7 Missional Discipleship Cycle for Athletes (stage 2) Missional Discipleship Cycle... ·...

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Stage 2

Transcript of 7 Missional Discipleship Cycle for Athletes (stage 2) Missional Discipleship Cycle... ·...

                                             

           

                                       

Stage  2  

   

Introduction:    The  following  is  the  second  phase  in  a  series  of  missional  Bible  studies  to  engage  your  teammates  in  key  discipleship  issues  that  athletes  encounter.    A  Missional  Discipleship  Cycle  (below)  refers  to  a  sequence  on  how  to  engage  scripture  through  hearing  the  word,  respond  actively  to  what  you  have  heard,  and  debrief  &  interpret  how  you  (and  others)  responded  in  mission.        In  this  series,  we  will  be  looking  at  critical  topics  for  athletes  to  go  deeper  with  God  and  be  challenged  to  grow  such  as  identity,  lordship,  and  racial  tensions  with  specific  invitations  for  you  and  your  teammates  to  engage  these  issues.          

                                           

   

1. Mission           Luke  4:31-­‐44  2. Identity           Philippians  3:1-­‐11  3. Evangelism                 Acts  8:26-­‐40  4. Lordship             Mark  10:17-­‐31  5. Spiritual  Formation         Mark  6:30-­‐44  6. Breaking  Chains           Mark  5:1-­‐20  7. Racial  Tension  &  Social  Justice     Acts  6:1-­‐7  

     

   

C H R I S T I A N F E L L O W S H I P

   

 Missional  Discipleship  Cycle  for  Athletes    

Mission  Luke  4:31-­‐44  

   Debrief/  Interpret:    Debrief  &  Interpret  last  week’s  challenge  ● Review:  How  was  last  week’s  challenge  for  you?    Where  were  you  stuck,  afraid,  

surprised,  excited?    Where  did  you  experience  God?      ● Learn:    What  are  you  learning  about  yourself,  God,  others?    What  might  God  be  

teaching  you  or  your  community?  ● Apply:    What  is  your  next  step?  How  do  you  apply  this  to  your  life?        

   Introduction:  The  account  that  we  will  be  looking  at  tells  of  a  very  full  day  of  ministry  for  Jesus  in  one  of  the  early  days  of  His  public  ministry.    It  also  reveals  something  important  about  how  Jesus  viewed  the  ministry  that  He  had  been  sent  to  do—something  that  ought  to  affect  how  we  view  and  carry  out  our  own  ministry  as  well.    Warm  up  question:    What  would  you  think  of  a  teammate  who  liked  working  out  so  much  (because  of  how  it  made  him  feel  or  because  of  how  others  might  think  highly  of  him)  that  he  spent  all  of  his  time  in  the  weight  room  and  never  actually  competed?          Hear  the  Word:    Read  Luke  4:31-­‐44    Observation  &  Interpretation    1. In  this  busy  day  on  ministry  in  Capernaum,  what  kinds  of  things  did  Jesus  do?  

 2. How  did  the  people  of  Capernaum  respond  to  Him  and  the  things  He  did?  

 3. Why  did  the  people  try  to  keep  Him  from  leaving  them  (v.42)?    

 [Note:  Mark  1:36-­‐37  tells  us  that  even  Jesus’  disciples  seemed  to  think  that  it  was  a  good  idea  for  Him  to  stay.]    

4. What  “good”  might  have  happened  if  Jesus  would  have  decided  to  stay?  What  “good”  might  not  have  happened?      

5. What  does  His  response  reveal  about  His  heart  and  His  understanding  of  the  purpose/calling  for  His  ministry?    

[Note:  Jesus  showed  His  love  for  the  people  of  Capernaum  by  later  returning  to  that  city  to  minister  to  the  people  there  (e.g.  Mark  2:1-­‐12;  Luke  7:1-­‐10,  etc.)]  

