Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“…he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” — Ephesians 1:11b
Let’s all stand in a circle. We’ll take a ball and toss it around the group. Every time you catch the ball, you have to say one word of today’s Bible verse and then toss the ball to one of your teammates until we say the whole verse. Repeat two to three times. When we feel confident enough, let’s recite the verse word-for-word from memory.
Workout
Have you thought about why you are a part of this team? Some of you might be here because you want to play sports at the next level. Others of you might be here because you simply enjoy competition and being around your teammates. And some of you might be here because you want to be active and healthy.
But one thing most of you probably like is the feeling of being chosen. I sure know that I like to be chosen.
As a team, go around the Huddle and answer the following questions:
- How do you feel when you get picked on a team?
- How do you feel when you don’t get picked?
No one likes to be picked last and no one likes to be left out. But it happens to the best of us, and it hurts because we all want to feel included.
But here’s the great news: God picked you to be on His team.
You are chosen!
In the Bible, Jesus tells us, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you.” — John 15:16a
That means He decided that there was something special about you and wanted you to be a part of His plan.
And it’s even better than that. God created everything—the universe, our world, everything in it, and even you.
That’s right. You are created! There’s another verse in the Bible that says,
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
— Psalm 139:13-14
When David wrote that he was “wonderfully complex,” science had not yet discovered the depth of that statement. For instance, here are a few extraordinary facts about how complex you are:
- Your body produces 25 million new cells EVERY second!
- Your heart will beat around three BILLION times in your life!
- Your teeth are as strong as a shark’s teeth!
- Your nose can detect a TRILLION different scents!
- Your body has over 600 muscles!
And who do we give credit to? God, our Creator. But God didn’t create us just so we could function as a human every day. He created us for a purpose—a purpose that’s greater than anything else.
That’s right. You are created for a purpose! And that purpose is to worship God and to tell others the Good News about Jesus.
Let’s take a few minutes to look at Isaiah 43:7b:
“I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.”
Turn to a teammate sitting next to you and take a few minutes to talk about what stood out to you about verse Isaiah 43:7.
Here’s the thing–verse 43:7 may be short, but it certainly contains some powerful words. God chose you, created you, and more importantly, made you for a purpose. That’s a lot to wrap your mind around. At the same time, it’s amazing and exciting to know that because God created everything, there is more to life than we could ever imagine!
Wrap-Up
It doesn’t matter whether you are competing for fun or competing to reach the next level. I’m glad that you are here because God has chosen you to be here. And He has chosen for you to be here as part of His greater purpose for your life.
I’m excited to be a part of your journey and I can’t wait to see what God has in store! As we close out this week and prepare for our next practice, remember: God created you for a purpose because He loves you.
Let’s close out today’s Huddle Time in prayer.
“Dear God, thank You for creating us in Your image and choosing us for a wonderful purpose. We want to honor You in everything we do. Amen.”