Icebreakers - Clinging to God

A clothespin is used to attach clothes to a clothesline. It can also serve as a reminder that we need to cling to our lifeline – we need to cling to God (Deuteronomy 13:4). And clothes aren’t the only thing that needs washing. We need to be washed clean as well. And God washes us white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18) The scriptures lists a variety of things we should cling to, things we should hold on to, but in reality most of those other things listed have the same purpose – to help us to cling to God.

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What You Need

• Lots of clothespins. You can easily buy them by the hundreds. You want the spring loaded ones.

Games using Clothespins

• Blind Clothespin Pick-up – Clothespins are strewn throughout the room. While blindfolded, youths must pick up as many clothespins as possible within 60 seconds. The youth with the most clothespins wins.
• Clothespin Grab – Each youth pins 5 clothespins to his or her clothing. The objective is to grab a clothespin from another youth’s clothing while protecting your own, all the while staying within a designated play area. If you lose all of your clothespins you are out of the game, but as long as you still have at least one you can continue to play. Any clothespins you grab must be attached to your won clothing before you can grab another one. At the end of a designated time, the youth with the most clothespins wins.
• Clothespin Jiggle – Attach several clothespins to everyone’s sleeves, pant legs, and shirts. Youth must jiggle jiggle themselves around and try to get rid of the clothespins. They may not touch them to remove them. The person who has been able to get rid of the most clothespins after a given time has passed wins.
• Clothespin Knockoff – Pin a clothespin to the clothing in the center of each youth’s back. Youth must knock off the clothespins from other youth, without getting theirs kocked off. Players cannot pick up clothespins that have been knocked off and they cannot touch the clothespins on their own backs. They also cannot GRAB the clothespins but can only swipe at them.
• Clothespin Puller – Pin 50 clothespins each all over the clothes of a team representatives. The youth must then pull off all 50 clothes pins. First to do so, wins.
• Clothespin Relay – The first person in line for each team must pin the clothespin to the next person in line. Only then can that person unpin it and pin it to the next person in line. Continue to the end of the line. The first team to get to the end wins. Make it more difficult by forcing them to hold hands in a chain and by not allowing them to use their hands to pass the clothespins. Add more clothespins for more fun.
• Clothespin Sorting – Place words to a scripture verse on sheets of paper and attache them to a clothesline. First team to place them in order wins. Variation: Instead of words from a scripture verse, place key events in a Bible narrative on the pieces of paper. First team to put them in the right order wins.
• Clothespin Tag – This wild game is the opposite of clothespin Grab. Give every person 5 clothespins as they enter. When everyone has their clothespins, tell them you’re giving them two minutes to get rid of their clothespins. The only way to get rid of them is to pin them to someone else. Chaos results as everyone tries to get rid of their clothespins!! At the end of the designated time, the person with the least clothespins wins. Turn this into a “get to know you” icebreaker by requiring each person must state one “Fun Fact” about themselves for each clothespin they are wearing.
• Clothespins Face-off – In this game, students pin as many clothespins to the face of someone on their team as possible. They cannot pin them to hair, but only to the face. The team with the most clothespins attached to the chosen team members face at the end of the designated time is the winner.
• Clothespins Pick-up – Using one or two clothes pins, the youth must pic up various objects using only the clothespins and place them in a box or container. The clothespins are the only thing that can touch the objects to move them.
• Hair Clips – The objective is to be the team with the most clothespins pinned to the hair of one of the team members. One at a time, team members run to a box, grab one clothespin, and run back to their team and pin it to the hair of the chosen team member. The game is over when time runs out or there are no more clothespins.
• Hanging the Clothes – Give each team of youth a sack of clothes with the same type and number of items in each sack. Hang a clothesline across the room or use a real one outdoors. The first team member must run to the clothesline and pin all the clothes on the line then run back to the team. The next person in line rins to the clothesline and puts on all the clothes and returns to the team where he or she removes them and places them back in the sack. Repeat the process until all team members have gone. The first team to finish wins.
• Lizard’s Tail – Youth pair up and one person behind the other with his or her hands on the hips of the person in front of them. The person at the rear has a clothespin attached to the middle back of his or her shirt. Players try to eliminate other teams by pulling off the tail of other teams. Only the person in the front can use hands to pull off the clothespins. The person in the back must keep his or her hands on the hips of the person in front at all times. If their hands lose contact, the pair is eliminated. If you lose your tail you are eliminated. Last team remaining wins.
• Pinned Together – Youth pair off and each pair uses 5 to 10 clothespins to attach themselves together. They must them complete a series of actions without losing the connections between them. The pair with the most clothespins still in place wins. Actions could include racing to an object, climbing over or under obstacles, doing a dance move, etc.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

• What is the purpose of a clothespin?
• What are some of the ways we use clothespins?
• What are the characteristics of a good clothespin?

