- 6.10-15: NETSYS Camp
- 6.30-7.5 Uplift
- 7.9-13 HS Service Week @ Eastridge
- 7.17-21 NETkids Camp
- 7.31-8.3 JH Work Camp @ Eastridge
HS
♦ Bible study Thursday, May 17th. Meet @ Blake & Autumn’s from 6-7:30p. Read Acts 21 & 22 before you come.
JH Family Devotional
October: Bold Hope
Open in Prayer, asking God to bless this time you have dedicated to Him in the midst of your busy life as a family. Pray for growth, maturity, and closeness as a family to come as a result of your study together.
Sharing: What do you hope for?
Give some time for reflection, then have each family member share one thing they are earnestly and seriously hoping for. It might be a short-term or a long-range goal, a prayer request, etc.
Looking Back at Our Group Study (if your teen was at the study, you can ask them questions about this section. If they were not, talk through it together.)
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At our group study this month, we looked at the differences between “hope” as we use it today and “hope” as used by the New Testament writers.
- TODAY: “hope” implies an uncertainty and a possibility of disappointment
- BIBLE: “hope” in Christ involves no possibility of disappointment!
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We looked at Romans 5:1-5
- The order of spiritual growth: suffering→perseverance→character→hope!
- How does each of those qualities lead to the next one?
- Why is suffering necessary to help build hope? Can we build hope without experiencing suffering? Why not?
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Finally, we looked at Colossians 1:21-23 and 2:13-15.
- How much of our salvation depends on us?
- How much of it depends on God’s action? How does that affect your hope? Is it stronger when you see how much God has done that you could not do on your own?
Focus: Hope Leads to Boldness
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Having a strong and firm hope in Christ gives us boldness in the face of danger and opposition. Look at the following passages and have a family member tell what Paul’s hope led to in each one:
- Acts 23:6 (standing on trial)
- Acts 26:6 (standing on trial)
- Acts 26:7 (being accused by the Jews)
- Acts 28:20 (being bound in chains)
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In each case, it was Paul’s HOPE IN CHRIST that led to his circumstances!
- Yet he was bold and proclaimed his hope every single time!
Apply: How Will Hope Change You?
- Have each family member describe WHY they have hope in Christ.
- How can you show that hope? What should hope free us from?
- How is “hope in Christ” different from “hope in yourself?” Which one assures us of heaven?
- Do you live a life of hoping in yourself, or hoping in Christ? What needs to change?
Close with a prayer of thankfulness for the hope we have through Christ!
