Subject

Enjoy a tailgate party where the women share fellowship with one another while rallying behind and cheering on their favorite teams. Feature Jesus as our “cheerleader” of hope.

Related Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:7-9, Hebrews 7:23-25

Decorations

Cover the tables with green grass colored tablecloths. Use white streamers as yard markers and football themed napkins. Place Pom Poms in a vase for centerpieces. Make a welcome sign reading, “Tailgate Zone.”

Food Ideas

Serve food associated with a football game—mini BBQ wieners, sweet and sour meatballs, mini sub sandwiches, hamburgers, veggie tray, corn chips with bean dip, and a ice bucket or cooler with bottled water and soda.

Games

Cornhole—Beanbag throw. These are available to purchase or make your own using a cardboard box.

Football Trivia—Check the Internet for suitable questions and answers regarding football.

Foosball—either life size or a purchased table game. Organize teams and partners to compete.

Football Toss—Create goal posts on the wall using colored tape. Put tape markers on the floor at varying distances for women to throw the ball between the goal posts. Further distances are worth more points. Create as many goal posts as are needed to allow more women to compete at once.

Table Football—partners attempt to flick paper folded triangles through finger goal posts of their partner across a table. First to score 10 wins.

Creative Cheers

The women who do not care to participate in games can be cheerleaders and come up with a team cheer. Award points for the best creative team cheer, with extra points given for energetic presentation.

Craft

Choose a DIY Craft from thesprucecrafts.com – “Football” or check for ideas on Pinterest.

Be a Cheerleader

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:7-9, Hebrews 7:23-25

Are you a cheerleader? Do you:

Encourage others,

Claim us as your own, never disowning us?

Are you for us and never against us?

Do you rejoice in our victories and don’t beat us up when we fail?

Are you never disappointed in our weaknesses, but encourage us to try again?

Do you see the positive in us and don’t give up?

Do you stick around when the future seems bleak or when change seems impossible?

Do you show up every time?

Paul begins this letter to the church at Corinth by reminding them that God is “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort”  (2 Cor. 1:3). This is an appropriate reminder of who God is for all who love Him. Paul is helping the people to understand that they are called to suffer much for the cause of Christ, and to help them understand that God is faithful to provide a level of comfort and hope that is more than the suffering (v. 5). Paul goes on to share about his and his companions’ experiences of suffering, and the purposes that it serves.

The Message puts it this way,  “All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, He brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of His healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it” (2 Cor. 1:1-7).

As we witness others’ endurance and victory through hope in Christ, we are inspired and strengthened when we ourselves are called upon to suffer for the same cause. In the next few verses Paul describes how deep the struggle has been, as well as the comfort they have received. He is preparing them to be ready for the same:

Read 2 Cor. 1:8-11

Paul tells in verse 9 that these things happened, “that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” He says that “on God” they “have set” their hope for continued deliverance, as the prayers of the people help them. He continues to encourage the believers with many words, and then in verses 21–22, He caps it off with a refreshing truth:

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” And what is to come? It is an eternity with Christ that will soon overshadow our brief time on earth. The purpose of Jesus’ life on earth was not to stay, but to accomplish His purpose in securing our salvation by going to the cross, and then defeating the grave.

Our earthly time is short to bring honor to Christ and to help others come alive in Him. Indeed, the days of history itself are numbered and will not go on forever, but we can be completely faithful in accomplishing His purposes for us because of another truth found in Hebrews 7:24-25: “…but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” Christ has gone before us in this life, in the physical death that will be required of us, and in the resurrection and eternal life that we have not yet experienced. As we help each other and as we pray and speak to God for one another’s encouragement, Jesus cheers each of us on through His Spirit, and He speaks directly to God on our behalf. How very secure our hope is when it is found in Him.

Close with prayer.