Leader Guide

Objective
Encourage students to persevere in following Christ.

Warm Up
Find out if any of your students run track. If any do, ask them specifically these two questions – otherwise throw the questions out to the crowd. After some answers lead students to the correct answers and share the answers in parenthesis.

• Which way do you look in the race? (Forward. Looking back breaks your momentum and causes your form to get sloppy. John Landy was passed on his right while looking over his left shoulder in a famous 1954 race.)
• When do you celebrate? (When the race is over. Early did not work out well for Molly Huddle or Tanguy Pepiot, who in 2015 each celebrated early only to have others run past and beat them.)

The Song
Always look forward and don’t quit running until the race is really over. These are important running tips, but they are also very important in life. Life is a race. Think about that as we listen to a song by Holly Starr. As we listen, write down any good pieces of advice you hear.

Transition
Allow students to share what they wrote down for a few minutes.

The song says we were made to race, and life is very much like a race. Racing can provide us with lots of good advice that is applicable to life. We are going to look at some solid Biblical advice on life written with a racing theme.

Bible Study
Hebrews 11 contains a passage often called the “Hall of Faith” which lists the great faith of many men and women in history. It wraps up by stating that God has provided something better for us – and we, as followers of Jesus, will be made perfect with all those listed. And on that note, Hebrews 12 begins. Read Hebrews 12:1-2. Explain that because so many have lived the faith out before us, we can too. This passage gives us a few steps to guide us through the great race of life. 

Here’s the first point: remember the race of others. There is some comfort in knowing that others have survived anything you are going through, so you can make it too.

• Who is the great cloud of witnesses?
• Why does it matter?

The second bit of advice in this passage is to lay aside the weight of sin. None of us are perfect, although we can’t excuse our sin with that as an excuse. Instead we should try to put it aside. Don’t let the guilt and shame of your past weigh you down. Lay it aside.

• What weights are slowing you down?
• What sin tangles you up?

Back to the track team members for a minute, how is running a 100-meter dash different from a Cross Country race? In a sprint, you go all out for a very short period, but in a longer run you have to pace yourself and make sure you have enough strength to endure to the end. So the third bit is common sense but the author of Hebrews includes it anyway – run with endurance. To have endurance you must exercise to build up the ability to sustain yourself in the race.

• What do you need to do to build up your endurance? (Discuss some practical ideas like accountability, Bible reading, praying, coming together as a group, etc.)

Lastly, the writer says we should keep our eyes on Jesus. He has run the race before us and He is at the finish line cheering us on. Don’t look back until you’re in heaven watching the highlight reel. Keep your focus on Jesus – He is our ultimate prize.

• What competes with Jesus for your attention?

Wrap Up
Let’s recap. Here’s how to run the race of life well:

• Remember the race of others.
• Lay aside your weights.
• Build your endurance.
• Stay focused forward on Jesus.

You can run strong. We can run strong together!