Keep Your Tires Inflated! Part 1 of 2
Have you ever participated in an Awana Grand Prix? It’s a pinewood derby-style racing event where children (and some adults) carve creative race cars out of a block of wood to exacting weight and dimension standards and then race them downhill in groups of four. It’s a great way to get the kids, parents and community members to interact and hear the gospel.
The Bible message time is called a “pit stop.” I was asked to provide this to a group as diverse as four-year-olds to grandparents. What would you say?
Well, what do racers do in a pit stop? Mostly, they change tires.
Which got me thinking about my favorite young adult race car, the 1979 Triumph TR8—one of the most successful production-based race cars.
Which got me thinking of my paraphrase of Joshua 6:27, “So the Lord was with Joshua; and his Triumph (fame) was heard throughout all the country.”
Imagine Joshua winning all his battles—winning the great race, in one of those cars! But how did he get there? But he wasn’t always battle-hardened, in fact, initially, he felt terribly inadequate for the race God called him to! Joshua chapter 1 describes Joshua’s calling and mindset:
“The Lord spoke to Joshua … 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them …
“ 5 No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do… 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Kids build cars to have fun racing, and God has built you to enjoy and win the Race of Life. But you must have a great car, the “Triumph In Jesus”—he promises to be with you wherever you go.
And you need great tires. Joshua 1 describes those tires as:
- Faith = trust in God;
- Obedience = faith in action by reading and obeying the Bible;
- Courage = what you need when life gets tough;
- Strength = is increased when you have courage and is what you need to overcome bad attitudes and to have faith and obey God.
If any one of your tires goes flat, your entire car is affected, and you might spin out or crash.
Today, Christian, check your tires and keep them inflated!
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Awana is a global, Bible-based ministry for children focused on evangelism and discipleship through weekly club meetings, scripture memory, and games. For more information about Awana and to find a club in your area, go to https://www.awana.org
