Students: Week of May 8, 2023

May 08, 2023

Wednesday Night Update

This week, we will cover 1 John Chapter 4 (see below for notes). Students are encouraged to bring study Bibles or commentaries if they have them to help with exploration of Scripture!

As a reminder, the following upcoming events are in May:

  1. Mental Health Forum May 17 | For MS and HS students. Parents are invited. Continue sending in questions. After meeting with Nick and Laura, we decided it would be best to give the parents who come a chance to have their own breakout session while the MS and HS groups meet at the end.
  2. Final WNC Week Celebration May 24 | Pizza and salad provided.
  3. Oakwood Youth Worship Team Launch May 21 | Adam Zastrow is leading. Practice is following the second service. A light lunch will be provided. If interested, contact Adam Zastrow for more information. Bring instruments!

Stay tuned for updates about summer connection opportunities to keep in touch and continue to grow in friendship and fellowship as a youth group!

Here are the notes for this Wednesday:

As you read 1 John Chapter 4:

  • Write (or make a drawing of) the main idea of the passage.
  • Write a one- to two-sentence summary of what you read.
  • Find one attribute of God that the passage is teaching. (Use a list of attributes that can help your teen practice reading the Bible with a Godward focus.)
  • Write two things you observe in the margin.
  • Write two questions you have about what you’ve read.

Scripture

Test the Spirits

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

God Is Love

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Questions for Discussion

  • How does this passage fit into the book as a whole? How does it flow from the previous section of the text? 
  • How does this passage minister to its original audience? 
  • How does it minister to us today? 
  • Is there a sin to confess? 
  • Is there cause for thanksgiving or praise to God? 
  • Is there a promise or truth to trust in? 
  • Is there an attitude to change or a motive to examine? 
  • Is there a command to obey or an example to imitate? 
  • Is there an error to confront or avoid? 


Attributes of God Examples

  • Self-Existence 
  • Transcendence                       
  • Eternalness                
  • Omnipotence             
  • Immutability
  • Omniscience  
  • Wisdom                     
  • Sovereignty                
  • Faithfulness               
  • Love
  • Infinite          
  • Immense                    
  • Good                          
  • Just                             
  • Merciful
  • Gracious        
  • Omnipresent              
  • Immanent                  
  • Holy                           
  • Perfect

 

Questions? Just ask! 

Jonathan Irish

Sunday Morning Update

Hello parents, 

Middle School Survivor Night is Friday, May 19, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Oakwood. Click here for details and to sign up.

Is your student interested in helping out at this year's Kid's Summer Day Camp? Save the date for Aug. 2. Contact Ashley Schmidt at for more info on how your student can serve in this camp.

We will be starting jam sessions on May 21  after the 10:30 a.m. worship experience. More information will be provided at the session. If your student is interested in being part of the youth worship team, please reach out to Jonathan Irish, Adam Zastrow or myself for information or to let us know that your student will be attending.

We are on the 5th week of our study in the Book of James series. Here are the lesson notes and here is the link that will take you right to the series in RightNow Media.

Thank you all, 

Chris Schmidt

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