interlínc: Resources

Bible Study

Artist: Hulvey
Song: Cold Water
Album: BRKNHRT.
Featured In: MVL 108

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Hulvey

Leader Guide

Artist: Hulvey
Album: BRKNHRT.
Label: Reach Records
Song: Cold Water
From: MVL 108
Writer: Doug Ranck | Free Methodist Church | Santa Barbara, California

Theme(s): Forgiveness Salvation Baptism

Objective

Through sin and disobedience came death, through Jesus Christ came life. God longs for us to have life. In the course of our lives, there will be times when we feel “dead” due to circumstances or our own destructive choices. In this lesson, your students will discover the priority of recognizing Christ as the One who can deliver us from death, and bring us back to life.

Warm Up

Distribute the Student Guides and direct youth to find the Regrets section. Encourage them to find a comfortable space, a partner, and give them ten minutes to complete the assignment.

Transition

When students have completed their work, bring them back together and invite them to share their lists. Pay attention for items that appear on the lists often. Follow with these questions:

Why do people end up doing things for which they are later ashamed or deeply regret?
What are the emotions most often accompanying the experience of shame and regret?
What strategies do people often employ to try and “feel better”?

It is not “if” but “when” we will sin and do something we regret. Through sin and disobedience comes a destructive path. Jesus came to offer life. In His death on the cross and resurrection, He put to death our sins and brought us the gift of eternal life. The sacrament that remembers this is baptism.

In baptism, we bury the old as we go under the water, and rise again to life as we come out of the water. Jesus experienced this, and we are invited to as well as we declare our intention to be followers of Jesus. The writer of this song, Hulvey, describes the significance of participating in “being done with the flesh” and letting the “Spirit take control.” In this lesson, you will discover the priority of recognizing Christ as one who can deliver us from death and bring us back to life.

The Video

Have participants and look at the Feel and Do section of their Student Guide. Invite them to complete the activity while the video is playing. Discuss their responses when the video is over.

Transition

What are some of the emotions (feelings) experienced by the writer concerning his disobedience and sin?
What are some of the things he wants to do (actions) to experience the forgiveness of Jesus and the new life that comes along with it?
What did you learn about God?
Why does the writer say, “now I’m off my leash”?
What does this have to do with sin?

Bible Study

In our humanity, we can easily settle for trying to fix our own mistakes and destructive choices. This effort only lands us right back to where we started. In the book of John, a man named Nicodemus has some questions for Jesus, who he recognizes has come from God. This recognition leads to a discussion of being born anew and leads Nicodemus in a direction he could have never imagined. Let’s see what this discussion says about coming out of the “cold water.”

Direct your group and the Questions and Answers section on their Student Guide, and give your students five to ten minutes to work on the exercise before coming back together. Ask your group members to share their answers. Follow with these questions:

Why was it difficult for Nicodemus to understand being “born again?”
Why do verses sixteen and seventeen make even more sense to us in this story?
Why is it important that only God can give us new life rather than us re-making ourselves?

Wrap Up

The songwriter says, “Gave Christ my burdens; there ain’t nothing else to keep; I’m done living in defeat, woke me up from my sleep.” Remind your youth how easy it is to carry life’s burdens around with them without being aware. Challenge them to respond to the prompt under Action Point in the Student Guide. If you feel it is appropriate, have students share their action point and pray for them specifically as you close.

Playlist

This song is featured on “The Linc: Forgiveness” Spotify playlist – which is the perfect way to remind your students what you’ve taught them in this session. To share it with them, click the live link.