2014 3:23 Volleyball Devos

It’s Bigger Than VolleyballEphesians 1:17 (NIV84) 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Welcome to 3:23 volleyball. The next four months are going to be amazing. You are going to make new friends, play lots of tournaments, travel, and be pushed on and off the court to honor God in everything you do. You will win some, lose some, and go through a range of emotions. When it’s all said and done, we care more about you getting to know Jesus better than how many tournaments you win. For 3:23 athletes, it’s bigger than volleyball. Every week we are going to help you get to know Jesus better. If we win a lot but miss God, we failed this season.

In the scripture above, Paul is talking to a group of new Christians. Paul loves these people and is asking God to help them get to know Him better.

That’s our prayer for you too! Your coaches, and 3:23 directors are praying for you each week.

Which of these answers best describes your relationship with Jesus? (no wrong answers, just an honest response)

o I don’t know anything about Jesus.o I’ve heard about Jesus, but don’t know Him personally.o I know Jesus as my Savior, but we don’t hang out much.o I know Jesus as my Savior and am growing in my relationship with

Him regularly. Will you commit to get to know Jesus better this season? Remember, it’s bigger than volleyball! Closing Prayer

Who We AreColossians 3:23 (NIV84) 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…

We live in a performance based culture. Oftentimes our identity, self-worth, and even acceptance from friends and family are based on how well we perform on the court. Parents invest lots of time and money so you can play club volleyball. Some players feel pressure to try to earn a college scholarship. If that’s your dream, go for it! But this is where 3:23 is different. We play because we enjoy the sport and want to honor God in all we do. Your value as a person has nothing to do with how well you play this week! One of the best ways to avoid this performance trap is to decide now whom you are playing for.

Colossians 3 provides some great ideas on how to live as Christians, including how important it is to obey our parents (more about that soon). Col 3:23 helps servants keep the right heart and work ethic in difficult situations. Knowing whom we live for and play for helps us keep the right attitude and focus along the way.

Why do you play volleyball? Who are you playing for? (not mom, dad, your coach or 3:23 – God) How will this change of focus help you this week in practice?

Closing Prayer

How We WorkColossians 3:23 (NIV84) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…

Last week we talked about “who “we play for. Hopefully you are buying into the idea that sports are not your identity. That trap will surely lead to disappointment. Today we want to address how we work and play. Whether it’s on a court, in a classroom, or in a paid job like babysitting, our work habits are important.

Colossians 3:23 is addressing servants (slaves) and how they can keep the right attitude and work ethic for their masters (bosses). Have you ever had a coach you loved? Now think about a team or coach you didn’t like as much (no names or details please). Which coach got your best effort?

Listen to how The Message, a paraphrase Bible version says it:

Colossians 3:22–23 (The Message) Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. 23 Work from the heart for your real Master, for God…

Are you practicing and playing with all your heart? Are you giving your schoolwork your best effort? Are you giving Jesus your best time and focus each day?

By putting our focus on God, we can keep bad attitudes and lazy efforts away from all that we do. By keeping a right heart and attitude toward God, it’s much easier to give people your best efforts too. Let’s don’t just get by with the minimum in anything we do. Let’s do our best in everything – for God!

Closing Prayer

A New Team – A New Person2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV84) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Most of us are playing on a new team this year. Last year 3:23 had two volleyball teams and one baseball team. This year we have eight volleyball teams and two baseball teams! We have lots of new coaches, new players, and new opportunities to grow on and off the court/field.

Most of us like new stuff. What is something you love to get “new”? (Ex: shoes, clothes, phone etc.)

As a kid, I loved getting new shoes. Something about a new pair of shoes made me feel like I could run faster and jump higher. (I still think it’s true – let’s race some time). In reality, I doubt any of those things are true, but I have experienced a kind of “new” that is true and changed me forever.

