Exemplar Coaching

Live by Design, Not by Default.

CoffeeChat 70 – Passing on the Baton

Edition  70

Passing on the Baton

Last Edition Recap
How have you applied the last edition to your life?
Opening Prayer
Almighty Lord, forgive our watered-down witnessing born of fear and disobedience; remind us of the importance of Your commission. Amen.
Introduction
Consider two Olympic races, both covering 400 metres. In 2017, Wade van Niekerk set the Olympic record for the solo 400m sprint at 43.03 seconds – a stunning display of individual excellence. Yet in 2012, the Jamaican relay team completed the same distance in the 4x100m relay in just 36.84 seconds. Same distance, dramatically different times. The difference? The baton.
That 6.19-second gap reveals a profound truth: a fine-tuned team achieves what no individual, however talented, can accomplish alone. The relay’s success depends not on one runner’s brilliance but on something far more challenging – the seamless transfer of the baton. Each runner must trust the next, passing their precious cargo at full speed, never looking back, believing their teammate will be there.
When Jesus ascended to heaven, He passed a different kind of baton to His followers – the Gospel of salvation. Though He had defeated evil through death and resurrection, He entrusted the continuation of His work to ordinary people. Like Moses passing leadership to Joshua, like Elijah throwing his mantle to Elisha, Jesus handed over the most important race in history to His disciples.
But He didn’t leave them to run alone. He promised the Great Coach – the Holy Spirit – to help them excel. He didn’t ask them to run a different race or figure out the route themselves. He invited them onto His team, #TeamJesus, and gave them three essential gifts: POWER through the Spirit, PURPOSE in God’s Kingdom, and the PROMISE of His return. Jesus isn’t selfish, keeping victory for Himself. He shares everything with His team, making us partners in the race that matters most.
Chat Point 1
  1. How would you describe the difference between running alone for God versus running as part of His team?
  2. What fears might prevent someone from accepting the baton of the Gospel when it’s passed to them?
  3. How does understanding faith as a relay race rather than a solo sprint change your spiritual perspective?
  4. What happens to the race when someone refuses to pass the baton or drops it?
  5. How might the church look different if every Christian understood themselves as runners in God’s relay?
Read
Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:6-11
Key Focus
Acts 1:8 – “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Chat Point 2
  1. What stood out for you about Jesus entrusting such important work to ordinary followers?
  2. How does knowing you’ve been equipped with the Holy Spirit’s power affect your willingness to carry the baton?
  3. What connection do you see between Jesus’ ascension and our commission to be witnesses?
  4. Why do you think Jesus chose a team approach rather than completing the mission Himself?
  5. How does the promise of Jesus’ return influence how urgently we should pass on the baton?
Final Thought
The Olympic comparison illuminates a spiritual reality we often miss. No matter how fast van Niekerk ran his solo 400m, he could never match the relay team’s time. Individual brilliance has limits. The baton changes everything. When one runner reaches their maximum speed, they pass to fresh legs. When one tires, another takes over. The baton keeps moving, faster than any single runner could carry it.
Jesus understood this principle. Acts 1:8 isn’t merely a commission; it’s an invitation into the ultimate relay team. “You will receive power” – that’s your training. “You will be my witnesses” – that’s your lane. “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the earth” – that’s your track. The goal is clear: move the baton of the Gospel around the world as quickly as possible.
But here’s what we often forget: keeping the baton is failure. In a relay, the runner who crosses the finish line holding the baton hasn’t won – they’ve disqualified the entire team. The baton must be passed. Every generation of Christians faces this choice: will we run our portion and pass it on, or will we clutch the Gospel to ourselves, running alone until we collapse?
The succession narrative is clear. Moses to Joshua. Elijah to Elisha. Jesus to the disciples. The disciples to the early church. The early church to us. And now? The baton is in your hands. You didn’t earn it. You might not feel ready for it. But Jesus has positioned you in the lane, the Holy Spirit has empowered your legs, and someone is running behind you, hand outstretched, waiting for you to pass what you’ve received.
Your loved ones need this baton. Your community needs this baton. The world needs this baton. And you – you’re not meant to carry it alone or keep it forever. You’re meant to run your portion with everything you have, then thrust it forward into the next waiting hand. That’s how the Gospel travels faster than any individual effort could achieve. That’s how #TeamJesus wins the race.
My Action
What key insight or learning from this session resonates most with me, and what do I sense God is inviting me to do in response?
Shared Prayer
What are your prayer requests?​
Closing Prayer
Saving Jesus, You have given us a precious gift and the task of sharing it; help us run faithfully and pass it on. Amen.
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In-Between Chats: Personal Reflection
  1. Who in your life is waiting for you to pass them the baton of the Gospel, and what’s preventing you from doing so?
  2. How can you shift from running solo to actively participating in God’s relay team this week?
  3. What would change in your community if your small group took seriously the commission to pass on the baton?
Edition Writer: Rev Kevin Zondagh

Methodist Minister, Personal Development Specialist, Life Coach, Relationship Coach and Executive Coach. Founder and Owner of Exemplar Coaching Pty Ltd and CoffeeChatConnect. "We should have the desire to custom design the only life we have. After-all, we buy designer everything. How much more should we Live by Design, not by default?"