Let’s start with baseball. Imagine all of life were a baseball game. Think about it for a moment and decide what position you are playing and what it means figuratively.
Are you pitching? Are you the clean-up hitter? Are you out in left field? Are you an observer in the cheap seats?
Where were you last year? Where do you want to be in five years?
From where are you viewing the game?
If all of life were a baseball game, are you…
a.) fully into the game, screaming at the umpire and cheering the team?
b.) enjoying a dog and soda, relaxing on a spring afternoon?
If all of life is a baseball game, do you hope to hit the grand-slam homerun or simply get on base and work your away around the field?
If all of life were a baseball game, when was the last time you experienced a bad call?
Who is your coach?
Who is your umpire?
Note to Youth Leaders: To make this part of the lesson more active, try drawing a baseball diamond on a sheet of butcher paper. Include all the details you can think of, including the bleachers, showers and concession stand. Give each student a small paper baseball and a bit of tape. Have them write their names on their baseballs. Then on Go, they are to answer the question of which roles they play by running up and sticking the baseball on the field.
In the classic poem “Casey at the Bat,” the title character seems to have all the hopes and dreams of the hometown pinned to him. The poem suggests an air of arrogance in his style, and then he strikes out. When was the last time one of your heroes let you down?
What happens when one player on a team is elevated above the others? Does it seem as if fans will lift a player up and then watch them fall? How does this apply to our “life is a game” analogy?
Read 1 Timothy 6:11-12.
What does it mean to fight the good fight?
Imagine this verse being said by a coach in a locker room or quarter back in a huddle. What drives you? What pumps you up when you’re down by one goal with 2 minutes to play?
What do you think should happen to players who get caught using performance-enhancing drugs?
Is there too much pressure on players to try and earn their salaries?
Recently, Lance Armstrong dropped all lawsuits trying to clear his name and had a number of his titles revoked. Regardless of whether you’re a fan, does this disappoint you?
True or False: Cheaters never win, and winners never cheat.
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Should Christians define win differently?
What was your favorite sport in the recent Olympics? Which one puzzled you? Which one did you watch and think “Heck, I could do that”?
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What do you think Paul was talking about here? Its entirely possible Paul attended a very early Olympic ceremony. The crown in this verse would have been a wreath worn in place of a gold medal. What is a win in your theology? What is a silver? A bronze?
Many people remember the Jamaican bobsled team from the Winter Olympics a few years ago. This past summer, you may remember Oscar Pistorius, the runner who ran with no legs. You probably can remember an Olympic story that has nothing to do with winning. Why are we attracted to these stories more often than we are the winners?
Here’s an exercise: Write down your own definition of sportsmanship. (Note to Youth Leaders: Don’t read this second part aloud). After you have a working definition, trade papers with someone else in the room. Draw a bumper sticker, condensing his or her definition into a few words.
The Cleveland Browns never have been to a Super Bowl, yet the city is known for its fans. The old Cleveland stadium is the origin of the dawg pound when the fans in the end zone began barking instead cheering. Who is the most zealous fan you know? What is that person’s chosen sport? Who is the most extreme fan you’ve ever read about or seen on TV?
Teams often will congratulate each other after a game, but fans have been known to riot. Is the rivalry between cities regarding their teams a creation of the teams or of the fans?
There was a story in the news recently about a man who caught a foul ball at a game. People around him began shouting: “Give it to the kid. Give it to the kid.” The man looked around and saw a kid with a glove standing near him. The fan smiled and gave the kid the ball to the cheers of the crowd around him. A few minutes later, another man came out of the stands and offered to buy the baseball from the kid. At his parents’ urging, the kid sold the ball.
Was it right for the parents to encourage the kid to sell the ball? Do they owe some of the money to the man who actually caught it? How would you feel if you were the guy who caught the ball?
Let’s go back to our all-of-life-is-a-game concept. God gives you baseball. It is a rare and wonderful sort of gift. Are you sharing it or selling it? How do you think God feels when He gives us gifts only to watch us let it go to waste?
Are you a good loser? Are you a gracious winner? Which is harder?
True Story: At a summer camp, two counselors were growing concerned regarding the bad feelings that seemed to be growing during the nightly volleyball games. Teams were forming, and sides were taken—on and off the court. The two counselors decided that when a team rotates, the server would rotate to the other team and a player from the front line of that team would rotate to the front line of the other. The campers protested and tried to throw the game, but eventually both sides were a mix of both teams. Eventually, playing the game became more important than winning the game; and this style of playing was used for the entire summer.
How important is winning to you?
Does competition strengthen a group or harm it?
When does it get out of hand?
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Re-work this verse in your own words so it sounds similar to a Gatorade or Nike commercial. (Note to Youth Leaders: If you have time, have your group create quick commercials using their phones. If you have lots of time, have the group work together to make a commercial that could be shown to the congregation on Sunday morning.)