The Main purpose of a clothespin is to hold on to the line so that the clothes do not get blown away. Their main purpose is to attach the clothes to the line. When the spring in a clothespin loses its strength, they become weak and re easily detached.
Looking at the verses below, what are some things we need to hold on to?

• Deuteronomy 10:20 – “You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.”
• Deuteronomy 11:22 “For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do; to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him;
• Deuteronomy 13:4 – “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”
• Joshua 22:5 “But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
• Job 27:6 “My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.”
• Psalm 63:8 – “I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.”
• Proverbs 4:4 – “Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live.”
• Proverbs 4:13 – “Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.”
• Hebrews 4:14 – “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”
• Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
• Romans 12:9 – “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
• Philippians 3:12 – “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – “Test all things; hold fast what is good.”
• 1 Timothy 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
• Timothy 1:13 – “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain.”
• Titus 1:9 “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”
• Revelation 2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”
• Revelation 3:11 – “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

• How do we hold fast to God?
• What thoughts come to mind when you consider CLINGING to God?
• How do you feel when you are close to God? How does it affect how you live and how you treat others?
• When have you felt separated from God? How do we restore the closeness?
• How do we hold fast to God when our grip weakens?
• Of the various things mentioned in scripture, what do you find it most difficult to hold on to in your spiritual walk?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

• From scripture, what is missing in your life right now of those things you are told to hold on to, to cling to?
• To take hold of God you must let go of the world. What things are you holding on to instead of God? What do you need to let go of?
• What can you do to draw closer and cling more tightly to God this week?

KEY SCRIPTURE VERSE
Deuteronomy 13:4 – “You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

Object Lesson - The Key to Heaven

A key is almost a universal symbol around the world. Keys promise access, freedom, transport, protection, and safety. A key is used to represent access to something of value just as a physical key opens up a door or something that was previously inaccessible. The key is also used in the Bible, both literally and symbolically.

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What You Need

• A variety of old keys include a House Key. You’ll also need at least one key for each youth. Most people have a variety of old keys lying somewhere around the house. You can also visit a locksmith to get old keys that did not work or blank keys.

 
Games using Keys

• Key Toss – Line up the youth a set distance from a wall with no obstructions between the youth and the wall. Youth take turns tossing their key toward the wall in an attempt to get as close to the wall as possible. The key closest to the wall or even leaning up against the wall is the winner. To add a little more difficulty, require the keys to hit the wall to be a valid toss.
• Drown the Key – Fill a bowl or wide mouth glass, or glass jar with water until the water level is about 1 inch from the top. Cover the bowl or wide mouth glass jar with a paper napkin, being careful to not get it damp. Secure the napkin to the top of the jar with a rubber band and then lie the key across the top. Using a sharp pencil, each youth takes a turn poking a hole in the napkin. The game over when the key drops into the water. The objective is to not be the person who caused the key to fall. If you want the game to go faster, require that the pencil touch the water when it is poked through the napkin. This creates bigger holes and moves the game along faster.
• Key Taps – Everyone sits around a table with a metal key in their hand. The rules are simple. One tap of the key on the table moves the game play to the next person on the right. Two taps of the key moves the plat to the person on the left. Choose someone to start. The first person taps the key on the table either once or twice. If it is tapped once, the person on the right gets to tap next. If it is tapped twice the person on the left gets to tap next. If someone taps out of turn or face to tap, they are eliminated from the game or given a forfeit.
• Which key? – Have a variety of keys lined up on a table. Youth are to try to make a list what each key fits. The youth to get the most correct wins.

 

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

DISCUSSION

• Have the youth take out any keys they have with them.
• How many keys do you have?
• Who has the most keys?
• How old were you when you were given your first key? How did it mke you feel?
• * What does each key open or give you access to? A house key, a car key, a bike key, an office key, a key to your church, a luggage key, a locker key?
• What is the purpose of a key?
• Why are keys important?
• How does it feel to lose a key?
• What are some things we know about keys?
• If your keys could tell a story, what would they tell?
• What do your keys say about you?

