Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6
We are going to start by playing a game of “Coach Says.” Just like in Simon Says, you must listen and do what I say. (Play the game. Do 1-2 rounds.)
How did (insert kid’s name who won) win the game? That’s right; they listened to exactly what I said and did it. There wasn’t any other way to win the game other than doing exactly what I said.
Today we are going to talk about the only way to be with God. It’s through Jesus. Jesus is the only way!
Workout
As your coach, my job is to show you the best way to play our sport. There is only one way to play (insert your sport). For example, I can’t take the (football) and hit it with a bat like I was playing baseball. And there are set instructions on how to play (football) well. That’s why I’m here – to show you how to perform well at your sport.
One of Jesus’ jobs on earth was to show us the path to be with God. If you remember, way back to the beginning of the Bible in Genesis, humans were separated from God because of sin. Since then, we have tried all kinds of things to be reunited with Him, but many of them were silly and didn’t work. People tried praying to other gods, sacrificing animals and other things to please God, and even thinking that if they acted perfectly, they would earn His love.
Then God sent Jesus to share the Good News that there is a solution to our sin problem. Many people still thought there were other ways to get to God. They didn’t want to give up their ideas and old ways. But in John 14, Jesus is very clear that He is the only solution. He is our way, our truth, and our whole life. The only way to God is through Him. Nothing has to be added.
There are many other things in this life that we like to worship other than Christ. Sometimes we can worship this sport or the professionals who play this sport. Sometimes it’s the dream of having a lot of money, being famous, or being popular that we desire the most. Jesus told us that none of those things will get us closer to God. In fact, they will probably distance us from Him. The only thing that will get us to God is our relationship with Jesus. When we trust and believe that He is truly all we need, we will 1) live a more fulfilled life and 2) be reunited with God in Heaven when we die.
A lot of people have ideas of what will make you happy in life. Just remember that Jesus makes it very clear – He is everything. He is the only way to be with our Father in Heaven one day.
Wrap-Up
What are some things that we might value over our relationship with Jesus?
“Lord, You are our God. You created us, love us, and want to one day be reunited with us in Heaven. Help us to know that there is nothing more important than faith in Jesus. If any of us don’t have a personal relationship with You, I pray that You will move in their hearts. Thank You for all You do for us. Amen.”