Sports Parables

How can sports stories be used to teach spiritual lessons? What are some examples? Following the 40-yard field goal in overtime by a little-known kicker who could become as famous as jambalaya in New Orleans, the Saints football team was heading to their first Super Bowl. By battering Brett Favre and beating the Minnesota Vikings 31-28, they set off celebrations on Bourbon Street that locals never could have imagined in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This is why Saints coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees came to New Orleans in the grim aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — to regenerate a lost franchise and re-energize a battered city’s spirit. What lessons can be learned from this sports story? This week's Sport In Focus lesson is about parables and how Jesus used them to teach spiritual truths. You can download the lesson here.