Week 8 - David as a Positive Example

MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

     1 The LORD sent Nathan to David.  When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.  2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought.  He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children.  It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms.  It was like a daughter to him.  4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him.  Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."

     5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!  6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."

     7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!  This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.  8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms.  I gave you the house of Israel and Judah.  And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.  9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?  You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own.  You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.  10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

     11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you.  Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.  12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "

     13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."  Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin.  You are not going to die.  14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."

2 Samuel 12:1-14

What does this passage have to say about a teachable spirit?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

     Many times in Scripture, God speaks to us through the example of a person’s life.  This passages talks about David’s teachable spirit.  Even though he had committed many sins, he was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).

1) Who was speaking to David, though Nathan (v. 1)?  What was David’s immediate response, once he was shown his sin (v. 13)?  What could he, as King, have said and done instead?  Why do you think he is called “a man after God’s own heart”?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team. 

2) Think of a time when you knew you did something you should not have done, but you made a choice to sin.  Did you hear God speaking to you through His Word or through others?  How did you respond?

3) Sometimes we turn away from God when we sin, instead of confessing and receiving forgiveness (as David did).  David’s teachable spirit led to repentance and restoration (though not without consequences).  Is God convicting about something you need to confess, and are you teachable?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

4) Are there relationships on your team that are suffering because someone needs to confess a wrong to another team member?  What could you do about this, if God is saying you are the one who needs to confess?  How could you help the problem if the problem is between other team        members?  What impact could repentance and restoration (similar to that in David’s example) have upon your team’s ability to work together?

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

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

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

· Add the results to your team’s list of descriptions of the “teachable 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 a teachable spirit — 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 teachability or anything else), and pray together.