Week 8- Faithful with a Few Things

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

     14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.  15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.  Then he went on his journey.  16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.  17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

     19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five.  'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents.  See, I have gained five more.'

     21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master's happiness!'

     22 "The man with the two talents also came.  'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

     23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master's happiness!'

Matthew 25:14-23

What does this passage have to say about leadership?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) What reason does the king give for rewarding these two servants (v. 21, 23)?  What is the reward (v. 21, 23)?  What must you first do, if you desire to attain a position of leadership?

2) Verses 21 and 23 describe the task of leadership as the responsibility to be “in charge of many things.”  Is leadership a position of status and glory, or of something else?  Of what?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

3) The king requires the servants’ faithfulness “with a few things” (v. 21, 23) before they may qualify for a leadership position.  How much must a person accomplish in order to qualify as a leader?  Is faithfulness measured by “how much,” or by something else?  Why did the two servants with different degrees of talent and accomplishment receive the same commendation and promotion?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

4) Are you faithful in a) identifying and learning about the gifts that God has given you and b) developing those gifts and using them in a way that pleases God?  If you are not faithfully doing so, can you expect to receive the opportunity to lead (and be able to do so effectively)?

5) Can you confidently say to your teammates, “Imitate me in how I practice, how I stretch and warm up, how I compete, and in the way I respond to others (coaches, opponents, referees, teachers, and parents)”?  Can you say, “Imitate me in the way I respond to trash talk, the way I handle what appear to be bad calls by the officials, and the way I treat my teammates”?  What do you need to change in your thinking, in order to do those things?  The Bible says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7).  What do your actions say about what you are thinking in your heart?

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.