REFLECTION & RESPONSE

The Kingdom Olympics this year was inspiring, exciting, and encouraging. There were so many lessons learned and insights to take way for my own life and for the region! The Godly competiveness was outstanding and all the athletes gave it their best.

KEY LESSONS

LIFESTYLE - 1 Timothy 4:8

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

A massive lesson I've learnt which needs to be a conviction is that fitness should not be a thing in the moment, but it's my discipleship/my lifestyle. I believe many of us waited until the Kingdoms Olympics was creeping up to actually start running and practicing. This mentality will creep into every area of our lives. Clean last minute when you know someone is coming to visiting, GMC is around the corner so we need to train for football, I've been ask to preach, oh no what am I going to do I haven't prepared anything. If fitness is my lifestyle then I will reap the benefits of good health. More energy, live longer, lower risk of injury, overall better quality of life. If the home is consistently clean this will bring a better overall quality of life. If there are sermons prepared, I will have an overall better quality of spiritual life. I need to do my very best to compete next year.

SOBER MINDED - Philippians 3:13

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead

I can't rely on last year's results to determine this year results. I can't rely on the work I did last year to produce the same or greater result this year. This is a new year, the past is in the past. The past is supposed to make me better, not dictate what this year will look like. To my shame, I underestimated the North Region because I looked at what they did last year. We tied for 1st place and in the end almost took home the trophy.

DISQUALIFICATIONS - 1 Corinthians 9:27

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

There are two sides to this which I believe is very important. First, its being disqualified. Disqualification means the act of preventing someone from participating in an activity, often due to a rule violation or a legal requirement. The west region had two disqualification. One from someone who should be considered a mature disciple and another from a 3 week old disciple. Here is the convicting part. If their of them would have just taken there time to make sure no rules are broken and got last place, the West Region would have been the clear winners. This is how we can make disciples sometimes. We want to rush or we know we need to make a disciple because of man so we baptised someone without properly going through all the rules in the Bible so they get disqualified and fallaway. We learned at the gym with Dr. Michael Williamson that we have to go to failure but still with good form. On the flip side one of the disqualifications was from a young disciples. Young disciples are going to make mistakes, sometimes really bad mistakes and as a leader and region we have to take ownership for it. It's not my fault but it is my responsibility. We just have to see where things went wrong and do our best not to make the same mistake.

It's great because even though we made some mistakes God still gave the West Region the Victory. Showing we do not need to be defined by our mistakes. Showing failure is not final. Even if someone fails or make a mistake we still have to keep going.

Proverbs 24:16

for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

Mistakes are not meant to hurt you, they are meant to make you better!

WINNING IS VERY IMPORTANT – 1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The only reason the West Region won is because we had more first place wins! We had more Gold! We ended the day with 6 gold medals. We live in a society today that makes the claim that we are all winner. There's some truth to this in the sense of in Christ we have Victory. We are going to heaven! But in life we have to work hard to

be on the top.

Winning counts!

Wanting to win and striving to win makes me push myself further than I would having a carefree attitude about everything I do. In closing! This year's Kingdom Olympics was life changing and has geared me for the GMC!!

REFLECTION & RESPONSE

The Kingdom Olympics this year was inspiring, exciting, and encouraging. There were so many lessons learned and insights to take way for my own life and for the region! The Godly competiveness was outstanding and all the athletes gave it their best.

KEY LESSONS

LIFESTYLE - 1 Timothy 4:8

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

A massive lesson I've learnt which needs to be a conviction is that fitness should not be a thing in the moment, but it's my discipleship/my lifestyle. I believe many of us waited until the Kingdoms Olympics was creeping up to actually start running and practicing. This mentality will creep into every area of our lives. Clean last minute when you know someone is coming to visiting, GMC is around the corner so we need to train for football, I've been ask to preach, oh no what am I going to do I haven't prepared anything. If fitness is my lifestyle then I will reap the benefits of good health. More energy, live longer, lower risk of injury, overall better quality of life. If the home is consistently clean this will bring a better overall quality of life. If there are sermons prepared, I will have an overall better quality of spiritual life. I need to do my very best to compete next year.

