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The More Than Winning Gospel presentation is an 8.5" x 11" PDF which clearly communicates the Gospel message in the context of the athletic mindset. Use the download link below.
The PDF includes:
Their comes a point in life where nothing just seems to go right. We get bad grades, we have to deal with injuries while we play a sport, we're not fitting in with the right crowd, or something just as simple like "I don't belong here." Trust me. I've been through my fair shares of these plenty of times. But no matter how dull life may seem, or how unlikely your luck is to turn around, you can't lose your Faith. Even when you think that everything seems impossible, it's not. Luke 1:37 states that NOTHING is impossible with God. More people need to believe this saying, because with all of the difficulties we face in the world everyday, I don't see how any of us could get through life without Christ.
Nike sold a lot of shoes with their slogan “Just Do It.” Now, I’m not a Bible scholar or professional minister, but I think Nike should give some church somewhere a little compensation because I think they were probably the ones who came up with the phrase.
Last night, in the NCAA women’s national championship game, the Texas A&M Aggies took that quote to heart in their victory over Notre Dame. According to the post-game interviews, their coach had to “coach hard” during the game in order for the team to be successful. And the women responded well, topping the Irish 76-70.
As competitors, we all know that in order to better yourself on the field, it is vital that you put out the effort in practice. Whether you’re running that last sprint, focusing on the details of a jump shot, or working the finer points of your throwing motion, it is necessary that you train, and push yourself to get better.
And just as weightlifting strengthens the body, we all need to take the time to get closer to God in order to strengthen our spirits. As Apostle Paul told Timothy, godliness has value for all things. Not just meaning value for this life, but also for the life we get to spend in heaven. (1Timothy 4:8) For that reason it is imperative that we live our lives as sacrifices, both holy and pleasing to God.
Last night, at the age of 68, University of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun became the oldest basketball coach to ever win an NCAA men’s basketball championship. In his team’s 53-41 win over the Butler Bulldogs, Calhoun earned his third title in his 39-year coaching career.
Calhoun’s milestone reminded me this morning about a man in Scripture whose age also made history. His name was Abraham, and, at the age of 100, he and his wife, Sarah, who was only 10 years younger, gave birth to their son, Isaac. While Abraham and Sarah had known for many years that God promised them a child, they couldn’t see how that would happen in their old ages.
My testimony begins in Webster City, Iowa, where I was born. My family of five—my parents, older brother, younger sister and I—lived there and in Missouri for a while until I was in third grade when we moved to Florida.
Our family was always involved in church, and I know how fortunate I was to be raised in a Christian home where I was loved and cared for. The only hang-up was that it always seemed like the churches we attended were never close to home. Because of the distance, my siblings and I had school friends and church friends, and they were always different groups. That made church and school very distinct segments in my life for a long time.
“The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” – Proverbs 13:20
My mom used to tell me that idle hands always led to trouble. Maybe that’s why she always tried to keep us busy. When we had nothing to do, we usually wound up misbehaving.
Nestled snugly along the banks of Illinois’ Fox River, Judson University has long offered its students a chance to follow their athletic and academic dreams in a nurturing, community-minded environment. But for student-athletes at Judson, an evangelical Christian university, there always seemed to be a hidden disconnect that kept them from truly connecting to Christ, each other and the surrounding community of Elgin.
Last summer I was blessed with the experience of going to FCA Captain’s Camp at Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga. I had been involved in FCA since middle school, but I had never been to any sort of camp, so I had no idea what the experience would hold.
It’s easy to see why emerging NCAA track star Lana Mims has Olympic aspirations.
The University of Missouri senior is the daughter of legendary four-time Olympian Madeline Manning Mims, the younger sister of former University of Oklahoma triple-jump champion John Jackson, and has dreamed of competing on the world’s greatest stage since she was a kid. But it was a dream that appeared destined to fall by the wayside, snuffed out by unexpected adversity, after Mims came to Mizzou in the fall of 2006.
“…I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20
Annie Lockwood had high expectations for her athletic career when she walked on to the softball team at Arizona State University in 2009. Knowing the Sun Devils were fresh off a national championship and hoping to continue in their success, Lockwood immediately knew she wanted to be a part of it. Now three seasons later, she has realized that dream and stands amazed at what the Lord has done in her life—and how she loves to play for His glory.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
A major league third-base coaching box is no place for the indecisive. For Tim Bogar—the man who holds the position for the Boston Red Sox—every split-second decision he makes carries tremendous weight not only for the team, but also for the die-hard fans at Fenway Park. But as a former player himself, Bogar isn’t intimidated by the situation. Instead, he draws on his faith in Christ and finds the strength to bravely face each day, each game and each play.
What started as a lump in my throat eventually worked its way down into my stomach as I read the ESPN.com headline. Something to the effect of, “Wainwright injures pitching elbow.”
“This can’t be good,” I thought.
Just a few weeks earlier, I had interviewed the Cardinals ace for our April cover story, and, as soon as I read the news, I knew we were going to have to make some adjustments to the magazine, which was already mid-production. But that internal knot wasn’t just the result of professional nerves; it was also the product of personal compassion.
Many discussions about this year’s men’s Final Four have been filled with a number of main storylines: VCU and their improbable run, Butler’s incredible two-year dominance, UConn’s amazing post-season string, and Kentucky’s resilience. As story after story emerges about each team and their journey, members of each squad are discussing their season’s defining moments.
Every year, in the early part of April, all across America the coming of spring is heralded by a festive celebration extending from Denver to Baltimore, Los Angeles to Boston, Tampa to Seattle, and especially in Cincinnati: MLB Opening Day. This day, which was just over a week ago, marks a fresh start for all Major League Baseball teams—a time when their record is 0-0 and their slate is wiped clean. It marks the beginning of a six-month season for the great American pastime, in which any team can begin a transformation from worst to first.
Three weeks ago, the name Shaka Smart was not one most people would have recognized (outside of VCU nation, of course). However, Coach Smart—the head coach of NCAA men’s Final Four team Virginia Commonwealth University—is now a household name after their great run through the tournament. After the season, it’s a safe bet that Coach Smart will even be offered a number of coaching positions at larger schools. It’s just part of the situation for a once little-known coach who is now one of the hottest names in the sport today.
As I was driving to work this morning, I was forced to constantly keep changing the radio station. All anyone could or would talk about was my beloved Kansas Jayhawks’ loss to VCU yesterday in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. And I just did not want to hear it.
For college basketball fans across the country, March is a bittersweet month. Because there is only one national champion at the end of the season, the vast majority of us have to end the season on some sort of losing note. And we always wind up consoling ourselves with the common thought, “Well, there’s always next year.”
The crowd is screaming. It’s a big game: a rivalry, a championship or just a great contest with a frenzied crowd cheering at the top of their lungs. The gym is filled with so much noise from the crowd, the band and the PA announcer. The coach, who has almost lost his voice, yells out to his players to make an adjustment, and the players respond. But how does the player even hear his coach among the chaos and the intense noise in his surroundings? Because he spends time with the coach in the weight room, at practice and maybe even in the classroom. Thus, he hears the voice of his coach day after day and recognizes his voice in the intensity of the game.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes was an idea born in Don McClanen’s heart in 1947 when he was a student at what is now Oklahoma State University. He believed that athletes could use their platform of influence to present Jesus Christ to the entire culture in a powerful way. McClanen officially began FCA in 1954. The first FCA Camp was held in 1956 at Estes Park, CO with 256 athletes and coaches attending. The campus ministry began with the formation of FCA Huddles in 1966. Since then, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has expanded into the largest sports ministry in the world.
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