1 Corinthians 9:19-27 "Living With Purpose"

“How Do I Teach My Kids to Live with Purpose When They’re So Easily Distracted?”

In a world full of noise, choices, and screen time, it’s easy for kids to live reactively rather than intentionally. Many parents wonder how to help their children stay focused on what truly matters. How do you raise a child who doesn’t just go with the flow—but lives to honor God? The Apostle Paul gives us a compelling answer in 1 Corinthians 9:19–27: live like a runner with your eyes on the prize.

Big Idea:

The Christian life isn’t aimless. It’s a race worth running with discipline, focus, and gospel-driven purpose.

Passage Summary: Paul’s Example of Gospel-Driven Living

In this passage, Paul uses vivid imagery and personal testimony to explain what it looks like to live intentionally for the sake of the gospel.

He begins with a powerful statement: “Though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” Paul had rights as a Roman citizen. He had freedom in Christ. But he willingly gave up comforts, preferences, and cultural advantages—so that others might come to know Jesus.

To the Jews, he lived like a Jew. To the Gentiles, he lived apart from the Jewish law. To the weak, he became weak. This wasn’t hypocrisy. It was love. Paul wasn’t compromising his faith. He was removing obstacles.

“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” (v. 22)

Then Paul shifts to a metaphor his audience would understand: athletics. Corinth was home to the Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympics. Paul writes, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” He wasn’t talking about working for salvation. He was talking about living with gospel urgency—refusing to drift through life.

He describes the Christian life as one of self-discipline and focus. Like an athlete training for victory, Paul says, “I discipline my body and keep it under control.” He’s not driven by legalism but by love. His aim isn’t fame or reward. It’s to honor Christ and lead others to Him.

How to Teach This at Home

Here are three ways to help your child grasp and apply this truth:

1. Talk about “running with a goal.”
Ask your child: “What’s something worth working hard for?” Then explain how living for Jesus is even more important—and more rewarding—than winning a trophy or getting a good grade. God’s purpose gives life meaning.

2. Practice self-control together.
Use Paul’s phrase: “I discipline my body.” Talk about small ways kids can build spiritual discipline—like setting aside time to pray, choosing kindness when it’s hard, or turning off a screen to read the Bible.

3. Focus on people, not preferences.
Share Paul’s mindset of putting others before himself to reach them with the gospel. Ask your child: “How can we love someone this week in a way that puts their needs first?”

How This Points to Jesus

Paul didn’t invent this strategy. He was following the example of Jesus, who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus gave up heaven’s glory to walk among us. He endured rejection, hardship, and death—not for His own gain but for our salvation.

Because of Jesus, we aren’t just running to earn something. We’re running from a place of freedom, joy, and purpose. The gospel empowers us to live lives that matter—lives that point others to Him.

Want help teaching your kids one story at a time?

Download our free [Foundations Sample Pack] and start this week. It’s a gospel-centered tool to help your kids grow in biblical literacy and live with purpose—one story at a time.