Football teaches many great life lessons

As most of you know, I am a football coach. Football is a valuable tool for teaching youth a lot of about life, hard work, rewards, disappointment, etc. It's also a great opportunity for me to minister the gospel to my players, many of whom come from broken homes where dad isnt around.

Last night I talked to the team about the consequences of sin. I used Michael Vick as an example, since many of my players, especially the black players, idolize this guy.

Michael Vick has been charged with running and financing an illegal dog fighting ring. One by one his friends who have been charged along with him have plea bargained and become state's evidence against him... meaning his friends are all going to testify against him in order to avoid going to jail themselves.

By the way, if he is guilty, he should go to jail... dont misunderstand me.

This is so much like Satan! We're going along and out jumps temptation. That sin looks pretty good. No one will know. It's a victimless crime. Satan tells us that hey, it'll feel good and this is just between you and me.

But the Bible says that what we do in secret will be shouted from the rooftops, and be sure your sin will find you out.

And who is it that is usually the one on the rooftop shouting out our secret sins? Satan! The very one who convinced us it was something no one will find out about is the same one who will be up there shouting for everyone to hear.

Satan is never our friend. His goal is the overthrow of God, and the destruction of all human life. We are his pawns, and nothing more.

Michael Vick foolishly surrounded himself with "friends" who were there for him as long as he was making millions of $$$ playing football... but now that the heat is on they have lined up and sold him out... shouting Vick's sins from the rooftops.

But just like the prodigal son, who was abandoned by his friends when the heat was on and the money ran out... we can go home to our father... and He will run out and meet us and kill the fatted calf.

I shared this with my players last night, and the response was overwhelming.

I know that this is a very simple teaching for the SI crowd here, but sometimes we need to get off the soap boxes and just listen to the simplistic lessons of the Word of God. Maybe this is for someone today.

Krispy

I have observed God display HIS glory in coaches, football players and teams in the past. He will use those available and willing to be used. This past year at the Super Bowl may have been one those times. I remember several years ago in pro football, about the fill-in quarterback, can't remember the name or the team, Krispy most likely does, the main quarterback was injured, they were underdogs and came back and won the game, as the backup quarterback came in. This quarter testified during that game and the night before of a song that rang in his mind the whole game, " In Christ Alone".

Facing the Giants is a great movie. Should be a pattern for all teams. God's Word and His Spirit teaching us much about everything we are or would be involved in, including football. God teaches us much about life's lessons, even in football.

I have observed God display HIS glory in coaches, football players and teams in the past. He will use those available and willing to be used. This past year at the Super Bowl may have been one those times. I remember several years ago in pro football, about the fill-in quarterback, can't remember the name or the team, Krispy most likely does, the main quarterback was injured, they were underdogs and came back and won the game, as the backup quarterback came in. This quarter testified during that game and the night before of a song that rang in his mind the whole game, " In Christ Alone".

Yea... believe it or not, I do know who that was. It was Frank Reich of the Buffalo Bills, and it was a play-off game against the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) on January 3rd, 1993. Frank Reich started for an injured Jim Kelly and brought Buffalo back from a [b]32-point 3rd quarter deficit[/b] in the AFC Wild Card Playoff to record the [b]greatest comeback in NFL history[/b]. Four of the Bills' 5 TDs came on Reich passes (3 to Andre Reed) and Steve Christie kicked the 32-yard winning field goal in overtime. Buffalo won 41-38.

It has become known in the NFL as "The Comeback".

Frank Reich is was pastor of a Presbytarian Church in Charlotte NC, but I see he has apparently gone on to another ministry... not sure where.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Reich

You can download some of Frank's sermons here:

http://www.cornerstonepresbyterian.org/sermons.asp?section=sermons

Yea, it's great now because Frank travels around giving his testimony at different functions, giving the glory to God for all He has allowed him to do.

I remember watching that game... hard to believe it was 14 years ago! My wife was newly saved... I had a ways to go yet.

Facing the Giants is a great movie. Should be a pattern for all teams. God's Word and His Spirit teaching us much about everything we are or would be involved in, including football. God teaches us much about life's lessons, even in football.

If anyone here has not seen this movie... whats wrong with you??? :-P Great movie. Just wish the coach had done a little less crying... lol.

Krispy

Do you know when this happen inside of you?

Yea... it happens sometimes, and I start out intending to write something else completely different, and when I'm done I've written something completely different from what I started to write.

