An uncommon life doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of the choices, actions, and commitments we make—to God, to ourselves, and to others.

It’s not all about big commitments, however. God uses the dozens of little commitments we make every day to prepare us for the big ones. When we choose to live them out in God’s strength rather than our own, we grow. What we do in practice, we’ll do in the real game.

So let’s kick off our practice time together. You’ll help each other train together as we examine what’s critical to living an uncommon life. And as you do that, you’ll discover how to impact your world in ways you haven’t yet imagined.

In Session 1, we’ll work on strengthening your core. Why aren’t more men prepared to live an uncommon life? How can you live out that life even when it’s not popular or easy? We’ll look at the roles we already play in life, how our successes and our failures reveal where we’re at right now, and how to move forward from here.

The first place an uncommon life plays out is in the home, and that’s what Session 2 is all about. Our actions speak louder than our words. We’ll examine how our actions affect the rest of our family, for good and bad, and how to invite God into changing our actions when we need to.

In Session 3, we’ll work on lifting up our friends and others we know. It’s easy to let other commitments get in the way of our friendships. It’s uncommon to put our friends first. How can others around us get built up as we follow Jesus’ example? How can we be a friend to others? And how can we find the friends we need? We’ll look at all of that together in this session.

Every man asks himself, “What am I going to do with my life? How can I make a difference?” Here’s something every man needs to understand: We make an uncommon difference when we say yes to God and allow him to guide our steps. So we’ll discover what God’s built us for—and how to keep our focus—in “Session 4: Your Full Potential.”

Again, it’s God’s desire to give meaning and purpose to each of our lives. But we always need to remember that it’s God’s meaning and God’s purpose. In “Session 5: A Mission That Matters” you’ll discover what it will take for us to make room for God’s plans.

In Session 6, we’ll take a closer look at the “platforms” God’s already given each of us—the places and situations where God’s put us—and how we can best use them. Every day we’re fed messages, expecta­tions, and images that push us to live a life other than the one God has planned for us. We’ll examine those messages and what we can do to counteract them.

We’ll close this study by remembering what our foundation for an uncommon life is: our relationship with Jesus. What are we really putting our faith in? If it’s anything but Jesus, it’s a false hope. When we make Jesus the guiding force of our lives, we can’t help but live an uncommon life.

God has given each of you dreams and goals that only you can fulfill. There are always risks in stepping out and doing the things God’s put on your heart right now. But it is always worth it. It’s my prayer that this study will give you the encouragement and some fresh new ways to begin following those dreams.

So begin walking those dreams, together. Dare to be uncommon.

—Tony Dungy