Week 10- No One Righteous
MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.
6 Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. 7 Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high. 8 Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. 9 Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure — you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts.
10 My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. 11 God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day. 12 If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. 13 He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.
14 Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. 15 Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. 16 The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.
17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.
Psalm 7:6-17
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. 13 Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. 14 Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17 and the way of peace they do not know. 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:10-24, 27-28
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29
What does this passage have to say about gratitude?
Why is that important?
TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
1) Who is described, in Psalm 7:14-16? Do you think of this as describing you? What does Romans 10:10-12 declare about you? Have you “turned away” and “become worthless”?
2) Read Romans 10:13-18, and consider the accusation. These are not possibilities; these are the realities of your sin (and mine). Can you improve your state by trying harder to obey God (v. 20)?
WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
3) In light of Psalm 7:11-13, why does King David make the request He does in verse 8? Doesn’t this seem bold and self-righteous? If there is “no one righteous” (Romans 9:10), why would David want God to judge Him based on those things?
4) What does Romans 3:21-22 teach about “righteousness from God”? To whom is it given (v. 22)? If “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (v. 23), does everyone receive God’s righteousness?
5) What is David’s response to God’s grace (Psalm 7:17)? What does the apostle Paul not condone, in light of God’s mercy (Romans 3:27)?
THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
6) Sometimes Christian schools are tempted to be proud, looking down on public schools or unbelievers because of their ungodly beliefs and lifestyles. Why is this a sinful mindset (Romans 3:27-28)?
7) As a Christian athlete, are you ever tempted to think too highly of yourself? Is your team quick to be judgmental of others? King David calls God “my shield” (Psalm 7:10); what does that demonstrate that he recognizes about himself? Do you rely on your own righteousness (pride) or that of your Shield (gratitude)?
8) In light of Romans 3:27-28, is there room for “trash talk” in sports? Some people claim that “talking trash” is just a joke — that it’s “just for fun.” What does Ephesians 4:29 teach you about that perspective? What is the effect of your speech upon your teammates? Your opponents? The officials? The spectators watching the game? As a team, make a commitment to replace “trash talk” with speech marked by humility and gratitude.
FRIDAY — Discuss sport applications of gratitude, and pray together.
· Ask your athletes to briefly reflect on what they’ve learned about gratitude this week, and to repeat some of those things. (Remind them of some of the Biblical truths about gratitude you’ve discussed, if necessary.)
· Ask your team, “Based on what we learned about gratitude this week...What does a grateful athlete do?” Do not settle for vague answers; challenge your athletes to go beyond general qualities of a grateful athlete, and to determine what those qualities look like in action.
· Add the results to your team’s list of descriptions of the “grateful 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 gratitude — 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 gratitude or anything else), and pray together.
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