What Does The Bible Say About Sports?

What Does The Bible Say About Sports
There are not a lot of references to sport in the bible. Here are a few that have been found. The sports that can claim to be mentioned in the bible include wrestling, boxing and endurance running. “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” “Thus I do not run aimlessly, I do fight as if I were shadowboxing.

No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” 1st Corinthians Chapter 9, verse 26: “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Galatians 5:7 “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” from Revelation 14:12 ESV “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5 ESV “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.

They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” 1 Corinthians 9:25 ESV “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” Hebrews 12:1 ESV “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” 1 Corinthians 9:24 ESV

Are there any Bible verses about sports?

15 Best Bible Verses for Athletes – Encouraging and Uplifting 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Does God care about sports?

Bob Schindler – I wrestled with this question after losing in a playoff at PGA Tour Qualifying School ( Click here to read that story ). I cared who won that day. The question I left that day is, “Does God?” While this question is often bantered about on sports shows, in sports bars, or even on the covers of sports magazines, my journey to answer this question is personal.

Very personal.
The way I relate to God, especially in regard to my passion for competing, hangs on that answer.
I either close or open my competition to God.
I either move toward or away from him as a result of my answer.
This makes the question a critical one.
In my search, I find many athletes who answer “No!” to the question.

Aaron Rogers of the Green Bay Packers, said, “I don’t think God cares about the outcomes of football games!” after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Packers in the 2015 Division Championship Game where Seahawk quarterback credited God with their dramatic comeback.80% of American Christians agree with Aaron.

The reason mostly given for this “No” answer is epitomized by this writer from the Active Faith sports website who says, “When you think of all the issues the world faces and the interests that God has, we don’t believe God really cares who wins or loses games and athletic competitions.” If I adopt this view, I have a God who has two buckets—a God Does Care bucket and a God Doesn’t Care bucket.

All things in life go in one bucket of the other. My competition goes in the God Doesn’t Care one. I begin to think of God as a “disinterested spectator” to my competition. I am confused, asking, “Who decides what goes in which bucket?” and more importantly, “What becomes important enough in my life to actually make it into the God cares bucket?” I find many others have the same confusion.

Kurt Warner, Super Bowl XXXIV’s Most Valuable Player and proclaimed Christian, states, “Do I believe that as a son of God that my life is important to him? No question about it.But I don’t know how that fits into winning and losing per se.” In that uncertainty, I try to convince God to care about what I care about—winning.

In the movie, For the Love of the Game, Kevin Costner’s character is in the midst of pitching a perfect game and develops some soreness in his shoulder. At that point, the movie gives a look into a conversation he has on the mound with God – “God, I always said I would never bother you about baseball, Lord knows you have bigger things to worry about, but if you could make this pain in my shoulder stop for ten minutes, I would really appreciate it.” The writer epitomizes every other athlete’s struggle who holds this two-bucket perspective.

If I win, I think I convinced God to care. If I lose, I am left with a God who has more important items than me and my career or future. I am left alone to resolve my disappointment for what happened. I wonder what else there is in my life that God doesn’t care about. I see a different picture when I turn to the Scriptures.

Rather than limiting God’s concern to only “important things”, I find verses like “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1) “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth – he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” Psalm 33:13-15 (emphasis mine) “And even the very hairs on your head are all numbered.” Matthew 10:30 These verses seem to put everything and everyone into the God Cares bucket.

Jesus says that “even the hairs on your head are all numbered,” I realize the difficulty of such a task – counting hairs – but even more important the insignificance of it.
Some might say that God certainly can’t care about such an unimportant item as that.
Yet, Jesus affirms He does.
If I move away from the NO answer toward the YES! answer, I find many athletes and coaches in agreement.

Dabo Sweeney declared, “Only God could do this!” in a post-game interview with an ESPN reporter after Clemson’s historic win in the College Football Playoff National Championship game against Alabama in 2017. As I dig deeper into those claims, I find that proponents, often unintentionally, seem to declare that God will take sides and give one team a victory over another.

Others, like BYU wideout Austin Collie, go even further.
After BYU defeated their archrival Utah, 17-10, on a 4th and 18 play, he said “When you’re doing what’s right on and off the field, I think the Lord steps in and plays a part.
Magic happens.” God rewards the winners for their good deeds and, by implication, punishes the losers for their bad ones.

These ideas are a distortion of the core message of Christianity. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is turned from an unconditional offer of grace from a heart of love into a conditional transactional arrangement of works. Christianity loses its distinction of God descending to us.

It becomes our attempt to ascend to God. God has moved from a disinterested spectator to a cheerleader for the winners. He is a genie to be manipulated by my hard work and intense devotion. In winning, I am proud. In losing, I am wondering what I did wrong to cause God to withhold the victory from me. This is what I thought after my PGA Tour Qualifying loss.

