Have You Ever Wondered?

We human beings love to wonder about things – don’t we?

We wonder if vegetarians can eat animal crackers.

We wonder why abbreviated is such a long word.

We wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if sponges didn’t grow in it.

And we wonder if a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

But perhaps most importantly, we wonder about God…

A recent Gallup poll indicated that more than nine in ten Americans believe in God, which demonstrates to me that they’ve wondered about a “Supreme Being” or “Higher Power” enough to formulate an opinion.

And when you think about it, even atheists and agnostics have wondered about God long enough to conclude that there isn’t one.

When it comes down to it, wondering about God might be the best use of your mind that you could come up with, because what you believe about God is perhaps the most important thing about you!

Why?  Well think about it, your beliefs about God drive your morality, value, purpose, and even your perception of eternity.  If there is indeed a God, we cannot simply dismiss His presence as if He were a song that we didn’t want to hear on the radio.

Thousands of years ago, there was a group of ridiculously smart philosophers that wondered about God, as well.  You see, back in that day, their “gods” had become either a joke or an idol, so most folks were either jaded and cynical about religion, or they were dedicated solely to the pursuit of self-discipline and successful obedience to their idols.

But one day, the Apostle Paul came to town and started to challenge the Greek brainiacs with the real truth about the one true God, even pointing out references to Him from their own culture!  Check out his speech:

“The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?

“God overlooks it as long as you don’t know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he’s calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him (Jesus) from the dead” (Acts 17:24-31).

Our culture today isn’t that different, is it?  We have cynical people and we have idol worshipers, and most everyone wonders about God on one level or another.  That’s why it is so critical for us to play the same role as Paul did in bringing the truth about God to those who are lost and confused about who He is.  After all, God has gone completely public with His nature so that the wondering can be over.

He reveals Himself through the design of the universe and nature (Romans 1:18-20).

He reveals Himself through His Son Jesus Christ (John 14:9).

He reveals Himself through His children (John 8:12).

And best of all, He has chosen us to reveal His existence through the gospel! We carry the very power of God in our words when we boldly proclaim that Jesus Christ died and rose again for our sins. And now Dare 2 Share Ministries has a new resource that will open the door for you to share the good news.  It’s a short video called “Have You Ever Wondered About God?”

This short, yet powerful, clip gives you a great opportunity to get the conversation going about what your friends are thinking about God.  Just like Paul with the Greek brainiacs, you can initiate an opportunity to tell your friends about our loving Father who made us and chose to send Jesus to die rather than live without us. If you’re a youth leader who would like to train your students in how to use this clip and others like it for maximum evangelistic impact, check out Dare 2 Share’s companion Salt…Creating Thirst curriculum here.

This is news too good to keep to yourself!

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

Plan out a time this week where you will sit down with a friend to check out the video, and pray beforehand that God will open the door for you to share the gospel.

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Jesus, thank You for revealing the Father and making a way for us to be reconciled to Him through the Cross.  Give us the boldness of Paul and opportunities to answer our friend’s questions about You.

Read: Psalm 19:1-4.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

Get:  Salt…Creating Thirst curriculum. In this new, five week youth group resource, Greg Stier and Zane Black focus in on a different conversation starting Salt video clip each week. Each Salt lesson—

• Walks students through the Biblical teaching on the topic addressed in the various YouTube Salt clips.
• Helps students apply this Biblical truth to their own personal lives.
• Provides specific follow up questions to ask friends to help take the conversation deeper.
• Coaches students on how to sensitively transition to the cross of Christ.