Standing "O"

"Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will." - Matthew 26:39

Last night the Kansas Jayhawks became the College Basketball National Champions in a thrilling overtime victory over the Memphis Tigers. I have to admit, I was very happy about this as I have followed the Jayhawks year in and year out ever since I was a kid. However as I was listening to Memphis Head Coach John Calipari's comments about the closing moments of regulation, I began to question whether or not Kansas actually won the game. Of course Kansas won the game on the scoreboard, but in the eyes of God, it may have been a different story depending on the heart of the Kansas players in winning the title. Follow along closely as the stage is set and you read the comments about the situation by Memphis Head Coach John Calipari:

The Tigers were up 62-60 with 10.8 seconds left and his standout freshman was ready to hand-deliver Memphis their first national championship.

Hit both free throws and Rose might rival Elvis Presley as Memphis's favorite son.

"I'm going to tell you what I said on the bench when Derrick went to the line," Calipari told reporters. "You know, I think everything in life happens for a reason.

"And I sat there and I looked up and I said, 'Lord, if he makes this, these two, we're supposed to be national champs.' And if that's your will, I'm fine. And if he misses them and we're not, I'm fine with that, too.'

"That's what I said in my mind."

(This whole article can be found at Yahoo! sports on the web.)

It is obvious that John Calipari wanted to win that game pretty bad. If I were in his shoes, I would have wanted to win pretty bad too! I'm not sure where Coach Calipari stands with the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is pretty obvious to me that according to those comments, he valued the will of God over his own. Wow...congratulations Coach Calipari and praise God for that championship perspective in a very tense situation. You get a standing "O" from this servant of God and Kansas fan. Sounds a lot like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Sounds like a man Doing Sports God's Way.

"If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. What is a man benefited if he gains the whole world, yet loses or forfeits himself?" - Luke 9:23-25

Nate Lewis
Area Representative
Western Nebraska

The Parable of Sports

A parable is a vivid, intense picture from something we might experience here in life to help us understand some spiritual truth that is far greater. It is "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning" and Jesus often used parables to teach us about Him.

Did you ever stop to consider the parable inherent in sports? In fact God has designed the world of sports in such a way that it is full of opportunities that are pregnant with spiritual connections that He wants us to take advantage of.

In Deuteronomy 6:4-7 God told His people to teach their children about the Lord and His commands "when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." In other words, as you go wherever you go and do whatever you do make sure you teach others about the one true God!

Jesus demonstrates this when He and His disciples walked past a fig tree and He told them to "learn the parable of the fig tree" (Mark 13:28). Just as the fig tree contained a parable, so do drills, conditioning, injuries, losing a starting position, getting pulled by the coach, bad games/seasons, good games/seasons and on and on. Learn the parables in sports and look for opportunities to use them to teach others about the person and work of Jesus Christ! We hope this blog will help you as together we explore sports for parables.

Chris Bubak - FCA-Nebraska State Director

Strengthened by the Gospel

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just the means for our salvation, but it is also the means for our growth as Christians. As athletes and coaches, our daily strength must come from the gospel, both on and off the playing field. John Piper says, "You never outgrow your need for the gospel".

Do you know the Gospel? Do you know how it can have both a saving effect, but also a sanctifying effect on your life?

Watch this 6 minute video of John Piper to find out.




Josh Reynolds
Central-Northeast Nebraska FCA

Win At All Cost

Athletics today supports the win at all cost mentality. From steroids to spygate, athletes and coaches have lost sight of any kind of authority. In the pros, they are the ones who are making millions and believe that the rules don’t apply to them. In college, they are the ones just trying to make a name for themselves and get to the next level. In high school, and below they are the ones who are trying anything to feel loved by parents and those around them. Whatever the level, cheating isn’t pleasing to God.

Why is it that when a teacher/coach is in the classroom they will punish any method of cheating that a student may use on a test but when they are out on the practice field they will teach their players useful techniques to “bend the rules” without having the referee catch it? The answer; sports isn’t seen as a reality of life. It is almost as if sports are an imaginary world and the rules of life don’t apply at that time.

I must admit that I too have been guilty over the years. Sports have trained me at being a master of jersey grabbing, forearm throwing, and toe stomping. So what is wrong with this anyway? It’s all just part of the game, right?

Romans 13:1-2, has this to say about the matter. “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

Sports have a level of authority set up by the rules of the game. Believe it or not athletics are a part of real life. We are called to have a heart that hates cheating because cheating is sin.

Brian Conklin
Omaha Area FCA

His Love Endures Now!

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
who made the great lights - His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstreached arm; His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings - His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan - His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servand Israel; His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
and who gives good to every creature. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

And to him who gives us the ability to Do Sports His Way because of the victory of His Son Jesus on the Cross...His love endures NOW!

Nate Lewis
Area Representative
Western Nebraska