We are made holy because of Christ’s continued work in our lives.

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13-19; 2:1-5,9-10; 2 Peter 1:3-8 

Central Truth

We know God is holy, but we struggle with the idea of being holy ourselves. It can seem impossible because we’re sinners who live in a fallen world. Yet, God has called us to holiness.

Key Question

Our eternity is secure once we come to Christ, so why does it matter that we live holy lives?

Keep in Mind

Many of your students desire to grow spiritually. But it’s possible that some of them just don’t know how to start. It’s also possible some of them don’t even realize spiritual growth is a thing because what they’ve seen modeled is lukewarm faith. Your students are far more capable of growing than they (or we) realize. They likely spend time each day analyzing difficult texts in school, so they’re capable of diving deep into Scripture as well! But it takes training. If they aren’t growing, they can assess a few different areas: choosing sin; staying like spiritual infants and not being fed by the Word; or prioritizing other things. 

If our students draw near to God, He draws near to them (James 4:8). We can remind them that if they want to grow spiritually and take steps to grow, they will. If they aren’t growing, it may be because they aren’t obeying or aren’t consuming God’s Word. Push them to into God’s Word each day and commit to obeying.  

APPLICATION

Assess your spiritual growth: How does knowing Jesus continue to change you?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: Knowing Jesus doesn’t just mean students know about Him. It means they intimately know Him as Savior and Friend. It means they’re getting to know His character more each day and doing their best to model it. 

FOR THE LEADER: Spiritual growth will only happen when we consistently seek God, and when we do so, He will sanctify us and make us more like His Son. If you aren’t growing, then take some time each day to spend time in God’s Word and in prayer.