Christian Character - Perseverence

CHRISTIAN CHARACTER - PERSEVERENCE DVD – Facing the Giant - scene where football player is blindfolded, with the coach encouraging him to take just one step more towards the goal (FYI – this clip is so powerful I have changed it from the beginning of the talk to the end – when I showed it first, the kids could not refocus! With this in mind, you may want to rethink the talk before the clip, since it was written thinking the kids had seen the DVD clip already) What are some things you have tried to do that were hard? How do you feel when you did it well? What makes you want to give up? • Too hard • Too much time • Rather do something else Somebody made me do it When you became a Christian, you began a new life that is the best life a human being can possibly have. But God tells us that following Jesus isn’t always easy. We are going to be part of a big struggle against powerful teams like evil and discouragement. Teams that seem like giants compared to us. God knows that you can get frustrated or discouraged and just want to just give up. That’s why He put in the Bible strong words of encouragement for you – just like that coach was shouting encouragement at the player – when we’re ready to give up and believe we can’t win, God wants us to hold on and finish strong. 1. God gives us encouragement that we wants us to be strong and bold, not full of fear: II Timothy 1:7 2. God gives us encouragement to know it will be worth it: James 1:12 3. God gives us encouragement that He will help us when we feel we just can’t do it: Isaiah 40:31 Maybe you’re discouraged about something small like feeling it’s just too hard to learn your verses at AWANA and you feel like just not giving up. Some of you are ready to give up, but don’t! That’s what we AWANA leaders are doing for you – encouraging you because we know you can do it! Don’t give up! Or maybe it’s something big – maybe your dad lost his job, or there’s fighting in your home, or your friends want you to do stuff you know is wrong. Will you give up just because it’s easier to give up than to be strong? What if God is calling you in the middle of a hard time to be a leader – • to show others that with God’s help your family can make it through this tough time, or • to show others that with God’s help you don’t have to do stuff that’s wrong • with God’s help you can win that Timothy award when you finish all 4 books! You all have learned a wonderful verse that says God will never give up on you – it’s Hebrews 13:5. Say it with me: He himself has said – I will never leave you nor forsake you. I want to show a clip from a DVD. These kids face a big opponent – someone they utterly believe they can’t beat and they want to give up. As you watch this clip, I want you to specifically watch 2 people - the player and his coach - and we’ll talk a bit more at the end. (show 6 minute clip) • upcoming big game with tough opponent • kids believe they will loose • coach calls kid out – asks him – are you fully committed? (asks several times), challenges him to a really hard test, but encourages him all the day – believes in him! • Kid does it, everybody watches, he’s a leader so his belief impacts others too – they realize they can win The coach knew his player had more heart than he knew himself. And he pushed him to finish. Clubbers, God never gives up on you. He will push you and encourage you, but sometimes you’ll be tempted to quit. But you have more heart than you know. So don’t give up!