Category Archives: Bible Study

05.11.13
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Creation vs. Evolution

Creationism vs. EvolutionHebrews 11:3

No one can adequately explain the creation of the world apart from God. There is no scientist smart enough to convince and prove the existence of the world. There is no Christian who is wise and smart enough to convince the entire world by proof. Even the secular scientists will admit that what you believe about the existence of the world around us requires faith. It requires faith in evolution or a faith in creation.

 

Creation- The act of God bringing the world in ordered existence

Evolution- The theory that living organisms gradually change by themselves from one kind into another.

Now, in your school or work place, you may be taught that things evolve out of nothing, maybe that raw material exploded and it formed the world. We will continue to develop into higher life forms because of Natural Selection. This process has taken millions of years.

I want to look at what the Bible says about the creation of the world. God created everything out of nothing! Creation was finished in 6 literal 24 hour days and then God rested on the 7th day.
Day 1- Light and darkness
Day 2- Heaven
Day 3- Sea, land, and vegetation
Day 4- Sun, moon, stars
Day 5- Fish and birds
Day 6- Man and animals

After seeing this, logic tells us that there had to be an intelligent designer behind the creation of the world. In my opinion, I believe it takes more faith to believe that things just happened randomly than it does to believe that there is an intelligent designer, God, behind the creation of the world.

The point is that what you believe requires faith either way. By the way, what you believe about creation will affect everything that you believe about God and the truth of His Word.

         I.            Confidence in God’s Powerful Word

  1. His Word created the Heavens- Psalm 33:6 says, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” Hebrews 11:3 says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” We can go back to Genesis and see that God spoke, and things happened! The phrase, God said is used 8 times for the different aspects of creation. While the idea of evolution is based on random chance, the Bible teaches that the world came about through the power of God’s spoken word.
  2. His Word created the world- Genesis 1:1-31. God created the entire world out of nothing. One moment there was darkness, and then there was light. How? God’s Word. One moment there was no vegetation, the next moment there was grass and trees. One moment there was no water, and then there was water. One moment there was no man, and then there was man. How? God’s Word. God spoke everything into existence. John 1:3 says, “All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made.”

        II.            Confidence in the Bible’s Account

  1. Real witness- Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God.” God has no beginning and no ending. This is a difficult thing to grasp and put our minds around. In evolution, there is no witness to anything that happened. In creation, we have a witness. The creator Himself.
  2. Real Days- Exodus 20:11 says, “For in six days the LORD made Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them is, and rested the seventh day.” Scripture is clear, I believe, that God created the world in 6 literal days. The theory of evolution tries to replace God with time. It adds billions of years onto the existence of the world. Genesis 1:5 says that the evening and the morning were the first day. In the Bible when the word, day, is qualified by a number, it always refers to a literal 24 hour day. Since this is the case, the timing of evolution just cannot be accurate.

      III.            Confidence in the Creator’s Design

  1. The creation was designed with Purpose- The principle of Intelligent Design states, “For every design, there must be a designer.” This principle basically means that things do not just appear. Everything that you see must have had a designer behind it. Look at the fanciest of cars, clothes, houses, etc. Someone designed them. Now, look at man, the mountains, the beaches, and the wonderful majestic world. Such creation demands a creator.
  2. The creation was designed for God’s glory- Psalm 19:1 says, “The Heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork.” Colossians 1:16 says, “For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him.” Man did not evolve to work, eat, and die. That would pointless. There must be a greater purpose in life. The Bible has that purpose. You were created in the image of God to exist to bring glory to God. That is your ultimate purpose in life.

So, where does your faith lie? It requires faith to believe in evolution and to believe in creation. Which belief is your faith placed in? Place your faith in the truth that God spoke this world into existence, and that your greatest purpose is to bring Him glory! My purpose is to make His name famous. It is the reason for my existence. So, are you doing this? Are you glorifying God in every area of your life?

