John 3:16-17, 36
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.

Whoever believes that Jesus is Lord and seeks His forgiveness is saved from sin and eternal death and will join Him in heaven at the end of time.  John goes on to say that God did not send Jesus down to punish people for their wrong-doings but to save the people from them with His heroic sacrifice.

John goes on to say that salvation is incredibly simple: either you believe in Jesus and His power to save, or you not.  There is no in between.  There is believe, hope, and faith, or there is doubt, disbelief, and denial.  For Christians, there is only one way to salvation, though our Lord and Savior Jesus.

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Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Ever-lasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punish-ment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah, though he lived hundreds of years before Jesus, was able to predict what would happen to Him with surprising accuracy.  He begins his prophesy by recognizing that someday, a child would be born that would be holy.  He calls the child “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  These are all names that were given to Jesus during His life.

Isaiah knew a savior would be coming, and he told the Israelites what to expect.  He also knew how and why He would die, saying later that He would take the transgressions of the world on His head and that He would be “pierced” as Jesus was by the sword and the nails in the cross.

Finally, Isaiah tells us that the punishment that the Savior would suffer would bring us peace, because we would be healed by His wounds.  His accuracy is astounding, seeing as how he could never have known that Jesus would come without the inspiration from God.  These passages in the Old Testament clearly point to a Savior who was to come through David’s line and redeem the world.  When Jesus arrived on earth, His description fit that of the prophesies and His death brought us the redemption we have been looking for since Adam and Even first sinned.

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John 4:7-11
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God…God is love…This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

The gospels are books of love, as is most of the New Testament.  Jesus said over and over to His followers, “love one another.”  Because of this theme, repeated throughout the entire New Testament, love is the first great theme we explore.

Jesus showed His love for His people in every word and action He performed.  Choosing to come down to earth and walk among men was only done out of tremendous love and a desire that we should not suffer the consequences of our constant sinning.  Out of love, He accepted an unjust death so that we might find a way to salvation through Him.  Out of love, He taught His people during His life on earth, and now, through love, He accepts new Christians into His kingdom.

If God is love, what more important message is there for us to know and understand?  Above all, we must love God, each other, and ourselves.

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The Just War Theory
Is there such thing as a just war?  Do some circumstances make war an acceptable action?  Most people would say yes, including many Christians.  The “Just War Theory” was developed to help people of faith determine whether or not a conflict is just or unjust.  It consists of several tests to determine whether entrance into a war is justified and it also includes measurements to ensure that the conduct of the war is just.

Before entering a war, a Christian people must determine that there is just cause, such as punishing a group for a crime committed against one people or reclaiming something stolen.  There must also be comparative justice, that is to say that one side must be grossly harmed by the other side, even if they themselves have done some harm as well.  Only legitimately recognized public authorities may make the decision to go to war.

Another criterion a war must meet is “right intention.”  The reason for going to war must be something grave, such as righting a wrong or helping a people, not expanding power or increasing wealth.  Before a war can be just, the cause must have a significant probability of success.  It is not just to enter a war that cannot be won.  Finally, a war is only justifiable if it is the last means possible and that all other means of conflict resolution have been worn out.

Based on these criteria, few wars are truly justifiable, but it would be impossible to say that none are.  Unfortunately, the Just War Theory is not Biblical truth or Scriptural teaching—it is a code, made by man, to determine when to go to war and when to avoid it.  It is up to each Christian to decide whether they believe the severity of the crime can only be answered with war and how they believe God will react to that war.  Regardless of one’s conscience, it is safe to say that war should be entered into sparingly, only as retaliation and never a preemptive move, and only if all other options for peaceful resolution have failed.

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Bible Passage
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

In the Sermon on the Mount, we have one of Jesus’ greatest examples of love and peace.   Jesus repeatedly refused to take up arms against anyone who accused Him, insulted Him, or tortured Him.  Instead, He taught peaceful dealings and love for all mankind.

In this passage, we see that the peacemakers, not the warriors, will inherit the most from God, because they will become His sons and daughters.  Though it appears that once God favored violence but He now favors peace.

In another message to the crowds around Him, Jesus turns the accepted notion of action and consequence on its head.  He tells His people that the rule cannot be “an eye for an eye,” but instead, a misdeed must be met with forgiveness and peace.  He even goes so far as to tell the people to treat their enemies the way they would treat their friends and equates that behavior with peacefulness.

As Jesus has just said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God,” so He tells the people to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”  Loving your enemy and being a peacemaker are the same thing to Jesus, as they should be to us.

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Begin with this passage from Deuteronomy to start your Sunday school class and discussion.

Deuteronomy 20:1, 10-14
“When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace.  If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you.  If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.  When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it.  As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves.”

