At the risk of my middle school girls reading this before tomorrow, I really wanted to share with you the lesson that I wrote for them. We are starting a new series with them called Oh How I Love Jesus. The idea is for us to teach them about what it means to have a personal relationship with Christ - what it looks like practically in our lives, what we love about Him, etc. This means that it's a very personal thing for each teacher, and so we are writing our own lessons for the next five weeks. So, what I think I'm going to try to do is post every Saturday night what my lesson will be for the next Sunday morning. If any of you parents of my girls are reading this, it might be neat for you, too, because this is what I'm going to be talking to them about (keep in mind it's written as if I'm speaking directly to them, so it may be more tailored to them). It will also be a cool way for you to get them caught up if they miss a week! :)
Here goes:
Oh How I Love Jesus/M Gathering
Week One
We’re starting a new series this week! Over the next five weeks, we’re going to talk about what it looks like to actually have a relationship with Jesus. We’re going to look at who He is. We’re going to discuss how our love and devotion to Christ affects our daily walk with Him. What does it practically mean to have a relationship with Christ? Not just to say we know him or that we go to church and so we have a relationship with him, but the nitty-gritty of what this actually means for us in every day life. This is a really cool and unique opportunity for both myself and for you, because I’m writing these lessons. That means that I get to share with you what Jesus has done and is doing in my life, what He means to me, and what that means for my life – and yours.
Who is Jesus?
Because we’re going to be talking about having a relationship with Jesus, I think it’s important to ask who He is. I mean, do we really know Him or do we just know about Him? Here’s what I mean by this: You may know everything there is to know about Ryan Gosling or Chris Hemsworth, down to which sock they put on first in the morning. You may be the biggest fangirl out there, but if you don’t know them, if you’ve never met them, you’re never going to have a relationship with them. Do you see the difference? It’s possible to say the same thing about Jesus Christ. We can know all of the facts about Him. We can even intellectually (with our minds) accept those facts without ever knowing Him. In some ways, you girls are more in danger of this than anyone. You live in Christian homes with Christian parents who bring you to a godly Christian church. In many ways, you’re given the gospel repeatedly and continually. It’s easy to become immune to it, to accept the facts without accepting Christ. The danger in this is that you become comfortable with it, even assured of your salvation, and it’s just not really there. That’s how I was before Christ opened my eyes to who He really is.
So who is He? His Word tells us:
He is “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1) – This is important because it establishes his bloodline and the fulfillment of all the Jewish prophecies concerning the lineage of the Messiah.
He is “…my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) – He is God the Father’s perfect Son. He is “the Son of God.” (Matthew 1:1) He is “…the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16-17; John 20:31)
He is the one who can give the blind their sight, allow the lame to walk, cleanse the leper and make the deaf man hear, the one who can raise the dead and who preaches the good news to the poor (Matthew 11:5-6).
He is the one who knows the Father and through Whom we have access to the Father (Matthew 11:27).
He is “the Word”, the One through Whom “all things were made” (John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 8:6). He is “the Author of life” (Acts 3:15).
He is the “holy one of God.” (John 6:69)
He is the “bread of life” (John 6:35) and “living water” (John 4:10). He is the “light of the world” (John 8:12). He is “the door” and the “good shepherd” (John 10:9, 14). He is “Teacher and Lord” (John 13:13)
He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He is “the true vine” (John 15:1).
He is the One who gave “…His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) He is the “Son of Man” who “came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:36)
He is the crucified and the risen (Mark 9:31). He is the “resurrection and the life” (John 11:25-27). He is the name by which we are saved (Acts 4:12).
He is our “peace with God” (Romans 5:1-2). He is the One who intercedes with God for us (Romans 8:34). He is our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5-6).
He is our “wisdom in God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
He is the One who “was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19) He is the One who will come again in glory for those who are His (Matthew 24:31).
He is the “head of the body, the church" (Col. 1:18-23).
He is the supreme Savior and King (Heb. 1:1-4).
Are you getting it yet? If you have a relationship with Jesus you will not just acknowledge these things, you will know them and feel them in the deepest part of your being. And hearing these things will excite you and bring you great joy!
What is a relationship?
So now that we know who we want to have a relationship with (Jesus), we need to know what a relationship is. We need to understand what we’re seeking to enter into with Christ.
Dictionary.com defines a relationship in three ways.
