Hebrews: Real Faith Practices

HEBREWS: REAL FAITH PRACTICES Week 3: Spiritual Endurance

This includes: 1. Leader Preparation 2. Lesson Guide

1. LEADER PREPARATION

LESSON OVERVIEW Spiritual endurance is one of the key messages of Hebrews. And while many in the original audience of Hebrews were living under the assumption that Christ would return in their lifetimes, the teaching from this book is still relevant today. This world has a tendency to make us weary. If we are standing for our convictions and devoting our lives to serve God and his mission, we can grow spiritually tired. However, this passage is an encouragement to stay strong by looking to Christ as an example, as your students will discover in this lesson.

LESSON OBJECTIVES 1. WHAT: We are called to persevere even when grow spiritually tired. 2. WHY: Teenagers need to understand that the Christian life isn’t always easy, but God will give them the strength to persevere. 3. HOW: Your students will discuss times they have been spiritually exhausted, the effects of it, and what they can do about it next time.

PRIMARY SCRIPTURE Hebrews 12:1-3

SECONDARY SCRIPTURES Galatians 6:9; Philippians 4:13; and 1 Peter 2:21

TEACHING PREP The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson. While you may not want to convey this information word-for-word with your teenagers, you’ll definitely want to refer to it as you lead.

Read Hebrews 12:1-3.

The writer of Hebrews was addressing a primarily Jewish audience, people who had a lens of viewing God through the Law. But through Christ there came righteousness apart from the Law that was available through all who believed. The writer of Hebrews was concerned that his audience was living out a proper understanding of their newly established faith in Christ.

The writer of Hebrews is calling his audience to endure for their faith. The passage you will study in this lesson speaks right to the heart of this matter. As the writer talks about endurance, he draws attention to Christ. Urging his audience to “fix their eyes” on Jesus and draw great strength from Jesus’ example.

Your students live in an environment that is constantly opposed to their faith. And if they are standing up for their faith and living the life they are called to live, there will be times they grow spiritually weary. It happens to all Christ-followers who live as “salt and light” in this world. The cool thing is that we have a perfect example of what it looks like to stay strong in the midst of spiritual opposition. When we look to Christ, we see the model of what it means to live boldly for God. Though it can be spiritually tiring, God’s assurance and comfort and strength never run dry. This lesson will call your students to seek out this strength when they are spiritually exhausted.

THE BEFORE & AFTER [optional]

Text Message Questions We’ve provided a couple of different text message questions to send out to your students prior to your meeting. Feel free to use one or both of the questions below. As with the rest of the curriculum, edit these questions to fit the needs of your ministry.

 What do you do when you’re tired? What do you do when you’re spiritually tired? Let’s talk tonight at small group.

 Do you ever need a spiritual pick-me-up? We’ll talk all about it tonight in small group. Don’t miss it.

Parent Email We’ve provided you with an email below that you can send to your parents following the lesson. Our hope is to encourage parents to continue the conversation at home. Feel free to edit and customize the email to fit your ministry needs.

Dear parents,

Our small groups are continuing their study on the book of Hebrews. This week’s lesson helped students learn that they are called to keep their faith going, even when they grow spiritually tired. Students discussed times where they were spiritually exhausted, the effects of it, and what they can do about it next time.

As you go throughout the week, help reinforce this teaching in your child’s life by asking the following questions as you have the opportunity.  Are there people in your life that cause you to be worn out spiritually? Do you find yourself and your faith constantly challenged by these people?  What can you do to minimize this effect they have?  Who among your friends help to build you up spiritually? How can you seek to grow these relationships stronger?

Have a blessed, refreshing week! HEBREWS: REAL FAITH PRACTICES Week 3: Spiritual Endurance

2. LESSON GUIDE

GETTING THINGS STARTED [optional] Preview the following video to show to your students: youtube.com/watch?v=dDnrLv6z-mM. You’ll need a laptop and Internet connection to display the video when your group meets. If you don’t have enough time to show the entire clip, stop the video at the 4:26 mark.

Welcome your students and invite them into your meeting area. Open in prayer, and then show the video clip. Then ASK:

 What’s your reaction to this video?  Can you possibly imagine how difficult it is for Dick Hoyt, the father, to do what he does for his son, Rick?  Do you think Dick Hoyt has ever wanted to quit or give up? What do you think keeps Dick Hoyt going when things get tough?

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: There are times when any racer gets tired. And there are moments where every racer must reach deep down and draw on some source of strength. For Dick Hoyt, it is the incredible love and commitment he has for his son. We get tired in our spiritual lives as well. And in our struggle to lead the lives God wants us to lead, we need a source for renewing our strength.

