Trail Life Troop
NC-613
Devotional – Perseverance
Opening
- We played hard this evening and we had a lot of fun, let’s see what God says about not giving up.
- Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down
Hebrews 12:1 Run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.
Devotional
Big picture Don’t give up, Jesus is there to help you when you grow tired.
- Q: Has anyone ever competed in a running race before? How long was the race? Did you finish? Were you tired at the end?
- Tell a story of your running or some other race you may have entered
- Q: The teaching verse uses the word “perseverance.” Does anyone know what that word means?
- Perseverance means not giving up even when going forward is hard. It means finishing what you set out to do, by not quitting even when you get tired.
- Perseverance is like finishing a long running race. Even tired, you finish the race.
- In 1 Corinthians 9, The apostle Paul compares our life as Christians to a long running race. That may seem strange but think about it: many of you may live a very long time (80, 90, or even 100 years). Now, that is a long race! And, during all those years, you will have hard times and good times.
- Like Paul, the author of Hebrews also describes the Christian life as a “race marked out for us” that we are running. So, God must want you to think of your life like running a race.
- Hebrews 12 makes 2 points:
- Don’t give up even when life (your race) is hard,
- When you feel like giving up (and we all do at times), Jesus is there to help you if you fix your eyes on Him.
- So, let’s talk about the teaching verse’s first point. Don’t give up! Persevere even when life is hard.
- It’s so easy to get discouraged at times because in our fallen world life is hard. Even Jesus talks about how hard the Christian life is, when He says you will see troubles of many kinds.
- But, praise God, He also gives us a way to help us. And that leads us to the second point of the teaching verse. He (Jesus) will help us if we just fix our eyes on Him.
- Fixing our eyes on Jesus means steadily looking for Him in everything we do. So, how can we “fix our eyes” on Jesus?
- Reading the Bible is one way to fix our eyes on Jesus. Can anyone think of any other ways?
- Praying or talking to Him. Thinking about Him. Discussing Him with others, worshipping Him.
- So, run your race with perseverance. Don’t give up. Jesus is with you if you look for Him.
Memory Verse #2
Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
Matthew 22: 37-39 Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Topical Questions
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Hebrews says someone marks out (determines) your life’s race. Who determines your race? Before time began, God knew you and marked out for each one of you your own race. God knows how long you will live, where you will live, and everything about you. God even marked out the race that Jesus had to run. Jesus ran His race with great perseverance.
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What is time in your life that you persevered?
Closing Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, give us perseverance to run the race You have marked out for each of us. You are a good Father who does not leave us nor forsake us as we run our life’s race. Help us to fix our eyes on Jesus who gives us strength to go on even in hard times. In You, we find strength and encouragement. Thank You for loving us so much! Thank You for Your blessings! In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen!
