Object Lesson: Superbowl Christians – Spiritual Lessons for Youth From the Game of Football

Object Lesson:
Superbowl
Christians –
Spiritual Lessons
for Youth From the
Game of Football
www.CreativeYouthIdeas.com
www.creativeobjectlessons.com

While you might not think of your
Christian life as a football game, the
Bible does use sports to teach about
spiritual truths. In Biblical times they
might not have had American football
games or superbowls but they did have
athletic competitions. The sports may
be different, but you'll find some things
in common with American football if
you read the scriptures carefully. You'll
find running, a prize, winning and
losing, competition, training, goals,
fighting or struggle, opposition,
spectators, obstacles and hindrances,
focus and rules. Even so, there tons of
lessons we can learn from football.

It’s going to be Superbowl
Sunday this weekend and
we’re sure your youth are
excited to be watching the
game. Why not make it an
opportunity to share
something about how the
game relates to their spiritual
lives? Even if you don’t watch
football, the lesson is
applicable to most sports. Have
a great weekend!

An Illustration
While you might not think of your
Christian life as a football game,
the Bible does use sports to teach
about spiritual truths. In Biblical
times they might not have had
American football games or
superbowls but they did have
athletic competitions.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul
writes, “Do you not know that in a
race all the runners run, but only
one gets the prize? Run in such a
way as to get the prize. Everyone
who competes in the games goes
into strict training. They do it to get
a crown that will not last, but we do
it to get a crown that will last
forever. Therefore I do not run like
someone running aimlessly; I do not
fight like a boxer beating the air. No,
I strike a blow to my body and make
it my slave so that after I have
preached to others, I myself will not
be disqualified for the prize.”

In Hebrews 12:1-2 we read,
“Therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great cloud of
witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles. And let us
run with perseverance the race
marked out for us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of
faith. For the joy set before him he
endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right
hand of the throne of God.”

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul says,
“Not that I have already obtained
all this, or have already arrived at
my goal, but I press on to take hold
of that for which Christ Jesus took
hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I
do not consider myself yet to have
taken hold of it. But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

“Similarly, if anyone competes as an
athlete, he does not receive the
victor’s crown unless he competes
according to the rules.” 2 Timothy
2:5
The sports may be different, but
you’ll find some things in common
with American football if you read
the verses carefully. You’ll find
running, a prize, winning and losing,
competition, training, goals, fighting
or struggle, opposition, spectators,
obstacles and hindrances, focus and
rules. Even so, there tons of lessons
we can learn from football.

Take It to the Next Level
COMPETITION is part of the Game
By nature, sports are a competition.
But to compete you must be in the
game. Just as a coach chooses players
to be in the football game, God has
chosen us. Our competitor is focused
on our defeat (1 Peter 5:8). But we also
compete against ourselves. And it is
sad to say, but just like in real life
football games, most of the people in
the stadium sit in the stands. Then
there are those who are on the team,
but sit in the bench. Most of us would
prefer rest on the bench (or pew) and
observe the game – both with
encouragement and more often with
criticism about how others are playing
on the field.

But God doesn’t call us to be
spectators, but participants. Our field is
the world (Mat. 13:38), and our goal is
to win it for Jesus Christ. Sure, some
will have a special call to play a bigger
role, but everyone is called onto the
field to play. Even if you may not have a
key role a particular play, you must still
be ready at a moment’s notice to dash
onto the field and play your part when
the coach calls your number to be on
the field. You must clearly know your
position, train, and practice your plays
to be best prepared for that moment
when you might be called upon to
make a difference in the game (1 Peter
3:15, 2 Timothy 4:1-5).

There are RULES to the Game
The football field is laid out in ten yard
increments, has boundaries, and there
are rules to the game. The boundaries
are there to keep us in the game. The
10 yard markers are there not as the
object, but as a point of reference as
we move toward the goal. If they
weren’t there, we wouldn’t know if we
were heading in the right direction or
running to the wrong goal. God’s laws
and the 10 commandments function
in much the same way.

They keep us in the game and give us
points of reference for gaining or
losing of ground. Violating the rules
results in penalties and may even
take us out of the game for a while.
There are turnovers and fumbles as
well. Yet when we compete
according to the rules, and are
victorious in our efforts, we will
receive a prize (1 Corinthians 9:24-
27).

