Competing for Christ Podcast

Today, we get to hear about Somi Azubike’s testimony, his journey through football, and how he has grown his faith in Christ throughout recent years. Somi plays collegiate football at Kentucky Christian University and you will notice that his testimony is real, and you get a real sense of what it’s like to be a collegiate football player nowadays by his story. During our discussion, Somi shares what he has gone through in his personal life and his career as an athlete, and what it means to him to fully rely on God even when the unknown looms ahead. Listen as we talk about some in-depth topics, including: Somi's faith journey to get to where he is todayHow Jesus has impacted how Somi plays sports and lives his lifeAn unbelievable story on finding Kentucky ChristianFinding a balance of the emotions that come with sportHow he would change his journey up until this pointReminding yourself what your identity is inhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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, leadership, and humility. Will possesses all three of these characteristics, which is truly necessary as Christians in sport today. Throughout this conversation, learn more about Will and his journey as we talk about:Will's unique path through the recruiting processAdvice he would give for every athlete that wants to play in collegeHandling the pressure and anxiety that comes with being a Division 1 college athleteManaging successPrioritizing humility in a sports world that is anything but humblehttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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 Jesus. Our conversation talks a lot about how we as Christians and athletes can keep our love for sports in check, as this is such a hard topic to conquer for us surrounded by athletics. Listen and learn more about: The goal of Unpackin’ itHow Christians can stick out in their fan basesLoving sports as fans (or as athletes) and not letting it get in the way of our love for JesusHolding athletes to a higher standard in a bad wayWhat athletes can learn about keeping composure when fans may nothttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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 Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach Kristin Wodrich on being in the world, but not being of the world. As Kristin has played Division 1 basketball, coached at a plethora of Division 1 and 2 institutions, she has dedicated her career to helping the next generations of athletes through basketball. It’s apparent that even though she’s been at secular schools, she always portrays the love of Jesus to her players. Many topics are discussed today, including: College being a make or break time for a lot of people's faithSticking out for Christ even in a fallen worldBeing a Christian at a secular school vs being a secular person at a Christian schoolSetting the example as a coach for athletesHow Christians are "built different" as leadershttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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 grittiness that the JUCO basketball life is. It shows the good and difficult moments for a coach and his players that come from different upbringings, most of them living a very hard life or making mistakes before coming to East LA. But Coach Mosley uses this time with them to not only coach them in basketball, but pour into their lives. In our conversation today, Coach Mosley gives us a behind the scenes look into his coaching career, his philosophies, more about Last Chance U, and most importantly, his faith in Jesus Christ. He attributes where he’s at and all the success he’s had to Christ, and that is apparent throughout our talk. Listen as we discuss:How Coach Mosley has been able to reach athletes through basketball for the sake of ChristA mission trip to Brazil that changed the trajectory of his lifeHis personal experience as a Netflix starShowing emotions as a Christian in sportHow he hopes "Last Chance U" helps his players and moreGlorifying God even when the spotlight is on ushttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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 take all athletes? Should professional teams scout in East Africa?Why do old soccer (football) players come to the US?Why did Ken wrestle as a 12 year old?How big was the hand that slapped Fabish?https://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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 it looks like to show Christ through his performance and how he carries himself, Mark stays humble and gives insight into picking up his cross daily to follow God. Listen and learn more about:Keeping Christ at the center of your life and athletic careerHow the sports culture in Kenya shaped the athlete that Mark is todayWhy he chose to compete in track and field professionallyMaking those around you better through your actions and wordsIs it more difficult to spread the Gospel as a professional athlete? https://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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-time National Coach of the Year and being inducted into six different Hall of Fames, he is considered one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time.Coach Lightfoot puts Christ above every single accomplishment that