Baylor Chaplain Wes Yeary

Ron Brown after Baylor

Ron Brown after Iowa State

This week with Ron Brown

Kearney Fields of Faith

Kearney High FCA hosted the 2008 FCA Fields of Faith outreach this week with several hundred students attending from a variety of huddles including, Holdrege, Ansley, Pleasanton, Lexington, Overton, Kearney and many others. The speakers were Jared Hodgson (Overton High), EJ Gannon (UNK) and Pastor Pat Abendroth of Omaha Bible Church. Josh Erickson organized the games while the Kearney Evangelical Free Church Overflow Band provided the music. Bob Talbitzer was the emcee and Erin Mankin did much of the work to promote the event. Great job, Erin! The video above shows some of the highlights from the evening along with the final five minutes of Pat’s talk. Pat’s entire message (30 minutes) can be watched here. The photo gallery of the evening can be found here.

Ron Brown after loss to Missouri

For the Doing Sports God's Way lesson on Ron Brown, click here.

Do Not Love the World

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions-is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

A good friend of mine often tells visitors to Nebraska that the state religion is “Husker Football”. While this is meant to be a joke, I would argue that there is much truth in that statement. As I examine my own heart, I often seem to have more passion for the Big Red than I do for the Almighty God. My joy and enthusiasm for life can be wrapped up in whether the Huskers lose or win on Saturday. I can’t count how many times over the years that the major conversation during church on Sunday mornings revolves around the outcome of a Husker football game. Often times, I am the one in the middle of the conversation. I’m guessing I am not the only Christian in Nebraska with these same struggles.

As I read these verses in 1 John 2:15-17, I see a warning for those who love the “things in the world”. I do believe that God has created sports for athletes, coaches, and fans to enjoy and steward for the advance of the Gospel. However, we are so prone to loving sports more than God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” What a powerful and condemning statement! I immediately feel conviction and recognize that I don’t always love God the way Jesus commands.

The key in all this is to remember verse 17, which says, “And the world is passing away along with its desires…”. In light of eternity, Husker football and sports in general are fleeting. No championship trophy, all-american award, or season ticket will last forever. We won’t get to the end of our life and wish we had spent more time satisfying our desire and love for sports. Many of us will wish we had spent more time doing the will of our Father.

Some key questions to ask yourself are:

1. Do I honestly love sports more than I love God?

2. Do I spend more time in God’s word, prayer, and worship of God OR in
watching and playing sports?

3. As I compete or watch sports, is my love and motivation directed towards the Lord?

4. Does my joy flow out of the ups and downs of my favorite sports team? Or,
does it flow from the daily reminders of God’s grace and mercy?


Josh Reynolds
Central-Northeast Nebraska FCA

It's a Process

"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose. For those He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers." - Romans 8:28-29

As far as wins and losses are concerned, this tennis season has been brutal for the Scottsbluff Bearcats Men's Tennis team. We are mainly starting all sophomores at the varsity level with one junior and we just added one freshman to the line-up. Things really blew up on us Tuesday as we got rolled by an average Alliance team where we did not come close to winning one match. We lost our composure in a couple of those matches and the grind of getting beat week in and week out was starting to wear on our guys.

As the day came to a close, I found myself understanding the scripture mentioned above at a deeper level than ever before. It is amazing the incredible parable sports is to life. As I meditated on this scripture more, I felt God lay on my heart a long term vision for these sophomores, junior and freshman. Being conformed to the image of Christ is a long term process. In our microwave society, none of us like to hear the word process but never does a new believer instantly become a splitting image of Jesus, just like a freshman picking up a tennis racquet for the first time at the beginning of the season never instantly becomes a splitting image of Andre Agassi.

It is a long term process that we all go through in being conformed to the image of Jesus. Just like the experience that the Bearcats are going through right now will be invaluable in the years to come, so it will be with the trials you are dealing with in your life as well. God is using it all to make us more like Him and we can trust in that knowing that He has a purpose with it all. Of course there is a stipulation that goes along with this promise in Romans 8. It is only good for those who love God. Have you trusted Jesus as your savior? If so, then go ahead and trust him with what you are dealing with in your life right now.

Nate Lewis
FCA-Area Representative
Western Nebraska