Keys are unique. There are wooden keys, iron keys, large keys, and small keys. They each have a purpose. Without the right key for the right lock, we are totally locked out. We cannot get in, to access what is beyond the lock. We have house keys, car keys, a mailbox key, an office key, a desk key, a key to a diary, a drawer, a locker, the garage. There are keys you have been given, keys you found, keys you no longer need, keys from relatives. Our keys could tell wonderful stories. There are keys who have lost their purpose. Keys to forgotten places. Keys to places that no longer exist. Keys to the past. Keys that open a magical place. Keys to treasures. Many people evaluate life by the keys they own – they key to a nice house, an expensive car. But we also use the same word when we talk about the keys to to success, or the keys to happiness. Keys may be small, but they can open up great things. The Bible also mentions keys.
 
MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

What do the following scriptures say about keys?

• Deuteronomy 30:20 – “You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him, and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life.”
• Proverbs 4:13 – “Take hold of My instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.”
• Isaiah 22:22 – Eliakim was someone who had the power to control entry into the kingdom. As the king’s steward, he decided who could or could not have access to the king.
• Revelation 3:7-10 – “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liarsI will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.”
• Matthew 16:13-20 – Peter’s confession opened the way to heaven.
• John 14:5-14 – Jesus is the only way that gives you access to God. He not only opens the door, but he is the door. (John 10:7,9)

 
MAKE IT PRACTICAL

• How does a person access God?
• How do we move into the presence of God?
• How do we gain access to the blessings of God?
• What benefits does access to God give us as believers?

 
MAKE IT PERSONAL

• Are you struggling with the key to life?
• Are you feeling locked out and left alone?
• Do you feel separated from God? Or from his blessings?

Let Jesus meet you at the door of your heart! He will let you in for Christ is your Key! He wants to open your way to God and all that God promises. He is the way to heaven, the access to forgiveness, the truth that will set you free from the bondage of sin, the key to life everlasting. Today is the day to open your heart. Eternity is a long time to be locked out. 
KEY SCRIPTURE VERSE

John 14:6 – “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.”

Icebreakers - Valentine's Day - If you love me

This popular icebreaker game is a great discussion starter for Valentines Day and introducing the concept of God’s unmerited love for us.

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What You Need

• You need a chair for each youth
• You’ll need enough open space to arrange the chairs in a circle.

Preparation

1. Place the chairs in a circle facing inward. There should be one chair for each youth you expect to play the game.
2. Ask the youth to each sit in a chair.
3. Once all the youth have taken a seat, remove any extra chairs and close up the circle so there are no gaps.
4. Then randomly select one youth to stand in the center of the circle and remove his or her chair from the circle as well.

What to do

1. All the youth should be sitting in chairs except one who is standing in the center of the circle of chairs.
2. His or her objective is to take the seat of someone sitting in the circle and force them into the center.
3. This is done by getting someone in the circle to smile. The youth in the center of the circle must go up to someone sitting opposite sex and saying the following exact words in whatever manner desired to get a smile: “Honey, if you love me would you please, please, smile.”
4. The youth who is chosen must keep eye contact and say the exact words, “Honey, I love you, but I just can’t smile” without cracking even the slightest smile and keeping a straight face the entire time.
5. If he/she smiles, then he/she gives up the chair to the person in the middle and now must stand in the middle for another round of the game.
6. If the chosen youth fails to smile, whoever is in the center must choose a different person and try again. This continues until someone smiles and is forced to give up a seat.
7. Continue for several rounds – long enough for it to be exciting and fun, but not too long or it will get boring.
8. The youth will quickly discover who is an easy target and can’t keep a straight face. To make the person smile, they can make funny faces, speak in strange voices, and make gestures and move around. The only rule is they cannot touch the person they are trying to make smile.

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL
 
MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

As people, we often place conditions on our love. “I will love you if” “If you love me you will” “I love you because..” We usually love people because of who they are or what they do. But God’s love for you completely transcends who you are and what you do. He, who knows you best, in all of your sinful actions, unclean thoughts, and hurtful words, loves you most.

But doesn’t scripture place conditions on God’s love?

• John 14:21 “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
• Exodus 20:5-6 “You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
• John 16:27 “No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”
• 1 John 4:15-16 “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.”
• If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. (1 John 4:15-16)

God loved us first. His love is freely given. It is not based on who you are or what you’ve done, but it is instead based on WHO HE IS and what HE HAS DONE. His love is unchanging as he is unchanging. It will not be taken away. But there is one condition. WE MUST ACCEPT IT OR RECEIVE IT!

