Now may the God of endurance and encouragement grant you agreement with one another,according to Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice.–Romans 15:5-6
When I came to the Pittsburgh Steelers, I was a rookie and came in during the heyday when they were in the process of winning four Super Bowls in six years. You think of all the star players and the Hall of Fame guys and you think, well that’s why they’re so good. But it really wasn’t. As I got there, I saw how it operated. It was the practices. It was everybody working together. I think it’s still possible to achieve that today. The good teams have that. Even though you have star players, they understand that it’s not 11 individuals who are going to go out there and have things run smoothly enough to win. It’s going to be how you practice, how you work together, how you encourage each other, how you help each other to become a team and to become a unit.
1. Can you think of some teams who had great talent but failed to succeed? What about some teams who had less talent but still achieved great things?
2. What do you think is ultimately the difference between a team’s success or failure?
3. According to Romans 15:5-6, what are some of God’s characteristics that can bring unity and team success? What should be the ultimate goal of any team?
Extra Reading: John 17:21-23; Romans 14:19; 2 Corinthians 10:12
Lord, grant me the endurance to work together with my teammates and help me encourage them in both the good and bad times so that we might glorify Your name. Amen.
About the Author:
Tony Dungy is the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. In 2007, he became the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl (XXL) when the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears.
