Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” — Ephesians 1:3
Let’s break into pairs and take a few minutes to get to know each other better. Tell each other your names and then ask each other the following questions:
- What is your favorite part about being on a team?
- How do you know when your team fits well together?
Let’s share with the group what we learned from each other about “team.”
Workout
Do you know what one of the most important jobs we have as coaches and parents? (Wait a few seconds for answers.)
Our job as coaches and parents is to make sure that you have everything you need to be successful. We do this because we love you and value you as a very important part of our lives.
But God, the one who created us all, loves you even more, and He wants to bless you and give you everything you need to do great things for Him.
Isn’t it amazing that the Creator of the universe cares for you like that?
Ephesians 1:3, however, tells us that you first need to be united with Christ before you can truly receive all of the spiritual blessings that God has for you. In a lot of ways, it’s the same thing you might experience on a team. There’s really no way you can be your best and maximize your abilities if you aren’t united with your coaches and your teammates.
Find a partner and answer these questions together; then, prepare to share with the team:
- What might happen if you don’t listen to your coach’s instructions during practice?
- What might happen if you do something differently than what your coach has asked during competition?
- What might happen if there are consistent disagreements and arguments between you and your teammates?
All of those questions reflect an environment of disunity, and there aren’t many positive outcomes when that’s the case.
The same is true when you aren’t united with Christ. You might get by and even have some success, but it probably won’t last and it certainly won’t be fulfilling. There’s also a good chance that your goals and dreams won’t line up with God’s purpose for your life.
But on the other hand, being united with Christ can unlock your full potential and put you on the path to fulfilling everything He has planned for your life.
Your purpose for competing, for living, becomes clear. You no longer second guess the WHY of your life because you know WHO you live for: Jesus.
Over the next nine meetings, we are going to talk about how to become truly united with Christ and explore what happens when that takes place. It will be an awesome time to learn more about God while we’re growing together as a team!
Wrap-Up
Let’s huddle up and shout out the last part of Ephesians 1:3:
Repeat after me…
We are!
United!
With Christ!
Again…
We are!
United!
With Christ!
Let’s close in prayer together.
“Dear God, thank You for giving us this time together. Help us learn everything we need to know about the blessings You give us through Jesus. Amen.”