As I left, I felt ashamed. As I acknowledge that shame, I find dissatisfaction with that YES answer. I read about and know God’s love to be different – unconditional, lavish. “God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not give us all things with him.” Romans 8:32 I realize I must go deeper, beyond the simple no and the simple yes.

I have to find the best answer.
The best answer declares that God cares who wins but for very different reasons than I do.
I care about winning and losing because of what it says about my glory.
God cares about winning and losing because of what it says about His glory.
He cares who wins.
He cares who loses.

He cares because of the way that winning and losing show the world who He is. This is why Paul implores his readers that “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). I paraphrase that verse to say “whatever I do in competition, I do it all to show God off, to make him famous, to display what a magnificent God He is.” As I read through the Scriptures, I find one more important, life-changing discovery in this journey.

I see that my passion for glory (mine or His) is just a drop in the ocean of His passion for His own glory. I find Him to have more passion for winning and losing and the way they contribute to his glory than I ever will. This transforms me. I don’t have to hide or suppress my passion. I bring my competition and my passionate heart to him and redirect my passion for winning to a passion for His glory.

This best answer makes God great and everything – including winning and losing – meaningful. I am not repelled but drawn to God to satisfy my heart in a way that nothing I will ever experience here can. As one writer puts it – “If you can’t see the sun, you will be impressed with a street light.

If you’ve never felt thunder and lightning, you’ll be impressed with fireworks. And if you turn your back on the greatness and majesty of God, you’ll fall in love with a world of shadows and short-lived pleasures.” I paraphrase that to bring it home – “If I turn my back and take my competition away from God, I will fall in love with wins that contribute to my glory and hate losses that demonstrate my lack of glory.” But I have seen the sun.

I have felt the thunder and am drawn to the greatness and majesty of such a glorious God. This is my journey. It began with my loss in Tour School that day. It is a journey filled with much introspection and what if’s, to struggles with my identity and shame.

It is a journey of wrestling with God and the Scriptures to answer this question, and ultimately, of movement toward God, to the only one who can change this desperately longing and often self-absorbed heart.
Does God care who wins? Absolutely, but for very different reasons than we do! John Breech, “Aaron Rodgers: I don’t think God cares about football game outcomes”, CBSSports.com, January 20, 2015, https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/aaron-rodgers-i-dont-think-god-cares-about-football-game-outcomes/ Bob Smietana, “Does God Care Who Wins the Super Bowl?”, LifeWayResearch.com, February 3, 2016, https://lifewayresearch.com/2016/02/03/does-god-decide-care-who-wins-the-super-bowl/ “What Does Jesus Have to Do with Sports?” The Locker Room (blog), March 2, 2015, https://activefaithsports.com/blogs/the-locker-room/17560132-what-does-jesus-have-to-do-with-sports,

Kara Yorio, “Does God Care Who Wins the Super Bowl?” The Daily Gazette News, January 27, 2014, https://dailygazette.com/article/2014/01/22/does-god-care-who-wins-super-bowl, Michael Morris, “Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney on CFP Win: ‘Only God Can Do This’,” CNS News Blog, January 10, 2017, http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-morris/coach-dabo-swinney-clemsons-win-only-god-can-do,

What is the biblical view on sports?

He said, ‘Sport, as you well know, is an activity that involves more than the movement of the body; it demands the use of intelligence and the developing of the will. It reveals, in other words, the wonderful structure of the human person created by God, as a spiritual being, a unity of body and spirit.

Does the Bible encourage sports?

Thousands of Christians around the UK play sport every week. Just think of the numbers involved: 15.74 million adults play sport weekly – that’s about a third of adults in the UK. The number is higher in the young-adult bracket where 55.2% take part in at least one session of sport a week, and even higher among 11-16 year olds where it is 86.6%! If the church is even partially a representation of these demographics, then it would mean that sports players are arguably one of the largest groups in any church.

But how many of these Christians playing sport are Christians in sport? In other words how many Christians don’t just play sport but actually see that their sport and faith are integrated? Not separate areas – “I go to church on Sunday and play sport during the week” – but integrated – “I play sport as part of a whole life view of worship”.

To see how someone can move from being a Christian who plays sport to being a Christian in sport let’s see what the Bible says about sport. It may be a surprise to you, but sport is part of God’s good gift of creation. Sure, human beings are the ones who invent sports, but where does our playfulness come from? The creativity, the desire for human relationship, and the instinctive desire to play that all people, of all ages, across all cultures have, are all part of what it means to be made in the image of God ( Genesis 1:27 ).

God is the Creator and so being made in his image makes us creative with the talents to strike a ball, see a pass, or swim quickly. Equally God is a relational God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and so our desire to play with others pushing them on in competition comes from him. Sport is not some area outside of God’s good creation, it is an integral part of it, a gift to be enjoyed to his glory.

“But” I can hear you say, “if sport is a gift from God, then why is it often so bad, full of drugs, professional fouls, violence and cheating?” Like any aspect of God’s creation, sport has been distorted from its original purpose because of our sin. Sin is not something ‘out there’ as if sport is the problem, sin is an internal disposition we all have to reject God and to distort his good creation.

