Luke Bowers

I like to think that I did fairly well, academically, in high school, college, and beyond.  However, there are still days that I echo what Forrest Gump said, “I may not be a smart man.” In today’s world of non-stop access to information, along with advancements in technology and continued scientific discoveries, I realize that I don’t know that much afterall.  And to some degree, I am ok with that.  After all, in the grand scheme of eternity, it is not necessarily how much you know but what you know to be true that matters.  I believe that is the issue when it comes to the discussion about excellence in academics.  

Although, Scripture does not have much to say about schooling, it does speak to the issues of knowing, wisdom, and learning:

• Some people were “always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth.”
• Some were babes in Christ “for though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God…”
• “Aquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!…with all your acquiring, get understanding.”
• Daniel “showed intelligence in every branch or wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge” but he also understood that God gave him and his friends “knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom.”
• “Knowledge puffs up”
• This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God…”
• The Holy Spirit will “teach you in all things.”
• God’s word can make us “wiser than our enemies”, give us “more insight than all my teachers”, and allow us to understand “more than the aged”.
• In Acts 17, Paul appeared to have knowledge of the culture he engaged in.  
• Paul told the church to be “wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”
• “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”.
• “Continue in the things you have learned and become convinced or, knowing from whom you have learned them…knowing the sacred writings which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 
• God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, “through the true knowledge of Him”. 

That is quite the array of information when it comes to the topic of knowing and learning.  So, what can we summarize from this when it comes to the excellence in academics that we desire for students in Christian schools?

First, knowledge apart from God’s word and purpose is vanity. We must make sure we are not just building college prep schools, but are building life and eternity prep schools that are giving each student the biblical knowledge and tools, teamed with the appropriate skills and talents, to engage the culture in a way that advances His kingdom and brings Him glory.

Second, though knowing facts and truths about how the world works and how we can better contribute to the good of society is something that God desired since creating us to have dominion on the earth, we must remember that God, through His Word and Spirit, gives us all that we need to impact the world for Him. Does what and how we teach, lead students to a deeper knowledge of God and His word?

Third, it is important that the teachers, coaches, and leaders in our Christian schools fear the Lord and know Him first and foremost, as they pass their values, beliefs, and knowledge on to their students.

Finally, there are aspects of knowing that we should continue to be ignorant of, like perversion and certain aspects of evil. It is the consumption of such knowledge that is leading people away from Christ.  

When the academic excellence we seek has its foundation in God’s word, in order to live God’s way, so that we might impact God’s world, I say let’s give our all in that effort, to the glory of God!

Are Christian schools truly excellent? That is a question I have wrestled with now for some time.  Many mission statements and expected student outcomes will proclaim they are about excellence in education, academics,or athletics, but what does that really mean? What does excellence in education look like?

I fear that sometimes school leaders and constituents would have a hard time answering that question.  Does it mean that schools have the best looking and updated facilities? Does it mean that students score higher than other schools on the ACT and SAT assessments? Does it mean that the walls are lined with national championship banners? 

I do not believe there is anything wrong with those accomplishments, however, I believe the heart of the excellence conversation must center on the why, or purpose for doing this thing called Christian education. We must take a closer look at our schools and ask the question, are we determining excellence by a man-centered standard or Christ-centered?

It would be wise to go back and refresh ourselves with the story of the Tower of Babel, found in Genesis 11.  I don’t believe there was anything wrong with building a building back in those days but the issue was, why did they want to build such a tall and impressive structure? Genesis 11: 4 says that their goal was a very man-centered goal, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name…” Therein lies the problem.  The intent of the people was to make a name for themselves, not to glorify God.  Can that still happen today in the world of Christian schooling?  It certainly can still happen today, in our personal life, home life, and in the life of our Christian schools.  

Paul David Tripp had this to say, while writing about the Tower of Babel:

“The will of the Creator was that the people He made in His image would live in humble, obedient, and dependent community with Him and be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.  The problem is that sin causes human beings to hunger for independence and self-sufficiency, to quest more for their own glory than the glory of God, and to live according to their own will rather than the plan and purposes of God…we still build towers to our glory and our independent wisdom, righteousness, and strength.”

My fear is that in some Christian schools, we tout our academic and athletic accomplishments for the sake of potentially increasing enrollment rather than truly glorifying the Lord.  After all, how do we know what this excellence we proclaim really looks like in academics, athletics, and the school in general?  That question is what I hope to focus on during the month of January.

I think most of us would agree that many of the things we do each day are in preparation for things we hope to see in the future.  We plan for a trip now, which we plan to take months from now.  We put money away now, for retirement that may be many years from now. We send our kids to Christian schools now in hopes that it will put them on better footing years from now.  