 Summary:    In  what  turned  out  to  be  a  very  full  day  of  ministry  in  Capernaum,  Jesus  took  time    to  show  compassion  and  to  demonstrate  His  power  in  meeting  the  needs  of  many  people  in  that  city.    However,  because  of  His  heart  for  all  people  and  His  understanding  of  what  He  was  sent  into  the  world  to  do,  He  didn’t  stay  in  Capernaum—even  though  the  people  wanted  Him  to  and  even  though  there  was  probably  a  lot  more  ministry  He  could  have  done  in  that  place.    Application:    We,  too,  have  been  sent  into  the  world  for  the  purpose  of  ministry  (John  17:18,  20:21).  Therefore,  as  we  follow  Jesus  in  ministry  into  the  places  that  He  has  sent  us  (e.g.  our  teams,  the  athletic  community  of  our  school,  etc.),  how  ought  Jesus’  example  in  this  passage  influence  what  we  do  and  who  we  should  seek  to  minister  to?        Active  Response/Challenge:        1. This  week  in  your  team  Bible  study,  take  time  to  make  a  list  of  teammates  who  aren’t  

involved  in  it  regularly  (or  even  at  all).  Identify  who  might  know  each  of  these  people  best,  and  make  a  plan  to  invite  these  teammates  to  the  next  study.  [Note:  If  certain  teammates  have  been  asked  multiple  times  and  have  consistently  not  come  (and/or  have  expressed  strongly  that  they  don’t  want  to  come),  make  a  plan  of  how  those  in  the  Bible  study  can  reach  out  to  these  teammates  as  a  witness  to  Jesus.]  

    or…    2. This  week  in  your  weekly  inter-­‐team  gathering  (Bible  study,  Core  Meeting,  Large  Group  

Meeting,  etc.),  take  time  to  make  a  list  of  teams  that  are  not  represented  in  it  regularly  (or  not  at  all).  Make  another  list  of  people  on  these  teams  who  people  in  your  group  know.  Make  a  plan  to  invite  these  fellow  athletes  to  your  next  meeting  

                                   

     

Missional  Discipleship  Cycles  for  Athletes    Identity  

Philippians  3:1-­‐11    

 Debrief/  Interpret:    Debrief  &  Interpret  last  week’s  challenge  ● Review:  How  was  last  week’s  challenge  for  you?    Where  were  you  stuck,  afraid,  

surprised,  excited?    Where  did  you  experience  God?      ● Learn:    What  are  you  learning  about  yourself,  God,  others?    What  might  God  be  

teaching  you  or  your  community?  ● Apply:    What  is  your  next  step?  How  do  you  apply  this  to  your  life?        

   Introduction:    The  writer  of  this  passage,  Paul,  is  a  Jewish  man.    Before  he  knew  Christ,  Paul  lived  his  life  to  follow  the  religious  laws  for  the  Jewish  people,  and  felt  that  his  relationship  with  God  was  based  on  how  well  he  followed  these  rules.    This  informed  his  identity  as  a  Jewish  man.    Circumcision  in  particular,  set  Jews  apart  from  the  rest  of  society,  and  an  was  extremely  important  piece  of  what  it  meant  for  a  Jew  to  be  considered  a  follower  of  God.        Warm  up  question:    As  an  athlete,  what  things  make  you  feel  valuable?    What  gives  you  a  sense  of  identity  or  accomplishment?        Hear  the  Word:    Turn  to  Philippians  3:1-­‐11.    Read  the  entire  section.    Observation  and  Interpretation  Verses:  1-­‐3  

1. Why  does  Paul  tell  the  church  at  Philippi  that  he  is  writing  to  them?  2. Who  does  he  tell  them  to  watch  out  for?    What  specifically  is  dangerous  about  these  

“dogs”?    3. How  does  Paul  redefine  “circumcision”  for  a  follower  of  Christ?      4. Why  is  putting  confidence  in  physical  circumcision  dangerous?  

 Verses:  4-­‐6  

1. If  anyone  could  have  confidence  in  their  own  ability  to  follow  the  rules,  it  was  Paul.    What  things  does  Paul  list  as  reasons  he  could  have  put  his  confidence  in  the  flesh/himself?  

