PSO FOOTBALL 2016 Weekly Value Lessons MASCULINITY 8 Virtues of a Man
Table of Contents MASCULINITY 8 Virtues of a Man Week: Date Review 1. Humility It s not about you 8/27-9/2 9/3 2. Integrity The Real You 9/4-9/9 9/10 3. Self-Control Just because it feels good 9/10-9/16 9/17 4. Honesty / Sincerity A white lie is still a lie 9/18-9/23 9/24 5. Meekness Strength under restraint 9/25-9/30 10/1 6. Courage When times get tough 10/2-10/7 10/8 7. Loyalty Who has your back? 10/9-10/14 10/15 8. Purity It s about the heart 10/16-10/21 10/22 9. Gospel Presentation Coach Led 10/23-10/28 10/29
Week 1 HUMILITY It s Not about You Humility is not thinking less of ourselves, but rather absence of thinking about ourselves The Problem: We live in a culture of shameless self-promotion. Everywhere we look people are telling us about how great they are and going to extremes to get noticed. Question: What are some ways people self-promote? Answers: Touchdown dances, people whose claim to fame is reality TV Philippians 2:5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Lesson: In a world of shameless self-promotion one of the greatest virtues a man can have is humility. Humility is the absence of thinking about ourselves. Through the virtue of humility we are able to seek the well-being of others and look after their best interest. Men should always be seeking the well-being of others before their own wants and needs. The greatest example of humility is Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5-11 tells us that even though Jesus was equal to God, he did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. Instead he took the nature of a human servant and left his home in heaven and became a servant. He came to earth, was born as a baby lived a life just like you and me. He put others ahead of himself and obeyed God, the Father, completely to the point of dying on a cross. Through his death, burial and resurrection we have life. As men we should always look to Jesus as our example. In this case, we see his example of humility as he died so that all who believe in him might live. We follow Jesus example of humility by putting the needs of others first. Some ways we do that is obeying our parents, teachers and coaches. We can also seek to help out our brothers and sisters at home or our friends at school. Remember humility is the absence of thinking about ourselves.
Week 2 INTEGRITY The Real You Integrity is who we are when no one is looking The Problem: We live in a world that has come to celebrate cheating and doing whatever it takes to get ahead in life. A few prime examples are athletes who take performance enhancing drugs to gain an advantage or men who scheme to steal money from other people. Other examples are people who cheat on tests in school or men who are unfaithful to their spouses. Due to our sin nature all of us have areas of our life where we lack integrity. We may not take drugs or steal money but instead disobey our parents. Another way we may lack integrity is that we lie to keep from getting in trouble or cheat on test. Our natural inclination is to protect ourselves and to try and gain an advantage over others. Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Lesson: Proverbs 10:9 promises that, Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his way crooked will be found out. The Hebrew word for security emphasizes confidence and the absence of impending doom, while the Hebrew word for found out talks about being discovered by revelation through watching. If you have ever lied to your parents or cheated on a test you know how difficult and stressful it is to go around worrying about whether our parents will find out. However, when we do what is right we can walk securely, we can walk with confidence and freedom because we do not have to worry about people finding out we did something wrong. When we have integrity we are able to be bold about our faith in Jesus and bold in the things we say because we know we are being truthful. The first way we improve is to look to Jesus. He came full of grace and truth (John 1:14). While he was tempted he was with out sin (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:15). We must commit ourselves to being men of integrity by not lying or cheating on test. Also, we must look at areas of our life that do not line up with what God s Word says a man of integrity should be. As men, we must develop a habit of doing what is right in the little things so that when we are tempted to cheat or cut corners in something large we have developed the habit of doing what is right.
Week 3 SELF-CONTROL Just because it Feels Good Self-Control is doing the right thing regardless of our feelings Where We Fail: The popular mindset in today s culture is if it feels good do it. So we do what we want when we want to and worry about the consequences later. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. Lesson: In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul uses the imagery of an athlete running a race to explain the need for discipline and self-control in life. As athletes we are all aware that even though we all compete throughout the whole season only one person or team gets a prize. The Greek word for self-control emphasizes the rigid discipline athletes go through in order to compete in their sports. Football players practice blocking and tackling as well as running plays. However, they also run, and lift weights and stick to strict diets in order to be ready to compete at their highest levels. Paul goes on to state, I do not run aimlessly and I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my and keep it under control so that I do not disqualify myself. As men we must learn to discipline ourselves so that we do not disqualify ourselves from the work God has called us to do. Paul gives us several practical steps to live lives of self-control: 1) Keep our eyes on the prize (v.25) Paul states that we run to get an imperishable wreath or prize. As Christians our prize is the crowns God has laid up for us in Christ Jesus. These crowns are the crown of life (James 1:12), righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8), and the crown of glory (1 Pet. 5:4) 2) Don t run aimlessly (v 26): Just as an athlete has purpose in the things they do as Christians we should have a purpose to the things we do. This is why we emphasize reading our Bibles as well as prayer and going to church. 3) Be disciplined (v.27a): Paul disciplined his body. A lot of times it is what we learn to say no to that decides our success. The can be what we watch, or eat and even who we hang out with and what we do in our free time
Week 4 HONESTY A White Lie is Still a Lie Honesty is telling the truth regardless of the circumstances Where We Fail: We do not like to tell the truth. Especially, when we know the truth will get us in trouble. Many times we do not tell big lies, but we try and get away with little white lies that we think will not hurt any one. A few ways we may do this is to tell our parents that we did our chores or brushed our teeth, or we may tell a story that makes us look better than we actually are. Other ways to lie are to cut a corner on a project or to tell a story about someone that may be true. We use these examples because it is often the little areas in life where we tell lies or embellish the truth. Proverbs 12:17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. The Lesson: Proverbs 12:17 states, Whoever speaks truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. In the Hebrew the word speaks is literally translated breathe out and interestingly the word for truth is righteousness. In other words when we tell the truth we are literally breathing out the righteousness of Christ. As worshippers and servants of Christ we must remember to breathe out truth because we never know who is listening and our telling the truth in a difficult situation may open the door to talk to someone about Christ. We all struggle to tell the truth. A few ways we can work on honesty are: 1) Remember a white lie is still a lie it is often the small lies that come back to haunt us 2) Remember Jesus is truth Jn. 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. When we speak truth we are literally breathing out Christ righteousness.
Week 5 MEEKNESS Strength under Restraint Meekness is strength under restraint Where We Fail: The character quality of meekness is often thought of as weakness or of someone being a pushover. Others may think of meekness as someone who sits in a corner and doesn t say anything or ever fight back. Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The Lesson: In Matthew 5:5 Jesus begins perhaps his greatest sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, by listing several types of people on earth who will receive blessing. These character types are interesting because they are the opposite of the type of people the world would expect to receive blessing and in verse five Jesus says, Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is not weakness. It is strength under restraint. The idea behind meekness is that of surrender. It is coming to the realization that we cannot do everything on our own and that we need help. At its core meekness is about relationships and realizing that we need help and that we need to help others. For us to grow in meekness there are several things we can do. 1) Cast our burdens on Jesus Meekness is a relational quality where we recognize the significance of others in relation to our own life. There is no more important relationship than our relationship with Christ. Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. God does not want us to do everything on our own. He wants us to bring our problems to him so that he can take care of them for us. In allowing God to handle our problems we are showing that we need and rely on him 2) Realize our need for others God created us to live in community so that we might share each others burdens. Allow others to help you in times of difficulty. 3) Remember being meek doesn t mean you are weak. Meekness is restraining our lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Week 6 COURAGE When Times Get Tough Courage is standing and fighting for what is right in the face of adversity Where We Fail: It has become popular for people to not take a stand for anything. Instead we allow pop culture or other friend s opinions to tell us what is right and wrong. In today s culture courage is becoming a thing of the past. The Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. The Lesson: Joshua has taken over leadership of Israel from Moses and Israel is on the edge of the Promised Land and ready to enter. However, the Promised Land is filled with other nations and tribes who already live where God has promised the Israel they would live. In order for Israel to inhabit the land they will have to fight and war against these foreign nations and kick them out of the Promised Land. In Joshua 1:9, right before Joshua rallies the troops God gives him this command, Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Going to war is no doubt a scary time, and sticking up for what we believe can be a scary task. However, these situations reveal our true character to others. Remember that the battle is the Lord s. Notice God s promise to Joshua in the second half of verse nine, The LORD your God is with you wherever you go. When God calls us to take a stand for us or to fight for something he also fights for us. He will fight on our behalf as long as we are obedient to the call. Tough situations reveal our true character to others and can often serve as a testimony to others about our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Week 7 LOYALTY Who s got Your Back? Loyalty is staying committed to a person or set of beliefs regardless of the situation Where we fail: We live in a culture that does not value commitment. Many men do not have close friendships. In addition, instead of valuing friendship keep relationships as long as they are useful to us and we leave once someone is in a tough situation Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. The Lesson: Proverbs 18:24 states, A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. A brother is family. Because of the family ties there is a commitment to each other that surpasses circumstances and tough situations. A perfect example of a friend sticking closer than a brother is Jesus relationship with Peter. Towards the end of John s Gospel, Peter, while Jesus is being beaten and abused, is either pointed out as a friend of Jesus or asked if he knows him. Each time Peter responds by telling everyone that he does not know Jesus. In John 21 Jesus and Peter are talking after the resurrection. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him and three times Peter responds by saying yes. In this situation Jesus is showing Peter forgiveness and calling Peter to lead his sheep. The Hebrew word for friend and brother as used in Proverbs 18:24 both speak to a covenantal (blood) relationship. The idea behind these words is that as tough situations pop up the relationship grows closer and the bonds stronger. Commit to being the type of friend who sticks by others during tough times, knowing that in Christ we have the ultimate friend who will never leave us or forsake us. As men we should encourage our friends when times are tough and challenge them to live lives that honor Jesus. As we show loyalty to our friends watch as they respond with loyalty and gratitude.
Week 8 PURITY It s About the Heart Purity is a heart that has not been corrupted by outside forces or influences Where we fail: Due to our sin nature our hearts and minds have been corrupted. Our sin affects the way we view and interact with people, it affects the way we think and make decisions. Our lack of purity is not simply about sex and lust, our lack of purity due to our sin nature even affects how we view God and study the Bible. Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. The Lesson: Purity is often thought of as the opposite of lustful thoughts or temptations. However, purity is much more. Purity is a heart that is free from outside influences and biases. The Hebrew word for purity is the English word clear. Picture it like a diamond: the more clear a diamond the greater value. Also, the more clarity a diamond has the easier it is to see through. The more pure our lives are, the better we are able to relate to others, Study God s word and the more clearly we are able to see God. As men we must commit ourselves to lives of purity. The psalmist writes in Psalm 119:9-11, with my whole heart I seek you; let me not wonder from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. When we put God first in our lives, make it a priority to study and know his Word, and allow the Bible to be our ultimate authority in our lives we can live lives of purity. At that point we begin to see the world through the lens of scripture and it changes the way we view the world. Just as the clarity of a diamond affects its value and the ability for others to see through it, the purity of our hearts affects our value and the ability of others to see Jesus through us.
Week 9 GOSPEL Christ and Response Over the past eight weeks we have been studying eight virtues of a man. However, an above all virtue a true man is one who recognizes that he cannot live his life outside of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Where we fail: We don t recognize that our sin separates us from God and that we need forgiveness of our sins. Verses: Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. The Lesson We have all sinned and fallen short of God s glory. Because of our sin we deserve death. However, God sent his Son Jesus to live a perfect life and die in our place for the forgiveness of our sins. We are saved when we confess our sins and ask Jesus Christ to be Lord and savior of our life. Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Romans 10:13 says, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. *Coach ask all players to bow their heads and ask the kids who would like to accept Christ as Lord and savior to raise their hand. Then have all players who want to make a decisions repeat this prayer as you say it out loud.
Lord I know that I am a sinner, please forgive me of my sins, come into my life. I am willing to follow you as best as I can and not turn back. Thank you for giving me eternal life. **Coach please record the names of those players who made a decision to follow Christ and give them to your division director. We will then take the names and follow up with the families.