At one point throughout the weekend I was asked who was responsible for putting this weekend together.  The only right response I had to that question was that “It takes a team.”  And more importantly it takes God working through people who have had their lives changed by His Grace.

In Sidney, it took God using a newly formed FCA Booster Club with a desire to see the Gospel put in front of athletes, coaches, and all whom they influence.  There are administrators, coaches, and influential people in that group who worked together to let people know about the event, line-up the facility, and organize the details to make it happen.

In Ogallala it took God using a long time huddle coach and the organizer of a youth basketball tournament that was already in town to make His message known.

In North Platte it took God using another newly formed FCA Booster Club with a heart to carry out the programs of FCA where they are.  They also got the word out to the community and even organized a supper for all the players.

In every location it took God using radio, tv, and newspaper personalities to not only help promote the events but also report on the message of the Gospel that the guys came to speak about.  And lastly, it took God using the message of Jesus Christ through the mouths of the players to impact lives.

If there is one lesson we should learn from this past weekend it is this:  God uses the Gospel to change peoples lives as people do the work of going to where people are to give it to them.  This past weekend no one sat around and waited for people to come to them.  No one sat around and assumed someone else would do it.  Everyone went to people who desperately needed Jesus and they gave Him to them…for that, I am grateful.

And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

-Romans 10:15

Autograph Line in Sidney

Speaking in Ogallala

North Platte Welcome

Speaking in North Platte

No compromise weekend information available here

Motivation by Grace, by Josh Reynolds, Area Director

Consider for a moment how people view your leadership.  You might say, “I’m not a leader”.  I disagree.  If you are breathing, you are influencing others in some way.  That may be a simple way to look at leadership, but the truth is that we all lead others.  Whether you serve as a coach, teacher, student-athlete, FCA huddle coach, parent, businessman, or pastor, what kind of leadership do you display on a daily basis?  One of the best ways to evaluate your leadership is to examine what motivates your leadership.  In other words, how you influence others will be shaped by why you influence others.  Besides Jesus Christ, one of the greatest leaders of all time was the apostle Paul.  Let’s take just a short moment to peek at his life to see what motivated his leadership.

I recently listened to a sermon preached by C. J. Mahaney titled, “Grace and the Adventure of Leadership”.  The message was directed at pastors, but has invaluable application for anyone in a position of leadership.  In the sermon, C.J. argued from 1 Corinthians 1:4-9 that our leadership should be motivated by the grace of God.  As we consider God’s love towards sinners, most displayed in the cross of His only Son Jesus Christ, we should be profoundly grateful and willing to live our lives for and through Him. 

1 Corinthians 1: 4-9 gives us insight into Paul’s motivation for leadership.  He is writing to a church that was dealing with all kinds of division and sinful patterns.  He spent much of the letter correcting and rebuking them for their lack of love and their abuse of Christian liberty.  But here in the first few verses Paul makes some amazing statements:

I give thanks to my God for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge – even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you – so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Corinthian church needed to change.  They needed help from a seasoned pastor to help steer them in the right direction.  Now, it would have been very easy for Paul to either distance himself from this local church or blast them for all their errors, but Paul spends the first portion of his letter thanking God for them!!  C.J. Mahaney’s summary statement for his sermon was this:  “Paul’s exemplary attitude toward the Corinthians, and extraordinary affections for the Corinthians, was created by his divine perspective of the Corinthians”. 

Paul had a divine perspective of this church and in much the same way, we need to have a “divine perspective” towards those we serve.  It doesn’t matter whether you are a student-athlete leader or a coach.  How do you view those around you?  Do you view them the same way God views them?  Paul’s motivation for this divine perspective was the grace of God in his life.  He had been radically converted and transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ and it was this reality that shaped the way he led people.

One area of conviction in my own leadership is that I too often focus all my attention on people’s deficiencies or weaknesses.  Paul’s divine perspective of the Corinthian church is seen in that he was more aware of evidences of God’s grace than areas of sin.  Do you tend to spend more time pointing out people’s deficiency or thanking God for evidences of His grace in their lives?  It is important to realize that Paul is writing to believers.  If Paul was writing to unbelievers, he would probably spend much of his time pleading with them to repent of their sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.   But he knew that with the Corinthian church, God’s prior call initiated their faith in Jesus Christ and he was also aware that spiritual growth is a process.  He wanted the Corinthian church, in spite of all their failings, to know that he thanked God for His call and evidences of spiritual growth in their lives. 

