Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Chris Folmsbee has served as a youth pastor for nearly 15 years, and now serves as a volunteer youth worker in his local church. He currently leads Barefoot Ministries, a youth ministry training and publishing company located in Kansas City, and is on staff with Youthfront. Chris is the author of several books including his most recent, Story, Signs, and Sacred Rhythms: A Narrative Approach to Youth Ministry. He lives in Overland Park, Kansas, with his wife, Gina, and their three children, Megan, Drew, and Luke.

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"For teens whose faith seems a little blurry, Clear will help put it into focus. This interactive book helps students develop a solid theology by studying God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Humanity, Sin, Salvation, the Church, and Heaven.Teens engage with five sections in each of the lessons:• Consider--offers background and relevant information for each interaction• Discover--assists teens as they dig into the Bible and answer the questions• Reflect--helps students review and recap the basic ideas in each interaction, providing moments of meditation and quiet • Pray--gives teens a prayer or allows them to develop their own prayer• Immerse--helps teens move from the head to the heart and hands. This section helps them immerse themselves in the lessons God is teaching them by offering practical and relevant ways to express their theology in their everyday lives"

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Clear

ZONDERVAN

Contents

Preface.......................................................................................8IntroductIon..................................................................................9Getting Started...............................................................................12How to Use This Book..........................................................................14chaPter1-god..................................................................................17Interaction 1: Who Is God?....................................................................20Interaction 2: What Is God Like?..............................................................24Interaction 3: What Makes God Unique?.........................................................28Interaction 4: Does God Have Any Other Names?.................................................31chaPter 2-Jesus...............................................................................34Interaction 1: Is Jesus Really God?...........................................................39Interaction 2: Is Jesus Really God and Human?.................................................43Interaction 3: What Makes Jesus Unique?.......................................................47Interaction 4: Why Did Jesus Have to Die?.....................................................50chaPter 3-the holy sPIrIt.....................................................................54Interaction 1: Who Is the Holy Spirit?........................................................58Interaction 2: How Does the Holy Spirit Relate to God and Jesus?..............................61Interaction 3: What Are Some Symbols of the Holy Spirit?......................................66chaPter 4-humanIty............................................................................69Interaction 1: Where Did People Come From?....................................................74Interaction 2: What Role Does Humanity Play in God's Kingdom?.................................80chaPter 5-sIn.................................................................................84Interaction 1: What Is Sin?...................................................................92Interaction 2: Are There Different Kinds of Sin?..............................................97chaPter 6-salvatIon...........................................................................101Interaction 1: What Is Salvation?.............................................................106Interaction 2: What Are the Components of Salvation?..........................................111chaPter 7-the church..........................................................................116Interaction 1: What Is the Church?............................................................124Interaction 2: What Role Does the Church Play in the Life of a Christian?.....................132chaPter 8-heaven..............................................................................137Interaction 1: What Is Heaven Like?...........................................................145

Chapter One

Interaction 1: Who Is God?

consIder

As people with a personal relationship with God, we have the honor of knowing the one true and living God. Although we can know God, we may never fully understand him. God is full of mystery, wonder, and awe.

God has given us special attention by providing some information about himself in the Bible. It's both our responsibility and our privilege to seek God and learn all that we can about him.

As we seek to know God, we must remember that we can learn only as much about God as he's revealed to us. Take a moment to read 1 Corinthians 2:9-10-"As it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived-these things God has prepared for those who love him'-for God has revealed them to us by his Spirit."

What has the Spirit revealed to you about God?

If you were asked to explain who God is to a friend or family member, what would you say to describe God?

dIscover

The following verses hint at the nature of God and will be helpful to your discovery throughout this interaction. Take a moment to look them up. Then read them slowly and attempt to uncover and absorb something new as it relates to the nature of God or who God is.

Old Testament New Testament Exodus 3:13-14 Romans 11:33-34 Leviticus 11:44-45 Ephesians 1:11 Isaiah 44:6 2 Timothy 2:13 Isaiah 45:22-24 Isaiah 46:9

As you've read, the verses above indicate that God is a Person. And it's true that God exists as three distinct, simultaneous Persons (also known as the Trinity: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), each of whom is fully divine.

The fact that God has personal features or traits like ours indicates God's personhood. But while God is very much like us, we're very far from being like God. God is uncreated. He's without material body or substance; therefore, God is spirit.

Here's where it's important to recognize that there's a difference between the spirit of God and the Holy Spirit. The spirit that makes up God is an invisible force or power, while the Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is also invisible-but he's his own being.

reflect

Read the following verses (with emphasis added):

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only [Son], who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18)

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation. (Colossians 1:15, NLT)

It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one [God] who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27, NLT)

Pray

As you conclude your learning for today, take a moment to write a prayer to God below. As you write, ponder the difference between God as a spirit and the Holy Spirit. If it helps you, use the following truths about God to guide your prayer.

God is a Person. God is divine. God is uncreated and invisible. God is spirit.

Immerse

Take a moment to quiet your pace. If it helps, close your eyes and take two or three deep breaths. After you feel you've established a quiet pace, take a few minutes to write in the space provided as many truths about God as you can bring to mind from this interaction.

Interaction 2: What Is God Like?

consIder

God has qualities that belong to him. These qualities or attributes of God allow us to better understand him. And a better understanding of God allows us to worship him more deeply. Throughout this interaction we'll study several of God's attributes and grow in our awareness, awe, and adoration of God.

Before we study God's attributes, however, I think it's constructive for us to pause and reflect on recent world events that cause us to be grateful for our union with God. What is it about our world that makes you thankful he's your God? List those things here:

dIscover

The following is a list of several of the most established attributes of God and their definitions. These attributes will help you...