Paul the apostle was resolute about living up to God’s call on his life. He gives us a
model of engagement and energy. He was willing to adapt and stretch, if it meant
reaching people for Christ. He used the foot races and the boxing, major features of the
Olympic games of his day, to show how seriously he pursued God’s mission.

• Some people are uneasy with this passage. They think Paul was talking about being “phony” in dealing with others. What do you think—was Paul inauthentic or truly eager to connect with people unlike himself? How can you be true to yourself and still genuinely enter into the lives and concerns of others?
• We understand an athlete training intensely for a big event. In fact, we often criticize an athlete who doesn’t seem quite prepared. What is the life-long “event” for which Paul was training and calling us to train? How do you train spiritually—what are your Christian equivalents of an athlete’s training?