2. In  verse  6,  what  did  Paul  base  his  righteousness  on?        Verses:  7-­‐11  

1. What  does  Paul  now  consider  a  loss?    Why?  2. What  does  Paul  gain  from  knowing  Christ?  3. How  has  Paul’s  understanding  of  righteousness  changed  (vs.  9)?  

     

 Application  

1.     Why  is  it  easy  as  an  athlete  to  place  our  identity  in  our  sport?    How  does  this  eventually  fail?      

2.     How  can  we  put  our  identity  in  Christ  rather  than  our  sport?    Why  is  this  more  secure  than  putting  out  identity  in  anything  else?  

   Active  Response/Challenge:          

1. Share  your  story  with  a  teammate  about  what  you  are  learning  about  identity.      2. Ask  them  about  how  they  are  doing  as  a  college  athlete  and  where  they  place  their  

identity.  3. Invite  them  to  next  week’s  bible  study.  

                                                                       

   

 Missional  Discipleship  Cycles  for  Athletes    

Evangelism      Acts  8:26-­‐40      

   Debrief/Interpret:  Debrief  &  Interpret  last  week’s  challenge  ● Review:  How  as  last  week’s  challenge  for  you?  Where  were  you  stuck,  afraid,  

surprised,  excited?  Where  did  you  experience  God?  ● Learn:  what  are  you  learning  about  yourself,  God,  others?  What  might  God  be  

teaching  you  or  your  community?  ● Apply:  What  is  your  next  step?  How  do  you  apply  this  to  your  life?  

     Introduction:  As  the  early  church  is  growing,  Philip  hears  from  the  “angel  of  the  Lord”  to  go  do  down  to  the  “the  desert  road.”  For  Philip,  this  is  all  he  knows,  so  he  goes.  Not  sure  of  what  he  will  find  when  he  arrives,  he  hears  God  and  responds  in  faith  to  go.      Warm-­‐up  Question:  Has  there  been  a  time  when  someone  (e.g.  coach,  trainer,  teammate)  has  told  you  a  piece  of  wisdom/information,  and  responded  to  it,  without  knowing  the  end  result?      Hear  the  Word:  Turn  to  Acts  8:26-­‐40.  Read  Entire  Section    Observation  

1. What  do  you  notice  or  observe  about  this  story?  a. Where  does  this  take  place?  Who  is  there?  What  is  going  on?  b. What  observations  can  you  make  of  the  dialogue  in  the  passage?  Or  what  

makes  up  the  content  of  the  dialogue?  c. What  emotions  are  present?    d. What  questions  come  to  mind?  

 Interpretation  

1. How  would  you  characterize  the  communication  between  God  and  Philip?  How  is  it  similar  and/or  different  from  the  way  God  communicates  with  you?  

 2. What  was  significant  about  the  Eunuch  and  the  fact  that  he  was  coming  from  

Jerusalem?    (See  also  Isa.  56:3-­‐7)    

3. Obviously,  this  passage  does  not  contain  all  the  words  of  the  conversation  Philip  had  with  the  Ethiopian  Eunuch.  How  do  you  see  the  conversation  progressing  from  the  question  in  8:34  all  the  way  through  the  “good  news  of  Jesus  Christ”?  

 4. Both  the  Eunuch  and  Philip  go  on  their  way,  rejoicing  and  preaching  respectively.  

How  do  you  think  each  has  been  changed  as  a  result  of  their  encounter?  

   Application  

1. From  the  passage,  what  do  you  think  is  your  responsibility  in  sharing  your  faith  with  others?  What  is  God’s  responsibility?  

