Hebrews 12 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it I always took great pride in working hard on all the teams I played for. Running was a central part of soccer so when the varsity […]
Tag Archives: Sports Devotional
Is God Calling You to Uncertainty?
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. (1 John 3: 2a) Successful athletes and coaches know the importance of planning when it comes to sports success. Just “winging it” might have worked when you were a kid, but when you rise through the ranks and […]
Operating in the Overflow
…for out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. (Matthew 12: 34b) Whatever sport you are involved in, you will have some sense of the importance of fueling your body. The greater the endurance required for your sport, the more you will likely understand this concept. Most endurance athletes understand it very well […]
Do You Really Want Jesus or Just His Stuff?
20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20) Sports have changed considerably in the past century. While professional baseball players have existed since the late 1800’s, the earliest “professional” athletes did not make much money and almost all of them held down […]
What does God owe you?
But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? (Romans 9: 20a) Old people say stuff like: “back when I was young, it was different”. I try not to do it myself as I grow older, but I now see the challenge that older people face. Having entered my 6th decade, I […]
The Faith of a Child
15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:15) My son and I had the pleasure of assisting with a week-long soccer camp at our church, which was being led by Athletes in Action. It’s a great organization and the leaders […]
A Healthy Jealousy?
They angered him with their high places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. (Psalm 78:58) Are You Jealous of Other Athletes’ Abilities? The title of this blog caught my attention. The writer recounted his time as a college freshman baseball player. The first day at the batting cages he met one of his new teammates. […]
The Most Powerful Muscle in Your Body
6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. (James 3:6a) We don’t often consider it, but when we watch an athlete’s performance, we are watching an amazing symphony of a dozen human systems seamlessly working together, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal and muscular systems. If we just consider […]
Winning the Respect of Others
15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. (1 Peter 2:15) One of my favorite Christian athletes is Mike “Pinball” Clemons. Clemons played for the 1987 Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL (predominantly as a punt returner), however his greatest success came as a Toronto Argonaut […]
Is your Identity tied up in Sports?
1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1a) Becoming Sidelined: The Loss of Athletic Identity. I found this article on a website called: www.sidelinedusa.org, a non-profit organization formed for athletes “unable to continue to compete in their sport due to career-ending injuries, […]