God will always accomplish His will for His glory.

SCRIPTURE | Genesis 11:1-32

CENTRAL TRUTH

The motive behind building the tower was pretty clear: the people didn’t want to “fill the earth,” so they decided to build a powerful city. This tower would guarantee fame and security. It would build their name among the other nations, maybe even provoke fear. It would declare independence. They devised their own plans, but God’s plans prevailed, even when they rebelled (Prov. 19:21).

Key question

What does this story teach us about trying to do anything apart from God?

Keep in Mind

Fame—a lot of our students want it. Scroll on any form of social media and you’ll notice one thing: people are constantly sharing every detail of their lives in an effort to be known. Even young children aspire to be YouTube sensations and practice recording tutorials for pretend audiences.
So, is being famous wrong? Well, it depends on why you’re known. If you look at Scripture, all of the people who built their names for their own glory eventually fell. They built their own kingdoms, and their outcomes were never good. But if you look at the outcome of those who built up God’s name, it’s entirely different. Moses. David. Josiah. Paul. All of their names are well known, but it’s because they spent their days pointing to someone much greater than they could ever be: God.

APPLICATION

What are the “towers” in your life? In other words, are there areas in which you’re rebelling against God?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: Eventually, the Tower of Babel ended in rubble. Anything our students build out of rebellion or pride will end the same way. Instead, we can encourage them to invest in what lasts—a relationship with God and His glory.

FOR THE LEADER: We can likely look back and see rebellion in our own lives. And we will also see that it only ever led to disappointment. Turning from our rebellion leads to life—abundant life. When it’s appropriate, we can consider sharing how we’ve turned from rebellion and toward God and how the outcome led to more abundant life.