With all of the competing voices that athletes hear, we need a clear, gentle, and firm voice to follow that outweighs messages we receive from a chaotic world. There’s no better place to look than the voice of Jesus, our Good Shepherd. 

Even though the letter of 1 Corinthians is written to a group of believers in the early church on issues specifically facing Christians, there is much wisdom to gain from Paul’s letter for reuniting a sports team on the basis of love.

Whether competing in an Olympic stadium, a public park with a taped net, or the local YMCA, Christians who play sport are called to do so in a way that brings glory to God. And the beautiful, relatively accessible world of pickleball is no exception. In fact, it might be one of the richest opportunities you have right now to live out your faith in an embodied, practical, and daily way.

The Lord’s Prayer is not a string of verses to recite as a way to spiritually manipulate God for results. God knows what we need before we ask, and what we need is a blueprint for how to live. 

Breaking down the meaning in each line of the prayer will guide us to a deeper understanding of life in the Kingdom of God.

Competition moves fast, and it’s easy for athletes to lose sight of what matters most. This article introduces the simple but powerful practice of using a “focal point”—a visual reminder tied to biblical truth—to help athletes reset their minds and refocus their hearts on Christ during competition. Learn how this tool can steady emotions, shape perspective, and help you compete with a deeper, Christ-centered purpose.

Every athlete is ambitious about something.
The question is whether that ambition is rooted in God’s glory or self-glory. In this article, Christian athletes are invited to examine the deeper motivations behind their drive and learn how to pursue greatness with a holy ambition shaped by trust, gratitude, and purpose.

This article is not meant to spiritualize your pain or rush your emotional process. It’s meant to provide biblical encouragement for your journey of healing. It’s an invitation and reminder to trust in God’s presence and purpose.

In Stephen Barrett’s autobiography, The Unlikely Missionary: Lessons Learned Along the Way, Barrett’s journey into missionary work exposes something athletes and coaches desperately need to remember: God’s calling is not built on our resume, but on our our willingness to take small steps of faith along the way.

Lent isn’t just about giving something up—it’s about replacing it with something better. As an athlete, your time, energy, and focus are valuable. Instead of simply removing something, Lent is an opportunity to replace lesser things with habits that build you up spiritually, mentally, physically, and relationally.

Is quitting ever the right choice? A biblical look at perseverance, burnout, and how Christians involved in sport can navigate hardships in a way that glorifies God.

If we want to live out our calling as Jesus followers, we need to create spaces for people to experience the love of God—including sport. Not for the purpose of competitive advantage but because it brings the Kingdom of God near. 

The Christian Athlete Report: Data, Trends, and Opportunities in 2026 identifies ten major cultural, structural, and formative shifts shaping the world of sport today. Each trend highlights not only what is changing in athletics, but why it matters for athletes, coaches, and the ministries that walk alongside them.

For a sports person, goal setting is necessary. The proverbial ‘grind’ is an essential part of achieving athletic success. But how do we train specifically to look more like Jesus? By training our head, heart, and hands.

If we build our lives on the pursuit of pleasure, performance, or identity apart from God, we will eventually hit rock bottom. When that moment comes—and it always does—there are only two options: Return to the Father’s embrace or continue chase another short season of false promises.

If you want to love God more, you have to take faith steps. But what might those faith steps look like for a Christian Athlete? And how do we define a faith step?

This athlete Bible study explores Proverbs 27:17 — a powerful athlete verse about how God uses relationships to build character, faith, and perseverance. Designed for athletes, coaches, and parents, this discipleship tool helps you reflect on how teammates, coaches, and even rivals sharpen you spiritually and athletically. Through guided questions and practical application, this verse for athletes reveals how competition and community can be part of God’s plan to shape you into the image of Christ. Whether used individually or in a group, this resource helps Christian athletes grow in humility, excellence, and faith on and off the field.

Our identity is a diversified and curated playlist of what we do, how we’re wired, what we like, how we relate to others—but most importantly, it’s what God says about us. As athletes, we need to turn the volume down on letting our performance define us and crank up the volume on what God declares as true.

For a Christian athlete, it is advantageous to play while considering that God’s opinion is what matters most. But what is God’s opinion of us? The answer to this question will give us a fuller picture of what it means to play with an Audience of One. 

Like the rest of the world, sport has patterns. And these patterns of sport shape us every day. If we’re not intentional, we’ll be conformed to them without realizing it.

Breath prayer is a spiritual discipline that aligns breathing with short prayers to help believers draw attention to God’s presence and communion with us. There are many breath prayers that communicate our deepest needs. This article outlines five helpful prayers for Christian athletes.