10,000 Hours

Main Point: Everybody wants to be significant but very few are willing to put in the work to achieve it. Are you willing to make the investment in order to leave a lasting impression?

About the Artist:
Dan + Shay, the country/pop duo comprised of musicians Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, currently have a song sitting in the #4 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart…with a chance to rise even higher thanks to their collaboration on the tune with Justin Bieber.

The two met in December of 2012 and immediately began writing songs. It wasn’t long before recording labels came knocking; the duo signed to Warner/Chappell and received even more recognition when other acts such as Rascal Flatts and Kelly Clarkson offered opportunities for joint ventures.

So far, they’ve had two songs top the Hot Country Songs Chart , but 10,000 Hours may prove to be their biggest work to date.

Song Lyrics: 10,000 Hours

Do you love the rain, does it make you dance
When you’re drunk with your friends at a party?
What’s your favorite song, does it make you smile?
Do you think of me?

When you close your eyes, tell me, what are you dreamin’?
Everything, I wanna know it all

I’d spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more

Oh, if that’s what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours

And I might never get there, but I’m gonna try
If it’s ten thousand hours or the rest of my life
I’m gonna love you (Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh)

Do you miss the road that you grew up on?
Did you get your middle name from your grandma?
When you think about your forever now, do you think of me?

When you close your eyes, tell me, what are you dreamin’?
Everything, I wanna know it all

I’d spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more

Oh, if that’s what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours

And I might never get there, but I’m gonna try
If it’s ten thousand hours or the rest of my life
I’m gonna love you (Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh)
I’m gonna love you (Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh)

Ooh, want the good and the bad and everything in between
Ooh, gotta cure my curiosity
Ooh, yeah

I’d spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more

Oh, if that’s what it takes to learn that sweet heart of yours

And I might never get there, but I’m gonna try (Yeah)
If it’s ten thousand hours or the rest of my life
I’m gonna love you (Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh)
I’m gonna love you (Ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh)
Yeah
And I…
Do you love the rain, does it make you dance?
I’m gonna love you (I’m gonna love you)
I’m gonna love you

Introducing the Song – You Say This:
OK, this song contains two interesting pieces. On one hand, it’s just a love song, simple as that. The artists sing about how much they love their wives, and to be honest, it’s a fairly sweet song. But on the other hand, the song references a psychological theory that claims it takes about 10,000 hours to become an expert at something, for example, becoming an acclaimed writer, or mastering the guitar, or winning the Super Bowl MVP. The genius aspect of this song is that it combines both elements in its message. Essentially, the artists sing, “I’m willing to spend 10,000 hours learning how to love you the best I can!” Take a look at the lyrics sheet as we play the music video.

The Music Video:
The music video can be viewed for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2E71oe0aSM

Hand Out Lyrics and Play the Song.  

Transitional Statement – You Say This: So, in the song, we hear Dan, Shay, and Justin sing about their willingness to invest 10,000 hours – or the rest of their lives – trying to become the very best husbands they can be. They want to love their wives the best they can and that is certainly a worthy endeavor. Granted, none of you guys are married – at least I don’t think you are! – but most of us still have some huge goals for our lives, and that’s awesome, too! In fact, I’d say that everybody wants to be significant in some way, but very few of us are willing to put in the work to achieve it. Are you willing to make the investment in order to leave a lasting impression?

Divide into Small Groups: Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format – a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

1. AROUND THE CIRCLE: As we get started, let’s all take a second to share our names and how you’d spend 10,000 hours of free time.

2. ASK A FEW: If you had to sum up the meaning of this song in your own words, how would you do it?

3. ASK A FEW: Off the top of your head, does anyone know how many years there are in 10,000 hours? (Leaders – Just over one year, roughly 14 months.)

4. ASK A FEW: I really like the “love song” part of 10,000 Hours, but what I’d like us to focus on for the next few minutes is the theory that it takes 10,000 hours to really master something and develop a great talent for it. Think about your various activities, interests, and studies for a moment. How close are you to investing 10,000 hours into mastering it?

