Competing for Christ Podcast

You don't have to be a coach, parent, or official to disciple and teach the generation coming after you through sports. Although adults have a responsibility in athletics for that, as athletes, we have a prime opportunity to show how to act as a Christian athlete to the next generation of players by what we do, how we do it, and how we carry ourselves as Christians in sport.

On this episode, Jason Lupo, founder of Full Armour Sports, youth sports coach, and radio show/podcast host for Faith Family Fitness in Colorado joins the show today to talk about how he has lead athletes in sport since he was in high school. As he strives to develop athletes in a loving environment, building and growing the next wave of sport lovers is always at the forefront of his mind.

Throughout the conversation, it's apparent that Jason was born to be involved in sports, as we discuss:

• How his radio show/podcast Faith Family Fitness started and how it continues to provide guidance for athletes and others in our world
• The hard topics that athletes must face in today's sports
• How he has been able to develop, nurture, and help the next generation of athletes
• Paul's friendships with Barnabas and Timothy
• Ways in which sports break down walls that other things can't

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Fandom in sports can be one of the worst and best things about sports as a whole. As people come together to celebrate the success and wins of their favorite teams, we can also see (on the flip side of that) the negative and harmful things that come into play, like racism, death threats, and more.

On today's episode, we discuss what it means to be a Christian FAN, instead of what it means to be a Christian athlete. Even still, if you're an athlete, you're probably a fan of one athlete, team, or organization so this episode should hit home for everyone that listens.

As we discuss what it means to be a fan of sport as a Christian, we talk about topics like:

• What being a fan truly means
• Positive and negative examples of sports fandom
• Taking a Romans 12 approach to watching sports
• Tips for reshaping your view as a lover of sports
• The one thing we need to emphasize as Christian fans

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What is the role of local believers of a church in the sports context, if any? Is that different than the role of a sports chaplain? Today, we dive into a topic that isn't touched on enough: appropriately equipping the local church and chaplains on sports teams, and what athletes can learn from each of these things.

CEDE Sports founder and CEO Bob Dyar joins the show to talk about this intriguing topic, and also discuss the vision/background of CEDE Sports as an international sports ministry organization that "seeks to impact people of sport through churches and chaplaincy". Throughout the conversation, listen out for these topics:

• From earning a computer science degree to going around the world preaching the Gospel through sports
• How/Why CEDE Sports was founded
• Bob's work in NASCAR as a chaplain (and a pretty cool story about Dale Earnhardt)
• Utilizing the local church and chaplains as an athlete
• The role of local believers in serving athletes

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On this episode, author, ultra runner, certified strength and conditioning specialist/massage therapist, and former coach Stephanie Burdette comes on to talk about her new book For All the Glory: Finding God in Sports and what she has learned in her experiences in sports. Throughout the book and conversation, Stephanie gives great insight into the mind of an athlete and the power of God in athletics.

Stephanie shares thoughts she had as a Christian athlete and also now as an ultramarathon runner and former coach. This episode brings up a lot of different topics that are highlighted in the book too, like:

• What inspired Stephanie to write For All the Glory
• What it's like running 100 mile races
• Comparison is the thief of joy
• Injuries that reshape your mindset
• Finding God in sports through negativity
• God winning against fear

Go get For All the Glory: Finding God in Sports on Amazon and learn more about her journey, her faith, and her passion for Christian athletics!

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Have you ever thought about sports from a sociological perspective? Probably not, as I didn’t think about it until I took a course at Covenant College entitled Sociology of Sport! This class completely challenged me as an athlete, and at times, it made me resent the professor because of what he was saying about the sports I loved to watch and play!

But this course taught me how to look at sports from an entirely different lens, and shifted my gaze to see sports not as an idol in my life, but something that I love to do and glorify God through. The sociology of sport is something that we may never talk about as athletes, but it's worth having the conversation as it may help you as a Christian athlete.

Dr. Matthew Vos, Professor of Sociology and Department Chair at Covenant College, comes on the show today to discuss how we can take a sociological perspective into athletics. Listen out for these key topics:

• The relationship between sociology and sport
• Harms of the 2022 FIFA World Cup
• "Sports build character"
• Pitfalls of youth athletics
• The good and bad sides of competition
• Relating the sports that we love to our relationship with Christ

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Our biggest job as Christians in sport is to share the good news of the Gospel. Everything else is secondary compared to that. 2 Corinthians 5: 20 says, "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God." With this in mind, it's our duty to live out the Gospel, even (especially) as we participate in athletics.

