The society of today’s world would like to have our young people believe that there are many ways to God. The common belief is that we’re all on different paths, but they ultimately lead to the same place. This (Only) One Direction retreat theme will explore this falsehood and show young people how it is direct opposition to what Jesus said.
The Way
John 14:6 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Despite what celebrities, media and even some televangelists may say, there is only one way to God. In the scripture, Jesus declares that he is the only way for us to reach his Father. Explain to your young people that we can reach God only through faith and belief in His Son, Jesus.
The Truth
John 8:31-32 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Modern society loves to question the existence of absolute truth. The claim is that what is true for one person, may not be true for someone else. The Bible teaches that there is an absolute truth. Jesus calls himself the Truth. When we follow him, we are set free by his Truth.
The Life
John 3:16 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
YOLO, short for “You only live once” is a popular catch phrase. Young people today are encouraged to live to the fullest, which also means living extravagantly or even taking dangerous risks. Use the well-known scripture from John to show young people that God has given us a way to have everlasting life through Jesus. When we put our trust in him, we don’t have only one life to live!
Only ONE Direction Crafts:
Use the flag template to make posters, signs, or even t-shirts. Allow the attendees to be creative with the designs. However, make sure they include the scripture passage and the phrase “One Way” as a reminder that Jesus is the only way to God.
Map Dry Erase Board-
Use inexpensive picture frames to create dry erase boards for messages and reminders. Place cut out pieces of maps or old atlases and put them in the frames. Use fun and colorful materials to decorate the frames and use stick-on letters or even Scrabble tiles to spell out the scripture on the sides of the frame.
Cairns are rock towers that are used to help hikers or climbers stay on the trail. For this craft, you need smooth river rocks of different sizes, paint and markers. Each student should pick out 5 stones of varying sizes and paint each one a different color. Assign specific verses of scripture, like the ones listed above, or even the Romans Road to print on the bottom of each rock. The rocks are then stacked on top of each other from largest to smallest until the make a cairn tower.
Only ONE Direction Games:
Map It!
For this game, you need a large map or atlas. Teams or individuals are given places to find on the map. They can point them out with a finger, or use a push-pin or map marker to mark the spot when they find it. Use easier places for younger attendees (states or well-known cities) and more obscure places or landmarks for teens. The team or individual to map out all the places first wins.
This game requires some prep and a thorough reading of the rules but is a great tool for learning John 14:6 and understanding its meaning. Make some large dice from cardboard boxes and print Way, Truth, or Life on each side (one word on each side!) Divide the group into two teams and let them take turns answering the provided questions and rolling the dice to earn points for their team. When all of the questions are asked, the team with the most points wins.
Create several mazes of fairly equal difficulty with tape on the floor. Divide your group into teams and set each team up at each make with a ball. The teams must get the balls through the mazes using only their feet and without crossing any boundaries. The first team finished wins. To make the game more challenging, use smaller balls and instruct the teams to push the balls through the maze using only their breath.
Other Only ONE Direction Activities:
Jesus is the Way Object Lesson–
This super cool object lesson is a powerful visual of how Jesus provides us a way to God by cleansing us from our sins. Show the video or do the “magic trick” yourself. Simply fill the Jesus jar with half water-half bleach, fill the Sin jar with water and dark food coloring, and fill the You jar with water.
This activity is perfect for younger attendees. They’ll marvel at the “magic” cross that appears at the end. Provide each young person with a piece of white or light-colored paper. Instruct them to write the scripture verse down the center of the paper. Follow the instructions in the link for how to fold and where to cut until you are ready to unfold the cross with the verse right in the middle!
It’s easy for today’s young people to be confused about or even question their faith. They are daily bombarded with alternative messages telling them that their beliefs have little meaning and that it’s okay to do what they want as long as they are a “good person.” An (Only) One Direction retreat can be useful to help remind young people that despite what the world tells them, Jesus is the only Way. There is no other way to God except through him!
