At a recent tween camp, I presented a youth Bible study on purity for the first time. I ended up preparing an original lesson on purity that led to some of our best small group discussions. The children talked among themselves and with their animators about things that really question!
I highly recommend leading a youth Bible study on purity for tweens and middle schoolers. Follow these tips and suggestions.
“Pure” means free from any element of a different, inferior or contaminating nature. The people of God need to have pure thoughts, words and behaviors.
- Think of the best type of jewelry: pure gold. My ring is gold plated. How much does 1 kg of gold cost? Over $40,000!
- Think of a bottle of water. You wouldn’t want it if it wasn’t pure. (Backwash in a bottle and then offer it to a student, who will be disgusted.)
If you want your water to be pure, you should also want your life to be pure!
Object lesson
Example kitchen; made a birthday cake and put just a tiny bit of poo in the mix (I found opossum poo).
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8 (NKJV)
- For the pure, all is pure, but for those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but even their minds and consciences are defiled. Titus 1:15
How to stay pure?
“…and Moses killed him (the bull). Then he took the blood and put it on the horns of the altar all around with his finger and purified the altar. And he poured out the blood at the foot of the altar and consecrated it to make atonement for it. Leviticus 8:15
So what we need is a huge bull to kill and cover all of us in blood? No, Jesus paid the price! He was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. So what do we need now?
In the Old Testament, a cleansing agent was needed…water, blood, or fire. We are under the New Testament, which is the new and better covenant that Jesus gave us. His sacrifice brings purification; his blood cleanses from sin (1 John 1:7).
The Old Testament was for our instruction. In the New Testament we are purified when we are buried or immersed in water baptism.
- “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16
- “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living by your word. Psalm 119:9
Bible Study for Youth: Three Areas of Purity
- Pure Acts Luke 6:46; 1 John 5:3; James 1:21-25
- Pure Words 1 Peter 2:1; Matthew 12:34-37; James 3:2-8
- Pure Thoughts Matthew 5:8; 1 Chronicles 28:9; Proverbs 4:23
Many people believe that their thoughts don’t matter, as long as they don’t practice bad deeds. But pure thoughts are essential to a pure life, because our thoughts determine what we say and do. Pure thoughts lead to pure words and pure deeds. Your thoughts are important.
What is the easiest?
- Training or playing the Wii?
- Eat pizza or salad?
- Clean your room or disobey your parents?
- Quit the movie or just hang out with your friends.
Often the hardest thing is the best for your future.
Object lesson
If I had bought 1 kg of gold in the year 2000, it would have cost $9,067. It would have been a lot of money back then, but it’s worth over $40,000 now. Sometimes the best thing you can do is the hardest thing to do.
Mr. Purity: Joseph
In the Old Testament, Joseph is an example of purity. He has pure thoughts. When Potiphar’s wife makes sexual advances to Joseph, he refuses (Genesis 39:7-9).
I think it would have been almost impossible for Joseph, a young man in his prime, to say no to temptation without love for God. With our culture’s extreme focus on sex and love, so do we.
Purity is hard! Don’t beat yourself up about it; remember that God’s forgiveness is total. You don’t need to live in guilt for your sins once you repent and ask forgiveness from both God and anyone else affected by your sin.
Action step
Develop a “spring cleaning” mentality when it comes to items that promote impurity or glorify immorality. Throw away everything you wouldn’t want in your house if you knew Jesus was coming to visit you. In which room will you start your cleaning?
Who tells you how to dress?
What’s the best way to get someone to do something? Make them believe that they have decided to do it! So the same thing happens to you. You think you make up your mind on certain things, but then why do you and your friends wear the same clothes? Why do you like the same movies and the same music?
Someone decides for you. One day you will look back and probably be embarrassed by what you are wearing today. A decision you were so sure of is suddenly embarrassing.
If you base your choices on what the television and your friends tell you, you may make the wrong choice. But if you base them on a standard to live up to and on God’s principles, then you’ll never go wrong. You can still make bad clothing choices, but life is much more serious than clothes. I hope you will become someone who buys gold while you are young and that in the future you will find yourself in a much bigger place.
Bible Study for Youth: Purity Takes Planning
Purity does not happen by chance, and the heat of the moment is not the time to decide your limits (Proverbs 14:15; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Lamentations 3:40).
Conclude the Purity Bible Study for Youth by asking these discussion questions:
- Do you agree or disagree with the importance of “reflecting your steps” and “examining your ways”?
- Think of a personal situation or an experience that you should not have had. Did you have a plan in advance to prevent you from getting there?
- How could a plan have helped you prevent this type of situation in the first place?
What other suggestions do you have for a youth Bible study on purity?
