For the black and white picture:
Ok, here's the deal. Stare at the four little squiggly bits in the centre for 30 seconds, then tip your head back and shut your eyes. What can you see?
Identity:
Session 1 ~ Intro, Who is God?
Firstly, we tackled the question "What is identity?". To do this we began with a short game of charades, trying to guess who each of the celebrities were. We then discussed what other things make up our identity as well as our actions, such as our beliefs, the things we say, and our talents and hobbies.
Secondly, we looked at "Who is God?". We were each given a Bible verse and we had to decide what aspect of God's identity was shown in it, and what this means to us. These were the passages:
1) Genesis 1 (Creator)
2) 1 John 4:7-10 (Loving)
3) Psalm 23 (Shepherd)
4) Romans 2:1-3 (Judge)
5) Matthew 6:9 (Father)
6) Psalm 46 (Powerful, protector)
7) Exodus 34:6-7 (Merciful, loving)
8) Genesis 18:1-16, 21:1-7 (Miracle worker)
9) 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 (Glorious, loving)
10) Daniel 6:16-23 (Protector, rescuer)
11) Acts 3:1-10 (Healer)
12) Acts 12:4-17 (Rescuer)
After this we shared any experiences we'd had of any of the above, and we closed with a song and a prayer.
Session 2 ~ Who is Jesus?
"All the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever sailed, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the lives of humans on earth as has that one solitary life."
We all agreed that the quote could only possibly be referring to Jesus, and were then challenged to put into order of importance the following people:
1) Hitler
2) Nelson Mandela
3) G.W.Bush
4) Saddam Hussain
5) Madonna
6) Tom Cruise
7) Jesus
8) Julius Caeser
9) David Beckham
10) Kylie Minogue
Strangely enough, we put Jesus a long way above everyone else, and Kylie Minogue was on her own down onto the negative scale (under the chairs somewhere)!
Next we had to picture in groups what we thought Jesus would look like, say, or do if he walked into the room there and then.
Finally, the session was wrapped up with Penny's astounding drawing skills, and her explanations of how the barrier that sin has built up between us and God can be destroyed by a giant blue cat. Or rather, Jesus.
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Session 3 ~ Who am I?
To start this session we were each given a pen and a small piece of paper and told to write down six things that we thought made us who we are. We then had to cross off any that we had recently gained, or thought we may lose within the next 20 years or so.
Then we did short dramas, based on "a day in the life of...(put name here)..." to show how easily our self-esteem can go up and down within one day. (Penny's example: Fit male model aks you out ~ self esteem goes up. Fail your maths test ~ self esteem goes down)
"What does God think of us?" was the next question. Genesis 1 told us we were made in the image of God, while Matthew 10:29-31 says that God knows even the number of hairs on your head. So, we put it all together and comprised a list to answer the question, including things such as: "He thinks we're worth saving", "He loves us" and (ironically enough, right at the top) "We are sinners". We were left to reflect on the list and how, if we really believe it, it could really affect us, and we listened to "The Father's Song" to finish.
Session 4 ~ Who is the Holy Spirit?
Firstly we brainstormed what we associate with the Holy Spirit (the most memorable being Toria's "He's the floaty bit"). Then we were run through the basics of who He is, and what He's done.
Secondly we looked at what He does for us now, including adopting us into the family of God, giving us a closer relationship with God, changing us to be more like Jesus, evangelism, and the gifts of the Spirit (eg tongues).
Next we looked at what happens when people experience the Spirit (Holy quivers!), and we shared personal experiences of our own. We learnt how, through the Holy Spirit, miracles can happen, and the only thing stopping us being filled with the Spirit is, in fact, us!
To conclude, we were told that we should pray for the Spirit to come, as He is in every Christian already, as a sign of us belonging to God. We listened to some music quietly for a while, and then anyone who wished to be prayed for, either to be filled with the Spirit, or for anything else, was told to wait behind.
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