We’ve returned to The Focused Track, and tonight was an adventure! For this this week’s portion of our tournament we paired the students up into teams. Each team had to work together to create not just their kart, but also to take on each race. Before we started had each pair of students flip a coin to see who would “go first.” They would then take turns choosing each portion of their setup. While they could communicate with each other (some more vocally than others), the person with the controller at the time made the final choice. The students came up with some interesting combinations of racers and kart formations.

But then it came time for the actual race. Students had to pass the controller at the end of EACH LAP as they played. This created a bit of excitement as some of our students were better than others, and some did a better job of communicating what was ahead of them. It was a bit of chaos, but also a lot of fun!

The Lesson

One of the critical aspects that makes various tracks difficult is the road hazards. You have “Chain Chop” and “Piranha Plant,” which actively move into the course to grab you. You have Giant Goombas who sit on the track and move left and right slightly to stand in your way. “Thwomps” are giant rock creatures randomly crashing on the track, blocking and crushing drivers. Then, of course, you have regular traffic, which is cars simply going about their business, not necessarily trying to stop you, but they don’t have the same mission as you.

These various trappings, some malicious, some not, all stand between you and the goal of becoming the first-place driver. They can devastate your race as they slow you down, cause you to go off course, or right out-stop you. Learning to avoid them becomes critical.

As we strive to complete the race that God has for us, we will encounter various road hazards. The enemy is purposefully using some to slow us down and destroy us. Some are simply just things in the way. The question becomes, how can we be aware of them, and how do we avoid them?  Today we are looking at 2 major things we need to do to avoid hazards.

Communication with God

“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

Proverbs 15:3 (English Standard Version | ESV)

Since God sees all and knows all, if we communicate with Him, He can give us the wisdom we need to avoid the obstacles in front of us. Proverbs 2:6 says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Ask: “How do we communicate with God?

Reading the Bible

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.  

2 Timothy 3:16 (English Standard Version | ESV)

Ask: How does reading the Bible prepare us to avoid life’s road hazards?

We can learn what to avoid if we are in God’s word. Remember, the Bible is not just a rule book; it’s a guide. It instructs us on the things that lead to success and the things that lead to failure.  

Being in Prayer

While God speaks through the scriptures through His word, He also communicates with us when we are in times of prayer.  

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

James 1:5 (English Standard Version | ESV)

Throughout the Old Testament, you see many stories of God’s people seeking Him through prayer and him then warning them or directing them in a certain direction for their well-being. This doesn’t end there. There are countless stories through history where, while in prayer, God’s people heard from Him to do certain things that helped them to avoid danger or how to navigate through a dangerous situation properly.

Communication with Each Other

At the start of today’s lesson, we raced a bit differently. We had you pair up into teams, and after each lap, you had to switch drivers.  Doing this made things difficult to a degree but created a unique situation. Suddenly, you had a partner who had literally been down the same road you were going, and they could warn you of the traps and tricky portions of the course you were on.

Ask: How does having friends help us to avoid the hazards of life?

If we have friends in our lives who know the ways of the Lord and love us, then they can easily point out some of the trappings of the enemy in our lives. We are warned specifically that if we don’t have someone in our life to help guide us, we will eventually run into a hazard that we may not be able to avoid:

Proverbs 15:22 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”

But communication with friends isn’t just about avoiding hazards, they fulfill a powerful role if we do fail:

Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, “For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!”

The trick, however, is that we need to be careful about who we allow to help us. We need a mixture of mature leaders and those who are our peers to help us, but they all need to be faithful in how they serve the Lord.  

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 (English Standard Version | ESV)

While some obvious road hazards in life may be things like, disobeying family and leaders, taking part in illegal activities, and doing things that are flatout sinful, a road hazard that we may be actively putting in place is not being careful about who we surround ourselves with. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have friends who don’t serve the Lord, but it does mean that those closest to us, do need to be faithful in serving the Lord.

Questions

What are some spiritual road hazards that I’ve ran into?

What can I do to be in the scriptures more?

What can I do to develop a better prayer life?

Who have I allowed to speak into my life to help me navigate the hazards standing in front of me?