THINK TOGETHER
Have you ever been warned about something dangerous? What was it?
READ TOGETHER
One of the most important things that the Bible contains is warnings about the things that can hurt us. There’s a warning in the book of Proverbs that is so important that it’s written down twice – in two different places. Here it is:
Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25. There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
God is warning us that there is a way to live that can look very good, but it is actually very, very bad. Something can appear to be right, but it can actually lead to death. When we try to live without God, it always, always, always, leads to death. Both dying on the outside of us and dying on the inside of us.
One of the ways that might seem right but is actually wrong is thinking that the more good things you do, the more God will love you. This is a way to live that appears to be right, but is actually very wrong. You see, God doesn’t want us to try to be good in order for him to love us more. God wants us to know that he loves us no matter what, and THEN we can be good because we trust God’s love, not because we are trying to earn his love. That’s why God sent Jesus to us to prove that he loves us no matter what.
Sadly, for many people, trusting in Jesus does not appear to be right. Sometimes people can’t understand that God would do everything for us, dying for us on the cross in our place. Sometimes people think that trusting in God’s grace seems wrong – too easy, too simple, too free. They can’t understand the idea of being given heaven for free without having to earn it with good behavior. But thinking this way leads to death. Why? Because it rejects God’s grace.
Please don’t make the mistake of rejecting God’s grace. Don’t try to be good to get to heaven. Trust God and trust Jesus. Trust in his death on the cross for you.
Because of Jesus we don’t earn our way to heaven, we simply trust him.
With Jesus we can have peace and love in our life right now.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Use the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the ruin of the various children to illustrate how what we think seems “right” actually leads to death.
PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, I’m so glad that I don’t have to earn my way to heaven, because I never could do that. Help me to trust that you love me every day no matter what. Amen.
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