God called the Israelites to enter this war with the peoples of the land He was giving them because He said that if they did not destroy the populations, those peoples would lead the Israelites into idolatry and pagan worship.  However, even though He put forward this rule for the land He was giving them, He laid out a process for war in general.

First, the aggressors must try for peace.  If the people do not accept, then the aggressors may attack.  This passage says not to fear if it looks as if you will lose, because the Lord is behind you, but that only applies when it is a battle that the Lord has led His people into.  If it is a senseless, unjustifiable war, the Lord will not assure His people victory.

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Several major wars in history have been fought for religious reasons.  However, most religions proclaim themselves to be peaceful in nature.  How do these two seemingly opposite sentiments combine?  As is true for Christianity, and perhaps other major world religions, there are ideas for “just” wars and “unjust” wars, which will be discussed later.

Most Christians believe that in general, there are better ways to end conflict than with violence and war.  They also believe that in some circumstances, the con-sequences of allowing the ene-my to win is worse than the war that it would take to thwart them.  For that reason, there are wars.  Religious wars also hap-pen because leaders can mobil-ize their people and unite them under religion.  These leaders are not always religious, nor are they fighting a war for just rea-sons, but they can spin things to make their people believe that it is a holy cause, which lends them authority and gives them the support of their people.

As Christians, it is our duty to study the arguments surrounding a proposed war and decide for ourselves, after prayer and contemplation, whether or not we can honestly support the war.

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Use Recycled Materials
There is a virtually unlimited number of craft projects you can complete using mostly recycled materials.  Cereal boxes, or just the slogans and pictures on them, can be great collage pieces.  Milk jugs can be cut and used as the base of a project or the container that it sits in.  Aluminum cans can have holes poked in them and be turned into candle holders, with adult supervision of course.  Shampoo bottles can be turned into animal art.  There is a whole world of recycled crafts that you can use to help save money.

Each of these projects can easily be tied back to a Christian concept or Bible passage, and they will save you tons of money!  Instead of putting all these materials into the recycling each week, clean them out carefully and dry them, storing them with other craft supplies.

Using recycled materials is a great way to teach your students about their responsibility to the earth as well.  If you ask them each to bring in their own recycled material it will prompt their family to consider recycling if they don’t already.  It will also give you a chance to tell kids about the importance of keeping the environment clean and healthy so that we will have it to enjoy for generations to come.  Because being environmentally friendly is an important moral obligation, it is a great lesson that you can teach your students that they might not get anywhere else.  You can show them the importance of using their materials wisely.  They will probably never have thought of another use for a milk jug until you show them what can be done with it.
Use these tips and see your budget stretch farther than you thought possible!

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Auctions and estate sales often sell off old dishes and silverware.  These items can be used in craft projects.  It does not matter if the dishes match or not, have scratches, chips, or other ugly spots, because you and your students can transform them.  Buy some special paint for ceramic or stone materials, depending on the material of your dishes.  Let your students paint them, covering up all traces of the pattern underneath.  This project is especially good for planning a Thanksgiving Sunday school lesson, because kids can use their plates as a serving plate for bread or another small item.  You can teach them about the importance of giving and receiving, and they can paint their own interpretation of the first Thanksgiving on their plates.

This will be a great memento for your students and their families. It will be a project that your students probably will never have done before.

This same idea can be used with teacups and other drinking cups.  Students can paint them just as they did the plates, but this time, your lesson can involve Psalm 23, where the psalmist speaks to God of His abundance and blessings.  The Psalm reads: “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” (King James Version).  This could work for Thanksgiving as well, depending on how you would like to structure the class.

You are likely to find random craft supplies at garage sales.  People may be selling old scissors, that while they may not be useful for sewing projects or other precise cutting, are perfect for student use in a Sunday school.  You may find an old teaching book, old markers and crayons, t-shirts that your students can decorate with the name of your Sunday school, and many other things.  The projects that will come out of the materials you encounter at these out-of-the-way sales will push you to come up with new ideas and ways to incorporate the supplies into a Bible lesson, but with some creativity and time you will find their usefulness to make all your purchases worth it.

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Because most of the church members will not have costs associated with the youth education program, they will probably be willing to help you now and again with costs for supplies.  Use some of your programs for your own benefit.  For example, if you put on a play for a holiday, ask for a donation instead of an admission fee.  You could request that everyone bring a craft item, such as a pack of markers or a package of dyed feathers.  Let everyone know ahead of time why you need these donations.  People are always more generous when they understand and believe in the cause to which they are donating.

Having a joint fundraiser and performance is a great way to stay involved in the church community as a whole.  Work with the church leader to develop a program based on a holiday, and work to prepare the students for a performance.  Most of them will love getting to express themselves creatively, and it will be a great teaching tool for you.  If the words are meaningful and contain a good message, they will learn without knowing it, which is the best kind of learning.

It is also a great way to pull in older, wiser church members who might be able to offer some very good advice and leadership for your young people.

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