We use our talents to seek our glory rather than to play to God’s glory.
We damage our relationships through cheating instead of playing fair.
Sin infects sport just as it does every area of human life.
It is striking how much sport draws on religious words, ‘Messi the messiah’, ‘Usain Bolt the saviour of athletics’.

Well the truth is there is only one messiah and saviour – Jesus Christ. God doesn’t want sport to remain tainted by sin, so he sent his Son Jesus Christ to be a substitute (a concept every sports person gets). He steps in to take the penalty we deserve, he is punished so that we can go free.

He is sent from the field of play so that we can get back in the game. Now risen from the dead Jesus Christ calls us to play to his glory. Romans 12:1-2 urges us to: ‘Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship’. That means that sport is an area of life that can be offered to God as an act of worship.

Just think of the difference this makes when someone grasps that their sport can be worship – perhaps you are realising this for the first time now. God is not distant from the thrill you get when you play sport. He is not remote from the highs and lows of the competition.

Your beating heart is his beating heart, your joy is his pleasure.
After all he is the one who gave us the gift of sport.
So are you a Christian who plays sport or are you a Christian in sport? That all depends on the way you play.
Play hard, play fair, and play to his glory – after all, it is worship.

Pete Nicholas, Inspire Church London Pete was appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2017 and is a rugby player by background who now plays touch rugby. Pete is ordained in the Church of England and Minister in Charge of Inspire Saint James Clerkenwell in London.

Do sports glorify God?

All posts June 19, 2015 Here’s the difference knowing God makes: when I encounter the eternal, almighty, infinite, and merciful God, something changes in my heart. My attention turns away from myself and toward this glorious God. I walk onto the field much less likely to brag, jockey for attention, or try to win others’ admiration.

Every play, every inning, every race becomes an opportunity to draw attention to God. That’s what we call worship. And this is why worshiping God isn’t just something we do in church. It’s something we do in all of life, including our sports. So 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us something very important about our sports.

Here’s what this verse says to us: To bring glory to God as athletes, we play sports in a way that draws attention to God’s greatness instead of our own. This involves much more than kneeling in the end zone or pointing to the sky. You see, too often Christian athletes participate in sports without understanding the potential sports have for God’s glory.

We have no higher purpose than winning.
We are more concerned about improving athletic skill than growing in godliness.
We use sports to glorify ourselves, rather than glorifying God through godly actions.

Sadly, it is possible to devote massive amounts of time to sports while failing to grow in humility, perseverance, self-control, diligence, and other qualities appropriate to a follower of Christ. But if you search Scripture for what it says is truly important, you won’t find athletic gifting, personal stats, championship trophies, or even a win-loss column.

Scripture’s emphasis is clearly on the glory of God, as revealed in the gospel, and on our imitation of his character. And as Christians, we must adopt Scripture’s priorities. This is not to say that athletic skill doesn’t matter. It is important. But it’s not most important. Athletic ability and achievements must be secondary; playing sports to the glory of God must be primary.

And that means every time we step onto the field, our priority will be to worship God, apply the gospel to our hearts, and become more like Christ. So what does this actually look like? What does it mean to worship God and imitate Christ at tip-off, at halftime, in the fourth inning or the fourth quarter? What does it look like when my team is way ahead—or way behind? This is where things get very practical.

Sports At Their Best—And Worst
What Are Sports Really For?
Meeting God Before the Opening Tip
Play to the Glory of God
The Grateful Athlete
The Humble Athlete
The Servant Athlete
Sports Idols
Your Next Game
Application Questions for Athletes

Watch the video:

Does the Bible say exercise is good?

1 Timothy 4:8 – GNTA Bible – Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual ex.1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profiteth little Meaning not the exercise of the body in the Olympic games, as by running, wrestling, &c. which profited but little, for the obtaining of a corruptible crown at most; though since a word is used here, and in the preceding verse, borrowed from thence, there may be an allusion to it: much less exercise of the body for health or recreation, as riding, walking, playing at any innocent diversion; which profits but for a little time, as the Syriac and Arabic versions read; and the latter renders the phrase “bodily recreation”: nor is the exercise of the body in the proper employment of trade and business, to which a man is called, and which profits for the support of life for a little while, intended; nor any methods made use of for the mortification of the body, and the keeping of it under, as watchings, fastings, lying on the ground, scourging but rather mere formal external worship, as opposed to godliness, or spiritual worship.

but godliness is profitable unto all things ; to the health of the body, and the welfare of the soul; to the things of this life, and of that which is to come; to themselves and others, though not to God, or in a way of merit: having promise of the life that now is ; of the continuance of it, of length of days, of living long in the earth, and of enjoying all necessary temporal good things, the mercies of life; for God has promised to his spiritual worshippers, to them that fear him, and walk uprightly, that their days shall be prolonged, that they shall want no good thing, nor will he withhold any from them that is for their good, that is proper and convenient for them: and of that which is to come ; even of eternal life; not that eternal life is received or procured hereby; for it is the free gift of God, and is not by any works of men, for otherwise it would not be by promise; for its being by promise shows it to be of grace: there is nothing more or less in it than this, that God promises glory to his own grace; for internal godliness, which animates and maintains spiritual worship, is of God, is of his own grace, and every part of it is a free gift of his, as faith, hope, love, fear

: 1 Timothy 4:8 – GNTA Bible – Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual ex.

