Everything Begins and Ends with Jesus

John 1:1-5 

"1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and   nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."

INTRO

Everyone loves a good story. Whether that’s a story found in the pages of a book or played out on screen at home or in a movie theater, we’re all drawn to stories. However, not all stories are created equal. What are some of your favorite books or movies? There are stories that rise above the rest, and usually these stories are those that begin with tragedy and end in triumph. Like a good underdog story or a story that shows a hero's journey of trial that leads to an opportunity to rise to the occasion and come out victorious. What great stories do best is inspire us to live out our own story. Yes, we all have a story.

Perhaps you’ve never considered the story you're in or haven’t considered yourself the “main character”, but the life you are living is constantly being written. Perhaps you don’t like the way your story is going so far. Maybe you wish you could start over. The truth is every story has its challenges, but there is only one way to ensure that your story ends up well in the end. And it all begins with Jesus. 

Jesus redeems my past 

Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.” 

“There was a time when…” highlight in a few sentences what your struggles were. (own your actions!)

Jesus revives my present 

 Galatians 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

“Then I had a moment…” Speak about when you had an encounter with God and what that experience was like.

Jesus reveals my future 

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

“Since that time…” Share about how your life has changed and what it looks like compared to before. 

CONCLUSION

As you can see it doesn’t matter how your story started or where your story ends, Jesus has a way of taking your whole story from beginning to the end and remaking it into something both beautiful and exciting! This is what we call our testimony. Our testimony of our lives is powerful, and if you’re courageous enough it can produce power in your life. “And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony” Revelation 12:11.

Bgroup Questions

1. How have you felt like the story of your life has been written so far?
2. How do you want your story written this year?
3. How can you invite Jesus into your story, not as a co-writer, but as the author of your story?

TAKE ACTION: Take time to write down some of the answers to the questions you answered today. Pray and reflect on them this week and share them with your leader and a friend.