Communication

Article from CCF

How important is communication to a team? Is it optional, essential or vital? Is it absolutely crucial to a team's success?

What are some of the situations when there must be communication among people in a team? What types of healthy communication should exist within a team?

Possible scenarios where communication is crucial in a game:
1) Point guard is calling out the play for the game winning shot
2) Your teammate is signaling for the pick and roll.
3) The coach is telling you how to execute the play during time out.
4) A teammate is asking for help by switching on defense.
5) You motivate your teammate who doesn’t seem to be giving his best.
6) You encourage a teammate who is not playing too well.
7) You slap high fives with teammates after a well executed play.
8) You thank a teammate who makes an unselfish play.

There are countless other situations where communication plays to a team's success. Without it, there will most certainly be a breakdown in the team.

Just as communication is vital for the survival of any team, our relationship with God is also dependent on the depth of our communication with Him-- how intimately we are connected to Him. Christians express this intimacy and communion with God through PRAYER.

There are 4 facets of communication with God that we will be learning today which will enable us to live a balanced prayer life.

PRAISE and ADORATION

How many of us here do not enjoy it when others praise us for something we have done? Whether it is on or off the court, we enjoy hearing other people expressing their praise. When you watch a Michael Jordan highlight reel, don’t you find yourself enjoying being in awe of his abilities?

Somebody once said, we are all WORSHIPFUL BEINGS. We are always worshipping something or someone at any given point in time. However, our deepest fulfillment can be found when we are worshipping the One for whom we are created for--God.
Get a partner now and name one good character quality you want to praise your teammate for. God's character qualities are called "attributes." God has many attributes we can praise Him for. Let's take a look at a passage now that describes God.

Read 1 Chronicles 29:11-12.

The second facet of prayer is confession

CONFESSION

How would you feel if you have a teammate who NEVER admits that he is wrong? He always pins the blame on somebody else or gets angry when the coach or teammate or even the referee corrects him. He is uncoachable, unteachable and causes disharmony within the team.

In our Christian life, we must also learn to be humble and admit it when we have sinned against God and violated our relationship with Him. Look at the attitude of King David, the man after God's own heart. Read Psalm 51:1-4.

Furthermore, the Bible promises a blessed life for those who know how to admit sin in their lives and confess it to God. Read Psalm 32:1-4 (Note: Confession literally means, "to say the same thing." This means we are to admit to God exactly what He is convicting us of as sin.)

Right now, take a few minutes to silently confess to God whatever sins you may have committed, but have not yet acknowledged to Him.

Additional verse: 1 John 1:9

THANKSGIVING

One of the most enjoyable parts of playing as a team is when players acknowledge each other's efforts and slap high fives and congratulate each other for a job well done. We thank the person who unselfishly passes the ball to another for a higher percentage shot, or express our appreciation to a teammate who hustles and dives for the ball just to give the team whatever advantage possible.

Psalm 100:4 says "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." It is this "attitude of gratitude" which honors God because we are acknowledging that every blessing comes from Him.

We take many things for granted in our lives and if we only took time daily to thank God for His countless blessings, it would transform our lives. Let's take the next few minutes to pause, reflect and remember some things which we want to say "thank You" to God for.

Lastly, let us look more closely at the area of supplication or

SPECIFIC PRAYER REQUESTS

Draft day is a very important day in the immediate future of a team. It can be a day of celebration where championships are secured, or a day of eternal regrets. Each team always has a wish list of what they are looking for in a player. They have a blue-print of the kind of player they want to be part of their team, either to be their franchise player or a role player who will help them win championships, or at least make them serious contenders.

If you were a GM of a team or the coach, would you be shy to express what kind of a player you would want? Would you be lazy or uninterested to make known what kind of player you want to draft? Obviously not!

Because God is our Father, He desires for us to express to Him exactly what our needs are. He is never too busy or uninterested in our prayers. He doesn’t get bored or consider our pleas to Him as insignificant. In fact, He loves it when we express our needs to Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

What are some of the needs that you have today which you have not yet really expressed to God? Remember that nothing is too big or too small for Him. Not only that, but we are promised that if we pray about all these things with thanksgiving, He will grant us His unexplainable peace in our hearts, we just need to be willing to wait upon Him for His answers come in His perfect timing!

You are invited to Bible Studies and Worship Services at CCF:

CCF ST. FRANCIS SQUARE
4/F Saint Francis Square Tiangge Building
Julia Vargas Ave. cor Bank Drv.
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Tel: (63 2) 635-3410 to 17; (+632) 6333483; (+632) 6333484
Fax: (63 2) 635-3418
CCF St. Francis Website

CCF ALABANG
3F, CCF Bldg. Prime St.
Madrigal Business Park
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Tel: (63 2) 772-3035 to 39
Fax: (63 2) 772-3031
CCF Alabang Website

Other CCF Locations