1 John 2 – The Kingdom Sports Blog

Marks of a Christian Coach

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes inducts a few coaches each year into its Hall of Champions. In 2018, former Georgia Bulldogs football coach Mark Richt was elected. FCA Hall of Champions honorees have included others such as Tony Dungy, Tom Landry, Tom Osborne, and Bobby Bowden, among many others.

Richt led the University of Miami to their first ACC Coastal title and was named the ACC Coach of the Year. Before that, he coached at Georgia from 2001-2015, winning two SEC championships and nine bowl games. While there’s no arguing that he succeeded on the field, his testimony of coming to Christ and his commitment to Christian values led to his FCA Hall of Champions selection. “He is involved in his local church,” wrote one nominator. “He is a servant leader, both professionally and personally. I believe he personifies the attributes that FCA espouses in our stated values and mission.”

First John 2 continues with John’s remarks on sin in the Christian life. Neither Mark Richt nor any inductees into the FCA Hall of Champions are perfect men, but something should distinguish them. They should display evidence of a genuine relationship and fellowship with God by obeying His commands, walking as He walked, and loving others as He did.

It’s not enough to wear a cross around your neck or an FCA hat or shirt. What’s critical is to behave like a member of the family of God. Do you have a Christian worldview when it comes to sports?

A Christian worldview in sports is a comprehensive understanding of competition from a Christian standpoint. An athlete or coach’s worldview is his “big picture,” a playbook of all his beliefs about competition. It is his way of understanding how they compete or behave in competition. One’s worldview is the basis for making daily decisions. Aside from the Bible, Wes Neal’s Handbook on Athletic Perfection is the best resource for developing this worldview. If you’re unsure how a biblical worldview impacts your goals, motivation, and perspective on success, then you need to read this book.

The Kingdom Coach & Athlete strive to walk in the light and grow into the likeness of Christ. They avoid the hypocrisy of saying one thing but doing another by obeying His Word. Their behavior demonstrates they are real members of God’s team.

Journal Entry

Journaling helps you understand and respond to the Bible. As you journal, use the acronym HEAR which stands for highlight, explain, apply, and respond to what you have read in the reading plan.

H – Highlight

E – Explain

A – Apply

R – Respond

Bible Memory Verse

This blog includes a Scripture memory verse. There are many methods for memorizing the Bible, but I have found that using a pack of index or blank business cards works best for me. If you write the verse on a card, you can pull it out during the day and meditate or recite it.

John 20:30,31

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Click HERE for Kingdom Sports Minute on Confidence