To watch a talk on this topic head to the bottom of this study.

Discuss

When was the last time you initiated a conversation and what was it about?

Most of us find it easy to initiate a conversation about sport, but the prospect of speaking to a sports friend about Jesus can be daunting, whether we’ve been at the club for years or a new member. What will people think? What if I mess up? What if they ask a question I can’t answer? What if I forget to mention Jesus?! In all this, it is not our eloquence that brings people to Jesus.

• What did Paul not do as he spoke to them about Jesus?
• What did Paul do as he spoke to them about Jesus?
• Why did Paul do this? Why is this so important?
• How does this encourage you as you think about speaking to your sports friends?

Sum Up

When we think about initiating conversations with sportspeople about Jesus, vulnerability and weakness are to be expected...even Paul felt it! He felt weak and afraid and inadequate; yet he persevered and relied on God’s power, not his own strength. Let’s commit to doing the same!

Sum Up

This response isn’t too front-footed so as to feel clunky and it provides an open door for questions about God’s purpose (so be prepared with an answer!) Wait for their response - they may ignore you and move on; if this is the case, don’t force it. Keep praying and keep pointing them to Jesus.

What does this mean for us?

Pray for each other: for the courage to initiate a conversation in the next week with a sportsperson. It is often easier for those who are new to their clubs (like Freshers) to initiate conversations as they have the freedom of anonymity; often the longer we have been in a club, the more concerned we become about what others think of us and the less we seem to speak about Jesus Christ. Take the initiative this week to use the simple technique above remembering what we learnt from Paul in 1 Corinthians 2.

Plan who is going to hold you accountable for doing this.

Whilst sport remains affected by social distancing rules, think creatively about how you could still try and meet with sports friends and look to proactively initiate a conversation about your faith.

Go Deeper

All Bible quotations are taken with permission from the NIV:
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.