WELCOME
“To take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” —Ephesians 4:22–24
Part of God renewing us is not only a new heart, but a new purpose to go with it.
WARM-UP
Partner Questions
Before we get started with the rest of our story today, I want each person to grab a partner. Now with your partner, I want you to tell them what sport you play and your position. (Give them 1-2 mins to do this)
Now tell your partner why your position is important to the team or if you play an individual sport tell them what specific skill you do well.
Q: Can I get a few to share what their position is and why it is important to the team or what skill you have that is good?
Now go back to your partner and both of you answer this question; (1-2 mins to do this)
Q: Other than your position or skill, what other purposes to you have on your team or in your sport?
Often in sports, certain positions have certain jobs. A pitcher in baseball throws the ball, and the catcher catches that throw. What are some positions in your sport?
But what is our purpose in life?
WORKOUT
BIBLE STORY: Peter’s Sermon on Salvation—Acts 3:19–21
It takes time to learn how to play your position as an athlete. You may make mistakes, lots of them, but thankfully, you have coaches and teammates to correct and encourage you; the same is true in life.
In sports and in life, we are not to just play or live for ourselves. We are to share what God has given us with others.
Q: Does anyone know what it means to repent?
Repenting means to ask for forgiveness and ask for help to do better as you learn to follow what Jesus taught in His Word. When we do that, God gives us a new role on His team, and it is to tell others about Him and Jesus.
WRAP-UP
NEW HEART—Ezekiel 36:26 (Choose someone to read this verse.)
Q: What do you think it means to have a heart of stone?
It means that if God tries to tell us something, we don’t want to listen, like it is made of rock. But God, and only God, can give us a new heart. A heart that will want others to know about Him.
Q: God loves us and can renew us. How can we show love to God?
We can really show God we love Him by doing what He says in His Word. When we listen to Him and tell others about Him, He gives us purpose and He gives us power to do it. More on that next week.
(Pray and break the huddle)