Out of the Box
“Discovering God’s BIG plans for our lives”
Introduction
Place 3 boxes in front of the audience. Say: The worst enemy, we have in doing great things for God, are these 3 boxes.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – NIV
1. God’s Plan….to prosper you, not to harm you!
• The first box I want to point out is the “wrong thoughts about God” box.
• We’ve got to drop all the beliefs that God is totally against you, that God doesn’t like you, or that every thing you do is wrong just because you are a teenager.
• We need to drop the belief that God has saved all the best stuff for someone else.
• The truth is you are the apple of His eye, He is crazy about you!
• When you blow it, He ready to pick you up, dust you off and put you back in the game!
2. God’s plan….to give you hope!
• The second box I want to point out is the “bad stuff about me” box.
• This box contains all the pain from past mistakes, failures, weaknesses.
• Unless you give this box to God, it will eat away all your joy, self confidence, and it will steal away all good thoughts about yourself.
Illustration:
Raised in poverty, born of an interracial union, raised by his single mother when his father left, living in the projects, beaten by other kids almost daily because of his racial mix, foraging in dumpsters with his mother-Chris Zorich thought his future couldn’t have seemed more bleak.
Chris typically had no one to play with, so his mother, Zora, would throw the football with him, even as passing boys taunted. When he felt no love from anyone else in the world, his mother’s love sustained him. Zora remained strong and resolute through every hardship they faced together and became a source of undying hope for Chris. As hostile as the world was, Zora always challenge her son to treat others like they were family, a lesson he never forgot. When a high school coach sized him up as a football player and got him to play, things turned around for Chris. He went on to be a star player in high school and at Notre Dame. Zora died the night of Chris’ last college football game, so she never got to see her legacy fully lived out through him. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears and played in the NFL for several years, finishing his football career with the Washington Redskins. Chris now attends law school and operates several organizations that function to feed hungry families, encourage kids to stay in school, finance a Notre Dame education for poor students who show promise, and take inner city kids to cultural events such as ice shows. He works hard to give kids a chance and a hopeful future.
3. God’s plan…to give you a future!
• The third box I want to point out is the “what I’m doing today has nothing to do with my future” box.
• Your future has begun! What you do now echoes in eternity!
• God has entrusted you with gifts that He intends for you to use.
Illustration:
Pass around a mirror and Ask: What do you see in yourself? Do you know that God loves you? Do you know that you have such potential for great things?
Closing
We need to get out of the boxes we are guilty of putting ourselves in. We need to get serious about God! Seize the plan He has for your life!
Have Prayer.
