Study

The Apostle Paul challenged Timothy with these words, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker who needs not be ashamed.” (2 Timothy 2:15) The same admonition challenges us as Sport Chaplains and Mentors. Systematic study of the Scripture and our sport will combine to uniquely equip us for this most important ministry.

· Read Scripture in light of sport and team situations – Learn to see the situations related to your sport which are in the Scripture. The Bible is full of principles that relate to sport. Some of the recurring themes are: Player/Coach relationships, team dynamics, competition, sacrifice, loyalty, fear, courage and more…
o Prepare thought provoking questions for discussion - Think through a few questions that would help relate Scripture to situations in sport and the issues relevant to your players. These may be formal discussions with competitors and coaches together. They can also be times of informal discussion with an individual over a meal or during some free time.
o Apply the Bible to the needs and issues of your sport – Be sure that your study is directly related to the sport context and not simply a cute “Sunday School” story. What might sound like a dynamite devotional thought inside your mind could fall on deaf ears if it’s not well connected to the sport orientation of your audience. Let the issues and situations drive your thoughts, and then apply the Scripture to them.