To prepare for the trip our youth group participated in a Youth Alpha course which was held weekly in our church gym. Our church prayed for us and helped out with meals. We shared a meal together, watched the video and discussed questions that were given. I enjoyed getting into deep discussions about theological issues. It was interesting to hear other peoples perspectives and to talk through different issues. Below are some the questions we discussed and some of my notes.
Youth Alpha Notes
Alpha 1
If you only had 24 hours to left to live, what would you do?
- Spend time with family, talk to those I know that may be struggling with their faith.
Why do you think people find it awkward to talk about their religious beliefs?
- If I meet someone, and start to get to know them, it would probably create a rift between us if we have different religious views, and therefore, different thought processes.
Assuming God is real; if you could ask him one question, what would it be?
- What can I do to improve my life?
Alpha 2
Have you ever had an encounter with a celebrity?
-Once I had the opportunity to talk with and get an autograph from the world's record holder of the most basketballs spun on one hand.
Why do you think Jesus is so famous?
- In human terms, He's the religious figure of Christianity, the worlds largest religion, so that would make him well known just by that itself.
What parts of Jesus life stands out to you?
- His death and resurrection.
Alpha 3
What was one of your most physically painful experiences?
- When I was six, I fractured my left arm when playing tag in my grandma's backyard. I can't remember how much pain I was in but apparently I almost passed out. I was probably in a bit of pain.
How would you define sin? And do you see it in the would around you?
-Sin is the absence, void or corruption of good. It cannot exist by itself and is a deviation of what already is exists which is good. How can you not see it in day to day life? It is prevalent in every single thing you do. One just needs to open a newspaper to see all the horrible headlines and various crimes that are being committed weekly.
Is the death of Jesus significant to you?
- If the fate of my immortal soul going to heaven or hell is dependant on Jesus's sacrifice on the cross, than yes, it is very significant to me!
Alpha 4
What is one of the scariest things you have ever done?
- The scariest experience I can think of would be trying out a high ropes course at Rockridge canyon, (which, oddly enough, is the example given in the video.)
How can God love people no matter what they have done?
- We have all sinned and rejected him in our own hearts, the degree of the sin doesn’t make a difference so long as we confess and ask forgiveness.
If a relationship with god was like a swimming pool, where would you be.
- Being baptized seems to me like finally jumping off the diving board for me, although I don't think I'm moving forward (swimming) enough.
Alpha 5
If you could be any superhero who would you be?
- Superman, because he can fly.
Why do you think people don't always get what they pray for?
- Because they ask for things with the wrong motives or God my have other plans for how your life turns out.
Have you ever tried praying? What did you pray for? What happened?
- Many times about many things. Since I was born into a Christian family, this has been a daily occurrence my whole life. We practice the habit of praying every night together as a family before bed. We pray for our needs as well as people we know are struggling with things. Most of the time we don't see any noticeable change but we have often seen prayers answered in small ways.
Alpha 6
What is one of your favourite movies or books?
- If I had to choose the movie I enjoyed as well as anticipated the most, I would choose The Dark Knight. For a book, I would say the Eragon series was one of the most enjoyable, but one of the most interesting and different read would be the Screwtape Letters.
Do you think the Bible has a purpose in the world today?
- Yes, the Bible is not outdated by any means, even if many of the cultural references don't make much sense by today’s thinking. Human nature has not changed, people still deal with the same struggles as they did two thousand years ago.
Have you ever tried reading the Bible before? How did it go?
- I have read the Bible many times and possibly all the way through (Not in order though). As for how it's going, I'm now finally baptized but still struggle to find and make time to read the bible every day.
Alpha 7
Have you ever been lost before? What happened?
- I can't really think of a time in my life where I was genuinely lost. Maybe once or twice in the supermarket. I remember being afraid.
Are God's instructions old-fashioned and irrelevant or do they still matter today?
- They matter just as much now as they did then. People don't evolve in the Darwinian sense (although we do mature slowly over time) and neither do their struggles. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:9 - What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.
How do you feel about the idea that God has a plan for a plan for your life?
- It's very reassuring to know the God has a plan for me.
Alpha 8 & 9
If you were given a million dollars that you have to give away, what would you do with it?
- Most of it would end up in private charity's (MCC, Bible's for Missions), Perhaps a few magnanimous gestures to people I know or have heard are in financial problems.
What questions come to mind when hear about the Holy Spirit?
- Is it in me right now? Does it give me help in daily affairs? How does the theory of the trinity work with the Bible?
Have you ever heard of or had any experience with God's supernatural gifts?
- I think I felt that God was speaking to me through someone. At one time I had a lot of doubts going through my mind and someone I randomly talked to gave me advice on what I was thinking about. It could have been coincidental, but I think God likes to use those.
Alpha 10
Who is your favourite super villain?
- Heath Ledger's Joker. He made Batman a thing again. His actions like licking his lips and stuttering instead of simply laughing all the time, coupled with his twisted sense of humour and worldview, makes him a terror to behold when he shows what he's capable of.
What are some common lies that people believe about themselves or about God?
- A lot of people seem to limit God inside their head. A little cousin of mine was once talking to my brother about what God could do, and stated (obviously without thinking) that God couldn't do something. Although I believe God can do anything, I often don't think he will, which is impossible for me to know.
What can people do to fight against evil in their lives and in the world?
- By standing up for God's word and other people by living the life God asks us to live.
Alpha 11
What is your most embarrassing moment?
- I honestly think I've tried to forget all embarrassing moments I've had.
Do you believe that God heals people today? Why or why not?
- I believe that there are people being healed right now as a result of God's healing grace and the prayer that Christians are poring out at this very minute.
Take a few minutes to talk about any experiences you may have had with sickness and healing.
- Before my grandpa died, our whole family felt an overwhelming sense of peace. The faith that we would see him again made our loss bearable in the face of death. Even death cannot separate us for long.
Alpha 12
What is your favourite viral video?
- Trolling Saruman. It's a deleted scene from Lord of the Rings dubbed with the “Russian Rick'roll”.
Is it okay to tell others about Jesus? What stops people from doing it?
- Of course it is, so long as they are open to what you have to say, there's nothing to stop you from saying what you believe. What really stops people our own fears of rejection and of the unknown. We think they won't listen to us or what we have to say, which may happen, but some others are surely looking for what God has in store for them.
Do you see any value in being part of a church?
- I've gone to church my whole life, and I can't imagine life without it. How else would we come together in fellowship with other believers? God tells us to come together in praise of him, to worship together. We can't live a life of love if we distance ourselves from others.
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| Crosses at orphanage in Mexico |