 2. Like  Philip  on  the  road,  where  are  the  different  places  have  you  heard  God?  Then,  

where  have  you  heard  God  and  responded?  (e.g.  locker  room,  church,  during  games/matches/meets)  

 Active  Response/Challenge:      ● Meet  with  2-­‐3  other  athletes  (or  small  group)  this  week  for  two  meals  and  talk  

about  how  you  are  hearing  from  God  about  your  life  or  your  team.  (This  might  be  new  to  some.  Part  of  walking  in  faith  with  God  is  knowing  your  Father’s  voice)  

● Prayerfully  think  of  one  teammate  or  other  athletes  who  might  be  asking  the  same  question  as  the  Ethiopian  (“Please!  Tell  me  more  about  Jesus!”)  and  take  one  step  in  clarifying  who  Jesus  is  to  them.      

o Maybe  this  is  explaining  a  confusing  passage  or  scripture  for  them.  o This  could  be  asking  what  questions  they  have  always  wanted  to  ask.      

                                                           

   

Missional  Discipleship  Cycles  for  Athletes  Lordship      

Mark  10:17-­‐31          Debrief/  Interpret:    Debrief  &  Interpret  last  week’s  challenge  ● Review:  How  was  last  week’s  challenge  for  you?    Where  were  you  stuck,  afraid,  

surprised,  excited?    Where  did  you  experience  God?      ● Learn:    What  are  you  learning  about  yourself,  God,  others?    What  might  God  be  

teaching  you  or  your  community?  ● Apply:    What  is  your  next  step?  How  do  you  apply  this  to  your  life?        

     Introduction:  This  passage  talks  about  an  interaction  of  a  young,  wealthy  man  who  genuinely  came  to  Jesus  asking  one  of  those  deep,  life  questions.          Warm  up  question:    Have  you  ever  been  asked  to  give  up  something  that  you  cared  about?    What  was  the  reason?    Or  did  the  reason  feel  valid  or  worth  what  you  had  (or  were  being  asked)  to  give  up?              Hear  the  Word:    Turn  to  Mark  10:17-­‐31.    Read  the  entire  section.    Observation  1. What  do  you  notice  or  observe  about  this  story?      

a. Where  does  this  take  place?  Who  is  there?    What  is  going  on?      b. What  words  are  repeated?    What  emotions  are  present?      c. How  did  the  young  man  respond?    Jesus?  The  disciples?  

   Interpretation  2. What  questions  come  up  for  you  in  this  passage?            3. Imagine  the  perspective  of  the  young  man.    What  was  significant  about  the  question  he  

asked  Jesus  in  v.  17?        4. What  was  important  about  Jesus’  response  in  verses  18-­‐20,  then  again  in  verse  21?    

What  deeper  question  or  issue  in  this  young  man’s  life  was  Jesus  pointing  out?        [Note:  Jesus  mentioned  some  of  the  commandments,  but  take  note  of  the  ones  He  left  out  as  well]  

   5. What  does  Jesus  promise  for  those  who  do  make  the  decision  to  leave  behind  all  you  

have  for  the  sake  of  Him  and  for  the  gospel?      (v.21  &  v.29-­‐31)    

Application  6. What  are  ways  that  you  are  rich,  or  have  an  abundance  of  wealth,  talent,  or  

opportunities?    Are  there  ways  in  which  you  relate  to  the  young  man  in  this  story?    7. What  might  Jesus  be  saying  to  you  about  your  life  -­‐  especially  about  those  areas  of  your  

life  that  occupy  your  heart  or  what  you  hold  as  the  greatest  value?    This  could  even  be  relationships,  athletics,  or  school.    What  does  it  means  to  trust  in  Jesus  fully,  allowing  him  to  occupy  the  primary  place  in  your  heart  and  in  your  life?        

   Summary:    The  young  man  in  this  passage  came  with  a  real  question,  seeking  answers  on  what  must  he  do  to  inherit  eternal  life,  but  what  Jesus  ultimately  challenged  him  with  was  not  what  he  must  do,  but  a  matter  of  where  his  heart  was.      Jesus  identified  and  asked  him  to  give  up  what  was  holding  the  primary  place  of  value  in  his  life  (what  was  ‘lord’  of  this  young  man’s  life).    For  this  young  man,  his  great  wealth  occupied  the  primary  place  in  his  heart;  the  cost  of  giving  up  this  wealth  for  eternal  life  was  too  great.        Active  Response/  Challenge:      1. What  occupies  the  primary  place  in  your  heart?    Money,  friends,  talent,  a  relationship  

(girlfriend/boyfriend),  sports,  being  successful,  school?    Would  you  ever  be  willing  to  give  up  what  holds  this  primary  place  in  your  heart  if  Jesus  asked  you  to?      

