September Cell Material

september 2012 celloutlines

celloutlines | overview

Introduction The love of God is greater than we can understand. It is, indeed, boundless. In fact, God himself is the source of all love. It is part of his nature, and expressions of genuine love reflect who God really is.

With this in mind, it seems a good idea to highlight different types of love in this month’s cell notes. In the Week One, we focus on God’s love for us. That is foundational to any type of love we might express, so we begin there.

Talking about Christ’s sacrifice for us will serve as a reminder to some, but there may be others in your group who have never heard or deeply considered the price Christ paid for the grace freely offered us. Then the session goes a step beyond simple salvation. The love of God means that he wants us to be conformed to his image, not left wallowing in a sinful state. It is hoped that the young people will understand how God transforms lives and consider what God wants to transform in them.

The second session asks the group to express love to people all around them. The focus here is on those outside of the church family. This generation is very passionate about justice, and many young people sincerely want to change the world. Those aspirations are worthy and should be encouraged. But at the same time we cannot all cross the oceans to feed the poor when there are lonely, hurting people in our own backyard. What can be done now, here, today? The group should learn to practise God’s love in tangible ways on ordinary days in their normal lives, even if it means reaching out to those who have not treated them well.

With the third session, we turn to the expression of God’s love between Christians. This is often awkward for teenagers. They are more comfortable teasing than encouraging one another. To minimise the discomfort, encouragement will be offered by praying for one another.

The fourth session may come as a surprise. It is about marriage. If we are to really discuss Christian love, how can we leave out Christian marriage? The effort is made in this session to teach what covenant is. The marriage covenant is very serious to God and is a ‘type’ of the relationship between God and his people. The session also does not shy away from the fact that God has commanded us to marry a believer.

Obviously, Week Four covers some touchy subjects. Your group may have kids whose parents are divorced. There may be those who have one parent who is a believer and one who isn’t. While we do not come from a position of judgment, young people have a right to know what God’s ideal plan for marriage is, however, even though we hold to God’s ideals we must always show compassion and understanding when those ideals cannot be achieved. It may help to know that the writer of this material has been through a divorce, yet wishes to stress heartily that we must marry carefully and do everything possible to maintain the covenant of marriage. Christians who have been divorced will generally not hesitate to declare that divorce is not God’s ideal. Choosing a true believer as a spouse and understanding what covenant really means will help young people build marriages that do not end in the tragedy of divorce.

Through the teachings of Jesus and through epistles such as 1 John we understand that God’s utmost desire for us is that we would love him and love others, just as we are loved. Everyone craves love, even your most difficult group member. May God guide you as you model his boundless love to your young people!

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september 2012 celloutlines

celloutlines | week one These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources

The Boundless Love of God You will need: • Dolls • Dolls’ clothes • Combs • Bowl of dirt • Rags • Paper • Coloured pencils/markers • Song (recommendation below)

Welcome Provide a number of dolls of any type. The dolls should be undressed, but clothes should be provided. You’ll also need rags, combs and a small bowl of dirt. Divide the group into teams. Some teams are assigned to make their doll beautiful and others are assigned to make their doll as undesirable as possible (wrapped in rags, dirty, messy hair). Allow each team to show off their doll and explain what they did to make the doll look good or bad. The idea of this will become apparent when you move into the Word section: that God loves all people, regardless of how acceptable or unacceptable they may seem.

Word The love of God knows no bounds. He loves every human being before we love him. He even loves those who never come to love him. He doesn’t distinguish between people – he doesn’t love the smart ones or the beautiful ones or the good ones while ignoring the rest (Acts 10:34). Everyone is of equal value to God. Listen to Romans 5:7,8 (Today’s NIV): ‘Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’

Based on these verses, how much does God’s love outstrip the love people have for each other? (Young people may reflect on dying for a good man versus dying for one steeped in sin.) Verse 10 says that when Christ died for us, we were ‘God’s enemies’. This world is full of enemies – personal enemies, enemies of our country, etc. It isn’t natural for human beings to consider sacrificing their own lives so their enemies might live. But Christ was willing to suffer and die an unthinkable death for us while we were his enemies.

