestages. Their gospel was grounded in t he bibl ical message of Gods self -giving loverevealed in Jesus Chri st.


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Lesson 4

Pr epar in g Yo ur sel f :

Removin g t h e excess bagg ageT o pi c : Sl i d i n g d o w n

Game: M o d if ied Basket bal l Sn akes and Ladd ers

1. Have two groups of 5 to 8 members

2. One member of t he group wi ll act as the token

3. Each member will try t o shoot the ball into the small basket. If the ball goesin t hen the token of that group will move one-step. If t he ball misses then thetoken moves one step backwards.

4. The token who will reach the finish after ten steps wins.

Lesson An al ysis:

The slide is supposed tobring people down. Have you evertr ied climbing up the slide?It isdifficult because it is slippery, andgravity wil l pul l you down, makingit hard to reach the top. Our life asChristians is like climbing up theslide. The gravity is the chall engesand the temptations that we faceevery day. These temptations wil lalways pull us down and make ourclimb to the top difficult. When-

ever we do wrong and give in t o the temptations, we slide back down. When-ever we backslide to the bottom, our goal of Christian perfection seems far anddif ficult . But Gods grace will always help and guide us if we only need to fo-cus in our climb and never backslide.

Ou r Scr ipt u r e:Leviticus 20:26 and 1Peter 1:15-16; James 5:19-20; Psalm 77:7-9

1. Read Leviticus 20:26 and 1Peter 1:15-16. What is God call ing us to become?What is our goal as Christi ans?

2. Read James 5:19-20. Is it possible to move away from Gods grace?W hat aresome of the common reasons that make us wander away from God?

3. Read Psalm 77:7-9. Why is the Psalmist cryi ng out t o God?Why is he askingif God will ever forgive him?

Picture: A slide


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John Wesley evangelized to a society that was already predominantlyChristian. The problem was not how to int roduce Jesus because most ofthem are already baptized. What Wesley saw was that t hese supposed Chri s-t ians did not l ive up to their name instead they were backsliders. Wesleysmission is to awaken the backsliders for they are already fall ing fast away fromthe grace of God. These people have fail ed to respond to Gods grace and arepulling farther f rom God.

The Phili ppines is a Christ ian country but the Methodists and otherProtestant churches still needs a lot of evangeli cal work . One of our missions isto make every Christian Fil ipinos have a closer relati onship with God andmove towards Christian perfection especiall y those who are backsliding. Youcan do your part . Pray to God to put a burden in your heart to see what needsto be done to the people around us and bring them to Christ .


1. Have you backslid from your fait h?Do you know of somebody who did?

2. How did they go back on the right track?

3. What happens to backsliders?Is there a chance for them?


Come, Tho u Fou n t of ever y bl essin g

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing t hy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodi ous sonnet, sung by f lami ng tongues above.

Pra ise the mount! I' m fix ed upon it, mount of t hy redeeming love.

Here I r aise mine Ebenezer; hit her by thy help I'm come;

and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely t o ar r ive at home.

Jesus sought me when a str anger, wander ing fr om the fold of God;

he, to r escue me from danger, int erposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor dai ly I 'm constr ained to be!

Let t hy goodness, li ke a fetter, bind my w anderi ng heart to t hee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I l ove;

here's my heart , O take and seal it , seal it for thy cour ts above.

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FOR

SEN I O RS


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This hymn was written by Robert Robinson as a young pastor. How-ever, he backslid from his faith and wandered away from God. He eventuallyfound his way back when a young woman she was ri ding with in a coachasked him to comment about a beauti ful verse that she was reading. The versewas from the poem that Mr. Robinson actually wrote. (see it alicized verseabove)

Appl icat ion :

It is important that we reflect our actions every day. Try this activity:At the end of t he day, before you go to sleep, look and reflect of what

happened during that day?Remember if you offended, cursed, forgot to prayand the likes to somebody. In a scale of 1to 10, one being far and 10 being closeto God, how wi ll you rate yourself?Write it in a paper and at the end of theweek, look at your score and see if you are backsliding or moving towardsChristian perfection.

Pr ayer :

Dear God of holiness and perfection, You have call ed us to be perfectand holy li ke you. Forgive us if we fall away from you. Help us to focus back

towards Christian perfection that we may be more like your son Jesus Christ .Amen.


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"Because," explained the King, "peace does not mean to be in a placewhere there is no noise, troubl e, or hard work . Peace means to be in the midstof all those things and stil l be calm in your heart . That is the real meaning ofpeace."

