President Theodore Roosevelt loved sports. He encouraged youth to participate in sports and defended rugged sports like football and boxing. While his son was attending college, he wrote to him, “I am delighted to have you play football. I believe in rough, manly sports.” While he loved sports, he also added a warning, “Athletic proficiency is a mighty good servant, and like so many other good servants, a mighty bad master.”

Romans 6 – Freed Servants

Some coaches and athletes are slaves to fame, money, achievements, or something else. Even Christians often struggle with these same issues. In Romans 6, Paul discussed why believers should no longer think or live in the old ways of sin. We serve a new master who has freed us from bondage to sin. Paul contrasted living as a slave to sin with living as a slave to Christ. He used the slavery analogy to help his readers understand his point.

Everyone is a slave to something. Though sin remains present in the life of a Christian, it no longer rules them. Believers are no longer slaves to sin and therefore no longer have to live under its power. Everyone serves a master—it’s not if, but who. Whose slave are you?

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete no longer serve themselves. The kingdom-minded coach or athlete knows they must make a choice between two masters or two kingdoms. They refuse to serve sin and give their lives to God as the most liberating choice they can make.

Bible Memory Verse – “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39 (LSB)

Click HERE for the Kingdom Sports Minute on Spiritual Identity.

Our featured books this week – Nehemiah (Athlete’s Edition or Coach’s Edition) by Joshua Thiessen

Click HERE to review the Athlete’s Edition or HERE to review the Coach’s Edition

To see our full catalog of over 200 Bible Study Guides and Devotions, click HERE