As mentioned earlier, this sort of love is offered to absolutely everyone. Christ extended boundless love to a woman he could easily have scorned. He was presented with a woman caught red-handed having sex with someone to whom she wasn’t married. By law, she should have been stoned to death. But Jesus said, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her’ (John 8:7). Her accusers guiltily walked away. And Jesus said two important things: ‘Neither do I condemn you’ and ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.’ (v11) continued over >>>

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You see, God’s boundless love doesn’t only forgive our sins. His love also demands that we stop ruining our own lives. He helps us to be better, and to live a pure life so that we can be in relationship with him. Often it isn’t loving to let a person do whatever they want. But it is always loving to help them be the best they can be. It is always loving to help them live in harmony with God.

Worship In the chill-out zone, provide paper and coloured pencils or markers. Play a song about God’s love, such as Jimmy Needham’s ‘Forgiven and Loved’ (available on iTunes). As an act of private worship, have the young people draw simple pictures of themselves, in the style of an outline. Within the outline of themselves, ask them to write things about themselves that are positive and good, and also their less-than-desirable traits. (These should be character traits, not physical traits.) Ask the young people to reflect upon the fact that God accepts them as they are right now, with their faults and with their good points. But God doesn’t want to leave them that way. Can they identify things about themselves that God would like to see changed?

Witness There may be a member of the group who is willing to share something that God, because of his great love, has changed in their life. If the young people are hesitant to share, then you, the leader, should be prepared to share an example from your own life – either the story of how you were saved, or something God has worked on in your life since then.

celloutlines

september 2012

celloutlines | week one (continued...)

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove

september 2012 celloutlines

celloutlines | week two These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources

Loving Those Around Us You will need: • White card • Marker pens • A display of the poem found below: as a poster, on individual sheets, or using a YouTube video • Small pieces of paper • Pencils or pens

Welcome Have young people fold the card in half, making something in the style of a greetings card. The outside should be decorated and have cheery thoughts, such as ‘God loves you’. The inside is to be left blank.

Word Everyone wants to stop human trafficking, provide clean drinking water for the world, and end poverty. Christians often lead the way in these endeavours, as we are motivated by God’s love. In fact, The Salvation Army is involved in these campaigns around the world. Who knows – maybe you yourself will play an important role some day or are already involved!

But there are people all around us who need to be loved and cared for. Everywhere we see someone who needs a touch from God. And you and I are to deliver God’s loving touch to people in need.

Last week we talked about God’s boundless love for all people, whether they are ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Colonel Sue Harfoot, an American Salvation Army officer, tells the story of a young officer who demonstrated that same love: It was way back in 1917. Two very young, single girl captains had been appointed to a small mining town in Western Canada. While they were there, the Spanish flu swept through the town. As the two captains were walking toward the spot for their open-air meeting one night, they passed the brothel. That was nothing new; they always passed the brothel. Typically, the prostitutes would verbally abuse the young captains as they passed by. But on this occasion, the women came out pleading for help. One of their own was dying from the Spanish flu, and the priest refused to enter the building to give her the last rites.

Would the captains do it?

It was decided that one captain would give the last rites while the other went on to conduct the open-air meeting. The brothel was quarantined – the captain went in, but she was not allowed out. While there, she contracted the flu and died. The women of the brothel searched for the other captain to come and retrieve the body. They finally found her in her little apartment, gravely ill herelf with the Spanish flu. They took her for medical help and her life was saved.

The young captain eventually married and had five children, four of whom became officers. Colonel Harfoot is her granddaughter.

The first great command, Jesus taught us, is to love God. The second is to love our neighbour as much as you continued over >>>

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love ourselves (Matthew 22:36-40). Then he taught us that our neighbour isn’t just our friend – it is the person who treats us badly (Luke 10: 25-37). He even told us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44). Sound familiar? Last week we read in Romans that Christ died for us while we were his enemies.