What does this Bibl ical passage tell you?

John 16:33 (NLT)

"I have told you all thi s so that you may have 'peace' in me. Here on eart h you wil l

have many t ri als and sorr ows. But take heart , because I have overcome the world."

Appl icat ion : Spot t h e Di f f er enc e

Explain:

Each has to find peace from within. And peace to be real should not be affected by

outside cir cumstances

So n g o f r ef l ec t io n an d an a lysis St i l l

Hi de me now Under your wings, Cover me Wi thin Y our mighty hands

When the oceans r ise and thunders roar, I wi ll soar w it h You, above the stor m

Father, You are king over t he flood, I wi ll be sti ll and know You are God

Find r est my soul, in Chr ist al one, Know H is power, in quietness and tr ust

Pr ayer

Lord, the Prince of peace, who loves justice and peace. The real peaceis truly found in You. Forgive me if I at times try t o find peace from people,places and worldl y things. You oh God created this worl d that Your peoplewould li ve in harmony and peace, yet what i s happening right now i s different.

Help us to love peace and justice and be peacemakers in our ways that we mayaffect others. Amen.


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John Wesley wrote a Hymn entit led Peace Doubting Heart My GodsI Am. Here are few stanzas from thi s Hymn

PEACE, doubting heart! my God's I am; Who formed me man, forbids my fear;

The Lord hath called me by my name; The Lord pr otects, for ever near;

Hi s blood for me did once atone, And sti ll he loves and guards his own.

When passing through the watery deep, I ask in f ait h his promi sed aid,

The waves all awful distance keep, And shri nk fr om my devoted head;

Fearless their viol ence I dar e; They cannot har m, for God is there!

When darkness intercepts the skies, And sorr ow's waves around me roll ,

When high the stor ms of passion r ise, And half o'erwhelm my sinking soul,

M y soul a sudden calm shall f eel, And hear a whisper, "Peace; be sti ll !"

Gr o up d iscussio n

Perf ect Peace

There once was a King who offered a pri ze to the art ist who wouldpaint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all thepictures, but there were only two he reall y li ked and he had to choose betweenthem.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror forpeaceful towering mountains were all around i t. Overhead was a blue sky withfluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought t hat it was a perfect pic-ture of peace.

The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged andbare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell , in which lightening played.Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall . This did not lookpeaceful at all.

But when the King looked, he saw behind t he waterfall a tiny bushgrowing in a crack in t he rock. In the bush a mother bird had buil t her nest.There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bi rd on her nest... perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize?

The King chose the second picture.

Do you know why?

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FOR

JUN I O RS


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Jun io r

Lesson 1

Cho o sin g Sid es

Game: Agr ee o r D isagr ee

Materi als: Masking Tape, 2 sheets of paper, Marker

Getting Ready: Lay a piece of masking tape across the middle of thefloor ( or street) to divide it into two sides. Write Agree on the other sideand Disagree on the other.

I n st r u c t i o n s:

The facili tator wil l be reading a series of statements. The part icipantswi ll make a choice that reflects their opinion about each belief or statement. Ifyou agree wit h the statement, you will move to the "agree" side, and if you

don't , you will move to the "disagree" side. If you are not sure, stay on the tapedline in the middle. Aft er each statement and everyone has moved, they wil l beasked why they are standing on that side.

Sugg est ed St at ement s

(Faci li tat or may ask different stat ements depending on the need):

1. I believe in the lit eral resurrection of Jesus Christ.

agree disagree

2. I believe the miracles were supernatural occurrences as presented in the

Biblical account.

agree disagree

3. I believe a Christian cannot lose their salvation.

agree disagree

4. I beli eve in a li teral heaven and hell.

agree disagree

5. I believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three persons but one God.

agree disagree

6. I believe a Christian receives the Holy Spirit when they are saved.

agree disagree

31

Quest ion s :

1. How was it looking for the words synonymous to peace?

2. Were you able to experi ence such kind of peace being defined by the words?

Ou r Scr ipt u r e: Read: John 14:15-27

Quest ion s f or d iscussion :

1. Who was the best counselor youve ever had?Why was this person sospecial?

2. How are the disciples to show love to Jesus?(v.15) W hy is this idea re-peated four t imes (vv. 15, 21, 23-24)?

3. What do you learn about t he Holy Spirit in verses 16-17 and 25-27?What is the relationship of t he Father, Jesus, and Holy Spiri t to the be-liever?