01.31.13
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Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Why do bad things happen to good people blog post

Have you ever wondered if God was truly in control of the world? I mean seriously, was God in control when He allowed the shootings to happen at Sandy Hook Elementary school? Was He control when He allowed your family member to pass away at an unexpected time? Was He in control when your parents decided to get a divorce? Was He in control when 9/11 happened? We hear the Christian cliche, God is in control, all of the time, but really, is He? How could a God of love permit these terrible things to happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Is he in control when those bad things happen? I want to answer this question with an emphatic, YES, and it is all based on God’s sovereignty. What does the word, sovereign mean? 

Sovereign- One who exercises supreme authority or rule

Sovereignty- Supreme authority and rule of God. The word, sovereignty carries the idea of being independent. It is the idea that God is in control of all things. He is the ruler of all things. God answers to absolutely no one. So, He does not have to answer to me for what His plan is for my life. He does not have to answer to you for His plan in your life. God can accomplish whatever He wants in all things however He wants. Isaiah 46:9 says, “For I am God, and there is no one else. I am God and there is none like me.” Isaiah 45:5 says, “There is no God besides me.” He is completely over the things that we can see, and the things that we cannot see.

Now, here is the part that is difficult for us to understand. God is in complete control, but at the same time, we are free to make our own choices. Stay with me for a moment, but I understand that this is very difficult. God allows for freedom. I do not believe that God necessarily created sin, but He did create you and me with a free will to choose. Let me say that much of the world’s disasters are a direct result of a fallen society. I cannot stand here and explain why a shooting takes place, but I can explain how a person WITHOUT Jesus can commit such terrible sins against such innocent people. It is a direct result of a sinful fallen world. Man’s free will and God’s sovereignty are two thoughts that I believe both exist. Now, that does not make sense to us, but I believe that both of those thoughts are only thoughts that intersect with each other in the creator of the Universe’s mind. We look at life through humanistic minds, and cannot fathom seeing life totally through God’s eyes, because He is God, and we are not. It is impossible for you and I to totally comprehend both thoughts about God’s sovereignty and man’s free will, because we have a fallen flesh, and God is so much greater than you could ever imagine Him to be so figuring Him and His plans out are a waste of your time, because it is impossible for our finite minds to figure out God and His ways.

Do you remember the story where the disciples are in the Bible, and a great storm came up. The disciples were freaking out, crying out for help, because the weather and storm was so bad. Jesus was chillin asleep in the bottom of the boat. Why did a storm appear so dangerous to men who were so close to Jesus? These disciples were trying to serve Jesus, and were walking with Him. Why would God send such a storm to such good people? Now, this storm was bad. I believe that this was a storm that could have killed the disciples it was so bad. Why would God do it? This is the sovereignty of God. He comes up, and speaks to the wind and the waves, and everything is calm. Look there was a still a storm in the disciples lives, and there was danger, but in the midst of your danger and your storms, God is still at complete control. You can make your decisions in life, but God’s ultimate purpose is not affected by the moves that you make. His ability to fix your life is incredibly greater than your ability to mess it up!

God is the Eternal Ruler. The Word, Eternal means, Having no beginning and no end. It means that God is everlasting. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” God is not bound by time, and for Him, time is held in a completely different measure. For Him, a single day is like a thousand years. He is, He was, and He will always be! For us, it is difficult to understand God’s eternal life. We measure everything in time, because for us, everything has a beginning and an ending, right? We do not know people or things that are eternal, because ultimately, God is the only being who is eternal. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God…” That is saying that God was in existence at the first recording of time, EVER.

He is the eternal ruler because He is the Creator- Psalm 148:5 says, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created. God is the creator of all things, and because of this, He is the ruler of all things. Colossians 1:16 says, “All things were created by Him, and for Him.” Regardless of what the scientists believe, this world and the things around us did not just evolve over time, or happened after a bang. No, we have a God who spoke, and it happened. It is recorded in His Word. He rules, because He has authority over all!

