GOD’S LOVE

Invite Week

Student Leader Roles:

• Promo – Promote the Club through social media, announcements, and any other outlets the school allows.
• Welcome – Stand at the door and welcome students to the Club as they arrive. Be sure to welcome any new students and connect them to the Club and Leadership so they feel like they have a place.
• Host – Start the Club with the Welcome, Prayer, Game (if applicable), and Memory Verse.
• Speaker – Lead the Club through Tool Time, and Dig In, using the EPIC Guide, and any supporting materials.
• Follow up – Follow up with new (or newer) students, and students who accepted Christ for the first time or want to know more. This role requires follow-up every week, not just after INVITE Weeks.

Welcome: Welcome to First Priority! We are so glad that you have chosen to join us today! Our focus this month has been centered around “God’s Love.” Today is INVITE Week!

Let’s start today’s club with prayer.

Opening Prayer:God, thank you for another great week that we get to be here at First Priority! We pray for our speaker today______as they share their story. We pray that our hearts would be open to hearing how much you love each one of us. In Jesus name, Amen.

Game – Optional (if time allows): Optional (if you have time): Feel free to select a game that fits your needs best! Invite week typically has new people in attendance, so play something that has a chance to bring laughter and create energy in the room. Click here to see the list of games available.

MEMORY VERSE:John 3:16 (NIV) – “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.”

We all make mistakes and face struggles like anxiety, fear, depression, anger, and other tough things that happen because sin is in the world. If you came to club today feeling like you have no purpose, or maybe you don’t understand what good you can bring to this world, you are not alone! Some of the members of the Club have taken time this month to talk about these same things in our lives and how we overcome them with the help of Jesus. That is the good news that is called the Gospel! The Gospel tells us that, despite our mistakes, bad things that happen in our lives, and struggles we need to overcome, God loves us and made a way for us to be forgiven through Jesus. It’s the message of hope and life, showing us how we can have a relationship with God and live with Him forever. Today we are going to be talking about several verses in a book of the Bible called Romans that help explain this Good News a little better!

This explanation is called the Romans Road in many Christian circles because it creates a path for us to go from death to life, from depression to hope, from loneliness to community, from your pain to a God who heals pain. Let’s jump in.

Romans 3:23 (NIV) – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

This verse tells us that every person has sinned, which means we have all done things that go against God’s perfect standards. None of us are without sin, and our sin separates us from God.

Romans 6:23a (NIV) – “For the wages of sin is death…”

This verse explains that the consequence of our sin is death, not just physical death, but also spiritual separation from God for eternity. Sin deserves punishment.

Romans 6:23b (NIV) – “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Despite our sin and its consequences, God offers us a gift—eternal life through Jesus Christ. This gift is not something we can earn or deserve; it’s offered freely through God’s grace.

Romans 5:8 (NIV) – “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus took the punishment we deserved, paying the price for our sins, and His sacrifice demonstrates God’s incredible love for us.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) – “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

To receive the gift of eternal life, we need to repent of our sins, believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and confess Him with our mouths. Salvation is available to all who believe and trust in Jesus.

Romans 10:13 (NIV) – “For, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

This verse assures us that anyone who calls upon Jesus, asking for forgiveness and salvation, will be saved. God’s offer of salvation is available to everyone, regardless of their past or present circumstances.

By following these verses from the book of Romans, we see our need for a Savior, the consequence of sin, God’s love and grace through Jesus’ sacrifice, and the call to believe in Him for salvation. Would you like to believe in Him today?

Let me pause for just a moment to bring clarity to something. When we talked earlier about the Romans Road creating a path for you to get from death to life, from depression to hope, and darkness to light, some of you may have been thinking about the depression you experience because you’ve been abused, or someone close to you has died, or some other bad experience that has happened to you. God wants to help you with that as well, but that is not what this talk was about. This one is for each of us to get out of our own way and trust in Jesus. If you are experiencing depression, loneliness or other harmful situations because of someone else in your life, find one of the Student Leaders, our Faculty Sponsor, or the Club’s Campus Coach and we can help walk you through that toward a God-filled resolution. Cool?

