To all the listeners, guests, supporters, and fans of the Competing for Christ Podcast, thank you. Jesus loves you, and He will fight for you no matter what.By Ken Burke

August 11, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines preaches out of 2 Corinthians 5:17 on how Jesus gives new life to lost people. No matter what you have done or how far you have turned away from God, there is hope in Jesus. When we surrender to Him we find everlasting life and a peace that is beyond comprehension. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscri…

August 4, 2024 | During his sermon out of Acts 4:29–31, Pastor Steve Gaines shares how when you speak God's Word, you unleash God's power. There is something special about the Bible that gives strength to those who are weak, hope to those who are suffering, and conviction to those who are living a sinful life. When we fill ourselves with scripture,…

July 28, 2024 | "You can enter God's rest in a raging world." That is Pastor Steve Gaines' word of encouragement from Hebrews 4:9–12. No matter what is happening around us (family issues, elections, work problems, health concerns, etc.), we can still find peace in Jesus Christ. Reading your Bible and spending time in prayer will help you focus on w…

Today we are talking to Andy Dooley, former football player, pastor, fitness professional, and in-game host of the Seattle Seahawks. It was an honor getting to talk with Andy today as we get to discuss everything that he has learned as someone that has been around sports for so long. He is someone that has used his platform for good, and gets to co…

What does it mean to you to keep going? To some, it could mean keep grinding through on the field or court in order to achieve something. To others, it could mean that you need to keep pushing in life to get to where you want to be, both physically and mentally. For Pat O’Malley, this phrase “Keep Going”, means even more. Pat is a former collegiate…

July 21, 2024 | Dub Oliver, president of Union University, speaks out of Luke 9:57–62 in a message titled "Follow Me." Jesus Christ is to take first place in our lives above all else. While He knows our situations and cares deeply about the obstacles we face in our lives, at the end of the day we must choose to submit to Him in all things. For more…

July 14, 2024 | Dr. Charles Lowery teaches on "How to Have a Happy Relationship" from his years of experience as a psychologist and pastor. Whether you are single and looking for marriage advice or empty nesters who have been married for decades, you will learn important tools on communication and gain perspective on how to deal with the opposite s…

Steve Anderson is the Athletes in Action Campus Director for Grand Valley State University. As he has poured intro athletes for years now, he lives out what it truly means to disciple athletes through relationship building, community, and servant leadership. Throughout his life, he has endured a lot of hardship and struggles, but through it all has…

July 7, 2024 | Dr. Jason Allen, president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, shares an important message out of Mark 2:1–12 titled "Friends Bring Friends to Jesus." When we look at the story of the paralytic man who was lowered through the roof of a home by his friends in order to see Jesus, we see what it means to go all out in an effort …

June 30, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines encourages the church with a sermon titled "The Lord Will Fight Your Battles" out of Exodus 14. With the Egyptians closing in on the Israelites at the Red Sea, Moses tells the crowd that God will win the victory for them. We may never face anything as harrowing as an escape from our Egyptian enslavers, but we all…

Coach Kurt Hines is the Head Football Coach of Coronado High School (CA), a Motivational Speaker, and Influencer. As someone that has been coaching for decades now, he truly embodies what it means to live out your calling as a Christian in sports. Coach Hines is extremely motivational, not just to his players but to everyone he comes in contact wit…

June 23, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines teaches on how to "Serve Your Way to the Top" in this message from Mark 9:30–37. If you are not willing to serve others and humble yourself before God, it is impossible for you to be great in the kingdom of God. Learning from the examples of servant leadership in the Bible, as well as a secular company like Costc…

June 16, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines shares how you can enjoy life with your wife out of Ecclesiastes 9:9. By choosing to love and honor your wife and make time for your family, you can build a stronger marriage. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If you’ve liked what you’ve heard in this message, please le…

June 9, 2024 | Derek Ewalt speaks on finding "Rest for the Weary" in this message from Matthew 11:28–30. These verses outline three simple steps for finding rest in the midst of your busy life. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If you’ve liked what you’ve heard in this message, please leave a review on Ap…

In sport and in life, there are things that you can’t control, but Christ calls you to look to him in those moments. James 4 says that “You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” We have so much hope in Christ though. He’s our ONLY hope. And for Laurèn Schiek, s…

June 2, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines teaches on "How to Know God's Will" from Romans 12:1–2. It can be difficult for us to understand the will of God in our daily lives. Does God want me to marry the person I'm dating? What kind of career should I pursue? Am I supposed to become a missionary on the other side of the world? These are just a few of the…

