WEEK 13- The Downfall of Pride

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

     44 " 'Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: "Like mother, like daughter."  45 You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children.  Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.  46 Your older sister was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.  47 You not only walked in their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.  48 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, your sister Sodom and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.

     49 " 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.  50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me.  Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.  51 Samaria did not commit half the sins you did.  You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.  52 Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters.  Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous than you.  So then, be ashamed and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

     53 " 'However, I will restore the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them, 54 so that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort.  55 And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.       56 You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, 57 before your wickedness was uncovered.  Even so, you are now scorned by the daughters of Edom and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you.  58 You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.

     59 " 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.

Ezekiel 16:44-59

What does this passage have to say about humility?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) What are the types of sins that you usually consider to be terrible?  Though we know God hates all sin, we think and talk about certain kinds of sins as being especially heinous and detestable.  About what things that have happened in the world lately have you said, “How could a person ever possibly do that?”  Why do you consider those sins to be so horrible?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

2) In this passage God declares judgment on Jerusalem, stating that the sins of the city were even “more vile” (v. 52) than those of Sodom and Samaria.  What does verse 49 say were Sodom’s sins?  Did you list any of those — arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, did not help the poor and needy — in your list of awful sins?  Why or why not?

3) Do you tend to think of pride, fullness of food, idleness, and neglect as “horrible sins”?  What is the attitude of our culture toward them?  God viewed these sins of Sodom as detestable; why are we so quick to minimize the seriousness of these sins today?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

4) When we fail to accept the seriousness of our sins (or when others aren’t able to see our “hidden” sins), we’re able to feel good about ourselves.  To what does this denial of our sins — our disbelief — lead (v. 56-58)?

5) Do these sins — arrogant, overfed, unconcerned, did not help the poor and needy — describe the United States of America?  Do they describe your school?  Your team?  Do they describe you?  If so, will you take your disbelief seriously, trust that God’s way is a better way, and humble yourself (in light of his great love and mercy displayed toward you)...and begin to choose a different pattern of behavior?

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.