Motivating and being motivated by grace in our leadership is recognizing that God is at work all around us.  A great leader helps people perceive where they are growing.  We need to be aware of this broad work of the Spirit in the lives of those we serve. 

Take some time to examine your own heart in light of Paul’s example of leadership.  Are you motivated and motivating by the grace of God?  Do you have a “divine perspective” of those you serve (athletes, friends, employees, family, etc.)  Have you ever thanked God for His work in people’s lives and then made them aware of this work of God?

Leadership is an absolute joy when we are motivated by the grace of God!

by Doyle Denney, FCA Coaches Ministry Director

Goals

            In sports, we know what “Goals” mean.  They are the “end zone”, the “kill”, nailing the “basket”, running across “home plate”, etc.  But in the game of life, we can lose sight of our goals.  The buzzer sounds and it is over.  Did we reach our goals?

            In the Coach’s Mandate many goals are stated.  One of them is, “Live out Christ’s word in a Christ-like manner on and off the field of competition.”  I think we can all agree if we love the Lord that is a good goal, but is it attainable?

            One of the things we’ve always done during the break before the New Year has been to take some time to reflect on the past and evaluate the future.  During my years as a basketball coach it was imperative to our family to keep our eyes on the goal of coaching as a Christ follower.  The time between January and March is filled with practices and competition and it can be hard to keep our eyes on the never changing goals of living for Jesus.  It was important to share those goals with my family because I needed their support and agreement in the sacrifices a coaching family makes.  But the daily activity of studying God’s Word was my own personal challenge.  It was easy to think a day was too full or I was too tired.  It had to be a daily task I chose and implemented no matter what was going on around me.

            Philippians 3:13-14 NASB states, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”    Our Lord graciously gives us the opportunity to put the past behind with all its problems and failures and gives the opportunity to reach forward to new beginnings and new goals.  A new year is the perfect time to set realistic goals about having personal devotions, being a more faithful student of the Word and sharing what we learn with others.  We can’t rely on our feelings, “free time”, or the world around us to remind us to keep our “walk” focused on the goal.

            I want to take this opportunity to challenge you first of all to consider why you coach or teach, hopefully it is to use your God provided “podium” in the gym or field to impact lives for eternity.  I urge you to take advantage of either a Bible study already occurring in your school or church or to begin one in your school.  As I hear from more and more coaches who are attending Bible studies, I see how the Holy Spirit is guiding and speaking to them and using their lives in a more productive and focused way.

*A copy of the “Coaches Mandate” can be obtained by going to www.nebraskafca.org and clicking on the Coaches tab.

Hebert, a host on a local radio station in New Orleans, opened Miles’ news conference with a question about not using backup quarterback Jarrett Lee as starter Jordan Jefferson struggled to move the offense. Before Miles answered, Hebert continued, “Now, I know Alabama’s defense is dominant, but come on, that’s ridiculous. Five first downs! I’ll tell you the fans’ standpoint: How can you not maybe push the ball down the field and bring in Jarrett Lee? So what if you get a pick-six?” Miles still did not get a chance to answer, so he just kept staring at Hebert, who also happens to be the father of LSU senior center/guard T-Bob Hebert, a former starter for the Tigers who played sparingly in recent games. “I know the pass rush of Alabama. But not pushing the ball down field, considering you have (wide receivers) Rueben Randle and Odell Beckham Jr. — there’s no reason why five first downs. You have a great defense, but that’s ridiculous.”

Sugar Bowl spokesman John Sudsbury later apologized to LSU associate athletics director Michael Bonnette for Hebert’s behavior. “It was very disrespectful. I told Michael I was real sorry it happened,” Sudsbury said. “We don’t want to credential people who go into a press conference and act like a fan. Multiple people told me it was not professional. It was disappointing. We don’t want the coaches who come to these games to be treated like that.” Bonnette said. ”The part of Bobby that is a fan and a parent came out more than the part of him that is a reporter. Using the word ‘ridiculous,’ I thought was not professional. He was emotional and really mad.”

While criticism is to be expected by public figures like coaches, it’s not always seen or heard by a national audience.

Former legendary football coach Tom Osborne wrote about being criticized during his first season as head coach at Nebraska in his book, “More Than Winning.” He was criticized in his first season for:

• being too conservative in our 10-9 win over Kansas.

• being too aggressive in going for two points in out 13-12 loss to Missouri

• gambling too much in going for the touchdown rather than the field goal in the 17-17 tie against Oklahoma State

• being too nice.