Worship Assure the young people that most Christians are never called upon to lay down their lives. But God does expect us to demonstrate his love to others through acts of service.

Display the following prayer of St Teresa of Avila in the chill-out space. This prayer has been set to music and there are various videos of it on YouTube. Have each young person write down one way in which they can show God’s love this week. It would be very appropriate if they could think of someone who doesn’t treat them well, and show kindness to that person.

‘Christ has no body now, but yours.

No hands, no feet on earth, but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which Christ looks compassion into the world.

Yours are the feet with which Christ walks to do good.

Yours are the hands with which Christ blesses the world.’

Witness Return to the cards you designed during the Welcome portion. Remind the young people that we are to show love to friends, enemies and even strangers. Have the young people write Scripture verses, song lyrics or thoughtful words inside the cards and then over the next week give the card to someone. Maybe there is a programme running at the corps – eg, Over-60’s, CAMEO etc – that you would be able to get the young people to link up with to give their cards out to the people that attend.

celloutlines

september 2012

celloutlines | week two (continued...)

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september 2012 celloutlines

celloutlines | week three These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources

Love Between Christian Brothers and Sisters You will need: • Premade ‘spitballs’ (see the Welcome segment) • Drinking straws • Large piece of either paper or card • Markers • Pens and pencils

Welcome Prepare ‘spitballs’ in advance by writing positive things on small strips of paper and wadding them up tight. Write messages like ‘You are smart,’ ‘You are funny,’ ‘You’ve got talent,’ etc. Don’t allow the young people to read the messages (best if they don’t even realise you’ve written anything on the spitballs). Provide each young person with a straw and five or six spitballs. Allow them to blow the spitballs at each other through the straws. Give them two minutes. When done, direct students to pick up the wads nearest them and read them. Those are messages just for them.

Word In the United States, fast-food ‘drive-thrus’ are very common. Another thing that has become rather common is the ‘pay-it-forward drive-thru’ campaign. Christian radio stations (there are many in America) encourage their listeners to pay for the meal ordered by the next person in the queue at the drive-thru. Let’s say person A places an order and the first window and drives forward to pay for his meal at the second. By the time he gets there, person B has already ordered. If person A says, ‘I’d like to pay for the car behind me, please,’ the employee will tell him the amount and he can pay for both himself and the next guy. The radio stations often have a card you can download that says that this was meant to be a blessing in the name of the Lord. Person A can give the card to the employee, who will pass it on to the surprised, but happy, person B. The pay-it-forward drive-thru idea was initially meant to be a witness of love to non-believers. But, you never know who person B is. Sometimes person B is a Christian. Soon, many brothers and sisters in the Lord began calling radio stations and telling about how they were blessed by having their meal paid for. Time and time again, a story was told by a believer who was really hurting and needed a touch from God. Then they received the drive-thru blessing. It was a reminder that God was there.

If you were to read through the New Testament epistles (letters), you’d find that a great deal of the text is about how Christians should treat one another. In fact, there is a lot more in there about how to treat fellow believers than how to treat or witness to non-believers. So maybe we should be intentional about loving each other.

Romans 12:10 says: ‘Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves.’

Really, that’s a mouthful. Are we prepared to honour other Christians, starting with the ones in this room, above ourselves?

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One of the ways we can honour each other is to pray for each other. Divide the young people into groups of two or three. Give each person one minute to share requests with their group. Have the members of each group pray for each other.

Witness Decide together upon a person in the church/corps you would like to honour. It may be the corps officer, a member of the songsters, the corps children’s worker, or anybody that the group would like to encourage. Get the young people to draw a picture of themselves or something that they feel represents them and leave a space underneath each picture so that they can write their name and their encouragement to the chosen person. Find an appropriate time to present the poster.

celloutlines

september 2012

Worship

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove

september 2012 celloutlines

celloutlines | week four These Cell Outlines are written by ALOVE UK. They are available each week from our web site. For more information and other cell resources, visit www.salvationarmy.org.uk/alove/resources

Covenant Love Warm-Up: The Human Pretzel Game Everyone in the group, except the leader, joins hands. The group then twists itself up as much as possible, ducking under clasped hands, turning backwards, etc. The leader sets a timer for three minutes and the group sees if it can untangle itself in that amount of time without letting go of hands. If the group is large, make more than one ‘pretzel’ and see which set can untangle fastest.

