Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.”– John 15:9
On a scale of 1-10, how much do you love the following things:
- Ice cream
- School
- Your parents
- This sport
You may love some of those things a lot more than others. I’m pretty sure if homework or pushups were on that list, they would have scored a zero. Today we are going to talk about how much love Jesus has for us, and spoiler – it’s way more than we could ever imagine.
Workout
A few weeks ago, we talked about how Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches of a tree. We discussed how we must stay connected to the tree to stay alive. This week we will look again at the tree and talk about what flows through and out of the tree.
Have any of you ever forgotten your water for practice? I bet you were thirsty the whole time and didn’t have much energy because you couldn’t refuel, right? We need water to survive, especially when we are playing sports. Just like we need water, so do trees. When it rains, water gets absorbed into the roots and makes its way through the tree to the branches and then into the leaves. The water goes through each part of the tree to help it grow and survive. The love of God gets to us in a similar way.
John 15:9 says that God loves Jesus the same way that Jesus loves us. So, like water entering a tree at the roots and traveling to the branches, God’s love travels through Jesus to us! And His love doesn’t stop there. It travels through the branches, which are us, to the leaves, which are the people around us.
It’s our job, as the branches, to extend God’s love to other people. If we don’t continue the flow of love beyond the branches, the tree will have no leaves and look dead. But if we remain in God’s love and spread it to others, the tree will get bigger, and more leaves will grow!
It would be selfish to keep God’s perfect love to ourselves and not share it with anybody. When we find a good thing, we need to share it with everyone we meet so they can also experience it! Sometimes it might be scary to share our faith with others, but remember, you are just the branches attached to a strong tree that will provide you with whatever you need to help the tree grow. God is always with us. We just have to remain with Him, and He will help us.
Wrap-Up
- What are some ways we can share God’s love with other people?
- How does it make you feel to know how much God loves you?
“Father, we can’t comprehend how much You love us. It is beyond anything we have ever experienced. Help us to look past this world and to know in our hearts that You provide us with perfect love. Remind us that in the same way God loves His Son, Jesus loves us. Amen.”