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Lesson 7

Sticky Justice

Mix students and adults at tables for this lesson. Church announcements, upcoming events, and prayer. Starting Up Remember this? What did graduating high school seniors wish they had more of in their youth groups? 1. Time for deep conversation. 2. Mission trips. 3. Service projects. 4. Accountability. 5. One-on-one time with leaders. How do we raise kids who serve? How can we plant a vision for kingdom service so deeply in our kids that they cant help but offer love and hope to those in need? Share story starting with Last month on p. 124 and ending with the immediate needs of others on p. 125. Then say, But this chapter doesnt stop with service. It encourages us to go beyond service into justice. And heres what the authors mean by justice. Then read from These days on p. 125 to Absolutely on p. 126.

The Low-Down on Service and Justice 1. Justice is a Biblical value and theme. Some people are uncomfortable with the word justice in church because of the way it has been distorted in the past. The author has a blunt response to churches that shy away from using the word justice: *If your church is uncomfortable with justice,+ then your church hasnt read the Bible. The Bible talks about justice as one of Gods core attributes, and its a word that we have to reclaim. Certainly, many Christians have neglected this Biblical theme. We have tended to focus more on personal salvation for the world to come to the neglect of how the kingdom of God is to make a difference in our world right now. Both are important, but since justice has been neglected, we should have an aim to reclaim it! Justice is a part of Gods mission. Heres a sampling of Scripture on justice (before class, give out slips of paper with different verses on them for people to read): Deut. 16:20, Deut. 27:19a, Ps. 7:6, Ps. 103:6, Ps. 106:3, Isa. 28:17a, Isa. 61:8a, Jer. 9:24, Amos 5:24, Mic. 6:8, Luke 18:7, Rom. 3:25a. But sometimes our understanding of the mission of God is too small. God desires for every person to have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10). God desires for every person to be complete, whole, and healthy. (ILLUSTRATION: John Blay Eshuns work with the young womens vocational school in Ghanathats Gospel work!) Table Talk: What are your initial thoughts on the word justice? What would change in your life if you saw justice as a core attribute of God and a major theme of being a Christian? 2. Young people want to be involved in service and justice work. Remember the survey results from the beginninghigh school seniors wished they had more mission trip and service opportunities in their youth groups.

Our young peoples generation receives a lot of negative press. But one of their best traits, broadly speaking, is their desire to serve and to make a difference in the world. (ILLUSTRATION: KONY 2012 movement) 3. While mission trips are important, service is stickier when it hits closer to home. It needs to be in their home literally, as we as parents exemplify, encourage, and actually participate with our kids in righting wrongs around them. It needs to hit close to home thematically, as we help our kids understand how particular injustices relate to their lives. It needs to hit home personally, as we expose our kids to actual people who have been oppressed, thereby giving injustice a face and a name. And justice ministry needs to hit home relationally, as we help our kids serve others in partnership with their friends. Stepping Up Our Service and Justice Work 1. Find sticky causes that matter to your kid. What is it that strikes close to home for your children? If you dont have an answer to that question, get one by asking your kids. ILLUSTRATION: Our high school students were fired up about supporting a student at the Christian school in the DR after we returned from our trip there. 2. Serve together as a family. Read bracketed paragraph on p. 135. ILLUSTRATION: It was so cool that whole families went on our mission trip together this past summer. 3. Make justice work not an event but a process. We need to do a better job of walking with our kids before, during, and after their mission experience. Show and talk about The Before/During/After Model.

The model helps young people and adults alike move from mission trip to missional living. It helps connect the dots from a mission experience to real life. 4. Develop ongoing relationships with those you serve. ILLUSTRATION: Our relationships with Inner City Chattanooga group, which I hope will be even stronger after our week together in June. 5. Make justice part of everyday life. Adapted from the book: Many (maybe even most) teenagers will show way more enthusiasm for talking about Jesus to a little girl in Inner City Chattanooga or visiting Dominican Republic than they will for being more kind to the troubled girl in 2nd block. And most adults too! Table Talk: What are some ways we can promote and work for justice in our homes, community and through our church? Lets come up with some specific ideas.