   2. Share  with  one  other  person  in  the  Bible  study,  or  in  a  small  group,  what  is  holding  you  

back  from  giving  Jesus  the  primary  place  of  lordship  in  your  life.    Write  down  any  barriers,  fears,  or  hesitations  you  have,  and  spend  this  week  praying  and  asking  God  to  address  each  fear  or  barrier  you  have.      

                                             

   

 Missional  Discipleship  Cycle  for  Athletes    

Spiritual  Formation  Mark  6:30-­‐44  

 Debrief/  Interpret:    Debrief  &  Interpret  last  week’s  challenge  ● Review:  How  was  last  week’s  challenge  for  you?    Where  were  you  stuck,  afraid,  

surprised,  excited?    Where  did  you  experience  God?      ● Learn:    What  are  you  learning  about  yourself,  God,  others?    What  might  God  be  

teaching  you  or  your  community?  ● Apply:    What  is  your  next  step?  How  do  you  apply  this  to  your  life?            

 Introduction:  In  this  account,  Jesus  sees  the  weariness  and  fatigue  of  his  disciples.  They  just  returned  from  a  long  ministry  trip  (Mark  6:6-­‐13,  30).    Jesus  invites  them  to  a  quiet  place  for  rest.  However,  on  their  way,  they  encounter  more  people  in  need,  in  fact,  thousands.  Jesus  cares  for  the  crowd  spiritually,  but  when  it  comes  times  to  care  for  them  physically  (food),  Jesus  challenges  the  disciples  to  meet  the  need.  To  their  amazement,  the  disciples  realize  they  have  enough  food  to  give!  Jesus  steps  in  and  teaches  them  an  important  lesson  on  the  importance  of  spiritual  formation.      Warm  up  question:  Have  you  ever  been  given  what  seems  an  impossible  task?  Have  you  ever  been  in  a  game  or  in  a  situation  where  you  are  just  worn  out  and  have  NOTHING  left  to  give?  Or  even,  the  game  goes  into  overtime  and  even  more  is  being  asked  of  you  than  you  have  to  give?  What  do  you  do?  What  have  you  done  in  that  situation?  How  did  it  turn  out?    Hear  the  Word:  Turn  to  Mark  6:30-­‐44  Read  the  entire  section.    Observation:    What  do  you  notice  or  observe  about  this  story?  ● Where  does  this  take  place?  Who  is  there?  What  is  going  on  here?  ● What  words  are  repeated?  What  emotions  are  present?  What  are  the  needs?  What  

are  the  challenges?  ● How  did  Jesus  respond?  How  did  the  disciples  respond?    ● What  were  the  outcomes?    

Interpretation:  1. What  was  the  significance  of  the  main  things  you  and  other  observed?  

 2. Though  they  were  tired  and  hungry,  why  do  you  think  Jesus  brought  took  them  

away  to  get  rest  only  to  led  them  to  even  more  people  who  were  in  need  and  hungry?      

a. When  they  pointed  out  the  physical  needs  of  the  crowd  (hunger)  why  do  you  think  Jesus  responded  the  way  he  did?  “You  give  them  something  to  eat”  and  “What  do  you  have?  “  What  point  do  you  think  he  was  trying  to  make?  

   

3. What  is  the  spiritual  significance  of  Jesus  asking  the  disciples  to  give  of  what  they  had  to  feed  the  crowd,  Jesus  multiplying  it  and  then  giving  it  back  to  them  to  distribute?    

a. What  lesson  in  spiritual  formation  do  you  think  the  disciples  took  from  this  story  when  they  were  faced  with  a  need  they  could  not  meet  but  in  the  saw  God  Satisfy  both  the  crowd  and  themselves?  

