The Gathering is for 6th-12th grade students. We gather to worship together, take a look at God's word, and have some fun! The Gathering is a great place to get to know God and meet some new people. Join us Sunday mornings this Summer during service time (9:30 AM) in the High School Room on the North-West side of our campus.
The Gathering at a Glance —
On July 2nd we'll finish our series in Joshua, Strong and Courageous. After that, we'll start a new series titled Rad. Rad is a series on loving others; here's the premise:
When Jesus was on earth, he had a lot to say about love, but not everyone loved him. Instead, Jesus'
opponents challenged him, attacked him, and even saw him as extreme — dangerous — revolutionary — a radical.
And they had a point! The things Jesus taught about loving God and loving others challenged the status
quo and changed the world forever.
That's pretty radical. In this 4-week series from the book of James,
we'll look at four ways Jesus invites us to love according to his revolutionary example. These ideas might
seem simple, but when we choose to listen more than we speak, refuse to play favorites, watch our
words, and fight for peace, we'll see just how radical Jesus' teachings are.
Sunday, July 2nd - Strong and Courageous (Week 3 - It's Time)
In this final week, we'll see that even after decades of seeing God do incredible things, the Israelites had idols hidden away. Joshua told them it was time to decide, to be all in for God!
WHERE IN GOD'S WORD: Joshua 24:11-15, Joshua 24:21-24, James 2:14, Revelation 3:15-16
Sunday, July 9th - Rad (Week 1)
This week, we'll look at how to love others through James' instructions to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
BIG IDEA: Radical people listen more than they speak.
WHERE IN GOD'S WORD: James 1:19-21; Psalm 15; Luke 10:25-28
Questions to ask your student this week:
Name someone in your life who is a good listener. What makes them such a good listener?
How can our relationships with others be damaged when we don't listen well?
What are some ways listening can help us show people God's love?
Sunday, July 16th - Rad (Week 2)
This week, we'll look at how to love others through James' instructions on how to treat everyone with equity.
BIG IDEA: Radical people don't play favorites.
WHERE IN GOD'S WORD: James 2:1-17; Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23; Romans 2:11
Questions to ask your student this week:
What kind of people are your favorite kind of people?
Do you think it's okay to have favorite people? Why or why not?
What's the difference between having favorite people and showing favoritism?
What are some reasons someone might show favoritism? Are those reasons unhealthy?
Read Romans 2:11 - Do you ever feel like God plays favorites?
How does Jesus show us God doesn't play favorites?
Sunday, July 23rd - Rad (Week 3)
This week, we'll look at how to love others through James' instructions about the power of the tongue.
BIG IDEA: Radical people watch their words.
WHERE IN GOD'S WORD: James 3:1-12; Mark 7:1-8; Luke 6:27-28
Questions to ask your student this week:
Are you the kind of person who says whatever you think, or do you hold back?
Have you ever said something you regretted because you didn't think before you spoke?
What's the nicest thing anyone has said about you?
Has anyone ever hurt you with their words?
Has there ever been a time when your words impacted someone in a way you didn't expect?
Read Luke 6:27-28
When people hurt us with their words, what could it look like to put these words of Jesus into practice?
What kind of good could you do this week by putting Jesus' words into action?
Sunday, July 30th - Rad (Week 4)
This week, we'll look at how to love others through James' instructions to be peacemakers through conflict.
BIG IDEA: Radical people fight for peace.
WHERE IN GOD'S WORD: James 3:16-18, 4:1-3; Matthew 5:9; Hebrews 12:14a
Questions to ask your student this week:
What are some of the most common reasons you think people fight with each other?
Do you think all fights are bad, or could some fights be good?
Read Hebrews 12:14 -
If someone doesn't want to make peace with you, what do you think Jesus would want you to do?
What are some ways we can learn to be better peacemakers?