Prayer:
Before we end today, I’m going to take a moment to say a prayer, and I urge you to take a moment and listen to what God is trying to say to you. Maybe what I shared today resonated with you, or maybe you have been feeling like God is calling you to turn to Him and follow Him and you are ready to take that step towards Him. Or maybe, this is all new to you and you have a lot of questions. If you are ready to take that step toward Christ, pray this prayer in your hearts with me.

Dear Jesus, I recognize that I am a sinner in need of your mercy and grace. I believe you gave your life on the cross for me and rose from the grave to give me new life. Today, I surrender my heart to you. Come into my life, forgive my sins, and guide me. I commit to following you always. Thank you for saving me. In your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.

Before we leave today, our Student Leaders are going to pass out Response Cards for you to fill out. If you related to or felt moved today, please take a moment to fill out a Response Card. As you will see on the cards there are 5 boxes asking about your response to today’s Club.

The first box ‘Today I trusted in Jesus for the first time.’ This is if you made the decision to follow Christ and put Him first in your life for the first time.

The second box ‘Today I reaffirmed my faith in Jesus.’ This is if maybe you made the decision to follow Christ in the past, but have fallen short and got caught up in sin for a while and you want to recommit your life to Christ.

The third box ‘I would like more information about the Gospel.’ This is to let us know that you would like to dive deeper into the Gospel of Christ and the calling that the Lord has for your life. We would love to connect with each of you on this level.

The fourth box ‘I have already trusted in Jesus before today.” This is maybe for those of you who are already walking with Christ and have made the decision to follow Him wholeheartedly. If this is you, we still want to connect with you and walk alongside you. We hope that you continue to come to Club and join this Faith Community as we connect with each other through the Gospel.

The last box is for anyone who is not interested in what you heard today in Club. If this is you, we want to encourage you and let you know that no matter your beliefs or place in life, you are still welcome and wanted here. We love having each and every one of you. There is space here for everyone no matter where you are on your walk with Christ, even if you may not be walking with Christ yet.

As you finish filling out your card, we want to thank each of you for joining us today. We cannot wait to connect with you and see you next week! Let’s take a moment to pray together and then we will discuss any announcements…

Let’s close in prayer.

Closing Prayer suggestion: Heavenly Father, thank you for this time of fellowship and testimony. We are grateful for the love you have shown us and the ways you have transformed our lives. If anyone heard our words today and felt you stirring in their heart, may they seek your love and truth. And Lord, for those who were not here but need to hear of your goodness and saving grace, draw them near so they may join us next time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

(This is the place for the Club to make any announcements for the upcoming week and or month)

If today was your first time with us and you want to know more about what First Priority is like each week, join us next week for CONNECT Week. It’s a great chance to meet new people, get connected, and discover more of what God has for you.

Leader Notes: Remember to file the report on this week’s Club numbers!

This is a great spot to add Student Leaders to your team and give responsibilities to them. It is also the place to check on the upcoming school schedule for days off or breaks (your Faculty Sponsor is a great resource for this).

FOLLOW UP: Collect all Response Cards and sort them before leaving the room after Club. Follow-up is key and can be urgent for a new believer. If there is no time for the team to sort them, have a Student Leader take them and sort them within the next few hours (Do not do this during class time when you should be working or paying attention!). Send the name of each person who made a decision to the person who brought them or another friend so they can follow up appropriately. Make a plan to review and pray over them with your Campus Coach and Adult Leaders. Plan to connect soon with any students who had questions or made a decision – you want them to know that they are important to you.

See the Follow-Up Guide on www.firstpriority.club/resources for more details.

Prepare for CONNECT Week: Who will be responsible for the areas listed in the First Priority Club app (or the planning guide at the beginning of this month?