Youth Sport - Update

NEWS AND VIEWS

Sports Plus Conference: 7-10 April 4 days of Bible teaching, Pray Play Say seminars, small group activities and of course sport! Sport Plus but a conference! If you're off for the Easter holidays during this time, be there! In October we had 44 young Pray Play Say-ers and it was a really encouraging time. If you're in years 10 to 13, or on a gap year we hope to see you there. Application forms are downloadable on the website (here).

Sports Plus: The summer Sports Plus camps are filling up. Click here for latest availability. One day camps are also coming up around the UK:

Lincoln: 22 March
Belfast: 27 March
Perthshire: 5 April
Oxfordshire: 26 April

Click here for more information.

Barcelona Marathon: 120 people linked to Christians in Sport were in Barcelona on Sunday. 67 of these ran the Marathon and out of the 67, 65 of these finished the race - a great day! Pictures will be on the website soon!

Keynsham Schools Mission: The Youth Team and some of the Academy are taking part in a mission to Keynsham Schools next week - a great opportunity to share the gospel and get amongst the young people there.

PLAYER PROFILE

Introducing the Academy 08...

Full Name: Stephen Cooper
Nickname: Coop, Coops, Scoop
Home town: Westcliff-on-Sea
Top Sport: Football
Why the Academy?: I wanted to take a year out before uni and I saw the academy as a great way to build my faith and get fired up for God while playing sport. It will also be great to get alongside Christians of my own age make friends and learn from each other. Bring on the banter!

BIBLE BIT

Series: Do everything with all your heart

Colossians 3v23 says "whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the lord, not for men."

Session 2 – Can a Christian be competitive? Part 2

We finished the last email with the words of Jesus: ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’. He is simply saying your end goal in everything you do is dictated by your focus and motives today!

Is your treasure in your identity as a sports player? Is your treasure in your ability to do amazing tricks on the soccer field? Is your treasure in winning?

All of us will have to say ‘yes’ to some part of that if we had to be honest, but Jesus is saying do not build up your treasure with things of this world – that’s where moth and rust destroys (Matt 6v19) One day we won't have the bodies to play sport so our treasure is lost. One day you won’t be able to do the dazzling tricks so if you make that your treasure you will lose it. One day you won’t be winning, you’ll have lost your treasure.

Play sport but don’t make it your treasure
Give it your all but don’t let your destiny be dictated by it
Be competitive but don’t let that rule your heart

So how do we make our treasure in heaven?

The point is – we cannot – only God can!

Only when we come before God and acknowledge that we cannot surely make our treasures in heaven, can God say ‘good, only I can’. He will make your heart pure and your motives right to go and play competitively with every ounce of strength and will help you make sure your treasure is in heaven. The only part we play is coming before him each day and throw ourselves at him and asking him to set our hearts upon treasures that last forever not earthly ones!

Will you let God do this? You need to!

Pray - That God will continue to change you
- That your treasure will be in heaven and no-where else.

DIARY

7 Mar Belfast PPS group
8 Mar London PPS group
9 Mar Cardiff PPS Group

9-13 Mar Keynsham School Mission
11 Mar Cambridge PPS group
14 Mar Leeds PPS Group
16 Mar Liverpool PPS group
17 Mar Oxford PPS group
17 Mar Perth PPS group
18 Mar Aberdeen PPS group
19 Mar Edinburgh PPS group

22 Mar Lincoln One Day Sports Plus

27 Mar Belfast One Day Sports Plus
29 Mar Bath PPS group
31 Mar Oxford Youth Sports Quiz

For more dates click here

PRAYER POINTS

Pray that God will continue to change you and show you what your goals and motivations should be for.

Pray for Stephen Cooper in his time on the Academy - that he would learn much about God and would make a difference for Him.

Pray for the school mission in Keynsham next week - for the youth team and Academy, and that young people would respond to the good news of Jesus.

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