TEENUP - Whatever Jesus Provides, I Want

Best Wine You Ever Had!

What Jesus provides is just plain better than anything and everything else; simple statement, but true. Let me show you:

Jesus turned water into wine as the first miracle of his public ministry at a wedding 2000 years ago in Cana, Galilee (John 2:1-12).  Many of us have heard this story or at least heard about it. After all, it is a classic (like all Jesus stories).  However, when told, the wrong part of the story is typically emphasized. We get so excited about the actual wine itself and what this miracle may tell us about whether we can or cannot drink alcohol. But something much deeper is at work here. The point of this story goes much further than just whether Jesus sanctions drinking or not (either way, you are too young to drink!) In other words, it is not so much about the wine, but what the wine represents. Let me explain:

Jesus was at a wedding with his mom. She notifies him that the wine has run out and tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to. Jesus, without touching anything, tells the servants to take water, normally used for cleaning and ceremonial washing, to the host of the banquet instead of wine. The host tasted the water and was astonished at the quality, saying "Normally, people bring out the good wine first, then serve the inferior wine, but you have saved the best wine until now." In other words, the water Jesus turned into wine blew the rest of the wine away in quality - it was better than the best wine they had.

This story serves, not only a great demonstration of Jesus' power and who He is (i.e., God) by transforming water into wine (He also created the universe as well; John 1:3), but also displays the significance of what Jesus provides. The wine, in a sense, represents the superiority of what Jesus provides. What Jesus provides for us today is so much better than anything and everything else we can ever imagine. It is superior to whatever the world provides. The joy and fulfillment Jesus gives is way better than any other source of joy and fulfillment you can name. He is the better friend, Father, confidant and leader; and he gives better gifts (you know eternal life, salvation from our sin and God's wrath, purpose, peace, etc...).

Friends, if Jesus can take water from dirty waterpots and transform it into the best wine, envision how he takes sinful human beings and transforms them into an obedient people that live for Him. Truthfully, what we have in Jesus, after we come to Him, blows away whatever we had before. There's just no comparison.

Picture eating boxed macaroni and cheese your whole life and then finally tasting someone's homemade mac and cheese - and just falling out eating it. If you had a choice, which one would you choose? Jesus provides the very best quality. Everything else is a cheap alternative. So whatever Jesus is handing out- that's what we want. Tell your friends they can take the cheap imitation stuff if they want, but you'll take the good stuff (They can take the turkey bacon, while you are chewing on the real bacon).

This week’s challenge:

• Brainstorm some examples of the things Jesus provides for you in your life
• How are these things better than the alternatives?
• Evaluate whether or not you are settling for imitations and cheap alternatives to the things God provides for us

• Find someone who is settling for imitations and tell them about the real thing that God offers everyday

This week’s challenge:

• Do a self-check: Do you care more about following your peers in school, rather than Jesus? Why?
• Take a close look at the people you follow on twitter - what is the general pursuit of the people you follow? Why do you follow them?
• What things are holding you back from following Jesus more closely? What do we need to turn away from in order to focus on Jesus?
• What are some ways you will follow Jesus this week?

- See more at: http://www.thedoubleedged.com/#sthash.s6FY1egb.dpuf

This week’s challenge:

• Do a self-check: Do you care more about following your peers in school, rather than Jesus? Why?
• Take a close look at the people you follow on twitter - what is the general pursuit of the people you follow? Why do you follow them?
• What things are holding you back from following Jesus more closely? What do we need to turn away from in order to focus on Jesus?
• What are some ways you will follow Jesus this week?

- See more at: http://www.thedoubleedged.com/#sthash.s6FY1egb.dpuf