SLEW: Growing in God's Word

General

MiddleSchool

3/7/2018

Special activities and speakers were scheduled throughout week of March 5-9 in both the Middle and Upper School for Spiritual Life Emphasis Week (SLEW).

Special activities and speakers were scheduled throughout week of March 5-9 in both the Middle and Upper School for Spiritual Life Emphasis Week (SLEW). Although there's emphasis on spirituality and prayer life in all?curriculum areas all year long, this annual week is set aside to focus specifically on growing in God's Word.

The theme for the Middle School this year was "Authentic Friendship." Associate pastor Jay Miller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, spoke to the the students about the importance of friendship using examples from the Bible, specifically looking at the lives of David and Jonathan, as well as hurts/regrets from his own life. Time was set aside for small group questions on Thursday and private prayer time on Friday. Below are examples of some of the questions that students were asked to reflect on:

1. Which stories from Jay Miller's own life have impacted you the most from the talks on friendship so far? Why?
2. Which aspect of what we've learned about true friendship is most important to you? Why?
3. What could you stop doing that would make you a better friend?
4. What could you start doing that would make you a better friend?
5. Talk about the last time you had a conflict with someone. How did you work it out? What did you do that was helpful? What did you do that was hurtful?
6. Spend some time thinking about a friend who has had a positive impact on your life. What were some of this friend's characteristics that left a positive impression?
7. Why is it difficult being friends with someone different than you?
8. Where are places that gossip, judgment, or name-calling are preventing you from being the best friend you could be?

In the Upper School, the theme for the week was "More Than Conquerers." Shane Padgett from Warren Baptist Grovetown spoke to the Upper School students over three days using the Book of Romans and his own personal experiences to emphasize the theme. Below are some of the questions the students were asked to reflect on:

1. In what areas of our lives do you conquer (own) that Shane spoke on Tuesday?
2. What are some of those things that can pull us away from the Father?
3. Since Jesus is always teaching, are you listening?
4. If you're listening, do you respond to His teachings?
5. Has there been any wrong in your life that Christ has made right?
6. What are you chasing?
7. What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? It's easy, perhaps, to understand what it means to be a conqueror, but why does Paul say, more than?
8. How does the phrase, "You are more messed up than you know yet you are more loved than you know" encourage the people of God despite troubles and uncertainty?
9. Throughout the Bible you see God say, "stay the course, keep grinding, keep seeking me and you will be better despite what you feel." Why do we lack the grit today and how can we rediscover it?
10. To respect the process (what you go through as a Christian) is to get up when you are knocked down, to never compromise when troubles come and to keep priorities in front of us as we live for Christ. How can the body of Christ (the church) help in this and why often times many feel isolated?
11. How does focusing on what Christ did for us help us when facing opposition or difficulty?