Week 4- How Do We Honor God?

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

   1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.  3 And they were calling to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

Isaiah 6:1-3 

   8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

   22 But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

1 Samuel 15:22-23

What does this passage have to say about honor?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) We’ve identified that a first way to honor God is by recognizing who He is.  How did the angels do that, in Isaiah 6?  Why do you suppose they covered their faces?  How is it possible, then, that you can know and have a personal relationship with God?  Shouldn’t that fact cause you to honor Him even more passionately?

2) When you recognize who God is, are you engaging in a thought or an action?  God obviously desires, then, that you honor Him with the “thoughts and attitudes of your heart.”  What state of the heart pleases God?  (“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” - Psalm 51:17)  What is a “broken and contrite heart”?  How can an athlete demonstrate that sort of mentality?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

3) We’ve also established that a second way to honor God is by surrendering every aspect of your life to His authority.  What type of actions does God most desire (1 Samuel 15:22)?  To what is arrogance (pride; self-centeredness) compared (v. 23)?  Do your actions demonstrate obedience or idolatry?

4) Idolatry is a form of worship, and worship is a form of honor.  What idols (other motives and interests) sometimes tempt you away from obedience?  When you pursue those idols, from whom do you withhold honor?  If you withhold honor from God, who are you honoring?  (“No one 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.” - Matthew 6:24)  What        motivations can become idols for an athlete?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

5) A third way of honoring God, according to our study of Biblical honor, is by treating others as more important than ourselves.  How can you know what God expects of you (Micah 6:8) If He has “showed you...what is good,” why do you struggle with certain relationships so much?  How is it possible for a sinful person to honor God in his relationships?

6) If you are committed to “love mercy” and “walk humbly” in your relationships with others, what might that look like?  Think specifically about relationships that are difficult for you; what things will you do?  How will an athlete who loves mercy and walks humbly act toward his teammates and coaches?

FRIDAY — Discuss sport applications of honor, and pray together.

· Ask your athletes to briefly reflect on what they’ve learned about honor this week, and to repeat some of those things.  (Remind them of some of the Biblical truths about honor you’ve discussed, if necessary.)

· Ask your team, “Based on what we learned about honor this week...What does an honorable athlete do?”  Do not settle for vague answers; challenge your athletes to go beyond general qualities of an honorable athlete, and to determine what those qualities look like in action.

· Add the results to your team’s list of descriptions of the “honorable 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 honor — 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 honor or anything else), and pray together.