Annual Back to School Prayer Walk
August 7th Meet at 5pm Walk at 6pm
The Bridge Church Reno
Please consider joining us on the evening of August 7th at 5pm for our annual back to school prayer walk. We will send teams of 2-4 people out to several school campuses in our area to pray. We will pray for the students, teachers, and administrators for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. This is a great opportunity to come together as a church and ask God to provide safety, wisdom, and his leading for the upcoming school year. We will meet in the church at 5pm and spend some time in prayer and worship, then we will send the teams out at 6pm.


Kids Kingdom News:
This Summer sure is flying by. It is almost time for school to start again. We have two exciting events happening before school starts. On August 3rd from 1-3 we are having our Back to School Celebration at the Melio Gaspari Water Park. It is located at Lazy 5 Regional Park, at 1700 Pyramid Way, Sparks. We will have water and a snack for the children. Hope everyone can make it. August 11th- During our regular time in Kids Kingdom we will have our Moving On Up Ceremony. All of those who will be moving to the next level will receive a certificate and a hat. We will have a special snack after the ceremony. This Sunday we are still at Camp Wannastay, learning all about becoming leaders. Hope to see everyone Sunday.

Today’s scripture: John 17:13-26

Jesus is with the 11 (12 minus Judas) and he begins to pray. John records the words of this prayer.  These aren’t words spoken to or at the disciples, these are words that Jesus is saying to the Father.
I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. John 17:13

Jesus wants his followers to have joy
 
Joy and fun are two different things.  Fun comes and goes but joy stays with those that are connected to Jesus
I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17:14-15
 
Jesus clarified that his prayer is not for the father to take us out of the world but to protect us from the evil one.  His desire is for us to remain part of this world so that we might tell others about Him.
as you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified John 17:18-19
 
Jesus is handing the ministry over to these disciples.  Just as the Father has sent Jesus into the world so Jesus is sending his followers into the world to continue the ministry.
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20-21
 
These are some incredible words. 2000 years ago, before any of your relatives you could think of, on the night before Jesus’s death, he prayed for you. And he invited you to be in his inner circle with all believers for all eternity.  You are part of His inner circle.

It was because each person in that room was faithful to Jesus’ request that we all heard the gospel.  If those men would not have carried on His ministry, the gospel message would have died out right there.

I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:26
 
This is Jesus’ promise to us.  That when we commit our lives to Him and stay connected to him that he will live inside us in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Carry on the ministry
 
Stay connected to Jesus

Discussion Questions
1 Do you belong to an inner circle?  How many people are part of that inner circle?  Are any of them present in the group right now?

2 How much time each week do you spend praying?  How much of that time is spent praying for all believers everywhere?

3 Read John 17:13-19  What is it that Jesus wants his disciples to share with him? Do you believe you have this today?

4 In verse 15 what does Jesus clarify his prayer is about?  Why do you believe he wants to make this clear.  Why does he not want the Father to remove us from the world?

5 Why does Jesus send them into the world. What job is he giving them?  Why do they need to be sanctified in order to do this job.  (sanctified means “set apart”)

6 Read John 17:20-26 Who else does Jesus pray for?  Does this include you?  Why or why not?

7 Explain how verses 21-23 show that Jesus is inviting us to be in his inner circle.  What are the results of being in this inner circle?

8 What is Jesus’ desire in verse 24?  How can this verse defeat the idea that Jesus was just a “good teacher?”

9  In John 17 Jesus is handing the ministry over to the disciples and inviting them to be in an inner circle of believers for all time.  How are you staying connected to Jesus’ inner circle and how are you carrying on the ministry?