The first is an emotion or connection between people. By this definition, you can have a relationship with a lot of different people, defined by many different connections. In some ways, these might be more “superficial” relationships: friends you only see at work, people you only see at school events, even survivors of something terrible could have a relationship by this definition.
The second definition gives us a little bit deeper meaning. It is a connection, association or involvement. Rather than just being some sort of connection, this binds people a little closer. This could be relationships you have on a sports team, or as a part of a club. A really great example is the relationship you have with people here at church. You share an association with and involvement in West Salem Baptist Church. So we see the definition going a little deeper.
My favorite definition of a relationship is a connection between persons by blood or marriage. Think about it: these are the deepest relationships that you can have. The bond between you and your siblings, your parents, and someday your spouse are going to be some of the strongest connections you can have. What makes this my favorite definition, though, is that it tells us it’s a connection by blood – and this is truly how we have a relationship with Jesus – by His blood! (Eph. 1:7-10; Col. 1:19-23; Rev. 1:5-6) Do you see how the blood He shed on the cross and His love for us is so connected?
What does it mean to be in a relationship?
Okay, so now we know who we want to have a relationship with and what a relationship is. But what does this practically mean for us? How do we have a relationship with someone who isn’t physically with us (yet)? What do we do?
Can we talk to him, like we would talk to a friend? Yes, through prayer. Look at what the first church was doing in Acts 1:14 – “devoting themselves earnestly to prayer”. And some of these would have been people who had seen Jesus in their lifetime! Prayer is our way of talking to Jesus. It’s through prayer that we can praise Him in adoration. It's through prayer that we confess and repent of our sins against Him and receive forgiveness of sins and are cleansed from all unrighteousness. It’s through prayer that we can thank Him for his many blessings. It’s through prayer that we can ask Him for the things that we need, for guidance, for strength, for salvation, for help for others. In addition to that, we know that prayer strengthens our relationship with the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27; Phil. 4:6-7). As an added bonus, praying with other believers will also strengthen your relationships with them!
We can show Him that we love Him. Just as obeying and giving honor to your parents makes your relationship with them better, the same is true for your relationship with Christ. Obedience brings many blessings. We are called to abide in Christ. (John 15:4-11) So, we see here that to show Christ that we love Him, He tells us to keep His commandments, to bear fruit, and to let His word abide in us. How does this work practically? Well, to have His word in us, we must study it. That doesn’t mean that we only listen to His words on Wednesdays and Sundays when we have to be at church. It means that we nurture a deep love for His word, and immerse ourselves in it daily. We should need it like we need food and water (Psalm 42:1-2). We can’t know what His commands are; we can’t know how He loves us and what He has done for us if we are not in His word. We can’t grow spiritually without the food of His word (1 Cor. 3:1-3). Abiding in His word causes us to grow and bear fruit (Gal. 5:22-23; Romans 7:4). And this fruit marks us as believers and draws others to Christ (Proverbs 11:30). By keeping His commandments, we show that we honor Christ and His sacrifice. We know that we cannot keep them perfectly, but the desire to honor and obey that comes from abiding in the word draws us ever closer to Him and causes us to produce more beautiful fruit.
So why should we want a relationship with Him?
Simply put, because He is above all things, because He is Lord and Savior whether we will it or no, and one day at His name “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:10-11) You already have a relationship with Him, but it can go one of two ways. It can either be one of a sinner facing the Judge with no excuse, or one of an adopted brother, an excited pupil learning from her Teacher, a servant gladly serving her Master, a subject bowing before a beloved King. But make no mistake; it will be one or the other. There are no gray areas and no other avenues by which to be saved. There are no other gods to challenge Him.
So my encouragement, prayer, and plea to you today is this: Bend your knee to Him now. Follow Him now. Love Him now. Know Him now. Don’t let another moment pass with just vain facts about Him as your basis for a relationship with Him. Repent of your sins, turn away from the vain things of this world. Turn to the only One who can save you, the One whose purpose was and is to save those who would believe on His name unto salvation. Believe that His death on the cross and His resurrection and victory over sin and death accomplished your salvation. Then take up your cross and follow Him, abiding in Him to His glory.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll try to talk to you practically about what my relationship with Christ has been like: what’s drawn me to Him, where I have failed Him, and how to live out your faith in Him. You’ll hear me speak about him, bragging on Him like He’s my family or my husband-because through His blood, He is. My prayer is that you will get excited about Him, too.