Our TIME on the field is limited
The clock is counting down. The game
of football is played in four quarters
with a set time limit. The wise player,
especially the quarterback, will keep
his eye on the clock and make the
most of his time. The same is true for
us as Christians, but unlike the game
on the football field, we can’t see the
clock. We don’t know how much time
is left. This makes it even more
important for us to value our time and
make the most of it.

The Bible commands us to redeem the
time, to make the most of every
opportunity (Ephesians 5:16) rather
than waste it. In fact, if you think
about the world today there is not
much time left on the clock. In fact,
it’s already the fourth quarter, down
to the two minute warning, and now
it’s up to us to play our part win
another one for the coach. Things may
seem dire. But in life, just like in
football, nothing is impossible,
everything can happen. You should
not slack or give up until the referee
blows his whistle and declares the
Victor.

TRAINING is essential for Victory
In football there is an in season and an
off season. During the off season the
team works on the fundamentals to get
ready for the big games during football
season. They train for the big games
ahead. “For physical training is of some
value, but godliness has value for all
things, holding promise for both the
present life and the life to come. 2
Timothy 4:8 “Be ready in season and in
the off season” 2 Timothy 4:2. “There is
a season and a time to EVERY purpose
under heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1-11.
There are times in our Christian walk
when we experience seasons of rest.
They’re not for us to be idle, but to
prepare ourselves spiritually, to grow, to
draw closer to God.

GEAR up for the Game
In Ephesians 6:10-18, Paul gives the
team the pre-game pep talk and
reminds us to check our football gear.
He’s talking about gearing up for battle,
but football players also gear up for the
game. If he’d been thinking about
football he might have phrased it this
way, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and
in his mighty power. Put on the
uniform, so that you can take your
stand against the opposing team…
Therefore put on all of your gear so
that when the game day comes, you
may be able to stand your ground, and
after you have done everything, to
stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of
truth buckled around your waist,
with the shoulder pads of
righteousness in place, and with your
feet fitted with the shoes of
readiness that comes from the
gospel of peace. In addition to all
this, take up the face mask of faith,
with which you can conquer all the
opponents’ plays. Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit,
your playbook, which is the word of
God. Let’s all commit the game to
God as we kneel for a locker room
prayer, that we might prove
victorious in this game.”

We strive for the GOAL
It is not enough to simply be in the
game. It is not enough to simply
overcome the enemy. Out goal is to
score one for the team. And another
one. And another one. Touchdown
after Touchdown. In life, the goal may
seem at the far end of the field. It can
be difficult to keep moving forward. It
may seem that every time you run a
play you get knocked down. Sometimes
you may even get sacked. The solution
is not to focus on where you have
come from, but where you are going.
“Press on toward the Goal.”

Philippians 3:14 And while touchdowns
are great, as Christians our goal is to do
more than simply score, but to be the
player the Head Coach has chosen us
to be. We must be always moving
forward, never fumbling the ball, and
always gaining new ground. If we do
stumble and fumble, we are to recover
the ball quickly and press onward. If we
step out of bounds, or get the wind
knocked out of us, we must get back in
the game and focus on the Coach. And
even if you are tackled for a loss, When
you are focused on Him, and run the
plays He calls, you’ll find yourself
moving toward the goal.

We don’t play alone, but play as part
of a TEAM
Football is a team sport. You don’t win
it alone. When the team is working in
harmony under the direction of the
coach things will happen. There’s are
star players, but the star players cannot
function without the core team. They
need blockers, the need linemen to
open up opportunities in the defenses.
There is an offensive team, a kickoff
team, a team of receivers, and a
defensive team and each are critical to
a win for the team. There is no
individual victory, only the victory of
the team.

Only when all players, from the starting
quarterback, the receivers, the linemen
and the person playing his part in even
the smallest position work together,
does the team run a successful play.
Likewise, every believer has a unique
role and a part to play in the Kingdom
of God (1 Cor 12:4-6; 12-20)
The Victors receive a PRIZE.
It’s not Super Bowl rings, but the crown
of eternal life Christ that we seek. (2
Timothy 4:7-8)

Make it Practical
Are you in the game?
No one in the crowd ever gains a yard
on the field. No one in the crowd ever
adds a single point to the scoreboard.
The game is played and won by the
players on the field, and not by anyone
else. Are you in the game or a
spectator? Just being a Christian isn’t
enough. You are called to be on the
playing field, not in the stands or on the
sidelines. Are you on the field playing
the game and gaining ground for Jesus
Christ or are you merely watching the
game? The clock is ticking away, and
time is running out. Get in the game
before you lose your chance forever!

