Ron Brown has used sports parables to teach the Bible for most of his coaching career. He spent 24 years as an assistant football coach at Nebraska, helping the team win three National Championships. He even authored a book about parables, Sports Parables: Coaching Kingdom Principles Through Sports. Here’s an excerpt from his book about parables.

“Our world is filled with stories. Whether we’re telling one, reading one, hearing one, or watching one, there’s something mysteriously irresistible about a great story. Our lives, in fact, are one big story that is unfolding before our very eyes. Maybe that’s why Jesus used so many stories in His teachings. Sometimes, He used them as a tool to explain the gospel to the unbeliever who didn’t understand. He also used parables to convict hardened hearts like those of the Pharisees and Scribes who did not want to hear the truth. (Matthew 13:11-15) Other times, He used them to clarify and bring depth and color to the believer who did understand.”

Hearing and Understanding

Jesus’ stories are called parables. If you break down that word, you’ll see the Greek prefix “para,” which means to come alongside something and reveal truth. That’s what made them so powerful, and that’s why they were also often used in the teachings of the early church.

In nearly 40 years as a coach, I’ve seen this truth in action, and that’s why I often use stories and analogies when talking to athletes, coaches, and parents. I call them sports parables.

Mark 4 records three parables by Jesus. Each parable teaches the vital characteristics of the kingdom of God. Before He delivered them, He reminded people they would only be able to understand them because of their relationship with Him.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete use parables to convey moral or spiritual truths. Often, they draw on images and scenarios familiar to their teammates to illustrate a bigger picture.

Bible Memory Verse – “There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.” Mark 7:15 (LSB)

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