Quick Super Bowl question: Which do you most looking forward to watching: 1) the Super Bowl football action? 2) the Super Bowl commercials? Either way, you’re likely going to be watching the upcoming Super Bowl. Last year 120 million viewers tuned in to the game. That’s over one-third of the U.S. population. The love of sports is woven into our culture. But we’re not the first to make sports such a high priority. In fact, the New Testament uses many sports analogies simply because the ancient Olympic games and similar events were a big deal in the Greek culture, maybe bigger than the Super Bowl is in ours.
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Digging In
The passages noted below are the key sports references in the New Testament. Read these from your Bible or favorite Bible app. As you read, make notes on any of the “coaching points” you see listed under each Bible reference. You may want to create a table for each passage on a sheet of paper or in an e-doc. Note, not all passages will contain all the coaching points.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Encouragement:
Instruction:
Motivation:
Warning:
The key theological point being made:
Galatians 2:1-5
Encouragement:
Instruction:
Motivation:
Warning:
The key theological point being made:
Philippians 2:14-18
Encouragement:
Instruction:
Motivation:
Warning:
The key theological point being made:
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Encouragement:
Instruction:
Motivation:
Warning:
The key theological point being made:
Hebrews 12:1-3
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Taking It Inward
Take a look at your coaching points for each passage. Internalize the points with the questions below. Write your answers to these questions on a sheet of paper or in an e-doc. These answers will serve as a journal you can refer to throughout the upcoming weeks.
- Which encouragement is the most helpful to you right now?
- Which instruction do you most need to obey?
- What do these coaching points motivate you to do?
- Which warning do you most need to heed?
- How can each “big point” impact your daily circumstances?
Putting Into Practice
Each passage boils down to Question 5 above: How can the big point of this passage impact my daily circumstances. Take a few minutes to meditate on that question for each of the passages. Then close your time by doing one or all of these options:
- Some of these passages paint a very visual picture. Pick a passage and draw something that depicts the “big point” in the passage. Put your creation in a prominent spot where you’ll see it every day. Then Post it/Tweet it/Shapchat it.
- Decide on a specific task you can do to implement the “big point” of each passage into your daily routine.
- Write a prayer of commitment that expresses your desire to implement each “big point” into your lifestyle.
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