Perseverance

Introduction:

The sports world has a gigantic library of stories about players and teams that persevered through losing streaks, injuries, illness, or other difficulties to become champions. You have probably seen some of them in movies or read about them. You may have even lived through one such story. You may be in the middle of one today.

Application:

1. What is the most difficult part of your life in sport to endure? Is it the long bus trips? Is it the sore muscles or the pain of rehabbing an injury?
2. What is the final outcome of persevering through these trying times, and what benefit could possibly come from such painful, hard work?

Bridge:

James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”

1. What sorts of trials test people’s faith?
2. Who has been a model to you of enduring trials and becoming mature and complete?

Connection:

1. What trials come along with your sporting life that test your faith?
2. How does that testing process result in endurance?
3. How are we more complete competitors because of having been tried, having endured, and becoming more mature?

Discovery:

Various trials produce patience or endurance in our lives. Just like conditioning produces endurance in our bodies, trials and tough times produce patience in our souls and endurance in our character. When we push through tough times, like losing streaks, injuries and bench-sitting, we find that we are more complete and better able to deal with life’s bigger issues. We’re catching onto this idea well when we see the trial coming and can welcome it as a friend, rather than cursing it as an enemy.

Close:

Memory Verse: “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4