Statement of Faith
9th Grade Confirmation
Writing your faith statement is an important part on your journey towards being confirmed. We hope
that writing your faith statement will help you pull together all the ideas and questions that you have
gathered through your three years of Confirmation at First Lutheran. This is not a paper for you to spit
back to us the right “church answers” that you have learned in Sunday School and Confirmation.
Rather, it is meant for an honest reflection about your own faith - not someone else’s faith that has
been handed down to you. This means we’re really asking you to think about your faith and your
relationship with God. Where has your faith been, where is it now, and where would you like it to go?
There are no right answers in a faith statement. As the pastors read your faith statement they’re not
going to be checking to make sure you included certain things. We really want to know how your faith
has developed and where you are in your relationship with God. And more importantly than us
knowing - we want you to struggle with those questions. So, in your faith statement include what
you’re confidant about and also what you question and what you don’t understand. We’re not
expecting that you will know all the answers. Be honest and thoughtful and most importantly spend
some time thinking about what being confirmed means to you. To the church it means that you are
publicly declaring your faith on your own. That it is a choice you have made to follow God’s teachings.
At Baptism you were welcomed into God’s family by your parents choice. At Confirmation you are
united with God’s family once again, this time by your choice!
The four areas that need to be included in your faith statement are:
1. The Person of Christ
2. The Problem of Sin
3. Forgiveness
4. Your Relationship with Christ
You need to write about each of these areas. You don’t have to answer all the questions on the
following sheets - they are just there to give you some ideas of what to write about. Your Faith
Statement needs to be at least 2 pages and no more than 4 pages. A typed, double spaced paper is
preferred (no fonts larger than 12 and margins should be one inch all the way around!).
FAITH STATEMENTS ARE DUE (TO GREGG) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15. EACH PERSON WILL MEET WITH
A PASTOR FOR HALF AN HOUR TO TALK ABOUT THEIR FAITH STATEMENT. THIS MEETING WILL BE THE
WEEKS OF MARCH 27 – APRIL 8. CONFIRMATION SUNDAY IS APRIL 23, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Staple this portion to the front page of your Faith Statement.)
Name (please print it the way you want it printed on your Confirmation Certificate):
_______________________________________________________________________________
What is your Scripture verse that you will read at the service? (example John 3:16)
Book of the Bible ___________________ Chapter __________ Verses ___________
Write it out here:
Which pastor are you meeting with? _____________________________ When? ___________
Revised For 2005-2006
The Person of Christ
1.
When we talk about the Person of Jesus we can look at history, we can read stories, we can look
up scripture. But Jesus asks us the most important question. Read the following:
Mark 8:27-30 - Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way
he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say
Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
I can just see the disciples walking along with Jesus. They’re probably having a good time walking
around the villages and hanging out with Jesus. And then, perhaps out of the blue, Jesus asks the
question, “Who do people say that I am?” And the disciples give some good answers; they tell who
other people say Jesus is. But then Jesus does what Jesus does best. He’s not concerned about
popular opinion, he’s concerned about the individual. He asks, “But what about you. Who do you say
I am?” This is not a question where you can just avoid eye contact with the question asker and hope
that someone else answers for you. Jesus really wants to know - more than that, he wants us to
answer the question - “Who do you say I am?”
2.
Who do you say Jesus is? (Not just a savior, is Jesus your savior?)
3.
People often asked Jesus the question, “Who are you?” Look up the following verses to see how
Jesus answered this question:
Mark 14:60-64
John 14:8-11
John 10:31-33
Mark 8:27-30
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What do you think drew people to Christ?
What do you think pushed people away from Christ?
What draws you close to Christ?
What separates you from him?
4.
If Jesus is who he claimed to be, what difference should this make in your life? How should it
influence the way you think, act and treat others?
5.
People are able to learn a lot about us by knowing our interests. What interests/ hobbies do you
have? What do these interests say about you as a person? Part of the answer to the question,
“Who is Jesus?” can be found by examining some of the things he did. Look up the following
verses: Mark 5:21-43, Luke 8:22-25 and Luke 5:17-26. What did Jesus do in these verses?
What does this say about him as a person?
6.
We learn a great deal about people by what others say about them. How would your friends
describe you? How would a family member describe you? How would an enemy describe you?
