Coach's Corner
Warm-Up
Let’s start off with a wheelbarrow race! In partners of two, we will race to a finish line! But, one partner will be lifting the legs of another, holding their ankles, while their partner does the race on their hands!
Workout
The wheelbarrow race is a perfect example of serving! One partner had to serve the other in order for them to cross the finish line.
What made that game difficult?
What would have happened if the rules were the same, but one could not help the other? It would be impossible, wouldn’t it?
Remember our response to God’s Game Plan? Love Him and love others.
Last week, we focused on loving God. Now it’s time to focus on others.
Remember, God said to love Him first. Look what His second command is:
“The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” — Mark 12:31
Remember our wheelbarrow race? It would have been impossible without someone helping us. In other words, someone served us by lifting our legs and helped us get to the finish line. Life is exactly the same. We will love our neighbors by serving our neighbors. But, who are our neighbors? Raise your hands if…
You have neighbors.
You have friends.
You have teammates.
You have classmates.
Everyone around us are our neighbors. When we hear “neighbors,” we think those who live beside us. But when God says, “neighbors,” He is talking about those who live on the same earth as us.
There is a beautiful story in Luke 10 of how one neighbor serves another neighbor. Read Luke 10:25-37 together. There was a man who was beat up and left on the side of the road. So many passed him, not offering help; then, a man passed along and felt compassion for him. He decided to serve him and take care of him. Jesus said the one who helped him was a neighbor and for us to be like him.
Just like the Samaritan, anyone who God puts in our lives or in our path are our neighbors. Let’s become like the good Samaritan. Let’s start loving so deeply that we serve regularly without even thinking about it.
Discuss out loud or answer in your heart:
- Who around you today can you serve?
- How can you serve your teammates? How can you serve your family? How can you serve your friends?
Wrap-Up
Think about a time when someone on your team served you. Maybe you expected them to, or maybe they did it without you even asking or expecting it. Discuss in groups how that made you feel. Then we will gather up and pray at the end as neighbors in Christ.
Let’s close in prayer together:
“Dear God, I want to be more like You and love those around me by serving them. I know everyone around me are my neighbors. Help me serve those selflessly and lovingly. Send me people who I can serve. Help me realize and thank those who are serving me as well. Amen.”