For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
The Apostle Paul and the Holy Spirit smashed some guys in my small group last night. It took my breath away.
My co-leader and I spent an hour pushing through Romans 6 phrase-by-phrase, defining all the words and concepts, drawing out what that meant to first century readers, making principled comparisons to today. It was exhausting… and while the guys participated and were inquisitive I was concerned that it wasn’t sinking in. It felt more like an English class than a small group.
I asked…
“If you were a slave and somebody came and bought your freedom, would you ever go back just to hang out? Maybe stick around and help the slave owner with some chores?”
“Never. I wouldn’t even go back to get my stuff.”
“That’s what Paul is saying. Why would you go back? He doesn’t own you anymore. You get to live a brand new life.”
The Holy Spirit took it from there. He gave Mark and I the right words to say. He knew what was Good News to them. He knew the fears, realities, and anxiety of the guys.
And we sat there in stunned silence as the Comforter broke in to their hearts, convicting, healing, sealing, and revealing His path to a new life.
Bob MacRae, my youth ministry professor and advisor at Moody, drilled into me: Youth ministry doesn’t have to be fancy. Just make sure you teach the Bible and love your students.
Let’s do that.
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