Romans 12:1 (The Message version of the Bible) So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.
Questions to consider (there's a lot so maybe pick just a few)
How does buying fairtrade promote justice?
How does reducing CO2 reduce climate change? Do you cycle/walk whenever possible?
How does living sustainably and recycling more help?
How can you make your voice heard and influence decisions made by those in authority (including teachers as well as politicians)?
What would be a good reason to lobby a local shop?
How does banking ethically have an impact on people?
How does shopping differently and buying local help (food miles)?
How much do you engage with people and care about others?
To what extent do you live generously?
How could praying for the world be a good thing?
Do you speak out for those who have no voice?
What impact is your life having on the world?
A prayer
Dear God, please help us to care about this world and everyone living in it, especially those near to us but also anyone who is in great need of stuff we take for granted. Help us to live grateful and generous lives that have a deliberate positive impact. Please change us. Please change this world. Amen.
The Bible says, 'everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak' (James 1:19). How might this be helpful when responding to questions people have about Jesus?
How would you have answered the kids in this clip?
What questions do YOU have about Jesus?
A prayer...
Dear God, please help me to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Help me to listen to questions people have and help me not to think I have all the answers. Help me to ask big questions too and to find out more about who you really are. AMEN!
Here's some questions and comments I've had from young people about this video and about people's idea of a perfect day...
Q: What do YOU think a perfect day should be? A: In 2 words: 'With God.' Knowing God and being with him (with others too) without anything getting in the way. Psalm 84:10.
Q: Why is it better with God?
A: I believe God made us for a relationship with him and when we're not in a relationship with him, we miss out (kind of an understatement!) - It's like a fish is made to live in water and when you take it out of the water, it dies. We were made to be in God and when we're not in God, we die. There's 2 ways to live.
Q: Does God even have a house?
A: The verse (Psalm 84:10) is talking about being with God in the temple. In the Old Testament part of the Bible, that's where God said he'd meet people. These days God says we can each be like his temple if we follow Jesus, so he lives in us and we're his 'house' (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Q: How is this anything to do with God?
A: I believe God's interested in everything we do because he loves us and made us to enjoy life with him. Our ideas matter to him and there's lots that he would want to encourage as well as challenge and change.
Q: Why is God stereotypically a man?
A: In English we only have 'he', 'she' and 'it' and God is not really any of those. The best parts of male and female come from God because the Bible says we're made in his image (Genesis 1:27) but that doesn't make God a guy or a girl. Maybe we say 'he' traditionally because the Bible says he made Adam first or because Jesus was a man, or maybe just because we live in a pretty sexist world. Say 'he' or she' if you like. God's neither a bloke, nor a lass. He's God.
A day where I act respectfully towards everyone.
When everything goes right for me.
Winning the lottery.
Fun, happy, seeing friends and family, sun.
Talking to friends.
Going to town with friends.
Being with friends.
No school and a lie-in.
Making videos.
Xbox all day.
I find £400,000,000 in a hedge.
Doing what I want, when I want.
Free to do whatever I want.
When nothing bad happens.
Doing cool stuff that is impossible.
Life is not about one day - it's about your whole life.
Some quick answers to questions young people have asked me recently because of this video...
Q: Why do people die?
A: I don't know anyone who's happy about the fact that people die. We hate death. Jesus hated it too (John 11:33). The Bible says people die because of sin. Everybody sins, so everybody dies. God offers us forgiveness and life though (Romans 6:23).
Q: What does John 10:10 mean? If Jesus hadn't said this, would we not be able to have life to the full?
A: Jesus said part of the reason he came into the world was to bring people life to the full. The Bible says, Jesus was God in human form (Colossians 1:19-20) and the only one qualified to rescue us from sin and death (see last question). If God hadn't sent Jesus, we'd be lost and with no hope of peace in this life or hope beyond death.
Q: What is love?
A: Someone once said, 'Love is more often an action and only sometimes a feeling. If you want to feel love, choose to love and be patient.' I think they're right. The strongest love is about loving actions, even when we don't feel like it. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 John 4:10.
Q: What was the point of the video?
A: I used it because I thought it was an interesting idea and I was hoping it would get people talking. I thought the final image of birth and death was powerful and would spark some discussion about why we're here.
Q: What happens after you die?
A: The Bible says judgement (Hebrews 9:27-28). We face God and he decides if we should be with him or not. People think he weighs up the good and bad and if we've done more good things than bad things, we get into heaven. This idea is nowhere in the Bible though. Instead, God offers forgiveness for free to those who want it (1 John 1:9) because it's the only way anyone could ever be good enough to live with God (Isaiah 64:6).
Comments on the video and what life and death are all about...
Living and dying - basically see what you can achieve in that time.
You get born, then you live, then you die.
Into the world and out again.
Life and death are opposites.
To live and love and to die.
Not dying until you're ready.
Being born, then live to your potential, then die.
I understood that the film is saying that when you die, you go into a new life.
Start and end of life.
Being epic.
New beginning or end. Journey.
Enjoy life while you can.
While an old life ends, a new one begins.
Coming into the world and then leaving.
Life and death are all about the bit in the middle.
Helpful.
Death is the end.
When you die you go to heaven.
I don't believe in God. He's imaginary.
It's about recognising it but not focusing on it. Use that perspective to live a good life.
Death is about giving someone else a chance.
Life is fun.
A beginning coming to an end and an end becoming the beginning.
Have ambition. Inevitability.
Live it to the full.
Live each day like it's your last.
It's for you to decide personally, so it's different for everyone.
We live life to the full anyway (unless you can't be bothered).
Live life the way you want to live it because one day it will be over.
