BLOCKING AND TACKLING

EDITOR’S NOTE: I recently heard from a subscriber who wrote, “After 20 years of subscribing to SOUND BITES, I continue to be fed. Thank you for your dedication to this ministry!” That, and the fact that we are in the midst of the football season, reminded me of this quote from a former pastor and colleague of mine that I have shared before -- the importance of sticking to the basics and doing them daily.  – DW

BLOCKING AND TACKLING

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  (Acts 2:42 NIV)

If you and I want [our lives] to be marked by a very real newness within, we would do well to review some of the ancient practices which good people have found to be helpful over the centuries.  I pastored in Green Bay, Wisconsin during part of the period that Vince Lombardi was coaching the Packers to football immortality.  Mr. Lombardi was often asked about trick plays and the secrets of coaching; he always answered that it was simply a matter of blocking and tackling.  There were no new, clever ideas that really mattered unless one mastered the fundamentals of the game.

I've concluded that the same thing is true of the spiritual life.  Books, retreats, and religious conferences are constantly promising us some new formula for spiritual vitality.  Some of them may stimulate us for a time.  But in the end, we'll need to come back to "blocking and tackling" -- such basic matters as Bible reading, prayer, group worship and sharing, and good devotional reading. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas (1923-2015) in “Reading the Signs”  

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BACK TO BIBLICAL BASICS – Part 1 of 2

Vince Lombardi, the legendary Green Bay Packers head coach, was a fanatic for fundamentals. After a game in which the Packers lost to an ill-deserving team, Lombardi called his team together and roared: “OK, we go back to the basics.” Then, holding the football high enough for all to see, he continued to yell: “Gentleman, this is a football.”

For the church, it’s now back to blocking and tackling basics. To a world that thinks it’s quoting Shakespeare when it quotes the Bible; to a world in which the Bible has become an unknown book; to a world that picks up the Bible when it goes to spoiling for a fight; to a church that gives restaurant menus and [social media] closer readings than it does Scripture: to this world and to this church it’s time to hold up the Bible and say: People, this is a Bible. People, this is a life compass. People, this is what helps you find the North Star. Off course? Lost your blessings? Drifting in a dark sea? People, this is how you find life’s bearings.

The compass, strict and sure, is what enables us to locate our lives in relation to the Star of Bethlehem. The compass is what shapes and fashions our lives into the likeness of Christ.

The Apostle Paul believed that when the Word of God becomes a part of who you are, “You are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” (2 Corinthians 3:3) 

-- Leonard Sweet in “Aqua Church: Essential Leadership Arts for Piloting Your Church in Today’s Fluid Culture”

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THE FIRES OF ENTHUSIASM

“As servants of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do,...”  (Ephesians 6:6b-8a)

Vince Lombardi, legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, once told his players, "If you are not fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired -- with enthusiasm!" Nothing of substance can be accomplished without enthusiasm…

In the community of believers, people are motivated in different ways. It is a challenge for leadership to know how to kindle enthusiasm and maintain it… Wise leaders know how to keep the fires of enthusiasm burning while avoiding burning people out with exhaustion.

-- Stuart Briscoe in “Daily Study Bible for Men” 

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“HE WAS A CHRISTIAN”

EDITOR’S NOTE: That was the way the first paragraph of the Wikipedia section for Bart Starr’s “Personal Life” ended. “He was a Christian.” Bart Starr passed away on May 26, 2019 at the age of 85. He was an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback for the Green Bay Packers winning three consecutive League Championships and the first two Super Bowls including MVP. And he was a Christian. Here’s what he said about his faith life in an article for Athletes in Action.

“Growing up in a strong Christian environment provided me with many valuable lessons about family, school, athletics, and, most of all, God. Like most kids, I idolized one sports figure or another. However, Jesus was the ultimate role model for me.

In my effort to succeed as a football player, I went through difficult times, but my experiences paled in comparison to what Jesus endured during His life: torture, humiliation, and death. Through it all, His attitude never wavered. His example inspired me to approach life’s trials in a similar fashion.

Jesus was able to sustain such a positive attitude because of His unfailing love for everyone around Him. It transformed the lives of all who came in contact with Him, even His persecutors. Jesus continues to have this same transformational effect on people today. Regardless of the successes I have experienced, if my life does not exhibit God’s love, it becomes less meaningful.”

-- Bart Starr

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2 NLT)

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