What does Jesus say about athletes?

There are not a lot of references to sport in the bible. Here are a few that have been found. The sports that can claim to be mentioned in the bible include wrestling, boxing and endurance running. “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.” “Thus I do not run aimlessly, I do fight as if I were shadowboxing.

No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” 1st Corinthians Chapter 9, verse 26: “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” Galatians 5:7 “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” from Revelation 14:12 ESV “An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:5 ESV “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.

Is it OK to pray for a win in sports?

March Madness is upon us, and for most people in Kentucky that doesn’t mean the lead-up to Easter; it means basketball. Every basketball game has a winner and a loser, regardless of the virtue of the players or the coach. A winning season would look very different if the results were based on acts of kindness rather than on how many opponents were defeated.

But, sports does not work that way.
Does theology address this kind of winning? Does God take sides in a ball game? Is it right to pray to win? Does goodness ever have anything to do with winning? That’s the Question of Faith we posed to our Kentucky.com Faith Blog Network participants. The Rev.
Ory Wilcoxson, Crestwood Christian Church, Lexington: While it is not wrong to pray to win, I would rather pray that God would help me do my best.

Praying to win is one of those “or else” prayers that I imagine God doesn’t like much. If I do my best, I hopefully have brought honor to God, win or lose. After all, if we really want to follow Jesus’ teaching, we would pray to lose every game because the first shall be last and the last shall be first.

How do you think that strategy would go over in Rupp Arena? The Rev. Myron Williams, Southland Christian Church: God concerns himself with people who bring him glory and honor, whether through sports or something else. Winning means making Jesus famous, not the final score of a game. Is is all right to pray before sporting events? Sure.

To pray for a win? God does not manipulate the officials or the players for one side or another. Praying to bring honor to God through skills and sportsmanship is wise and honorable, for players, coaches, officials and fans. While winning sometimes consumes us, in the grand scheme of life and time, making an eternal impact on people for the sake of Christ is far more important.

The Rev. Bob Evely, Grace Evangel Fellowship, Wilmore: Much as I would like to see Kentucky win the championship, I do not think God takes sides. If God wants Kentucky to win, he would want everyone else to lose. While God cares about all of his creation, I don’t believe he has preferences in our leisurely activities.

Actually, I think that God probably cares more about our making UK, or any sports team, an idol. If sports or other leisurely pursuits so occupy us that it detracts from our relationship with God, and the more important things in our world, then our leisurely pursuits become counterproductive, distracting us from the more important things God would have occupy our time and resources.

The Rev. Joseph N. Greenfield, Help Me to Live Again Ministries, Wilmore: Does God choose sides? Absolutely. There’s God’s way, and there’s everyone else’s way. You are either with him or against him, teammate or opponent. Play according to his ways, and you’ll be a winner every time. OK to pray to win? Absolutely.

I wouldn’t have it any other way, and neither did Jesus. Read it again: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). Does goodness have anything to do with winning? Absolutely. What does the Bible say? “The Lord bestows favor and honor, and no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalms 84:11).

Try this one: “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalms 34:11). The Rev.
Roger Bruner, Mill Street Church of Christ, London : Does God take sides in a ball game? No.
God’s “business” or concern is seen from Psalms 74:12: “But you, O God, are my king from of old; you bring salvation upon the earth.” Is it right to pray to win? Prayer is not for this purpose.

Does goodness have anything to do with winning? Only in life. Sharon Donohue, who writes under the name Angela Merici O’Donoghue at TheBibleClicks.com: Does the Lord wear Wildcat blue or favor those who do? There’s an interesting story in Scripture that may offer us a few insights.

A cat named Joshua had been appointed to lead a nation who was biting at the bit to claim their prize. They felt like they had been in the wilderness a long time, and indeed, they had. On the way to the Final Four, Joshua looked up and saw a man appear before him, sword drawn. Unflinching, Joshua stepped forward and said, “Are you one of us or one of our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “I am the captain of the host of the Lord and I have just arrived.” At this, Joshua fell prostrate.

Something about that man’s presence signaled that Joshua was on holy turf. Can we really make a good case from history that God takes sides? I don’t know, but I will tell you this: Joshua clinched a spot in the Final Four, defeating No.1-ranked Jericho, and kept right on going, leading the nation into the promised land.

