Fellowship of Christian Athletes - Georgia Southern University senior running back Adrian Peterson is perched on the threshold of breaking every college rushing record in the book. A.P., as he is known, grew up in a football family in Alachua, Florida. His brother, Michael, led the Indianapolis Colts in tackles last season. Big-school recruiters shied away from A.P. because he is only 5 ft. 10 in., and struggled to communicate due to a severe stuttering problem. After years of frustration over difficulty in communicating A.P. no longer asks God, “Why me? Why can’t I talk like everyone else?” In hindsight, he sees that he wouldn’t be half the player he is today without having overcome that challenge. Expert speech therapy combined with his overcoming attitude have led to a greatly improved ability to speak, and A.P. recently has accepted requests to speak at area FCA banquets. He now enjoys talking to school kids about his speech problems and his faith. On the gridiron A.P.’s ability to sustain eye-popping statistics his entire career has teammates and fans believing he can make it to the next level. He is listed as one of the top 10 candidates for this year’s Heisman Trophy, even though a Division I-AA player never has gotten close. Whatever comes of A.P.’s football career, he has taken to heart his parents’ wise counsel and applied it well. “My parents always told me that God had a plan for my life and that I just had to be man enough to look for it.”



Lesson 1



Principle: Obstacles, a blessing or curse?

 

Platform: James 1:2-4, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”



Process: Discuss – Some college scholarship applications ask about specific obstacles in life the applicant has overcome. Why do you think this question is asked on a scholarship application? (Answers will vary, focus on those pertaining to building character and developing positive attributes.)



Ask and Discuss: How does the passage from James relate to overcoming obstacles? (Facing trials of many kinds.) What should our perspective be? (In Greek “joy” means calm delight. Calm delight in the face of trial can only come from knowing God loves you and has a bigger purpose in mind than just the immediate suffering.) What are we to know about trials? (They are a testing of our faith to produce perseverance.) What is perseverance and what’s so great about having it? (Perseverance is endurance, determination, courage, unflagging devotion – all of which reveal our maturity. Perseverance is also the mark of true believers. Read Matthew 13:20-23)



Ask and Discuss: A.P. said that he wouldn’t be half the player he is today without having had the challenge of stuttering to overcome. How might this be? (Stuttering was a constant frustration and challenge that resulted in his learning to persevere. He used what he learned through tackling a speech problem to face the challenges of football, where he has had to work harder than most to be the best, because he isn’t the biggest or the fastest. What challenges have you had to overcome, how did you do it, and how has this changed you? Where might you be today without these challenges? Do you consider these obstacles to be a blessing or a curse, and why? If you say a curse, will you now believe that God meant it to be a blessing, and still wants to use it for the purpose of maturing you? (Huddle Coach, this discussion may need to be continued privately for the individuals who are struggling with past or present obstacles. Please pay close attention to the group and plan accordingly. If appropriate, share personal experiences of God using trials in your life to strengthen, change, and mature you.)



[Notice in James, he is addressing “my brothers.” This means that he is talking to believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, their Savior. Everyone goes through trials, but unbelievers are not being tested in their faith because they do not profess faith in Christ. Their trials may also develop character, but it the end they will still be lacking the one most important quality, forgiveness of their sins through the atoning blood of Jesus.]



Discuss this statement: Our “uplook” determines our outlook. Ask - How does what we believe about God influence how we react to the many obstacles along our paths? Taking turns, read Psalms 34:8, 100:5, 135:3, 145:9; Lamentations 3:25; Nahum 1:7. What is the common line? What can you do beginning today to incorporate that uplook into your outlook?



Read 1 Peter 5:7. God knows our needs even before we ask (Matt. 6:8), and He cares about the details of our lives. Because He is good, He is trustworthy and true. A.P. chose to cast his cares on God and allow Him to use his painful and embarrassing struggles to shape him into a man of God. We all have that choice. Ask – What is yours?



Close with this illustration: The nearly mature butterfly struggled violently inside his cocoon, working towards his soon-to-be freedom. To the onlooker this seemed unfair and way too much effort, when all she would have to do to help it along would be to cut a tiny slit in the protective shell. And so she did. Almost immediately the butterfly came forth in beauty, and rested on the windowsill. After several minutes of quiet stillness turned into hours, the lady became concerned and sought advice. But it was too late, the harm was done. The butterfly had needed the struggle, the challenge of breaking out of the cocoon for himself. In the striving would come the strengthening of his wings, enabling him to fly free. That never would happen for this butterfly. The obstacle had been removed, the very means by which he would have been made mature and complete, not lacking anything.



Personalize: Make a list of all the struggles you have had and are having. Pray for God to replace your pain with His peace, and show you how He plans to grow you up in Him through them. Write your thoughts. Keep this list handy to check your progress.

• Overcomer
  Records fall like leaves when Georgia Southern running back Adiran Peterson puts on the pads