Everyone loves a good finish when runners battle, dive, or crawl across the line. No matter how much jockeying for position happens during a race, it all comes down to the finish. Few races can match the drama of the 2016 US Olympic Trials. Jenna Prandini and Allyson Felix battled for the Olympic team’s final spot in the 200 meters. Felix came up short by just 0.01 seconds. Felix was nursing a sore ankle, and a diving Jenna Prandini had reached the finish line in such a blur that no one was sure who had secured that third spot. A late lean didn’t work for Felix, ending her hopes of winning a 200-400 double in the Olympics.

2 Timothy 3 – Spiritual Race

Most can start a race strong, but few finish well. In the second part of 2 Timothy, Paul shifted his focus to helping believers finish well amid persecution and ungodliness. Any successful runner will tell you that finishing a race well starts with a commitment to strenuous training. Timothy had received some of the best training in his life (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15), which continued under Paul’s tutelage. As Paul reached the finish line, he urged his mentee to keep running as he had begun. Paul knew the toughest part of the race was coming (3:12-15). 

Paul’s instructions to Timothy apply to all believers, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Paul knew that what you think about the Bible influences everything you believe and how you behave. The idea of training in this passage is to show the correct behavior before mistakes are made. Every coach knows the importance of teaching their team what and how to think before they compete.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete are serious about their relationship with the Bible. They regularly read, study, and memorize Scripture. They devote themselves to developing an understanding of God’s Word that applies not only to their athletics but also to their entire lives. Their priority is to finish the spiritual race well by training in the Scriptures.

Bible Memory Verse – “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (LSB)

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Our featured book this week is 2 Timothy (The Faith Contending Coach) by Shannon Caughey. This is an 11-week Bible study for coaches who want to contend faithfully for Jesus and the gospel.

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