Talk (Stand up for what you believe in / brave heart)
Talk Introduction
Tonight we are going to talk about standing up for what you believe in
We are going to start by watching a clip from Brave Heart
This film is based on the 13th century freedom fighter William Wallace
Who fought the English to free Scotland
[Brave Heart]
2 hours 30 – William faces the judge
2 hours 41 – he has just been hung by the neck
The middle bit
In the clip we’ve just seen, William is given a choice
beg for mercy
be tortured
He chose to be tortured. Why?
He said “If I swear to him then all that I am is dead already”
What would you have done in his situation?
Would you have begged for mercy?
Would you have taken the pain killers?
Could you have watched someone be executed? What if it was your
friend?
William was willing to die for his beliefs…
People still do this kind of thing today…for example, suicide bombers
What do you think about that?
What kind of things would you be willing to die for?
Friends / family
Would you go to war?
The Bible tells us that following God isn’t always easy…
It cost’s some people their lives…
Mark 13:13 “All people will hate you because you follow me, but those people who keep
their faith until the end will be saved”
Why do you think some people give Christians a hard time?
Because they are different…
Because they believe different things
What kind of things do people say about Christians?
Does that bother you?
Why do they say those things?
What makes a Christian different from people who don’t follow God?
Have you ever stood up for your Christian beliefs?
What happened?
[Do people know you come to a Christian youth group?]
What do they say?
What do you think God wants us to do when people give us a hard time?
Matthew 5:43-45 ”You have heard it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemies.’
But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you….”
What do you think about that?
Conclusion
God wants us to stand firm in our beliefs...even when life gets tough
To close, I’d like you to spend a moment and think
When do you struggle to stand up for what you believe in?
If you’d like God to help you with those things…write them down