Soccer Value Lessons

FALL 2017

PSO Soccer Devotions FALL 2017

Season Theme: Giving All – Giving without thinking twice / not tied to one’s possessions

Dear Coaches and Devotions Leaders. One of the great privileges of participating in the PSO Soccer league is the

opportunity we have to build the physical and spiritual lives of the boys and girls on our teams.

To help you intentionally speak truth into the lives of our kids and build their ideals and character, we put

together this devotional packet. There are lessons for each week: one for each game.

Each lesson has a picture for a visual aid and an outline for your devotion. Before each game, print out the two

pages for that week and paste them together. The picture is for the teams to see and get their attention. The

outline is there for you to use to organize your thoughts. Feel free to make any changes so that the words and

message come from you and are tailored for the needs of your teams.

We recommend that the home team devotional leader call both teams to the center of the field to “take a knee”

together as a sign of unity and sportsmanship. Home teams are responsible for bringing the devotion. Away team

- be prepared, just in case.

Please be intentional about doing these devotions. Each week’s lesson builds on the previous ones and is meant

to inspire our kids to strive to live GENEROUS lives.

Thank you all for your commitment to our kids. May God bless you and your words to our teams.

Weekly Outline Giving All (Giving without thinking twice / not tied to one’s possessions)

Game 1 G - God Gave John 3:16 God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life

Game 2 I - Imitate Jesus Mark 1:17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said. Matthew 20:28 Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Game 3 V - The Vine John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Game 4 I - Invest in Heaven Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.”

Game 5 N - Never Alone. Never In Need. Hebrews 13:5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Philippians 4:19 . . . With all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs. NIV (God will use His glorious riches to give you everything you need through Christ Jesus.) ERV

Game 6 G - Give Freely. Give it your all Matthew 10:8 Freely you have received; freely give. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever plants a little will also grow only a little, and whoever plants generously will also reap generously.

Game 7 A - Always be ready Deuteronomy 15:10 Give generously to [the needy] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Game 8 L - The Lord Owns Everything Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; 1 Chronicles 29:14 Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

Game 9 L – Love one another / God Loves Those Happy to Give John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 2 Corinthians 9:7-9 Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. As the Scriptures say, “He gives generously to the poor; his goodness will continue forever.”