he received as a basketball coach. He is passionate about finding purpose through Christ, rather than in sports. Today, we sit down with him and talk about his journey, how he made his athletes better on and off the court, and much more. Topics for today's episode: How he managed to keep every accomplishment in perspective Focusing on the present instead of the future or the pastHow he conveyed to his players that their purpose should be more than basketball in lifeStaying grounded through the highs and lows of lifeHow Nation of Coaches makes an impact on coaches throughout the countryhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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 sports, we focus today on giving God the reins of our lives. This is difficult for everyone in this world, as most of us like to keep control over what goes on in our world. Jesus says in the book of John that he is the vine and we are the branches, meaning that we must give Him control so that we can have life and abide in Him. Here are some topics for our conversation today:How Christ has affected Mark's life and his career in sportsHis love for coaching football and what he experienced in the NFLWhat he has learned about giving God the reinsThe struggle between contentment and wanting morePrioritizing Christ in a fast-paced worldhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Need encouragement or want to come on the show? Text me: (904) 463-5917 Email me: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.com

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 player and an attorney. He has competed in the Olympics, numerous championships, and is currently playing professionally in France. Today we get to talk to him about what it means to step out of our comfort zones as Christians in sport, and he gives excellent input into how he has used this topic to get to where he is today as an athlete and in his life. Listen today as we discuss:How he stays focused on Jesus while playing professional sports, practicing law, and recently getting engagedStaying connected with Christ through busy timesBeing able to take leaps of faith in order to help our walk with Christ and our careers The most uncomfortable situation he has found himself inHis thoughts on if he stayed complacent throughout his lifehttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 Jonov joins the podcast today to talk about conquering mental hurdles that we face as athletes. As someone who struggled with this during and following his playing days, Colin brings a wealth of knowledge into this conversation that you are not going to want to miss!Topics for today's discussion:Lessons he learned from his Division 1 and professional playing careerHow to break the stigma surrounding mental health in athleticsWhat athletes can do in advance to not let mental hurdles get in the way How people should view athletesHis vision for helping athletes through Athletic FortitudeCheck out Athletic Fortitude: https://www.athleticfortitude.com/https://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 athletics and the people in them. This unique and difficult topic should teach listeners ways in which they can appreciate how Christ uses sports, while also being on guard against Satan as he tries to harm our experiences. No matter if you're playing, watching, cheering, or coaching, you can see them played out in some way. Listen to this episode to find out three ways that God uses sports to show His glory, and three ways that Satan uses athletics to cause harm (and how to combat that harm). Each of these are crucial to know in our time as Christian athletes. https://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!Follow along on social media @ Competing for Christ Podcast!

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 athlete. Robert has had a unique journey in becoming a pastor, and he explains his journey a little bit in our conversation today. We also get to talk about his new book, Hidden Fruit: Receive All That God Has For You. This book is not just for athletes, but is a great resource for everyone that wants to connect with Christ in this life.Topics for this discussion:How to handle frustration and failure in sportsWhat Robert would do differently as an athleteFeeling God while watching, playing, and practicing sportsAre athletes made specifically to play sportsPrioritizing peace and rest in Jesus “You don’t need to sacrifice when Jesus has already done that for you” Link for Robert's new book: https://hiddenfruitbook.com/https://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 of bad situations and get control of their lives by using many different helpful ways, including relating our lives to sports! During our discussion today, you will see two things right off the bat: how motivating Jason is, and how passionate he is about winning in this life. Topics for today's episode:How Jason prioritized his faith as a Division 1 athleteWhy he started Win Your DaysIncorporating sports in becoming leaders in lifeGetting out of hard circumstances in sports and in lifeRelating spiritual health to physical and mental healthhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 sharing the Gospel as part of their church outreach. Today we talk with Tyler Sansom, lead pastor for First Capital Christian Church/Church Anywhere and a filmmaker for First Capital