The Champion Series – The Training

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” 

Hebrews 12:11 (NKJV)  

 Champions undergo rigorous training. In the spiritual realm, this training comes through trials, discipline, and the refining process of God. No great champion becomes successful without preparation. Joseph was prepared through years of hardship before he became a ruler. Jacob was trained in the house of his father-in-law Laban before he stepped into all-round blessings. 

Spiritual training involves pruning, discipline, and patience. Just as an athlete follows a strict regimen to achieve peak performance—sacrificing comfort, enduring strain, and waking up early while others sleep—believers are called to a life of consistency, sacrifice, and spiritual discipline. 

Champions don’t skip training days. Their eyes are fixed on the prize, and so they persevere through fatigue and pain. Likewise, the Christian life requires commitment in the quiet places: studying the Word, fasting, praying, and obeying even when it hurts. 

Without this kind of training, no one develops the endurance needed to stand firm in the face of pressure. Talent alone doesn’t win races—discipline does. 

The Bible often uses the image of fire to describe how God purifies His people. Malachi 3:3 says,  

“He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.”  

The refiner’s fire is intense, but it serves a holy purpose—removing what does not belong and preparing the vessel for lasting use. 

Talent alone doesn’t win races—discipline does.

Champions also remain focused. Paul encourages believers in Philippians 3:13–14: 

 “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  

Champions don’t dwell on the past. They don’t allow past failure or even past success to distract them from what lies ahead. 

This is your training season. God is building something lasting in you. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to the one who endures and stays ready. 

Let your life reflect the habits of a champion. Embrace the discipline. Lean into the refining fire. Focus on the goal. And run with endurance the race set before you. 

Song of Worship

I want to be tried by fire, purified- 1x 

You take whatever you desire – 1x 

Lord, here is my life- 1x 

Prayer – Lord, I submit to Your training process. Though the refining may be difficult, I trust that You are shaping me into a champion for Your glory. Help me to endure with patience and joy, knowing that You are preparing me for greater things. Teach me to remain focused on Your call and to trust in Your perfect plan. In Jesus’ name, Amen.