May 26, 2024 | In this message from Proverbs 18:21, Bellevue's college pastor, Daniel Harris, reminds us that our words can be a tool to build others up or a torch to burn them down. Looking also at the words of David, James, and Jesus, we see the importance of words and how they can predict where our heart lies. For more sermons each week, be sure…

Today we are talking to Ashley Trierweiler, someone that has achieved a lot as a Division 1 softball player. At both schools she has went to, Santa Clara and Grand Canyon University, here are just a couple of her achievements: WAC champion WAC player of the year All-American All-Conference (multiple times) Number 1 in hits in the nation this year (…

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17. When you invite God into your life, He will change how you speak, how you act, how you play sports, and how you live. How have you seen that happen in your life? Have you experienced that change? For Dra Rogers, he can…

May 19, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines speaks on "God's Pathway to Peace" in this message out of Philippians 4:6-7. What do you have to do to find peace? We find ourselves obsessed with worry and weighed down by anxiety, but God has called us to a better life in Jesus Christ. By letting go of worry and praying about everything, we can experience perfec…

Whether we are aware of this or not, God has a purpose for every single door he opens and shuts. What he does may not make sense to us in the moment, but when you look back, you can see why God brought you through the things that He did. The same thing can be said for Caleb Irving. Caleb is a former University of Indianapolis football player and di…

May 12, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines teaches on "What Jesus Says About Marriage" as we study Matthew 19:1–9. What limits does God place on marriage? How does He define it? What is the purpose of marriage? We'll look at these questions and more during today's sermon. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If you’…

Everyone should be advocates for athletes taking care of their spiritual and mental health, maybe even more so than physical health. It's crucial to have belief in your abilities in practices, games, and life. But what happens when that belief and confidence in yourself turns into something more than that? What if it turns into becoming cocky and l…

May 5, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines looks at Acts 1 to speak on "The Gospel of Jesus Christ." From this passage, we learn about the people, power, and pattern of the Gospel. How did the Gospel change the lives of those living in Jesus' day? How did it spread throughout the world? Can we use this same strategy today to reach the world for Christ? For …

Today we are talking to Founder and Director of Playing 4 Eternity (P4E) Sports Ministry Don Weyrick. Through this ministry, Don has reached hundreds, if not thousands, of people through the game of basketball. Don is someone that has let Jesus use him for the sake of the Gospel in sports by running games, tournaments, and leagues that include ever…

April 28, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines breaks down the essence of Christianity as he teaches from John 21, examining the story of Jesus and Peter reconciling after the resurrection. Here we see the connection between loving God and loving people as we go about the Christian life. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the…

Former University of Florida tennis player and current pro tennis coach Jordan Belga joins us today to talk about what he has learned with blending together his love for Jesus and his passion for sport. As someone that has a fascinating journey to get to where he is today, Jordan opens up about some very important topics like finding his worth in J…

April 21, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines shares an important message on "Waiting on Jesus" out of John 20:1–18. Have you ever had a difficult time when you were waiting on God? Listen as we dive into the reasons why we wait on the Lord and how it makes us better disciples. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If…

Can you imagine graduating from college and essentially going right into a collegiate head coaching position? That is exactly what our guest today did! Coach Liv Tidmore, Head Coach of the Oglethorpe University volleyball team and Covenant College alum joins the show today to talk about how she is showing Christ while being one of youngest head coa…

April 14, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines continues to walk through Luke 24, this time teaching from verses 35-53, as we discover the blessings for every Christian. Join with us as we learn about the gifts with which God has blessed us and how they enable us to live faithful lives in obedience to Christ. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe …

The year was 1994 when Charlotte Smith stepped onto the court for the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Women’s Basketball National Championship game. With less than a second to go and down by two, Charlotte got the inbound pass, threw up a prayer, and sunk the shot to clinch the title. One of the greatest shots in the history of college basketball. …

April 7, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines looks at the story of the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 for a sermon titled "Victory Over Discouragement." When you are at your lowest point, Jesus can find you, comfort you, and set you on the right path. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If you’ve liked what you’ve heard …

Do you look at your sport as a mission field? Through doing this podcast, I have learned that all sports can and should be used as a mission field for those that proclaim Jesus as their savior. We should be willing to show that Christ-likeness in how we perform, compete, train, and interact with everyone we come in contact with. Phil Morrison, AKA …

