2013 Summer Calendar

Ascend Parents and Students,

Below is the Summer calendar. We are looking forward to a Summer filled with having fun with the students. Check back soon to find out the locations for the pool parties.

Ascend Summer Bash - 5/28/13

6pm – 8pm

Sam and Nicki’s House

324 C St. Waterford

874-2756

Sleep Over - 6/7-6/8/13

6pm Friday – 9:30am Saturday

Sam and Nicki’s House

324 C St. Waterford

874-2756

Pool Party - 6/18/2013

5:30-8pm

Pool Party - 7/16/2013

5:30-8pm

Locations to be determined

Call 874-2756 for more info

Summer Camp - 6/28-6/30/2013

More info to come later

Back to Ascend - 8/6/2013

Ascend Room 6:30-8:30pm

Believing Jesus' Witness Week 10-12

John 3:16-18 

Discussion Questions:

1. Who was Jesus telling John 3:16 to?
2. What was his whole conversation about from John 3:1-21?
3. Who do you need to believe to have eternal life?
4. Who is the Son of God? 
5. Read 3:17. Why did God send his Son?
6. Read 3:18. Who are condemned? Who are not condemned?
7. What do you need to do to be condemned? 
8. What do you need to do to not be condemned?

Jesus' Witness Weeks 7-9

John 3:1-15

Discussion Questions:

1. Read John 3:1-4. In what ways did Nicodemus follow Christ? What kind of follower was he? What does it mean to be born again?

2.        Read John 3:5-6. To be born of water and the Spirit means to be spiritually cleansed. What does this mean to be born again, to be spiritually cleansed?

3.        Read John 3:6-8. What evidence do you see from wind? What evidence do you have if you’ve been spiritually cleansed by the Spirit?

4.        Read John 3:9-10. Why did Nicodemus not understand since he was “the teacher of Israel?”

5.        Read John 3:11-13. What did Jesus say was the reason Nicodemus didn’t understand?

6.        Read John 3:14-15. How does the serpent in the wilderness compare to Jesus? What kind of healing did the serpent offer compared to the healing Jesus offered?

7.        Read John 3:11-15. What is the only way to be spiritually cleansed? What is the only way to understand heavenly things?

The Spirit's Witness Weeks 4-6

1. Behold the Lamb of God.
1. He is the lamb anticipated since Genesis.
2. He takes the sin of the world.
3. This is the one John has been witnessing too.
4. He admits that proclaiming him was his only mission

2. The Spirit's witness is even higher.
1. The Spirit descend from heaven and remained on Jesus
2. The Spirit is who gave John his witness.
3. The Spirit proclaims Jesus will offer a complete baptism

3. His conclusion is that this is God's Son.
1. This means he has the authority of God.
2. This means that God has finally provided a way to be right with him.

Application:

1. Jesus has been revealed and is the revealer. There is no one else that is like him.  There is no else that deserves the attention he deserves. How much attention will you give him?

2. The Spirit is God and testified that Jesus is true. There is no greater testimony then the Spirit of God. What are you going to do with the testimony? Which cleansing will you except? Societies super-fiscal cleansing or the cleansing of the Holy Spirit?

3. Because God has all authority, any other authority loses. Why would we disobey his authority? Why wouldn't we accept his means to be right with him?

John's Witness Weeks 1-3

Week 1, January 15 
Last week we introduced John the Baptist. He was a man in the wilderness with a mission, he was sent by God as a witness. A witness to what? He witnessed to the Light of the world, Jesus, the Word made flesh. 

Week 2 , January 22 
This week we compared John the Baptist with the religious elite. The elite wanted to uncover who John was, he was threatening their status. We discovered that following John’s witness was opposite to following the elite. This led to the question, should we follow the popular elite or the unpopular John. If we follow the elite, we are joining everyone in the world. If we follow John, we are joining the Creator of the world.

The elite didn’t know Jesus was with them. John had to tell them. He also told them that Jesus was so high above him, that he wasn’t worthy to untie his sandal. Jesus is the long awaited Savior, foretold since the fall in Genesis 3. This was why John’s mission was so important.

Discussion Questions:

What to do with John’s witness and the Light?

1. John the Apostle wrote the book of John. Why did he introduce John the Baptist in this first chapter? What was his job?

2. John the Baptist was a witness. What made John’s witness important?

3. John was a good man to follow. Why didn’t he want people to follow him?

4. John witnessed to the Light. Does the Light only shine on people who hear John’s witness? Who does the Light shine on?

5. The religious elite were the popular people of the day. Can you give an example of popular people you know? What do these people say you should believe?

6. John the Baptist is dead and gone. How do you find out about the Light without him?

7. John viewed Jesus as high above him. Since Jesus is so high, why do we listen to the popular instead of Jesus?

Welcome to the Ascend Post

Check every week to see what we are teaching and what is coming up in Ascend.

Look forward spending 2013 with you.
Sam VanDyke
Ascend Youth Leader