Week 13- Love and Fruits

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

     13 You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.  14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."  15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

     16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

     22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:13-17, 22-24

What does this passage have to say about leadership?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) What command is central to obeying God’s law (v. 14)?  What is the consequence of disobeying this command (v. 15)?  In order for your team to play and relate well together, in what ways do you need to “serve one another in love”?  Why is this command important in the habits of your sport?  Why is this command critical in your team relationships?

2) As a team, what habits of “biting and devouring each other” do you have?  Which teammates do you need to make a concerted effort to love and to serve?  Will you make a public commitment, right now, to do so?  Will you ask your teammates to hold you accountable in this?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

3) Verse 16 teaches us that the key to healthy habits and relationships is to “live by the Spirit.”  Why is this not an easy thing to do (v. 17)?  Is there some kind of specific effort can we exert to accomplish this (v. 24)?  If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior, can you get rid of your “sinful nature with its passions and desires”?

4) In what ways do you personally struggle to “live by the Spirit” (in athletics, or aside from sports)?  Will you allow your teammates to know your struggles, and to pray for you?  Will you allow them to hold you accountable in these areas of struggle?  How would you like them to do so?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

5) Read through the fruits of the Spirit (v. 22), and brainstorm reasons why each of these is important in the life of an athlete.  Which of these is something that you desire to demonstrate more consistently?

6) Is your team marked by these fruits?  Choose one to set as a prioritized goal for team growth.  Discuss ways that your team can demonstrate this fruit in relationships between team members, as well as in relationships with other teams, officials, fans, and others.

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

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

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

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