Alignment: Stay On the Right Path
Preached to: Middle & High School Students
Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn
This week, we explored what it means to live in spiritual alignment with God. Just like a car veers off course when the wheels are out of line, our lives can drift from God’s plan through small compromises. The good news? God’s Word is our guide back.
Key Points:
Misalignment Happens Gradually – Small choices can slowly pull us off course without us even realizing it.
Alignment Requires Trust, Not Control – We must surrender control and trust God to direct our path (Proverbs 3:5–6).
God’s Word Is the Alignment Tool – Scripture is the only true standard to keep our hearts aligned with His will.
Bottom Line: Alignment isn’t about being perfect—it’s about letting God correct your path before the drift becomes a crash.
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🍽 Night 1: Misalignment Happens Gradually
Key Verse: Proverbs 14:12 (NLT) – “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
Discussion Questions:
Can you think of a time when you slowly drifted from doing what was right? What caused it?
Why do you think small compromises are harder to notice than big ones?
How can we help each other recognize when we’re drifting spiritually?
Action Step:
Each family member write down one small habit or distraction that could pull them away from God. Share one and commit to praying for each other this week.🍽 Night 2: Trust Over Control
Key Verse: Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT) – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding…”
Discussion Questions:
Is it hard for you to trust God when you don’t know the outcome? Why or why not?
What’s an area of your life right now where you might be trying to control instead of trust?
How can we build more trust in our relationship with God?
Action Step:
As a family, pick one thing you’re each facing this week that you want to surrender to God. Pray over them together, asking for God’s direction.🍽 Night 3: Align with God’s Word
Key Verse: Psalm 119:105 (NLT) – “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
Discussion Questions:
What voices influence you most—God’s Word or other sources (social media, friends, etc.)?
How can you tell the difference between truth and something that just sounds true?
Why is God’s Word the best alignment tool for our lives?
Action Step:
Pick a Bible verse as a family to memorize this week. Say it together after dinner each night and discuss how it applies to your lives. -
🏁 STARTER ILLUSTRATION:
Show or reference a crooked shopping cart or misaligned go-kart. It doesn’t go straight no matter how hard you try—just like our lives when we drift from God’s path.
🔧 MESSAGE POINTS:
1. Misalignment Happens Gradually
We rarely realize we’re drifting until we’re far off track.
Small compromises (gossip, dishonesty, apathy) slowly pull us away from God’s plan.
Proverbs 14:12 (NLT) – “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
2. Alignment Requires Trust, Not Control
We often try to fix things on our own or rely on what feels right.
True alignment comes when we surrender control and let God lead.
Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us to lean on His understanding, not our own.
3. God’s Word Is the Alignment Tool
Culture, influencers, and even social media often present “truths” that aren’t real.
God’s Word is our only reliable standard to realign our hearts.
Psalm 119:105 (NLT) – “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
🧭 DIG DEEPER:
Alignment isn’t about being perfect—it’s about correction. God gently steers us back when we’re willing to listen.
✅ APPLY – The ALIGN Checkpoints:
Use the word ALIGN to stay on the right path this week:
A – Ask for Direction: Start each day in prayer asking God to lead.
L – Listen to His Word: Make Scripture a regular part of your day.
I – Invite Accountability: Find a friend or leader to walk with you.
G – Guard Your Inputs: Watch what’s influencing your heart and mind.
N – Navigate One Hard Decision with God: Don’t go it alone—seek His wisdom.
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Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Proverbs 14:12 (NLT)
“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.’”Psalm 119:105 (NLT)
“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
