Try this study, from Kyle Petty's The Driving Force: Living Life at Full Speed, to help your men's group better understand how they can balance ambition, humility, and courage.

Think About It (15 minutes)

Kyle Petty is a winner on many levels. He oversees one of the most successful motor-sports businesses in history, has won eight professional races, has placed in the top 10 over 170 times, and has brought in more than $30 million in race earnings through his driving. He has the drive to compete and the focus to succeed.

It’s important, however, to remember that Kyle has started more than 800 races he didn’t win and has had more than 650 starts where he failed to finish in the top 10. Much of Kyle’s success is found in his dogged determination not to give up. Setbacks and disappointments are regular companions on the road to success. If we can’t live with failure, we’ll never find success.

Think for a moment about some of your greatest accomplishments and most spectacular failures. In the space provided below, list a time you took the checkered flag—when you had an unforgettable victory in your life. Perhaps it came in a sports event you participated in, a business deal you closed, or a breakthrough you had with your wife or kids, or in another relationship.

Then list a time you caused or experienced a yellow flag in your life. The situation or your efforts caused a wreck that affected others around you. You might include a time you accidentally insulted a client, fouled out of a game, or lost it while you were driving friends or family on a busy highway. Finally, list a time you felt like you failed to qualify for the race. For example, you may have been cut from a team, demoted at work, or shot down for a date.

Checkered Flag Moment:

Yellow Flag Moment:

Failed to Qualify:

With a partner, discuss the following:

• What do the moments you wrote about have in common? What’s different about them?

• What part did your attitude play in any of the moments you wrote about?

• Pick one of the moments you wrote about and explain what you would do differently if you could do it again.

Talk About It (15 minutes)

Contrary to widely held beliefs, the Bible never declares ambition to be sinful. It warns us against selfish ambition. It clearly speaks against using others, lying, or cheating to get ahead. And the Bible gives strong warnings against greed. But the men and women who made a difference for God’s kingdom were full of ambition. Their ambition was focused on the kingdom of God, and they submitted to God’s will. Consider the following examples:

• Elijah wasn’t timid or apologetic when he challenged the prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18).

• Paul wasn’t weak-willed or halfhearted when he shared the good news with the Gentiles (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-27).

• Jesus wasn’t without passion in the mission he came to accomplish (see Luke 22:44 and John 5:19).

Scripture calls us to be humble and gentle. At the same time it also calls us to be strong, courageous, and faithful. We were created to strive, grow, and accomplish. And everyone wants their striving to count and to be effective.

Discuss:

• When is it wrong or sinful to be competitive?

• Do you think competition is an important part of the Christian life? Why or why not?

• When can competition be God-honoring?

As a group, create a list that offers some guidelines for God-honoring competition. In the “God-Honoring Competition” column, write down the attitudes, strategies, and characteristics of God-honoring competition. In the “Ungodly Competition” column, write down attitudes, strategies, and characteristics that lead to unhealthy competition. Take about 10 minutes to do this as a group.

Study It (15 minutes)

Form pairs. With your partner, play three quick games of Rock, Paper, Scissors. (Fast review: Paper covers rock. Rock crushes scissors. Scissors cut paper.) If you’re not sure how to play, someone else in your group can show you how. If you’re really competitive, you can play for the best four out of seven. With your partner, discuss:

• How important was it for you to win this quick game?

• What is something you’re striving for in your life right now that is extremely important to you?

• How is your approach toward that area in your life different from your approach to the Rock, Paper, Scissors game you just played? Why is it different?

• What will it take for you to “win” in the important area you described?

In a recent interview with Sporting News, racing great Mario Andretti said, “Desire is the key to motivation, but it’s determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal—a commitment to excellence—that will enable you to attain the success you seek.”

Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, and then discuss:

• How would you describe your desire, determination, and commitment when it comes to serving God?

• Why do you think Paul (the author of 1 Corinthians) had such tremendous desire, determination, and commitment to God and God’s plans?

• How would your life change if it had the same focus as Paul’s?

• What do you think God might be calling you to focus your ambition, desire, and determination on?

• How can you give God everything you’ve got?

Live It (15 minutes)

Imagine you had a real shot at winning the Chase for the Cup with a purse of about $5 million—that you were one of the 12 top-qualifying drivers at the end of the regular racing season. Now imagine you were one victory away from securing a Cup victory. What would you do to win? How much time, energy, and focus would you give toward the race?

Consider the following reality. What value would the $5 million have to you on the day of your death? How important would winning the Chase be to you after 10,000 years in heaven? How much would the $5 million purse be worth to you after 100,000 years in eternity?

If you ever have a chance to win the Chase, go after it with all you’ve got! But you have a chance to go after a prize that is way bigger than the Chase for the Cup. Every person you lead to a relationship with Jesus will be affected by your efforts forever. Every person you encourage to grow closer to God, to reach out to others, or to keep pushing through hard times will feel the impact of your efforts for all eternity. There is no prize that is more valuable, more important, or more deserving of your ambition, desire, and determination than the prize of advancing God’s kingdom here on earth.

Make a racing strategy and plan for how you can advance God’s kingdom. Read Matthew 6:19-21, and then take a few minutes to prayerfully consider each of the following areas where you can make a forever difference. Then go after the prize with all you’ve got!

People in my life who need the good news of Jesus:

Some ways I can build relationship with those people:

Ways I can serve in my local church:

Christians I know who need encouragement:

Injustices or pain that I can help change:

Pick one of the areas that you know God is asking you to do. Find a partner and share with him what you need to do and how you’re going to do it.

Commit to It

Before you conclude this session, choose to complete one of the action points that follow, an action point that came out of the study, or another action point you come up with. Commit to completing the action point before your next meeting, and be prepared to share what happened or what you learned.

Option 1: Follow up on more than one of the items in the racing strategy you created in the “Live It” section of today’s session. You have the publisher’s permission to photocopy that page and post it wherever you need to for it to serve as a reminder.

Option 2: Make an individualized definition of winning when it comes to the things of God’s kingdom. For example, winning may mean leading your uncle to a relationship with Jesus, turning a co-worker from an enemy into a friend, or mentoring three kids in your youth group.

Option 3: Develop and start following a training regimen for the race you are in. Your regimen could include daily Scripture reading and prayer, attending regular worship services at church, or finding other ways to connect with God.