That first year his team went 9-2-1 which was exactly the same record as the previous year under Bob Devaney. Fans didn’t care that many of the great players from that team had graduated. Even after his team beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl, many fans were still critical of the first year coach. Right after the Cotton Bowl victory, Texas head coach Darryl Royal, came to the Nebraska locker room to congratulate Osborne’s team. As he walked out of the locker room, he said to Osborne, “What a coach needs to do after losing a bowl game is just slide away for a few days and let things simmer.” That’s advice Osborne took several times during his career.

There are at least three reasons a coach can expect criticism.

• A coach can expect criticism because of his own sin, which will be present in his or her heart no matter how mature or well meaning he or she is.

• A coach can expect criticism because people (fans, players and media) can be proud and ungrateful.

• A coach can expect criticism because we live in a sinful and fallen world.

Since coaches should expect criticism, what can they do besides taking Darryl Royal’s advice to “slide away for a few days”?

First, recognize that criticism is part of God’s sanctification process. In other words, this is the tool or process that God uses to help coaches grow in their faith.  Warring against our sinful habits and seeking to be Christlike in character is usually referred to as sanctification.

When I’m coaching basketball, I wish it was true that my spiritual maturity happened from encouragement rather than painful criticism. However, what is true for me is often true for other coaches as well. I have most often grown in faith and humility through criticism and correction. When God shows me the pride and sin in my life that’s when I have seen spiritual growth most often in my life.

If you’re a coach, you will be criticized and corrected. Count on it! However, prepare yourself to see it as God’s means for your sanctification. How you respond to criticism (both from fans and friends) is important. Once you can begin to see it as a mercy from God to help you grown in your faith, you will be able to see past the negative criticism and grow in your faith.

Discussion:

1. What stood out to you in the article?

2. Have you ever been publically criticized? What was your response? Would you respond differently now?

3. Former UCLA coach John Wooden said, “You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.” Do you agree or disagree. Explain.

4. Have you experienced growth in your Christian life most often from criticism or encouragement?

5. Read 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” What does this verse teach about seeking to grow in Christlikeness until we die?

6. Progressive sanctification involves our practice of spiritual disciplines, such as reading Scripture, praying and fellowshipping with other believers. It also includes putting to death the sinful deeds of the body (see Romans 8:13). It also involves dependence on Christ for the power to do these things. With the tension between depending upon Christ and working hard to become Christlike, what will keep us going?

7. The gospel is the assurance that a Christian has died to the guilt of sin and that there is no condemnation in Jesus Christ. How does this motivate us to keep growing in the Christian faith? This is the reason to “preach the gospel to ourselves every day.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gordon Thiessen has served on staff with the Nebraska FCA since 1986. Currently, he is the Director or Training and Resources for the Nebraska FCA. He has a weekly blog, Sports In Focus. You can subscribe to the podcast at itunes and the blog here.He has also founded Cross Training Publishing (www.crosstrainingpublishing.com). He has written Team Studies on Character and edited The Athletes Topical Bible. He is married to Terri and has four grown children. You can find out more information about the Nebraska FCA at www.nebraskafca.org.

This year’s event will include Rex Burkhead, Mike Moudy, Ciante Evans, and Aaron Green talking about their faith in Jesus Christ along with how they live it out on the field.

Husker Tour Details are as follows:

Friday, January 27th – Husker Tour 5th Quarter Party immediately following the Sidney vs. Chadron boys basketball game at the Sidney High School Gym.  Tip-off for Sidney vs. Chadron is 7pm MT.

Saturday, January 28th – Husker Tour Event at 2pm MT in the lecture hall at Ogallala High School.

Saturday, January 28th – Husker Tour 5th Quarter Party immediately following the North Platte vs. Lincoln Northeast boys basketball game at the North Platte High School Gym.  Tip-off for North Platte vs. Lincoln Northeast is 7pm CT.

Links to download flyers for each event are below.

Sidney Flyer

Ogallala Flyer

North Platte Flyer

Any questions can be directed towards:

Nate Lewis

Western Nebraska Area Director

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Phone: 308-672-6953

Email: nlewis@fca.org

Click Here to Listen

Tebow was battered by a defense that sacked him five times and shut off his running lanes. He was limited to 13 yards on five rushes, and completed nine of 26 passes for 136 yards.

Many fans wondered how Tebow might respond in defeat. After all, Tebow-mania had many fans believing that God might be giving him supernatural help to win big football games.

It didn’t take long after the loss to New England for a reporter to ask Tebow about his perspective on losing.

“There’s been a lot of talk this year about faith and winning. As Solomon said, ‘Victory belongs to the Lord.’ What about losing? How do you make sense of what’s the end of your season?”

