When my son Josh was younger, I recall introducing him to basketball. Though I played football in college, basketball was the sport I loved more than others. I spent the next two decades coaching basketball, including teaching my son the fundamentals. I was his elementary, middle, and, eventually, high school coach.

Though I introduced him to the game by giving him a basketball and showing him how to shoot it, his love for it made him a gym rat. I can’t begin to count the number of times I rebounded the ball while he perfected his sharpshooting skills. Teaching my son basketball was one way of showing him I loved him and wanted to spend time with him.

How we spend time with God and show love to others demonstrates our love for Him. When you grow up playing sports, you have to learn to love everyone on the team. So, it is in the family of God. Love for other believers is one of the critical identifiers of those on His team.

1 John 5 – Birthmarks

John summarizes 1 John by encouraging his readers to live lives of faith, love, and obedience. John speaks about these three spiritual birthmarks that identify people who are in the family of God. Prayer is one way to show our love for God and act on our love for one another (1 John 14-15).

 The Kingdom Coach and Athlete are motivated to love others because of their love for Jesus. This is a genuine desire to obey God’s commandment to love one another because of His sacrifice for us.