“And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5).

It seems to happen every year: A star athlete is caught in the act of cheating or playing outside the rules. Performance-enhancing drugs, gambling and violent plays are just some of the cases we see, often too-frequently.

Of course, there are many teenagers who see these star athletes bending the rules, and they feel compelled to try what they’ve seen modeled by their favorite sports figures. College athletes are not immune from these rule-bending episodes, and we are seeing high schoolers attempting foul play with disastrous consequences—in the classroom and out.

Sports also can be a training ground for fair play: for learning valuable life lessons about helpfulness, teamwork, friendship, cooperation, discipline, humility and hard work (among others). Likewise, student athletes can learn valuable lessons about the importance of learning, study, focus and mastering new skills.

Lessons on fair play are, in fact, foreign to many teenagers, including those who profess the Christian faith. They see how rule-bending can help them get ahead in the world, and some feel this methodology is simply life as we’ve come to know it in these modern times.

The gospel isn’t about rules; however, it is about trust, discipline, connection, love and integrity. These are the lessons we can offer to teenagers and are the lessons that will shape their lives as believers and students (and ultimately as spouses, parents, workers and friends). We won’t have to look long or far to find examples of athletes making good and bad decisions with permanent consequences which can serve as object lessons for teenagers trying to learn how to play well with others.