SOBER MINDED - Philippians 3:13

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead

I can't rely on last year's results to determine this year results. I can't rely on the work I did last year to produce the same or greater result this year. This is a new year, the past is in the past. The past is supposed to make me better, not dictate what this year will look like. To my shame, I underestimated the North Region because I looked at what they did last year. We tied for 1st place and in the end almost took home the trophy.

DISQUALIFICATIONS - 1 Corinthians 9:27

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

There are two sides to this which I believe is very important. First, its being disqualified. Disqualification means the act of preventing someone from participating in an activity, often due to a rule violation or a legal requirement. The west region had two disqualification. One from someone who should be considered a mature disciple and another from a 3 week old disciple. Here is the convicting part. If their of them would have just taken there time to make sure no rules are broken and got last place, the West Region would have been the clear winners. This is how we can make disciples sometimes. We want to rush or we know we need to make a disciple because of man so we baptised someone without properly going through all the rules in the Bible so they get disqualified and fallaway. We learned at the gym with Dr. Michael Williamson that we have to go to failure but still with good form. On the flip side one of the disqualifications was from a young disciples. Young disciples are going to make mistakes, sometimes really bad mistakes and as a leader and region we have to take ownership for it. It's not my fault but it is my responsibility. We just have to see where things went wrong and do our best not to make the same mistake.

It's great because even though we made some mistakes God still gave the West Region the Victory. Showing we do not need to be defined by our mistakes. Showing failure is not final. Even if someone fails or make a mistake we still have to keep going.

Proverbs 24:16

for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

Mistakes are not meant to hurt you, they are meant to make you better!

WINNING IS VERY IMPORTANT – 1 Corinthians 15:57

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The only reason the West Region won is because we had more first place wins! We had more Gold! We ended the day with 6 gold medals. We live in a society today that makes the claim that we are all winner. There's some truth to this in the sense of in Christ we have Victory. We are going to heaven! But in life we have to work hard to

be on the top.

Winning counts!

Wanting to win and striving to win makes me push myself further than I would having a carefree attitude about everything I do. In closing! This year's Kingdom Olympics was life changing and has geared me for the GMC!!

The Kingdom Olympics was incredible. Witnessing the north tie for first place was a huge victory, but that victory began with us as a region training together. The brothers’ and sisters' households training amongst themselves on a regular basis; accountability; and encouragement

Hebrews 10:24 (NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

Getting to the event, I first learned

1. Take up whatever role l can

Despite being unable to compete due to a recent knee ligament injury, I gave my heart to the team the way I knew best, spurring on others. Elevating the team spirit and unifying us all as we cheer on the team to victory. It reminds me of the mentality behind Kobe Bryant’s famous statement,

"I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot,”

The most encouraging lesson I learned, came after we missed First place because of one race. One point would have given us the victory.

2. “How you were today is what type of father you’ll be, what type of friend, what type of son.”

After having a chat with one of my mentors, and the North Region leader, Dimeji Okanlawon, I saw that the type of man I am now, is one of great love. When I am older and have children, I will be the type of encourager and supporter to them that my parents could not be for me due to other responsibilities such as needing to financially provide. Very inspiring, very eye-opening and an encouraging reminder that I need to remain consistent and keep striving to build discipline within my lifestyle to get to that level one day…

3. “One race away from winning it all”

I cannot give up. Each day is a race, and each day can be the difference between Heaven and Hell I am simply “one race from winning it all” or as I like to see it “one day from winning it all.”

Everyday is a 100m Final. Everyday is a Finals Game 7. How hard will I push to win gold?

4. The heart of competition

Lastly, I saw a different side of competition. Winning is especially important, it is why we compete, but it is still inspiring to see the work behind the scenes; The faith, the unity, the humility, and love for one another. More importantly though, the north region brought a never-before-seen level of effort and drive on the day. Cool Runnings and Coach Carter have endings where the main team loses, but both are powerful because we see how far the teams go. No one expected the north to compete, but we showed that we are an army as well