He rules because He is the Controller of the world- Daniel 4:35 says, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, what doest thou?” No one can stop the purpose of God from fulfilling. He has given you free will, but even in your free will, He is sitting as the complete ruler. Your decisions will not alter His divine purpose! It will be fulfilled regardless of the decisions you make based on your free will. He is the ruler because

He is the All Knowing (Omniscient) one- God knows all things, past, present, and future! Nothing comes as a surprise to God. Do you ever have a “light bulb” moment where you say, “Oh I get it.” God doesn’t. He knows everything, and nothing has ever dawned to God. He knows your decisions, and He knows what will happen in your life from the start to the end. Isn’t that reason to trust His sovereign plan? In 2001, I went on a youth activity the night that Duke played in the final four vs. Maryland. I went home after the youth activity to find that my parents’ recorded the game. I immediately watched the game, and sat there with total peace throughout the game. Duke went down by 22 points, but I never worried, I sat their calm until the end to notice that Duke came back and won the game. Why was I able to sit their so calmly when my team was getting destroyed? Duke is my team, how could I sit there peacefully when they were getting destroyed. Because I knew the end result of the game. Someone had told me at the youth activity. You see, God has the big picture in total view, and knows the end results of every trial or test you will endure. It is your job to sit peacefully in His arms and trust Him with the result and purpose.

God is the Involved Ruler- Ephesians 1:11 says, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will.” He uses your decisions to craft His perfect plan that has already been decided.

God is the Compassionate Ruler- Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” God loves you. Romans is speaking specifically about saved people. We have the ability in Jesus to handle the tough questions of life differently than those without Jesus. Think of Joseph in the Old Testament. Joseph said after so much bad had happened to him, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” How about Job? He lost his family, everything that he owned, his friends, and his body had boils all over it. He was still able to say, “The Lord giveth, and He taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.” How could they do that when it seemed God had lost control? They understood that they serve a compassionate God who will work together all things for good eventually. We must trust that we serve a compassionate God who will ultimately work these tragedies out into something good after all. It may not be today, but I guarantee you, He will work it out one day, because we know the end of the story!

God is the Constant Ruler- He does not change. He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

Have you heard that song, “Not for a Moment (After All)” by Meredith Andrews? The Lyrics read like this,

“You were reaching through the storm, walking on the water, 

Even when I could not see.
In the middle of it all, when I thought you were a thousand miles away.
Not for a moment, did you forsake me.
Not for a moment, did you forsake me.

After all, you are constant.
After all, you are only good.
After all, you are sovereign.
Not for a moment, will you forsake me.

You were singing in the dark, whispering your promise.
Even when I could not hear.
I was held in your arms, carried for a thousand miles to show,
not for a moment did you forsake me.

God is sovereign  and will work all things for good! Stop worrying and asking “why is this happening?” Instead, enjoy resting today in the sweet powerful arms of Jesus!

12.07.12
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[Freebie Friday] Christmas Lesson- Small Things: A Christmas Story

ChristmasLesson2012 freebie friday blog postMy friends over at YM360 are giving away a free Christmas lesson for youth pastors. It is a great lesson for you to teach a fresh sermon on the Christmas story. I know for me, we have looked at the Christmas story each year, and it is difficult to keep things fresh since our students are so familiar with the story. YM360 can help you with that. Here is a little about the freebie:

Lesson Title: Small Things: A Christmas Story

Lesson Objective: To see who and what God values by looking at the Christmas narrative from a big-picture perspective.



Scripture Focus: Luke 1:26-38, Luke 2:1-15

Overview: The Christmas narrative is a familiar story to most of our students. As such, we can sometimes overlook some of the rich truths communicated in the biblical account of Jesus’ birth. This lesson “zooms out,” taking a big-picture look at what the Christmas narrative teaches us about God and His ways. By taking this approach, your students will understand exactly who and what God values. Most importantly, they’ll understand that God’s desire is to work through normal, everyday people (just like them) to accomplish His will.

