Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
“But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name.” — John 1:12
One person in the group will pretend to be a famous athlete or celebrity [secretly given to them by the huddle leader] and give verbal clues to another person. The guesser will have 15 seconds to figure out their partner’s fake identity.
- What was the hardest part about pretending to be a famous person?
- What was the hardest part about trying to figure out the famous person’s identity?
Workout
Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest NBA centers of all time. But when he visited his old home arena in 2021, the Madison Square Garden security repeatedly asked to see his photo pass before allowing him to access different parts of the building. Ewing was not happy and felt like everyone should have recognized him without asking for proper ID.
It’s a common feeling amongst popular athletes, coaches and other celebrities that who they are and what they’ve accomplished should allow them to gain access without any official proof.
This can even be a trap that lesser-known competitors might fall into—the need to be seen, known and treated well. That’s because it’s easy to get wrapped up in sports and allow competitive success to define who you are.
But God’s Word tells us that when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, our entire lives should be focused on Him and what He has done for us and wants to do through us.
- In what ways have you focused too much on what people think of you as an athlete?
- Have you ever let your competitive success define who you are? What does it say about you?
Not long after Jesus went back to Heaven, there was a man named Paul (also known as Saul) who had a lot of pride in his many titles and descriptors. He was Jewish. He was Roman. He was a Pharisee. He was educated. He was an elite. He was a successful businessman.
Paul was also arresting Christians and having them killed for their faith.But when Paul had an encounter with Jesus (in Acts 9), something inside of him changed dramatically. He no longer held onto those parts of his identity so tightly. He was now, first and foremost, a child of God and a disciple of Christ:
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” — Galatians 2:20a
Paul now understood these important truths. God created him (in His image), loved him (enough to save him) and chose him (for a much greater purpose). And because of his new identity, Paul had the boldness and courage to tell the world about Jesus.
- In what ways can you relate to Paul’s need to be recognized for his background, his heritage and his accomplishments?
- What is it like to be known as a child of God?
Wrap-Up
There is no more confusion about who you are when you join God’s family. You have a clear identity in Jesus! Here are three key things to remember about taking on His identity:
- You are Created. God wanted you in His life, so, He created you with love and made you to be like Him. — Genesis 1:27
- You are Loved. Even though you were born a sinner, God still wants a relationship with you. That’s why He gave His Son to bring you back to Him. — Romans 5:8
- You are Chosen. God has a plan for your life, and He chose you so that you could fulfill your greater identity through His purpose. — John 15:16
Huddle up and shout out, “I am a child of God!” Ask the team if anyone would be willing to close the Huddle in prayer.