The question is, when it comes to Chrisian school athletics, where do we want to see our athletes in 20-30 years from now? 

I am sure we want to see them:

• Setting an example in “speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity”.- I Timothy 4:12
• Having “speech that is seasoned with salt, so they know how to respond to every person”.– Colossians 4:6
• Living “sensibly, righteously, and godly in this present age.” – Titus 2:12
• Living “the rest of their time in the flesh no longer for the lust of the flesh but for the will of God”.- I Peter 4:2 

If these are some of the things we want from our student athletes, there is no better time like the present to prepare our athletes for living for Christ in this life and all eternity.  As Scripture states:

“Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”                           

(2 Corinthians 6:2)

“Wake up and strengthen the things that remain…”                                                       

 (Revelation 3:2)

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

(Galatians 6:9)

“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called today.”         

(Hebrews 3:13)

Back to the question of where we want to see our athletes in the future? Some answers might be:

• To be increasing in the knowledge of God
• To know God’s calling and purpose in their lives and living it out
• To be active and committed member in the local body of believers
• To bear fruit for Christ
• To be walking closely with the Lord, walking as He walked
• To be loving husbands, wives, fathers and mothers
• To be leading in the career field God has prepared them for, having dominion for the glory of God

If those are just a few of the things we want to see for our student-athletes, then we must now be:

• Teaching them all that God has commanded
• Maximizing opportunities, on and off the field to seeing them growing in knowledge of the Lord
• Giving them opportunity to lead
• Modeling proper attitudes and work ethic
• Encouraging them by developing their God-given talents for God’s glory, not selfish gain
• Model and provide them opportunity to use their gifts and talents
• Helping them to understand the order of God, family, church, and life

Scripture is clear that God has created us to have dominion, rule over, and do a good work as unto the Lord.  When schools and coaches utilize the platform of athletics to prepare student-athletes to live for Christ now and forever, there is a much better chance for gaining the victory for eternity and maybe even in Friday night’s game.  

A question we must ask ourselves as Christian school leaders is, how does athletics fit into the overall purpose of a Christian school? To get to that answer, we need to know what is the purpose of athletics in a Christian school?

A few possible answers to that questions are:

• Build life-long, Christ-like character
• Grow in the knowledge of God
• Equip athletes for service and God’s calling in their lives
• Evangelize the lost
• Strengthen and enhance talents and abilities

If these are anywhere near accurate, then school leaders must ask themselves are we anywhere near accomplishing these goals in the life of our schools?

A good friend of mine always says, “Culture is created wherever you are”. Meaning, you contribute to the culture and depending on the amount of influence you have, you can develop and maintain the culture you want in the life of your school.  

If that is the case, how do we build and maintain a culture in our athletic programs that is positive and honors Christ first and foremost?

• Make sure there is an appropriate balance for athletics in the school and that it does not become the end all, or the “tail that wags the dog”.
• Value and honor the role of the home and church
• Model and reinforce the fruit of the spirit 
• Don’t expect from others what you are not modeling yourself
• Watch your tone, attitudes, commitments, and life
• Teach and reinforce positive words and actions
• Emphasize team over individuals 
• Influence the behaviors of others, assuring that Christ is honored in every area
• Practice hard, play hard, have fun

When we understand the overall purpose for athletics and we are committed to Christ and His word, I have no doubt that we will develop and maintain a culture in our athletic programs that utilizes the fun-filled purpose of athletics to prepare athletes for what God is calling them to be and do, for His glory. 

The amount of time we spend on a given task or event can reveal where our heart and allegiance lies. When it comes to athletics, I know of programs where student athletes spend upwards of 30 hours a week preparing for and participating in athletic events.  Why would they do that? Because they want their teams to be at their best so that they can win the game on Friday night.  It is during that same week that the average young person spends very little time, made up of minutes and not hours, preparing to live a victorious life for Christ. The same is true for many of us who give countless hours to improving in our areas of work, while overlooking much needed time in God’s word and with God’s people.  The tendency is to give much of our time on things that are temporal, while neglecting time and attention to those things that are eternal.  

How, in the world of sports that we currently live in, do we make sure we are intentional in discipling young people for Christ through the platform of athletics? If it is going to consume our time, how do we use it for God’s good and glory?

First of all, we need to make sure that our own foundation is set securely in Christ. We need to ask ourselves these questions:

• Are we growing disciples of Christ who can teach our players all that God has commanded us? After all, we can only give that which we possess.  
• Do we have a biblical worldview based on the fear and knowledge of God and obedience to His commandments?
• Are we filled with the Spirit of God and does He guide us in every area of life?
• Do we echo Paul’s sentiments of, “I will most gladly spend and be expended for souls?” 

