Intro:
What do you want to be when you grow up?
What I was like as a 5th/6th grader … What I wanted to become …
· Loved sports & liked to help people
· Wanted to become a teacher or coach
What I was told and what you are being told from the culture …
· The culture (the world) told me that you’re a good kid
· Just keep doing good things and stay out of trouble
· So, what I didn’t do mattered more than what I did do
I want you to be known for what you do, NOT for what you don’t do.
You don’t have to be a follower of Jesus to stay away from stupid sins. There are a lot of good kids with good morals who stay out of trouble.
But you do have to be a Christian to have a heart that sincerely loves God and loves people and serves people without expecting anything in return.
We should be known for what we do! So what does God want you to do?
I believe God wants you to have a holy ambition … What’s that?
Explain holy – set apart (absolutely unique)
Who is holy? God! Why? Because he is set apart
German shepherd is a _______. An oak is a _______.
Earth is a _________. Milky Way is a __________.
Gabriel is a _____________. God is a _________. No category!
God is God! He is set apart, absolutely unique, and supremely valuable!
Explain “ambition” – goal that you seek after something with all your heart (motivation)
For example: My ambition is to become the President of the United States.
So let’s put these two words together, “holy ambition”. What is it?
Holy ambition – Something you really want to do and God really wants you to do too
Do you have a holy ambition? Maybe not yet. But some day I hope you will. That’s part of growing up as a Christian is having a holy ambition.
One pastor I know talks about his little girl and how she loves playing with dolls. But one day this love for dolls might pass away and be replaced with a love for little babies—taking care of them in the nursery. And maybe in a few more years this desire could become a holy ambition to start an orphanage in a place where babies aren’t wanted or cared for.
He also talks about when he was a boy and how he liked three things (guns, trucks, and balls). But as he grew older he now wants to fight for what is right and take the Sword of the Spirit and drive a truckload of love to needy people in the name of Jesus!
That’s a holy ambition! But how do we get one? How do we get a holy ambition?
Life of Moses
Look at Moses (Exod. chapter 2) What is Moses known for?
· leading his people out of slavery into the Promised Land
Why did Moses do that? What motivated him? Was this his holy ambition? I think so.
Look at Exod. 2:11 – (context) Moses sees his people in need & wanted to meet that need
Look at Exod. 3:1-12 – Moses sees God and sees the way God sees
God’s burden becomes his burden. God’s heart becomes Moses’ heart.
God’s goal becomes Moses’ goal. God’s ambition becomes Moses’ holy ambition!
What about you?:
What needs do you see as you look around your school, neighborhood, church, world? God may be moving you to meet that need.
What do you need to do:
- See the need, Meet the needs around you
*look around you … how can you serve and meet people’s needs?
*what do you enjoy doing that can help other people?
- See God in Scripture to see the way He sees (love what he loves)
*Are you reading the Bible?
*Here’s a plan to get you started
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