I was 17 years old on a ski trip with a church, (chasing a girl on the ski slopes) when I encountered God in a very real and personal way. The youth pastor explained one night how we are all sinners (Rom 3:23) and that our sin separates us from God (Rom 6:23). Yet, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). He then explained that if we declare with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we too could be saved (Rom 10:9-10). The girl wasn’t interested in me, but God was! I became a new person on that mountain 25 years ago.

I didn’t get faster and in many ways life got harder. But there was no doubt Mickey Eckles was a new person. My old ways and desires changed. I spent more time chasing God and wanted to honor Him in my life and decisions. I’m so thankful a friend invited me to go skiing that year. It changed my life and paved the way for you to play on a new team called 3:23, where you too can experience this new life in Christ.

Have responded to the good news of Jesus? If yes, how has your life changed since becoming a Christian? If not, are you ready to meet Jesus today and become a new person

spiritually?

Closing Prayer: Team Chaplains, clearly present the gospel and give players an opportunity to respond to the good news of Jesus.

Learning to Love My Team1 John 4:9–11 (NIV84) 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Last week we talked about what it means to be a new person in Christ. It’s not something we earn. God sent his son, Jesus, to die for us. Today we will look at how God’s love for us helps us love others. Notice what John says: “Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

As great as it would be, it’s not realistic to be “best friends” with everyone on your team. Some of you go to school or church together, making it easier to build and maintain friendships. Many of you have different interests and friends off the court. We are all different and that’s great. But when we put on that 3:23 jersey and step on a court, we are a unified team with a common purpose and goal.

It’s easy to be nice to our friends, and we can usually muster up enough energy to be friendly with teammates during a game. But as Christians, we are called to a higher standard. We are commanded to love and support one another because God loved us first. It doesn’t matter where a person goes to school, how they perform on the court, or how they treat me away from 3:23, I choose to love and support my teammates and coaches because God loves and forgives me.

What are some ways we can show love to each other on this team? What is one thing keeping this team from getting closer relationally? Now, ask God to help you love every person on this team in the same way

God loves and accepts you.

Closing Prayer

Dealing with DiscouragementRomans 8:35–39 (The Message) 35 Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture…

(Have players raise hands for these rhetorical questions)

How many of you have ever felt discouraged?

How many of you have been discouraged about something in the last couple of weeks?

Discouragement can be described as a sense of unhappiness due to a loss of confidence in our own abilities or from other people, including God. Some common things that may bring you discouragement are:

Broken relationships with friends or family Grades and homework load Sports teams and other activities

Paul was one of the strongest men in the Bible, knew God well, yet dealt with overwhelming discouragement many times. In fact, people were regularly trying to kill him because he was telling others about Jesus. Listen to what Paul says about all the challenges listed in v. 35 above:

37 None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. 38 I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, 39 high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

How do we deal with discouragement? We hang onto the promise that Jesus loves us and nothing can change that! Not a bad day. Not a bad practice. Not a bad game. Not a bad tournament. Not a bad grade. Not a bad decision we made. Not a school bully. Not a bad hair day. NOTHING can get between us and God’s love.

Read Romans 8:35 again above. Now go around the circle and have each player share one challenge they face that will no longer cause them to question whether or not God loves them. (Ex: My insecurity)

Closing Prayer

The Key to GreatnessJohn 3:30 (NIV84) 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

In the sports world, it’s common to talk about who the greatest athletes of all time are. As a group, see if there is any agreement as to who the greatest is in these sports either now or overall:

Greatest Olympic volleyball player Greatest Olympic gymnast of all time Greatest hitter in MLB baseball Greatest NFL quarterback Greatest NBA player Greatest boxer of all time

I’m sure there were some differing opinions in this lively conversation involving both men’s and women’s sports. Interestingly enough, even the disciples argued

about whom the greatest in the kingdom of God would be. You can read about that story in Luke 9:46-48. But today, let’s look at a moment in the life of John the Baptist that defines greatness in a different way.

John was baptizing people and was questioned about why another man with him, Jesus, was baptizing people too. John clarified that he was only doing his part and then he made a powerful statement about Jesus – “He must become greater, I must become less.”