I dont really notice it's happening until I'm done... then I step back and say "Whoa! Where did that come from?"

It seems when that happens I get a lot of responses from people saying that it touched them pretty deep.

It's a God thing... it's not me, believe me. That happens at times when I'm teaching in our house church. You just have to be open to the Holy Spirit, and let Him direct whats going on instead of doing what I [i]think[/i] He wants me to do.

It's one of the main reasons we left the institutional church. Too many churhces are afraid of doing anything that isnt spelled out in the bulletin.

Krispy

Let me tell ya something, bro... you are right on the money. As with anything, if we put something up on a pedastol and give it more importance that Christ... it's an idol.

I admit that I struggle with sports from time to time. Coaching is extremely time consuming. Thank the Lord I am self employed and work at home or I wouldnt be able to coach.

We got Tivo a couple years specifically because I really had a hard time focussing on things when I knew the Panthers were playing, or UT Vols. Now, I can turn the game on anytime (tho I threaten everyone with bodily injury if they tell me the score before I watch the game!)

Some here will flame me for even having a TV in the house... but thats between God and me, and we govern our TV strictly. Also, w/ Tivo you can skip all the beer commercials. A definate plus.

But let me also come at this from another angle as well... are we so set in stone with our church times that we can not be the least bit flexible? Where in scripture does it say the church service needs to start at 11am? Our house church usually meets on Sunday morning... but sometimes we meet on Saturday night. Sometimes we meet on Friday night if we know some will be out of town, or someone has to work.

Not suggesting we should schedule church around football... but if I know people will be distracted and not concentrating because there is a playoff game... I would rather change the time so everyone can give their undivided attention to the Word. Let the Holy Spirit deal with them if sports is an idol in their life.... know what I mean?

I'm a non-comformist when it comes to service times and such.

Krispy

--- i hear you bro, but this is where our thinking really parts company ... If the only way a man in Jesus can keep his concentration on the things of Him and our Father, in particular John 3:16, is to have services manuevered around such worldly distractions as a play off game then ... bro i'm at a loss for words (and that ain't very often) ... You say let Holy Spirit deal with them, how can He when His grief isn't even felt, let alone acknowledged ... That's why God has to send His weirdos, His kill-joys, His party-poopers, out amongst the bunch in attempt to a wake up call but we all know how that usually ends, with us rejecting the weirdos and then His coming to the end of His long longsuffering and having to rebuke and chasten as many as He loves ... Thank God for both His tender and terrible grace ---

Actually... we're not too far apart. I agree with you in principle, and with our group this isnt much of an issue. Since I know me, I have found a way to keep my focus on the Lord where it belongs, and not let sports have the rule over me. And for only $5 a month. lol

I'm not excusing men who skip communion (tho I have a different understanding of "The Lord's Supper" vs. "The Lord's Snack"), or skip working for the Lord or worshipping the Lord in order to watch sports. If they know more sports stats then they know Bible verses... there is a serious problem. And they need a kick in the pants... or the head, take your choice.

One thing the Lord really convicted me on was watching 2 college football games on Saturdays, and 3 NFL games on Sundays. Thats about 15 hours a weekend! I dont do that anymore. The Lord has given me permission to watch the Vols on Saturday evenings... and the Panthers on Sunday afternoons. Thats about it. Sometimes Monday night football if it's a good match-up, but I usually succomb to sleep by 9:45-10pm. My boys and my wife love football too, so it's a family affair at my house... we have a great time. We unplug the phones, break out the chips and have a good ol' time.

I'm rambling... sorry about that! lol

Sometimes our neighbors come over. They're Mormon, and I get a chance to witness to them... and they me. Sometimes our Catholic neighbors come over to.

Every chance I get I use football as a way to reach people. Would that we all do that with everything we do.

We should do everything we do as unto the Lord! Amen?

Krispy

Is it wrong to pray for the Dallas Cowboys to win the SuperBowl?

No, that would be taking things a little too far when you consider that God is a Carolina Panther fan. :-)

I was actually at the game a couple years ago when Carolina knocked Dallas out of the play-offs. I was close enough to throw ice at "The Tuna".... (I asked the Lord to forgive me later on)

Krispy

No bro.... you brought up good points that need to be discussed. Dont apologize.

I hope that anyone jumping in goes back to the beginning of the thread so they can get the "big picture" of what this thread is about.

Speaking of football... gotta run, time for pratice.

Krispy