2 Peter 1 – Kingdom Sports Blog

Return on Investment

According to the National Council of Youth Sports, sports are generally considered healthy for kids by providing physical, social, and mental benefits. But in recent years, the price to play on select teams or youth programs has made some parents question their investment. Buying equipment, uniforms, team fees, and travel can cost thousands of dollars. Wintergreen Research estimates that the pay-to-play youth sports model has grown into a $19 billion industry.

Some teams will argue that the investment is worth it because the kids will earn college scholarships and play professionally. That’s not likely; according to a survey by the NCAA in 2016, only 7 percent of high school baseball players will play on the collegiate level. Of those, only 2 percent will pay at a Division I program, with 2 percent playing professional baseball.

It’s probably not a wise investment of thousands of dollars if the main reason to play youth sports is to obtain a professional sports career. But if your reason for investing time, energy, and resources into youth sports is spiritual growth, then the eternal rewards are worth it.

Peter urges us to build a pyramid of Christian virtues based on faith in 2 Peter 1. Take a moment to examine this list of virtues that need to be developed in your life or your teammates: love, brotherly kindness, godliness, perseverance, self-control, knowledge, moral excellence, and faith (1:5-8). There’s no reason to wonder if pursuing these virtues is worth your time. There’s even a guarantee in Hebrews 6:10-12. God promises a return on our investment for our diligence.

Kingdom Sports Ministry’s goal is to train and equip coaches, athletes, and parents on how to transform competition so they glorify King Jesus. We have many resources on our website to help in that endeavor. As we prepare for the New Year, I encourage you to take a few minutes to review these resources that will help cultivate godliness. The studies can be done alone but are ideal for group studies.

The Kingdom Coach & Athlete invest time, energy, and resources into developing their spiritual growth to be more like Christ and glorify Him. They are confident this investment will be eternally secure!

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.

1 Peter 3:8

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

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