prOn

Recognize this object? How many of you would let a baby touch this?

Why not? Afterall, it's pretty...and glowing...and interesting...and new. (Well, that's what the baby thinks when she sees it.)

It is the same with prOn The first time you touch it...you get burned; or better said, your brain is burned. This is why God wants us (all of us...parents included) to stay away from it.

prOn is fast becoming the single biggest threat to your (and my) testimony; they say it is more addictive than cocaine.

Pure and simple, prOn is evil...and an ancient evil.

The enemy has been using this weapon against us for thousands of years. He knows how, when, and where we will fall for it. For most of us, it's right here...on this computer.

In The Arrow, one character falls prey to this temptation, and he is one of the good guys... just like us.

Discuss with your group how prOn destroys God's people and what YOU can do to stop it.

Help me.

Serve...

OK... sorry about that, we're talking about a different kind of serve...

Have you ever wondered why they call it a "church service?"

Where did all this service come from?

Service = Work, Work = Service. This was God's design from the beginning.

Does this describe your church service: We sang songs to God, we prayed to God, we talked about God, we gave money to God?

Yes, yes... good things...necessary things... no problem there. But how do those things serve God?

Consider this scripture....

Did you know that God has felt this way? He gets tired of our self-serving attitudes.

Here is a statistic that you may be familiar with: 20% of church members do 80% of the work. It's called the 80-20 rule. Can your generation can flip that number? I double-dog dare you.

The Arrow features many characters who "serve" in the Sovereign's army. BTW did you notice that we say someone is in the "service" when they join the armed forces?

Discuss this with the group: "I don't go to church anymore, I go to serve."

Word...

What is the point of showing this video?

Simple. I want to introduce you to my all-time favorite movie. (Disclaimer: do not watch this movie without your parents permission. It has bad language that is completely unnecessary but in those days that's what people expected. Aside from the cussing, it's a really good flick. Get the airline or TV version.)

Now this has little to do with reading The Arrow?

Not alot, unless you have told your friends about the book or the latest video you saw on youtube... or if you have told them about our new favorite band or that new movie that just opened.

If you have...done those things.....then congratulations my friend, you are an evangelist.

Yep. Your word of mouth has influenced peer and family alike and hundreds of dollars have probably been spent just on your recommendation alone.

It's the same with spreading the gospel. Exactly the same.

You don't have to be ______________ (insert name of famous evangelist here) to spread the gospel. The trouble is you probably aren't as excited about Jesus as you are about ______________ (insert thing you are more excited about here.)

This is understandable but fixable. Christians are called to be evangelists so here are some recommendations you can discuss with your group:

• Have some good news to tell. (Read and memorize scripture.)
• Energize your faith. (Experience miracles, pray for wisdom, make it yours.)
• Live the life. (Be holy. Get rid of sin in your life.)
• Be yourself. (Use your own words, be sincere.)

Be ready...we're on a mission from God!