Just Teach Sheet – Teen January Week 1 – 2026

Teen Track – Just Teach Sheet
January Week 1 (2026)
Theme: Baptism and New Life in Christ
Focus: Baptism, Identity, and Belonging
Audience: Teens (13–18)

Weekly Goal
To help teens understand that Christianity begins with identity before behaviour.
Before rules, expectations, or moral demands, Baptism answers one question: Who do I belong to?
This week grounds faith in belonging to God rather than self-construction.

What You’ll Need
This sheet
A Bible
Quiet space for reflection

Opening Prayer (Daily)
Father in heaven,
You know me completely and love me fully.
Help me understand who I am in Your sight
and what it means to belong to You.
Teach me to live from that truth.
Amen.

Day 1 – Identity Is Given, Not Chosen

Teaching
Modern culture tells us to create our own identity.
Christianity begins with a different claim: identity is received.

At Jesus’ Baptism, the Father speaks before Jesus acts publicly.

Matthew 3:17
“This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus is loved before He teaches, heals, or suffers.

Mini homily reflection
If identity is given by God, it cannot be taken away by failure.

Questions for reflection
Where do I usually look for my identity?
How does it change things if God names me first?

Practice
Say quietly today:
“I belong to God.”

Day 2 – Baptism Means Belonging

Teaching
Baptism is not a family tradition or cultural ceremony.
It is entry into a real relationship.

Through Baptism, God claims a person as His own.

Romans 8:15
“You received a Spirit of adoption.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1265

Mini homily reflection
Belonging changes how we see ourselves and how we live.

Questions for reflection
What does belonging usually give people?
What might it mean to belong to God?

Practice
Thank God today for one way He has stayed faithful to you.

Day 3 – Baptism Unites Us to Christ

Teaching
Baptism joins us to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

Romans 6:3–4

This means our life is no longer just our own story.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1267

Mini homily reflection
Christian life is not self-improvement but shared life with Christ.

Questions for reflection
How would my choices change if I believed Christ lives in me?
What parts of my life feel separate from Him?

Practice
Say:
“Jesus, live Your life in me.”

Day 4 – Living as God’s Child

Teaching
Being God’s child shapes how we act, not the other way around.
We do not behave well to earn belonging — we behave differently because we belong.

Ephesians 5:1
“Be imitators of God, as beloved children.”

Mini homily reflection
Grace changes direction before it changes habits.

Questions for reflection
Which behaviours in my life reflect belonging to God?
Which do not?

Practice
Choose one action today that reflects God’s character: honesty, patience, or forgiveness.

Day 5 – Remembering Your Baptism

Teaching
Even if Baptism happened when we were young, it shapes us for life.
The Church encourages us to remember and renew it.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1272

Holy water reminds us who we are.

Mini homily reflection
We forget who we are before we break God’s law.

Questions for reflection
Do I live as someone who remembers I belong to God?
What would change if I did?

Practice
If possible, bless yourself with holy water and pray:
“Lord, help me live my Baptism.”

Weekend Summary

Key truths
Identity comes before behaviour.
Baptism means belonging to God.
We are united to Christ.
Grace changes how we live.
Remembering Baptism strengthens faith.

Reflection prompts
Because I belong to God…
Living as God’s child means…

Apologetics for Teens

Is Baptism just symbolic?
No. The Church teaches it truly changes us and gives new life.

What if I don’t feel different?
Grace works even when feelings do not change.

Why baptise babies?
Because belonging comes before understanding, just like family.

Can Baptism be undone?
No. It marks the soul permanently.

Catechism References

CCC 1213 – Baptism as foundation of Christian life
CCC 1265–1267 – New life in Christ
CCC 1272 – Permanent spiritual mark
CCC 1691 – Identity before moral life

Closing Prayer

Father in heaven,
thank You for calling me Your child.
Help me live from the truth of who I am,
not from fear or pressure.
Teach me to remember my Baptism
and to belong to You in every part of my life.
Amen.