• Welcome everyone and particularly any newcomers this week.
• Remind each other of the vision of CIS and the purpose of the weekly group meeting. (Consider using CIS videos and resources to keep this fresh each week).

1. In pairs look back on your week of sport and discuss how last week’s group meeting helped you. Follow up with anything people asked for prayer about.
2. In pairs share prayer points for the week of sport ahead and spend time praying for each other.

Some weeks pray more widely for other clubs and teams in your university which are not represented in the group. Alternatively, you can also use the CIS prayer diary to pray for the whole mission of CIS.

You might also want to use this slot to discuss and plan your evangelistic event for the term and pray specifically about it.

Week 17 | Facing Sporting Disappointment

Introduction

As Christian students worshipping Christ and witnessing for him in our university sports club this session will help us consider how we deal with sporting disappointment when it comes our way.

Read

Read Romans 8:28-29

Reflect

How do you normally react when you face disappointment in your sport?

Explain

Sport will bring disappointment. Fact. None of us who compete in sport will escape the reality of disappointment. A niggling injury, a loss in form, a tough defeat; these are the realities of being a sportsperson. So, what is a godly response to the inevitable disappointing times?

In Romans 8:28-29 Paul makes an astonishing claim; that God works all things, the good times and the bad times, the sporting successes and the sporting disappointments, for the good of those who love Him. And in verse 29 Paul tells us what that good is; ‘…to be conformed to the image of his Son…’.

The ultimate good for your life is to be made more like Jesus. And the promise of Romans 8:28-29 is that, as we live lives of love towards God, He will use every experience, including our disappointments, to mould us more into the likeness of Jesus. And this is the absolute best things for us.

Discuss

1. Why might being made more like Jesus be the ultimate good for us?
2. Think of a specific disappointment you’ve faced in your sport; can you see any way in which God has used this to help you become more like Jesus?
3. How can this truth shape how you will respond the next time you face some form of sporting disappointment?

Pray

• Praise God that he is committed in love to his people.
• Ask God to grow your faith and trust in him when disappointments come your way.
• Pray that you can see God at work in your sport and this would shape the way you respond to disappointments this season and lead to gospel opportunities amongst those you compete with.
  

Update everyone on the key messages for the week. These might include:

• Sharing the student sign up link
• Promoting your evangelistic event for the term
• Plugging Sports Plus leader applications

Share these resources with your group at the end or immediately after the meeting to encourage them.

Listen

How can I worship God with my sport when I'm not selected? | Ask Christians in Sport

Watch

Why does sport bring so much disappointment?

Read

What does the Bible say about injury?