If your class is meeting online, invite students to bring index cards and pens/pencils with them to class.

From the moment we are born, we enter a world tainted by sin. This is the world in which we take root and grow. And if originally Adam and Eve were meant to be caretakers of creation, then so are we, messy as the creation may be. Each of us ought to share in taking responsibility for the ways in which sin permeates our neighborhood, our country, and our world, pulling up the weeds by their roots. Sadly, sometimes we don’t even notice the sin that surrounds us. But Jesus gives us new eyes to see, so that we can identify where the sin is, and work to uproot it.  

• Start with considering your bubble—your friend group, your church, your neighborhood. What sin permeates this community? (Accept all reasonable answers. This can be challenging, so you might offer suggestions such as greed or gossip, or even a comfort level with racism, sexism, or ableism. We sometimes learn these sins from our family or community or pick up on them without realizing. Sometimes our circumstances and commonalities lead to common struggles.)
• How do you imagine this sin took root? What feeds this sin to keep it growing? (Accept all reasonable answers. When we share the sin, we make it feel acceptable. When we learn it from a young age, we may think it is normal. When it is uncomfortable or inconvenient to address, we ignore it.)
• What actions can you take this week to begin to pull at the root of the sin? (Accept all reasonable answers. It may start with talking about it, which can be uncomfortable. It may mean stopping conversations that lead to gossip or jokes that disparage a group of people. It may mean fasting from spending or stuff, or practicing giving instead of greed. It may mean seeking out the voices of the oppressed or neglected, or taking actions that affirm their dignity or meet their needs.)

Hand out index cards and pens/pencils. If your class is meeting online, invite teens to have their supplies ready at home. On their cards, students can write one way they will begin pulling at the roots of sin this week in their sphere of influence.              

It can be challenging to deal with sin that is ingrained in our family, friend group, church, or community, but it is the work that a life changed by Jesus entails. Find a partner or community to help, and together follow Jesus in His redemptive work.

Close in prayer.