Series: STEWARDSHIP (2)

Week 2: Become a Cheerful Giver

Dear parents,

We’re continuing our series on stewardship, and this week our students examined 2 Corinthians 9:1-9.

In this passage, the Apostle Paul is writing to Christians in the Greek city of Corinth, and he encourages them to have the right attitude as they give toward an offering to help believers in Jerusalem. He says generosity is more important than the actual amount they give. God will provide all we need, Paul writes, and as we are blessed, we can then use those resources to bless others.

That’s really the heart of stewardship. We are called to manage what God has given us. By giving and sharing what we have—whether it’s money, time, skills, creativity, energy, or other resources—we get to experience the generosity of God in a whole new way.

God wants us to have a joyful, cheerful, excited attitude when we give—even though many people think of giving as a religious requirement or something to dread. God wants our lives to reflect his love and joy so deeply that we can’t wait to give—whether it’s money or time or assistance to someone in need.

I’d encourage you to find time this week to talk with your teenager about our lesson. Here are some questions you might want to ask:

• What kind of impact can we have on other people if we give cheerfully? What does it say about our faith and our friendship with God?
• What if you don’t have much money to give? What are other ways of “giving” that can still honor God and help people?
• What’s the connection between having the right attitude and seeking God’s direction on how much to give?

Have an awesome week!

FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE]

For God loves a person who gives cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Series: STEWARDSHIP (1)

Week 1: It’s God’s World—We Just Live in It

Dear parents,

Fusion is launching a three-week series on stewardship. Our goal is to help our teenagers understand that become a good, wise, effective steward is a critical life lesson that if mastered young can lead to a more fulfilling, blessed life.

Stewardship simply means to manage someone else’s resources. Using Psalm 24:1, we learned how everything in the world belongs to God, and he simply chooses to entrust it to us. We may use such words as “own” and “ownership,” but God wants us to develop an attitude that reflects his ownership of everything in our lives. This allows us to hold to things loosely, recognizing that God is our provider. We can trust him instead of relying on our own abilities and strength.

Because everything belongs to God, we need to have the attitude that what’s ours is really his—our stuff, our time, our talents, and our lives. It all begins and ends with him. Our role as Christians is to learn how to become responsible stewards of the things that God has entrusted to us.

Here are some questions you might want to ask as you talk with your teenager about this week’s lesson:

• If we truly believe that everything comes from God and belongs to him, how will that affect our attitudes and actions?

•   If God simply entrusts things to us, how can that affect your daily choices? What are some real-life ways that truth can impact you?

•  How can stewardship be a way of worshiping God?

Have an awesome week!

 

FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE]

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him (Psalm 24:1).

Series: WORSHIP (2)

Week 2: It’s A Lifestyle

Dear parents,

We wrapped up our series on worship by talking about the importance of making worship a lifestyle, not just some religious ritual.

Our students focused on Romans 12:1-2. In this passage, Paul is saying that if we want to truly worship God, we need to let go of our self-centered nature and surrender ourselves fully to him. We need to be willing to sacrifice the things that control us and allow our lives to be transformed by the power of God. Once we let go, we are free to put God in the center and worship him in anything and everything we do.

But where do we begin? We begin with verse 1—presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice through our thoughts, our sacrifice, our service, our love, and so much more. Worshiping God means learning to weave him into every part of our lives.

Here are some questions you might want to use as you talk with your teenager about this week’s lesson:

• What do you think it means to be a “living and holy sacrifice” for God?
• What are some ways God might transform and change the way we think? What is our part in that process?
• What are some examples of ordinary, daily activities or choices that can be ways of worshiping God?

Have an awesome week!

FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE]

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him (Romans 12:1).

 (Student’s will have opportunity to recite their verse on Sundays during WAKE UP)