Pastor Ken Johnson joins the show today to talk about ways we as Christians can practically share and spread the Gospel to teammates, opponents, and anyone that watches us play. Pastor Ken is a former Indianapolis Colts Chaplain, Police Officer, Reality TV Show Host, and Recording Artist. With so much life experience and trials throughout his life, he consistently shows the Gospel through his words and actions.

During the conversation, listen out for key topics, such as:

• Pastor Ken's unique journey and life
• His work with the Super Bowl winning Indianapolis Colts and his admiration for Tony Dungy
• How he relates Christ to others and meets them where they are
• The importance of athletes controlling their actions and words
• Steps to take in order to spread the Gospel in sports

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The health and wellness profession can be scary, deceitful, and at times dishonest. God calls us to use the bodies He has given us for His glory, but where can we start? Why should we train, practice, exercise, and lift? What does it even mean to "steward" our bodies for the kingdom of God?

On this episode, we invite personal trainer and coach Rodney Keller BACK on (that's right, our FIRST repeat guest ever!) to have a conversation about using our bodies to bring God glory. Since the last time we talked with Coach Keller, God has been working in his life through helping people get healthier while ramping up his personal training profession and he was even voted the 2022 Florida Coach of the Year!

As Rodney and Ken talk about what it means to use our bodies for God, some topics that come up include:

• The relationship of wanting to look/feel good vs. becoming obsessed with how you look
• Seeing our bodies as temples
• The importance of recovery
• How mental health helps your physical health
• Where beginners can start on their health and wellness journey

For health and wellness tips, check out Coach Rodney Keller on Instagram!

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So many things can prevent athletes from playing the sports that they are passionate about, but there is one thing that most athletes have faced throughout their time on the field or court: injuries. No matter how long you're out of play, it can be an emotional and difficult process when you have to watch instead of participate.

The book Playing on High Ground by Ray Santiago highlights this theme and gives readers advice and Biblical intelligence that can aid in handling an ailment like an injury. That's why we invited on Ray, author, sports psychologist, and founder of Renewed Mind Performance for a conversation on how athletes can face injuries with God and use the Bible to find peace, comfort, and direction.

Throughout the conversation, listen out for topics such as:

• “If God loves us so much, why does He allow bad things to happen like injuries?”
• The need for psychologists within the sports world
• The mental toughness of Jesus Christ
• How athletes can remain patient when they do get injured

Go buy Playing on High Ground and other books by Ray!

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Every athlete struggles with certain things while playing sports. As Christian athletes, it's crucial to discuss these issues and learn from others on how to combat them. How can we use those things to spread the Gospel? Can we take what we learn and use it to glorify God?

Today we discuss the top 10 mistakes I made as an athlete throughout my career. While these are not the only things that I struggled with during my time playing sports, they are major things that came up frequently.

The list (listen to find out what order they're in):

• Misinterpreting the meaning of injuries
• Trying to prove others wrong
• Not reaching out to younger/older players
• Putting opponents and teammates down
• Making sports who I am
• Preparing physically and not mentally
• Putting too much pressure on myself
• Pushing my body too far
• Not letting Jesus onto the field with me
• Not enjoying the opportunities I was given throughout my career

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On today's episode, All In Sports Outreach co-founder and podcast host Stewart Hardy joins the show to discuss what it means to be "all in" for our teams, and more importantly for Christ.

All In Sports Outreach was founded to encourage coaches, athletes, and communities with the hope and power of Jesus Christ. Through athletics, Stewart and team have worked four 7+ years in creating spaces for athletes to hear the gospel while playing sports.

Listen as Stewart and Ken discuss many hard-hitting topics like:

• The conversation between a couple of friends that started All In Sports Outreach
• How the book of Proverbs can be used by athletes all over as a guidebook through life
• Ways in which to relate the gospel to coaches, athletes, fans, and others who may not know Christ in a sports setting
• The biggest issue in sports today

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Check out our NEW website: https://www.podpage.com/competingforchristpodcast/