This life is not about us! We live in a culture where it’s easy for life to revolve around our wants and needs. Regardless of how great of an athlete you are, without Jesus, you are nothing. Even the greatest athletes of all time eventually quit playing the game. The Bible says that of those born of women, there was no one greater than John, yet he walked in humility and knew that Jesus was the focus of this life. Listen to this paraphrase:

John 3:30 (The Message) 30 This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.

What are 2 or 3 ideas of how you could move Jesus to the center of your life? If we followed you around for a week, would there any evidence (fruit) in

your life that you are a follower (disciple) of Jesus? Ask God to help you understand how he can increase and you can “slip off to

the sidelines” as a Christian.

Closing Prayer

Friends Are Friends ForeverProverbs 17:17 (The Message) Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

If you recognize the title of this devo, you have truly dated yourself! But the phrase (and tune) is a great one. One of the things we love about being part of 3:23 sports is we get to develop new friendships. Not only do we get to play a sport we love, but God strategically put these teams together to bring us new teammates, coaches, and families to do life with. Granted, not everyone is going to be best friends, but no doubt we all have some new friends that are helping us grow and become better people.

After a tournament last weekend, one 3:23 volleyball player told her teammates that she had so much fun with them and didn’t want the weekend to end. This team did not win every game, but it didn’t really matter. Yes, we love Jesus, but this is also about relationships. We want to have fun and enjoy each other in the process!

Take a few minutes as a team and share one thing you love about each other.

Have one person get in the middle of the circle and each person will share one quick thing they love or appreciate about that person. Take turns until everyone has been in the middle.

It will be worth the time because it feels like a million bucks when you are affirmed and loved by your friends.

As part of the 3:23 family, you are friends and family like Proverbs 17:17 says. We look forward to seeing you at the 3:23 Potluck this week and next weekend all eight volleyball teams and our baseball team play in Lubbock.

Closing Prayer

Getting Alone with GodLuke 5:16 (NIV84) 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

As parents and coaches, we know how busy you are. This team requires lots of time in practice and travel. Some of you have lots of homework. Some of you play other sports or run track at the junior high or high school level. You are busy and your parents are running ragged to keep you involved in all of these great opportunities.

So how are you handling the busy schedule and commitments you have? (Ex: sleepy, stressed, having fun, grumpy, about to fall apart etc.)

Share one way you like to rest and refresh when you are really tired.

Jesus got tired too. The more people heard about his teachings and people being healed, the greater the crowds that followed him wherever he went. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.“

One of the greatest things you could learn from being part of 3:23 (apart from salvation) is learning how to spend time with God. If Jesus needed to frequently get alone with God to pray, how much more important for us to do so as well.

Ask for a volunteer player to share about how they spend time with God and how it helps them personally.

(Chaplains, be prepared to also share how important this is for you. Next week, we will share some simple ideas on how the athletes can start or refresh their time with God.)

Closing Prayer

How To Spend Time with God (continued from last week)Acts 4:13 (NIV84) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

The community leaders were astonished at the courage and boldness of Peter and John. They were ordinary men, but something set them apart. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and had been with Jesus. People notice when you and I have been with Jesus (they notice when we haven’t too). If you want to be great at your sport, you work at it. In the same way, if you want to be close to Jesus, you spend time with Him regularly. Spending time with God is really pretty simple. Here are 3 quick steps to help you grow in this area of your life.

1. Set aside 15-20 minutes a day to get alone with God Sounds like a lot until you think about how much time we spend on

the phone or TV. In the morning, after school, or before bedtime Whatever time is best for you to give God your full attention

2. Read a chapter a day in your Bible (Start with the book of John) What does God say/do? What do God’s people say/do? What truths from today’s reading can I apply to my life? How does God want me to respond today? Consider journaling or writing what you see in God’s word and what

He seems to be saying to you

3. Talk to God – we call this prayer! Respond to what you read Thank God for who He is and what He’s done for you Confess any sins Ask God for what you need Pray for family and friends Ask God to use you to tell others about Him

Come prepared to future practices to share what God is showing you in your time with Him.

