GOD DESIRES TO RESTORE US EVEN WHEN WE STRAY FROM HIM. 

SCRIPTURE | 1 Samuel 7:1-12 

CENTRAL TRUTH 

When we repent from our sin, we aren’t just sorry; we’re committing to a change of heart that overflows into our actions. 

KEY QUESTION 

WHY DO WE OFTEN DELAY REPENTANCE AND OBEDIENCE? 

KEEP IN MIND 

Some students have a difficult time saying they’re sorry. Even when we know we’re wrong, a lot of us struggle to admit it. If we’ve hurt someone else, we sometimes struggle to apologize. Our pride and shame get in the way. This often feeds into our relationship with God too. When it comes to our sin, we’d rather just ignore the problem. We either want to keep taking part in it, or we’re too ashamed to deal with it. We’d rather pretend it never happened. We want to “sweep it under the rug” and hope God will just ignore it. But we must help students understand that God can’t ignore sin. It stands in direct opposition to who He is—righteous and holy. But God is also kind, compassionate, loving, and forgiving. When our students have sinned, the best thing they can do is run to God with it. They can take it to Him instead of hiding it. 

APPLICATION 

WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO SET UP AND REFLECT ON YOUR OWN “EBENEZERS”? 

THE WIN 

FOR THE STUDENT: Encourage students to start setting up their own “Ebenezers” now so that one day, they can look back and see God’s faithfulness. They can share with others about how God has won their battles. They’ll have something to remind themselves of God’s faithfulness when they’re struggling with fear and doubt. 

FOR THE LEADER: Our lives are marked by victories that only God could’ve accomplished—some big and some so very small. But every time God is faithful, we have an opportunity to set up a marker of remembrance. When students ask about why we follow God, we can tell them all the ways He has been faithful.