I love movies! There’s nothing like a good one to hit “reset” on my brain when it’s running in fifty directions. One of my all-time favorites? The original 1984 Karate Kid.
Here’s the gist: Daniel, the new kid, wants to learn karate. Enter Mr. Miyagi, his quirky and wise mentor. But instead of sparring lessons, Mr. Miyagi puts Daniel to work—painting fences, waxing cars, sanding floors. Over and over, Daniel follows these repetitive motions, confused and frustrated. “What does this have to do with karate?” he wonders.
The magic happens when Daniel faces opposition. Wax on; wax off. Sand the floor; side to side. Paint the fence. Don’t forget to breathe. Without realizing it, all those seemingly unrelated tasks trained his body. His muscle memory kicks in, and he’s ready—defense solid, movements instinctive.
And that’s what ministry with children and families can be like! We’re building faith muscle memory, truth muscle memory, and spiritual muscle memory so they’re equipped to defend and live out their faith. And our training centers on one historic, life-changing event: the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of the one true God, creator and savior of the world.
How do we build these faith “muscles”? Here are three solid, foundational tools:
- The Lord’s Prayer – This teaches us how to communicate directly with God. Whether it’s a simple, heartfelt “HELP!” or the words of a prayer shared by Christians for centuries, it’s a powerful reminder that our God hears us.
- The Apostle’s Creed – This answers, “What do we believe?” It’s a backbone for our faith, keeping us rooted in the essentials while uniting us with the global Body of Christ.
- The Ten Commandments – These guide us in how to live out our faith, shaping our relationships with God and each other. Written by God’s own hand, they set His people apart.
Yes, there are tons of Sunday school curriculums with fun videos, creative themes, and hands-on activities. But imagine if we consistently showered kids and youth with Jesus while weaving in these three timeless teachings? We’d be equipping them with the essentials of our faith, shared by millions over the past 2,000+ years.
That’s the kind of muscle memory worth building!
