The Great Invention

Attention Funnel: Backyard Inventions

Introduction:

• Every great invention starts as an idea in someone’s mind that eventually gets worked out into a specific design.
• The creation of this world and humanity is no different.
  • It has not come about by random chance and accident.
  • It has not come about simply as a result of blind forces that moved matter over time.
  • It has come about because it was God’s idea.
• This is what we see in Genesis 1:1… “In the beginning, God…
  • God was there in the beginning and it was entirely his idea to create the world along with humans.
• We have become very confused on what it means to be a man and a woman.
  • Part of our culture says essentially, “Gender doesn’t define you, rather you define your gender… effectively erasing the differences of men and women.”
  • While other parts of our culture are full of unhelpful stereotypes… “Men are tough, love football, don’t cry, have lots of sex, pee standing up, and can spit further than anyone else.”
  • “Women are weak, overly dramatic, do what men want them to do, and are valued by their appearance.”
• If we want any sort of clarity on what it truly means to be a man or a woman, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to see that the creator gets to define what it means to be a man and a woman.

 Big Idea: God gets to define what it means to be man and woman.

Passage: Genesis 1:1; 26-31

Main Points: 

• Every human has equal value and dignity.
• We have a specific role to play.
• Our gender is key part of that role.
• God’s design is what’s best for us.
• Jesus came to restore broken people.

Social Creatures

 

 Attention Funnel:

• Social Media Timeline Competition

 Introduction:

• Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why you are living?
• Have you ever wondered why you have life and are breathing, eating, moving, and functioning today?
• Have you ever stopped to ask what the purpose of life is? Why did God create Adam, Eve, me, you, and everyone else?
• New City Catechism
  • “How and why did God create us?”
  • “God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.”
• Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
• 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
• There are many ways that we glorify God- but I want highlight two… we reflect his image and we obey him.
• If I told you to draw a picture of yourself and then post it on the wall so that everyone can look at it… your picture, if it was done well would bring glory to you. People would look at it and be impressed, they would be impressed by your drawing skills, by the detail you can put on it, etc.
  • People would look at my picture of myself and think that I was trying to draw Frankenstein… I’m a terrible artist.
  • The better that image reflects you, the more people would be impressed by you and praise you.
• The better we reflect God, the more he is honored and praised. God has given us commandments in part so that we would know how to reflect his image well – what he is like… his character… his personality.
• God commands us to love other people because he loves humans.
• God commands us to tell the truth because he always tells the truth and never lies.
• This evening I want to look at how God has created us to be in relationships with other people. And I want to connect how Social Media can fit into this larger picture

 Big Idea: God designed us to be in relationships with other people.

Passage: Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:18-20; 2 John 12

Main Points:

• God is a relational being.
• We reflect God’s image as relational people.
• God has designed relationships.
• Relationships require more than a screen.

Why Should We Do Justice?

 Attention Funnel: Dumbest Dares that people have ever accepted

• I have done some stupid things myself because of dares… ranging from eating dog food to randomly going up to a girl and asking for her phone number (which I did not receive).
• Why would anyone ever do any dare? It always involves something uncomfortable, or painful, or challenging. So Why do it?
• Maybe it’s for recognition, maybe it’s for excitement, maybe its for money… there’s always some reason behind WHY we would accept a dare.
• If my mom dared me to eat dog food or ask for a girl’s number in 7^th grade, I probably would’ve said “No Way! That’s ridiculous.” But as soon as a peer asks me, it’s a different story. Then all the sudden I feel an obligation to accomplish the dare.
• It provides a different motivation for me to accomplish that dare.
• Motivation (the WHY question behind what we do or don’t do) effects what we do and how we do it.
• This is why we will spend tonight looking at “Why we should do justice?”

Review: What is Justice?

• Punishing wrongdoing
• Caring for the weak and marginalized
• Loving your neighbor (ALL OF THEM)

 Scripture Passages: Genesis 1:26-27; 1 Chronicles 29:11-14; Romans 3:24; James 2:14-17

 Big Idea: We should do justice because God has created and saved us.

Sovereignty Verses

For my latest lesson, I alluded to a list of verses compiled to highlight God’s power over his creation.  The following verses descend into ever deepening and controversial areas:  1 & 2 relate to God’s dealings in creation, 3 & 4 relate to God’s dealings in humanity, and 5 & 6 relate to God’s dealings in suffering.

Examples of the Sovereignty of God
(Assembled by Keith Rohrer & Amended by Brandon Fisher)