Tebow responded by saying, “Well, something I pray before games, during games, and after games is regardless whether I win, whether I lose, whether I’m the hero or the goat — it doesn’t matter — that I still honor the Lord and give Him the glory because He’s deserving of it. And just like my effort shouldn’t change, neither should that. So that’s how I try to approach it. Sometimes even in a loss you can honor Him more. And so, for me I just pray that my character and who I am doesn’t change. Even though you can be dejected, you can still feel hurt, you can be disappointed; but you can still honor the Lord with how you handle things.”

Nathan Busenitz blogged his analysis of Tebow’s response following the press conference, “For a professional athlete who just lost the biggest game of his pro-football career in a landslide defeat on a national stage, that was an admirable response. He didn’t cry, as though football were more important than it really is. He didn’t blame his teammates or his coaches. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t fault God or say something silly about not having enough faith. Instead, he gave an answer that was theologically sound and inherently God-honoring. In essence, Tim was telling the media that they were missing the point: Christianity is not about winning football games; it’s about honoring the Lord in every situation, even when you lose the football game.”

Most football fans believe that winning is about defeating your opponent. Turn that around 180 degrees and losing is being defeated by your opponent. These definitions are ingrained in us from our early years of competition. I like to call this type of winning/losing philosophy, “scoreboard winning.” However, for the Christian athlete and coach there is something beyond measuring success by the score as Tim Tebow expressed during his press conference.

The Bible gives us God’s perspective on winning and losing. I believe winning is maxing out all that we are toward becoming like Jesus Christ in every situation. By contrast, losing is not maxing out our entire self toward becoming like Jesus Christ in each situation. Once we adopt God’s perspective on winning and losing, circumstances will not control our athletic performance.

Colossians 3:23 is a key bible passage for understanding this true success. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men.” The word “whatever” includes everything we do in sports. Whether it is running, throwing or jumping. The word “heartily” means we do it by maxing out all of your abilities toward the task at hand. it refers to our mental, physical and emotional energies. Paul doesn’t stop here or it would be a philosophy of “Just give it all you got and you’re a winner!” It is maxing out or giving it all we have but also doing it for the Lord rather than men. Jesus Christ must be our only audience as we perform.

That’s how a Christian athlete can honor the Lord in every situation, even when they lose a football game. Maxing out for the Lord will keep us from being sidetracked by the score or any other factor if our only thought is to represent Jesus as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit. As we perform in this way, we can also know that the results of competition will be His to bring Him honor!

Discussion

1. What stood out to you in Tebow’s comments following the loss to New England?

2. Do you agree with Nathan Busenitz’s commentary about Tebow? Why or why not?

3. Explain how Colossians 3:23 relates to your athletic performance?

4. Read Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus given thanks through Him to God the Father.” How does the phrase “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” relate to your athletic performance?

5. Read 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were working through us …” What does it mean to be an ambassador? What does it mean to be an ambassador for Christ in sports?

6. What can you be assured of when you max out for the Lord?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gordon Thiessen has served on staff with the Nebraska FCA since 1986. Currently, he is the Director or Training and Resources for the Nebraska FCA. He has a weekly blog, Sports In Focus. You can subscribe to the podcast at itunes and the blog here.He has also founded Cross Training Publishing (www.crosstrainingpublishing.com). He has written Team Studies on Character and edited The Athletes Topical Bible. He is married to Terri and has four grown children. You can find out more information about the Nebraska FCA at www.nebraskafca.org.

Saturday, February 18
9am-1 pm

Register here

“When it comes to food,” Wade said, “I understand the things that I need now.”

Wade said changing the way he fuels his body has him feeling as healthy as ever.

“The protein, the drinks, the carbohydrates, I know all the things I need,” Wade said. “The biggest thing is that I’ve talked with a nutritionist, who’s working with the team, who understands what we need, how much we practice, what weight I need to be at, what body fat, this, this and this. Put them together, come up with a master plan, and I reap the benefits.”

Wade entered this season with a body fat of less than 4%, but said he has enough strength and bulk to get through the grind of a season, and credited his new diet. “It’s working for me,” Wade said. “It’s not bad. It’s better than I thought. Just trying to give my body an edge. I’m just trying to do whatever I can within my limitations of doing it. Most of my salad consists of fruit. It’s helping me out. I’m just trying to figure out ways that I can make sure I at least give my body a chance to be as healthy as it can be.”