Are there athletes in the Bible?

Athletes in the Bible spotlights: Elijah. Samson. Peter. Paul.

Where in the Bible does it say to exercise?

12.1 Timothy 4:8 – “or while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 Training your body is of some value, yes, but don’t sacrifice it at the expense of your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.

How do you glorify God in sports?

This is an excerpt from The Good Sporting Life: Loving and playing sport as a follower of Jesus, As well as thinking of God and thanking God, we can also—as Shaun Pollock has noted—use sport to glorify God. We often hear sportspeople say after a sporting performance in which they do well that they “give all the glory to God”.

Some may cynically wonder if the person would give glory to God if they had not done so well.
But, to be fair, the media do not usually interview those who are less successful.) But what does it mean to glorify God? And can we glorify God in ways other than actually saying “we glorify God”? To give glory to God means to speak and act in a way that gives honour to God, and which reflects his greatness.

It involves words: Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name (1 Chr 16:28-29a) It also involves actions: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

1 Cor 10:31) A sportsperson can glorify God with their words by acknowledging that the ability and opportunity to play their sport, regardless of how they perform, comes ultimately from God.
Thus, athletes might thank God or give glory to God when they perform well or when they simply participate.
We can also glorify God in our actions.

Australian brother and sister pairs figure skaters Stephen and Danielle Carr competed at three Winter Olympics in the 1990s. Stephen once commented that he and Danielle would often pray with each other, especially as they grew older. Their prayers about their skating also changed as they matured in their Christian faith.

When they were younger believers, Stephen prayed that God would help them to win the competitions in which they were competing. As his faith developed, they prayed that God would strengthen them and that they would “skate for the glory of God”. How can a performance bring honour to God? First, a sportsperson can bring glory to God simply by using their God-given gift.

Former Chelsea and Newcastle Premier League footballer Gavin Peacock has said, “I regard my ability to play football as a gift from God. He has given me the talent. I believe he wants me to work hard and make the best of what he has given me and use it for his glory.” 1 Sometimes the quality of a sporting performance is such that it takes the breath away and points to the power, creativity and beauty of God.

Of course, God’s power, creativity and beauty are far beyond anything that a mere sporting performance can achieve, but it can give us a glimpse. A Christian sportsperson performing the athletic feat might be aware that this is what they are doing. A non-Christian performing the athletic feat would not be aware.

But in either case, the Christian spectator can appreciate it. I sat near the final baton change for the 4 x 100 metres relay finals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The sight of the runners hurtling around the bend at incredible speed and then fluidly passing the baton to the next runners was awe-inspiring.

The power, pace and precision of the process took my breath away, and certainly pointed to the qualities of the God who created all this.
Second, a sportsperson can bring glory to God by the way in which they participate—for example, by doing their best, and by displaying good sportsmanship.
Colossians 3:23, cited earlier, says: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”.

Dual Olympic gold medal winning South African breaststroker Penny Heyns has spoken of how she came to appreciate that swimming laps of the pool was an opportunity for her to worship God. “I committed to giving my whole being and heart to God in every moment of my swimming”, she says.2 And while we will discuss sportsmanship more in the next chapter, it must be said here that competing in a sportsmanlike manner brings great glory to God and shows us something of his love.

What does Paul say about athletes?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The New Testament uses a number of athletic metaphors in discussing Christianity, especially in the Pauline epistles and the Epistle to the Hebrews, Such metaphors also appear in the writings of contemporary philosophers, such as Epictetus and Philo, drawing on the tradition of the Olympic Games, and this may have influenced New Testament use of the imagery.

The metaphor of running a race “with perseverance” appears in Hebrews 12:1, and related metaphors appear in Philippians 2:16, Galatians 2:2, and Galatians 5:7. In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul writes “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” In 1 Corinthians 9:24–26, written to the city that hosted the Isthmian Games, the metaphor is extended from running to other games, such as boxing, to make the point that winning a prize requires discipline, self-control, and coordinated activity.

In 2 Timothy 2:5 the same point is made. These athletic metaphors are also echoed in later Christian writing. As with New Testament military metaphors, these metaphors appear in many hymns, such as Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might, which was sung in the film Chariots of Fire ; and ” Angel Band “, which was sung in the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?,

What is the best Bible verse about sports?

6. Isaiah 40:29-31 – He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even the youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on the wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

What does the Bible say about training like an athlete?

1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT – I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. Read Full Chapter

How is sport spiritual?

Sport can increase spiritual awareness in so far as athletes embrace the tension between renewal and failure from moment to moment, which makes sport a ritual activity.

Is it OK for Christians to play games?

A Booming Industry Despite often being excluded from the pantheon of cinema, music, and television, gaming has exploded into perhaps the most lucrative industry of all modern entertainment. While people typically think of cinema as the crown jewel of entertainment, the total worldwide box office in 2019 was a record $42.5 billion.