AN ILLUSTRATION
Someone once explained it this way. Imagine yourself carrying a large box filled with everything you value most in life. It take both arms and all your strength just to carry it. And God walks in will another box filled with all his love, his blessing, his riches, the best of everything. It is offered to you completely free, unconditional, everything is yours for the taking. From God’s perspective it is given to you regardless of who your are or what you have done. It is an unconditional gift, unmerited favor, grace. But from your perspective there is a condition. You must first put down the box you are holding before you can receive the box God is offering. The condition is not on God’s side but on yours. Are you willing to receive it? To do so, you must give up what you are holding and hold on to what he has offered.

THE NATURE OF GOD’S LOVE
 
1. God loved you before you chose him.

• Romans 5:6-8 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
• Ephesians 1:4-6 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the Beloved.
• Ephesians 2:4-5 “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.”
• John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

2. God’s love is not based on who you are, but who he is. God loves you, not because you deserve it, but because he CHOSE to love you. There is nothing you can do, say, or be, to deserve God’s love.

1. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.”
2. 1 John 4:8-10 “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
3. Romans 3:23-24 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified FREELY by his GRACE through the redemption that came through Christ Jesus.”
4. Ephesians 3:16-21 “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
5. 1 John 3:1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

3. God’s love for you is unchanging

1. Romans 11:29 “For God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”
2. Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither heighth nor depth,nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
3. Psalm 48:9 “Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love.”
4. Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
5. Psalm 136:26 “Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”
6. Lamentations 3:22 25 “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

• Do you ever feel that God loves you and cares for you us more when you have pleased Him? Explain.
• Do you feel that He loves you less when you sin? Explain.
• Do you believe that your performance makes God love you more? Explain.
• What encouragement do these verses on God’s love offer to those who feel God loves them less when they fail?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

• Is there anything in your life that you are holding on to that prevents you from freely accepting God’s love and all that he offers to you? What’s holding you back?
• Which of these verses is most meaningful to you and how can knowledge of the truths contained in that verse enable you to live a fuller, more abundant Christian life, embraced in the love of God?

KEY SCRIPTURE
 
Romans 5:6-8 “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Youth Devotional - Superbowl Christians

It’s going to be Superbowl Sunday this weekend and we’re sure your youth are excited to be watching the game. Why not make it an opportunity to share something about how the game relates to their spiritual lives? Even if you don’t watch football, the lesson is applicable to most sports. Have a great weekend!

An Illustration

While you might not think of your Christian life as a football game, the Bible does use sports to teach about spiritual truths. In Biblical times they might not have had American football games or Superbowls but they did have athletic competitions.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

In Hebrews 12:1-2 we read, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

“Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5
The sports may be different, but you’ll find some things in common with American football if you read the verses carefully. You’ll find running, a prize, winning and losing, competition, training, goals, fighting or struggle, opposition, spectators, obstacles and hindrances, focus and rules. Even so, there tons of lessons we can learn from football.

 

Take It to the Next Level

 COMPETITION is part of the Game

By nature, sports are a competition. But to compete you must be in the game. Just as a coach chooses players to be in the football game, God has chosen us. Our competitor is focused on our defeat (1 Peter 5:8). But we also compete against ourselves. And it is sad to say, but just like in real life football games, most of the people in the stadium sit in the stands. Then there are those who are on the team, but sit in the bench. Most of us would prefer rest on the bench (or pew) and observe the game – both with encouragement and more often with criticism about how others are playing on the field. But God doesn’t call us to be spectators, but participants. Our field is the world (Mat. 13:38), and our goal is to win it for Jesus Christ. Sure, some will have a special call to play a bigger role, but everyone is called onto the field to play. Even if you may not have a key role a particular play, you must still be ready at a moment’s notice to dash onto the field and play your part when the coach calls your number to be on the field. You must clearly know your position, train, and practice your plays to be best prepared for that moment when you might be called upon to make a difference in the game (1 Peter 3:15, 2 Timothy 4:1-5).