If you came up with an opening activity, movie clip, or game that worked well with your group, and you’d like to share it with other youth workers, please email us at [email protected].

TEACHING POINTS The goal of the Teaching Points is to help students capture the essence of each lesson with more discussion and less lecture-style teaching. The main points we have chosen are (1) Get rid of burdens to renew your strength, (2) Turn to Jesus to renew your strength, and (3) Shift your perspective to renew your strength.

Remember: All throughout these lessons, it’s up to you to choose (1) how many questions you use, and (2) the wording of the main points—keep ours, or change the wording to make it clearer for your audience.

Read Hebrews 12:1-3 together as a group. Consider dividing verses among your students so everyone has a chance to read.

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Let’s spend a few minutes discovering some truths in this passage about renewing our strength.

1. Get rid of burdens to renew your strength

ASK:  Imagine racing to the top of a hill or the stairwell of a skyscraper while carrying a huge, heavy backpack. How would this burden hinder you?  How is the Christian experience similar to a race, as we see described in verse 1? How is it different?  What are some factors that can wear you out spiritually?  How is sin similar to the heavy backpack I mentioned a few moments ago? How does sin become a burden in the race toward spiritual maturity?

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: There are quite a few ways that we can become tired spiritually: when we are constantly standing up for our faith, especially if it means having difficult conversations with others; when we feel left out or ridiculed because we have taken a specific stand for a principle we believe in; when we struggle with our own issues, trying to be the person Christ wants us to be. Sin is an especially heavy burden that makes us weary. That’s why the writer of Hebrews says we must get rid of every weight, every burden that holds us from fully following God.

2. Turn to Jesus to renew your strength

ASK:  When runners run a race, what do they focus on? What is their goal?  What does it mean to keep our eyes focused on Jesus, as verse 2 says?  What can distract our attention away from Jesus and cause us to focus on our limitations, our weaknesses, or other things that knock us off course?  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are what we are supposed to focus on, according to the author of Hebrews, in order to make sure we are spiritually strong and focused. How do you think this is helpful in renewing our spiritual strength?  What is the alternative? What if we lose focus of Christ as our source of spiritual energy? What must we rely on then?

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Like a runner looking at the finish line, we are to put all our focus on Christ. We are to see him and his ways as the object of our lives. When we do this, we keep all the other distractions in our lives that can pull our focus away from God at bay. We truly lock in on the one who is capable of seeing us through our spiritual journeys. But it’s not just some mysterious spiritual trick to stay strong. We can turn to Jesus to renew our strength.

3. Shift your perspective to renew your strength

ASK:  As we consider the pressures we face in our lives, especially as it pertains to our spiritual lives, how is Jesus an example to us?  Verse 3 essential says that when we think about everything Jesus experienced, it puts our lives into proper perspective. What if Jesus had never been through suffering or temptation? How would it change the way he serves as an example and helps us shift our perspective?  Knowing that Christ experienced more than any of us will ever go through, how is he the perfect source of strength?

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: Life is hard. Things get tough. But we have a Savior who went ahead of us and experienced all we might experience and so much more. Jesus’ example of how he walked through the tough times is a perfect example for us. We can look to Christ for strength. More than that, we can look to how he relied on the Father, on Scriptures, and on others for strength and encouragement. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION [optional] ASK:  Read Philippians 4:13. This verse is familiar to many Christ-followers. But how does it actually play out in our lives?

 Do you think this only pertains to trials in our lives? Or can it mean that Christ strengthens us in all aspects? Explain your answer.

 Read Galatians 6:9. How can you become tired, or worn down, as you try to live your life as a follower of Christ?

 Read 1 Peter 2:21. Does the idea of persecution for your faith intimidate or scare you? Why or why not?

APPLICATION Ask students to form groups of two or three for these questions.

ASK:  Think about some times when you have been really tired spiritually, when maybe you wanted to just give up or give in. What was that like?

 How spiritually tired are you today? What factors have contributed to your weariness and fatigue? How can I pray for you?

 What are some ways you can recharge your spiritual batteries? How do you practically build back up your spiritual strength?

 What if you aren’t spiritually tired right now? How can you prepare yourself for those moments, if and when they do come in your life?

SUMMARY End your lesson here. Provide your teenagers with a quick summary or take-home challenge based on (1) the content of this lesson, (2) the dialogue that took place during the lesson, (3) your understanding of the issues and struggles your teenagers are facing, and (4) the big picture of your youth ministry and what your leadership team wants accomplished with the teaching and discussion time.

FOR KEEPS [MEMORY VERSE] Encourage and/or challenge your teenagers to memorize the verse below.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1).