NEWS AND VIEWS

Happy New Year to all of you – (whatever that means!!!)

But hey we’re back and we hope that now the festive activity has calmed down you’re back into a routine of representing Jesus in your sport, and we’re here to help and support you to make that difference!

Sports Plus bookings – the summer isn’t far off now! Check out the website for the latest booking info and do hurry up to not be disappointed!!

New Year Conference – 40 young people attended the conference from yr 11 up to gap year students. It was such a good time. Over the next few weeks we’ll bring you some feedback from some of the young people who attended. The first email we received was from Lucy Howell – a PPS-er who goes to Dean Close school in Cheltenham. Part of her email read like this:

...admittedly by the end of each morning, my mind was boggling, but I loved it. the teaching was ace. It was so good to get stuck in and find out about my God and getting back to basics with the gospel and prayer.

We realised that the timing of the conference was not great for so many of you guys so we’ve sprung into action and already booked a venue at a great price to hold the next conference for young people during the October half term 2007! That’s just a few weeks after Sports Plus! For you guys living in Scotland and N Ireland we’ve got plans for you in the autumn term too – watch this space!

This series will hopefully help you practically play in a way that is different.  We’ve done some research with you guys and asked you the most difficult areas in Sport are to be a Christian.  We’re gonna take the top ones and try and help you work out how to address them.

Different for Jesus!

Ever felt alone as a Christian in your sports team?

Ever felt like it’s you against the world?

Ever found it tough to live differently from those around you? 

If the answer to the above is YES then don’t be surprised! 

As Christians the reality is we do not belong in this world, our true home is heaven and until we reach that destination we will always feel like strangers in this world – check out these few verses from Peter’s first letter:

”Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from the sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Pet 2v11-12) 

Here’s the question then:

How can we live such good lives amongst our non-Christian sports friends so that they might also come to trust in Jesus and glorify God on that final day? 

Over the next 5 weeks we’re getting practical. We’re going to tackle 5 big areas where it is tough to stand tall for Jesus and live as a Christian in the world of sport. First though it’s important we don’t forget the very reason why we want to be different for Jesus. 

Why be different? 

Peter makes it clear as, in the verse before – it is because of God’s mercy.  

“…once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.”

The Bible is ever so clear that as people who have rejected God we deserve his rightful judgement. Yet in his mercy God has punished Jesus in our place so that we no longer sit under God’s judgement. In response to this mercy, Peter says now go and live for Jesus.

Friends remember the cross this week and live differently for Jesus as you play your sport!