March 31, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines teaches on "The Good News of Easter" on Easter Sunday 2024. As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, join us in Luke 24:1–12 as we learn the importance of this moment and what our response should be. At the end of his sermon, Pastor Gaines picks up his annual tradition of singing "He's Alive." For more …

On this episode, we are talking to someone that has faced a lot in her life. Today I had the honor of talking with Clay High School volleyball/flag football player, homecoming queen, and one of my sisters, Kenzie Burke. Kenzie has lived a lot of life as an athlete and as a person even though she is just 18. In this conversation, we get to hear abou…

March 24, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines preaches on "The Crowd at the Cross" out of Luke 23:26–49 as we draw closer to Easter Sunday. There are different kinds of people watching the crucifixion of Jesus and many of us today fall into similar categories. How will you react to the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross? For more sermons each week, be sure t…

Detroit Lions long snapper Scott Daly joins us to talk about how he lives his faith out in the National Football League (NFL) and his unique story from someone that was the #1 long snapper coming out of high school. While he attended Notre Dame in college to play football, he says that this is where his faith became a real relationship. He has play…

March 17, 2024 | Continuing our look at the final days of Jesus' earthly ministry, Pastor Steve Gaines teaches on "The Troublesome Trials of Jesus" out of Luke 22–23. Through Jesus' experience with the Jews, Pilate, and the guards who beat Him, we learn important lessons about who Jesus is and how we are to view him. For more sermons each week, be …

How can we discern what God’s calling is for our lives? For all of us that are born again believers, we all have a call to proclaim the Gospel to the nations and show Christ’s love to everyone we come in contact with. But there’s also the other callings that we have in our lives, such as being an athlete, what job you’re going to do, who you’re goi…

March 10, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines begins a short series leading up to Easter Sunday. In this sermon, "The Sweetness of Surrender," we study Luke 22:39–53 and the way in which Jesus surrenders to the will of the Father. As Christians, we must accept God's will, love our enemies, and wait on God's timing. For more sermons each week, be sure to sub…

Today we’re talking about how to handle the spotlight as a Christian in sports, because whether you realize it or not, being an athlete comes with some level of notoriety no matter what country or culture you may find yourself in. You can be a high school athlete or you could be suiting up to play in the NFL or the Premier League, but at some level…

March 3, 2024 | Pastor Steve Gaines returns to the pulpit for a sermon out of Genesis 5 on "Your Walk with God." Join us as we look at the life of Enoch and find characteristics of how your walk with God should progress. If you want to have a close relationship with the Lord, take note of this message. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscri…

How do you navigate sin? How does it affect you as an athlete? What does the Bible say about sin? Well today we are going to go in-depth on what it means to not only battle against sin, but also realizing that we are all broken, sinful people that need a savior in Jesus. Today I invited on former collegiate baseball player, influencer, and podcaste…

February 25, 2024 | Bellevue's Missions Pastor, Dr. Ben Taylor, teaches an important lesson on how and why we should live on purpose. Looking at Jeremiah 29, we see how God ordered the Israelites to seek the welfare of the city where they were exiled. As we go about our everyday lives, how can we be living on mission? For more sermons each week, be…

February 18, 2024 | Bill Street preaches on the Christian's call to share the good news of the Gospel with all whom they can reach. Basing out of the text of 2 Kings 6-7, he explores why we sometimes feel scared to evangelize and share our testimony with others. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in the know. If you’ve…

When I set out to start the Competing for Christ Podcast, I had no idea that nearly 3 years later, I’d still be doing it. To be honest with you, I didn’t know what to think. I had maybe a handful of topics to discuss in mind and only 3 people that I wanted to interview. Never could I have imagined that I would get to 100. But over and over again I …

When you’ve gone through a challenging time in your life, you may find it quite hard to experience Christ through that time. Or you could be on the other side of the spectrum where you feel God’s love so deeply during this challenging time. For myself and our guest today, we have both been on either side of that coin. But how do we navigate this to…

February 11, 2024 | Do you know what it means to follow Jesus wide open? In this sermon, Cory O'Hara speaks to how we are meant to live if we want to experience a full life in Christ. We must be willing to surrender our desires and look for ways to answer the call God has given us. For more sermons each week, be sure to subscribe so you can stay in…

Today we are talking with Lipscomb University softball player Joie Giarrizzo about her softball career, her faith, and a what she has learned as a Division 1 Christian athlete. Joie is entering her 4th year of Division 1 collegiate softball and she has been living for Christ on and off the field during those years. There are many things that you le…