Look up the following verses to see how various people described Jesus (identify who was
speaking and what they said about Jesus): Matthew 16:13-17, Mark 3:11-12 and Luke 9:34-36.
7.
People tell us who they are by the way they treat others. Look up Matthew 8:1-4 and
How did Jesus treat others according to these Scripture verses?
8.
Taking into consideration what you have read, again answer the question: “Who is Jesus?”
14-17.
Revised For 2005-2006
The Problem of Sin
1. Define sin. Read the following: James 4:17 and 1 John 3:4
 Within the Christian faith, there is one thing that is sure to damage trust and separate us from
important relationships (with God and with others). This is sin. Sin effects our relationship
with God and with family and friends.
 What are some of the things that happen in families, relationships and our personal lives that
let us know that sin is present among us?
3. Do you think it’s difficult to talk about our sins? Why or why not?
 Do we sometimes just pass over the discussion of sin because we know we all do it?
 What happens when we try to deny that sin is a part of our lives?
 Can a person hide from the reality of sin?
 What are some of the ways we try to hide from our sins and dealing with them?
3. What is the difference between “Sin” and “sins”?
 Struggling with Sin (This is the actual title of this section in the Bible - since the beginning of
time people have struggled with sin - it’s not just us.)
Romans 7:7-25
 What kind of confusion does sin cause in our lives?
 What keeps us from doing the good we want to do?
4. Read the following: (it’s long but it’s important!)
Genesis 3:1-24
 What was the sin of Adam and Eve?
 How did sin change their lives with one another and God?
 How does this story effect us?
 In verse 21 it says that the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and his wife and
clothed them. In the midst of God being pretty ticked off at Adam and Eve he still provided for
them!
5. Does anyone sin more than another person? Does God say that one person is a bigger sinner
than another? Read the following verses: Romans 3:9-12 and Romans 3:23
 We have all give our parents, teachers, and yes, even youth directors, excuses for why we
have done something wrong. What excuses do we give to God when we screw up?
 How does our society deal with sin?
 How does the church deal with sin? (Both positively and negatively)
 How do our friends/family deal with our sin?
 How do we personally deal with sin?
 How does God deal with our sin? Read the following: John 8:31-36 and Romans 6:23
6. God cannot tolerate sin. God is light - pure white - and sin is darkness - pure black. A touch of sin
cannot touch God because that would make him not pure white (you can probably say this analogy
better than I can) Anyway, read the following verse:
1 John 1:5-6
 This verse kind of implies than while we are sinners (and we always will be) we will not have
true fellowship with God. That’s not really true. Why is it that we are allowed fellowship with
God? (The gift of Jesus becoming sin on the cross!)
John 1:29
 Jesus came to take away our sins. This doesn’t mean, though, that we have a “free pass” to
sin - what does it mean?
John 8:11
 Jesus proves his awesomeness once again - he doesn’t condemn us from sin - he simply says,
“go and sin no more”. I kind of think of it as him saying, “I understand - you screwed up, and
you’ll screw up again - just try really hard to not do the same dumb thing again.” But, as an
Indigo Girls song says, “The only thing that keeps us [God and me] distant is that I keep
[messin’] up!”
Revised For 2005-2006
Forgiveness
1. It’s important that we look at how we struggle with sin but now it’s time to rejoice as we take a
look at forgiveness! Read the following: Romans 5:8 and Romans 6:6-7
 What does “For whoever has died is freed from sin” mean?
2. Give an example from your life or the life of another that depicts forgiveness.
 When another person forgives us, how does it affect our relationship with him/her?
 What happens to our relationships when we hold grudges or refuse to forgive another?
 How does it affect our lives when we are not able to forgive ourselves for the mistakes we
make?
 How does it influence our attitude on life when we are able to forgive ourselves?
 What do you think is the easiest about forgiving others? The most difficult? Why is it that we
like to hold grudges against other people?
3. What are some of the reasons why we choose to forgive or not forgive others?
 What could you not forgive another person for? What is unforgivable?
 Are there times when we should not forgive others?
 Is there any person that God is unable to forgive?
 Is there any sin that God is unable to forgive?