That same year, the gaming industry hit a whopping $124.8 billion. One study revealed that nearly 70% of Americans play video games. While the culturally ingrained stereotype of a “gamer” is that of a pubescent boy sitting in his parents’ basement playing a MMORPG (“massive multiplayer online role-playing game”), this image has long been outdated.

The vast majority of video games—as many as 90%—are played on phones and tablets. What Does The Bible Say About Sports Also, while the 18-35 demographic, predictably, contains the most frequent gamers, video games—driven largely by the shift from traditional consoles to mobile devices—are no longer the exclusive pastime of the young. People age 50+ do roughly 21% of gaming (the same percentage as gamers under 18).

The less scientific “eyeball test” confirms this finding. While suit-wearing professionals once poured over spreadsheets and presentations on airplanes, mobile games are now their go-to inflight entertainment. How Do Video Games Impact Society? Video games carry a pointedly negative stigma, partially due to their relative newness in comparison to other entertainment mediums.

Another reason for their bad rap is that they often become a topic of national conversation when taking the blame for horrific violent deeds. For example, in the aftermath of the horrendous Parkland school shooting in 2018, the White House announced that it would meet with representatives of the video game industry to explore a possible causative relationship between virtual violence and real-world violence.

In the court of public opinion, the conclusion of this meeting is a given. Video games are harmful. Yet, the data is less convincing. To pin a violent action on any singular cause is dubious and overly simplistic, not to mention impossible to prove. In fact, the rise in the consumption of violent video games since the early 90s has actually been matched by a decrease in overall youth violence (perhaps the youth are all inside playing games?).

Beneath the surface of knee-jerk reactions and hot takes is a sea of inconclusive studies and mixed data. What Does The Bible Say About Sports At the same time, the notion that spending 12-15 hours a week engaged in any activity—all the more one as visceral and addictive as gaming—has no effect is equally as absurd. Spending hours on end shooting enemies in a graphic explosion of blood and gore is desensitizing, not to mention almost certainly immoral.

Video games may not compel gamers to act out their gaming fantasies in the real world or turn them into monsters, but, as with all entertainment choices, the experience is far from neutral. I should also note that the conversation regarding the influence of gaming is nearly always in the context of negative effects.

Yet many role-playing games tell well-crafted stories that are able to transport players into beneficial and educational secondary world experiences in the same way a gripping novel might. The interactive and participatory nature of video games lends itself perfectly to cultivating such experiences.

It is no coincidence that many of the most imaginative contemporary authors are also enthusiastic gamers. Video games can inspire new and broader ways of looking at the world, evoke rarely felt emotions, and navigate experiences otherwise untouched. The Max Planck Institute for Human Development actually concluded that playing video games such as Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros increases brain matter, memory formation, strategic thinking, and fine motor skills (my 10-year-old self feels so vindicated).

To Play or Not To Play? Nothing in the Bible unquestionably deems video games inherently sinful. But Christians should prayerfully consider whether or not or to what degree they should play video games. In the absence of a “thou shall not play video games” Bible verse, the best guiding principle is Jesus’ urging for His followers to be “as wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

Make Wise Choices

The existence of graphically violent and desensitizing video games does not mean all video games should be off limits in the same way a raunchy romance novel shouldn’t prevent a Christian from reading a book by Charles Dickens. There are good movies and unwholesome ones; thought-provoking shows and garbage shows; edifying music and demeaning music.

No one-size-fits-all mentality can help us navigate entertainment, and that includes video games. Christians should be intentional and aware of the images and virtual stories in which they are immersing themselves. Games that involve vicarious sin and immorality should be avoided. Graphic sexuality and (in most cases) extreme violence should likewise be shunned.

Christians are called to be Holy, and such gaming experiences hinder rather than promote that calling (1 Peter 2:9). What Does The Bible Say About Sports

Maintain Moderation

Arguably, the single most concerning aspect of video games is the time they consume. This issue is not unique to gaming. Any activity performed in excess can be damaging, even Bible reading, if one spends day and night reading scripture and leaves no time to go outside and live and obey it.

But unlike a movie with a clearly defined time investment, video games often invite prolonged or even indefinite play time. Players can log hundreds of hours in a single immersive, open world game. Video games can be a relaxing pastime in moderation but will severely damage mental, physical, and—most importantly—spiritual health when consumed gluttonously and without proper discipline.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful” (1Cor.6:12). When overindulgent gaming causes us to start neglecting more important and spiritually necessary responsibilities, then we have allowed it too great a foothold in our life.

Proper Purpose

I am by no means a “gamer,” but I do enjoy playing games. Throughout our marriage, my wife and I have played casual co-op games as a way to spend time together in the evening, and I have bonded with my kids over games like The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario.

Video games are often thought of as an isolating experience, but I recently attended a wedding where the lovely couple met through online gaming (she was in America, and he was in Brazil)! The game Animal Crossing proved to be a calming tonic for many people during their lonely and stressful coronavirus quarantine.

