I was recently commissioned to write a five day devotion book for a Christian basketball camp. This is the first time I have attempted a sports driven devotion which is odd since I really enjoy sports. Here are my sports allegiances in case you were wondering
Football: New York Giants
Basketball: The Knicks
Baseball: Yankees
Hockey: I grew up an Islanders fan, haven’t watched in years.
College Football: Notre Dame
Out of all of them, I would only consider myself a real fan of Notre Dame because I still yell at the screen when they’re blowing it.
These five lessons I wrote for the the Christian Basketball Camp revolve around leadership on and off the court and the pursuit of a godly life. Topics include character, stepping up, learning, humility, and teamwork.
Here’s the first devotion from the five.
Leaders are learners
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 12:15
I need people who look at adversity as a challenge and failure as a learning opportunity.” – John Calipari, University of Kentucky
Let’s start with the obvious fact, you don’t know everything, and that’s ok. The question is, are you willing to listen and ask questions when you’re in doubt.
Jesus called people to follow him, they’re called disciples and they asked a lot of questions.
But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. Mark 4:10
Jesus challenged the disciples to do many things; heal the sick, share the good news of who he was, even cast out demons, but Jesus also empowered them to do the things he asked of them.
The disciples watched how Jesus did things and if they didn’t understand, they asked questions and Jesus would explain. Leaders are always watching, always learning, always asking questions.
Can you get better at basketball? Sure you can. Ask your coach where you can improve. Can you get better at being a follower of Jesus? Sure you can, ask Jesus where you can improve.
Looking like you know it all is a heavy burden to carry. Look at every opportunity, even the failures, and ask, “What can I learn from this?”
What questions do you need to ask to improve as a leader? To become a faithful follower of Jesus?
If you’re interest in all five devotions for your FCA camp, Christian School, or to kick off the NBA season with your youth, you can purchase the devotions here
If you need custom work written for a different sport or for your next camp or retreat, you can head over here