Youth Sermon: Hope for the Broken

Feeling Broken

We've all messed up, right? We've all made choices that led to some kind of brokenness. Maybe it's a friendship that's gone sour, or you've messed up at school, or you're having a tough time at home. These moments can make us feel like we're in pieces, trying to put ourselves back together.

There's a story in the Bible about a woman who felt exactly like this. It's in John chapter 8. Jesus was teaching when some religious leaders brought a woman to Him. They accused her of doing something really wrong - adultery. She must have felt so embarrassed and scared, knowing that the punishment for her sin was death by stoning. Talk about hitting rock bottom.

These moments can make us feel like we're in pieces, trying to put ourselves back together.

Finding Hope

Jesus, instead of joining the crowd, stoops down and starts writing in the sand. The leaders keep demanding an answer, so Jesus says, 'Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.' One by one, they all leave until it's just Jesus and the woman.

Jesus looks at her, not with judgment, but with love. He doesn't condemn her. Instead, He forgives her and tells her to leave her life of sin. Jesus cares about us and wants us to live our best lives.

Object Lesson

Now, let's do a little object lesson. I want you all to take a piece of paper and crumple it up. That crumpled paper represents our brokenness, our mistakes, our sins. Now, try to smooth it out. It's not perfect, right? It's still marked. That's like us. Even when we're forgiven, the consequences of our actions can still leave marks. But here's the cool part - Jesus takes our crumpled, marked selves and makes us new. He doesn't throw us away. He forgives us and gives us a fresh start.

A New Beginning

So, if you're feeling broken today, remember that Jesus is here to offer you forgiveness and a new beginning. He loves you just as you are, but He loves you too much to leave you broken. When we admit our mistakes and believe in Jesus, we become new. We leave our old ways behind, and God starts doing something new in us.

Let's choose to give our brokenness to Jesus and live the way He wants us to. Let's forgive others and welcome them, just like Jesus does for us. Remember, Jesus offers forgiveness and hope to the broken. He can take our messed-up lives and make something beautiful. Trust in Him and the friends He's given you. Together, we can live this amazing life and show love and hope to everyone around us.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. How does it feel when your mistakes are exposed?

2. How have you experienced Jesus' forgiveness in your life?

3. Why is it important to forgive others?

4. How can we show grace and forgiveness to others in our daily lives?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Broken Pieces
• Group Activity: Forgiveness Stones
• Youth Challenge: Forgiveness Challenge