Embracing Your Strengths CELEBRATING STRENGTHS

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Introductions Name Age School/Grade/Job Is there something about yourself that irritates you?

Listen & Ponder You’re free to sing or hum if you‘d like. https://youtu.be/fWk9I26nX5w

Know Yo Verses~ Lesson 1 Lesson 7 Lesson 10 Today’s Verse: “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14)

Celebrating Strength What do you think “celebrating strength” means? Saul → Paul What is the story behind that? The story of Paul is a story of redemption in Jesus and a testimony that no one is beyond the saving grace of the Lord “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14) “Paul wanted nothing but to know Christ and serve Him. His calling was his only joy. Nothing else would satisfy. And he wanted all men to know of the love that had changed his life eternally.” Saul AKA Paul is going to be our main focus for this lesson. Saul the destroyer No joke, that's what his name meant. Literally living up to his name. Known for persecuting Christians and seeking them out to imprison. Also campaigned against them But then was commissioned by God to share the gospel to Gentiles The moment God came into his life, there was redirection. Saul became Paul. Paul meaning “little/small” which fit, because of his desire to be smaller in order to present Christ as greater. He was one of the most beloved and respected Christian of all times. Why? Because he celebrated his strengths. PSALM 139:14 “Praise”: I’m not just admiring what is so great and marvelous about Him, But I will ACKNOWLEDGE Him in a public manner as wise, holy, and good. “my soul knows…”: I am fully convinced of it. We can see clearly that His work are “wonderful,” even if we can understand nothing else about them. No flaw is sinful or shameful – it’s the way God wired you. EX: distressed jeans – made with INTENTIONAL flaws in order to make them unique. Those flaws are part of your custom design, and God planned them for His glory. So for Paul, his back story is horrible, but because of it, his redemption story became an inspiration for all of us and he used it for His glory! THAT, is celebrating strength!

You vs. Paul Looking at the inspirational story of Paul, when looking at your own life are they the same? Is there anything you should change about your daily habits to serve Christ better?

Based off all the lesson’s we‘ve gone through what is strength? Like we talked about before, “celebrating strength,” what does it mean to celebrate? To acknowledge or to honor or praise publicly. Based off Paul, we saw he wanted everyone to know of the love God showed him that changed his life. He celebrated his strength. “Paul wanted nothing but to know Christ and serve Him. His calling was his only joy. Nothing else would satisfy. And he wanted all men to know of the love that had changed his life eternally.” If God is your strength, how do you celebrate strength? Make it known. When there’s a birthday, wedding, or some kind of event, how would you celebrate it? You make it known.You tell people about it and gather them together to celebrate the event. So for celebrating strength, it is about us making Him known, sharing about Him. Using the gifts God has given you for His glory and through this people will notice and be attracted by God’s spirit in us. Based off all the lesson’s we‘ve gone through what is strength? What is lesson 8’s verse? “The Sovereign God is my strength.” (Habakkuk 3:19) If God is your strength, how do you celebrate strength?

Matthew 28:19-20 The Scripture repeatedly tells us to enjoy God and His gifts, why is this? Based on the strengths God has given you, how can you apply this verse into your life? All believers are commanded to “go.” Where has God called you to make disciples? Has He called you to somewhere local or to another context? What gifts has the Lord given you to fulfill His mission? In what way is God calling you to celebrate your strengths in your own home and family, your church, your community? When we enjoy God and His gifts we then love Him and become influenced by Him, which leads to us becoming like Him. EX: when you enjoy and spend a lot of time with your friends, you tend to become more similar. I know for me, when I watch YouTubers a lot I adopt a lot of things they say into my own vocabulary. “Cuuuunie~” When we use our gifts and talents in service of Him, sacrificial giving of our time and resources to further God’s influence on another’s life, we are celebrating our strengths. It is our calling to share the gospel to all nations. God gave us our gifts, strengths, flaws, whatever to help equip and prepare us. I know it sounds a little nerve-wrecking, but “God doesn’t call us to be comfortable, He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.” (Francis Chan “Crazy Love”)

Journal Question/Challenge JOURNAL: Are you worried of what others might think if you were to share the gospel with them? Confess those fears in your journal and ask God for strength and boldness. CHALLENGE: celebrate God by sharing with someone at school how God has been working in your life.