4. What i s the difference between how Jesus gives peace and how theworld does?

It 's been years that peace reign in our planet; peace became a very rare

commodity. There are wars, domestic violence, calamit ies, quarrels, evenchurch spli ts. The peace in our heart s seems to be an unreachable dream. Wemay ask: W here is the peace that Jesus promised?

Jesus brought all t hat is needed for peace in our world. He taught t heprinciples of peace, call ing for people to love their neighbors as they love them-selves. And as He was leaving, He promised Peace, I leave wit h youMypeace I give to you. He told us to turn t he other cheek, go the ext ra mile, for-give offenses, reject greed, t olerate each others weaknesses, l ive to serve andlove one another as He has loved us. It is dif ferent with what the world offersus. According to Matt hew Henry, The worlds gift s concern only the bodyand time; Christs gift s enrich the soul for eterni ty: the world gives lying vani-ties, and that which will cheat us; Christ gives substantial blessings, which

wi ll never fail us: the world gives and takes; Christ gives a good part that shallnever be taken away. The peace which Chri st gives is infinit ely more valuablethan that which the world gives.

The worlds peace begins in ignorance, consists with sin, and ends inendless troubles; Chri sts peace begins in grace, consists with no all owed sin,and ends at length in everlasti ng peace.

Peace is up to us, especiall y if we know that we have the Lord Jesus inour heart s, and the abiding comfort of the Holy Spiri t. And of course, if we hadexperienced peace with God, we can share His peace wit h others.


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Pr ayer

Our Father, I am tired. At t imes I t hink I could no longer go on. Amen.

Lesson 4

Live in Peac e

Scr ipt u r e: John 14:15- 27

Wo r d puzzl e : peace

Divide the group into to smaller groups. Let them look for the follow-ing words which are synonymous to t he word peace.

Friendship

concord

union

unity

quietrelax

rest

content

hush

Order

love

unanimity

Calmness

harmony

full

a o b Q s t s e r h

b m r C o n t e n t

c v p D s c x n l q

h u s H e v r u u f

c r a w d r f i p b

p i h S d n e i r f

O c s E f t v h q n

k d d R g b c a w o

u n i T y o t r l i

l c f T n b g m l t

s n g C h n u o u a

f e o Y j l n n l i

f r h U k q i y d l

d r e L a x o j g i

g e j I m a n m u c

j k k O l z b i l n

c a l m n e s s o O

m l o P z w y k v C

m p z A x s h o e e

y t i m i n a n u r

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7. I believe that human beings evolved from something

less than human.

agree disagree

8. I believe in the priesthood of t he beli ever, t hat all Christians have direct

access to God.

agree disagree

9. I believe in t he power of prayer t o affect and change lives.

agree disagree

10. I believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin.

agree disagree

11. I beli eve that human can be saved from death depending on t he weight ofhis/her sin, whether small, average, and big.

agree disagree

12. Christians cant dwell with unbelievers.

agree disagree

13. You dont sin if you think bad as long as you dont say it .agree disagree

Quest ion s f or d iscussion :

1. What statements really made you think?Explain.

2. Are there situations where your friends or family expect you to act or beli evea certain way even though you dont?Explain.

3. Have you ever been in a situation where you were unable to let your t ruefeelings show?What did you do?If you never experienced this, what will youdo if it happened?

Ou r Scr ipt u r e: 2 Corinthians 6:14 18

Read verses 14 and15

What is a Yoke? What do you think does being yoked together wit hunbelievers mean?

Sit e situations or examples about this passage. Explain.

Read verse 16 - 18

What does it mean to be a dwell ing place of God?What do you thinkare the things that can make you unclean in the following aspects:physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual?

Is there something that makes you unclean right now?Share your ex-


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perience.

How can a believer be a friend and a wit ness to an unbeliever wi thoutbecoming yoked?

Paul in this passage instruct s Christi ans not t o be bound togetherwith unbelievers, and then goes on to give the reasons he requires this. Fromthe middle of verse 14 t hrough the fi rst part of verse 16, Paul writ es why Chri s-tians and non-Christians cannot be partners in Gods work. He points out thatChristians and non-Christians are worlds apart by giving five areas of contrast .

Christians cannot be yoked together with unbelievers in Gods work becauseof their moral incompatibi li ty.

