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"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."

Bill Shankly, Liverpool Football manager

Go for it

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations Matthew 28:19

If you love sport and are a follower of Jesus, get out there and play! Represent him in the team. Be Christ's person in the club. See it as part of your Christian life, as your worship to God.

Try not to do it alone. If there is another Christian in the club, work together. If not find one or two other players and support each other. Pray together about your involvement in your clubs.

If you blow it and lose your temper on the field one week, share it with the other Christians and let them pray for you. It is easier when you have a little group to support you, who commit themselves to pray for you and for the one or two that you are witnessing to. A group like this can encourage you but it will also challenge you because the rubber hits the road when you know you have to report back on how your witness has been in the last week.

Don't feel guilty about putting time into sport. You might think sport is OK but not important. That means that I can play as long as I get away quickly and get to another meeting. That won't do. Make sport your mission! Represent God by building relationships amongst those who you invest so much of your life with, many of whom don't know a thing about what God has done for us in Jesus Christ. Knowing you may help them find out!

Ask the Holy Spirit to make you a brilliant team mate, a brilliant coach, a brilliant club secretary or whatever and get out and play!

If you want to read more about how to be a Christian in sport read Born to Play, Graham Daniels and J Stuart Weir, Frampton House Publications, Bicester, 2004, on which much of this series was based. The book can be downloaded in several languages

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