Say, Think, Act, Pray

Simple steps connecting God’s truth, sports, and everyday life

Your whole ministry is about sharing Jesus with kids and their families through sports. You want devotional time to be the heart and strength of your program. Team Sports Devotions gives coaches simple steps for connecting God’s truth with sports and everyday life. The Gospel message is clearly presented and runs like a thread throughout each series. Players are shown consistent examples of God’s love and character. Most importantly, they will discover Jesus, the only one who takes our broken lives and makes them whole.

Our devotions engage kids in the sport they are playing right now. Coaches lead players to think about a sports situation, their own life experiences, and what God has to say in his Word. Through scripture, God’s truth is revealed and begins to connect kids’ hearts with God’s heart. Players determine how they can show real faith on the field or court and in everyday life. Coaches can choose to close devotion time with our prayer suggestion, their own prayer, or by asking a volunteer to pray.

Now, let’s unpack the SAY • THINK • ACT • PRAY steps.

SAY

Start with sports. You’ve just wrapped up practice or a game. You gather players around and you begin with a sports-related topic. The devotional prompts you to do one of the following: read a short sports-related story, highlight a popular sports figure, or ask questions about how the game is played. Here you touch on a sports value or principal. Then you will look at what God has to say by reading a related Bible verse.

THINK

Get kids thinking. This is where kids start making the connection between what they know about sports and what they’re learning about their heavenly father. You begin to explore how a sports value or principal is illustrated in God’s word. In some devotions, you may examine a Bible character who found themselves in a similar situation and you discuss how they handled it. In other devotions, you may hear from Jesus, Paul, or other Biblical writers who give real-life guidance. Players will think about how God’s word applies to their own sports situation.

ACT

Take action and grow faith. Now that players have heard what God has to say and thought about how it applies to them, they learn to respond to what he has put on their hearts. In the light of God’s truth, players are asked to imagine what it looks like to live God’s way. They see that because God loves them, he gives them faith. They are challenged to take real steps putting their faith into practice on the field or court, at home or at school.

PRAY

Worship him together. Use this time to talk honestly and openly with your heavenly father. Express your love for him and thank him for all he has done. Ask God for help and for the things you need. Listen with your heart. Let players know their heavenly father is always available. They can go to him in prayer anytime, anywhere.

SALVATION PRAYER

Each devotional series includes an opportunity for players to accept Jesus’ invitation to follow him. While a salvation prayer is included, it’s not meant to check a salvation box that ends there. It’s meant to be the starting point of an ongoing relationship with Jesus. It’s meant to help kids understand what it means to repent; choosing God’s way instead of their way. It’s meant to help kids understand that when they allow Jesus to be in charge of their lives, they will find new abundant life.

Simple and Effective

The SAY • THINK • ACT • PRAY steps means any coach can lead an effective devotional time. Team Sports Devotions are all one page interactive devotionals that last about 15 minutes. They keep kids’ attention, get them thinking, and draw them into the discussion. Most of all, they give players a glimpse of how God intersects every area of their lives, including sports.