All Archive - July 2006
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July 24, 2006
Set:
Most sports have a playbook or a set of rules to follow for their program. This book tells how things will be done on and off the field for success in the system. As a player, if you follow these guidelines, you should have success in the system. I recently heard one coach refert to his playbook as his "bible." Obviously, he highly values the book.
As we read through Psalm 119, we find many verses that reference God's Word. The author of the Psalms repeated over and over that God's Word guided him. He understood that God's Word was the only playbook he could follow that could give him true, absolute direction for his life.
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July 21, 2006
Set:
Summer is flying by so fast! This revelation hit my oldest son the other day when he realized that he hadn't spent much time with his father in the past few months. So, I took him to lunch. He was full of information and wanted to tell me everything at once. During the conversation, however, he got quiet and thoughtful for a second and his normal sports questions stopped. "Daddy," he asked, "who is your role model?" I didn't have to think long. That was an easy one.
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July 20, 2006
Set:
There's a scene in the classic baseball movie "Major League" in which the team is having a bad flight on a below-standard airplane. During that scene, pitcher Eddie Harris, who professes to be Christian, notices his Buddhist teammate, Pedro Cerrano, crossing himself. Instead of rejoicing in the fact that Cerrano is looking towards Christ in this time of struggle, Harris berates him with these harsh words, "Oh, now you come around. He isn't fooled."
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July 19, 2006
Set:
It seems like when you're in a conversation and you have nothing else to talk about, the weather always comes up. For a large majority of Americans, another popular topic of conversation seems to be sports, especially when they are running out of things to say. We find sports an easy topic, kind of a comfort zone.
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July 18, 2006
Set:
Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder and give more than anyone else." To reach ultimate success in athletics an athlete must realize that there is always room for improvement and that the harder you work, the more successful you will become.
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July 17, 2006
Set:
Mark was an average athlete. He couldn't run particularly fast, jump extremely high or lift much weight. But something clicked during the summer between his sophomore and junior year. He went from being a very average player into the best player in school history. What was the difference? What made the change?
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July 10, 2006
Set:
While she may disagree, many people believe that Mia Hamm is the greatest female soccer player of all time. Her resume' could certainly back up the claim: four NCAA championships, two World Cup titles, two Olympic gold medals, and, oh yeah. . . she is the all-time leading goal scorer in international soccer history--male or female. Admittedly, her competitiveness is part of what has gotten her this far, but on the verge of her final World Cup in 2003 she said, "I'm trying to make relationships my first priority. In the end the medals never say, 'I love you.' They tarnish and collect dust."
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July 06, 2006
Set:
"I'd die for this. This is what we live for," said Pat Hurst. Any idea what she was talking about? Golf. Hurst made the comment after she and Annika Sorenstam were deadlocked after 72-holes at the 2006 U.S. Women's Open, forcing an 18-hole playoff the following day. Sorenstam won the playoff, and her 3rd Open title, by four strokes over Hurst.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Until you find something worth dying for, you're not really living"? Paul certainly understood that. Throughout the New Testament we see examples of the fact that his life was not only lived for Jesus Christ, but he ultimately died for Him, as well.
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July 05, 2006
Set:
As the final whistle blew in Ghana's 2-0 upset of the Czech Republic during the World Cup last month, John Mensah, a Ghanaian defender, got down on his knees and revealed a t-shirt with Jesus on it. In 2004, Brazilian midfielder Kaka' sported a t-shirt reading "I belong to Jesus" over the top of his jersey when his club team, AC Milan, won the Serie A title in Europe. There are countries in the world today where these athletes would be tortured, jailed or possibly even killed for their acts of faith. Both Mensah and Kaka' were able to do these things because they live in countries where they have the freedom to express their belief in God.