   Summary:    The  disciples  were  tired  and  they  were  hungry  and  Jesus  showed  them  he  was  aware  of  their  needs  and  wanted  them  to  recover.  But  in  their  neediness,  engaged  them  with  the  needs  of  the  world  to  reveal  they  didn’t  have  what  it  took  to  meet  those  needs.  Only  he  did.  This  demonstrated  the  need  the  disciples  had  for  spiritual  formation,  their  lack  of  ability  to  do  things  in  their  own  power  and  they  need  to  go  to  Jesus  to  meet  their  own  needs  and  the  needs  of  others.        Application:    How  might  you  be  like  the  disciples  in  this  story?  What  are  the  spiritual  or  physical  needs  that  you  are  experiencing  at  the  moment?  (Need  for  healing,  need  for  rest,  need  to  be  spiritually  filled,  etc)  What  are  the  physical  and  spiritual  needs  of  the  those  around  you  that  you  are  aware  you  can’t  meet?  How  does  this  story  show  you  how  to  meet  those  needs  for  yourself  and  others?    

 Active  Response/Challenge:      Do  you  have  a  need  that  you  are  trying  to  take  care  of  yourself  but  keep  coming  up  short?  How  is  Jesus  inviting  you  to  come  to  him  to  get  your  needs  met?      Can  you  take  a  2-­‐3  hour  chunk  of  time  this  week  and  give  this  to  Jesus.    During  this  time,  journal,  pray,  read  scripture  and  ask  Jesus  to  meet  this  specific  need.        [Note:  Some  athletes  find  that  it  is  more  helpful  to  go  for  a  walk,  or  to  go  outside  in  nature  to  do  this,  but  try  to  keep  focused  on  Jesus,  and  asking  Him  to  meet  this  specific  spiritual/physical  need  that  you  can’t  meet.]    Do  you  see  the  needs  of  those  around  you  that  you  have  come  to  realize  that  you  can’t  meet?  What  do  you  need  to  give  to  Jesus  in  faith  and  what  do  you  hope  to  receive  from  him  in  order  to  see  these  needs  met?                            

     

Missional  Discipleship  Cycles  for  Athletes  Breaking  Chains  Mark  5:1-­‐20  

   Debrief/  Interpret:    Debrief  &  Interpret  last  week’s  challenge  ● Review:  How  was  last  week’s  challenge  for  you?    Where  were  you  stuck,  afraid,  

surprised,  excited?    Where  did  you  experience  God?      ● Learn:    What  are  you  learning  about  yourself,  God,  others?    What  might  God  be  

teaching  you  or  your  community?  ● Apply:    What  is  your  next  step?  How  do  you  apply  this  to  your  life?        

     Introduction:    In  this  story  we  are  going  to  encounter  a  man  that  has  literally  been  chained  up  and  left  to  die.    With  no  hope  and  in  desperate  need,  Jesus  comes  to  deliver  this  man  that  everyone  else  has  given  up  on.      A  definition  to  note  in  this  passage:  a  legion  was  known  as  4,000-­‐6,000  Roman  soldiers.        Warm  up  question:  Have  you  ever  had  a  bad  habit  or  compulsion  that  you  couldn’t  break?    (I.e.  for  a  basketball  player-­‐  maybe  your  technique  for  shooting  was  wrong,  or  you  struggle  with  counting  every  calorie  you  eat,  maybe  even  an  eating  disorder)    How  did  you  try  to  break  it?      Hear  the  Word:    Turn  to  Mark  5:1-­‐20.    Read  the  entire  section.    Observation,  Interpretation,      1. What  do  you  notice  or  observe  about  this  story?      

• What  emotions  are  present?    • What  questions  come  to  mind?  

2. Where  does  this  take  place?  Who  is  there?    What  is  going  on?      3. What  is  the  man  like  in  this  story?  What  has  happened  to  him?  4. How  does  the  man  respond  to  Jesus?  Who  is  responding…the  man  or  the  unclean  spirit?  