Closing Prayer

Great Teams Know Their Individual Roles: Part 11 Cor 12:4-27

What is something God showed you this week in your personal time with Him?

This devo will take you two weeks to fully discuss and process. God created each of us unique to fulfill His purposes. There are some practical applications in how we can apply this passage to our team environment as well. Take your time, explore what this passage means spiritually, and then next week we will come back and see how we can apply this passage athletically. First, let’s look at what God says about gifts and how we all fit together as His people in the body of Christ (the Church).

1 Corinthians 12:4–27 (The Message) Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! 8 The variety is wonderful: wise counsel clear understanding 9 simple trust healing the sick 10 miraculous acts proclamation distinguishing between spirits tongues interpretation of tongues. 11 All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

God has gifted you, not so you can be the focus of attention, but so you can point others to Him!

God has created each of us unique. We all have spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor 12, Rom 12, Eph 4). God decides what gifts we each get.

12You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. 13 By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

We are all different, but still part of the family of God. We used to do things our way, but now we live for Christ and do things His

way.

14 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. 15 If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? 16 If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? 17 If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? 18 As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. 19 But I also want you

to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster.

Being part of God’s family is where I find my identity, security, and self-esteem.

God places each of us where He wants us so we can function together. You are important because of the gifts you bring and the role you play, not

because your part is more valuable or important than others.

20 What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. 21 Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? 22 As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. 23 When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. 24 If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

Comparing ourselves to others is dangerous and unfruitful. Oftentimes, the parts of our body that do not get glamour or attention are the

parts that keep us alive. We are to value and honor each other!

25 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, 26 the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. 27 You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.

We need each other. This is why we need to all be active in a local church, growing, serving, and

contributing our unique gifts so the whole body benefits and functions in a healthy way.

When we understand who we are in Christ, everything makes more sense and we value others in a whole new way.

Questions:1. In what ways do you feel like you might be gifted to be a blessing to others in

the church?

2. In what ways do you sometimes compare yourself to others in a way that may be unhealthy?

3. Why do you think God has created us to need each other?

Closing Prayer

Great Teams Know Their Individual Roles: Part 21 Corinthians 12:4–27 (The Message) Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits…

What is something God showed you this week in your personal time with Him?

Last week we looked at 1 Corinthians 12 as it was written to believers in a local church. Today we will discuss some practical in the team context.

Teams that depend on star athletes often do not perform as well as less talented teams that learn how to work together. Why?

Not all of us can set, block, pitch or steal bases. We all bring different elements to the team.

13 By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything.

We are all different, but still part of this team. We used to do things our way, but now we submit to our coaches and do

things their way for the good of the team.

14 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. 15 If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? 16 If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? 17 If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? 18 As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. 19 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster.

Your role and accomplishments on this team are a poor place to find your identity, security, and self-esteem.

Our coaches place each of us where they want us so we can function together.

20 What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. 21 Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? 22 As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. 23 When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. 24 If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

Comparing ourselves to others is dangerous and unfruitful. Imagine an outside hitter telling the setter to get lost, or imagine the pitcher

telling his outfield to get lost! We are to value and honor each person!

25 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, 26 the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. 27 You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything.

We need each other. We win as a team. We lose as a team. We are better together!

Questions: What are 3 things you can do this week to be a better team member?

1. 2. 3.

Closing Prayer

Learn This Skill & You Will Have Friends For LifeMatthew 18:15–17 (The Message) 15 “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. 16 If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. 17 If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.

How many “best friends” have you had in the last two years?o 1-2o 3-4o Still have the same best friend

As the father (coach) of a daughter (girls sports), I have noticed that friendships come and go, especially relationships with “best friend” status. It’s fairly normal for friendships to change from time to time based on your class schedule, teams you play on, youth group involvement etc.. But why our friendships change matters.

What are some good reasons you might want to change who you hang out with? (Ex: moral choices that could cause problems, pull you away from God etc.)