5. ASK A FEW: Is there anything in life worth practicing/training 10,000 hours to master? If so, what is it?

6. ASK A FEW: What advice might God give you in order to help you succeed?

Read the Following Passage:

Proverbs 6:4-11 (NLT)

Don’t put it off. Do it now! Don’t rest until you do.  5 Save yourself like a deer escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.  6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and be wise!  7 Even though they have no prince, governor, or ruler to make them work,  8 they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.  9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? I want you to learn this lesson:  10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – 11 and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

7. ASK A FEW: This book of the Bible was written by a king named Solomon to help his son become the best ruler, husband, father, friend, and follower of God that he could be. Of all the advice we just read in these verses, which sticks out to you the most? Why?

8. ASK A FEW: If you had to put King Solomon’s message in your own words, how would you say it?

9. ASK A FEW: King Solomon could have used any animal as an example for us to model: horses, lions, bears, eagles, etc. Why did he tell us to take a lesson from ants? (Leaders – Ants do some remarkable things to protect their way of life. First, they build incredible structures underground to protect themselves. Second, they have an army ready to defend the mound at a moment’s notice. Third, they are always preparing for the future through the ongoing collection of food. Lastly, they police themselves to make sure every ant is healthy and able to keep serving the colony. In other words, ants bust their butts day in and day out to ensure the best for one another!)

10. ASK A FEW: In the song, the three guys sing, “And I might never get there, but I’m gonna try, If it’s ten thousand hours or the rest of my life.” Essentially, they’re saying, “I want a future for us so badly that I’m going to spend the rest of my life if that’s what it takes.” Is there anything you want that badly? If so, what is it?

11. ASK A FEW: OK, so we’re talking about people trying to become great at something, whatever that something may be. Do you think most people actually accomplish their goals and reach the level they’re aiming for, or not? Why? What separates those who do from those who don’t?

12. ASK A FEW: Who are some people that you know who have worked really hard and accomplished their goals?

13. ASK A FEW: You may not be able to accomplish what you’re working on by yourself. After all, Tom Brady has a whole team of Patriots to help him win football games and Adam Levine has the rest of Maroon 5 to help him create awesome music. In other words, nobody does anything great on their own. Who do you have in your corner helping you?

14. ASK A FEW: Is your plan/desire something that God is going to bless and help you accomplish? What are the conditions we must meet to have His help? (Leaders – God’s Kingdom is big and lots of different people do lots of different things in it. However, they all have a few things in common. First, those people are trying to make much of God, not themselves. Second, they are trying to accomplish His will, not their own. And lastly, most of these people want to positively impact the lives of others, not just their own. We need to do the same!)

15. AROUND THE CIRCLE: What will you do this week to move yourself closer to accomplishing your goal?

Wrap Up – You Say This:
During out time together, we listened to a great new song by Dan + Shay and Justin Bieber entitled “10,000 Hours.” The message of the song was a simple one: they were willing to spend the rest of their lives trying to become the best husbands they could be for their wives. 

But that naturally raises some questions: What are you and I willing to spend 10,000 hours trying to perfect? And, Is the goal for our benefit…or someone else’s? Is it so people will praise us…or praise God? 

None of those questions are worth answering if you don’t have the right answer to this question: Are you willing to work long and hard to reach your goal? The only right answer is YES! If you’re not willing to work hard, you don’t need to worry about anything else. 

In the Bible, God’s Word tells us to work as hard as ants. Although small, these little critters may be one of the most powerful forces on Earth. They move tons and tons of soil every day, store even more tons of food, and protect one another from all the predators in the wild. They are a busy bunch…but their lives depend on their work ethic! 

Here’s the simple advice I would give you to wrap up our time together. First, work hard. I mean really hard. There are plenty of teenagers who are willing to spend their lives doing little more than being entertained. There’s nothing wrong with some entertainment, but we can’t make it a lifestyle. Make sure you’re working hard on your goal. 

Second, make sure that your goal is a godly one. Is your goal all about you? Is your goal to make yourself big, or to make God big? Is your goal to serve yourself…or to serve others? Is your goal going to make people think you’re the hero…or will they think God is the hero? If you want God’s help and blessing on your life and plans, your life and plans have to be in His will. God wants to use each of us to help others come to know Him. 

I’m going to close our time in prayer in a moment, but before I do, let me offer an invitation to any of you who want to talk about what it is you think God is calling you to in life. If you want some advice about that, or some help in accomplishing it, take a moment to speak with one of our adult leaders before you leave. We want to be a part of your incredible story!

Close in Prayer

Written by David R Smith