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All Archive - June 2008
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The Great Commission
Set:As athletes, coaches, and sports fans, how often do we strike up conversations about our favorite teams or sports? If you’re like me, I could talk for hours about my passion for endurance sports or even my love for the Atlanta Braves. But how often does the Lord creep into those same conversations with friends, coworkers, teammates and family members? The truth is that many of us like to stay in our little boxes and only speak about the Lord on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. I have to remind myself that the “Great Commission,” given by Jesus Himself, didn’t give any timetable or day of the week.
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Fed Up
Set:In the 2007 season, there has been a lot of attention on the Chicago Cubs, but not the kind they were hoping for after spending $300 million in the off season to improve the team. In a frustrating string of games, the Cubs lost six straight, saw two of its players in a fist fight that sent one to the hospital, and had a dirt-kicking tirade by manager Lou Piniella, which led to an ejection and indefinite suspension. After his ejection, Piniella said, "I'm fed up with some of the play we've had on the field."I applaud Lou Piniella's unwillingness to accept mediocre baseball from his club, but his methods are not what I would deem appropriate. The point, however, is that he will not accept anything but their best. -
Self-Fulfillment
Set:Last summer, as I sat in Yosemite Valley looking up at the famous El Capitan rock formation, I realized that I needed to come to grips with some things that I did not like about myself. I took out a piece of paper, and on it, I made three columns. At the top I wrote “Who am I,” “What do I want to change,” and “How am I going to get there.” As I started to write, I found if difficult to be honest with myself. But after I was done, I realized two vital things: (1) Nothing could happen without Christ, and (2) my days of self-fulfillment needed to end.
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Staying on the Right Path
Set:The other day I decided to go on a new mountain bike trail. I began riding in the shade of the mountain and the trees until I came to a split in the road. On the left there was a trail called Creek Mouth and on the right was Sugar Island. I’d originally planned just to ride Sugar Island, but I looked on the map to see where Creek Mouth would put me out at. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the map. Still, the name sounded interesting and I knew I had to ride it.
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Leading Sport Oriented Bible Studies
This guide gives some simple instructions and suggestions for the leadership of Bible studies and discussions with athletes and coaches.
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Loyalty
Discussion:
- Who has shown you loyalty during your career in sport? Tell us about it.
- How do people express loyalty at various levels of sport?
- Let’s read about a remarkable expression of loyalty in Ruth 1:15-18.
- How did Ruth demonstrate loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi?
- From what you read, what are the limits of Ruth’s loyalty?
- Do you find such loyalty among your teammates and coaches? What factors contribute to that situation?
- What have we learned today that could build loyalty on our team?
Summary:
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Hard Work
Discussion:
- How important is your work ethic to your performance as a competitor?
- Who is to you an example of a strong work ethic? How is it seen in his/her approach to sport?
- Let’s read a couple of simple Proverbs that speak of work ethic. Proverbs 10:4, 12:24, 14:23, 22:29.
- Which one of these best illustrates your thoughts about hard work?
- Why would this be such an important factor for success in competition?
- How do we lead others to build a stronger work ethic for their sport?
Summary:
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Sacrifice
Discussion:
- What does it cost you to be a competitive athlete?
- What do you regularly sacrifice to compete in your sport?
- What sacrifices have you seen others make to achieve highly in their sport?
- Let’s read about someone who made a very important sacrifice. Let’s read Luke 23:32-46.
- What was it that Jesus sacrificed in this story? Why would He do that?
- Why do you make the sacrifices that you do?
- For what and for whom will you make sacrifices today and in the coming days?
Summary:
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Humility
Discussion:
- About which of your sport accomplishments are you normally too humble to openly speak?
- Why is it important for you to maintain such humility?
- Who are some players you’ve known who showed real humility?
- Let’s look for evidence of humility in this story. Let’s read Mark 1:6-11.
- What are some indicators of humility in John the Baptist from this passage?
- Why do you think John acts and speaks so humbly?
- How similar is your expression of humility to John’s?
- What are some ways that we can express true humility in the world of sport?
Summary:
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Teamwork
Discussion:
- How important is teamwork to your success in sport?
- Who has been a great teammate to you?
- What were the most important factors in such teamwork?
- Let’s read a story that illustrates teamwork from Luke 9:10-17.
- Where do you see teamwork happening in this story?
- What was Jesus’ role in the team effort?
- What can we learn from how He promoted teamwork with his disciples?
Summary:
- Be mindful of your teammates in all situations.
- Promote teamwork in every facet of your sport.
- Be a great teammate.
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Self-Control
Discussion:
- What part of your sport requires the most self-control?
- What happens if you play in an out-of-control way?
- Tell us about a player you know who shows great self-control.
- Let’s read about someone who demonstrated tremendous self-control. Read Matthew 4:1-11.
- How is Jesus’ self-control evident in this story? Over what factors does he exercise self-control?
- In what situations in your game do you struggle to maintain self-control?
- How might Jesus’ example here affect your approach to the game with respect to self-control?
Summary:
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Courage
Discussion:
- Tell us about a time when you showed courage in competition.
- How have you seen other players demonstrate courage through sport?
- Why do some people think courage is an important factor in making someone a winner?
- Let’s read about a winner who showed great courage. Read I Samuel 17:20-24, 31-37, 39-51.
- What are to you the most striking features of David’s courage in this story?
- How much is your experience with courage like his?
- How can coaches and players inspire such courage in others?
Summary:
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Our Better Can Be Better
Set:Have you seen the Nike commercial where the pro athlete leans into the microphone and proclaims, “My better is better than your better”? In this commercial, top-tier athletes from a variety of sports are shown performing some serious training and drills, all with the goal of bettering their game. It’s a commercial advertising Nike’s SPARQ gear—SPARQ stands for Speed, Performance, Agility, Reaction and Quickness. But the commercial serves as more than just an ad for Nike to sell a product. It’s also a reminder of the effort it takes in the off-season to prepare for what lies ahead.
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