God speaks to us through prayer. When we talk to him - seek to communicate with him, and to know him - we should listen too.

Sometimes we hold on to the theory that if we love and obey God, everything in our life will turn out well. This is not true. It is a mistake to say that God is a form of security against all harm. 

We then stray from our own objectives, and so we have our prize taken away. In the 'Olympics' of our spiritual life, materialism stops us from participating and gaining medals.

Everyone should serve as they are able, and in that way they will gain approval from God himself, and our gratitude too.

Jack Lovelock was a great New Zealand sportsman, in 1936 an Olympic champion in Berlin in the 1500m.; he also graduated as a doctor from Oxford University.

When Bill Russell started to play in McClaymond's College there were people who played much better than he did. In the college there were 15 match shirts and he was player number 16.

Undergoing spiritual training in our devotion to God means letting our character be moulded to Christ's image, allowing our lives to come under the control of the Holy Spirit, that all might see in us the love of the Father.

The Bible says that when our heart is happy it makes the face cheerful. And those around us will see that our happiness is rooted in God.

We ought to put into God's hands all those situations that get us down ... and leave them with him!

Delfo Cabrera, an Argentinian fireman, wanted to take part in the London Olympics of 1948 but couldn't afford the air fare...

God doesn't ask us to do something out of the ordinary. That's his speciality. He doesn't expect you to go through life chasing miracles and wonders. He'll do them for you in the simplicity of each day.

That's immaterial. What really matters is how faithful you are to the Lord. If your life came to an end today, could you honestly say, 'I have finished the race, I have kept the faith'?

Pete Sampras, asked about what made his playing so great, he said, 'I've always really admired the old stars in tennis. You know, Laver, Rosewall... and I've just tried to learn from them.'

"I'd prefer to say nothing about the ref but sometimes....." More than one famous football manager or president has said these words after the match, using them as a launch pad to shoot off a thousand and one things against the match officials.

The NBA is quite different from other sports tournaments, because of certain customs that began in the USA. One such custom, which has now crossed over into other sports, concerns the 'sacred number'. If a very good player has had a certain number on his shirt the number is not used by anyone else.

You don't have an excuse. You can't hide your need for God. You can't say, 'He's busy right now.' You just can't.

Let's face it; you'll never be any good at skiing if you're frightened of crossing that threshold where you're no longer in control of your circumstances - or even your body. 

PAUL AZINGER is a really good golfer. Some years ago his life hit a brick wall when they told him he had cancer. But he trusted in God and got back on the greens

We are fully capable of arranging and messing up our world in a few seconds rather than handing things over to the Lord.

Can you come back and win a world cup match when your team is down 3-0? I bet most of us would say no. But the answer is YES! Quarter-final, England, 1966: Portugal is up against the star revelation of the tournament, Korea, and losing 3-0. 

You think you've gone too far? Are you frightened of God? His arms are open wide, waiting for you! You'll not find a more secure and loving place.

One of the greatest Olympic winners of all time was Paavo Nurmi, who won twelve medals (nine of them gold) in long-distance running in the 1920's. When he ran, something caught people's attention: he always carried a stop watch. Before anyone said anything, he already knew if he was running well or not.

Some years ago an incredible thing happened in a football match. Pelé was playing for Santos de Brazil, in Colombia, and he was sent off. The crowd was so furious that the situation escalated into almost a riot. In the end the ref had to be substituted and Pele was allowed back on the field. And this was only a friendly!