WEEK 8- The Value of Your Work
MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.
1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, He appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them — yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:1-10
What does this passage have to say about work habits?
Why is that important?
TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
1) Christ appeared to Paul (v. 8), but he does not take pride in that, but rather calls himself “the least of the apostles” (v. 9). Why does he do so?
2) How does Paul’s understanding of himself as undeserving help him to better understand God’s grace? How does this influence his understanding of the value of his work? (v. 10) How does the grace of God give value to a person’s work? Do you have such a view of your work?
WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
3) Do you feel entitled to certain things, as a member of your team (due to your abilities, your grade level, your popularity, your hard work, etc)? If you view yourself in light of God’s grace (as a person who needs His mercy in order for your life or work to have value), to what are you entitled?
4) How do your work habits and attitudes need to change in order to reflect that truth?
THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
5) For what purposes has God placed you on this team? If you’re not sure, have you humbly looked to Him (in prayer, in reading Scripture) in order to better understand His purposes?
6) If one purpose of every person’s life is to demonstrate God’s grace in the way he/she lives, how can you accomplish that purpose in the activities of your team? In relationships with your teammates?
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.
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