Michael Phelps admitted to spending five days locked inside his room, contemplating suicide in 2014. The American swimming icon said, “I knew something had to happen fast. I thought the world would just be better off without me. I figured that was the best thing to do—just end my life. I was struggling to figure out who I was outside the pool. I was basically my own punching bag.”

Ephesians 1 – Every Christian is a Saint

No matter how much you have accomplished as an athlete or coach, there are moments when everyone doubts their worth. Paul opens Ephesians by calling his audience “saints.” The Ephesians might have been surprised that he would use this term when many doubted their worth because they were spiritual infants, unformed, and uniformed in the faith. He tagged them saints because that’s how God viewed them. In the New Testament, a “saint” is anybody who has been chosen and set apart by God. Every Christian is a saint, and every saint is a Christian.

Paul lists a series of spiritual riches in Ephesians: redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, the knowledge of the mystery of His will, the message of truth, the sealing of the Holy Spirit, and the guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:7-14). Christ’s riches that He makes available to us are not material but spiritual. Paul wanted believers to see their sin and need, but also their worth and purpose with the unsearchable riches of Christ provide salvation to everyone who believes. 

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete understand that “grace” means receiving God’s “unmerited favor.” They believe they don’t deserve anything from God except condemnation and wrath, but because He has redeemed them and forgiven them, He is now able to grant us blessings we haven’t earned.

Bible Memory Verse – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control. Galatians 5:22-23a (LSB)