Scripture References
“Do you not know that in a race all the
runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games
goes into strict training. They do it to get
a crown that will not last, but we do it to
get a crown that will last forever.
Therefore I do not run like someone
running aimlessly; I do not fight like a
boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow
to my body and make it my slave so that
after I have preached to others, I myself
will not be disqualified for the prize.”
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Therefore, since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that
hinders and the sin that so easily
entangles. And let us run with
perseverance the race marked out
for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
pioneer and perfecter of faith. For
the joy set before him he endured
the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne
of God.”
- Hebrews 12:1-2

“Not that I have already obtained all
this, or have already arrived at my
goal, but I press on to take hold of
that for which Christ Jesus took hold
of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not
consider myself yet to have taken
hold of it. But one thing I do:
Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I
press on toward the goal to win the
prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 3:12-14

“Similarly, anyone who competes as
an athlete does not receive the
victor’s crown except by competing
according to the rules.”
- 2 Timothy 2:5
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your
enemy the devil prowls around like
a roaring lion looking for someone
to devour.”
- 1 Peter 5:8

“But in your hearts revere Christ as
Lord. Always be prepared to give an
answer to everyone who asks you to
give the reason for the hope that you
have. But do this with gentleness and
respect.”
- 1 Peter 3:15
“The field is the world, and the good
seed stands for the people of the
kingdom. The weeds are the people of
the evil one.”
- Matthew 13:38

“In the presence of God and of Christ
Jesus, who will judge the living and the
dead, and in view of his appearing and his
kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach
the word; be prepared in season and out
of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage—with great patience and
careful instruction. For the time will come
when people will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own
desires, they will gather around them a
great number of teachers to say what
their itching ears want to hear. They will
turn their ears away from the truth and
turn aside to myths. But you, keep your
head in all situations, endure hardship, do
the work of an evangelist, discharge all
the duties of your ministry.”
- 2 Timothy 4:1-5

“Making the most of every opportunity,
because the days are evil.”
- Ephesians 5:16
There is a time for everything, and a
season for every activity under the
heavens: a time to be born and a time
to die, a time to plant and a time to
uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a
time to mourn and a time to dance, a
time to scatter stones and a time to
gather them, a time to embrace and a
time to refrain from embracing, a time
to search and a time to give up, a time
to keep and a time to throw away

a time to tear and a time to mend, a
time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a
time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I
have seen the burden God has laid on
the human race. He has made
everything beautiful in its time. He has
also set eternity in the human heart;
yet no one can fathom what God has
done from beginning to end.”
- Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in
his mighty power. Put on the full
armor of God, so that you can take
your stand against the devil’s
schemes. For our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against
the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world
and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms. Therefore put
on the full armor of God, so that
when the day of evil comes, you may
be able to stand your ground, and
after you have done everything, to
stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth
buckled around your waist, with the
breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the
readiness that comes from the gospel of
peace. In addition to all this, take up the
shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming arrows of the
evil one. Take the helmet of salvation
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God. And pray in the Spirit on
all occasions with all kinds of prayers
and requests. With this in mind, be alert
and always keep on praying for all the
Lord’s people.”
- Ephesians 6:10-18

“I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 3:14
“There are different kinds of gifts,
but the same Spirit distributes
them. There are different kinds of
service, but the same Lord. There
are different kinds of working, but in
all of them and in everyone it is the
same God at work.”

“Just as a body, though one, has many
parts, but all its many parts form one
body, so it is with Christ. For we were
all baptized by[c] one Spirit so as to
form one body—whether Jews or
Gentiles, slave or free—and we were
all given the one Spirit to drink. Even
so the body is not made up of one part
but of many. Now if the foot should
say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not
belong to the body,” it would not for
that reason stop being part of the
body.

And if the ear should say, “Because I
am not an eye, I do not belong to the
body,” it would not for that reason stop
being part of the body. If the whole
body were an eye, where would the
sense of hearing be? If the whole body
were an ear, where would the sense of
smell be? But in fact God has placed
the parts in the body, every one of
them, just as he wanted them to be. If
they were all one part, where would
the body be? As it is, there are many
parts, but one body.”

“I have fought the good fight, I have
finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on
that day—and not only to me, but also
to all who have longed for his
appearing.”
- 2 Timothy 4:7-8

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Object Lesson: Superbowl Christians – Spiritual Lessons for Youth From the Game of Football

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Object Lesson: Superbowl Christians – Spiritual Lessons for Youth From the Game of Football