As Christians, we have far more important priorities than video games. But if we approach them with wisdom and keep them in their proper place, video games can actually refresh and bring people together.

What Does The Bible Say About Sports Daniel holds a PhD in “Christianity and the Arts” from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author/co-author of multiple books and he speaks in churches and schools across the country on the topics of Christian worldview, apologetics, creative writing, and the Arts. View all posts

Who is God of all sports?

The oldest myth which concerns the beginning of the Olympic Games is that of Idaios Daktylos Herakles. According to other myths, Zeus, the father of humanity, fought and defeated Cronus in a struggle for the throne of the gods. Finally, the well-known demigod Herakles is mentioned.

He staged games in Olympia in honour of Zeus, because the latter had helped him conquer Elis when he went to war against Augeas. – Zeus Zeus was considered the most important of all the Olympic gods. He was originally worshipped as a god of meteorological change. He quickly became the god of fertility however, and was worshipped as Zeus the “infernal” (hthonios) or “farmer” (georgos).

As Zeus the possessor (ktisios), he offered a good harvest; as Zeus the father (pater), he protected the family and all who lived nearby. Hera Hera was the sister and wife of Zeus and was worshipped all over Greece, but especially in the region of Argos.

She was thus also called “Argeia”. The epithets “perfect”, “balanced” and “wedded” were used to describe her because she was considered the protector of marriage and the marital bond. Homer depicts Hera in her dual capacity as the most important female deity, but also the official spouse of the father of the gods.

Athena The ancient Greeks believed that Athena was miraculously born out of the head of Zeus. She was first worshipped in the palaces of the Achaean rulers in the Pre-Hellenistic period. In Homer’s work, she is depicted as a warrior goddess wearing full armour from the prehistoric era.

She was as important as Aris, the god of war, and favoured the prudent outcome of confrontations. Apollo Apollo was the god of moral order and music, but his main capacity was to protect the art of divination. This is revealed by the plethora of oracles in various regions of Greece, the most famous being the oracle of Delphi, in Fokis.

Apollo is also seen as a pastoral god, protecting his flock from the wolves. He was worshipped by the farmers as the god of the harvest. From Antiquity onwards, he had the reputation of a god of healing.

Is the Bible against combat sports?

Christianity and combat sports By Dr. Chris Surber With the recent McGregor-Mayweather super fight, a number of Christians are asking. “Should Jesus followers be involved with or even watch combat sports?” Some people argue that the Bible tacitly endorses combat sports when the Apostle Paul uses them in New Testament analogies.

So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.” (1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT) Shadowboxing is a common training technique for boxers. We’ve got to be careful how we interpret passages of Scripture like this. I once used someone having been bitten by a venomous snake as a part of a sermon illustration.

That doesn’t mean I endorse snake dancing. Whether in the Bible or when listening to any preacher or teacher, we need to listen for the point of an analogy. The use of combat sports in an analogy isn’t the same as an instruction to participate in them.

On the other hand, if the Bible were adamantly opposed to combat sports we’d expect it to say so, or at the very least, biblical authors would have avoided those kinds of analogies. The Bible doesn’t directly endorse or outlaw combat sports. We need to look deeper. Here are a few basic biblical ideas to consider.

I’ve been interested in the martial arts ever since Daniel Larusso won the All-Valley Karate Tournament with a crane-kick. From 10 years of military service and training to my current involvement with Karate for Christ, I’ve always found personal value in the martial arts.

In middle and high school I had a lackluster boxing career. Every time a win inflated my ego, a loss would come with a curing dose of humility. Participation in the study of combat sports holds the great benefit of deflating someone’s ego, because there is always someone who is better. You can puff your chest all you want, but in the ring or on the mat, the truth comes out.

The discipline it takes to rise to the professional level of MMA or boxing is really impressive. I think Christians can appreciate and apply the principles of combat to our spiritual warfare. (Ephesians 6) That’s the point of Paul’s analogy. Be disciplined in discipleship like a fighter is in training for a fight.

For kids to participate in reasonably paced, sensibly risk assessed combat sports to learn self-confidence and humility — as long as it’s not overly aggressive and it’s done in a careful way — can be a beneficial addition to their character development and personal physical health. The problem comes when we allow ourselves to build up men like Connor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather as false idols.

Mayweather is the unashamedly greedy owner of a strip club. McGregor’s foul mouth and arrogance are not something I want my children emulating. Where is a class act like Evander Holyfield when you need him? In my spiritual life, I’m not just shadowboxing, either.

In the gym, if I’m careful to keep Christ at the center, I can strengthen my resolve and my body for the spiritual combat for the glory of God.
With a careful and reasoned approach, there is nothing wrong with combat sports for Christians. The Rev. Dr.
Chris Surber is the pastor at Liberty Spring Christian Church.

Email him at [email protected]. : Christianity and combat sports

Does working out honor God?