As we enter into the New Year, many athletes make New Year’s resolutions to eat better or improve their training. However, for the Christian athlete while diet and training are important, it pales when compared to the need to train spiritually. The Apostle Paul urged his young protege Timothy to make spiritual training his priority. He told him, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

What does Paul mean by bodily training is of some value? It does help in two ways: extent and duration. It’s only good for a short time. When I stopped lifting weights after playing college football, I lost nearly 25 pounds within just the first month. I had spent years building my strength and endurance, only to lose it within a very brief period of time.

There’s nothing wrong with making resolutions to improve your diet and training this year, but not while ignoring your spiritual health. This was nothing new in Paul’s day as many of his readers would have placed more emphasis on the physical body instead of character and virtue.

Paul goes on to say that godliness is profitable in every way. Beyond just physical, it’s profitable not just to the body but the body and soul. It’s profitable not just for a brief time, but for eternity. Make a resolution to spend time in the Word of God every day and cultivate godliness because godliness is profitable in every way.

When it comes to spiritual priorities, do you understand the things that you need this coming year? Get involved in spiritual gymnastics today and go to your spiritual gym every day and do your spiritual workout and the results will not only be a blessing to you now, but for the life to come. Remember the whole matter of making resolutions is not just goal setting so that we might have happier and more productive lives. We are called by God to live according to His will, not our own — for Christ’s sake, not our own.

Discussion:

1. Did you make any resolutions this new year? If so, what are they?

2. What are some spiritual exercises that should be practiced regularly?

3. What priority does prayer have in your life?

4. What priority does reading God’s Word have in your life?

5. Have you ever considering using a bible reading plan?

Getting you started with your training:

The key to any bible reading plan it to stick with it for at least 30 days. It’s difficult to build any new habit in less time. If you don’t make the commitment to stay with the program for at least 30 days, you will quickly find yourself lacking the motivation to stick with the plan. Also, never lose sight of the goal which is to develop your relationship with God not to simply maintain a check list of activities.

There are many reading plans available free online. You can choose one that best fits you and your schedule. YouVersion is a web site and mobile app that I use. It has  many translations of the Bible and many reading plans. You can go to YouVersion and create an account; once you have done that, you can sign up to do a reading plan. You can read or listen to chapters on any mobile device. I find that listening to my iPhone while I commute each day works best for me.

Whether you listen or read on a mobile device, or use a printed Bible, the most important thing it just to do it. Keep the main thing, the main thing, which is to meet God in his Word.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gordon Thiessen has served on staff with the Nebraska FCA since 1986. Currently, he is the Director or Training and Resources for the Nebraska FCA. He has a weekly blog, Sports In Focus. You can subscribe to the podcast at itunes and the blog here.He has also founded Cross Training Publishing (www.crosstrainingpublishing.com). He has written Team Studies on Character and edited The Athletes Topical Bible. He is married to Terri and has four grown children. You can find out more information about the Nebraska FCA at www.nebraskafca.org.

There have been two stories that have caught my eye over the past couple months that have been shining examples of Winning in the eyes of God.  What is interesting is that in the eyes of the world when comparing these two stories there is one clear success and one clear failure.  However as Christians there is only one set of eyes we are concerned about.  Jesus sacrifice for us on the cross has changed our view of everything in view of what we deserve and the grace that has been freely offered.

The first story is on a little known guy by the name of Tim Tebow.  Ok, so maybe he is currently a little more famous than what I give him credit for.  It has been amazing to see his story develop throughout the entire season and now into the playoffs with the Broncos recent overtime win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  What amazes me even more is Tebow’s humble and genuine desire to give credit where credit is due – first and foremost to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and secondly to his coaches and teammates.  Sounds like the two greatest commandments to me…love God, and love people.  Tebow is constantly thanking the Lord for the blessing of the platform he has to let people know about the God who has clearly changed his life.  He is also constantly deflecting any kind of praise to himself as he exalts his coaches and teammates for their part in his success saying things such as: “they make me look better than I am.”  I have also heard him comment on several occasions about how football is great but there are so many more important things in life.  Most recently in his press conference after the Steelers win he talks about the real win being the opportunity he had to encourage a little girl before the game who has gone through roughly 70 surgeries in her young life.  Surely God must be pleased as he sees his servant Tim making Him look great.

Take 5 minutes to view the Tim Tebow Press Conference after the win against the Steelers.

