Dear Parents,
In this session, we discussed the Kerygma, a Greek word meaning “gospel.” The heart of the gospel message can be broken down into 4 main points. This was the focus of the group’s discussion:
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God loves you. Christianity is not an ideology but a Person. And this person, Jesus, loves you.
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We live separated from God’s love. Something is broken, and we call this brokenness - both in the world and in ourselves - sin.
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Jesus’ death and resurrection bridges that divide. It’s like when his arms were stretched out on the cross he reached across that gap between God’s love and human brokenness and made himself the bridge.
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If this is all true, how do we respond? Those first 3 founding principles of the gospel are just principles unless we respond. Jesus is inviting you to follow him. Will you say yes? Will you give Jesus a chance?
Candidates were invited to pray a simple prayer inviting Jesus to be the center of their lives: "Jesus, if you are real, I invite you to show yourself to me."
FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS:
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ASK: What was something that stuck with you from your small group time or prayer time?
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SHARE: When did you first hear about the kerygma? (It's ok if it's new to you, or you were an adult before you heard it or began to understand it.) What does it mean to you now?
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DISCUSS: Do you remember the 4 points of the gospel or kerygma? What of those 4 points are easiest for you to believe? What is the hardest?
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PRAY: Read through the theme scripture from tonight (below), slowly, listening for what God is saying to you through the passage. Perhaps use the lectio divina method to guide you: https://tinyurl.com/LectioDivinaStepByStep
TONIGHT'S THEME SCRIPTURE: GOD'S LOVE REVEALED
"In this way the love of God was revealed to us:
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.”
(1 John 4:9-10)
