PURSUE MISSION

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in

Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” -- Acts 1:8 NLT

WARM-UP

So often sports can become more about “me” and less about “we,” or more about what we get and less about what we give. But competition is at its best when it involves sacrificing inward pursuits for a greater good.

We often see this dynamic in professional athletes. When they are at the beginning of their careers, the focus tends to be on filling up the stat sheet, earning a contract extension, or winning individual awards. But as athletes get older, their priorities begin to shift from chasing championships to creating a legacy through public service.

WORKOUT

Nobody Special

Athletes aren’t the only ones who have visions of making a legacy and working towards a greater good. In fact, the Bible has many great examples of people who experienced a paradigm shift in their lives and began to see a much bigger picture for what the future held in store for them.

In our last meeting, we talked about how Jesus put a team together that He could teach and train to take and spread His message to the world. But before they were Jesus’ teammates, they were ordinary people from ordinary backgrounds.

Andrew, Peter, James, and John were fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector. The other disciples’ occupations apparently weren’t exciting or impressive enough to even be mentioned. Yet, Jesus chose those people to accomplish His great mission.

And the results were world-changing. All you have to do is read the Book of Acts to see all of the amazing things they accomplished. They started the Christian church, they converted thousands of people to the Christian faith, and they performed amazing miracles--just like Jesus said they would do.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.” (John 14:12a)

It was like a coach taking a bunch of underrated recruits and turning them into a championship team! And it was all because they accepted a much greater mission instead of settling for the lives they had once known.

Q: Why do you think the disciples were able to do such great things after Jesus left the Earth?

Q: How does their story inspire you as a follower of Christ?

WRAP-UP

Q: What are some ways that an athlete can be “more about me” and “less about us?”

Q: What are some examples of how an athlete can shift from inward pursuits (doing things for themselves) to outward pursuits (doing things for others)?