Then there is the story of Curenski Gilleylen.  Who is Curenski Gilleylen you might ask?  Curenski Gilleylen is from Leander, Texas.  He joined the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2007 with freakish speed and leaping ability.  He played in 11 games in 2008 and was starting in 2009 as a wide receiver.  Then half way through the 2009 season Gilleylen drifted to the background as other guys started getting snaps.  By his junior year he was barely playing and by his senior year he was asked to move to running back behind the likes of star running back Rex Burkhead and 3 highly touted new freshman running backs.

You might be thinking: “How is this a success?”  The story goes on.  Before the road trip down I-80 to Laramie to play Wyoming early in the season Gilleylen showed up to the team’s Friday meetings.  So what’s the big deal?  Those who are not on the travel roster don’t come to the Friday meetings.  So why was Gilleylen there?  According to the Lincoln Journal Star he was: “Ready to go over the game plan with some of the freshman who’d be playing in a game he’d be watching on TV.”  So was Gilleylen unaware he wasn’t on the travel roster?  Nope.  He just showed up for his teammates out of a heart to show them he was there for them no matter what.  Guys literally had tears coming down their face in the chapel service before the game as they considered who on their team was an example of someone who was an unselfish servant because all they could think of was Curenski.

Running backs coach Ron Brown had this to say in the same Lincoln Journal Star article: “In a day and age where everyone points at themselves, and wants glory for themselves, and if they don’t get their carries or their stats or playing time, then they pout and get mad, there’s a guy like Curenski,” Brown said.  “And Curenski’s been a shining example of what it means to be a real man.”

You know Tebow and you don’t know Gilleylen and God is pleased with both.

Take time to read The Curenski Gilleylen Story from the December 24th edition of the Lincoln Journal Star.

Questions:

1.  Why is God pleased with both of these athletes?

2.  Why would be care what God is pleased with in a world that says to live for yourself?

3.  Read Philippians 2:5-11.  Discuss the character God desires us to have in our lives.

Click Here to Listen

 Who you playing for?  That’s such an important question!  This time of year there are an abundance of holiday basketball tournaments being played.  Often, the audience will include friends and family who are visiting from out of town, as well as alumni back for the holiday break.

 This “new” audience sets up some interesting dynamics in the hearts and minds of athletes and coaches when it comes to the question of audience, or who you are playing for.  The test of adversity here often exposes the desire within to want to play to impress this new audience.  Not surprisingly, the distractions that come from wanting to impress often leads to poor play, not better play.

 In Galatians 1:9, the apostle Paul writes, “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?  Or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”  Being a witness for Jesus Christ and pleasing Him is incompatible with pleasing men.  In other words, if you want to be a servant of Christ, your primary audience must be Him.  He is your Audience of One!

Paul ends Galatians with these words in verse 6:14, “But may it never be that I would boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  Strive to make Him your audience, and your boast to be about what Jesus Christ has done for you through the cross!  Playing for any other audience will most likely cause you to not maxout, but more importantly it will lead you to strive to please men and to boast in things other than the cross!

Motivation, by Anna Trent, Field Associate

Having started playing soccer at age 4, I couldn’t go anywhere without a soccer ball at my feet.  I would bring my cleats to school, anxiously awaiting the pick-up soccer game at recess with the boys.  As I got older, I started traveling with teams, winning championships and eventually getting to play at Nebraska.  And at the end of it all, if someone told me, “Everything you ever accomplished in soccer wasn’t something you did and wasn’t because of your own work.  You had absolutely no part in getting to this point,” I would have been so offended. 

It’s our sinful nature in us that wants to have our hard work proven in our accomplishments and have something to say about ourselves.  We want to justify all the hours we put in the gym or on the field.  It’s appealing to our flesh because we feel good about ourselves and we feel self-sufficient. 

That is the same problem the Corinthians faced when Paul wrote the first letter to them.  They had become confident of their own righteousness, boastful, ignorant and became deceived by their sin.  In the first chapter Paul addresses this by saying that “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling block (scandalous) to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1:22-24). 

The Jews saw that Christ crucified was scandalous because they were offended that they would then be sinful people.  They took offense to Christ because they saw themselves as good people, waiting for a different kind of savior to dominate their enemies in a political way.  The Greeks saw Christ crucified as foolishness because by admitting that Jesus Christ is the Savior and bore their sin at the cross would admit that their own merit doesn’t make them right before God.  They too think that they are good that that their own logic and intellect makes them closer to God.  Both groups viewed Jesus Christ as offensive because they thought they could be justified by their own works – the heart of pride.  But, as the verses continue, to those whom God has called (someone who repents of sin and trusts in Jesus Christ to be the only One who makes them right with God) see Christ as the true power and wisdom of God.  Those are the people that recognize God is holy, they are sinful and separated from God, under His wrath and punishment, and that Jesus is the only righteousness that can make them in perfect standing with God. 