Exercise to glorify God – But how can exercising with the intention of pleasing others or ourselves with our physique be glorifying to God? If we are to glorify God with our bodies through exercise, we need to change our underlying motivations for fitness.

As Christians, Colossians 3:23 calls us to “work heartily as for the Lord and not for men ” in everything we do. And though 1 Corinthians 6:19 says that our bodies are “temple(s) of the Holy Spirit,” and many use this as a reason for fitness, the verse goes on to say that we have received our bodies from God, and they are not our own to do with whatever we’d like.

Therefore, we need to seek fitness as a means to glorify God.

What does God say about sleep?

Psalm 8 – “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Fall asleep to the comforting promise of Psalm 8, as you name and lay your worries down at God’s feet—one by one. Hand your stress over to Jesus tonight, as he instructs us to, and meditate on this good night Bible verse.

Does the Bible talk about training?

1 Timothy 4:6-10 training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

What Bible verse is seen at sporting events?

It’s been memorized by countless Sunday school students, displayed on signs at major sporting events, and printed on the bottom of shopping bags and soda cups. Now, perhaps the most familiar verse in the New Testament has once again been thrust into the public eye after Aaron Hernandez scrawled “John 3:16” on his forehead with red ink before taking his own life.

The Bible verse, regarded by many as the most concise expression of Christian faith, reads in the King James translation: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” “If you were going to choose one particular verse to underscore the meaning of the Gospel and Christian truth, that would be it,” said Douglas Webster, a professor of pastoral theology at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.

The verse first leapt into popular culture in the 1970s, when born-again Christians started holding “John 3:16” signs at stadiums as a way to spread the Gospel, said Bryan P. Stone, a professor of evangelism at Boston University School of Theology. Get Breaking News Alerts Stay up-to-date with important news developments, delivered right to your inbox.

The most famous figure of that era was an eccentric named Rollen Stewart, who wore a rainbow-colored wig and danced with a “John 3:16” sign behind the goal posts at football games, home plate at baseball games, and the backboard at basketball games.
Stewart, who was nicknamed Rock ‘n’ Rollen and Rainbow Man, was notorious on television well into the ’80s and is credited with popularizing John 3:16.

“He was able to capitalize on the increasing number of games that were televised,” said Joseph L. Price, a professor of religious studies at Whittier College, in Whittier, Calif. “But the contrast between his attire and his conservative sign raised curiosity.

How could someone who looked as though he were a hippie have such a standard, conservative verse?” Since 1992, Stewart has been serving three consecutive life sentences after a bizarre incident in which he locked himself in a hotel room in Los Angeles, held a maid hostage, and threatened to shoot down airplanes.

Police arrested him after an eight-hour standoff. In 2009, the verse once again came to broader attention when the quarterback Tim Tebow wore eye black with the inscription “John 3:16” when he led the Florida Gators to the national collegiate championship over the Oklahoma Sooners.

Hernandez, Tebow’s teammate at Florida, played in that game. Tebow has said that 94 million people Googled “John 3:16” during the game and “it was a pretty cool moment.” The verse has also appeared on banners and overpasses, and been printed on shopping bags from the clothing store Forever 21 and cups from the fast-food chain In-N-Out Burger.

For Christians, particularly evangelicals, John 3:16 has become perhaps the most important passage in the Bible, Stone said. What Does The Bible Say About Sports Tim Tebow wore eye black with the inscription “John 3:16” in 2009. Lynne Sladky/AP/File 2009 “The point is that Christ is salvation, and those who believe in Christ are saved,” he said. “That is the central message of Christians.” Hernandez had “God forgives” tattooed on his arm, and was known to read the Bible with his coach, Urban Meyer, at the University of Florida.

Investigators also found three handwritten notes — whose contents have not been released — next to a Bible in his cell. Yet it is impossible to know why the 27-year-old convicted murderer and former Patriots player scrawled “John 3:16” on his forehead before he hanged himself with a bedsheet in prison on Wednesday.

But the message resonated with Christian scholars, who theorized that it might have been a plea for forgiveness. “Aaron Hernandez, through his struggles, either came to Christ, or was already there and was feeling remorse,” said Brian Bolt, a professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., and co-chair of Sport and Christianity, a group of Christian coaches, administrators, and theologians.

Price said that the message of John 3:16 could be seen as a sincere declaration of faith by Hernandez. Or, he said, it might have been “an ultimate protest,” a final act of defiance to use such an affirming verse at the culmination of such a violent life. Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.

com, Follow him on Twitter @mlevenson,

Where in the Bible does it say to exercise?

What does sporting mean in Genesis 26 8?

In any case, he saw Isaac and Rebekah acting in a manner which convinced him, absolutely, that they were married. The Hebrew term used here is based on the word tsachaq, which can mean ‘laughing’ or ‘sporting’ or ‘caressing,’ depending on the translation.

What does the Bible say about training like an athlete?

1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT – I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. Read Full Chapter