Object lesson
In the ancient world, salt preserved, flavored, and, in some covenants, sealed a relationship. Jesus tells disciples they are the…
Mission · Formation · Community
Matthew 5 · Leviticus 2
Metaphor
Volleyball Pepper Partners
Salt & Pepper Pt 2 – Pepper Partners (Matthew 28:18-20)
From the time I was 12 until I graduated university I played volleyball. One thing every professional volleyball team does is a drill called “pepper.” Every player has a pepper partner. A good coach usually pairs a veteran with a rookie or less experienced player. Before practice, before a game, during timeouts, these two players warm up and stretch together, then grab a volleyball and work on passes, sets, and spikes. It requires both players to commit time to one another and adjust to each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Good pepper partners challenge and push each other — forcing one another to dive for difficult spikes so they grow. There’s a mixture of teaching, showing, doing it together, and preparing for game time. The veteran often helps the rookie with positioning and what to say or do in game scenarios. In my experience, pepper partners end up sitting together on bus rides, rooming together at hotels, and eating together. They’re basically joined at the hip, doing life together. Volleyball is not a solo sport. You can’t learn or play on your own. It requires a team committed to learning and growing together. In the same way, Jesus calls his followers to support one another’s spiritual formation through intentional, life-on-life discipleship.
How you’d preach it
Fresh, cross-cultural sports image that communicates mutual investment, challenge, and long-term partnership in discipleship.
- Discipleship
- Community
- Formation
Matthew 28
Matthew 28:18-20