Who  is  in  control  of  this  man’s  life?  5. How  are  the  people  treating  him  before  and  after?  6. Contrast  what  Jesus  did  for  the  man  vs.  what  the  unclean  spirit  did  to  the  man…what  

does  this  comparison  show  us  about  Jesus?    (He  wants  to  set  us  free  from  the  things  that  torment  us)      

 [Note:  A  tricky  part  of  this  passage  is  when  Jesus  told  the  unclean  spirit  to  leave,  and  it  didn’t  right  away,  why  didn’t  that  work?    It  seems  like  the  demon  is  worshiping  Jesus  but  actually  he  is  trying  to  get  the  upper  hand  by  using  Jesus’  name  and  giving  a  command  “adjure”  or  in  the  NIV  “in  God’s  name  don’t”  It  was  thought  that  if  you  knew  

someone’s  name  it  gave  you  power  over  them  and  that  is  why  Jesus  asks  for  the  name  of  the  unclean  spirit.”]  

   7. How  do  the  people  in  the  town  react  to  what  Jesus  did  for  the  man?  to  the  pigs?    Why  do  

they  want  Jesus  to  leave?  8. What  do  they  value  more?    Pigs  or  people?  9. Why  doesn’t  Jesus  let  the  man  come  with  him?      

 Application    Are  you  tormented  or  distressed  by  something  you  can’t  control  or  have  a  teammate  that  is?    (Give  people  time  to  journal  on  the  back  of  their  manuscript  about  the  thing  that  Jesus  might  want  to  set  them  free  of.    You  can  download  “Set  me  Free”  by  Casting  Crowns  to  have  them  listen  to  as  they  journal  or  reflect  since  it  is  a  song  that  goes  directly  with  this  passage  sung  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  man  with  the  unclean  spirit.)      

1. Have  you  ever  witnessed  a  family  member,  teammate,  or  even  yourself  struggling  with  an  addiction  or  compulsion?    How  did  it  affect  this  person?      

2. What  might  Jesus  want  to  set  them  or  you  free  of?      3. In  this  story,  the  people  from  the  town  seemed  to  initially  care  more  about  the  pigs  

that  drowned.  What  are  your  pigs?    What  are  the  things  you  value  over  the  spiritual  needs  of  your  friends  or  teammates?  (Jobs,  grades,  money,  relationships,  your  sport,  playing  time)    If  you  were  going  to  value  people  over  pigs  what  would  change  in  your  life  right  now?      

Active  Response/Challenge:      4. If  you  have  a  teammate  struggling  with  an  addiction  or  compulsion,  print  out  or  

hand  write  three  scriptures  that  share  about  how  much  Jesus  loves  and  cares  about  them,  and  give  them  to  this  person,  and  ask  them  if  there  is  anything  you  could  pray  for  them  this  week.  (Scriptures  on  love:  Psalm  139:  13-­‐18,  Isaiah  40:28-­‐31,  Romans  6:6-­‐7,  Zephaniah  3:17,  2  Thess.  2:16-­‐17).      

                             

     

Missional  Discipleship  Cycles  for  Athletes    Racial  Tensions  &  Social  Justice  

Acts  6:1-­‐7    

 Debrief/Interpret:  ● Review:  How  was  last  week’s  challenge  for  you?  Where  were  you  stuck,  afraid,  

surprised  excited?  Where  did  you  experience  God?  ● Learn:  What  are  you  learning  about  yourself,  God,  others?  What  might  God  be  

teaching  you  or  your  community?  ● Apply:  What  is  your  next  step?  How  do  you  apply  this  to  your  life?    

   Introduction:  Here,  we  take  a  look  at  the  early  church  in  Acts  and  we  witness  a  pretty  serious  injustice.  Even  the  church  that  was  the  most  chronologically  connected  to  Jesus  had  problems.  Let’s  take  a  look  at  how  this  church’s  leadership  addresses  this  problem.    Warm  up  Question:    ● Being  a  collegiate  athlete,  and  a  college  student  comes  with  a  lot  of  perks  -­‐  what  are  

some  of  those  perks?  ● Have  you  ever  seen  a  big  situation  that  just  felt  wrong,  but  you  felt  incapable  of  

changing  it?      Hear  the  Word:  Acts  6:1-­‐7.  Read  the  entire  section.  Observation  

1. What  do  you  notice  or  observe  about  this  story?  a. What  people  groups  and  characters  are  involved?  b. What  is  the  tension?  What  is  the  conflict?  c. Who  was  in  leadership  in  this  situation?  How  did  they  respond?  What  do  

they  prioritize?  d. What  resulted?  

