Session 5: Weapons of Peace: Faith and Salvation

Ephesians 6:16-17: "Shield of Faith and Helmet of Salvation"

By the end of this session, youth will be able to do the following.

Know that by following Christ as the way, the Truth, and the Life brings about our salvation
Know that the weapons faith and salvation are very important to help strengthen us in the Lord.

Ask: "What is faith?" Give them a chance to talk about it. Have someone read from Hebrews 11:1. Write it down so everyone can see it and explain that faith is what we hope for and do not see with our physical eyes. But can we see them with our spiritual eyes.

Activity 1:
Faith Catch: Two youth interlock wrists while one person falls backwards, putting their faith in the person behind them. This activity can be risky. Make sure there is one adult staff member behind each group to be a spotter.

When everyone is finished, have them sit down and be quiet for a few moments.

Let them openly talk about their experiences. Ask them, "How did it go?" Ask: "Did you keep the faith or did you not trust your partners? Who wouldn’t try it?"

Say: "Our relationship with God is very similar. Sometimes, we do not trust in God enough. Sometimes we do not give Him our whole trust and put our whole faith in Him to get us through the rough times or even the good times. We forget about Him and push Him aside. We would rather go to a mall or stay home and sleep sometimes before we go to Church. Being faithful, means keeping our minds and hearts on the Lord."

Ask: "How can we use faith as a weapon against the devil? How does it strengthen us in the Lord?" Write their answers on a chalk board or large paper.

Conclude by saying: "By having faith in Christ, by living a righteous life like we talked about earlier, and by asking the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts, we attain salvation."

Grades 6 - 12

Break them off into their groups with these questions.

What do we need to do as Orthodox Christians to gain salvation?
Who can help us with our salvation?
Are we saved by faith alone?
What does it mean to be in union with God, and how do we become united to God?
Give three examples of real life situations where someone can separate themselves from God?

Come back and discuss with your group.

Conclude by saying: "By using all the weapons we have learned about in our spiritual journeys to Christ, we will encounter many bumps along the way but we must continue to strengthen our spiritual muscles to fight against our spiritual enemies. By knowing that Christ is the truth, by living a righteous life, by understanding scripture and the gospel of peace, and by believing in Christ we will be saved."