cut it out
celloutlines | overview The theme of the next four weeks’ cell outlines is the Cut it Out campaign. More specifically the aim of the next few weeks is to acknowledge that human trafficking wouldn’t happen if there weren’t certain demands and fuelling behaviours – especially for sexual exploitation. As Christians, part of our fight for justice against trafficking is taking a stand against paying for sex. However, we need to take it further than this – we need to realise that there are other lifestyle choices that can lead up to this point and that are tangled up in the action of paying for the services of a prostitute, and that therefore we aren’t as far away from sexual exploitation as we might think. For example, paying for the services of a prostitute would require somebody to objectify another person’s body – not seeing them as God’s child but as a tool for their own ends. As Christians we need to think about how we view and sometimes objectify others. Watching pornography not only objectifies others but has also been proven to normalise violence in sexual experiences –something else that is rife in the services demanded of victims of trafficking. We therefore need to be real with our young people about considering the temptations thrown at us in life and what behaviours are worldly and contribute to the demand for sexual exploitation, even if we ourselves would never consider paying for the services of a prostitute. This is about realising the links between these actions and taking a stand against them. A person might know they are never going to pay for a prostitute, but if they happily watch porn or go to a strip club with their mates, then they aren’t taking a direct stand against all of this either. Not to mention that it’s hardly likely Jesus would have watched porn. In all of this, though, we need to acknowledge that this is tough; temptation is difficult and often encountered. We live in a world that gives us very different messages about sex. However, we are not alone in all of this; and the Bible has wisdom for us, so it’s important we look at this too. In every session please remember one key thing: these sessions are about asking difficult questions and being thought-provoking. They are NOT about giving answers and preaching about right and wrong. Shoving rules down people’s throats is not the answer, but it is vital that we are a church that isn’t afraid to approach this topic and encourage our young people to make difficult decisions to live holy lives. The next four cell outlines cover the following themes: • Introduction – what’s my lifestyle got to do with it? – Living God-centred lives • Bodies (ours and others’) and Identity • Lust and Temptation
celloutlines
• Where now? – Resisting temptation, living differently, fighting injustice
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