Word: What is a covenant? (Allow for answers.) A covenant is like a promise, but stronger. When a covenant is made, both sides make binding commitments. I can promise you something without you promising something back. But when a covenant is made, both parties have a responsibility, and it is meant to be ironclad.

Read God’s covenant with the Israelite people found in Exodus 6:6-8. That was God’s part. Now read Exodus 19:5-6. The Israelites were to obey the commandments God had given to them and he would keep them as his holy, special nation.

But they blew it. If you know some Old Testament stories, you know they blew it big and blew it frequently! For example, God insisted that they worship only him. Fair enough. He was the only real God anyway! But they made idols, and they worshipped the false gods of other nations. God loved them, and they betrayed him.

Now read Jeremiah 31:31-34. God promised a new covenant. Despite Israel’s repeated failures, God established a new covenant with them. This covenant comes through Jesus, and it includes those who are ‘grafted on’ to the Israelite nation. That is to say, it includes anyone, Jew or non-Jew, who receives Christ as Saviour.

The marriage covenant was also established by God, and he takes it very seriously. It is a lifelong commitment made before God. God designed it so that two people would become as one. It isn’t easy; it takes work. But it is meant to last. Husband, wife and children should have the comfort of knowing that even when things get tough, the family bond won’t be broken. Think of the human pretzel game we played as a warm-up – though the situation got dicey, we didn’t let go. We worked it out.

God compares the unfaithfulness of Israel to the unfaithfulness of a wife. The Church of the New Testament is called the ‘bride of Christ’. So there is a connection here. A healthy marriage reflects the relationship of God to his people. Maybe that’s another one of the reasons he doesn’t want marriages to break up. Marriages serve as an example of the love relationship between God and us.

We’ve looked at Christian love from many angles over the past few weeks. Marriage is another aspect of Christian love. If you plan to make this kind of covenant at some time in your life, the Bible tells us that you should want to make it with a fellow Christian, because at its best, marriage is a covenant before God and he is an active partner in the marriage and family. It is hard to have God as an active part of a family if one spouse is not a believer. It is unwise to make this lifelong, intimate covenant with someone who doesn’t believe what you believe, and God instructs us not to do that. Let’s look up and read 2 Corinthians 6:14.

Of course, many people who love God do suffer a divorce. The reasons and situations are almost as numerous as the couples that break up. It is important to understand that these people are usually hurting a great deal. It is not our place to judge them. We should minister to them as appropriate. If your parents are divorced, honour them and do your best to help them. It is likely that they bear a heavier load.

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Worship: Put on some music and ask the group to spend some time in quiet reflection praying for the strengthening of marriages in their wider family and your church/corps as well as spending time praying for their own future relationships or current relationship if they are in one.

Remember that there is nothing wrong with not getting married. The apostle Paul was not married, and he seems like a pretty good life example, don’t you think? But also remember that there well may be single people in your church/corps who are hurting because they feel excluded from aspects of the fellowship.

Witness: Option one: Determine that your group will pray for the married and engaged couples at your corps for the next month. Ask your corps officer to allow someone from your group to share that information in the holiness meeting (or whatever corps meeting is appropriate), and pray for them publicly at that time.

Option two: Offer a free babysitting night at the church/corps. Announce this as an opportunity for parents to enjoy a date night, and for single parents to catch their breath. The idea behind this is that couples need time to enjoy each other – without the kids – to keep their relationship healthy, and single parents often need uninterrupted time to get things done or just have a little fun!

celloutlines

september 2012

celloutlines | week four (continued...)

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