OBJECTIVE:
This lesson will teach the players that faith means believing and obeying what God says, even when it's difficult.
Scripture Passage:
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see ... And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
Hebrews 11:1, 6 (Memory verse, Hebrews 1:6, in bold)
Hebrews 11:1, 6 (Memory verse, Hebrews 1:6, in bold)
In the Word
Think of something that you can't see, but you know is there. The wind, gravity, and sun at night are just a few examples of things we can't see with our eyes, but we know are there. When we believe in things we can't see, that's called faith, and faith is the next way that 1 Timothy 4:12 tells us to be an example to others.
Faith is an important word in the Bible, so as Christians we need to know what it means. Hebrews 11:1 say faith is, "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." That might sound confusing, but what it's saying is that faith is trusting God and believing that His Word is true, even though we can't see God and our situation may seem impossible. When we obey God even though what He says is difficult and we don't fully understand why, we are showing faith.
The Bible is full of stories of men and women who had faith and trusted God in difficult situations. Abraham and Sarah trusted God's promise that they would have a child, even though they were old, and they gave birth to Isaac when Abraham was 100. When the Egyptians trapped the Israelites by the Red Sea, Moses had faith in God, and God opened up the Promised Land, even though the armies they faced were bigger and strong than them. Each of these men and women faced difficult circumstances, yet they trusted and obeyed the Lord, and God took care of them and helped them.
Our memory verse says that, in order to have faith, we must believe two things: that God is real, and that He rewards those who obey Him. Of course we won't follow God's commands if we don't believe in Him. But we also need to trust that He knows what's best, and that if we do things His way, He will take care of us.
Sometimes we face situations where believing or obeying God's Word is not easy. Maybe you have to tell the truth, knowing that it will get you into trouble. Perhaps admitting that you're a Christian to your friends will cause them to make fun of you or not want to be your friend any more. It is in these times that you need to have faith. Trust in God. Believe that He loves you and that He knows what's best for you. And then do the things He says. When you put your faith in God, He will never let you down.
Faith is an important word in the Bible, so as Christians we need to know what it means. Hebrews 11:1 say faith is, "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." That might sound confusing, but what it's saying is that faith is trusting God and believing that His Word is true, even though we can't see God and our situation may seem impossible. When we obey God even though what He says is difficult and we don't fully understand why, we are showing faith.
The Bible is full of stories of men and women who had faith and trusted God in difficult situations. Abraham and Sarah trusted God's promise that they would have a child, even though they were old, and they gave birth to Isaac when Abraham was 100. When the Egyptians trapped the Israelites by the Red Sea, Moses had faith in God, and God opened up the Promised Land, even though the armies they faced were bigger and strong than them. Each of these men and women faced difficult circumstances, yet they trusted and obeyed the Lord, and God took care of them and helped them.
Our memory verse says that, in order to have faith, we must believe two things: that God is real, and that He rewards those who obey Him. Of course we won't follow God's commands if we don't believe in Him. But we also need to trust that He knows what's best, and that if we do things His way, He will take care of us.
Sometimes we face situations where believing or obeying God's Word is not easy. Maybe you have to tell the truth, knowing that it will get you into trouble. Perhaps admitting that you're a Christian to your friends will cause them to make fun of you or not want to be your friend any more. It is in these times that you need to have faith. Trust in God. Believe that He loves you and that He knows what's best for you. And then do the things He says. When you put your faith in God, He will never let you down.
On the Court
- When the game seems unfair, it takes faith to trust God and believe that it is more important to do what's right than to win the game.
- One way we show faith in God is by doing what He tells us in His Word. Put the things you've learned about in team devotions this season into practice.
Off the Court
- The first most important act of faith is trusting in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
- It might be scary to admit that you're a Christian in front of your unsaved friends, but trust in God and stand for your faith.
- If you do something wrong, you might be afraid of getting in trouble if someone finds out, but you can show faith by telling the truth and admitting what you did.
The Game Plan
- Review last week's memory verse, Galatians 5:22-23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." Give a ticket to any player who can recite it.
- Learn and memorize Hebrews 11:6 with your team. Encourage them to practice the verse over the week.
- Encourage the kids to read Hebrews 11 at home with their families this week. This passage is full of examples of faith.