WEEK 6- The Good and Faithful Servant
MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.
14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26 His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.’
28 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Matthew 25:14-30
10 ‘Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own?’
13 ‘No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.’
14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. 15 He said to them, ‘You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.’
Luke 16:10-15
What does this passage have to say about accountability?
Why is that important?
TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
1) On what basis did the master assign different amounts of talents to the care of each servant (Matthew 25:15)? Did the servants have a right to complain about this being unfair?
2) When the master “returned and settled accounts” with his servants, what standard did he use to evaluate the servants’ use of the talents he had entrusted to them?
3) Why was his response to the first two servants the same, even though the first servant earned more than the second servant? What does this teach you about God’s expectation of you, in regard to the resources, gifts, and abilities He has given you?
4) Does excellence matter to God? How doest this parable help you to understand a Biblical perspective on excellence? Do you strive for excellence in the use of your athletic gifts?
WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
God uses punishment as a means to hold us accountable.
5) What happened to the third servant, who fearfully his the one talent he was given (Matthew 25:28-30)? What happens to a person who is dishonest or untrustworthy in handling responsibilities or resources (Luke 16:10-12)?
6) Was the master unjust in taking the only talent from the servant and punishing him severely? After all, he had less ability and was afraid that he’d mess up. Are you ever so timid (or lacking in confidence) that you fail to apply the abilities (however meager) that God has given you? In what ways does fear impact your athletic habits? Share these struggles with your teammates and coaches, and ask them to pray for you.
THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
God desires that we are singly devoted to Him; a right relationship with Him (to goal to which he holds us accountable) can’t be half-hearted.
7) What is true of a person motivated by competing commitments? Can he give himself wholeheartedly to both goals (Luke 16:13)? If you desire to be the “good and faithful servant” and to “share in your master’s happiness,” what must you do with motivations that draw your attention away from accountability (relationship with God)? For the wicked servant, this competing master was fear. For the Pharisees, this master was money. What competing masters seek to rule your life?
8) An athlete who desires a right relationship with God must not let sports become his master. How can you wholeheartedly use your athletic gifts without allowing athletics to occupy too lofty a place in your life? What needs to be mot “highly valued” (Luke 16:15), in order to help you maintain a healthy focus?
FRIDAY — Discuss sport applications of accountability, and pray together.
· Ask your athletes to briefly reflect on what they’ve learned about accountability this week, and to repeat some of those things. (Remind them of some of the Biblical truths about accountability you’ve discussed, if necessary.)
· Ask your team, “Based on what we learned about accountability this week...What does an accountable athlete do?” Do not settle for vague answers; challenge your athletes to go beyond general qualities of accountability, and to determine what those qualities look like in action.
· Add the results to your team’s list of descriptions of the “accountable athlete”, and be sure the list is displayed somewhere that is constantly visible, as a reminder to the team.
· Pray together as a team. Encourage your athletes to pray for your team’s growth in regard to the discipline of accountability — especially in relation to some of the issues and challenges that you discussed together this week. Challenge them to also ask for forgiveness, when applicable. Give time for athletes to request prayer (regarding accountability or anything else), and pray together.
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