Desiring God - 1 John
Lesson 2: Light and Darkness
Lesson Workbook (PDF) Click here
LESSON OBJECTIVES
Goals
1.To warn the students of the dangers of sinning.
2. To warn the students about being led astray.
3. To encourage students to live their lives in the light with Jesus.
Topics
Light, Darkness, Sin, Repentance, Mercy, God's Word
Scripture Memorization
Romans 12:2
OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)
GROUP BUILDING (10 minutes)
There are three main groups for this game:
1) The blindfolded person
2) The team spokesman
3) The team
• The blindfolded person who has a selected task is put on a field.
• The team spokesman faces away from the field and is not allowed to turn around to look at the field.
• The team stands in front of the spokesman, looking at the field, but the team is not allowed to talk.
• Through motions the team must try to get the spokesman (who can't see the field) to yell to the blindfolded person and explain what to do.
• The facilitator has previously set up some task (i.e. go pick up a ball, bring it to a bucket, and put it in) and has told the team what the blindfolded person needs to accomplish.
Have two teams compete against each other to see who can complete the task first.
GETTING STARTED (10 minutes)
Read Matthew 6:24
General Questions:
• How does this passage apply to your daily life? (Each day we have choices of who we will serve.)
• What earthly things might become a replacement for money, satisfy your desires, or that you value more than God? (Hobbies, relationships, possessions, achievement, etc.)
• In what literal ways could you try to “serve two masters”? (By living hypocritically, by acting two different ways in different crowds, etc.)
As we launch into our study of 1 John, I’d love for you to keep this passage from Matthew in mind. Let’s dig in!
DIGGING IN (30 minutes)
We’re going to start and end today in solitude. I’d like for each of you to take 5-10 minutes and read 1 John 2. Think about what resonates with you and note anything that is confusing or things you may have questions about.
Now gather the entire youth group and read the passage aloud one last time.
Discussion Questions:
1. What are your first impressions of the passage? (Allow students to share.)
2. Do you have any questions that really stick out? (Allow students to share.)
3. How does this chapter compare to the passage in Matthew we read? (You can’t serve two masters — you must pick a passion, a loyalty, a pursuit — you can’t claim to love God and instead love something else more or hate something He says you should love.)
Let’s go a little deeper by going back through verse-by-verse.
Read 1 John 2:1-14
Discussion Questions:
1. How is Jesus our advocate? (He pleads for us, stands in for us, Paid the price for our sin, etc.)
2. What is “the message we have heard”? (This is the Gospel, the truth about Jesus and all that a relationship with Jesus means.)
3. What might the darkness and the true light represent? (Light is presence of God, truth, goodness of God — darkness is absence of God, everything evil.)
4. What might follow once you are blinded by darkness? (Self-deception, confusion, anger, loneliness, etc.)
5. How can we shine a light on our own lives? (By living whole lives surrendered to Jesus, in closeness to Him, and letting His light shine through us.)
6. John illustrates that he is writing to three groups of people: the dear children, the fathers, and the young men. What do these groups have in common? (They’re being called to live a life of light and truth.)
7. John gives two reasons for writing to the dear children. What do you think they mean? (Allow students to speculate.)
8. John repeats one reason for writing for the fathers. Why do you think this is? (Have students share their opinions.)
9. John gives four reasons for writing to the young men, one of them being repeated. Do you think that “having overcome the evil one” is the most important? (Allow students to share their opinions.)
Read 1 John 2:15-19
Discussion Questions:
1. What is something in your life that you value? Why do you value it? (Family, friends, education, a prized possession, etc. — it makes us feel good, adds value to our life, etc.)
2. Do you think that it distracts you from your relationship with God? (Anything can be a distraction — what importance or investment we put on something is up to us.)
3. Why does John say that “this is the last hour?” (He’s attaching urgency to what he’s saying, and likely believed that Christ’s coming was imminent.)
MAKING IT REAL (10 minutes)
Read 1 John 2:20-26
Discussion Questions:
1. What does being anointed by God mean to you? (We’re sealed by God, belong to Him, set apart by Him, are blessed and devoted to Him.)
2. What has His anointing taught you? What do you hope you will learn in the future? (It is a lifelong pursuit to figure out what this means — how do we live out our closeness of relationship with Jesus?)
Tying everything together from today, let’s revisit Matthew 6:24.
Matthew 6:24 is the most similar to 1 John 2:15-17.
Discussion Questions:
1. What other similarities did you identify between Matthew’s Gospel and 1 John 2? (Allow students to share their findings.)
2. What is an example of “lust of the flesh”? (Money, drunkenness, sex, etc.)
3. What is an example of “lust of the eyes”? (Pornography, envy, greed, etc.)
4. What is an example of “the pride of life”? (Arrogance, obsession with achievement and power, being noticed, pride, etc.)
Alright, we’re going to end our time today the same way we started — with some time alone. This time, I want you to sit and think about all we’ve talked about — your values, your struggles, and what it is we studied today that sticks out to you as important for you in your relationship with Jesus.
(Give the students time to sit by themselves and reflect on their values, encouraging them to wrestle with their next steps. After 5-10 minutes, allow any students who’d like to share what they believe their next steps are. Pray for those who have shared that they might grow into the light and truth of Jesus.
CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)
Invite students to pray over the group.