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 1 G - God Gave

Hey Guys – Who knows what this is? It’s a present! Do you guys like getting presents? Do you like giving presents? You know, giving is one of the best things we can do. This season we’re going to be focusing on giving generously or GIVING ALL. So let’s start with G. G is going to stand for God. Do you know that God loves to give us good things? What kinds of things does he give us? (the Earth, the Sun, the Stars, etc.) But what was his greatest gift? He gave us himself! The Bible says: John 3:16 “God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” Do you know what that means? It means that God gave his most valuable gift to us so we could always be with him. All we need to do is accept that gift by believing in His Son Jesus. Do you know what else that means? If God give his most valuable gift to us, we should be ready and willing to give good things to others too! How can we give to others? (Birthday Gifts, Friendship, Kindness, Sharing.) Let’s pray: Dear God, thank you for giving us the greatest gift ever in your Son Jesus. Help us to be givers as well. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 2 I - Imitate Jesus Hey Guys – do you remember what we’re talking about this season? Giving All. Last week we talked about G – God Gave. This week we’re going to talk about – I. I stands for Imitate Jesus. Does anyone know what this guy is doing? Serving Pizza. A server takes good things and gives it to others. Not just food but other good things, like kindness and helping. Who was the greatest server there ever was? Jesus. Here’s what He said in the Bible: Matthew 20:28 -- “. . . The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve others, and to give his life . . . for many.” He also said Mark 1:17 “Come, follow me.” Do you know what that means? Jesus is asking us to imitate him. He came to serve others and he wants us to do the same. How can we do that? (Helping others, giving to those that are in need, visiting the sick, praying for each other, etc.) Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for coming and serving us. Help us to imitate you and spend our time serving others. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 3 V - The Vine Hey Guys – does anyone remember what we’re talking about? GIVING ALL. We talked about G – God Gave and I – Imitate Jesus. Today we’re going to talk about V – The Vine Does anyone like grapes? Do you know where grapes come from? They grow on vines. (Point to the vine.) What happens if you break the branch off the vine? Right – it dries up and it can’t bear fruit. Do you know what Jesus said? He said he was like a vine and we were like branches: John 15:5 -- “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. You know if we want to imitate Jesus and serve others we need to get our strength from Him. Just like if we break a branch off the vine it can’t bear fruit, if we are apart from Jesus we will never be able to be the kind of servant He wants us to be. We can do nothing! But if we are connected to Him by praying, reading the Bible, and spending time with others who believe in Him, we will be able to give out really good things that please Him and bless those around us. Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, help us to stay connected to you so we can be good servers and give good things to others. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 4 I - Invest in Heaven Hey Guys – does anyone remember what we’re talking about? GIVING ALL. We talked about G – God Gave and I – Imitate Jesus and V – the Vine and connecting to it. Today we’re going to talk about I – Invest in Heaven Remember how God gave us the most amazing gift: His Son Jesus. And he asks us to imitate him by serving others and staying connected to him. Well, what do we do with the good things he gives us? We’ll we could keep them all to ourselves and just store them away like money in a bank and never share them. Is that the best thing to do? Here’s what Jesus said in the Bible: Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.” Do you know when we give good things to others and serve them it’s like we’re investing in heaven? When we grab things for ourselves and are selfish we risk those things we grabbed wearing out or even getting stolen by some other selfish person. But Jesus says, when we give and share -- we store up even greater treasure in heaven – and that will never wear out or get stolen. Giving to others and sharing is like investing in heaven. Let’s pray: Dear Lord Jesus, help us stay connected to you and share the good gifts you give to us with others. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 5 N - Never In Need. Hey Guys – does anyone remember what we’re talking about? GIVING ALL. We talked about G – God Gave and I – Imitate Jesus and V – the Vine and connecting to it, I – Invest in Heaven. Today we’re going to talk about N – Never in need. Does anyone know the difference between a Want and a Need? Needs are things that you must have to live. Things like food, clothes and shelter. Do you know, that when we follow Jesus’ example of giving and serving, God promises to supply all our needs? Here’s what the Bible says: Philippians 4:19 . . . With all his abundant wealth through Christ Jesus, my God will supply all your needs. NIV In other words, God will use His glorious riches to give you everything you need through Christ Jesus. If we follow Jesus with our whole heart, He will never leave us alone or turn His back on us, and will always supply our needs. This frees us up to give to God and others generously. If we have more than we need – we have something to give. We make God happy when we share the blessings he’s freely given to us with others. Let’s Pray: Lord Jesus, thank you for your promise to supply all our needs as we follow you with our whole heart. Help us to know the difference between wants and needs – and make us ready to give. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 6 G - Give Freely. Hey Guys – does anyone remember what we’re talking about? GIVING ALL. We talked about G – God Gave; I – Imitate Jesus; V – the Vine and connecting to it; I – Invest in Heaven; N – Never alone. Never in need. Today we’re going to talk about G – Give Freely. Have you ever blown seeds from a dandelion flower? The more seeds you blow the more flowers will grow. Giving to others is kind of like planting seeds. When you give freely you share the blessings God has freely given you with others. And God’s gifts grow. The Bible says Matthew 10:8 Freely you have received; freely give. 2 Corinthians 9:6 Remember this: Whoever plants a little will also grow only a little, and whoever plants generously will also reap generously. God has freely given you many gifts – your health, your talents, your skills. When you use them to help others you are sharing what God has freely given you and it’s like planting seeds that will grow into good things. Let’s pray. Dear Lord God, thank you for freely giving us our talents and skills. Help us to share them with others for your glory. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 7 A - Always be ready Hey Guys – does anyone remember what we’re talking about? GIVING ALL. We talked about G – God Gave; I – Imitate Jesus; V – the Vine and connecting to it; I – Invest in Heaven; N – Never alone. Never in need. G – Give Freely. Today we’re going to talk about A – Always be ready. We all need help sometimes, right? Isn’t it great when you ask for help and someone is right there to give it to you? Well, you can do the same thing for others. Always be ready to lend a helping hand to someone in need. Don’t feel bad or annoyed if someone asks for help. Always be ready to stop and reach out. Here’s what the Bible says: Deuteronomy 15:10 Give generously to [the needy] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. God has given you so many good things that you can share with others. Always be ready to share those gifts he’s given you. The Bible says when you do, God will bless you in all your work and in everything you try. Let’s pray: Father God, you’re a good father and have given us so much. Please help us to always be ready to share the good gifts you’ve given us with those who need them. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 8 L - The Lord Owns Everything Hey Guys – does anyone remember what we’re talking about? GIVING ALL. We talked about G – God Gave; I – Imitate Jesus; V – the Vine and connecting to it; I – Invest in Heaven; N – Never alone. Never in need. G – Give Freely; and A – Always be ready. Today we’re going to talk about L – The Lord Owns Everything Do you know that God created the Earth and every living thing? Do you know that everything that is good comes from God? That’s right. Everything. The Bible says: Psalm 24:1 The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world, and all who live in it. Since God created the world and He owns everything in it – when we give something to Him or honor Him with our gifts, we’re just giving back to Him something He already owns! When we give back it’s like saying Thank You to God. The Bible says:1 Chronicles 29:14 Everything comes from you, and we give you only what comes from your hand. God has blessed us with so much, it is only right that we give back to Him some of the blessings He has given us. What are some ways to give? (Giving offering, sharing, helping the needy.) Because the Lord owns everything, our gifts to Him tell Him we know He’s great, and good and everything we have comes from Him. Let’s Pray: Thank you God for everything you’ve given us! We know you are great and all good things come from you! We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

