Week 7- Gratitude in Relationships
MONDAY — Read the passage with your team.
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:1-3
3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
1 Timothy 5:3-4
7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.
Hebrews 13:7, 17
17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-4
What does this passage have to say about gratitude?
Why is that important?
TUESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
1) What commands are children given, in regard to their parents (Ephesians 6:1-2; 1 Timothy 5:4)? Paul writes that this right relationship is a “repaying” of your parents that is “pleasing to God” (1 Timothy 5:4). For what are you repaying them? Paul also describes caring for your family as “putting your religion into practice” (1 Timothy 5:4). If you don’t obey and respond thankfully to your parents, what does that indicate about your relationship with God?
2) The writer of Hebrews urges the people to “obey your leaders” and “submit to their authority” (3:17), and to “remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you” and “imitate their faith” (3:7). What “leaders” have authority in your life? Does the way you respond to these authorities demonstrate gratitude? What “leaders” have taught or encouraged you in your relationship with God? In what ways have you submitted (or in what ways will you submit) to gratefully considering and following the example of their faith?
WEDNESDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
3) When a relationship with another person “sharpens” you (Proverbs 27:17), what happens? In what ways have your teammates and coaches sharpened you? What role do your opponents play in sharpening you? Do you recognize ways in which officials sharpen you? Have you expressed gratitude to these people?
4) Do you have a teammate that you would characterize as “thankful”? What specific qualities cause you to think of him / her in that way? What impact does he / she have on you? On your team? On your opponents? If his / her teammates all emulated similar habits of gratitude, how would that affect the difficulties and struggles that exist on your team?
THURSDAY — Discuss the passage with your team.
5) It may be easy for you to express gratitude to friends and family, or to others that have helped or encouraged you. It’s natural to desire to repay blessing for blessing. What attitude does Jesus say that a believer should have when facing “trials of many kinds” (James 1:2)? What implications does this have on your relationships with people who hurt you or that treat you unkindly, or people who are difficult to love? What does “pure joy” look like in such a relationship?
6) What does God promise to you (James 1:4), if you persevere in gratitude in difficult times and relationships? Are you pursuing this maturity in your relationship with teammates? Coaches? Siblings? Parents?
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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