Youth Sermon: Drawn to Christ

Introduction

Hey everyone! Today, we're going to talk about something really cool. You know how we all love free samples, right? Like when you go to the mall and they give you a tiny taste of a smoothie or a bite of a cookie? Well, today we're going to see how God is kind of like a free sample. He wants us to 'taste and see' how good He is. So, let's dive in!

Object Lesson: Bring in a tray of small food samples (like cookies or fruit) and offer them to the students. Explain that just like these free samples, God wants us to 'taste and see' how good He is. He invites us to experience His love and goodness for ourselves.

God is kind of like a free sample. He wants us to 'taste and see' how good He is.

Bible Story

Alright, let's look at a story from the Bible that shows us how Jesus is like a free sample. [read passage]

In John 1:29-42, we see Jesus meeting some people who are curious about Him. They ask Him where He's staying, and Jesus says, 'Come and see!' He's inviting them to hang out with Him and get to know Him better.

Main Points

1. What do you want? (John 1:38) Jesus asks the people what they want. It's a great question for us to think about too. What do we want in life? What are our dreams and desires? It's important to be honest with God about what we want. He wants to give us good things, and He cares about our desires.

2. Come and see! (John 1:39) Jesus invites the people to 'come and see' what He's like. He's welcoming and open. He wants us to experience His love and goodness for ourselves. When we spend time with Jesus, we'll find that He's even better than we ever imagined.

3. Jesus calls him Peter. Discovery of who you are. (John 1:42) In this story, Jesus gives Simon a new name, Peter, which means 'rock'. Jesus sees who Peter is going to become, not just who he is right now. When we spend time with Jesus, we discover who we really are and who God wants us to become.

Application

So, how can we apply this to our lives? First, let's be honest with God about what we want. Talk to Him about your dreams and desires. Second, let's take Jesus up on His invitation to 'come and see'. Spend time with Him in prayer, reading the Bible, and hanging out with other Christians. Finally, let's discover who we are in Christ and who God wants us to become.

Prayer

'Lord, thank You for inviting us to come and see how good You are. Help us to be honest with You about what we want and to spend time with You, discovering who we are in You. Transform us into the people You want us to be. In Jesus' name, Amen.'

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. How have you experienced God's goodness and love in your life?

2. What does it mean to you to be a child of God? How does that shape your identity?

3. In what ways do you want to grow in your faith and become more like Jesus?

4. How can you share your experiences of God's goodness and love with others?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Free Sample Scavenger Hunt
• Group Activity: Identity Collage
• Youth Challenge: A Journey of Faith