BIBLE-LESSON HOUR:

TEACH CHILDREN TO RUN THE RACE OF LIFE VICTORIOUSLY!

Theme:  Your life is like a race and and your faith in Christ gives you wisdom to run the right way! 

Song:  “There is victory for me” – CEF song (Growing song 22)

Bible verse to memorize:  Hebr. 12: 1b-2a

Introduction:  Did you know that the Bible often speaks about running races and did you know that in the Bible Christians are often compared to athletes?  In 1 Cor. 9:24-27 Paul says: “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 a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Paul had in his mind when he wrote this portion of Scripture the picture of an athlete running a race. He thought about men and women, boys and girls who had trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour.  If you are a Christian you are an athlete, you are running a race every day of your life. 

What does an athlete have to do to run a successful race? There are  a few rules:

Rule 1:    First of all he has to make a good start.  If he does not start the race, he cannot run it and he will never finish it.  So the Christian life must have a beginning.  You have to make a start.  How do you do that?  You start this important race when you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour.  The Bible says that as soon as you do that your sins are all forgiven.   You are a new person (2 Cor. 5:17) – you are ready to go.  You heard the Ready!  Get set!  Go!  And you are on the race-course.

Rule 2:  An athlete has to watch his diet and eat the right foods – especially just before a race.  If he eats junk food he won’t have a chance.  What do you think he should eat? -  Healthy food like meat, vegetables, starches like pasta, drink lots of water,  etc.  What should he not eat?  Sweets, hotdogs, drink a lot of beer or alcohol,  etc.  A Christian needs to watch his diet and be careful concerning what he eats.  His main food must be the Word of God  and he should feed on it everyday.  This means that he needs to taste it first by reading it, and then he needs to chew it by thinking about it and then he needs to swallow it and digest it by obeying it.  And as he does so he will run a good race.  He should avoid the different kinds of junk food or worldly attractions which look good but would hinder him in his Christian life. 

Rule 3:  At the same time as watching what he eats the athlete needs to be sure to train often.  He must be fit, and this fitness and his ability to run will only come through much exercise, training and weight lifting.

Christians need to exercise also or we will become slow and flabby.  That’s what Paul wrote, “exercise yourself with godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7) or “train yourself to be godly.”  Our training is to practice and keep doing the things God wants us to do – so that we will become more and more and more like Jesus.   It’s not easy – but training and exercise are never easy;  but the more we train, the better we will run. 

You can also train by telling other people about Jesus and about your race.  Invite people to join you in running the race that means you invite them to put their trust in Jesus and you invite them to an Evangelical church where they can grow spiritually.

Rule 4:  Talk to your trainer who helps you to be the best runner you can be.  He will give you good advice.  Your Trainer on the spiritual race course is your Heavenly Father.  He knows what you need and you can talk to Him in prayer and trust His will for your life completely. 

HEBR. 12:1-2 says that we should lay aside everything that hinders us and run the race looking unto “Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith”. You start the spiritual race when you accept Jesus as the Saviour of your life and you finish the race in Heaven where Jesus Christ is waiting for you with all the believers who finished the race already! The prize that we receive when we finish the race is to have Eternal life.

If you are not a child of God and have the desire to become His child and run the race of life with your eyes fixed on Jesus.  You can come to Him now:

A -  Admit that you are a sinner and that your sins separate you from God

B -  Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for you on Calvary

G -  Give yourself to God and ask Him to be your Father – He promises in John 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Quizz – talk about the 4 rules an athlete have to keep in mind when he  takes part in a race and talk about the 4 rules you have to think about on the spiritual race course.

Prayer:  Our Almighty God and Heavenly Father you know our hearts, you know how we live – you see how we run this race that we are busy with daily.  Help us to glorify you while we are running.  Help those who have not started to run this race with you – Call them to yourself and help them to accept Jesus as Saviour so that they can start running. Thank you Father, that we know that there is VICTORY for us, through the blood of Christ our Saviour.  We praise your Name for that.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Song:   Growing songs: 22 “There is victory for me”

There is victory for me (2x)

Through the blood of Christ my Savior there is victory for me.

For me, yes me (2x)

Through the blood of Christ my Savior there is VICTORY!