OW2P Study - Commitment (Part 3)

Goal
A commitment to be drug and alcohol free is a firm pledge, not a conditional promise. A commitment does not change because of circumstances. A commitment is a stake in the ground.

Key Scriptures
Romans 12:1-2; Luke 9:23; Joshua 24:15

Warm Up
Have the whole group stand up and make a circle, all facing the same direction. Be sure that each person is only one to two feet behind the person beside them. On the count of three, have everyone sit down. At this point (if done right), each person should be sitting on the knees of the person behind them. If done wrong, they will be on the ground! Then on the count of three again, have everyone stand. This is like a trust fall, but a little more safe. Have the kids share how they felt making the commitment to trust the person behind them. Discuss the activity as a group.

Watch
Show the Week 3 video — “Commitment”

Workout
Spike Dykes, former head football coach at Texas Tech University, tells the story of a pig and a chicken walking down the street. As they passed by a grocery store, they saw a sign in the window that read, “Bacon and eggs needed.” The chicken looked at the pig and said, “Let’s help out the grocer.” The pig responded, “You must be crazy. For you that’s just a contribution, but for me it’s a total commitment!”

In today’s world, the word commitment has become more a word of convenience than of sacrifice. Many people are willing to give part of themselves, but they hold back from total commitment. To commit is to say, “I will, no matter what the cost!”

Because of his commitment to God, Daniel made choices in every area of his life that reflected this commitment. To Daniel, commitment meant that no matter what the consequence, no matter what the cost, he was in it to the death. God honored his commitment, and Daniel had great faith in God’s promises. His commitment to God even influenced others!

In the first chapter of the book of Daniel, Daniel chooses not to eat or drink certain foods because of his commitment to God. Daniel 1:8 says, “Daniel resolved not to defile himself.” In other words, he was committed to a life of purity to God. Along with his buddies Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Daniel did not eat the rich food and wine provided by the king.

Later (in Daniel 3), when the king made a gold idol for everyone to worship, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down to it even if it meant they would be thrown into a fiery furnace. Commitment means standing by your word no matter what may happen to you! They told the king that God could save them from the furnace “but even if he does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship that image of gold” (verse 18). They were committed no matter what! In this case, God chose to deliver them.

In Chapter 6, an edict was issued, that anyone who prayed to any god for 30 days would be thrown into the lions’ den. Daniel was committed to his time with God and continued to pray every morning, noon and evening even if it meant joining the lions! Sure enough, he was thrown into the lions’ den! God shut the mouths of the lions, and the king wound up praising God in the end.

Once again, his commitment determined his actions and influenced others. The motivation behind these commitments was not to look good in front of others or to look down on others. It was their love for God that enabled them to commit to doing the things they did.

In the New Testament, Stephen was killed because of his commitment to Christ (Acts 7). Paul was repeatedly beaten and even thrown in jail because of his commitment to God. Paul urged Christians to be living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). It was he who said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).

God’s goals had become Paul’s goals. If Paul died, he considered it gain. If he lived, he would serve Christ (Philippians 1:21). If he suffered, he knew he would get a reward from Christ (Romans 8:18). Since Paul was committed to Christ, he knew that it really did not matter what happened to him. Paul was committed to something bigger than himself. He relied on Christ’s strength as his source of power for keeping and living out his commitment (Philippians 4:13).

Workout Questions

1. Can you think of a time when you’ve felt like the pig in the illustration — that your commitment was going to be very costly? If so, when?
2. Why is it hard to keep commitments? What keeps you from following through on your commitments?
3. How can Paul’s advice in Romans 12:1-2 help you to keep your commitments?
4. What happens when you do follow through on your commitments?
5. Why is it important for you to keep your OW2P commitment?

Wrap Up
You have made a commitment to live drug, alcohol and tobacco free. It’s a commitment made through your love for Christ to keep yourself pure and free from substances that can control you. Ephesians 5:18 says not to “get drunk with wine, but instead be filled (or controlled) by the Spirit.” The only way for us to live a life of purity is to let Jesus live it through us! His Spirit in you will help you live a life committed to Him!

To close, have everyone sign one piece of paper as a group that shows their committment to be OW2P as a group. You can make a one-page sheet on your computer with the OW2P logo, your group or school name and the date. Once everyone signs it, you can make copies for each student so it can be a visual reminder of the commitment. If you can, frame and/or hang the original in a place that can be seen by the students on a regular basis.