- Is there someone you look up to or want to be like? (Answers may include: a YouTube star; an athlete; my older brother, etc.)
- What qualities stand out about the person you’re trying to emulate? (Answers will vary; popularity, good athleticism, or kind qualities might be considered.)
In July, some of the most important tennis matches in the world are played. People from all over watch to see the great match-ups on the tennis court. In July of 2019, teenage tennis player Coco Gauff became a new competitor in the sport. Imagine the young player’s shock when she found out that her very first match at Wimbledon would be to her longtime idol, Venus Williams. It’s fair to say Coco had worked hard all her life to be just like Venus!
Coco Gauff and Venus Williams played each other again in the 2020 Australian Open, a very competitive tennis event. Let’s see how the match played out.
Play the following clip [3:16]:
Coco Gauff beats Venus Williams in first round | 2020 Australian Open Highlights
- How would you feel to have to compete against the person you’ve looked up to your whole life? (Answers might include: I’d be so nervous; that would be amazing, it would give me a chance to prove myself, etc.)
- What things do you think Coco did to become just like her hero, Venus Williams? (Some possible answers: watched clips of Venus’s matches to learn her moves; found a similar tennis coach; studied her workout habits, etc.)
- Are there things you’ve done to become more like your role model? (Answers will vary but might include: dressed like them; talked to them to see what they’re like; go to the same places they go to, etc.)
Coco worked most of her life to become a great tennis player—just like her hero, Venus Williams—and it paid off. She shocked everyone and beat Venus at one of the biggest tennis matches in the world. Coco worked to mimic Venus’s actions. She worked hard at tennis, practiced, put in the long hours, and it paid off.
Today we’re going to learn how the apostle Paul wants us to act just like Someone, too. Can you think of Who that Someone might be? Let’s see exactly Who and what he had in mind!