WEEKLY CONTENT FOR P.A.C.K. GATHERINGS
P – PRAYER
Pray for your time together. Ask God to give you open hearts, 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 guiding me and revealing the next steps You want me to take. I pray I discern the Holy Spirit's promptings to know the best direction. Thank you for working in me when I stay the course and giving me strength when I need to change. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen.
A – ACCOUNTABILITY
Ask guys how their week was. Follow up on last week’s topic.
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.
Celebrate any wins, changes, and areas of growth.
C – CONVERSATION/CONTENT
Talk about weekly content that connects sports to life and faith.
UNPACKIN’ IT DEVOTIONAL CONTENT:
As 14 teams prepare for the NFL Playoffs, the teams that missed out on the postseason are evaluating what changes they need to make to improve their franchise moving forward.
Many team owners are specifically determining whether or not to fire their head coach and/or general manager or stay the course. They must decide between giving up on the current regime and going a different direction or giving them more time.
When looking across the league, here is what we know so far:
The Las Vegas Raiders fired their head coach, Antonio Pierce, after one season as the full-time head coach but will keep their general manager, Tom Telesco.
In Tennessee, they kept their head coach, Brian Callahan, but fired GM Ran Carthon.
The Jaguars decided to keep GM Trent Baalke but fired head coach Doug Pederson.
The Patriots gave up on their head coach, Jerod Mayo, after just one season and a 4-13 record.
It appears Mike McCarthy will remain in Dallas after the Cowboys blocked a requested interview with the Bears.
It looks like the Dolphins will stay the course with head coach Mike McDaniel and GM Chris Grier.
The Giants will keep head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen even though they went 3-14 this season.
The Colts decided to hang on to coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard despite missing the playoffs.
I have always been fascinated by the coaching carousel. It's interesting to see how some teams believe moving on is the correct change. In contrast, others believe riding it out longer with the current leadership will eventually result in more wins.
While we follow the NFL coaching decisions, the start of a new calendar year encourages us to evaluate our lives and determine what changes we need to make. Is this the year we change jobs, move houses, or eliminate certain activities? Is it time to join or leave something? Should we step back or step up?
We face looming potential changes and must decide whether to stay the course, hang on, and remain committed, or give up, move on, and let go. Sometimes, what we need to do is clear, but other times, we wrestle with whether to give something more time or say enough is enough.
As followers of Jesus, we hope to experience continual transformation in our character as we become more like Him. We should obey when He reveals changes to our behavior and sins we must repent of.
When it comes to other life-altering changes, such as a job or a house, are we also leaning on Him for wisdom and guidance? Are we praying earnestly to Him, asking Him to show us where He wants us to be and how He wants to use us for His purposes? Do we obey when we get our answer?
There are times He will reveal that we need to stay the course, and other times, He'll make it evident that a change is required.
My encouragement for us as we start the new year and desire to make positive changes so that our lives are fruitful and glorifying to Him is to continue asking God to help us make decisions that align with Him.
Philippians 4:6 (AMP) tells us, "Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God."
Let's ask Him for discernment and clarity as we remember He loves us, cares about us, and knows and sees things we don't. Thankfully, in Psalm 32:8 (NLT), "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'"
When we are wrestling with what to do and trying to decide between staying the course or making the change, James 1:5 (AMP) lets us know: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he is to ask of God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him."
This year, let's ask for wisdom to make the right choices that honor God. Whether that means hanging on a little longer or moving on, let's trust He will empower and strengthen us. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What situations have you previously wrestled with to stay the course or make a change?
How has God clarified whether you should hang on longer or move on?
How did you see God work in you when you stayed the course?
In what ways was your faith challenged when you made the change?
Are you facing life-altering changes, such as getting a different job or buying a new house?
In what ways are you leaning on God for wisdom and guidance?
As you’re determining what to do, how are you factoring in where He wants you to be and how He wants to use you for His purposes?
How tough is it to obey when God reveals what you should do?
What other changes are you looking to make in the new year?
K – KICKING AROUND INTERESTING AND RELEVANT SPORTS STORIES AND TOPICS
*You Can Start Here... This Week's Sports Headlines/Topics:
What do you think about the coaches who were fired and those staying?
What coaches should fill the vacancies?
Who do you think wins the National Championship in College Football?
NFL playoff discussion and predictions.
Did you watch the new golf league, TGL, on ESPN?
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