Fail Safe
Liz is feeling like a total failure because everything is going wrong, but Lucille has the perfect solution.
Before You ListenLet's Get Started
Theme: Our response to failure.
1. Luke 22:32 says, “But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others.” The holy spirit is the one gift that Jesus gives to each of us so that our faith will not fail. How can you use this gift?
2. In Exodus 2:11-15, Moses saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite. Moses became angry and beat and killed the Egyptian and buried him. Moses’ anger got the better of him and he made a very bad decision. Yet, despite this, God still called Moses to be his chosen leader—even with his failures and shortcomings in his faith. Think about how God uses flawed and sinful people for his purpose as you listen to today’s program.
After you listen
Memory Verse
“But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others.”
Quiz
Reflect
In this episode, Liz feels like a failure. Failure is a part of life. People fail in many ways. And failure can make us feel really, really bad. Sometimes we also get failure mixed up with our identity. Instead of thinking “I failed,” you may think “I am a failure.” Yes, you will fail, but that doesn’t make you a failure.
Failure is a part of the human condition. But there is a benefit of failure! That is when it drives you to God in confession, repentance, and hope. What is your response to failure? Do you let it become your identity? Do you let it discourage you from trying again? Or, do you turn to God for help and hope? Jesus prays for us, and that is something that will never fail.
Want to dig deeper about God’s never-failing love? Read 1 Chronicles 28:20; Psalm 89:28; Isaiah 51:6 and 1 Corinthians 13:8.
Challenge
Have everyone in your family take out a sheet of paper. Fold your paper in half the long way. One the first side, write the word “Failures”. On the second side, write the word “Wisdom.”. In the first column, under “Failures”, write down some ways you have failed (yelled at my brother, didn’t study for a test). These “failures” will be kept private, so be honest! In the “Wisdom” column, write something you have learned from the failure (take a deep breath when I’m angry, walk away, study a few minutes each night).
After everyone has written in both columns, tear each sheet in half down the line. Have each family member take a turn and share something from the “Wisdom” column (organize my school bag at night instead of the morning). Continue sharing until you have shared all the things you have learned.
Then crumple both sides of the paper. Each family member needs to decide what to do with the papers in their hands. You can throw out the failures, throw out what you’ve learned, throw out both or keep both. Discuss what choice you made. Why? Talk about how our failures along our faith journeys also help our faith to grow and be stronger. What happens to your failures when you give them over to God?
