• Welcome everyone and particularly any newcomers this week.
• Remind each other of the vision of CIS and the purpose of the weekly group meeting. (Consider using CIS videos and resources to keep this fresh each week).
• Remind those graduating to fill in this form using a non-university email address so Christians in Sport can stay in touch with them after they leave university.

1. In pairs look back on your week of sport and discuss how last week’s group meeting helped you. Follow up with anything people asked for prayer about.
2. In pairs share prayer points for the week of sport ahead and spend time praying for each other.

Some weeks pray more widely for other clubs and teams in your university which are not represented in the group. Alternatively, you can also use the CIS prayer diary to pray for the whole mission of CIS.

1. You might also want to use this slot to discuss and plan your evangelistic event for the term and pray specifically about it.

Week 20 | How can I be competitive Christian sports person?

Introduction

As we Pray, Play, Say, Together this session will help us think about how we can be competitive whilst remaining true to our faith in Christ.

Read

Read Galatians 6:7-10

Reflect

When are the times we let competition get the better of us and why do you think this happens?

Explain

Paul writes to the church in Galatia to remind them of the truths of the gospel and how they have a new identity as followers of Jesus (3:26-4:7). So often people use their gifts, talents and the relationships around them to create a name for themselves, and sport is an easy place for this to happen. This is often what can tip us over the edge in our most competitive moments, the desire to win and gain all the recognition that comes from winning can cause us to make poor choices in our levels of competition.

We have been saved through Christ, and we have the full riches of his grace. We have also been given his Spirit to help us live for him in all areas of life. This includes our sport. God wants to us enjoy the gift of sport and being competitive is not a bad thing in and of itself. However, when we have the choice between “doing good” or ‘doing evil’ God’s heart is for us to make the right choice, and he promises to help us in those moments through the work of his Spirit.

Discuss

1. How can we let our new identity help us view competition from a godly perspective?
2. How can knowing that the Spirit is with you in your sport encourage and challenge you when it comes to the way you compete?
3. What can you put in place to help you manage your levels of competition so that you maximise your skills but continue to make good choices in the heat of the moment?

Pray

• Pray that gospel truth would never be far from your mind when you train and compete in your sport.
• Ask the Spirit for self-control in the heat of the moment in order to play in a way that is good and brings the best out of your teammates and your opponents.
• Pray that your friends in your sport would see your attitude when you compete and notice your faith in Jesus through the choices you make.
  

Update everyone on the key messages for the week. These might include:

• Sharing the student sign up link
• Encourging graduates to fill in this form using a non-university email address so Christians in Sport can stay in touch with them after they leave university.
• Promoting your evangelistic event for the term
• Plugging Sports Plus leader applications

Share these resources with your group at the end or immediately after the meeting to encourage them.

Listen

Should a Christian be competitive?

Watch

Can a Christian be a competitive sportsperson? | What the Bible says about competition

Read

Bible Study: Colossians 3