Download this freebie here!

11.26.12
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Free Lesson on Justification with video and teaching script

Below is a free lesson that Mark Etheridge is giving away free on his blog. You need to check this out:

One thing I really enjoy about blogging is the fact that I can give away FREE stuff! So, here’s a free resource that I have put together. It is a lesson on justification, one of the most vital parts of our faith as Christians. God’s been teaching me a lot about this subject, and how important it is for me as someone who believes in Jesus. The audience this was originally written for is college students, however, I believe it can be adapted to any age group. This resource contains several different parts that may help you in studying and teaching on this subject:

1. Teaching Script: I have included an entire teaching script based on my personal study of this subject. It is in a Microsoft Word document so please change and tailor in whatever way you see fit. It is broken down verse-by-verse with explanatory comments and it also includes quotes by scholars and illustrations.

2. Visual Presentation: I have made a PowerPoint presentation to go along with this lesson. It includes all of the text verses, scholarly quotes, an illustrative picture, and cross-referenced passages. This presentation also has editing capabilities where you can edit/change to fit your personal presentation. I have also included a JPEG image of the opening slide so you can use it as you please (printing a flyer, making a handout, exc.).

3. Video Interview: I have included a clip of an interview with R.C. Sproul and Mark Driscoll discussing the topic of justification. The leadership blog The Resurgence has produced this video and it gives some insight as to how important biblical justification really is for us today.

I hope this resource is a help to you, and that you will benefit from whatever avenue you choose to use this in, whether it’s for teaching in a college ministry, student ministry, church service, or for your own personal growth. I want to help you and serve you. You can download this FREEBIE below:

Download the freebie here!

10.27.12
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Bible Study- God the Father

Throughout life, we as Christians refer to God as our Father. Have you ever wondered, what does that mean? How does that work? Does God act like our earthly father? Well, in some cases, He does, but not completely. Let’s look throughout Scripture, and see what the Bible says about how God operates as our Father, and how this should look in our life! First, here is a quick definition of “our heavenly father:”

Heavenly Father: The relationship of God to those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior thereby being born anew into His family.

1.   Our Heavenly Father is above all- Ephesians 4:6. When I was growing up, I had a very strict home. I was constantly under watch and supervision by my parents for when to be home and where I was at. I would get upset about that, but at the end of the day, I had to realize and learn that they had that authority over me as my parents. The same is true about our Heavenly Father. He has that authority over us, because He is God. He has authority over you. Here are some verses that show how and what He has authority over in our lives:

Isaiah 64:8 says, “But now, O LORD, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” God has the authority to shape me however He desires. He has authority to create me in His image. As clay, we are in complete and total subjection unto the authority and will of our Father. He can decide what the clay will be.

Jeremiah 3:4 says, “Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth.” God has the authority to guide me where He wants me. If you think of a card driver and his vehicle. The driver has control over what direction the car is heading. The car does not randomly decide where it will be going. The driver decides which direction it wants to go, and the vehicle is in subjection to the driver. It is the same way with God. He is in control of our lives. Sometimes, the road is bumpy, sometimes the road is curvy, and difficult, but God is the driver. We must let Him guide and direct us.

Matthew 12:50 says, “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” God has the authority to expect my obedience! John 14:15 says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Our obedience is an indicator of our love for God. He has the authority to expect complete obedience from you toward His Word.

Hebrews 12:7-11. God has the authority to correct me. To Chasten means: To punish, chastise, or rebuke with words in order to correct or mold the character of others. I have a 15 month old daughter. She is in a fit stage right now, and I have to correct her when she throws a fit by disciplining her. We all need to be corrected from time to time. The chastisement of our Heavenly Father is always for our good!

