Hunting Tiger Woods

Here is a blog that Pastor CJ Mahaney wrote about the Tiger Woods story.

Tiger Woods wants his privacy back. He wants the media entourage to disappear from his life. He wants to be left alone so he can manage his personal problems in private. Not a chance.

The story began unfolding in the early hours of last Friday when he crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a tree and a fire hydrant near his Florida home. He refused to speak with the police about the incident, raising curiosity about the circumstances. The story has now escalated into allegations of marital infidelity, and that generated a blog post from Tiger that stated, “I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart.” This statement by Tiger has led most to believe that the allegations of infidelity are true.

For the rest of this story and a huddle lesson click here.

Jared Crick on Intensity

Recently, the Nebraska football team discussed the importance of playing with great intensity. Defensive lineman Jared Crick discusses the need here to fight through all circumstances on and off the field.

Execution of the Son of God

John 18:1-19:37

The events of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and execution receive attention in chapters 18-19. Because John’s purpose was to present Jesus as the Messiah an Son of God, he produced evidence to substantiate this purpose throughout his accounting of Jesus’ passion. John’s account is very orderly and follows the logical flow of events” His rejection, His four trials, and his His crucifixion. As you read about Jesus’ final hours, give thanks for his sacrificial love.

You can download this week's lesson here. The study guide can be downloaded here.

John MacArthur: What role has athletics played in your ministry?

Dr. John MacArthur was recently asked question: What role has athletics played in your ministry? Here is the answer to that question along with amazing story of his old football coach becoming a Christian.

John MacArthur - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Do athletes violate the Tenth Commandment?

A reader of Phil Johnson's blog recently sent him this excellent question about the Tenth Commandment and how it applies to not only gambling but sports.

QUESTION: Do you think your principle ["if you merely participate in a gambling contest with a desire to win, you are guilty of coveting that which belongs to your neighbor"] applies exclusively to gambling, or does it apply to any and all forms of competitive activity? For example, if I enter a boxing match, or any other competitive activity, I am entering it to win. Does this mean that I am guilty of violating the tenth commandment by coveting my opponents title, belt, or even reputation? It seems to me that it does, but I'm not sure.

ANSWER: Possibly but not necessarily. There's nothing wrong with competing in a contest to win. The apostle Paul clearly commended that desire in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

There are undoubtedly times, however, when an athlete's motives might be tainted with sinful pride and even sinful ill-will toward the opponent. (I think that's been a pervasive problem in modern professional sports at least since the time of Cassius Clay.) But I don't think that's always necessarily a part of athletic competition, or Scripture would condemn athletics altogether.

What makes gambling different, and always wrong in my estimation, is that there's no way to win without actually hurting other competitors. Your victory costs them something real (not just their own pride or title), and what you win is something to which you have no legitimate entitlement. Therefore, I have suggested it's tantamount to stealing.

Winning someone else's title isn't nearly the same thing, because you are entitled (by definition) to compete for that. It isn't really the other person's personal and private possession—except for a stint between contests.

I made note of this obliquely in my description of why gambling is tantamount to stealing: "It is the taking of that which belongs to your neighbor and to which you have no right."

You couldn't say that about the title in a sporting contest. You have a right, if you have the ability, to be champion of the US Open. But if you win, that title is rightfully yours for only one year, unless you legitimately win it again.