USING THEIR SKILLS OFF THE FIELD
The University of Washington played in the championship of the College Football Playoffs. (They lost 34–13 to Michigan.) But three members of the UW Huskies’ football team are working with a professor on a study that identifies how the skills needed to thrive in high-level athletic competition are transferrable to a variety of fields. These players are “developing and analyzing plays, observing human behavior, anticipating their opponents, and adapting a complex strategy based on real-time information that they’re synthesizing from their surroundings,” says Holly Barker, a University of Washington teaching professor. “That hasn’t been widely acknowledged, and does a disservice to players, especially in the academic opportunities they pursue and their future careers.”
USING YOUR GIFTS IN THE CHURCH
In today’s passage, Paul calls the Christians in Romans to assess what spiritual gifts they’ve been given and to use those gifts to serve the body of Christ. The Lord has beautifully designed the church to build up its members, and this happens as every person uses his or her gifts in faithful service to Christ and one another.
Questions
- What abilities have you developed in a sport or hobby that you’ve been able to apply in other settings?
- What do you think sets a spiritual gift apart from a natural ability?
- How can someone use a spiritual gift in a creative way or in an unusual setting?
