Lay Down Your Load And Head Down The Road

“Lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and run with endurance the race that is set before us.” --Hebrews 12:1

Activity: Ball Drop

Choose four teens from the audience. Have the first two teens stand behind the starting line. Give each of them a tennis or racquetball and spoon.

Tell them they need to race to the finish line carrying the ball in the spoon in front of them.

If they drop the ball, they’re disqualified. Give them a count down to get started and reward the winner.

Next, ask the next two teens to step up and hand them each a ball and spoon.

Tell them they will be racing as well, but with a twist.

Then assign random handicaps to them (for example: hopping on one foot, with eyes closed, need to hold the spoon above their head, walking backward, etc.).

Then tell the first group that they need to make as many distractions as possible without touching the competitors or going on the race area (for example: yelling, waving their hands, jumping up and down, etc.).

When they’re ready, give them another count down and again reward the winner.

After the activity, ask these discussion questions:

What made it harder for the second group to carry their eggs?

How did that group feel because of all the distractions?

What could have made it easier for them?

Do you ever feel like you’re in that position-trying to do one thing that should be easy when there are a lot of distractions in the way?

The point of the activity is to talk about distractions and point out it’s harder to do things when you’re distracted.

Lay Down Your Load, and Head-On Down The Road!

There are many degrees of commitment in The world.

When you join the army, you can commit to a couple weekends a month, a whole year, three years, five years, or ten years. You can buy a cell phone plan for a year or two, or renew it every month.

You can rent a car, buy it with cash, get a loan, or lease it for several months or several years.

A relationship with the Lord is completely different.

There are no degrees of commitment or subscription plans--You either go all the way or you don’t go at all.

Before you were a Christian, you were “weighted down” with past things in your life

That’s why if you aren’t 100% committed to your relationship with the Lord you’re letting distractions into your life, just like the second group of racers were distracted earlier.

If you’re trying to "be a Christian" but haven’t committed your entire life to it, you’re living with those distractions or weights around your ankles.

The type of friends you hang with, cursing, anger, attitude…

You still may do some of those things---but now it doesn’t feel quite right afterwards--or at least it shouldn’t.

But when it doesn’t feel right, what’s going on?

You’re trying to do two things that were both meant to take over your entire life

To either live for God and live for yourself and the things that the world has to offer, and it isn’t possible to do both.

You’re attention is split. The media and retail industry love your age because they know you’re sponge.

There’s a choice you have to make when it comes to your relationship with the Lord. You either go all the way and commit your whole life to following Him, or you don’t go at all.

It’s like getting married. When you are saying your vows to your spouse, you never say, "Until we’re ready to move on or don’t like each other anymore.”

What is lacking in today’s marriage vows is commitment--today it’s “Until you tick me off”.

Committing your life to God doesn’t mean you’re going to be perfect instantly.

It means that you’re going to pursue God with all of your heart and run away from

distractions.

It’s a decision to submit your life to the Lord and let Him change you.

The “new life” changing process may take a long time, and it will be painful, but beautiful -- like a cocoon opening to release a butterfly or like the changing bubbles in a lava lamp.

Your decision to follow Jesus reminds you to KEEP GOING no matter what it takes or how much things change in your life.

When you decide to follow Jesus, turning back will only make you stumble.

You can jump in with both feet, never look back and sacrifice everything you have ...or you can convince yourself to go which is really no commitment at all.

God is asking for our whole life-He doesn’t want just half of it.

The second shortest verse in the bible is found in Luke 17:32---Jesus said,