Resources

*note: following is the outline I used for my message.

How do you get to know someone?? (allow for students to respond)
Over the next few weeks we're going to take a close look at who Jesus is and what that means to us.

When I meet someone new I try to get to know them by asking questions. (list general questions)
We can also know a lot about someone by looking at their family, culture and geography
For us, as Americans, it's a little different. We live in such a mixed society and culture that people move all the time and people from all over the world come here to live. This has given us a mixed and mashed culture/society over our 200+ year history.

Read more: Who Is Jesus pt.1

How important is it for you to look good on the outside? What is real beauty??
Is it your hair, your clothes, your smile? The way you walk, the way you talk?
What is it that makes you “beautiful?”

1 Samuel 16:7 - Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (AMP)

Share story of walking “cool” in middle school ~ In junior high I was more worried about how people saw me and how I looked from the outside than anything else.  It started to affect how I acted and lived.

Read more: Skin Deep

Chopping Wood:
Two men are out chopping wood. One man worked hard all day, took no breaks, and stopped only briefly for lunch. The other chopper took several breaks during the day and a short nap at lunch.
At the end of the day, the woodsman who had taken no breaks was quite disturbed to see that the other chopper had cut more wood than he did. He said, “I don’t understand, every time I looked around, you were sitting down, yet you cut more wood than I did.” His companion asked, “Did you also notice that while I was sitting down, I was sharpening my ax?”

In life we have to prepare (train, study, etc…) for so much.

1. Race ~ ref. Thad training for marathon
2. Career ~ ref. Molly taking years of school to become a doctor
3. Skills ~ ref. Diana practicing and training her voice to sing
4. Sports ~ ask students who plays in sports, then pick one and ask if they just show up for games
   1. You likely have to practice with your team every day to prepare for games
5. Ask ladies what they do to get ready for school (makeup, hair, etc…). Takes time to prepare just to go to class.
6. Events Prep ~ ref. time to prep for upcoming “School’gater” cookout
7. Disaster ~ we see all kinds of ads for being prepared for disasters and emergencies