Weekly Content for P.A.C.K. Meetings

 

P – PRAYER

Pray for your time together. Ask God to give you open hearts and ears and a willingness to be open and honest with each other.

Wrap up your time together by having guys share additional personal prayer requests and pray specifically for one another.

You can also pray this prayer as a follow-up to the topic: Heavenly Father, thank you for Your grace, mercy, and strength and for reminding me that I don’t have to live on the hot seat anymore. Thank you for sending Jesus to save me and assure me of eternity with You. Help me to live with freedom, confidence, and peace as I rest in Jesus. In His name, I pray, Amen.

 

A – ACCOUNTABILITY

Ask guys how their week was. Follow up on last week’s topic about Aaron Rodgers and being willing to call people out with humility and grace.

Also, it can be an opportunity for guys to share any struggles or challenges from the week that need to be confessed or held accountable for.

If married, ask how everyone is intentionally serving their spouse…and if a parent, what the biggest challenge is right now.

 

C – CONVERSATION/COMMUNITY

Talk about weekly content that connects sports to life and faith.

 

UNPACKIN’ IT DEVOTIONAL CONTENT:

On the Hot Seat

As the NFL starts another season, some players, executives, and coaches enter the year with job security and assurance about their status in the league, allowing them to operate with freedom, peace, and confidence.

On the flip side, ESPN.com has an article asking, “Which players, coaches, and execs are on the hot seat?”

As they rank each NFL team 1-32 heading into the season, they include one person from each team on the hot seat who has the most pressure on them or is “trying to hold on to his starting spot as well as coaches/GMs looking to stay employed.”

Here are the coaches they determined are fighting to keep their jobs and are feeling the hot seat:

· Eagles’ Nick Sirianni

· Bills’ Sean McDermott

· Jets’ Robert Saleh

· Bears’ Matt Eberflus

· Saints’ Dennis Allen

The quarterbacks they mentioned who are feeling the heat include:

· Bryce Young from the Panthers

· Geno Smith from the Seahawks

· Daniel Jones from the Giants

Some interesting wide receivers making this list are:

· Steelers wide receiver George Pickens

· 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr.

· Las Vegas wide receiver Davante Adams

· Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams

· Texas wide receiver Stefon Diggs

Lastly, they added Dallas Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones as someone on the hot seat, but he has the advantage of not worrying about anyone firing him!

For the other players and coaches, it will be tough heading into the season, with pressure, uncertainty, stress, and concern about what they have to do this season to keep their jobs and experience more security and assurance.

Many of us can relate to feeling like we’re on the “hot seat” in life, as it seems like we aren’t doing enough or good enough in some area. We may fear losing a job, stress about not getting a promotion or making enough money, or worry that we won’t be able to meet someone else’s expectations.

As we wonder what will happen “this season,” we feel the pressure and wrestle with the uncertainty. We desire a successful job, financial security, and assurances that our kids will be okay and our marriage will last.

Feeling like we’re on the “hot seat” is another opportunity to trust God and shift the burdens and pressure to Him. He wants to carry us and help us through whatever heat we’re feeling. We must stop thinking it’s all up to us to perform and instead surrender and know He is with us and His comfort is available.

The psalmist declares in Psalm 94:19 (NLT), “When doubts filled my mind, Your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”

We must also remember that the true soul security we long for is found in Christ and Him alone. Deep down, we know that because we are followers of Jesus, He secures our eternity and salvation because of our faith in His death and resurrection.

Jesus provides us assurance when He says in John 10:27-29 (NLT), “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me, for my Father has given them to Me, and He is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.”

Paul provides us great confidence in Romans 8:38-39 (ESV): “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jesus helps us live with freedom, confidence, and peace, ultimately showing us that when we rest in Him, we no longer have to live like we’re on the hot seat…because we’re not!

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

 

PODCAST:

ADDITIONAL VERSES:

Matthew 11:29 (AMP): “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.”

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV): “…casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

Psalm 56:3-4 (ESV): “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, whose Word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”

 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

K – KICKING AROUND INTERESTING AND RELEVANT SPORTS STORIES AND TOPICS–YOU CAN START WITH THIS:

 

THIS WEEK’S SPORTS HEADLINES/TOPICS:

• What should the Steelers do at QB?
  
• Who will be the worst team in the NFL this season?
• What new head coach in the NFL will have the quickest impact?
• What early-season college football matchup are you most excited about?