Galatians 5:7-8 — Mission Trip Highs

READ THIS: Galatians 5:7-9

7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.
 
WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

When I gave my life to Jesus, it was on a mission trip! I walked out that week 100% intending to read my Bible every day, tell everyone I knew about Jesus, and never sin again... that did NOT happen. I've heard that exact same story many times. This pattern is often called the "Mission Trip High." You leave the trip feeling great spiritually, but over time, you lose it.

What went wrong? I was running a good race with Jesus... but I got distracted, took my eyes off of Jesus, and started running in a different direction. That's kind of like what the Galatians were going through.

Paul and other believers did their best to share the Gospel to the Galatians, and it worked! Many people gave their lives to Jesus and started that good race the right way. But over time, other people were convincing the Galatians that they needed to be doing more and more, and they were believing it. Running after Jesus looks simple: believe in Him, and love God and those around us like He did... but it can be hard. The more we run toward Jesus, the more we will see different things cut in front of us to distract us from Him. It may be a person, a job, a sin you struggle with often, or something else, but we MUST keep our eyes locked on the finish line: life with Jesus forever!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Is it easy for you to get distracted? What are things you do to help you focus when you do get distracted?

2. If you had to cut out every distraction around you to chase after Jesus, would it be worth it? Why or why not?
 
TRY THIS:

The number one thing that can distract me from making time for Jesus is my phone. For the next 5 minutes, put your phone up and try to hang out with Jesus!

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