Guidelines
(This should be a 20-25 minute talk if you are doing this on the opening night of a UTC, just to set the audience up to hear the rest of the Principles.)
What is the question we are asking for this principle?
Who Are You?
This is a version of the basic question "Who Am I?" We direct it at the campers to get them thinking about the God Context - the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
Who Are You?
In order to answer the question, "Who Am I?", you must know "WHO I AM.'
This is a play on words, but I am pointing to the Great I AM - the name og\f God as told to Moses in Exods 3:14.
God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[a] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'”
I AM = BEING = EXIST
The Power of Presence
Notice, I AM is always PRESNT (tense), HERE NOW. God is OMNIPRESENT.
Because God (I AM) Created You, you exist. God made you TO BE unique, SPECIAL, HERE NOW.
Simply by your Presence, you change the dynamics of this camp experience we are all having here and now.
The Power of Your Presence changes the dynamics of experiences in time/space here and now.
The Power of Purpose
Because God Created you, you have Purpose. God created you for a reason. God built you for something Great.
You are "Fearfully and Wonderfully made" by God. Like Moses, God Created You as a MAN to LEAD and RESPOND to God within the ABILITY God has given you.
You learn what Purpose God built you for as you listenand follow God's instructions.
The Power of Your Purpose benefits the people around you.
The Power of Position
Great Power, Great Responsibility
What is the main point(s) of this Principle?
We want to give athletes a baseline understanding of the theology of Sport as it relates to the four-chapter Gospel narrative (creation, fall, redemption and restoration):
- Creation - God is Creator of all things and made them good. He created humans with a desire for playfulness and human relationships. Sports is a humanly organized form of play and interaction that comes from a desire for “re-creation.”
- Fall - Man and woman are deceived by Satan, they doubt God's goodness and then disobey God's clear command, which then causes major consequences in every area of creation, including the tainting of our playfulness/Sport.
- Redemption – God is redeeming ALL of his creation through Jesus. As we are each being redeemed, our interactions/playfulness/competition is also being redeemed.
- Restoration – One day everything will be fully restored, including our playfulness and interactions.
If your audience only gets one thing out of this Principle what should that be?
God created us with a desire for play/competition that is beautiful, but now it is also broken because of our sin. Jesus is in the midst of redeeming Sport. They also need to understand the definition of the AIA Principles = the gospel applied to sport, spoken in the language of sport and experienced through sport.
What are some Biblical texts to use for this Principle? How does they illustrate the point?
Genesis 1, 2 and 3 brief references/overview – talk about Creation and the Fall – and how Sport is connected to both.
Romans 1:21-25 – the exchange of worshiping Sport as an idol, instead of using Sport as a way to worship God.
Romans 1:16 – the power of the Gospel changes Sport, because it changes us as the athletes, coaches, and fans involved in it.
Romans 12:2 – how can we resist being conformed to the world when it comes to our sport, but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds…the Principles (God's Word and God's Spirit)
What should be your first words to your audience as you introduce this Principle?
Introduce yourself and your reason for speaking on this topic. Help them understand that we need a “big picture” view of God life, and Sport before we can go in depth and examine what the scriptures say about all of this (The Principles).
What are we asking the athletes to consider changing about the way they do sport?
To see their sport in the context of the Bigger Story of Creation…to be open to how God might want to change their perspective on life and sport as they examine the 5 Principles.
Also help them see that Sport is a microcosm of life…the things they learn right now in the context of their sport will carry over into every area of their lives (how they parent their kids, treat their spouse, behave as an employee or employer, etc). These are LIFE principles.
How do you go about picking examples to use for this Principle?
Maybe start with a video that grabs them about the beauty or brokenness of sport.
