Praxis: Red or Blue

Are you part of a team or just a member of the fan club?

Biblical Reference: Matt 7:21-23, I John 5:11-13

Location Youth Room, kitchen

Background / Setup
Walking into a garage does not make you a car. Watching 40+ hours of football a week does not make you a football player. Going to Church every Sunday does not mean that you’re a Christian. What does it mean to be called a Christian? There are a lot of confused people out there that think just because they are born in America that they are by default Christians.

Warm-up
As youth show up, give them the choice of either a red or a blue piece of paper. Tell them choosing a color is a very important decision and it will affect who they will be with for one activity during the evening. After everyone has a color and it is time to start the meetings, divide the youth in two groups by their colors. Choose the smaller of the two groups and serve them refreshments while the other group looks on. When the first group is finished getting refreshments, wait for a few moments before serving the second group to prolong the agony of the decision.

Study
Read Matt 7:21-23, I John 5:11-13
What made you choose the color that you did?
How did you feel when you were divided into groups?
How did you feel when the first group got to eat?
How did those of you in the first group feel going first?
Do you ever feel left out of groups?

Application
You can be the biggest Dallas Cowboy fan in the world. You might be able to get a real jersey, authentic playbook which you’ll memorize, attend all the games and even go to the "Official" Fan Club functions. You may engage yourself in watching the Coach’s Show and memorize all the game highlights. You could have it all. All except the NFL ring. It’s only given to players and it’s given as a free gift as being part of the team.

We attend church, talk to God sometimes, have a Bible and know it by heart, go to church, and live a pretty good life - but are we really on God’s team?

Reflection
Can anyone else make our decision for us as to whether we are part of the team or not?
What is the most important decision you have made in your life so far?
If you could become a member of a losing team or a winning team, which would you choose?
Has there ever been a time in your life when you asked Christ to be the Head Coach of your life?