Christians are all about the pursuit of righteousness; unbelievers aresinners, whose common characteristic is lawlessness. Christians live in t helight; non-Christians li ve in darkness. Chri stians worship and obey JesusChrist as Lord of all; unbelievers are knowingly or unknowingly followers ofsatan. Believers and unbelievers have no common ground when it comes totheir relationship with God in Christ Jesus.

But of course, as Christian Young people, we sti ll have the responsi-bil it y over non-believers, especially those who belong to our family andfriends. We need to be fi rm wi th our fait h and convictions, so as not to be car-ried away by the world but to carry these unbeliever neighbors and win them

over t o Christ . Being Believers of Christ should not only be seen in our actionsbut also be felt in our intentions of having relationships with the peoplearound us.

Ou r Wesl eyan H er i t ag e

Founder John Wesley and the early Methodists were particularlyconcerned about invi ting people to experience Gods grace and to grow intheir knowledge and love of God through disciplined Christ ian living. Theyplaced primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love intoaction. This emphasis on what Wesley referred to as "practical divinit y" orsocial holiness has continued to be a hallmark of Uni ted Methodism today.

Gr o up D iscussio n

G i vi n g C al h o u n t h e Ba l l

by: Br ian C avanaugh, T.O.R., The Sower' s Seeds

There once was this impor tant football game between two teams.One team was much larger than the other. The larger t eam was dominating thegame and beating the smaller team. The coach for t he smaller team saw thathis team was not able to contain or block the larger team. So his only hope wasto call the plays that went to Calhoun, t he fastest back in the area who could

easil y outrun t he larger players once he broke free.

29

Ref l ec t io n an d An a l ysis

DO NO T QUIT (po em)

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're tr udging seems all uphill ,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want t o smile, but you have to sigh,When care is pressing you down a bit ,

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit .

Li fe is queer wit h it s tw ists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fail ure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--You may succeed wi th anot her blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and falt ering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor's cup,

And he learned too late when the night sli pped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is fai lur e turned inside out- -

The sil ver ti nt of t he clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

I t may be near when it seems so far ,

So sti ck to the fight when you're hardest hi t- -

It 's when thi ngs seem worst t hat you must not quit .

Author unknown


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Dressed in his doctors gown he went in to see her. As he recognized herat once, he went back t o the consult ation room determined to do his best to saveher li fe. From that day he gave special att ention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business offi ce to pass the final bil l t o him for ap-proval. He looked at it , then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent toher room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her li fe topay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side ofthe bil l. She read these words..

Paid in full with one glass of milk. Signed Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: Thank you, God ,that Your love has spread through human heart s and hands.

(Author U nknown)

Di scussio n Quest ion s:

1. What are the result s of not quitt ing?

2. Share experiences where in God helped you and strengthened you so you wouldnot quit .


Explain:

W hen youre working for Jesus, it s always to soon to quit .

21

The coach talked with his quarterback about giving the ball to Cal-houn and lett ing him run wit h it . The first play the coach was excited, butCalhoun did not get the ball . The second play was again signaled for Calhoun,but once again Colhoun did not get the ball. Now t he game was in the finalseconds wit h the smaller t eam's only hope being for Calhoun to break free andscore the winning touchdown. The third pl ay and again Calhoun did not getthe ball . The coach was very upset so he sent in the play again for t he fourthand final play. The ball was snapped and the quart erback was sacked, endingthe game. The coach was fur ious as he confronted the quarterback: "I told you

four t imes to give the ball to Calhoun and now we've lost the game."The quarterback stood tall and told t he coach, "Four t imes I called the

play to give the ball t o Calhoun. The problem was that Calhoun did not wantthe ball."

Quest ion s:

1. How are you li ke Calhoun in the story?

2. What does this story say about being a Christ ian Youth given theresponsibil it y over non-believers?


Expla in: A s Chri stians we are to run t he race of fait h, but as we go along the race, we might

be able to run with people who needed our help to finish the race as well.

