Our Deepest Needs – Tiger Woods

December 17, 2009

Main Point of Discussion: The Tiger Woods scandal shows once again that God created all people with a ‘God shaped hole’ that can only be filled by trusting in Christ for a restored relationship with God. No amount of success, fame, or material possessions can ever meet our deepest needs.

Introducing the Discussion:
Unless you were a member of a Hubble Space Telescope repair crew last month, you probably noticed the story of Tiger Woods car ‘accident’ that juggernauted into one of the most publicized scandals in recent memory. As the story continues to unfold, it is becoming obvious that one of the most successful and wealthy persons in modern history was looking for something he hasn’t yet found.

It appears, at the very least, that Tiger Woods, the greatest player in the history of the game, has been having extra marital affairs. Recently, he issued this confession on his website:

Today I want us to discuss the Tiger Woods’ story, but from a radically different perspective than what you’ve been used to. We are not going to focus on the speculations and details; rather I’d like us to look at the big picture and what role Tiger’s spiritual condition might have played in this disaster. If you haven’t been following the developments, one of the most successful athletes of all time who seemingly had everything ordinary people only dream about was caught in a web of sexual affairs that has already delivered huge blows to his family and career. What made it worse was the fact that he lied about his situation and tried to cover it up before being caught. We’re going to watch a video where sportswriter Rick Reilly makes an interesting statement about this situation.

The Video/Statement:
http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/news/story?id=4705945

Transitional Statement:
It doesn’t matter that some people seem to have everything in the world; even those people still want more. Like Tiger, there was a king who lived thousands of years ago who had more bank and bling than anyone who has ever lived…and probably ever will. He went on a party journey for quite some time to see if he could find contentment and happiness with things here on earth. Let’s see how it panned out for him, and what lessons we should learn from his and Tiger’s search.

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.

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Discussion Questions:

AROUND THE CIRCLE: Before we begin, tell everyone your name and what was your reaction when you heard about the Tiger Woods scandal?

ASK A FEW: Did you believe him when he denied any wrong doing? Why or why not?

ASK A FEW: “Celebrities-gone-wrong” stories happen every month, so why do you think this story received so much coverage?

ASK A FEW: Why do people have an obsessive interest in people’s failures?

ASK A FEW: How did you feel when you found out he was dishonest?

ASK A FEW: Do you think he was looking for more than just sex in all of these affairs? Why or why not?,/LI>
ASK A FEW: What do you think about Rick Reilly’s statements in the video?

ASK A FEW: What would it mean for Tiger to ‘grow up’?

ASK A FEW: Do you think Tiger’s mistakes were purely from immaturity, or is there a deeper issue?

Read the following passage:

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure.”

ASK SOMEONE: Does this sound like the philosophy Tiger adopted? Why or why not?

ASK A FEW: What do you think he was looking for?

ASK A FEW: In the end, Solomon – the guy who wrote this – found himself in a darker place than he ever imagined, and that without God everything was literally ‘meaningless.’ Why do you think that is?

Read the following passage:

“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

ASK A FEW: What do you think it means to have ‘eternity’ in your hearts?

ASK A FEW: This passage tells us that there is an emptiness and need inside the human heart that can only be met by having an eternal relationship with an eternal God. What are other ways that people try to meet this need and alleviate the emptiness?

ASK A FEW: Do you think this is Tiger’s issue? Why or why not?

ASK A FEW: Is a loving relationship with the Creator of the universe better than anything this earth could offer? Why or why not?

ASK A FEW: What words of advice would you give to Tiger?

ASK A FEW: What are ways we can resist the materialistic message of our culture and focus on our relationship with Jesus?

Wrap Up:

Read the following passage:

“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

This ‘meal’ He is referring to is a spiritual feast that no earthly possession or experience can rival. If you’ve trusted Christ, you already know this, but look around at all the people that are desperately looking to fill the eternity-sized empty space in their hearts. What they want is what Tiger Woods wants, and it is what you have found. Jesus is knocking at the door of their hearts offering to heal their loneliness and connect with the ‘eternity’ that God has placed there.

Give the students a few minutes to think of friends in their lives who need Jesus and how they could use this story to reach them. Then give them time in silence to pray for them.

Close in prayer and invite people to trust Christ.

Close in Prayer

Written by Lane Palmer