Heroes of the Faith, Part 1Sample

Give Him your Heart

Hero: Abel - Genesis 4:1-16, Hebrews 11:4

Theme verse: Mark 12:30

We want to live in a way that shows we believe God. Today, we will look at two brothers who both did something to show their belief in God, but one actually pleased God, and the other did not. In Genesis 4, we see that Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain, who became a farmer, and Abel, who became a shepherd. Both brought gifts to God from their work. Cain brought produce, but Abel brought “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.” When they saw that God liked Abel’s offering but not Cain’s offering, Cain got incredibly upset with Abel. God warned him, but instead of listening to God, Cain killed Abel! God punished Cain for murdering his brother by kicking him out of his family and giving him hard labor.

Sometimes, when we follow God, we end up following rules instead of doing what pleases God. We are careful not to say bad words or smoke, and we are careful to attend church every week, but sometimes, we do it because we care about what other Christians think of us. Jesus said that it shows we do not believe if we accept praise from each other but do not seek to please God (John 5:44).

When God confronted Cain about his plan, he could have changed his behavior to please God. Instead, Cain cared more about his brother getting God’s favor. He cared more about status and his own hurt pride than he cared about God!

God asks us in Mark 12:30 to love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength (also Deuteronomy 6:5, Luke 10:27). Abel gave God his heart because he loved God so much; he gave God the best of everything he had. Will you give an empty gift like Cain or God your heart like Abel?

I want to give God what he wants: my heart!

Questions:

1. In what situations would it be possible to deceive God?

2. All good people will go to heaven, right?

3. Do I have to be a fool for Christ?

Application to Life:

Your assignment this week is to give something from your heart. The Bible says that whatever we do for others, we do for Jesus (Matthew 25:40), so look for an opportunity to help someone or give someone something they need. Make sure you have your parents’ permission. Do not do anything dangerous. Do not give anything so you get something in return.