It can be hard to keep your priorities in focus, especially as life gets busy and the number of voices providing instruction and guidance begin to multiply. WolfPack athletes and coaches participating in the fall and winter athletic seasons gathered on August 11 for Purpose Night, a time of fellowship, worship, and refocusing before the athletic season and school year kicked off.
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The Pack first enjoyed a pizza party on the quad, then gathered in the Louise Owens Theater for worship led by guest artist Michael Redman. Following this great time of worship, Stuart Hall, author, speaker, and former college athlete, came to the stage with a message tailored to WolfPack athletes and the challenges they would be facing in the coming school year.
The speaker encouraged those in attendance to seriously consider how they interact with their respective sports.
“When you start to allow your sport to become your idol or you start to allow your sport to control the way you think about yourself and beat you down, your view of the world gets so small, like you’re looking through a pinhole,” he said. “You are not able to effectively serve God with your life or be a part of a team when you’re so focused on yourself that you’ve completely missed the bigger picture.”
The speaker brought Romans 11:36 to the attention of the athletes: “For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!”
He reminded those in attendance that the very breath in their lungs was provided by their Creator, and apart from Him, they are unable to compete at all. He encouraged the WolfPack to remember that their sport and their team is a gift from God, and that these should be used for God, to glorify Him alone.
“We don’t need more MVPs in the world,” he said. “There are too many people trying to gain glory and become the MVP. We need more captains. We need more people that will consider their team and the bigger purpose as more important than themselves.”
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The speaker then had teammates pause to put their arms around one another and pray for each other. In conclusion, Athletic Director Danny Ryan prayed for all of the athletes and coaches that would be competing this year for Whitefield.
The event provided a valuable moment away from fast-paced schedules and intense practices that the athletes and coaches keep up with daily and allowed the Pack to consider the bigger picture, competing for and using their abilities to glorify their Savior.
The Pack first enjoyed a pizza party on the quad, then gathered in the Louise Owens Theater for worship led by guest artist Michael Redman. Following this great time of worship, Stuart Hall, author, speaker, and former college athlete, came to the stage with a message tailored to WolfPack athletes and the challenges they would be facing in the coming school year.
The speaker encouraged those in attendance to seriously consider how they interact with their respective sports.
“When you start to allow your sport to become your idol or you start to allow your sport to control the way you think about yourself and beat you down, your view of the world gets so small, like you’re looking through a pinhole,” he said. “You are not able to effectively serve God with your life or be a part of a team when you’re so focused on yourself that you’ve completely missed the bigger picture.”
The speaker brought Romans 11:36 to the attention of the athletes: “For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!”
He reminded those in attendance that the very breath in their lungs was provided by their Creator, and apart from Him, they are unable to compete at all. He encouraged the WolfPack to remember that their sport and their team is a gift from God, and that these should be used for God, to glorify Him alone.
“We don’t need more MVPs in the world,” he said. “There are too many people trying to gain glory and become the MVP. We need more captains. We need more people that will consider their team and the bigger purpose as more important than themselves.”
The speaker then had teammates pause to put their arms around one another and pray for each other. In conclusion, Athletic Director Danny Ryan prayed for all of the athletes and coaches that would be competing this year for Whitefield.
The event provided a valuable moment away from fast-paced schedules and intense practices that the athletes and coaches keep up with daily and allowed the Pack to consider the bigger picture, competing for and using their abilities to glorify their Savior.