In Search of Greatness, a documentary about athletic genius and creativity, Wayne Gretzky is featured because of his love of hockey. Even as a four-year-old, he would watch hockey games on TV with pen and paper in hand. “I didn’t feel like, as a kid, I was missing anything by, you know, not going to movies or not going on a two-week family holiday,” Gretzky said. “My passion was being on the ice—and more times than not, I was on the ice by myself, in the backyard, for hours.” Walter Gretzky, Wayne’s father, flooded the grass behind the family’s home in Brantford, Ontario. “And like my dad always says, “I don’t know why the Lord blessed you, but you’ve got a love for this thing like he’s never seen.” And I think that’s sort of carried me through my whole memory of the game.”

Philippians 1 – Christ-centered

There is an obsession or passion that has driven Gretzky to excellence. In a sense, hockey was in him, and he was in hockey. That’s a similar description used by Paul to explain the believer living in union with Christ. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he mentions his obsession with the gospel, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Though Paul had endured hundreds of lashes and thousands of insults, he had a joyful attitude. This was a direct result of placing Christ at the center of his life (1:12-20). Later in this letter, he says, “whether by life or by death,” Christ would be exalted through him (1:20).

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete have Christ at the conscious center of everything. They compete by relying on a Christ-centered, Christ-powered, and Christ-exalting perspective in sports.

Bible Memory Verse – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12 (LSB)