So n g o f Ref l ec t io n an d An a l ysis

CH OO SE TO FOLLOW (Rah abs son g-AKY 2, 3r d Pr ize)

As the night w ind heaves a sigh, Under a dark and gloomy sky

I t hink of one more day lost And I m afraid I ll pay the cost


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Refrain:

I no l onger hope for salvati on, For my l ife has been nothing but sin

But t hrough these men from Gods nati on, My fai th was sti r red deep wit hin

Chorus:

So tonight Il l choose to foll ow You, In Your hands I offer You my lif e

Guide me as You make me committ ed, I wi ll shout Your name in t he highest

Though we know were not al ike, We are one in Your eyes

As we march to proclaim Your glor y, You will bring us victory

Refrain 2:

For now we have Your salvat ion, We have chosen to depart fr om sin

Raise up a new generat ion, Li ght up a fi re deep wit hin

Chorus 2:

And t his time, we choose to foll ow You, In Your hands, we offer You our li ves

Guide us as You make us united, We will shout Your name in the highest

Bridge:

Now here we are one as we wi tness your power

The walls fall down and t he long wait is over now

Redeemed by Y our grace to obey we ar e eager

Exal ti ng Your name, forever and ever more

Chorus 3:

And t his time, we choose to foll ow You, In Your hands, we offer You our li ves

By grace You have made us united, Forever You reign in the highest

Forever You reign i n the highest

Pr ayer

Dear Jesus. Thank You for choosing me, although I chose the worldbefore you. Today, as I t alk t o You in prayer, I choose to foll ow You and Youalone. I am scared because I dont know whats in the future but because Youare there, I know my life is forever well . Touch my heart oh Father as I wouldalso choose to walk right, live like Christ, and be your instrument of blessingto the people around me. Thank You. I praise you for everything, Amen.

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your ministries?

Twice, God asked Elijah what he was doing in that place (vv.9, 13).Both t imes he answered wit h identical words I alone am left ; and they seekto take my life (vv10,14). He had become so preoccupied wi th his own fearsthat he had forgotten what God had done through him at Mt. Carmel. Despitehis great victory, Elij ah was st il l di scouraged. How easy it is for us to do thesame.

Perhaps li ke Elijah, we are despair ing at t he circumstances were in.Let God speak to you (v.12). Instead of allowing you to quit , He wil l show youwhat you can do through His strength.

Ou r Wesl eyan H er i t ag e

John Wesley experienced frustrations in his ministri es and therewere times that he thought of giving up; but the grace of God prevailed overthese trying moments. Heres a quote from Wesley:

Immediately i t stuck into my mind, "Leave off preaching. How canyou preach to others, who have not faith yourself?" I asked Boehler (Wesleysspiritual friend), whether he thought I should leave it off or not. He answered"By no means." I asked, "But what can I preach?" He said, "Preach fait h t il l you

have it ; and then, because you have it , you will preach faith.

Gr ou p Discussio n

Paid in Fu l l

One day, a poor boy, who was sell ing goods from door t o door to payhis way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hun-gry. He decided he would ask for a meal at t he next house. However, he losthis nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal heasked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him alarge glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, How much do I oweyou?

You dont owe me anything, she replied. Mother has taught usnever t o accept pay for a kindness.

He saidThen, I thank you from my heart .

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically,but his fait h in God and man was stronger also. He had been ready to give upand quit.

Many years later that same young woman became crit ically i ll . Thelocal doctors were baff led. They finally sent her t o the big cit y, where theycalled in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consult ation. When he heard

the name of the town she came from, a strange light f ill ed his eyes. Immedi-ately he rose and went down the hall of the hospit al to her room.


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PRAYER

Dear God, I pray that I would see the world through your eyes, toucheach one through Your hands, and go to every person who doesnt know Youyet through your feet . I pray for wisdom and sound judgment as I t ake everycrit icism people tell me. That I would see beyond their words and react in theway that is godly and not the other way. I pray that You wil l open my ears,mind, and heart to crit icism I would face every day. Thank You, Lord for Yourassurance of presence wit h me wherever and whenever! Amen.

Lesson 3

D on t Give Up

Scr ipt u r e: 1Kings 19:11-18

Act iv i t y: HO W M AN Y?

Look at the pictureHow many dogs can you see?1,2,3 or 4?Dont give up!

Ou r Scr ipt u r e:

Read 1Kings 19:11 18

How many times did Elijah thought God pass by?In what forms?

Why do you think God that the sound of the gentle whisper was Godsvoice?What does this mean?

Do you think Eli jah was about t o give up?Why or why not?

If you were Elijah, would you have given up because of fear of death (v.10)?

What are your fears?Would t hese make you give up especially in doing

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Lesson 2

Respon d in g t o Cr i t i c ism

Scr ipt u r e: 1Peter 2:4-8;12

Activity: TELL ME (t he boat is sinkingmodified)

The boat is sinki ng: ask the part icipants to stand and group t hemselvesint o 50 (total number based on registrati on), then half, then 10, then

finally a group of three (3) members.

