 Introduction (5 min) – What is Commitment?

 Ask: "What does commitment mean to you?"

 Define: Commitment is staying dedicated to a cause, belief, or goal despite
difficulties.

Four Levels of Commitment (John C. Maxwell’s Categories)

(Maxwell describes four types of people based on their commitment levels. Ask students if they
relate to any of these.)

1. Cop-outs – Never commit; avoid setting goals.

o Example: Someone who never signs up for responsibilities in youth group or
school clubs.
o Q: Why do people avoid commitment? (Fear, laziness, lack of passion?)
2. Holdouts – Want to commit but hesitate because they fear failure.
o Example: Someone who wants to join the worship team but is scared of messing
up.
o Q: Have you ever hesitated to commit to something because you weren’t sure you
could succeed?
3. Dropouts – Start strong but quit when things get hard.
o Example: A student joins a sports team but quits after a few losses.
o Q: What makes people give up? How can we push through tough moments?
4. All-outs – Fully committed and willing to sacrifice to reach their goals.
o Example: Athletes training for years to compete in the Olympics.
o Q: How does our faith require us to be ‘all-out’ Christians?

Commitment isn’t just about big, dramatic decisions—it’s built in the small, daily choices we
make.

1. Evaluate How You Spend Your Time

📌 Your priorities reveal your real commitments.

If someone says, “I’m committed to getting good grades,” but spends hours on social media
instead of studying, are they really committed?

💡 Real-Life Example:

 Scenario: You have a math test coming up, but instead of reviewing your notes, you get
distracted watching Netflix or playing video games. You tell yourself, “I’ll study later,” but later
never comes.
 Commitment Check: If something is important to you, it should show up in how you spend your
time.

✅ Practical Action:
  Write down your top 3 priorities this month. Are you actually putting time into them? If not,
what needs to change?
 Challenge: Try tracking your screen time for a day—how much of it is helping you reach your
goals?

📖 Bible Connection: Caleb (Numbers 14) remained focused on God’s promise, even when
others doubted. His priority was trusting God, not following the crowd.

2. Identify What’s Worth Committing To

📌 Not every opportunity deserves your full energy.

Sometimes, we say “yes” to too many things and end up overcommitted. Other times, we invest
in things that don’t really matter in the long run.

💡 Real-Life Example:

 Scenario: You sign up for five different clubs at school because they sound fun, but after a few
weeks, you’re overwhelmed and can’t keep up with your schoolwork. Instead of excelling in a
few things, you’re doing everything halfway.
 Commitment Check: Are you saying “yes” to too many things? Are you investing your time in
things that actually help you grow?

✅ Practical Action:

 Make a yes/no list: Write down everything you’re currently involved in. Which things truly help
you grow, and which are just distractions?
 Learn to say “no” to things that take away from what truly matters.

📖 Bible Connection: Ruth (Ruth 1) had to make a choice—return to her old life or commit to
staying with Naomi and following God. She chose what was most valuable, even though it was
the harder path.

3. Hold Yourself Accountable

📌 Telling others about your commitment helps you follow through.

It’s easy to break a promise to yourself. But when others know about your goals, you’re more
likely to stick to them.

💡 Real-Life Example:
  Scenario: You decide to read your Bible every morning, but after two days, you keep hitting
snooze instead. However, if you tell a friend about your goal and check in with each other,
you’re much more likely to stay committed.
 Commitment Check: Who in your life can help you stay accountable?

✅ Practical Action:

 Find an accountability partner—a friend, sibling, or mentor—to check in on your commitments.

 Set small, specific goals instead of vague ones. Instead of saying, “I’ll pray more,” commit to “5
minutes of prayer before bed.”

📖 Bible Connection: Stephen (Acts 6-7) boldly stood for his faith, even in front of opposition.
His commitment didn’t waver because he stayed accountable to God’s truth.

Wrap-Up: Daily Commitment Check

At the end of each day, ask yourself:

✅ Did I spend time on what truly matters?
✅ Did I say “yes” to the right things?
✅ Did I stay accountable to my commitments?

Strengthening commitment isn’t about one big decision—it’s about small, consistent choices
every day.

Today’s lesson: We’ll look at Bible leaders who demonstrated true commitment—and how
we can apply that in our lives.

Break students into small groups, assigning each one story below. Ask them to discuss:

 What does this story teach about commitment?

 How does this apply to our lives today?

Story 1: Ruth’s Commitment to Naomi (Ruth 1:3-22)

 Ruth chooses to stay with Naomi despite uncertainty.

 Application: Commitment means staying loyal to those in need.

Story 2: Caleb’s Faith in God’s Promise (Numbers 14:1-24 & Joshua 14:6-15)

 Caleb believes in God’s promise and waits 40+ years to see it fulfilled.
 Application: Leadership requires long-term commitment, even when others doubt.

Story 3: Stephen’s Commitment to Truth (Acts 6:8-15, 7:1-60)

  Stephen boldly defends his faith, even facing death.
 Application: Commitment to truth means standing firm despite opposition.

