MADE ON PURPOSE & SOUGHT BY GOD

Week 2 & 3 Combined Bible Study

Big Idea:
God made me on purpose, and He never stops seeking me.

Start Here

Have you ever felt like you don't fit in?

Maybe you've wondered:

• Why am I different?


• Do I really matter?


• Does God really have a purpose for me?


• What happens when I mess up?


• Does God still want me when I've made bad choices?

The Bible gives us two powerful answers:

You were made on purpose.
And you are worth seeking when you wander.

Let's see what God's Word says.

PART 1 — GOD MADE YOU ON PURPOSE

Read Genesis 1:27

“So God created mankind in his own image...” — Genesis 1:27

God didn't accidentally create you.

You are not a mistake.

You weren't created to be a copy of someone else. God created you with intention and made you in His image.

That means your value doesn't come from:

• How popular you are


• How you look


• How many friends you have


• Your grades


• Your athletic ability


• Your social media followers


• What other people think about you

Your value comes from your Creator.

The original lesson explains that God creates people with care and gives them a value that cannot simply be taken away.

Think About It

1. When do you feel the most pressure to fit in?

School?
Sports?
Friends?
Social media?
Family?
Somewhere else?

Write your answer:

2. What are some things you sometimes use to decide whether you have value?

3. How does Genesis 1:27 change the way you see yourself?

PART 2 — YOU DON'T HAVE TO FIT THE WORLD'S MOLD

Read Genesis 1:31.

God looked at what He had made and called it very good.

That includes His creation of people.

Sometimes the world tells us:

“You need to look like this.”
“You need to act like this.”
“You need to be popular.”
“You need to have this.”
“You need everyone to approve of you.”

But God doesn't ask you to become someone else so that you can have value.

The Week 3 lesson describes this as the pressure to fit into the world's “mold.” Genesis reminds us that our value comes from the Creator whose image we carry.

Stop & Think

What is one “mold” you feel like the world wants you to fit into?

What would change if you stopped trying to prove that you have value and started believing that God already gave you value?

PART 3 — BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I MESS UP?

Knowing that God made you on purpose doesn't mean you'll always make perfect choices.

Everyone messes up.

Everyone sins.

Everyone has moments when they choose their own way instead of God's way.

So what does God do when we run away from Him?

Jesus gives us a powerful picture in Luke 15:11–24.

Read Luke 15:11–24

This is the story of the prodigal son.

A son leaves his father and chooses his own way. He makes choices that damage his relationship with his father.

Eventually, he realizes he needs to go home.

But here's the amazing part.

When the father sees his son coming:

He runs toward him.

The father doesn't stand on the porch waiting to yell at him.

He doesn't make his son prove himself first.

He welcomes him home.

The original Week 2 lesson emphasizes that God's love doesn't change when we choose our own way. The father seeks and welcomes his son rather than treating his return as an obligation.

PART 4 — GOD SEEKS YOU

Read Luke 15:20 again.

Think about the picture Jesus gives us.

The son is coming home.

The father sees him.

And the father runs toward him.

That tells us something important about God.

When you feel:

• Far away from God


• Ashamed


• Guilty


• Unworthy


• Like you've messed up too badly


• Like you've wandered too far

God isn't waiting for you to become perfect before you come back.

He wants you to come home.

Ask Yourself

When I mess up, do I usually run toward God or away from Him? Why?

Do you ever feel like you have to “fix yourself” before you can come to God?

What does Luke 15:20 tell you about God's heart toward someone who comes back to Him?

PART 5 — PUT THE TWO STORIES TOGETHER

Now look at the two main truths:

Genesis 1

God made me on purpose.

Luke 15

God seeks me when I wander.

Put those together and you get something powerful:

My value doesn't disappear when I struggle.

You were valuable because God created you.

And when you wander, God doesn't stop caring about you.

Your mistakes don't erase the fact that you were created by God.

Your failures don't make you worthless.

And you don't have to earn God's love by becoming perfect.

YOUR TURN

Answer these honestly. This is between you and God.

1. What is one thing you appreciate about the way God made you?

2. What is one area where you struggle to believe that you have value?

3. Is there an area of your life where you feel far away from God?

4. What would it look like to stop hiding from God and start moving toward Him?

5. Who is someone in your life who may feel like they don't belong?

6. How could you show that person the kind of welcoming love we see in Luke 15?

THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

This week, remember these two truths:

I WAS MADE ON PURPOSE.

I don't have to be a copy of someone else.

I AM WORTH SEEKING.

When I mess up or wander, I don't have to hide from God.

Instead, I can turn toward Him.

Try This:

Every morning this week, say:

“God made me on purpose, and He has not stopped loving me.”

Then ask:

“God, how can I live like that is true today?”

Look for one opportunity each day to encourage someone who may feel left out, different, or unimportant.

MEMORY VERSE

“So God created mankind in his own image...”

Genesis 1:27

Write the verse below without looking:

PRAY

Take a few minutes and talk honestly with God.

You can pray something like:

“God, thank You for creating me on purpose. Help me remember that my value comes from You and not from what other people think about me. When I mess up or wander away, help me remember that I don't have to hide from You. Thank You for seeking me and welcoming me back. Help me also show that same love to people around me. Amen.”

ONE LAST QUESTION

After studying Genesis 1 and Luke 15, what is one thing you want to remember about how God sees you?

My takeaway: