Competing for Christ Podcast

Today we are talking with Liberty University Track Athlete and Captain Will Jefferson on his journey and how God has guided him to get to where he is today. We dissect how Will has allowed Christ to be at the center of his life, how He has played a huge role in his life, and more on the life of a college recruit/athlete.

No matter what stands in Will's way, there are three things that stuck out throughout our discussion: faith, lead...

Luke Heaton, UNPACKIN’ it Sports Ministries Social Media Director and the Co-Host of The UNPACKIN’ it Podcast, joins the show today to talk about how to have passion for Jesus over the sports that we can be consumed by. UNPACKIN’ it is a sports fan ministry that is such a great resource for anyone and everyone that follows Jesus and loves sport. This organization is one of a kind and helps sports fans all over become passionate for...

In John 15, Jesus states that if we were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But since Jesus has chosen us to be out of the world, we should be prepared for the world to hate us. Are we ready for those kinds of trials as Christians in sports? Are we prepared to have boos pouring on us just because we wear a cross around our neck or put on eye black that says John 3:16?

Today, we get to talk with Butler University Ass...

When Head Basketball Coach John Mosley of East Los Angeles College was invited on the hit Netflix show "Last Chance U", he was hesitant. Although it would be a cool opportunity, it would be an all-access docuseries, filming every move he and his players made. Although he didn't want to, he knew it would be a way of showing people Christ through his life and coaching.

This show is dramatic, it’s inspiring, and it reveals the grittine...

This new segment features Ken and Fabish Mark (guest from Episode 16 and friend of the show!) discussing current and general sports events, topics, and issues. As we come from different countries, backgrounds, and perspectives, our faith and love for sports brings us together to have this unscripted, fun, and hilarious conversation.

In this wild conversation, we discuss:

• What is the hardest sport?
• Why is Saudi Arabia trying to ta...

Mark Otieno Odhiambo is a Kenyan world class track athlete. As a national champion and ranked as one of the fastest people not only in Kenya but in the world, he has a relationship with God that is inspiring and firm. Throughout our conversation today, we talk about a lot of things that will make you think about God’s love, His faith, and how he continues to be with Mark even through difficult circumstances. 

As we discuss what...

On today’s episode, we are talking to Hall of Fame Basketball Coach and Nations of Coaches Director Mike Lightfoot about finding purpose in sports. From 1987 to 2017, he was the head basketball coach at Bethel University, leading the Pilots to 794 wins, 3x NAIA Division II National Championships, 4x NCCAA National Championships, 11x NCCAA Regional Championships, 18x Mid Central Conference/Crossroads League Championships. As a nine-...

If I asked you if you’ve given God full control over your life, would you be able to say yes?

On this episode of the Competing for Christ Podcast, we are talking with Mark Ridgley, former NFL and collegiate football coach. Mark has coached at a couple of different places, but most recently coached with the Los Angeles Chargers for a number of years. As we talk with Mark about his coaching career and his life as a Christian in sport...

Stepping out of our comfort zones is one of the most difficult things to do, not just in sports but in life. However, pushing ourselves to be uncomfortable and be in hard situations proves time and time again that something good usually comes out of them. This doesn’t mean you have to go halfway around the world to get uncomfortable, you can do this right now wherever you find yourself.

Keenan Horne is a South African field hockey p...

If you are an athlete, more likely than not you will face mental barriers, mental hurdles, and mental warfare during your time in sports. As a Christian in the athletic world, how can we face these trials through Christ? What do we do to stop the stigma surrounding getting help for your mental health? How can we stop these things before they go too far? 

Founder of Athletic Fortitude and former Division 1 football player Colin ...

When the Fall occurred in this world, everything in the past, present, and future was affected by that first sin. In sports, we usually don't think about this fact, even though sin affects sports every day. Throughout the history of sports, we have seen ways that God uses them to spread His Gospel, while Satan has tried anything to create hate, destruction, and hardships in them.

On today's episode, we discuss how God and Satan use...

One of the age old questions in Christianity is how do you connect with Christ and maintain that relationship. Today, we discuss how we can do this in sports and how we as athletes can learn to prioritize that connection over everything that comes with being an athlete. 

Author, pastor, speaker, and former athlete Robert Bass joins the show today to talk about this interesting topic, and what he has learned from his time as an ...

As athletes, we love to win. It’s in our blood. Whenever we step onto the court or on the field, we should expect to win because that’s why we play. But after we’re finished, what happens to that winning mindset? Should we just not expect to win anymore?

Today we get to talk with Jason Palmisano, founder of Win Your Days, Certified High Performance Coach, and former UNC Football Player. In short, Jason helps men specifically get out...

As an athlete growing up, he struggled with identity issues like so many of us do in sports. As a college football player, he suffered a serious injury that changed the course of his experience in college. Now as a pastor, he leads a congregation of believers close to Louisville, Kentucky, and has a passion for filmmaking. So much so that he directs Christian movies that thousands, if not millions of people have seen, as a way of s...

Today we’re talking with Coach Braxton Harris, Head Football Coach at Houston Christian University. As the new head coach of the Huskies, Coach Harris brings a fresh perspective to this conversation and a new view of culture to the HCU program.

In this interview, we’re discussing what it means to protect Christ’s brand, even in a world full of individualism, NIL money, and getting to the top no matter what. How do we show Christ thr...

Sports has a special place in so many of our hearts. We love the competitiveness, adrenaline, and passion that comes out of sports, but something that is undermined is how sports can be used for outreach, for finding friends (even a family), and the good that comes from playing with people that you may never meet otherwise. 

Today, we’re talking about how we as Christian athletes can use the sports that we play and watch as a w...

On this episode, Kelsey Lensman, entrepreneur, sports medicine specialist, sought-after speaker, and powerlifter joins the show to talk about empowering women and a special mission that she is about to embark on. She has a passion for physical fitness, highlighting what women can do, all while showing Christ through her actions.

This year, Kelsey is doing something called Mission48, in which she is completing 48 fitness competitions...

1 Timothy 4:12 says  “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” For Christian athletes and coaches, what can we learn from this verse? How can we apply this to everything that we do, no matter what age we are?

Matt Davis, Vice President of Sports at Christian Sports International, joins the show to talk about this...

Failure is something that no one is good at. You aren't supposed to like it, you actually hate it when it happens, but in actuality, it may help you in the long run. No matter what sport you play, you're going to fail. The only dependency is how you react to it.

Former USC and professional track athlete and World Championship medalist Candice Davis-Price comes on today to talk about turning our failures into lessons, what she’s lear...