Please click on the link below to access the podcast.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Friday, August 16, 2019
Character Coach / Sports Chaplain videos on Twitter
Over
the last couple of weeks I’ve been recording some videos for Character Coaches
and Sports Chaplains and sharing them on Twitter. Most are 45 to 75 seconds in
length, and they are very practical thoughts about our service of the men and
women of sport.
Links
to these videos are below. I hope they are of value to you.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Serving as a Character Coach / Sports Chaplain in Professional (American) Football
Follow this link to the Character Coach / Sports Chaplain podcast on service of Professional (American) Football teams -
Friday, August 2, 2019
FCA Character Coach Podcast - College Football
Please click the link below to access this excellent recording.
Freedom in Christ
My friend and colleague, Stuart Weir of Verité Sport, recently posted this insightful reflection.
Please take a moment to review Stuart’s thoughts and the linked blog post.
Thanks.
Freedom
I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your
precepts.. Psalm 119:45
The
Psalmist’s statement seems to be a paradox. Many people see freedom as getting
rid of rules, laws and precepts. The Psalmist finds freedom in seeking and
living by God’s laws!
Jesus
made this statement about freedom: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free
indeed”. John 8:36
As
athletes it is hard not to get caught up in a performance-driven value system
and identity. I heard of a British footballer who admitted that his demeanour
for the weekend was deeply affected by how many marks out of 10 the newspapers
had given him in the Saturday match reports.
In
track and field it is even more black and white. Was your time under 10/11
seconds or not? You are judged by the time, height or distance.
Of
course these things are important. You invest countless hours training and
practising to be better. That is a good aspiration.
As
Christians, however we have been set free from the need to prove our value by
our performance. We are no more valued by God if we win than if we lose, if our
time is good or we have jumped badly. By living by God’s standards and
accepting God’s values, we are set free from having to prove our value by our
achievements.
“In
short, we experience true freedom in Christ by knowing Him, walking in His
ways, and engaging with the changes He makes in and through our lives as we
focus on service to Him and to others. This freedom transcends the human
freedoms desired in this world, providing peace in this life and freedom with
Christ forevermore”.