7 Checkpoints: Authentic Faith - Grace

Billy and Tim were walking to school on Monday morning. The weekend had been pretty rough for both of them. There was a girl in their school named Mary. Tim was crazy about Mary. When Tim and Billy would get together to hang out, the topic of Mary always came up. Billy knew that Tim liked her a lot. He also knew that Mary didn’t really like him. He knew that nothing was ever going to happen between Tim and Mary. Billy was convinced that Tim wasn’t Mary’s type. However, he was also convinced that he was Mary’s type. So on Friday, Billy called her up to ask her out.

Billy and Tim were best friends. Back in 3rd grade Tim and Billy made a pact with each other that nothing would ever come between them. No matter what ever happened in their lives, they would always be best friends.

Billy picked up Mary on Saturday night around 5. They went out to Chuck-e-cheese and got some pizza and played some of the games that were there. Billy won a ton of tickets and went to the counter and got Mary a fake flower. Mary thought that the gesture was nice. Later around 7:30, Billy and Mary went to the mini golf course. What Billy didn’t realize was that this Saturday night was Tim’s night to do something with his dad, just the two of them. And guess what they were going to do. (Mini Golf). Tim and his dad pulled into the parking lot around 8 and then Tim saw Billy with Mary half way through the 4th hole. All of a sudden Tim felt sick to his stomach. He told his dad that he didn’t feel well and just wanted to go home. So they did. His dad asked him what was wrong, but he didn’t want to talk about it.

On Monday morning, Tim didn’t meet Billy at his house, and Billy walked to school alone. Tim would never speak to Billy again. Billy had destroyed their relationship because of the decision that he made.


A true faith is having confidence that God is who He says He is, and that He will do what He says He will do.

What does that have to do with that story?
What did Billy and Tim promise each other when they were in 3rd grade?

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Who knows what a covenant is?

Back in the Old Testament, there was a man named Abraham. They had a custom back in those days. They didn’t have contracts where you would sign on the dotted line. You could shake hands, but when there was an intense contract to be made they did something a little bit different. They would sacrifice an animal by cutting it in half. They would place the half of the animal on one side and the other half on the other side. Then at the same time the two men would walk between the animal halves. That contract was sealed in blood, and if one man broke his part of the bargain, then the deal was off.

God came to Abraham and made a covenant with Him. He told Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars, and that He would preserve His people no matter what. Then it came time to walk through the animals. God caused Abraham to not be able to walk through the animals, and God walked through them himself. That meant that the only one who could break that promise was God. That promise was unconditional. God would never break that promise. As you read the stories in the Old Testament you see that God never has broken that promise. Abraham’s people have given God plenty of reasons to break the promise, but He never has.

God made a promise to you and to me in John 3:16 – Because God loved the world so much, He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.

Then Jesus died and shed His blood to pay the price for my sins and for your sins.

I am so glad that God keeps His promises. I am so glad that God loves me unconditionally. The Bible says that absolutely nothing will ever separate me from the love of God. It says that even though I am faithless, He remains faithful.

Have you ever done something that you were afraid to tell you mom or dad? Maybe you did something like Billy and betrayed your best friend. Stuff happens. We make bad decisions all the time. We make decisions that hurt others and sometimes we even hurt ourselves.

I want to tell you about a girl I know. She has a relationship with Jesus. She’s made some really bad choices. God has a huge plan for this girl’s life. He continues to love her. Right now she is tearing His heart apart.