Run By Faith
Preached to: Middle & High School Students
Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn
Fuel the Fire 🔥
As we finish our ACCELERATE series, we’re learning this: Faith isn’t just about starting strong — it’s about finishing free.
Hebrews 12:1 reminds us to “strip off every weight that slows us down.”
Not everything that slows us is sinful — some things are just heavy: fear, distractions, unhealthy relationships, past hurts, or habits that drain us.
You can love Jesus and still be slowed down. Weights don’t stop you from believing — they stop you from moving forward.
But here’s the good news: God never asks you to carry what He’s ready to remove.
Sometimes freedom doesn’t come before obedience — it comes through it. As we move forward in faith, God removes what no longer belongs in our race.
Faith doesn’t run backward or replay the past.
Faith fixes its eyes on Jesus and runs forward.
So ask yourself: What weight do I need to release?
Write it down. Pray. Let it go.
Because you can’t accelerate without trust.
You can’t run without fuel.
And you can’t move forward while carrying what God is asking you to release.
Small steps. Real faith. God-sized momentum.
Keep up with all that’s going on at Amplify Youth, including dates, times, sign-ups, and forms, on our main page.
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Night 1 – Identifying the Weight
Focus: What might be slowing me down?
What stood out to you most from the message Run By Faith?
What do you think “weight” means in a spiritual sense? How is it different from sin?
What are some examples of things that can become “weights” in a student’s life today?
Is there something you feel has been slowing your growth or focus lately?
Why do you think God asks us to release weight before we run forward?
Night 2 – Learning to Release
Focus: Trusting God with what we carry
Why do you think it’s sometimes hard to let go of things that God wants to remove?
The message said freedom sometimes comes through obedience, not before it — what does that mean to you?
Can you think of a time when you obeyed God even when you didn’t feel ready?
What would it look like to trust God with something heavy in your life right now?
How can our family encourage each other when it’s hard to release something?
Night 3 – Running Forward in Faith
Focus: Keeping our eyes on Jesus
What does it mean to “run forward” instead of looking backward?
How can focusing on the past keep us from what God has ahead?
Hebrews says to fix our eyes on Jesus — what are some practical ways to do that this week?
What is one faith step you feel God challenging you to take right now?
How can we as a family help each other keep momentum in our faith?
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Intro: ACCELERATE Recap
Week 1: Living by Faith in God’s Timing
Week 2: Fuel the Fire
Week 3: Run By Faith
ACCELERATE = A year of faith-fueled momentum with fresh fire and full trust
Acceleration isn’t just about starting strong — it’s about finishing free
You can’t accelerate while dragging yesterday
Key Scripture
Hebrews 12:1–2 (NLT)
Strip off every weight… and run with endurance by fixing your eyes on Jesus
Point 1: Every Runner Has Weight
Weight is not always sin — sometimes it’s just heavy
Weights can include:
Distractions
Fear
Past hurts
Unhealthy relationships
Habits that drain time and focus
Weights don’t stop belief — they slow forward movement
Point 2: God Never Asks Us to Carry What He’s Ready to Remove
God doesn’t say “try harder,” He says “let it go”
Freedom comes before speed
Sometimes the weight comes off while we obey, not before
God removes weight to make us faster, not just more comfortable
Acceleration requires release
Point 3: Faith Runs Forward
Faith fixes its eyes on Jesus, not the past
Faith doesn’t replay failures or circle wounds
You can’t move forward while staring behind you
Faith doesn’t deny the past — it refuses to live there
Next Steps: How We Release the Weight
Write It Down – Identify what’s slowing you down
Pray – Trust God with what you’ve been carrying
Release It – Lay it down and leave it behind
ACCELERATE Challenge
📖 10 minutes in God’s Word daily
🙏 5 minutes of prayer daily
🔥 1 faith action each week
Small steps. Real faith. God-sized momentum.
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Hebrews 12:1–2 (NLT)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