A bad reason to change friendships is because you got mad at each other and chose not to work through it. Most people, including adults, do not know how to handle conflict. Matthew 18 gives us a simple way to handle conflict in every relationship (with friends, parents, coaches, teachers).

1. If someone hurts or offends you, who should you tell? (v. 15) Go and tell the person you that hurt you (or the source of your

concern)

2. What do you do if they won’t listen to you? (v. 16) Take one or two others along and address the person again

3. As believers, if a person will still not work through the conflict after you have addressed them one-on-one and with one or two others, you would take it to

the leadership of your local church or in this case the leadership of 3:23 Ministries and they will help you from there.

When we avoid conflict, it doesn’t go away! It builds and eventually erupts later down the road. Learn how to take your offenses and concerns to the people it involves, and you will discover that open, honest relationships lead to lasting friendships and more peaceful experiences with coaches and families.

Is there someone that has hurt or offended you? (Rhetorical) If so, when will you approach that person to work through the issue?

At 3:23, we are committed to learning how to handle conflict and work through mistakes. It’s biblical, makes for a more enjoyable sporting experience, and we want to be your friend for life.

Closing Prayer

Forgiveness is a ChoiceMatthew 18:21–22 (The Message) At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?” 22 Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.

Have you ever been mad at your mom or dad? (for taking your phone away…lol)

Have you ever been betrayed by a friend?

Have you ever been hurt by something a coach said or did?

I’m guessing the answer is “yes” to all of the questions above. For purposes of this devo, let’s assume you have reconciled with that person that hurt you in some way. So now what?

According to the Bible, we forgive! Forgiveness means to “cancel a debt.” Think of it this way. Let’s pretend you broke my iPhone at practice (trying to take a selfie). The replacement cost for my phone is going to cost $650. Because you are one my favorite 3:23ers, I forgive you for breaking my phone and I cancel the debt you owe me to fix it. How glad are you right now that we are friends? That would be a lot of babysitting hours.

Jesus forgives our sins and He expects us to forgive those who sin or hurt us. Peter was looking to keep track of how many times he had to forgive someone, yet love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor. 13). Forgiveness is a choice. Jesus forgave us. Now we extend that forgiveness to others. To read more about this, see how Jesus answered Peter’s question by reading Matthew 18:23-35.

Who do you need to forgive today?

Closing Prayer

The Season Is About Over, But Pursuing God Never Ends!Colossians 3:23 (NIV84) 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…

As we wrap up with this final team devo for the season, take a few minutes to think about how you have grown in some of these areas.

Coaches, here are a couple of ideas in how to handle this devo: Pick 3-4 questions and make this a group exercise. Print out these questions and ask players to briefly respond to each one.

Encourage players to share their answers with a parent, coach, or team chaplain soon.

1. It’s bigger than volleyball – do you feel like you know Jesus better than you did 4 months ago? In what ways?

2. Your value as a person has nothing to do with the success or failure you had on a volleyball court this season – do you believe this?

3. In what ways have you found yourself giving your best effort in volleyball? School? Relationships? Other areas?

4. What has God shown you this season about the new life in Christ we have as believers?

5. What are some things you’ve grown to appreciate about your teammates this season? Be specific.

6. What kinds of disappointment and discouragement did you encounter this season? How did you work through it?

7. Have there been any moments where God challenged you to put Him back at the center of your life? Explain.

8. In what ways have you grown closer to your teammates this season?

9. Has your personal time with God changed any this season? For example, has it become more frequent or meaningful? Explain.

10. In what ways did you help your team succeed on the court this season? What have you learned about how God has gifted you uniquely for His purposes?

11. Share one or two steps in how to handle conflict when someone offends you in some way.

12. What have you learned about forgiveness?

As you can see, it’s bigger than volleyball! We had a blast at tourneys, practices, potlucks, and hotel pools, but the work God is doing in your heart will far outlast the great things you accomplished on a volleyball court this year.

We pray you are closer to Jesus than you were a few months ago.

Closing Prayer