Week 2- A Life Worthy of the Calling

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

   1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 4:1-6 

What does this passage have to say about integrity?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) Verse 1 tells you “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”  What is the calling?  If you believe that God calls you into a relationship with Him, Paul urges you to “live a life worthy of the call.”  This is      exactly what integrity is.  How / when do you feel you received this call?  (If you don’t feel you have received this call, then you need to go back and further consider and discuss the call of Christ.  A worthy life has no meaning apart from a relationship with Christ.)

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

2) If you are living a life worthy of the calling, what will you do (v. 2-3)?  What do each of these mean?

3) What place do these attitudes and behaviors have in the life of an athlete?  Aren’t athletes more successful if they act boldly, aggressively, and confidently?  Isn’t there a conflict here?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

4) In what specific ways can the attitudes and behaviors we discussed yesterday (humility, gentleness, patience, unity, peace) be relevant in a team setting?  In what ways can you strive to adopt those disciplines, in order to benefit your team?  (For example, a humble athlete does not worry about his own stats, but rather what is good for the team.)

5) Put yourself in the shoes of your opponents.  Considering your team from their perspective, do you believe others see those disciplines (humility, gentleness, patience, unity, and peace) at work in your team?

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

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

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

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