Bad Apples

Bad Apples

Bible Blast: Read Matthew 16:5-12

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

You know that phrase “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch”? It’s true! If you have a bag of apples and one of them starts to ripen faster than the others, two things can happen that cause the rest of the apples to begin rotting. First, mold can grow on that apple, and then mold spreads onto the other apples, causing them to rot. Second, once an apple begins ripening, it gives off a gas that causes the other apples to start ripening very quickly.

What does this saying mean for real life?

If there’s a group of girls who hang out all the time and one of those girls is a major gossip, it’s going to be very hard for the others not to get into gossiping too. They should do what they can to avoid spending lots of time in that particular “bag of apples,” or they will end up just like the gossiping girl.

Today’s focus verse isn’t saying you should never talk to people who sin. Certainly one of the biggest reasons we’re on this earth is to share the gospel with those who don’t know Christ. However, if we spend all or most of our time with sinners, it’s going to be extremely difficult to honor Christ with our lives.

I have a quick activity I want you to do with your mom. Stand up on a chair, and have your mom stand on the floor beside you. Now grab one of your mom’s hands and try to pull her up onto the chair with you. Did it work? Unless you’re Supergirl, probably not! Now have her try to pull you down from the chair onto the floor. Did you end up on the floor? I bet you did! In a relationship, it’s easier to get pulled down by someone else’s sin than to pull that person up out of her sin.

It’s way important that your best friends are God’s girls. These are the people you share your deepest thoughts and feelings with. Don’t you want them to love Jesus like you do?

Girl Gab: Mom and Daughter, is it possible for a girl who says she loves Jesus and has him in her life to be a “bad apple”? Who are some of the “bad apples” in your life? Pray for them (even if the bad apple might be you).