 Interpretation  

2. Is  there  a  theme  among  the  newly  appointed  distributors  of  food?  a. (All  the  names  of  the  appointed  are  of  Greek  origin)  

 3. Why  do  you  suppose  the  Twelve  appointed  these  people  in  particular?  

a. (Greek  problems?  Lay  down  power  to  the  Greeks  so  they  can  find/employ  a  Greek  solution)  

 

4. How  might  it  have  felt  to  be  one  of  the  appointed  seven?  -­‐  to  be  named  a  leader  out  of  the  people  group  that  is  being  oppressed?  

   Application  

5. Who  are  the  marginalized  on  your  team/campus?  6. What  power,  privilege,  or  status  has  God  gifted  you  with  as  a  college  athlete?  7. What  would  it  look  like  for  you  as  a  college  athlete  to  lay  down  that  power  and  

privilege  for  the  marginalized?  8. How  is  this  example  of  the  early  church  inviting  us  to  interact  with  social  injustice?  

 Summary:  In  this  passage,  we  see  the  Hellenistic  Jews  being  ignored  and  left  for  hunger  in  this  early  church  community’s  food  distribution,  most  likely  cultural  tensions  between  Hellenistic  Jews  and  Hebraic  Jews  lie  behind  this  oversight.      The  Hebraic  Jews,  who  have  leadership  and  power  in  this  situation,  have  awareness  enough  to  know  that  God  has  called  them  into  different  responsibilities.  In  genuine  interest  for  this  problem  being  solved,  the  Hebraic  leadership  dissolves  their  own  power  in  this  situation  over  to  the  oppressed  group,  the  Hellenists.  From  there,  the  Hellenists,  who  understand  the  systematic  problem  more  fully,  are  empowered  to  create  a  more  full  resolution.  And  what  results  is  God’s  word  spread  further,  followers  multiplied,  and  even  priests  became  obedient  to  Christ-­‐hood.    For  context,  for  the  Hebraic  Jews  to  try  to  solve  the  Hellenist  Jews  problem,  might  be  like  hiring  a  track  &  field  coach  to  show  basketball  players  what’s  wrong  with  their  jump  shot;  they  don’t  fully  understand  the  problem,  and  therefore,  cannot  create  a  full  solution.    In  relation  to  the  racial  climate  in  our  nation,  this  might  look  like  White  leadership  in  our  country  giving  voice  and  platform  to  Black  leadership  to  help  our  country  engage  with  the  racial  tensions  and  really  implement  different  policies  and  perspectives,  such  as  the  #BlackLivesMatter  movement.      People  don’t  like  to  give  up  power,  status,  or  privilege,  but  we  can  start  at  smaller  scale  on  our  teams  and  on  our  campus,  and  hope  that  God  will  do  miraculous  larger  scale  work  with  what  we  have  to  offer.    What  could  happen  if  we  respond  in  a  way  in  which  we  voluntarily  lay  down  our  power,  privilege,  or  status  in  order  to  empower  a  minority  voice  on  our  team,  or  in  the  athletic  community?      Active  Response/Challenge:      ● Take  time  this  week  to  pray  now,  and  ask  God  to  show  you  people  on  your  team  or  

in  the  athletic  department  who  feel  marginalized.    Ask  them  if  there  are  places  that  they  have  seen  injustice  on  campus  or  the  team,  people  mistreated  or  overlooked  on  campus  or  in  the  athletic  department."  

● Those  who  are  the  marginalized…  ○ What  will  you  do  to  help  them  feel  the  love  of  Jesus?  ○ How  can  you  make  them  feel  more  welcome  on  this  campus  or  your  team?