Films. As a former collegiate football player, he brings a great perspective on showing Christ through athletics and not letting sports overtake your identity. Throughout the conversation we discuss a variety of topics, including:His relationship with sports growing upThe importance of a good coach in athletes' livesWhy he started making Christian filmsThe true story behind his new Christian sports film "I Can"How God has used sports to reach others around himGo watch the "I Can" trailer: https://fb.watch/lfjmud53tm/https://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 through our actions, through our words, and through our play? Can we turn away from things of this world for what Christ calls us to? We discuss these questions today, along with: How Coach Harris is changing the culture of the HCU football programWhat protecting the brand of Christ looks likeHow to show the love of Christ through sportsVerses and mottos that Coach Harris lives byWinning as a Christian in sportsNew Segment: How do you see God in sports today? Send us an email or DM on social media describing how you see Christ in the sports you watch and play for a shoutout in the next episode!Email: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @competingforchristpodcastFacebook: @Competing for Christ PodcastTwitter: @cfchristpodhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 way of reaching out to people and using sports to relate with people within your community. Sports Ministry Enthusiast and Professional Speaker Duane Eger joins the show to talk about this intriguing, yet important topic, what he’s learned about friendship through playing sports, and being inviting and inclusive with all who play sports. Listen as we discuss:Maintaining a Christian friendship mindset in the sports that we watch and playAn inspirational story of friendship found in sports from Jack Twyman and Maurice StokesWhy he has a passion for sports ministry and outreachSports being a way of reaching others of different values or beliefsHow athletes can step out of their comfort zone to be inclusive to anyone that they meet in sportsNew Segment: How do you see God in sports today? Send us an email or DM on social media describing how you see Christ in the sports you watch and play for a shoutout in the next episode!Email: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @competingforchristpodcastFacebook: @Competing for Christ PodcastTwitter: @cfchristpodhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 in 48 days in 48 states bringing awareness to Ruling Our Experiences (AKA ROX), a non-profit that develops confident girls who control their own relationships, experiences, decisions, and futures. Today, we discuss: Why Kelsey founded EmpowHER FitnessAdvice for women about staying true to who they areHer calling to serve women on Mission48Pushing through adversity when things look bleakHer passion for helping women and girls across the nationHow she incorporates her mission as a Christian into her mission for womenCheck out Ruling Our Experiences (ROX)!Learn more about Kelsey and Mission48 here!New Segment: How do you see God in sports today? Send us an email or DM on social media describing how you see Christ in the sports you watch and play for a shoutout in the next episode!Email: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @competingforchristpodcastFacebook: @Competing for Christ PodcastTwitter: @cfchristpodhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 verse and how we can apply this and related topics to the sports that we love. Matt has so much experience in sports outreach and reaching youth through sports, and it was apparent throughout our conversation how passionate he is about this topic and so much more. Listen and learn as we discuss:How 1 Timothy 4:12 is the cornerstone of the work that CSI doesBe a leader no matter your age, role, or status on a teamTrusting in others around youHow to not get discouraged in hard situations“Just because we know Jesus doesn’t mean we’re fine with losing.”New Segment: How do you see God in sports today? Send us an email or DM on social media describing how you see Christ in the sports you watch and play for a shoutout in the next episode!Email: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @competingforchristpodcastFacebook: @Competing for Christ PodcastTwitter: @cfchristpodhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe and follow the show!

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 learned about failure in her life, and what she recommends to all athletes when it comes to failure. It's so clear throughout the conversation how motivating and driven Candice is, and our conversation touches on:How her biggest failure positively impacted herTurning defeat into learning momentsUsing failure to grow closer to God and those around youHer continued love for coaching and runningPsalm 73: even though our flesh and hearts may fail, God always perseveresNew Segment: How do you see God in sports today? Send us an email or DM on social media describing how you see Christ in the sports you watch and play for a shoutout in the next episode!Email: competingforchristpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @competingforchristpodcastFacebook: @Competing for Christ PodcastTwitter: @cfchristpodhttps://www.competingforchristpodcast.com/Make sure to subscribe/follow the show!