Second, do we honor the role of parents, encouraging them in Christ and not stealing time away from their God-given responsibility?

Third, do we help influence the schools overall philosophy of athletics, assuring that the school maintains the appropriate balance of home, church, and school?

How can schools and coaches better disciple athletes through our athletic programs?

• Continue building each other up in Christ through team devotions, times of prayer, and shared testimonies
• Communicate and model the importance of the local church and the home
• Communicate and model appropriate attitudes and usage of time, talents, and resources
• Allow student athletes the opportunity to lead out in devotions and with team responsibilities
• Maximize teaching opportunities both as a team and individually
• Make the most of every practice and game situation to teach and reinforce biblical principles 
• Be intentional in building unity amongst the team and with opponents

Here is what we must understand. The enemy will be very intentional in trying to capture the attention of young people through athletics, reinforcing his thought process that this life is all about us and not Christ.  Christian schools must, therefore, be exceedingly more intentional in making sure they use every aspect of the school to reinforce what it looks like to be a passionate follower of Jesus Christ.  

Like Paul said to the church in Ephesus, “Making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” 

When I was a child, the world of sports looked very different then it does today. Back then, I don’t recall teams practicing or playing games on Sunday and sports did not dominate the lives of most families.  However, today we see most weekends are packed full of sporting events and it is not uncommon for young people to be practicing, training, and playing games for hours and hours each week.  In addition to this, the culture of athletics has increasingly become more competitive and consuming of our time, money, and attention.  

The question is, how do Christian schools respond in a world that many times demonstrates an unhealthy focus on sports?  What truly makes Christian school athletic programs, Christian? Is it because they pray before a game, have a devotion at practice, or have a verse on the gym wall that says, “we do all for the glory of God”? 

I think we would agree that there is nothing wrong with those things, yet, I would not necessarily say those are what makes Christian school athletics, “Christian”.  Those can happen, at times, without coaches, teams, and fans truly being committed to and looking like Christ.

Scripture sometimes uses comparisons to athletics to make a biblical point, and there are plenty of principles discussed in Scripture that would apply to the world of sports:

“Run in such a way as to get the prize…goes into strict training…to get a crown that will last forever…I beat my body and make it a slave so that…I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”  (I Corinthians 9:24-27)

“For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also the life to come.” (I Timothy 4:8)

“Also, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules.” (II Timothy 2:5)

There are also plenty of verses that deal with submitting to authority, not being selfish, not wanting to see an enemy fall, doing everything in love, living a life worthy of the Lord, and so much more.  All of these verses help give us a good idea of what would make our athletic programs truly “Christian”.  But at the very heart I believe it comes down to this; does Christ have total reign of the school’s athletic program? What does the reign of Christ look like in a Christian school’s athletic program?

Here are a few questions we need to ask as we determine who reigns over the athletic programs in Christian schools across the country:

Do Christian school athletic programs teach and model the biblical principles of diligence, humility, gentleness, mercy, self-control, compassion, respect, obedience, endurance, discernment, and more?

Are the biblical standards regarding our attitudes, submission to authority, love, and unity modeled and upheld?

Do we determine a “winning” season by the scoreboard or by our excellence and commitment to Christ? After all, we see in Scripture that not everyone following Christ looked like a winner according to the world’s standard.

Is it communicated and clear that our athletic programs truly do exist for God’s glory?  Is it our desire that He would be the heavyweight and get the attention, and not we ourselves?

In today’s world of ego, money, fame, and misplaced time and attention, the Christian school’s athletic program must stand out as lights and prepare students for what true victory and impact for Christ looks like! Over the next few weeks, we will talk more about how athletic programs can have a positive impact on the lives of young people and prepare them for what God has in store for their lives.  

I remember when I was a kid that little league sports teams did not play on Sunday.  They practiced an hour a week and every one cheered for their team, not against the other.  Things have changed over the years and most athletic events are no longer just an enjoyable game.  

I was reading an article the other day that said, “A successful sports program is usually the determining factor of whether a student remains or enrolled in a particular Christian School.” The interesting thing about this article is, it was written in 1981. If this statement was true back in 1981, it is definitely true in 2025. A few other profound statements from this article are:

“Sports exalt man’s strength, and ability as the essential qualities for popularity and success. Godly, spiritual values and standards are eclipsed by the glorification of man”

“Is it not strange that “Christians” who yell like crazy at ball games often sit stiff in the church pew”, I would add, if they go to church at all.

