Week 1- With All Your Heart

 MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.  20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.  22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.  23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

Colossians 3:18-25

 What does this passage have to say about work habits?

Why is that important?

TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

1) What should your work look like if you are “working for the Lord, not for men”? (v. 22-23)  How will a sincere heart and a reverence for the Lord impact the quality of your work?

2) Do you consistently strive for the standard of “working for the Lord” with “sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord”, even when you feel you could probably “just get by” with a lesser effort?  In what areas of your life do you need to improve your work habits?

WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

3) How do you respond when work gets difficult?  What are the consequences of those actions upon your attitude and performance?  Upon your team’s attitude and performance?

4) If you make a commitment to “work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,” how will that change your habits?  Does this commitment describe your athletic work habits?

THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.

5) You may have heard the phrase, “jack of all trades, master of none.”  Why is this type of work contrary to the commands of    Colossians 3:23?  Why should you seek to excel more at a few things, rather than just perform at a mediocre level in many things?  How can you, as an athlete, apply this wisdom?

6) When you face consequences or punishment for your mistakes or bad habits, how do you respond?  What would an understanding of Colossians 3:25 lead you to do?  How can consequences be a help to you?  To your team?

 FRIDAY — Discuss sport applications of work habits and pray together.

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

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

Add the results to your team’s list of descriptions of the “athlete with godly work habits”, 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 work habits — 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 work habits or anything else), and pray together