4. Do you think God holds our sins against us? Why or why not?
 What does it mean to be forgiven by God? How is that different than being forgiven by
another person? Read the following: Isaiah 38:17 and Isaiah 43:25 and Micah 7:18-19
5. Respond to the following: “Michelle doesn’t feel forgiven. She is sorry for the things she has done
and wants to change, but she still feels guilty because this is about the hundredth time she has
asked to be forgiven. Sometimes she thinks that maybe God won’t forgive her because she keeps
doing the same things over and over. It seems so hard to live right.”
 Why do we have such a hard time accepting God’s forgiveness?
6. Why and when did God choose to send Christ to die for us?
 How does this show his great love for us?
 Was it optional to have Jesus die for us? Read the following: Hebrews 9:22 and John
12:27-29 and Matthew 26:53-54 and 1 Cor. 15:3-5
 What motivated Jesus to give up his life in order to forgive our sins?
7. It’s hard to understand the connection of how by Jesus’ death we are forgiven. Talk about that
connection and read the following: Matthew 27:45-52 and 2 Cor. 5:21
 God became sin to be able to die for our sin - how does knowing this affect the way you think
about forgiveness?
8. What are the benefits to us because of Jesus’ death on the cross? Look up the following verses:
Romans 5:1-2 and 2 Cor. 5:18-21 and Ephes. 1:7
9. Respond to the following Scripture: 1 Cor. 6:20
 How does it feel to be “bought with a price” of someone’s life? Does it make it seem more
real to you?
10. The gift that Jesus gave us on the cross is that he died for our sins and gave us life and that we
may have it abundantly! Read the following: Romans 6:10-11
 How does forgiveness help us to be “alive to God in Christ Jesus”?
Revised For 2005-2006
Our Relationship With Christ
1. Respond to the following statements:
 “I went through confirmation and still go to church once in a while, but it just doesn’t seem to
mean much to me. I guess I don’t understand what it means to be a Christian”.
 “I’m not sure that I am a Christian - I don’t think that anyone can be sure of this.”
 Do you have any “Christian” role models that you look up to? Go around the group and have
several people answer. Why do you look up to them?
 Who influences your faith life? Why those people?
2. Give some reasons why a person might not want to have Christ as a part of his/her life
 What are some reasons a person might want to have Christ as a part of his/her life.
3. Read John 3:16
 How does this verse help us in describing Christianity?
 What motivates God’s commitment to us?
 According to this verse, what is our responsibility in a relationship with Christ?
4. What does it mean to “believe” in Christ?
 Read the following verses to help define “believe”. Hebrews 11:1 and Romans 4:20-21
 Now define what it means to “believe” in Christ.
5. How did you come to believe in Christ? There are three ways to think about your “faith journey”.
Which one of the following describes you?
a) It was like a light - it was off but then all of a sudden, in a split second, it was on. (You didn’t really
think about being a Christian, but then all of a sudden, it all made sense to you.)
b) It’s like when you’re driving all night into the sunrise and it gradually becomes lighter and lighter.
You’re not quite sure when it started getting lighter but you knew it had one point been completely
dark but now it was light. (You know at one point you didn’t believe in Christ, but you’re not sure when
you really did start to believe in Christ)
c) The light has always been on - there’s never been a point where it’s been dark. (You’ve believed in
Christ all of your life)
6. Here’s a corny analogy for ya: Jeremiah collects baseball cards. His favorite player is baseball
pitcher Nolan Ryan. Jeremiah knows every team he has played on and can recite all his major
league statistics. Sometimes people wonder if Jeremiah might have more knowledge of Nolan
Ryan’s career than Nolan himself does. Yet, Jeremiah has never met Nolan Ryan and has no
personal friendship with him.
 Can a person know a lot about Christ and the Christian faith and not have a personal
relationship with Him?
 What is a “personal relationship” with Christ, anyway? How do you get to have one?
 How does a person’s attitude about Christ change when he/she has a personal relationship
with Christ?
 What changes in a person’s life take place when he/she has a personal relationship with
Christ?
7. Commitment to Christ
 Read the following: John 1:12 and Romans 10:9-10 and Ephes. 2:8-10 and 2 Tim. 2:20-21
 When we commit ourselves to Christ there are so many promises made to us - as described in
the verses above. There may be some “costs”, too.
 Read the following verse: Luke 14:25-27
 Whoa!! That sounds like too big a commitment - what is Jesus really saying here?
God calls us to be committed to him - He’s been there the whole time!! Are you ready to open the
door? Read Rev. 3:20
Revised For 2005-2006