Ever feel like you are in a lion’s den where hungry lions are ready to tear you limb from limb? In your den, you may have people trying to get rid of you, make you look bad, make up false accusations about your character, question your every decision, or make a mockery of your faith. If there is a job best-suited for a lion’s den, it is coaching. If anyone in the Bible can feel your pain, it is Daniel. He was in the lion’s den because he was such a good leader and others were jealous of his success. His adversaries despised his success and his God, so they formed a plot to have him eliminated.

How Do I Walk In The Power Of The Spirit?

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As athletes, many factors play into our success on the court or field of competition. Fitness, nutrition, rest, proper attitude, and mental focus are just some of the less visible factors that determine how we’ll perform. Even though these things are not as visible as skills training or weight training, they play a vital role in being game ready.

What's My Role In The Great Commission?

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With pride, we look back on past accomplishments. It will be even more fulfilling to look back at the end of the journey and know for sure that our lives counted for something big.

1. How do you think it would feel to be accepted into the Hall of Fame for your sport?

Read Hebrews 11:30-39 for God’s Faith Hall of Fame.

If we allow fear—fear of change, the unknown, failure, ridicule, not following the crowd, our own inadequacies, or dozens of other things—to set the course for our lives, we’ll miss many rich, fulfilling opportunities. God has a spot in His Faith Hall of Fame waiting for you.

Key Verse:  "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'" -  John 14:6

• How many of your friends are looking into other religions to find answers to life?  What are they exploring?

• Why do you people follow such religions?

• What do other religions promise their believers?

• Read John 14:6.  In reference to only one faith is the truth faith, how does this verse give us hope in Christ?

• Why are people so turned off by Christianity today?

Key Verse:  
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm. 1 Peter 3:18

Watch the corresponding video, then use the questions below:

Goal
Upon the completion of this study, athletes will understand the issues of alcohol and other drugs, and have a basic understanding of the OW2P program. Athletes will have the opportunity to examine their personal decision-making process. They will gain an understanding of the elements in their world that shape the decisions they make. They will be challenged to make a commitment to being drug and alcohol free by signing the OW2P Commitment Card.

Key Scriptures
1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Romans 12:1-2

Warm Up

We have all heard the statement “the writing is on the wall.” Coaches have felt the truth of this statement after a big loss, during a losing season or after their job was terminated. If you have gone through the “writing is on the wall” experience, share the heart issues you wrestled with during that difficult time.

Note: King Belshazzar experienced the writing on the wall because of pride and rebellion, but that may not be why you went through your experience. If it is, then confess it to God. If not, then know that God wants to use your trial and pain for His glory.

Pray

Begin by thanking God for the new day and then ask Him to help you learn from what you read. Prepare yourself by:

• Clearing your mind and being quiet before the Lord
• Asking God to settle your heart
• Maybe listening to worship music
• Asking God for a teachable heart

Read

Read the chapter below. You can either read below or read your physical Bible. Read it slowly, take it all in.

Examine

Ask yourself the following questions after reading your chapter for the day. Write your answers down in a journal or notebook you can use just for your time with God.

Risk and danger go hand-in-hand. Taking a risk usually implies a positive or negative reward depending upon the outcome. Coaches take risks all the time, although some coaches are more risky than others. Going for it on a fourth down, shooting a threepointer when down by only two and starting the freshman player instead of the senior are all risks. If the decision does not work, there are plenty of questions to answer, but if the decision does work, then you look like a genius.

Can you recall a time that you took a risk in coaching? How did it work out?

Key Verse:

Whoever lives with integrity fears the LORD, but the one who is devious in his ways despises Him.
Proverbs 14:2

Resolve- to decide, to purpose, a firm determination (Webster’s Dictionary)

How important is a firm determination in competition? Resolve comes from an inner conviction that a certain way to go is the right way. As coaches, we have to be convinced that our training program and game plan are going to work. Tony Dungy was resolved to coach his players God’s way because he was convinced it was the right way to go. By doing things God’s way, he was convinced he would also get the best from his players.

Name a person or team that has demonstrated resolve.

How has this person impacted you?

Drew Brees-New Orleans Saints
One Day At A Time By Faith

Key Verse: "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?" -  James 2:14

• Drew Brees talked about his team getting beat badly in the first half, but they never gave up. Can you think of a game when your team was down by a lot of points?  How did you and the team respond?

• What characteristics do you need as a player to overcome this type of deficit?