If you’ve ever spent time with teenagers, you know how much they value their free will. Adolescents are in a developmentally normal phase of clamoring for independence and decision-making power.
The thing is, they aren’t always ready to use that power well.
Talking about a gospel-centered view of free will matters in your ministry because understanding what free will is, how it was designed to be used, and the consequences of using it poorly will set the tone for your teenagers as they gain increasing levels of autonomy throughout adolescence.
A world that encourages a lack of boundaries around personal decision-making.
Free Agency is grounded in the early Genesis account, showing us how and why free will came to be from the beginning. From there, launching into a New Testament passage helps students grasp how we’re meant to use our free will today as followers of Jesus.
Students revisit the Garden of Eden and wrestle with why God placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden. They explore how genuine relationship requires real choice, and how humanity’s first misuse of free will introduced sin and death into the world. Free will was given for relationship, not rebellion.
As humanity multiplies, free will is wielded selfishly and destructively. Students examine the global consequences of unchecked autonomy and discover that when everyone lives for themselves, trust erodes, relationships fracture, and hearts break. Free will is beautiful, but it is weighty.
Jesus confronts would-be followers who treat discipleship like a short-term contract. Students consider what it means to follow Christ without constantly looking for an exit. Free will finds its fullest expression not in endless opting out, but in wholehearted commitment.
Video Messages
Teaching Guides (Message Manuscripts)
Small Group Questions
Series Graphics
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