FREE STUDY #3: STAND FIRM

This 10 minute sermon for youth is from our DNow Studies Curriculum, Stand.

10 MINUTE SERMON TOPIC:
Stand Firm

KEY OBJECTIVES:
There is a real spiritual war happening, and we are all a part of it. When life gets
uncertain, our faith can become shaky. But God wants us to stand firm in him and his
strength, so he has given us his armor to help us in this battle. When we fully rely on
God’s power, fully dressed in his armor, we are able to stand and fight.

SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 6:10–18
MAIN POINTS
 The Need to Fight
o Sometimes, actively following Jesus isn’t our natural inclination or clashes with
what the world does. It’s tough and we might raise eyebrows or lose popularity
with peers—but it’s possible with the help of the armor of God.
 Fight with the Proper Armor
o Christ-followers are also expected to put on the right gear for fighting off
spiritual attacks. The more alert and ready we are to fight and the more gear we
wear, the better chance we have at winning spiritual battles.
 Rely on God’s Power
 o We’ll give in to temptation and disobedience much easier. But with his strength
working through us, like spiritual caffeine, we can be alert and ready to fight.

SAMPLE ILLUSTRATION
As we have seen in Ephesians 6:10-18, believers are in the midst of a spiritual war,
whether we like it or not. By following Christ, we have enlisted in God’s army, and as a
part of that army, we are commanded to be alert and prepared to fight against evil
powers and forces—specifically, the Devil and his demons (vv. 11–12). God doesn’t want
us getting caught unaware, so he urges his children to stay alert and to put on his armor
so we are effectively protected as we fight. Notice that the whole armor of God—not
just a couple of pieces—is meant to be put on. And putting on this armor is an active, not
passive, task. Simply knowing the armor is available won’t help us—we have to actually
put it on.

You can’t go paintballing with your friends unless you have the very basics (a paintball
gun and ammo). But there’s a lot of other gear available, like helmets, face shields,
padded armor, gloves, camouflaged clothing, extra ammo, etc. Using more gear probably
means less bruises for you and more hits for your opponents. Christ-followers are also
expected to put on the right gear for fighting off spiritual attacks. The more alert and
ready we are to fight and the more gear we wear, the better chance we have at winning
spiritual battles.
 FREE STUDY #4: LOVED

This 10 minute sermon for youth is from our DNow Studies Curriculum, Everlasting.

10 MINUTE SERMON TOPIC:
Loved

KEY OBJECTIVES:
What do your students envision when they think about God? Do they picture an old man
with a white beard, uninterested in their problems and far away from their day-to-day
lives? Do they imagine a vengeful God, hypercritical and waiting for any opportunity to
strike them with a lightning bolt? Or do they imagine a God that’s so in love with them,
he would sacrifice his own Son on their behalf. In this lesson, students will be introduced
to the loving God who created them. They’ll discover that they were made in his image
to do important things. And they’ll see that he’s to one who fulfills their physical and
relational needs.

SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 1:26–31
MAIN POINTS
 Created in God’s Image
o The fact that you bear God’s image means that something woven into your very
being reflects God, like an artist’s signature incorporated into a painting. You
 show the world a picture of God’s love that you couldn’t erase, even if you
wanted to.
 Created for a Purpose
o Any time you fix something that was broken or bring order to something that was
a mess (even a messed-up relationship), as long as you do it to God’s glory, you
are doing something holy.
 Provided for by God
o Have you ever thought about the fact that God put specific people in your life?
Your best friend is a gift from God. Your family was God’s idea. Your teammates,
cousins, neighbors, and co-workers are God’s provision for your life.

SAMPLE ILLUSTRATION
What have you made (a work of art, craft, science fair project, etc.) that you are most
proud of? Have a few students share. Encourage them to tell the story behind their
creation. Why did they make it? Where is it now? What does it do? If students are
reluctant to respond, you might share a story like this one:

When I was a kid, in art my fellow students and I made things out of clay. We pounded,
wet, shaped, and molded our sculptures before putting them into a kiln. After the kiln
hardened our creations, we painted glaze on them. It was a pretty cool process, but most
of us made the same things: lopsided bowls or pencil holders. These pieces of art weren’t
anything special, but our parents displayed them proudly even if they couldn’t actually
hold anything.

Did you know we get our creativity from God? Any desire you have to build a website,
make something worth posting on Pinterest, or take the perfect photograph for
Instagram comes from your Creator. And of all the things he’s created—octopus, galaxies,
bacteria, rivers, planets, and porcupines—you are his most valued creation.
 FREE STUDY #5: SEEING GOD
CLEARLY

This 10 minute sermon for youth is from our DNow Studies Curriculum, No Filter.
10 MINUTE SERMON TOPIC:
Seeing God Clearly

KEY OBJECTIVES:
Seeing God clearly is the first step to seeing ourselves, others, and everything else
clearly. Instead of making assumptions about who he is, we can look to the truth of
Scripture. As we learn more about God’s character, we learn more about ourselves as his
image-bearers. God wants to help us know him more so that we can live unfiltered lives
for him.

SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 103:1–19
MAIN POINTS
 Distorted Views
o A healthy view of God takes time to acquire but figuring out who God is through
his Word is extremely important.
  Who is God?
o God reveals himself in his Word, so we are able to understand much of who he is.
Whatever he has revealed in the Bible, he wants us to discover and know. As
God’s children, we have the privilege of continually growing in our
understanding of his character.
 Image-Bearers
o Every single one of us bears the image of God. Our physical appearance won’t
change when we become Christ-followers, but we will be spiritually transformed
and begin to look more and more like Christ based on our character and
behavior.

SAMPLE ILLUSTRATION
In order to understand ourselves, it’s crucial that we understand more fully who God is.
Why? Because you and I are image-bearers of God. Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created
them.” Many things we see in God (e.g., emotion and need for relationship) are reflected
in us as well. Other things in God’s character allow us to see his perfection and our need
for him (e.g., he is holy and sinless—we are not; he is able to grant salvation—we are not).
When we understand God’s character more fully, we are able to respond with humble
repentance and praise.

Every single one of us bears the image of God. Our physical appearance won’t change
when we become Christ-followers, but we will be spiritually transformed and begin to
look more and more like Christ based on our character and behavior.