“The Holy Spirit, prayer, godliness, ministry, and making disciples for Jesus Christ have all taken a back seat to the idol god of sports that has successfully ensnared and enslaved many Christian Schools.”

I must say, I read these statements and couldn’t agree more.  If these were true 45 years ago, they are off the charts true today. As much as I love sports, I agree with Psalm 106:35, and believe we have “mingled with the nations, and learned their practices, and served their idols, which have become a snare to us.”

So what can we do to right the ship in our homes and Christian Schools? 

I believe I Thessalonians 5:21-22 gives us the three ingredients for victory when it comes to our athletic programs.

First, “examine everything carefully”. Every Christian school leader must examine the state of their athletic program.  If it has strayed off course just a hair, great attention must be given to getting it back on course.  

Second, “cling to that which is good”. Some great things can come from Christian school sports. Young people can mature in physical strength. They can learn what it means to work together as a team. They can utilize some natural ability that God has given them. Finally, they can use the popular platform of athletics to be a light in a lost world.  

Third, “abstain from every form of evil”. Schools need to trim and fix athletic programs that steal time from families, encourage the lust of the flesh and eyes, glorify man rather than God, and in the end, make an idol out of sports.  

In 1 Corinthians, Paul used athletics as an analogy for our spiritual race.  He told the church of Corinth to:

• Run the spiritual race to win
• Run for the eternal crown
• Exercise self-control
• Discipline the mind and body for Christlikeness
• Run according to the principles laid out in Scripture

If we keep these truths in front of us, I am confident our Christian school athletes can not only compete, but win the eternal crown, along with some temporal ones as well.  

It won’t take long for you to look at a few school websites and see phrases like these:

• Committed to Excellence in Academics
• Excellence in athletics
• Striving for Excellence

We would all agree that excellence is a good thing.  My only question is, how do we know what it is? When I have asked that question in the past, I get responses like:

• Doing your best effort
• Superiority
• Being better than others
• Very good
• Perfection

My question then is, how do we know what is best? There has to be a standard that outlines what is best and what is not, correct?  Many times, the world’s standard of excellence is based on achievement, money, power, position, possessions, strength, or victory. There is usually a spirit of comparison and competition.

In order for us in Kingdom schools to truly achieve excellence, our standard must be higher than the world’s standard. When we think of it, our standard must be “perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.”  Our standard is Christ Himself, based on His Word, and aiming at His glory.  

I am confident that as we strive for perfection in Christ, we just might achieve excellence in other areas of our lives.  As we grow in our knowledge of God and obey His Word and live for His glory, we will then come closer to achieving excellence in our homes, churches, schools, and in every area of our lives. 

Humility is one of those character qualities that the moment you think you have it you just lost it!

Over my 30 years of serving in Christian education, I must say that humility is one trait that I value the most in others and I strive to grow in myself.  Why?

First, Scripture instructs us to be humble.

• “Clothe yourself with humility towards one anther”- 1 Peter 5:5
• “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.”- I Peter 5:6
• “Walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness.”- Ephesians 4:2

Second, a truly humble person will realize their shortcomings and dependence upon God.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”- Romans 7:24-25

Third, a truly humble person will die to himself and his desires and live for the Lord.

• “I will most gladly spend and be expended for souls.”- 2 Corinthians 12:15
• “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”

As you lead in your schools and classrooms today, I encourage you to “humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and he will exalt you” and use you today!- James 4:10

My mantra over the years has been, “control what you can control”.  Of course, we know that when it comes to changing the heart of every student in our school, it is outside of our control.  However, I do believe there are some things we can control that could help us see the desired outcome we want in the hearts of our students.  

In 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13, Paul models what I believe to be three things that could help capture the hearts of our students.

First, Paul demonstrated a sincere affection for the people in the church.

• “Proved to be gentle among you”

• “Having so fond of affection for you”

• “Well pleased to impart to you…our own lives”

Second, Paul lived his life in a way that was consistent and Christ-like.

• “Devoutly, uprightly, and blamelessly we behaved”

• “Exhorting, encouraging, and imploring”

• “Never came with flattering speech”

• “Did not seek glory from men”

Third, Paul consistently testified to the gospel of God.

• “Well-pleased to impart to you…the gospel of God”

• “Proclaimed to you the gospel of God”

• “We had boldness in God to speak the gospel”

Of course, there is no guarantee that these things will draw a young person to the saving knowledge of Christ.  However, I do believe that as our words, actions, and affections honor Christ, there is a better chance that God will use these things in the lives of our students.  We see this in how the people responded to Paul’s life:

“We constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

May God use your love, actions, and words to draw others to Christ, today!