FAITH ON THE BIGGEST STAGE

“Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”  (1 Corinthians 9:25)

The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched events in the world. Millions tune in. Players train for years. Coaches strategize. Fans cheer. And for one team, the night ends with confetti, a trophy, and a moment they’ll remember forever.

But even the greatest victory on the field eventually fades. The trophy gathers dust. The cheers die down. The spotlight moves on.

Paul understood this when he wrote to the Corinthians. He pointed to athletes who discipline themselves for a prize that doesn’t last -- then reminded believers that our prize is eternal.

The world celebrates temporary victories. Heaven celebrates transformed lives.

The Super Bowl is a reminder that preparation matters, discipline matters, teamwork matters  -- but it also reminds us that earthly glory is fleeting. The real victory is living a life secured in Christ, running the race with perseverance, and keeping our eyes fixed on the One who never fades from view.

Faith doesn’t promise an easy game. But it promises a faithful Coach, a powerful Spirit, a supportive Church, and a Victory in Jesus that cannot be taken away.

The Super Bowl may crown a champion for a night, but faith crowns a victor for a lifetime. The field fades, the cheers quiet, but the life centered in Christ plays for a glory that never ends. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

#6302

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”  

#6223

CHOSEN FOR A PURPOSE

Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit -- fruit that will last -- and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you."   (John 15:16 NIV)

The NFL Draft is currently underway in Green Bay, Wisconsin. If you live in Northeast Wisconsin, as I do, you can’t miss it. In the NFL Draft, players are chosen not just for their skills but for the potential they bring to a team. Coaches and scouts see something unique in each athlete, and teams select them with a purpose in mind. Similarly, God has chosen you -- not because of your qualifications, but because of His love and His plan for your life. He has appointed you to bear fruit that will last, to make an eternal impact in His Kingdom.

Just as a drafted player commits to training, teamwork, and fulfilling their role, we are called to embrace our purpose with dedication, also committing to training, teamwork and fulfilling our role in the Kingdom. God’s choice is not the end of the story -- it’s the beginning of a journey where we grow, serve, and glorify Him.

And with His current pick, God chooses ________________ (fill in your name)! How can you live out the purpose for which God has chosen you today? 

-- Rev. David T. Wilkinson, SOUND BITES Ministry

#6102

LEADERS FILLED WITH ENTHUSIASM – Part 1

“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.”  (Colossians 3:23 HCSB)

The Buffalo Bills were playing the Houston Oilers in the first round of the Superbowl playoffs [in 1992] without their star quarterback, who was injured. By the end of the first half, the Bills were losing 35-3. But football history was about to be made.

In the second half, Frank Reich, the Bill’s backup quarterback, energized himself and the team with enthusiasm, and passed for four touchdowns. The Bills won in overtime 41-38. [At the time] it was called the greatest comeback in the history of the National Football League. The key to victory was Reich’s enthusiastic inspiration.

Effective leaders have learned that their own enthusiasm sets off in other people a chain of enthusiastic participation. Enthusiasm lights a fire under the soul, creates energy, relieves boredom, and helps us work with our whole heart. 

-- Walt Kallestad in “The Everyday, Anytime Guide to Christian Leadership”

#5673

A RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST

Jesus prayed, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." (John 17:1-3 NIV)

It certainly has been a blessing being on an NFL team and competing at this level. But as rewarding as that is, it's not nearly as rewarding as having a relationship with Jesus Christ. There's no other way to live. This is a mission field, because guys need to be reached. A lot of guys are hurting because they've bought into the big lie that they need more and more money, and more and more fame. But a lot of them are empty when they find out this isn't true.

-- Mark Brunell, former NFL Quarterback, in Sports Spectrum magazine


#4662

“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)

#4599

KEEPING OUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”  (Philippians 2:3-4 NIV)

My dad has been a tremendous example for not only our family but the whole community because of his humility and his character. I've really looked up to him and respected him in his life. When you're in the spotlight, if you play sports at a high level, people will look up to you and it's kind of easy to get a big head. But he's taught me to keep my priorities straight with God being No. 1. God calls us to be humble and I think that's probably one of the main characteristics I look up to with my dad.

-- Michelle Munoz, talking about her dad, Hall of Fame football player Anthony Munoz, in Sports Spectrum


#4268

TESTIMONY AT A FOOTBALL GAME

I learned that consistency, honesty, and integrity are indispensable elements of an effective testimony. It happened just days after [my wife] and I moved into the parsonage of our first pastorate. I was asked to referee a "touch football game" for some boys in the community. I replied that I didn't know all the rules of the game but was willing to do the best that I could. They accepted the offer. I had not met some of the boys and felt this would be an opportunity to relate to them.

The game went well at first. Then came the "big play." A pass was thrown and caught for a long gain. As I was placing the ball at the new starting point, Elliot, a deaf and mute player, indicated to me in sign language that he had been illegally held and prevented from breaking up the pass. I had not seen the infraction of the rule. Several of the boys from each team said, "Preacher Mitchell, you can depend on what Elliot tells you. He is honest and truthful." This posed a problem for the referee who was supposed to "call the games as he saw it." I turned to the one who supposedly held him and asked, "Did you hold him?"

Embarrassingly he replied, "Yes I did." I nullified the play and assigned a penalty. The entire group was satisfied. What a testimony for consistency, truth, and integrity on communicating our message to others! Even the offender agreed with the testimony of the offended. If beneficial in a "touch football game," it is demanded in Christian testimony.

--Virgil Mitchell in Wesley Press' Teacher Helps


#3595

TAKING A KNEE

Some football players, when they break away for a go-ahead score or cause a key third-down sack, want to be sure they get their full ESPN's worth -- the dances, the struts, the jerky moves they've been saving up for just such an opportunity.

Then there's the other approach -- the guy who rips off a long touchdown run, flips the ball back to the referee, and trots to the sideline without all the show and the secret handshakes. He lives by this code: Don't act like it's the first time you've ever seen the inside of the end zone. Look like you've been there . . . like you never expected to be anywhere else.

When Jesus returns, you can be sure there will be a lot of people doing a lot of tap dancing, trying hard to prove why their occasional big plays should be enough to earn them a spot on His team. But eventually, "every knee" will bow, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11). That's when the people who'd already humbled themselves before Him on earth will have no hesitation taking a knee and giving Him praise in heaven. It'll be like they've been there... like they never expected to be anywhere else. And where they'll be thankful now that there's no more penalty for excessive celebration.

-- Joe Gibbs in Two Minute Drills online devotional


#3589

NO EXCUSES

In his book with Ken Blanchard, Everyone's a Coach, Don Shula tells of losing his temper near an open microphone during a televised game with the Los Angeles Rams. Millions of viewers were surprised and shocked by Shula's explicit profanity. Letters soon arrived from all over the country, voicing the disappointment of many who had respected the coach for his integrity.

Shula could have given excuses, but he didn't. Everyone who included a return address received a personal apology. He closed each letter by stating, "I value your respect and will do my best to earn it again."

There are two ways to gain respect. One is to act nobly. The other is, when you fail to do so, to make no excuses.

-- from Leadership, Vol. 17, No. 1


#3281