REGULAR YOUTH GROUP AT THE CHURCH THIS WEEK 1/22
PARENTS... GET SIGNED UP FOR PUSH NOTIFICATIONS!!!
THE MAIN IDEA FROM OUR DISCUSSION ON WEDNESDAY (1/15/2025)
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Tonight’s parable is ‘The Parable of the Ten Virgins’. Yes… He said virgins. Go ahead and get all of your giggles out of the way now. Now… Let’s put on our grown up mature hats here for a few minutes…
- And this parable was part of a bigger conversation!
- In Chapter 24 Jesus says learn the lesson of the fig tree. Pay attention to the signs and you will know when summer is coming.
- Then he says no one knows the day or the hour so STAY ALERT! Stay awake! Be ready! This is the context of todays parable…
- Matthew 25:1-13
- The Parable of the Ten Virgins
- 25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
- Alright… Why all the virgin talk?
- 1st- This was a cultural statement. He’s speaking to a specific cultural group about their specific wedding practices. When he said to them that “the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the groom’, he was drawing a picture for them of a wedding party which they could all identify with. It would be like me saying that all of the bridesmaids gathered together for the ‘throwing of the bouquet’. Do you know what I’m talking about? The tradition being that whichever bridesmaid catches the bouquet will be the next to get married. Totally scientific! And then we line up and chuck rice or bird seed at them! Now we all know what I’m talking about because this is our tradition, silly as it may seem.
- A Jewish wedding celebration was different-
- 1st the Betrothal. During this time the groom was diligently planning for their future. Building their home. Securing for his wife. Now… how long would that take? How long would it take you to get all of those things in order and build a house? (Hard to know right? It will be done when it's done)
- Once his preparations were complete, he would COME FOR HIS BRIDE!
- Much like we chuck flowers and rice at weddings… at the very end of a Jewish wedding celebration, the bridesmaids would line up with their lamps and illuminate the procession as the groom would go to collect his bride from her home and take her to be His wife at their new home that he prepared.
- So why all the virgin talk? 1st is because this was their way of referring to ‘Bridesmaids’ at a wedding. But ‘virgin’ carries with it a MEANING. And of course we all know what it means. (One of the questions that Christian teens always wanna know is where does the Bible say that you’re not supposed to have sex before marriage? Well pay attention, because that is PART of what Jesus is talking about here.)
- Notice first that they were… virgins! This is a significant aspect of their WAITING!
- QUESTION- How would NOT waiting affect the coming wedding or marriage? (Remember how Joseph must have felt. Hurt, brokenness, betrayal)
- Now step back and look at the parable… We are the Bride of Christ WAITING for our groom!
- Our job is to prepare ourselves for His coming
- Our job is to remain pure for Him
- The reason our sexuality and our marriage relationships are so important is because that marriage relationship is an ongoing picture of what our relationship looks like between Christ and the church (His bride).
- In the same way God says you shall have no other Gods before me
- A bride or a groom will forsake ALL others for one another!
- Why do we wait? We wait because we are the bride of Christ!
- So how do we prepare ourselves? How do we make ourselves ready?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- Would you rather be completely fluent in another language or gifted on a musical instrument?
- Would you rather know WHEN you are going to die or HOW you are going to die?
- (Read 2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:27, & Revelation 21:2)
- How do these verses speak to how we live our lives today?
- What does it meant to present ourselves ‘without stain or wrinkle’ or as a ‘bride adorned’ for her husband?
- What important preparation was necessary for the virgins in the parable (Oil for the lamp- Matt. 25:3-4).
- Over and over in scripture, ‘Oil’ is often used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. What is significant about that? Why was that so crucial?
- How do we insure that we have enough ‘fuel for the wait’?
- What specific things can we do to ‘prepare ourselves?’
It has been such a joy beginning the process of getting to know your students here at Creekside and I am humbled to be entrusted with the task of pointing them towards Jesus. I realize when a church hires a new youth pastor, there is a natural tendency to think that they are here to work with the teens. Whereas that is certainly a part of my role, mom’s & dad’s, I want you to know that I’m also here for YOU! Parenting is no easy task, and as parents you will absolutely be the number one influence on your children and upon their spiritual formation! As you seek to point your kids towards Jesus, please know that you aren’t in this alone! If there is anything at all that I can do to support you as you shepherd your children, my door is always open!
Contact Pastor Chris at the church (907) 376-5576 or chris.vansiegman@creeksideak.com
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PARENTAL CONSENT FORM:
In order for students to participate in various youth activities throughout the year, we need to have a parental waiver on file for your student. You can fill out the parental consent form here for your convenience.
Click HERE to access.
In order for students to participate in various youth activities throughout the year, we need to have a parental waiver on file for your student. You can fill out the parental consent form here for your convenience.
Click HERE to access.