Believers are called to reconciled with each other as Christ has reconciled us with God.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; Philemon 8-22

Central Truth

Reconciliation doesn’t only apply to our relationship with God—He also wants us to be reconciled with other people. We follow Jesus’s example when we seek reconciliation with our friends, our family, and the people groups we may have issues with. 

Key Question

How can remembering Jesus reconciled you to God help you reconcile with others?

Keep in Mind

When we forget the depth of our forgiveness from God, we more easily withhold forgiveness from others. We become more focused on our own “rightness” and their wrongdoing. And our students can also fall into this way of thinking. 

In reality, we’ve all been given tremendous grace from God—forgiveness we did nothing to earn. This should produce such gratitude in us that we are compelled to make every effort to be reconciled to others. When students struggle with reconciliation, we can point them to the cross and to Christ’s willingness to forgive our sins.  

APPLICATION

Why is it important for you to act as an agent of peace instead of getting caught up in drama?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: The world encourages our students to involve themselves in the drama around them. It lures them in, making them feel important, but really, it’s a distraction from what matters: pointing people to Jesus. As believers, our students can make a huge impact by seeking peace. 

FOR THE LEADER: True peace only comes from God. When we gravitate to conflict even as leaders, we become a distraction for our students who are searching for this peace. We have an incredible opportunity to show our them a different way!