Tonight was the final evening of our Focused Track series! It was an absolutely wild evening as our students went head to head to win the Golden Mario. It was upset after upset as they sprinted and drifted around the tracks we chose for them. At one point, one of our students was INCHES from the finish line and he was blue-shelled and fell from first place to 3rd! We had to go into an EXTRA race just to find our winner. All of our students did a great job and had so much fun!

The Lesson

Drifting and the danger of drifting through life without being intentional about our spiritual practices.

This week, we are going to be talking about Drifting.

Q: Does anyone know what the definition of Drifting is?

A: Drifting: adjective: drifting

• carried slowly by a current of air or water.
• Moving passively, aimlessly, or involuntarily.
• Continually moving from place to place without any fixed home or job.

The definition we are talking about today is Moving Passively, Aimlessly, or Involuntarily.

In Mario Kart, you can use drifting to your advantage, but you can go off the course if you’re not paying attention. In life, in our walk with God, this is dangerous. We need to be intentional about our relationships with God and fellow believers.

Q: What do you think would happen if we were to drift through life when it comes to God?

We need to have discipline within our faith. Not discipline like getting into trouble with our parents but discipline like we have something that we do without someone other than ourselves making us do it. For example, I do not get up when my alarm clock goes off because I want to or because anyone tells me to. I do it because I have disciplined myself to know I need to get up and start my day. Do I have to remind myself of that sometimes? Yes. Does Dallas have to help me remember when I’m half asleep… or all asleep…. Sometimes.

But it is a practical discipline in my life.

Ask: What practical disciplines do we need to focus on in our lives as believers?  

Answer: Prayer, Reading the Word, Fellowship

Now, there is also something else to consider.

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

Galatians 6:9

Ask: What does that mean?

It means that we need to not get tired when doing the things that help us in our walk with God. If we grow “tired” or become passive about these things, we start doing things just because we think we are supposed to. We start “moving passively, aimlessly, or involuntarily.” This is important for a few reasons.

• We should be intentional about things because it helps us to grow.
• If we are intentional and we are not following what sounds good or feels good at the time, then we will be more mature Christians than when we started this.