2.   Our Heavenly Father works through all His children- Ephesians 4:6

God desires to work through us as His children. The word, “through” here in verse 6 conveys the idea of acting as a channel for something to be done. You watch different genres of television on different stations. They do different things, and the message of the directors of the channel’s gets out to the world. We are God’s channels. He desires to work through us to get His message out. You have gifts, and His desire is for you to be used by Him, and for Him to work through you to get His message out.

3.   Our Heavenly Father is in us- Ephesians 4:6

God desires a close relationship with us! As my daughter grows up, I want a relationship with her! This requires communication as she gets older. You see Adam and Eve had a relationship with God in the Garden. They walked and talked with God. Then, they sinned, and that hurt and hindered their relationship with God. God still desired for that relationship to happen though. So, God made a way for us to have a relationship! He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sin so that our sin could be wiped away! It could be forgiven. Why? So that our relationship could be restored! Now, because of Jesus, we can enjoy a relationship with God. What is cool about this relationship is that we do nothing to achieve it; it has already been achieved by Jesus. It has already been done! All you have to do is accept Him.

Who is your Father? Is God your Father? As a Christian, God has the authority over you, and is worthy of your obedience.

If God is not your Father, you are missing out on the greatest relationship you can ever experience. 

10.18.12
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Our Works VS. Christ Work

One thing that has been on my mind recently has been the thought about “our works vs. Christ work.” I have been challenged in my personal relationship with Jesus to focus more on the work that Jesus has done for me, and not on the work that I am trying to do. In our Christian culture, many people would say that we are not saved by works, but we treat believers in many cases that we are kept by our works. That is just not the case, Jesus keeps us, and has already completed the work for us! Now, I am not suggesting that you now have liberty to live anyway that you would like. I believe that we have liberty, but it is a liberty and freedom to break the chains of sin through the work that Jesus did on the cross. My challenge to you today is not to try harder, and do better, but to look at the one who won the victory for you. If we get a solid glimpse of Him, our life will be right, and righteousness will come, because we are focusing on Jesus and His righteousness in us rather than the righteousness that we “try” to muster up on our own! By the way, the Bible describes the good things that you do in and of yourself as filthy rags! So, let’s stop trying to work harder and do better, and focus on Jesus, and get our eyes on Him. Then, right living will be a byproduct of a relationship with Jesus and personal work of Jesus! in our lives. Remember, Jesus loves and accepts you right now regardless of where you are. Nothing we do will make Him love us less! Grasp that thought, and it can change your life.

09.21.12
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Free Ebook entitled, “Stronger” by Alvin Reid

Alvin Reid is one of my hero’s of student ministry. He is doing a lot of great things in student ministry, but also leadership. He is a professor of student ministry at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. It happens to be one of the fastest growing seminaries out there. He has written an e-book entitled, “STRONGER: A practical guide to physical and spiritual discipline.”

Download this FREE Ebook here!

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Website
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09.14.12
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Free Sermon Series on Technology

Technology is larger than it has ever been! Honestly, what is scary is that it is getting bigger. There is no telling where the tech world will be in 10 years. My friends over at youth ministry media are totally as up to date as they come with technology, and what is new in the world of technology and ministry. They have derived a free sermon series on technology that could be used in your student ministry.

Download this Freebie here!

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09.05.12
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Bible Study: Authentic Christianity

I John 3:1-10

This passage shows that when you grasp the love of Christ for you, it changes your identity, and compels you to live differently. Fundamentally when you become a child of God, your relationship and practice of sin changes! You now because of Jesus have the power over sin, and the ability to live a righteous life. What John is saying here is that if you are truly born of God, you will live a life that reflects true righteousness, the same righteousness you find in Jesus Christ. There will be an outward evidence in your actions of an inward transformation in your heart. It will be authentic, not counterfeit. I want to give you a few thoughts tonight on authentic Christianity:

        I.            Authentic Christianity is born of God V. 29, 9

  1. Mark the word, born in verses 29 of chapter 2, and verse 9 of chapter 3. In our fallen human nature, we have a bent toward self-righteousness. We have an attitude or belief embedded in us that if we do good, we will be accepted by God and others.
  2. Cain had the idea if he does and brings this sacrifice then God would accept Him.
  3. The righteousness mentioned here is born of God, not man. God’s righteousness and acceptance of you depends solely on Him, not you. He already loves and imputes righteousness into your life at Salvation.
  4. Romans 4:22 says “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.”
  5. John is saying that it is impossible to produce born again righteousness in your nature. What you need is something or in this case someone outside of you to come into your life and fundamentally change you at the core of who you are so then you can be righteous.
  6. It is not, “I am going to do right, then I will be a child of God.” It is “If you become a child of God, you will do right.”
  7. It is impossible for you to produce this righteousness until you have been born again. If this was not true, Jesus would not have told the most religious man he spoke with, Nicodemus, to be born again.

      II.            Authentic Christianity is motivated by God’s love for mankind V. 1

Not only does authentic Christianity come from God, it is motivated by the love of God for us. It is embedded into you and I to have this “If you do this for me, I will do this for you” mentality. It is an idea of self-righteousness that comes with the fallen nature that we all are born with. This idea of self-righteousness has the idea of “Look at me” or “I am better than you.” This is self-righteousness. Born again righteousness is where we now look at our lives not based upon how good we think we are, but based on how good God is. It changes the perspective to be on God, and not on ourselves. Born again righteousness always looks at the cross where Christ demonstrated His great love for us Romans 5:8

I have a daughter named Lynlee. She is now 14 months old, and she is my sweetheart! I love her so much. Sometimes (if you have kids, you know what I mean), she has some really bad days. She fusses and is cranky. Now, if my love was conditional, I would love her based on how she acts and behaves. The problem is that my love is unconditional. I love her regardless of how she acts. This is how God looks at you and I. His love is already there. His love is not dependent on your actions. My desire is for my daughter not to perform to receive my love, but perform because of my love. I want her to be so in love with her daddy that she desires to do right because of that. You see, nothing can make God love you more or less. When you come in contact with that love, it moves you to righteousness.It is only through the love of Jesus that you can begin to live a righteous life.

    III.            Authentic Christianity looks radically different from the world

As you experience the righteousness of Jesus, your life will begin to look radically different from it was before Christ. Someone who is born of God will look different from someone who is not born of God. Why? Because of born again righteousness. This kind of righteousness is more than good living or morality. You remember when you were saved? Your life began to change. Look at the word, seed in verse 9. I want you to think of an actual seed. If I was to bring a bunch of different vegetable seeds into my office, and claimed that I would put them in a box and in 6 months expect vegetables, I would be crazy. The seed is still there, but there is no fruit. Why? Because in the seed lies the potential and power of the fruit. It is by the seed that we have our fruit. The seed is the Word of God. The seed is the Spirit of God. Inside of every one of you lies the seed of potential and power of Almighty God, but it has to be watered, it has to be planted, and it has to be cultivated. You say, what do you mean? Do you want to live out Christ’ righteousness? Get in the Word of God! Get in church where the Bible is preached. Get in a Bible fellowship program where the Bible is used. Get involved in service, act out the Christian principles and disciplines.

Is there evidence that there is the life of God in you?

08.03.12
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Freebie Friday: A 6 week lesson on Colossians

Today’s freebie friday comes from my friends over at youthministry360! These guys are great, and are constantly looking at ways to resource and equip student pastors so that they can be more effective in their ministry! They have tons of free resources, but also a lot of resources that are worth checking out for purchase as well.

They recently came out with a 6 lesson series on the book of Colossians! It is a great series that I encourage you to check out. I wanted to share it with you today, and hope that you go right now and download it. Then, check out their other stuff and build your ministry with some great resources that they have to offer.

Download this Freebie Here!

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