Wit h three members each group, each person is to take a turn to sharewit h the two partners the high point and low point of his or her l ifeduring the past week. This means he/she wil l t ell what was the mostsatisfying and what was the least sat isfying. Announce that t he triadswill have five minutes in which to complete the task. The facilitatormust blow the whistle as a signal t o start conversation start s, then an-other blow when the time is up.

Allow a few moments for t he participants to think, t hen signal for t heactivity to begin. Time the groups for f ive minutes. Conduct a discus-sion, based on the questions below

1. Did you feel that others really li stened to you?Why or why not?

2. Did you openly share your feelings or di d you screen them beforetalking about t hem?Why?

3. Did you think about what others might say to what you haveshared?Why or why not?

O u r Sc r i pt u r e

Read 1Peter 2:4-12

Who is being referred to as the cornerstone?(v.4)

What do verses 5-8 say about the church?What does this require of usas Christians and members of the church?

What is Peters advice to us in t he midst of suffering and crit icisms?(v.12)

What kind of cri ticisms have you been facing lately?How do you re-spond to them?

Peter portrays the church as a living and spirit ual house where Christis the foundation and cornerstone and each believer i s a stone. Paul port raysthe church as a body and each beli ever as part of one body (Eph.4:15, 16). Bothpictures emphasize the community. One stone is not a temple or even a wall;

one body part is useless wit hout t he others. In our society, it is easy to forget


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our interdependence with other Christians. When God call s us to a task, re-member that he is also calling others with work with us. Together our individ-ual efforts will be multiplied. We should look for those people and join themto build a beautiful house for God.

As Christians, while doing the task given to us by God, we wil l some-times be put t o shame, be cri ticized for what we are doing, or face disappoint -ments in our lives, but we should never misplace our t rust in God. God wi llnot let us down. We can safely put our confidence in Him because the eternalli fe that He promised us is certain.

This is why Peter advises us in v.12.

If our actions are above reproach, even host il e people will end uppraising God. Peters readers were scatt ered among unbelieving Gentil es whowere inclined to believe and spread lies about Christians. Att ractive, graciousand upright behavior on the part of Christians could show these rumors to befalse and could even wi n some of the unsaved cri t ics to the Lords side. Dontwrit e off people because they misunderstand Christianit y; instead show themChrist by your li fe. The day may come when those you crit icize you will praiseGod with you.

Ou r Wesl eyan H ist o r y

Heres a funny story of how John Wesley dealt with crit icism.

Once, whi le he was preaching, John Wesley noticed a lady in t he au-dience who was known for her critical att it ude. All through the service she satand stared at hi s new t ie.

When the meeting ended, she came up to him and said very sharply,Mr. Wesley, the strings on your bow t ie are much too long. It s an offense tome!

He asked if any of the ladies present happened to have a pair of scis-sors. When the scissors were handed to him, he gave them to the cri tic andasked her t o trim the streamers to her l ik ing. After she clipped them off near

the collar, he said, Are you sure theyre all right now? Yes, thats much bet-ter.

Then let me have those shears for a moment, said W esley. Im sureyou wouldnt mind if I gave you a bit of correction. I dont want to be cruel,but I must t ell you, madam, that your tongue is an offense to me it s too long!Please stick it out; I d li ke to take some off!

Gr o up D iscussio n

Ask the group t o choose one of the following tips and share his/herview or experience about it :

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Tips for Deal ing wi t h Cri t ic ism and Cri t ical People

Assess the feeling and the source

Acknowledge your feeli ngs

Look for the truth

Correct l ies and statements about you

Problem-solve from the heart

Stay on target. Focus! Open your heart and reach out to others

Dont take it personally

Appl icat ion : Spot t h e d i f f er enc e

Explain:

Y our most powerful testi mony is a godly l ife

So n g o f Ref l ec t io n an d An a l ysis T h r o u g h I t Al l

You are forever in my li fe, You see me thr ough the seasons

Cover me with Your hand And lead me in Your r ighteousness

And I look to You

And I wait on You

I w il l sing to You, Lord, A hymn of love for Your fai thful ness to me

I' m carr ied in everlasting arms, You'll never let me go thr ough it all

Hal lelujah, hallelujah

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UMYFP Christmas Institute Bible Study 2011

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