“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.”
~ 1 Corinthians 9:25
Hi James and Ellen,
How do you feel about sports? Do you like to watch baseball and/or basketball and/or football and/or soccer and/or golfing and/or boxing and/or racing? Do you think that one day that you will play baseball and/or basketball and/or football and/or soccer and/or golf and/or do boxing and/or run races? Some sports have one guy or one gal winning – such as in a boxing match, golf tournament and track meet. Some sports have a team of guys or a team of gals winning – such as baseball, basketball, football and soccer. If you would like to be involved in sports, would you prefer to box, golf and run – where it is up to you to do all that you can to win or would you prefer to help the guys and/or gals to win with whom you are playing baseball, basketball, football or soccer? Whenever you play a game with your dad and/or ma, are you okay with losing or do you want to win every game that you play with your dad and/or ma? Your grandpaa enjoys sports. Your grandpaa says that one of his missionary gifts is his interest in and ability to play sports. When your grandpaa was in high school, your grandpaa ran cross-county. Most of the cross-country meets that your grandpaa ran in were held on golf courses. Jonny Klein – one of the guys who your grandpaa ran cross-country with, was the fastest cross-country runner among the B rated South Dakota high schools. Your grandpaa in his senior high school year was the fourth fastest Volga Public High School cross-country runner. A cross-country race is run over two and two/fifths miles. Your grandpaa would always try to keep up with every other guy who was running in the race when a race began but . . . your grandpaa was just not a very fast runner. BUT when your grandpaa would get to somewhere around the three-quarter point of a cross-country race, your grandpaa would begin to pass other runners. By the time that your grandpaa got to the end of a cross-country race, your grandpaa would be running faster that a lot of the other guys who were running in the race. Even though your grandpaa was not a fast cross-country runner, your grandpaa did well enough running in the cross-country meets that he lettered his final high school year.
Do you know if sports are mentioned anyplace in the Bible? Paul mentioned sports in a couple of the letters that he wrote and sent to Christ-follower communities of guys and gals. In the first letter that Paul wrote and sent to the Corinth Christ-follower community of guys and gals, Paul mentioned running and boxing in 1 Corinthians 9. The Christ-follower community of guys and gals in Corinth knew what Paul was saying when he wrote to them about winning a foot race. Guys who were residents of Corinth would every other year sponsor the Isthmian games. Even though a live wreath would not remain alive for very long, a live wreath was given as the prize to the winner of a foot race during the Isthmian games. Paul wanted the Corinth Christ-follower community guys and gals to look forward to and to really appreciate another prize – which is a crown, that they will be given one day. In the first letter that Paul wrote and sent to the Corinth Christ-follower community of guys and gals, Paul says in verse 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.” Paul knew that it takes a lot of determined discipline to be a faithful follower of God the Son – Jesus Christ, just as Paul knew that it takes a lot of discipline to be a runner who trains and trains to win the races that he would run. When your grandpaa ran cross-country, your grandpaa would run after school was out most weekday afternoon with Jonny Klein and their other cross-country teammates. Your grandpaa and his cross-country teammates would run around a section – which is four miles. Your grandpaa enjoyed running in a cross-country meet but . . . your grandpaa found it to be really tedious to do the training to run in a cross-country meet. If you have made the decision of faith to believe in God the Son – Jesus Christ, as being your Lord and Savior, what are you as kids doing every day to ensure that you are living disciplined, determined lives who truly believe in God the Son – Jesus Christ?
Your grandpaa when he was in high school also played American Legion baseball. Your grandpaa still likes to play team sports such as volleyball and basketball. Your grandpaa likes to help the guys and gals who are playing with him to win in the sport that they are playing together. Your grandpaa enjoys coaching a team of guys and/or gals. Your grandpaa likes putting each guy and/or gal who is on his team in the best position where the guy and/or gal can best help his or her team to win. Paul knew that he needed to know who he was talking to when he talked to a guy or gal about God’s Word and the hope that the guy or gal would have if he or she made the decision of faith to believe in God the Son – Jesus Christ. Even though Paul had the rights of a freed slave, Paul wanted to be a slave to the guys and gals around him so that he could win as many guys and gals as possible to also become followers of Jesus Christ. Paul said that he would become a Jew to the Jews in order to win Jews to become true followers of Jesus Christ. Paul knew that he was no long under the law. Paul wanted to win guys and gals who were still under the law to become followers of Jesus Christ. Paul was a contextual thinker. Paul knew that there were weak guys and gals around him. Paul counted on the guys and gals who were with him to help him win the weak guys and gals to become Christ-followers. Your grandpaa sees that the life race that God has him on – which he hopes that God will have him finish strong, as a life race in which your grandpaa is helping other guys and gals run their life races.
1 Corinthians 9 (338)