Greater Potential

WELCOME

“Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’” — John 8:12

Maybe you tried out for Varsity and made JV instead. Or maybe you’re struggling to improve your speed, strength, or stats. You give it your all, but it never seems good enough. Not achieving goals might make you feel like a failure, but God says differently. There is greater potential in your life than finding your identity in sports.

WARM-UP

UNDER PRESSURE

In this game, you will name five things that fit into a category. The catch? You have only 10 seconds to do this. Have someone count down and keep track of your score. (Example categories: NFL mascots, European countries, sports played without a ball, Marvel characters, music solo artists with one name, etc.)

Q: How difficult was it to come up with things under pressure?

Q: Have you ever felt this kind of pressure in your sport? How is it similar or different?

WORKOUT

UNTAPPED POTENTIAL

As an athlete, it’s natural to feel like you have more potential than what is showing up in practice or the heat of competition. And when you don’t feel like you’re living up to expectations, the pressure builds. Living up to your potential is more than what you can do on your own. There’s more to life than playing for the scoreboard. In fact, your potential shouldn’t just be measured by athletic achievements. It should be measured by who God says you are. There is a greater purpose wrapped up in your potential when your potential is wrapped up in Him!

Q: Is your identity wrapped up in your sport or a relationship with God?

Q: What are some things that might be causing your identity to get wrapped up in your sport?

TRUE LIGHT

The Gospel of John shares the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. His cousin, a fiery preacher, known as John the Baptist, prepared the people for Jesus’ arrival. John did great things, and even the people thought he was great; John knew someone was coming Who was greater.

As John preached about the coming of Jesus, many religious leaders were anxious about this greater One. They were comfortable living under a system that emphasized the pressure to perform. If you were good at your job, then you were a good person. But Jesus had a better way. His way? Bringing light to a dark world:

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him.”— John 1:9–10

Therein lies the problem: “the world did not recognize him.” Similarly, we often don’t reach our full potential because we don’t recognize that He is the true source of our potential.

Q: Why do you think the world didn’t recognize Jesus when He first arrived?

Q: How do you think having a deeper understanding of Jesus would unveil more of your potential?

WRAP-UP

GREATER POTENTIAL

There is more to sports than just winning. It’s an easy trap to fall into, but it’s life-changing when you begin to recognize your full potential through Christ.

Here’s how to see and apply the “Greater Potential” of Jesus:

1. Greater Way. There’s a better way to reach your fullest potential. And it’s the ONLY path that will truly get you there.

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” — John 14:6

2. Greater Truth. It’s not just a greater truth. It’s THE Truth. When you embrace the truth of Jesus, you experience freedom from the pressure to perform and see the purpose behind God's gifts.

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32

3. Greater Life. This is what Jesus offers you through a relationship with Him. More joy, peace, and purpose through a life focused on Jesus.

“A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” — John 10:10

John the Baptist understood what it meant to live your greater potential in Jesus. It’s not what you do, but you who are. As you allow these truths to soak into your heart, pray that

God will activate a desire to live for Him, as exemplified in our theme verse:

“He must increase, but I must decrease.” — John 3:30

OVERTIME

As a Huddle, talk about each of these key points with a teammate. If you haven’t surrendered your heart to Jesus Christ, talk to your Huddle leader about making that life-changing decision today.