Mega Club 26th Jan 2018

Last Friday night at Mega Club at Cornerstone Church we collected these questions.  Thanks if you were one of the people who put something in the box!  We might use some of these as we do our little video clips on Friday nights but for now, here's my answers.  I refer to Bible verses a lot because I believe it's God's words.  Don't just take my word for it, do check out the links to the verses I'm thinking of so you can see where I'm getting my ideas from!

How old was Jesus when he died?
We don't know exactly but most think he was 33.  We get this from Luke 3:23 where it says Jesus was about 30 when he began his ministry (his preaching, teaching and miracles) and we know from the storyline of John's gospel that Jesus made 3 annual trips to Jerusalem during his ministry before he died on the cross.  30+3=33.

Why did God create the world?
The Bible says that everything was made FOR God (Colossians 1:16).  He is gloriously good and did it so that the people he made could know him and be with him forever (Genesis 1:26-27).  The world was perfectly good when God made it (Genesis 1:31).  He knew people would rebel against him (Isaiah 46:10) and he had a perfect plan to save them to be with him forever (Acts 2:23, Revelation 21:1-4).

How did God create the world?
The Bible says God spoke things into existence (Genesis 1, Revelation 4:11).  Christians have different views about the scientific processes God used as he created.  Some believe Genesis 1 is a literal account of what happened but many Christians don't.  ALL Christians agree on the things Genesis 1 IS clear about though: God is good, made things good, made us in his image and likeness.  Some people think being a Christian means you can't believe in the Big Bang or Evolution but that's not true.  God and Science are friends, not enemies.
 
Why did Jesus die?
This is a really important question!  Knowing who Jesus is and why he died (and then choosing to trust and follow him) is the difference between life and death both now and forever!  Find out more here.  Or watch this Alpha video.

Can God make my brother better?
Yes!  The Bible says God heals (Luke 4:18-19 and LOTS of examples of Jesus healing in the gospels).   And we are encouraged to pray and ask God for what we want (Luke 18:1-8) and to trust him when he doesn't give us what we ask for straight away because he knows best (Isaiah 55:9).  Jesus himself knows what it's like to want something in prayer, not get it and still trust God for the right outcome (Matthew 26:36-46).  Ultimately, it's God's forgiveness and love people need and Jesus can do this too (Luke 2:1-12)!

Who is God?
The Bible answers this in lots of different ways because it tells us lots of things that are true about God.  God has many names in the Bible and each one tells us something about who he is.  You can see them here.  Jesus said "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father" (John 14:9), so if we want to know what God is like, we must look at Jesus and get to know him.  Reading a gospel (like Mark) would be a good way to start doing that.

How is God doing?
God is perfect, so he's doing great.  Everything he does is good because he is good (Deuteronomy 32:4).  However, the Bible also says he knows what it's like to suffer (Hebrews 4:15) and that he made himself one of us to save us from it if we would trust in him (Philippians 2:1-11).

What does God eat?
God doesn't need food to live but when he became one of us (Jesus), he got hungry and ate food like anyone else (Matthew 21:18), in fact Jesus enjoyed eating meals with people (Luke 7:34). 

How is God still alive?
God is.  He just is.  He always is.  He is "I AM" (Exodus 3:14).  He is without beginning or end.  No-one made God.  He always existed and always will (Psalm 90:1-2).  It's because of him that anything else can exist.  Without him there would be nothing (John 1:3).

Why do we have to learn about God?  Just because we are in a church, doesn't mean we have to learn about him.
At Mega Club we want to run a fun youth club but ultimately we want everyone to know the love of God through Jesus.  We can't do anything without hoping and praying and longing for others to know God's forgiveness and love.  That's why any of us are really here.  So, you're welcome at club whether you're interested in God or not but you should expect to hear a bit about him because we're not just youth leaders - we're Christians.  Keep telling us what you think and asking good questions!!