Youth Sermon: I Desire Mercy Not Sacrifice

Understanding God's Heart

Hey guys! Ever wondered what gets God really pumped? What makes Him say, 'Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!'? Well, today we're going to dive into that. Spoiler alert: It's mercy.

So, what's mercy? Think about when you're playing a video game, and you're totally crushing your friend. You could keep going, but you decide to ease up. That's mercy. It's when you could totally destroy someone, but you choose not to.

We all need mercy. We've all messed up, right? Romans 3:23 says, 'All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.' But the cool part is Romans 3:24, 'all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.' That's God's mercy in action.

Spoiler alert: It's mercy.

Jesus Showing Mercy

In Matthew 9, we see Jesus showing mercy to three different people. First, there's Matthew, a tax collector. Back then, tax collectors were like the school bullies, nobody liked them. But Jesus didn't care about that. He saw Matthew and said, 'Follow me.'

Then, Jesus goes to dinner with Matthew and his friends. The religious leaders were like, 'What is he doing?!' But Jesus didn't care about their rules. He cared about people.

Next, we see a dad whose daughter just died and a woman who had been sick for 12 years. They were desperate, and Jesus showed them mercy.

Being Like Jesus

So, what does this mean for us? It means we need to be like Jesus. We need to show mercy to others, even when it's hard. Even when they've messed up. Even when they're different from us.

This week, look for ways to show mercy. Maybe it's forgiving your sibling for taking your stuff. Maybe it's helping a friend who's struggling. Maybe it's just listening to someone who needs to talk.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. How can we show mercy in our daily lives?

2. Why do you think God values mercy over sacrifice?

3. Can you think of a time when you received mercy? How did it make you feel?

4. How can we encourage each other to be more merciful?

5. What are some barriers that prevent us from showing mercy? How can we overcome them?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Mercy or Sacrifice?
• Group Activity: Act of Mercy Challenge
• Youth Challenge: Mercy in Action