To Save a Life: Week 5 Review

How to Save a Life

Group Stats:
11 students

• 3 new
• 8 returning

It was nice to see some new faces this week. And I loved the fact that they were willing to jump right in and share. That shows that the other students have created a comfortable, friendly, loving environment for visitors. They aren’t some exclusive club sectioning themselves off from the rest of the population to learn about how to be Christ followers in private. Ha! If they were, then I failed them, and this course was a waste of time.

We kicked off the night with a review from last week. I asked a few questions to make sure they were paying attention to the message last week and responses were favorable. There was a lot of energy in the room and just about everyone was eager to share something (whether it pertained to the question or not).

We also took a few minutes to discuss the recent school shooting in Ohio. One or two of the students were not aware of what happened and we filled each other in the best we could. The young man who entered the school with a gun is exactly the kind of lost and hurting soul that we have been discussing throughout this class. We agreed that his family situation and the bullying he faced at school was no excuse for him to do what he did, but that it was clear that there were some big hurts in this child’s life that he didn’t know how to deal with.

The whole situation proves that what we are learning about is not just stories or movies that some religious leaders made up to scare kids into believing what they want them to believe. Rather, these are real life situations. These are real people. What we are learning matters and we really can positively affect the lives of the people around us!

That’s what I wanted to say to the group anyway, but it didn’t quite come out that way.

I prayed for the evening and we settled in to talk about this week’s topic.

We didn’t have the TV/DVD player to watch the clip from the movie (my fault, I forgot to request it), but we did briefly discuss the scene we would have watched where Jake reads a letter from Jonny near the end of the movie. We discussed how Jake’s small acts of kindness are what really save Jonny and how, in our own experience, just being there to listen to someone talk, to compliment someone, or even how just smiling at someone can make a big difference to them whether we realize it or not.

I then asked the students what they had gotten out of this series so far. I was very pleased with the feedback. The students talked about different activities we had done like the ‘crossing the river’ exercise and re-writing each other’s log lines. They talked about how great it was that they could be so open and honest with the group and the reason we could be so open was because we all had this common purpose in our desire to be closer to God and to help others. It warmed my heart to listen to them talk. They’ve actually been listening! They’ve actually gotten something out of this experience. God has been able to work here! Good stuff.

I was also able to share with them what this class has meant to me so far. God has really used it to make some big positive changes in my life and I can feel Him preparing me for something bigger.

This led us into the message for the week on How to Save a Life. I felt pretty good about the message, especially since after I finished writing it, I read Romans 12 and found that Paul’s letter and my message were pretty similar. I considered using Romans in place of what I wrote, but instead gave it to them as homework. What it boils down to is that we are called to love God, and love our neighbors. If we are obedient in these two tasks, then God can use us to change people’s lives and thus, change the world.

Their challenge this week is to go out and show God’s love to someone. They are a great group and this is probably something they do anyway without even thinking about it. I want them to be aware of it this week and to report back to the group.

Next week will be our last actual week of the course. The guide says week 6 should be a big pot-luck meal. The students are to invite people from their schools who are lost and hurting. After giving it much thought/prayer and listening for an answer, I felt like this idea was too forced. The students should be taking what they learned out into the world and loving on other people. If that means inviting them to FUSE, or to church on Sunday morning, then fantastic. If that means they are a good friend to them at school and make it a point to help those students feel less lonely and more loved, then that is fantastic too.  But having a party for these people just doesn’t feel right. So we are skipping the pot-luck and will move joyfully into week 7; the final session of the class.

Please don’t stop praying for us! We need as much as we can get right now. Pray that our eyes and our hearts are open and able to see the lost and hurting around us; to see past the walls and masks that people build and wear. Pray that God uses us to touch the hearts of these people and show them what it really means to follow Christ.

To Save a Life: Week 5 Message

How to Save a Life

Over the last month we have been talking a lot about the different aspects of the movie, To Save a Life. And, we have discussed how we can apply those concepts to our lives. We have learned about God’s love for us. We’ve talked about the value of people. We learned the importance of not being lukewarm when it comes to our walk as Christ followers. And we’ve found out who we really are because of what God did for us and how we can help re-write peoples’ lives.

This week we are going to put it all together. I want to talk about how to save a life. It seems like a pretty big deal, and it is, but doing it, I think, is easier than you might imagine.

When I think of savings someone’s life, I immediately picture a paramedic or a doctor. I see someone who has had years of training; someone who possesses mass amounts of knowledge about the human body and how it works. They know how different drugs and antibiotics affect the body. They know how to stop bleeding. They can perform surgery, do heart transplants, and revive people. All of this makes my head hurt. I am in awe of their abilities.

At the same time, it’s kind of funny. We can look in any of the gospels and find instances of Jesus saving people from death, or even bringing them back to life with nothing more than a touch or a word. In one case a woman just touched the tail end of his robe and she was healed from a horrific disease.

But we are neither doctors nor Jesus. So how do we go about the business of saving lives?

The short answer is…we don’t.

Thanks for coming…have a great night!

It’s pretty simple. We cannot save peoples’ lives. To think that we can is to think that we can play God. We do not get to decide who lives and who dies. We do not get to determine the course of the future. In fact, the only way to have life is to have a relationship with God. Without Him, we are all dead. What we can do though, if we are willing, is to be a tool for God.

God gave us each different talents and spiritual gifts so that He can use us to save other people. We are his toolbox. He gave some people the ability to heal. Other people have the ability to teach. Still others are good with words. Some prophecy or preach. Others can perform miracles or speak in tongues. The list goes on and on. And, in each of these cases, God works through us, using those gifts to accomplish His will.

Looking at the movie, let’s think about what Jake’s gifts are. He is an athlete. Being athletic put him in the spotlight and gave him a platform from which to speak. Sound familiar (I.e. Tim Tebow or Ben Henderson)? He derives confidence from that position so that he could, if he chooses, speak the word of God. And let’s not forget how his athleticism got him to the police car to save Jonny. Jake also has a great sense of responsibility. He puts things on himself…which is often times good, but sometimes can backfire as can all gifts if not used for God. He feels a sense of responsibility to not let his dad down when it came to school and sports. He feels responsible for his friend’s death. He also feels that same sense of responsibility towards helping Jonny, the youth group, and his girlfriend.

As a result of his gifts, God uses him to positively affect the lives of the people around him and re-define the memory of his friend for good.

Likewise, God can use each of us to reach out to the lost and the hurting. What our gifts give us is the ability to perform small acts of love in different ways. God calls us all to do two things…the top 2 commandments,

Luke 10:27 (NLT)

‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

So how do you save a life?

The answer is love. As we are out in the world we are commanded to love others. We’ve learned how much God loves us. Now it is time to spread that love to other people by being witnesses to the risen Jesus. And, in the process, God will use us to save lives. You don’t need a medical degree. You don’t need to be able to perform miracles. All you need is the ability to love, and the willingness to give that love freely, without the expectation of repayment, praise, or thanks.

So tonight, I will leave you with the last words Jesus said before ascending into heaven:

Acts 1:8 (NLT)

…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.