Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:12–13
You love your teammates, and you’d do anything for them. But when you understand your greater purpose, you’ll realize that your team is much bigger than you’ve ever imagined, and God wants that team to experience His love through you!
We’re going to have a relay race with a twist. One team will have four runners. The other team will be one person running all four legs on his or her own.
- For the person running alone, how difficult was it racing with no team?
- For the people who ran as a team, how did having four people working together make the race easier?
Workout
In 1992, the International Olympic Committee allowed NBA players to compete in the Summer Olympics for the first time ever. USA Basketball assembled one of the greatest collections of athletes ever, and they became known as the “Dream Team.” To no one’s surprise, they dominated the competition all the way to the gold medal.
But there are more aspects to a team than athletic ability and talent. In fact, a team can be gifted and not be successful if its individual members don’t have chemistry and unity—two important factors determined by loyalty, selflessness, sacrifice, honesty and trust.
- Who are some of the athletes you would want to play on your “Dream Team” and why?
- Other than athletic talent, what other elements of team do you think are important to long-term success and impact?
One of the first things Jesus did when He began His ministry was put together a team. He found 12 ordinary men to become His disciples. Several other people also joined the team—men and women who gravitated toward Jesus because of His wisdom, compassion and miracle-working power and believed He was the Messiah.
But Jesus’ team was never meant to be limited to just a handful of people. When Jesus went back to Heaven, around 120 followers were ready to take on the challenge of building the Church.
Now, with billions of Christ followers around the world, there is still room on God’s team. Because of His love for you, God wants you on His team. This is how Jesus prayed to God on your behalf in the days before His death and resurrection:
“I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.” — John 17:23
And as part of your greater purpose, He wants you to invite more teammates to do the same.
- Why do you think Jesus assembled a team?
- What does being a part of God’s team mean to you?
Wrap-Up
Understanding your greater purpose means you spread God’s love to others in an effort to glorify God’s Kingdom. People will see a difference in you and God’s team when they see the love you have for others. People will see a difference in you and God’s team because of the people you have invited to be on His team—limited to no one and open to everyone who chooses to follow Jesus. People will see a difference in you and God’s team because of the greater things you will do together.
Close in prayer or ask an athlete to lead the team in prayer