Fail Safe

Liz is feeling like a total failure because everything is going wrong, but Lucille has the perfect solution.

Before You Listen

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.”

Audio Icon   Luke 22:32

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?