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Devotional – Time For Fun
Trail Life Troop
NC-613
HB04M
Mountain Lion
Hobbies
Elective 4: Hobbies Elective

Devotional – Time For Fun

Opening

  • God wants us to enjoy life doing fun things like hobbies, let’s see what the bible says about having fun.
  • Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down

Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.

Devotional

Big picture Hobbies can develop into addictions and begin to consume one’s life. We must prioritize our time and resources.

  • Q: How many hours a day do you play video games or are on a computer? Q: What is your favorite video game? (Share yours, too)
  • We’ve discussed God wants us to have fun. He’s set aside some time in everyone’s life for fun things.
  • The Teaching verse tells us God has carved-out time for other activities, too, like work or rest or worship. For serious things. We must be aware there is an appropriate time for all activities.
  • The point of today’s talk builds on the teaching verse by warning: Hobbies can develop into addictions and begin to consume your life. So, we must prioritize our time and resources. Repeat
  • You shouldn’t feel guilty about playing and having fun. God thinks fun can be as holy as worshipping Him or He would not have set aside time for it, like the Teaching verse says.
  • But we should ALWAYS be listening to God and His timing for when God says we should be working or playing or resting or worshipping Him. Too much of any of these activities is not good for us. God created us for all these activities, but each one should be done in God’s good timing.
  • Addiction to our hobbies (like video games) happens. No joke. People become addicted to all kinds of hobbies, not just videos, like golf, working out, watching tv, working on cars. Any hobby can addict us.
    • Q: You may even know someone who is addicted to a hobby? (the easy example is video games).
    • Addiction means you cannot stop when you should stop. You lose control of your life. Then, addiction leads to being consumed which means all you can think about and all your time is consumed by your hobby addiction. To the point you become completely irresponsible and sick.
    • To prevent becoming addicted and consumed by a hobby, we must prioritize our time and resources.
  • Here again, God gives us free will to choose how and where to prioritize our time and resources. God does not want puppets. He wants you to freely choose to love Him enough to prioritize Him first.
  • Prioritizing our time and resources means being intentional, deciding now what is important and not important to you and to God. Your parents are here to help you prioritize. They have learned how.
  • So, yes love your hobbies, but remember they can be harmful if you don’t prioritize your time.

Memory Verse #3

Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X. Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
Note: we are moving to verse #3.

Matthew 22:37-39 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Topical Questions

  1. When is it time to stop having fun?
    When your parents or the Holy Spirit tells you it’s time to stop.

  2. Has your conscience ever told you to stop or to not do what you are doing because it might hurt you?

  3. What does it mean to be addicted to something? What does addiction mean?

  4. What does it mean to prioritize something over something else?
    To decide what is and isn’t important

Closing Prayer

Lord God, You have given us so many things to appreciate and enjoy. Thank you so much for our different hobbies and interests. Help these boys to prioritize their time and resources so their hobbies and interests do not become addictions. Give them wisdom. In your son, Jesus Christ’s name, we pray. Amen!

Devotional HB04M Version Date: 3/1/2022

We welcome suggestions for improvements to this lesson to .

View devotional online at https://www.traillife613.org/woodlands-trail-devotionals/mountain-lion/time-for-fun-hobbies-elective

Trail Life Troop NC-613 is a ministry of The Shepherd’s Church of Cary, NC.
6051 Tryon Rd., Cary, NC 27518

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Ephesians 6:13 (ESV)

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