So, there it is!
Lord, I thank You that we can have a relationship with You. I thank You that we love You because You first loved us. Forgive me for the times that I have failed to make my relationship with You a priority in my life. But thank You that You never let me go. I ask that You draw me daily closer to You and help me to walk in the knowledge of Your word. Help my life to be a beacon of light for You. Amen.
Here goes:
Oh How I Love Jesus/M Gathering
Week One
We’re starting a new series this week! Over the next five weeks, we’re going to talk about what it looks like to actually have a relationship with Jesus. We’re going to look at who He is. We’re going to discuss how our love and devotion to Christ affects our daily walk with Him. What does it practically mean to have a relationship with Christ? Not just to say we know him or that we go to church and so we have a relationship with him, but the nitty-gritty of what this actually means for us in every day life. This is a really cool and unique opportunity for both myself and for you, because I’m writing these lessons. That means that I get to share with you what Jesus has done and is doing in my life, what He means to me, and what that means for my life – and yours.
Who is Jesus?
Because we’re going to be talking about having a relationship with Jesus, I think it’s important to ask who He is. I mean, do we really know Him or do we just know about Him? Here’s what I mean by this: You may know everything there is to know about Ryan Gosling or Chris Hemsworth, down to which sock they put on first in the morning. You may be the biggest fangirl out there, but if you don’t know them, if you’ve never met them, you’re never going to have a relationship with them. Do you see the difference? It’s possible to say the same thing about Jesus Christ. We can know all of the facts about Him. We can even intellectually (with our minds) accept those facts without ever knowing Him. In some ways, you girls are more in danger of this than anyone. You live in Christian homes with Christian parents who bring you to a godly Christian church. In many ways, you’re given the gospel repeatedly and continually. It’s easy to become immune to it, to accept the facts without accepting Christ. The danger in this is that you become comfortable with it, even assured of your salvation, and it’s just not really there. That’s how I was before Christ opened my eyes to who He really is.
So who is He? His Word tells us:
He is “the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1) – This is important because it establishes his bloodline and the fulfillment of all the Jewish prophecies concerning the lineage of the Messiah.
He is “…my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) – He is God the Father’s perfect Son. He is “the Son of God.” (Matthew 1:1) He is “…the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16-17; John 20:31)
He is the one who can give the blind their sight, allow the lame to walk, cleanse the leper and make the deaf man hear, the one who can raise the dead and who preaches the good news to the poor (Matthew 11:5-6).
He is the one who knows the Father and through Whom we have access to the Father (Matthew 11:27).
He is “the Word”, the One through Whom “all things were made” (John 1:1-3; 1 Cor. 8:6). He is “the Author of life” (Acts 3:15).
He is the “holy one of God.” (John 6:69)
He is the “bread of life” (John 6:35) and “living water” (John 4:10). He is the “light of the world” (John 8:12). He is “the door” and the “good shepherd” (John 10:9, 14). He is “Teacher and Lord” (John 13:13)
He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). He is “the true vine” (John 15:1).
He is the One who gave “…His life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) He is the “Son of Man” who “came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:36)
He is the crucified and the risen (Mark 9:31). He is the “resurrection and the life” (John 11:25-27). He is the name by which we are saved (Acts 4:12).
He is our “peace with God” (Romans 5:1-2). He is the One who intercedes with God for us (Romans 8:34). He is our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5-6).
He is our “wisdom in God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30).
He is the One who “was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19) He is the One who will come again in glory for those who are His (Matthew 24:31).
He is the “head of the body, the church" (Col. 1:18-23).
He is the supreme Savior and King (Heb. 1:1-4).
Are you getting it yet? If you have a relationship with Jesus you will not just acknowledge these things, you will know them and feel them in the deepest part of your being. And hearing these things will excite you and bring you great joy!
What is a relationship?
So now that we know who we want to have a relationship with (Jesus), we need to know what a relationship is. We need to understand what we’re seeking to enter into with Christ.
Dictionary.com defines a relationship in three ways.
The first is an emotion or connection between people. By this definition, you can have a relationship with a lot of different people, defined by many different connections. In some ways, these might be more “superficial” relationships: friends you only see at work, people you only see at school events, even survivors of something terrible could have a relationship by this definition.
The second definition gives us a little bit deeper meaning. It is a connection, association or involvement. Rather than just being some sort of connection, this binds people a little closer. This could be relationships you have on a sports team, or as a part of a club. A really great example is the relationship you have with people here at church. You share an association with and involvement in West Salem Baptist Church. So we see the definition going a little deeper.
