Before the Session

Facilitator: In advance of the session

• Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
• Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
• Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media).

Context

Say: “Recently we marked the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Over the following two weeks, we watch athletes who have spent years in grueling preparation experience moments that transcend their daily routines—standing on podiums, hearing their national anthems, achieving what only a handful of people in history have accomplished. These Olympic moments are powerful because they connect years of mundane training to a larger story of human excellence and dedication. An athlete’s daily 5 AM practices, their sacrifices, their discipline—all of it finds meaning in a brief, transformative experience on the world stage. In a similar way, our faith often calls us to practices and disciplines that may seem routine or difficult, yet they prepare us for encounters with God that reshape how we see everything else. Before we turn to scripture, let’s reflect on how this dynamic works in our own lives.”