That is why Paul ends the first chapter by saying, “He chose the lowly things of the world, the despised things – the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us the wisdom from God – that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.  Therefore, “Let Him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1:28-31).

It is clear in those verses that one’s motivation is impacted by either faith in Jesus Christ or faith in their own works.  When someone acts out of faith in their own works, they then boast in themselves and their abilities.  They think that their works has some bearing on their position before God.  However, when someone acts out of faith in Jesus Christ, they then boast in the Lord knowing that their only goodness is from Jesus and His perfection. 

Questions:

1.  Why do you work hard?  What are some motivations you have in competition?
2. Are those motivations driven to boast in our works or to boast in the Lord?
3.  Read 1 Corinthians 1:22-24, 28-31
   1. Why do the Jews see Christ crucified as a stumbling block and the Greeks as foolishness?  How do you see Christ crucified?
   2. What ways do you boast in yourself in your competition?
   3. Why does scripture say we should boast in Christ? What does that look like during your competition?

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The Norris Booster Club and FCA huddle hosted their 2nd annual Coaches Appreciation Dinner on Tuesday, November 15, 2011. High School and Middle School coaches and their families were honored for their service to Norris athletes. This event was attended by 140 guests including coaches, FCA members, & family members in the high school multi-purpose room after winter sports practices. Great food and fellowship were enjoyed as well as remarks made by Rick Damkroger-FCA Booster Club, Robbie Trent-Lincoln and Southeast NE FCA Area Director and Mike Moudy-UNL Football player. Coaches expressed great gratitude for the event and how much they were encouraged by gathering together at an event hosted by FCA athletes and families and the remarks made by the speakers. 

“On behalf of my wife as well  THANK YOU for last night.  It was physically and spiritually refreshing” Dinner Attendee

Grand Island Independent article

My Bridge Radio interview with Brian Holman

The good news is that God gives us the answer.  There is one thing that is on God’s mind when
He considers His will for our lives.  1
Thess. 4:3 clearly says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification…”  We tend to focus on all the specifics, and
God does have a specific will for our lives, but the most important issue is
our sanctification.  Sanctification
refers to our growth towards becoming more like Jesus.  Wayne Grudem defines sanctification this
way:  “Sanctification is a progressive
work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and like Christ
in our actual lives.”  That is God’s will
for you as a Christian.  Another way to
look at sanctification is that our goal in life is to be conformed more and
more to the image of Jesus Christ.

Let me pause to clarify the difference between sanctification and justification.  Very simply,
justification refers to our position
before God.  At the moment of your
conversion, you were justified in God’s sight.
This means that God thinks of ours sin as forgiven and Jesus Christ’s
righteousness as belonging to us and He also declares us to be righteous in his
sight.  Sanctification, however, refers
to our practice before God.  It is the ongoing process of fighting sin in
our lives and becoming more like Jesus.
We have to make sure to differentiate between these two truths,
otherwise we’ll tend to live performance-driven lives where we are trying to
earn justification.  Justification is
complete through God’s finished work on the cross and resurrection.  It is something he does.

So, how does this impact you as a Christian athlete?  Well, if God’s will for your entire life is
your sanctification, then God’s will for your athletic career is also your sanctification!  God uses every circumstance in your life,
including sports to make you more like His Son.

Knowing this truth, how do you practically grow in Christlikeness

through your sport?  We all know the
necessity of teamwork.  While we all have
a responsibility to contribute individually, true success cannot come unless
the entire team works together to accomplish the goal.  Our sanctification also can’t come on our
own.  The Bible clearly teaches that our
growth in Christ comes through the help of others.  Take Hebrews 10:24-25 for example, “And let
us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting
to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all
the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
It’s important to realize that the context is within the local
church.  God has given us the local body
of Christ to help contribute to our sanctification.  I love what RC Sproul says about this topic, “It
is both foolish and wicked to suppose that we will make much progress in
sanctification if we isolate ourselves from the visible church.  Indeed, it is commonplace to hear people
declare that they don’t need to unite with a church to be a Christian.  They claim that their devotion is personal
and private, not institutional or corporate.
This is not the testimony of the great saints of history; it is the
confession of fools.”

We are foolish to think that we can run the race of the
Christian life alone.  It is vital that
you attach yourself to a local church in your community.  But in principle, you might consider spending
more time with other Christians on your team.
One way we grow in Christ, is through accountability, encouragement,
rebuke, and correction from one another.
As you compete, hold one another accountable to honoring Jesus Christ in
competition.  Help each other grow in
your understanding of godly goals, motivation, audience, and winning.