My favorite definition of a relationship is a connection between persons by blood or marriage. Think about it: these are the deepest relationships that you can have. The bond between you and your siblings, your parents, and someday your spouse are going to be some of the strongest connections you can have. What makes this my favorite definition, though, is that it tells us it’s a connection by blood – and this is truly how we have a relationship with Jesus – by His blood! (Eph. 1:7-10; Col. 1:19-23; Rev. 1:5-6) Do you see how the blood He shed on the cross and His love for us is so connected?
What does it mean to be in a relationship?
Okay, so now we know who we want to have a relationship with and what a relationship is. But what does this practically mean for us? How do we have a relationship with someone who isn’t physically with us (yet)? What do we do?
Can we talk to him, like we would talk to a friend? Yes, through prayer. Look at what the first church was doing in Acts 1:14 – “devoting themselves earnestly to prayer”. And some of these would have been people who had seen Jesus in their lifetime! Prayer is our way of talking to Jesus. It’s through prayer that we can praise Him in adoration. It's through prayer that we confess and repent of our sins against Him and receive forgiveness of sins and are cleansed from all unrighteousness. It’s through prayer that we can thank Him for his many blessings. It’s through prayer that we can ask Him for the things that we need, for guidance, for strength, for salvation, for help for others. In addition to that, we know that prayer strengthens our relationship with the Spirit (Romans 8:26-27; Phil. 4:6-7). As an added bonus, praying with other believers will also strengthen your relationships with them!
We can show Him that we love Him. Just as obeying and giving honor to your parents makes your relationship with them better, the same is true for your relationship with Christ. Obedience brings many blessings. We are called to abide in Christ. (John 15:4-11) So, we see here that to show Christ that we love Him, He tells us to keep His commandments, to bear fruit, and to let His word abide in us. How does this work practically? Well, to have His word in us, we must study it. That doesn’t mean that we only listen to His words on Wednesdays and Sundays when we have to be at church. It means that we nurture a deep love for His word, and immerse ourselves in it daily. We should need it like we need food and water (Psalm 42:1-2). We can’t know what His commands are; we can’t know how He loves us and what He has done for us if we are not in His word. We can’t grow spiritually without the food of His word (1 Cor. 3:1-3). Abiding in His word causes us to grow and bear fruit (Gal. 5:22-23; Romans 7:4). And this fruit marks us as believers and draws others to Christ (Proverbs 11:30). By keeping His commandments, we show that we honor Christ and His sacrifice. We know that we cannot keep them perfectly, but the desire to honor and obey that comes from abiding in the word draws us ever closer to Him and causes us to produce more beautiful fruit.
So why should we want a relationship with Him?
Simply put, because He is above all things, because He is Lord and Savior whether we will it or no, and one day at His name “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:10-11) You already have a relationship with Him, but it can go one of two ways. It can either be one of a sinner facing the Judge with no excuse, or one of an adopted brother, an excited pupil learning from her Teacher, a servant gladly serving her Master, a subject bowing before a beloved King. But make no mistake; it will be one or the other. There are no gray areas and no other avenues by which to be saved. There are no other gods to challenge Him.
So my encouragement, prayer, and plea to you today is this: Bend your knee to Him now. Follow Him now. Love Him now. Know Him now. Don’t let another moment pass with just vain facts about Him as your basis for a relationship with Him. Repent of your sins, turn away from the vain things of this world. Turn to the only One who can save you, the One whose purpose was and is to save those who would believe on His name unto salvation. Believe that His death on the cross and His resurrection and victory over sin and death accomplished your salvation. Then take up your cross and follow Him, abiding in Him to His glory.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll try to talk to you practically about what my relationship with Christ has been like: what’s drawn me to Him, where I have failed Him, and how to live out your faith in Him. You’ll hear me speak about him, bragging on Him like He’s my family or my husband-because through His blood, He is. My prayer is that you will get excited about Him, too.
So, there it is!
Lord, I thank You that we can have a relationship with You. I thank You that we love You because You first loved us. Forgive me for the times that I have failed to make my relationship with You a priority in my life. But thank You that You never let me go. I ask that You draw me daily closer to You and help me to walk in the knowledge of Your word. Help my life to be a beacon of light for You. Amen.
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