WEEK 12- Doing in Secret

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

     5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:5-8

     9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men —robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector.  12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

     13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

     14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 18:9-14

What does this passage have to say about humility?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) Why did the hypocrites like to pray on street corners?  What was their reward (Matthew 6:5)?  What motivated the Pharisee’s prayer (Luke 18:11)?  What was his reward (Luke 18:14)?  What motivated the tax collector’s prayer (Luke 18:13)?  What was his reward (Luke 18:14)?

2) To whom is the parable in Luke spoken (Luke 18:9)?  How did these people determine righteousness (Luke 18:12)?  How should righteousness be determined?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

3) Were the things that the Pharisee said untrue (Luke 18:11-12)?  If they may have been true, what made them wrong?  What kind of prayers does God desire (Matthew 6:6-8)?  Do your prayers more often resemble those of the Pharisee or the tax collector?

4) Gossip is often the result of our pride.  If others can see how bad another person is, then we will look “good.”  Have you ever been involved in talking about another person in a negative light?  Has this hurt your school or team before?  How can you respond when tempted to gossip?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

5) Are you, in your athletic pursuits, overly concerned that others notice the good things that you do?  How does that kind of selfishness impact a team?  What reward will you get for it (Matthew 6:5 and Luke 18:14)?

6) Consider doing something “in secret” that would serve to build up your team.  This could be prayer, cleaning up after practice, setting up before practice, writing encouraging notes, holding your tongue, improving your attitude, or anything else that would be a help to your team.

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

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

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

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