 Conclusion & Application (5 min)

 Challenge: Identify one area in your life where you need stronger commitment this week.
Share it with a partner and pray for each other.

Extreme Commitment: When Does It Go Too Far?

🧠 Debate Question:
"Is there ever a point where being too committed becomes a flaw instead of a strength?"

Two Sides of the Debate:

🆚 Side 1: True Commitment Means Going All In, No Matter the Cost
💡 "If you really believe in something, you should give it your all—half-hearted commitment isn’t
real commitment."

 Commitment means sacrificing for what you believe in, even if it costs time, comfort, or even
relationships.
 The strongest leaders in history were the ones who refused to back down, no matter the
opposition.
 Jesus calls for complete devotion: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
 The Bible is full of people who committed fully—Stephen (Acts 7) died for his faith, Caleb
(Numbers 14) never wavered, and Paul sacrificed everything to spread the gospel.
 If someone accuses you of being too committed, maybe they just don’t understand the value of
what you’re fighting for.

📖 Biblical Example: The early disciples left their families, jobs, and everything they had to
follow Jesus. Was that extreme, or was it true faith?

🆚 Side 2: There is a Point Where Commitment Becomes Dangerous

💡 "Even good commitment can go too far and become blind obsession."

 Commitment without wisdom or balance can become stubbornness or even harmful.

 Some people stay committed to things that are no longer beneficial, like unhealthy
relationships, jobs, or habits.
 The Pharisees were extremely committed to their traditions, but Jesus rebuked them because
they had lost sight of God’s heart (Mark 7:6-9).
 A student who is overly committed to school might neglect family, faith, or personal well-being
—is that still a good thing?
 Even in faith, God calls for obedience, not obsession—if commitment leads to pride, burnout, or
legalism, is it really godly?
📖 Biblical Example: Saul (before becoming Paul) was deeply committed to persecuting
Christians, believing he was serving God. His commitment was real—but it was wrong.

Side 1: Commitment is a Strength—Never Too Much Commitment

1. Jesus' Example of Commitment (Luke 9:23-24)

Jesus speaks about the level of commitment required to follow Him, illustrating that extreme
commitment is necessary for those who desire to truly be His disciples.

 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow
me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save
it.”
 Jesus teaches that commitment involves self-sacrifice, putting everything on the line for the
sake of the kingdom of God. This shows that extreme commitment, even when it’s
uncomfortable, is necessary for true discipleship.

2. Caleb's Commitment to God's Promise (Numbers 14:24)

 “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring
him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”
 Caleb remained wholeheartedly committed to the promises God made to Israel. Even when the
rest of the Israelites doubted, his extreme commitment to God’s word resulted in God's
approval and the reward of entering the promised land.

3. Paul’s Commitment to the Gospel (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
 Paul’s life exemplified extreme commitment to spreading the gospel, even though it led to
imprisonments, beatings, and ultimately martyrdom. His willingness to sacrifice everything for
the gospel shows that extreme commitment can lead to divine fulfillment and ultimate victory.

Side 2: Extreme Commitment Can Be Harmful If Taken Too Far—The Need for
Balance

1. The Pharisees’ Blind Commitment to Traditions (Mark 7:6-9)

 “He replied, ‘Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ‘These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their
teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on
to human traditions.’”
 The Pharisees’ extreme commitment to their religious traditions made them blind to the truth.
Their obsession with rules and traditions led them to miss the point of God’s law: love, mercy,
 and justice. Extreme commitment to the wrong things can lead to spiritual blindness and
compromise true devotion to God.

2. Saul’s Commitment to Persecuting Christians (Acts 9:1-5)

 “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

 Saul was extremely committed to destroying the early church, believing it was the right thing to
do. His zeal for his beliefs led him to wrong actions. God stopped him in his tracks and revealed
the truth, showing that blind commitment to something wrong can lead you down a dangerous
path. Saul’s extreme commitment to his perceived purpose was ultimately corrected, and his life
was transformed.

3. Jesus and the Disciples Retreating (Mark 6:31-32)

 “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to
eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they
went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.”
 Even though Jesus was committed to ministry, He recognized the need for balance and rest.
There was a point where extreme commitment could lead to exhaustion and burnout. Jesus
demonstrates that leaders must know when to pull back and rest to ensure their effectiveness.
Extreme commitment without rest can be harmful to both the individual and those they lead.

Conclusion and Application:

 Extreme commitment can be a strength, as seen in the lives of Jesus, Paul, and Caleb. However,
it can also become a flaw if it leads to blindness to the truth, burnout, or misguided priorities,
as seen in the Pharisees and Saul’s story.
 The key is balance: Committing fully to God’s call is necessary, but it should always be guided by
wisdom, self-awareness, and an openness to correction.
 Leaders should be committed, but also mindful of their well-being, their relationships, and the
truth. They should be ready to re-evaluate their commitments when they no longer align with
God’s will or the greater good.