G-I-V-I-N-G A-L-L

GIVING ALL Game 9 L – Love - God Loves Happy Givers Hey Guys – does anyone remember what we’re talking about? GIVING ALL. We talked about G – God Gave; I – Imitate Jesus; V – the Vine and connecting to it; I – Invest in Heaven; N – Never alone. Never in need. G – Give Freely; A – Always be ready and L – The Lord Owns Everything. Today we’re going to talk about L – Love: God Loves happy givers. Are these kids happy? How can you tell? Sure, the looks on their faces tell us everything. They don’t have one worry. When you believe and know that your Heavenly Father owns everything and will meet all your needs – you can give freely without worrying if you’ll have what you need. If you really believe this, you can be a Happy Giver. The Bible says: 2 Corinthians 9:7-9 You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. The Bible says if giving makes you unhappy or you feel forced to give, STOP! God doesn’t want unhappy gifts. He only wants gifts that come from a happy heart that’s ready to give. When we’re connected to Jesus and drawing our strength from Him – we can give and give and give, and be happy doing it. God loves happy givers! Jesus asks us to follow him. He gave all there was to give and he gave freely. When we give, we follow Jesus. Let’s Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for giving all. Please be with us as we give. Help us to give all you ask us to give. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.

GIVING ALL Game 10 God Gave Hey Guys – Do you remember this? Who knows what this is? It’s a present! Do you guys like getting presents? Do you like giving presents? You know, we’ve been talking about giving this season. Giving is one of the best things we can do. Remember what our first G stands for? G stands for God Gave. What was his greatest gift? He gave us himself! The Bible says: John 3:16 “God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” Do you know what that means? It means that God gave his most valuable gift to us so we could always be with Him. All we need to do is accept that gift by believing in His Son Jesus. Jesus lived and died to show us the Father’s love. He came to forgive us for going our own way and asks us to turn around and come to Him and accept His love. We can do that by simply praying to Him, telling Him we’re sorry for going our own way, and putting our whole trust in Him to one day keep His promise and take us to live with Him forever. You can pray that prayer today. Something like this: Lord Jesus, I want to stop going my own way and want to follow you. Please come into my life. I believe you died for my sins and I now put my trust in you. If you’d like to pray that prayer – do it, and tell your parents or coach or one of us. Let’s pray: Dear God, thank you for giving us the greatest gift ever in your Son Jesus. Help us to be givers as well. We ask you to bless us and our game today. Amen.