Noah's Ark: Walking Faithfully with God

Hey friends, welcome back to Carpooling with Jesus. I'm Pastor Justin, and whether you're biking into school, having some breakfast, or heading off to practice, I'm so glad you're here. Today we're talking about one of the most incredible stories in the Bible, a story that Jesus would have learned about when he was a kid. It's the story of Noah and the ark. Imagine a giant boat, a flood covering the earth, and animals marching in two by two. Sounds pretty exciting, right? Well, let's dive in. Our verse today comes from Genesis chapter 6 verse 9. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. See, Noah lived in a time when almost everyone had turned away from God. People were making bad choices, being mean to one another, and ignoring what was right. But Noah was different. He listened to God and obeyed him. One day, God told Noah to build a huge boat, an ark, because a massive flood was coming. Even though it had never rained like that before, Noah trusted God and got to work. Can you imagine how crazy people must have thought Noah was? But Noah didn't let their laughter stop him. He followed God's instructions, gathered his family and the animals. And when the rain started, they were safe inside the ark. This verse tells us that Noah walked faithfully with God, which means he trusted and obeyed God, even when it was hard. And because of his faithfulness, God saved him and his family from the flood. If Jesus was sitting with us right now, I think he'd say something like, Noah trusted God even when others didn't understand. That's what I want for you. Sometimes doing the right thing isn't always popular, but I will always be with you. Walk with me, just like Noah did, and I'll lead you to amazing things. Just like Noah, we can trust God even when things don't make sense. Maybe you feel alone when you make a good choice, but God sees you. This reminds me of a story of a girl named Everly. She was on a flag football team, and during one game she saw a teammate step out of bounds before scoring a touchdown. The referee didn't notice and everyone cheered. But Everly knew the truth. If she spoke up, her team might lose the points. It was tough, but she did the right thing and told her coach. Some teammates were upset with Everly, but later her coach told her, I'm proud of you for being honest. Just like Noah, Everly chose to do what was right, even when it wasn't easy. And just like Noah, God saw her faithfulness. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're joining us today, God loves you. Before you go, here's a question to talk about together. What's the number one fear you have about doing the right thing when it's hard? I can't wait to see you tomorrow on Carpooling with Jesus.