In summary, God’s will for your life is to make you more
like His Son Jesus Christ and this is accomplished in part through the help of
other Christians.  As a Christian
athlete, have you isolated yourself from others or are you committed to
cultivating fellowship with others so that you can grow in
Christ-likeness?

Discussion Questions:

1. Read 1
   Thess. 4:3.  According to this verse,
   what is God’s will for your life?  How is
   this different than the way we usually define God’s will?
2. Define and discuss the differences between
   sanctification and justification.
3. How does God use sports to sanctify Christians?
4. Why is it important to involve other people in
   our sanctification?  How can you do this
   in your area of competition?

Strong knew it had distracted his team when he heard players talking about the video game and saw their posts about it on Twitter. “I said on Tuesday we have guys that miss class because they want to stay (up) all night and play that video game, whatever it was,” Strong said Monday at his weekly news conference. “I didn’t even know what it was, but it’s such a big deal.”

One of his players was so excited that he posted this tweet the night it was released: “Call of Duty at midnight!!!! #Gamerwithapassion.”

“I said to the players (Sunday) that’s why I talk about today and not tomorrow,” Strong said. “You had your opportunity and you can’t let it slip by. There’s a great example right there. If we would have taken care of our business, look where we’d be sitting right now.”

Video games have become one of the biggest influences on recreational activities in our culture. Gamers spend 18 hours per week playing games. More income is generated by video games than by films from Hollywood. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 sold more than $775 million in it’s first five days in stores. It’s game franchise is on par with the biggest entertainment brands like the Harry Potter and Star Wars movies.

Let’s be clear. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with playing most video games. For sure, some are too violent and include sexually explicit content. But most games are not that different from the games many young people played 30 years ago. No doubt, the Madden video game is far more advanced than the electric football tabletop game I played on a metal vibrating field, but the nature of the games is not different.

The real issue for the Louisville players and most kids today is idolatry. Idolatry is not just bowing down to some wooden statue as a god. It is more often something in our lives that takes the place of God. It could be the games we play, a friendship, food or any type of leisure activity. Many times the desire for wanting a good gift from God can become a sinful craving. John Calvin said, “The evil in our desires usually does not lie in what we want but that we WANT IT TOO MUCH.” There is an endless list of things that can become too important in our lives.

So how can we know when we want or desire something too much? In his excellent book, Seeing with New Eyes, David Powlison suggests responding to a group of questions he calls “X-ray questions.” Here are a few questions on the list.

1. What do you want, desire, crave, lust, and wish for? What desires do you serve and obey?

2.  What would bring you the greatest pleasure, happiness, and delight? The greatest pain or misery?

3. What do you think about most often? What preoccupies or obsesses you? In the morning, to what does your mind drift instinctively?

4. What are your idols and false gods? What do you turn to or seek? Where do you take refuge?

This kind of self-examination is helpful, but we can also identify idolatry in our lives by using the Bible, the Holy Spirit and the feedback of other believers. CJ Mahaney teaches that we can also discover idolatry by evaluating our responses to the effects of adversity or prosperity. How we respond to either adversity or prosperity in our lives will often reveal if something has become a cheap substitute for God.

The key in this battle is to detect the idolatry in our hearts so we can destroy its source. For example, if we’re spending so much time playing video games that it distracts us from our relationship with God and other priorities, we might need to make a shift in our thinking and behavior.

You can listen to a condensed radio version of this blog here.

1. Discuss each X-ray question. How do you think most of your friends would respond to each of these questions?

2. Besides video games, what other activities can potentially dominate your time?

3. Read Hebrews 4:12, “ For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” What does this verse teach us about identifying idolatry?

4. Read Psalms 139:23, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” What does this verse teach about identifying idolatry?

5. How can your friends help you discern if there is any idolatry in your heart?

6. Explain how adversity and prosperity can help you identify idolatry.

Gordon Thiessen has served on staff with the Nebraska FCA since 1986. Currently, he is the Director or Training and Resources for the Nebraska FCA. He has a weekly blog, Sports In Focus. You can subscribe to the podcast at itunes and the blog here.He has also founded Cross Training Publishing (www.crosstrainingpublishing.com). He has written Team Studies on Character and edited The Athletes Topical Bible. He is married to Terri and has four grown children. You can find out more information about the Nebraska FCA at www.nebraskafca.org.