Watch it

You get to watch two again today….

Read it

1 Corinthians 9:24-26

Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize. Run, then, in such a way as to win the prize. Every athlete in training submits to strict discipline, in order to be crowned with a wreath that will not last; but we do it for one that will last forever. That is why I run straight for the finishing line…

Quiz it

  • What is your favourite way of receiving a message or news?

Text, Whataspp, Email, facebook, post, phone call, face to face

Paul’s adventures took him far and wide. He had many friends and churches that he wanted to stay in touch with.

  • Paul didn’t have the internet so how did he stay in touch with them?

Have a look at the index page of a Bible. Under the New Testament section you will find a list of all the letters Paul wrote from Romans to Philemon.

  • How many letters is this in total? (Sometimes he wrote more than one letter to a city or person e.g. 1& 2 Corinthians)

Paul wrote to groups of Christians in cities where he had started churches. So the letters are named after cities eg. Corinth = Corinthians.

Keep the index page of your Bible open and look at the map below.

  • Can you spot four (or more) cities on the map that Paul wrote letters to?

Paul’s letters were not just postcards or chat. They include meaty teaching about what Jesus has done for us and practical coaching on how to live God’s way.

Look back at “Read It”. This is a bit of one of Paul’s letters to the church in Corinth.

  • What does Paul compare a Christian to in this passage?
  • What kind of lifestyle does an athlete live? How can this apply to us as Jesus’ followers?

Paul lived with the focus of an Olympic athlete. Later in his letter, he urges us to do the same.

“Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

  • What might it mean for us to do the “work for the Lord” today? Give some practical examples?

Pray it

Dear God,

Thank for the letters you inspired Paul to write. Thank you for the teaching and coaching that still speaks to us today. Help us to make serving Jesus Christ the goal of our lives.

Amen

Do it

Find some space outdoors. Fix your eyes on a goal. Run towards it and shout. “Jesus is my goal!”

Place it

Finally - have a look at the back of your card. What does it say? You can now place your card onto your story line.