There are RULES to the Game

The football field is laid out in ten yard increments, has boundaries, and there are rules to the game. The boundaries are there to keep us in the game. The 10 yard markers are there not as the object, but as a point of reference as we move toward the goal. If they weren’t there, we wouldn’t know if we were heading in the right direction or running to the wrong goal. God’s laws and the 10 commandments function in much the same way. They keep us in the game and give us points of reference for gaining or losing of ground. Violating the rules results in penalties and may even take us out of the game for a while. There are turnovers and fumbles as well. Yet when we compete according to the rules, and are victorious in our efforts, we will receive a prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

 

Our TIME on the field is limited

The clock is counting down. The game of football is played in four quarters with a set time limit. The wise player, especially the quarterback, will keep his eye on the clock and make the most of his time. The same is true for us as Christians, but unlike the game on the football field, we can’t see the clock. We don’t know how much time is left. This makes it even more important for us to value our time and make the most of it. The Bible commands us to redeem the time, to make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16) rather than waste it. In fact, if you think about the world today there is not much time left on the clock. In fact, it’s already the fourth quarter, down to the two minute warning, and now it’s up to us to play our part win another one for the coach. Things may seem dire. But in life, just like in football, nothing is impossible, everything can happen. You should not slack or give up until the referee blows his whistle and declares the Victor.

 

TRAINING is essential for Victory

In football there is an in season and an off season. During the off season the team works on the fundamentals to get ready for the big games during football season. They train for the big games ahead. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 2 Timothy 4:8 “Be ready in season and in the off season” 2 Timothy 4:2. “There is a season and a time to EVERY purpose under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1-11. There are times in our Christian walk when we experience seasons of rest. They’re not for us to be idle, but to prepare ourselves spiritually, to grow, to draw closer to God.

 

GEAR up for the Game

In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul gives the team the pre-game pep talk and reminds us to check our football gear. He’s talking about gearing up for battle, but football players also gear up for the game. If he’d been thinking about football he might have phrased it this way, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the uniform, so that you can take your stand against the opposing team… Therefore put on all of your gear so that when the game day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the shoulder pads of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the shoes of readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the face mask of faith, with which you can conquer all the opponents’ plays. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, your playbook, which is the word of God. Let’s all commit the game to God as we kneel for a locker room prayer, that we might prove victorious in this game.”

 

We strive for the GOAL

It is not enough to simply be in the game. It is not enough to simply overcome the enemy. Out goal is to score one for the team. And another one. And another one. Touchdown after Touchdown. In life, the goal may seem at the far end of the field. It can be difficult to keep moving forward. It may seem that every time you run a play you get knocked down. Sometimes you may even get sacked. The solution is not to focus on where you have come from, but where you are going. “Press on toward the Goal.” Philippians 3:14 And while touchdowns are great, as Christians our goal is to do more than simply score, but to be the player the Head Coach has chosen us to be. We must be always moving forward, never fumbling the ball, and always gaining new ground. If we do stumble and fumble, we are to recover the ball quickly and press onward. If we step out of bounds, or get the wind knocked out of us, we must get back in the game and focus on the Coach. And even if you are tackled for a loss, When you are focused on Him, and run the plays He calls, you’ll find yourself moving toward the goal.

 

We don’t play alone, but play as part of a TEAM

Football is a team sport. You don’t win it alone. When the team is working in harmony under the direction of the coach things will happen. There’s are star players, but the star players cannot function without the core team. They need blockers, the need linemen to open up opportunities in the defences. There is an offensive team, a kickoff team, a team of receivers, and a defensive team and each are critical to a win for the team. There is no individual victory, only the victory of the team. Only when all players, from the starting quarterback, the receivers, the linemen and the person playing his part in even the smallest position work together, does the team run a successful play. Likewise, every believer has a unique role and a part to play in the Kingdom of God (1 Cor 12:4-6; 12-20)

 

The Victors receive a PRIZE.

It’s not Super Bowl rings, but the crown of eternal life Christ that we seek. (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

 

Make it Practical

Are you in the game?
No one in the crowd ever gains a yard on the field. No one in the crowd ever adds a single point to the scoreboard. The game is played and won by the players on the field, and not by anyone else. Are you in the game or a spectator? Just being a Christian isn’t enough. You are called to be on the playing field, not in the stands or on the sidelines. Are you on the field playing the game and gaining ground for Jesus Christ or are you merely watching the game? The clock is ticking away, and time is running out. Get in the game before you lose your chance forever!

 

Scripture References

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”
– 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
– Hebrews 12:1-2

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 3:12-14

“Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.”
– 2 Timothy 2:5

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
– 1 Peter 5:8

“The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one.”
– Matthew 13:38

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
– 1 Peter 3:15

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
– 2 Timothy 4:1-5

“Making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
– Ephesians 5:16

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”
– Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
– Ephesians 6:10-18

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 3:14

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
– 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
– 2 Timothy 4:7-8