Sports Ministry Conference Update

Last week I attended a sports ministry conference in North Carolina. It was one of the best conferences I have been to!

I was challenged in many ways to make sure the sports ministry at our church was more than just a program that people attended.

1 Timothy 4:8 says "Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next."

As the next few weeks unfold and we begin to evaluate our strategy for doing sports ministry and make the needed changes, I look forward to seeing what God is going to do. I have been reminded, once again, that it is not about me and my abilities, but rather God and what he wants to accomplish.

Sports Ministry Conference

I will be at a conference in North Carolina all week. Please pray that God will use this time to challenge me personally and professionally.

I look forward to sharing what I learned her on this blog next week.

True Passion

This weekend my ministry team visited our newest campus for the Sunday morning services. This campus is in Camden County, GA...about 1 hour from our main campus in Jacksonville.

They are currently meeting at a local recreation center. I was moved by the passion this smaller group had for starting a ministry in their community. They had been driving the 55 miles to our campus!

It was obvious from the smiles on their face they were excited about what God was doing and elated to be able to be a part of it.

It reminded me of my days pastoring a new start up church. The relationships I built with the 3 other families who consistently showed up 2 hours before the service to set everything up (we met at a local middle school) are some of the best friends I have today.

Are you passionate about what God is doing in your life and ministry? What is God doing right now that you get to be a part of?

By asking myself these questions, I realized how blessed I am to be at this church and involved in the sports ministry. I remembered again how blessed I am to have a great wife and family and friends that genuinely care for me.

Please pray for our Camden County campus. They are doing a great job. I look forward to preaching for them several times over the next couple of months.

More Than Just A Game, Part 2

The Discipline of an Athlete
1 Corinthians 9:25 - 27

Work comes before play. Work comes before play. Work comes before play. Work comes...... and so it went, writing these 4 words over and over 500 times!

My dad had told me and the siblings to cut the grass and clean up the yard. We were on spring break and as soon as he left, we decided the pool looked much more exciting than yard work. Wouldn't you know it. This turned out to be the one day dad forgot something at home and had to turn around to get it.

I will never forget the look he gave as he slid the glass door to the backyard open. We knew we had been busted. The penalty for our sins...write 500 times "work comes before play."

Discipline is something you hear a lot about in the sports world. Athletes....from the pee wee leagues to the major leagues....spend time in training to get the muscles and the mind to do what they should.

In Paul's day the athlete did the same thing.

"All athletes practice strict self-control." 1 Corinthians 9:25
"I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should." 1 Corinthians 9:27

When our sports ministry says our sports are "more than just a game," we mean our games should be marked by discipline and our players should be challenged to grow in spirit, mind, and body.

Any given day you can read the sports page or watch ESPN and see the lack of discipline in sports. You can watch the local news and see the stories of parents and coaches literally fighting before or after a game.

At Christ's Church, and in any church as far as that goes, the discipline with which the game is played should be noticeably different. There should be an attitude that reflects the love of Christ evident as we play the games.

This is very counter-culture and, therefore, is not easy. Discipline never is.

"No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening--it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way." Hebrews 12:11 (NLT)

What makes discipline painful?

• It is a physical correction. Learning to do something different or new causes pain in the muscles until they are trained. From a punishment standpoint, I grew up being spanked when I disobeyed. That physical correction was painful...but it was effective in the way it was done. It was never abusive.
• It is mental correction. Who enjoys being corrected? That means we were wrong and no one likes being wrong. A person who lives a disciplined life has learned to overcome the mental struggles themselves. Others, until they learn to discipline themselves, need an outside agent to do the correcting. This is the most difficult challenge we face in our sports. We have many individuals who have not learned to discipline themselves mentally and it spews out of their mouth.
• It is a spiritual correction. "As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Whoever heard of a child who was never disciplined? If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all." Hebrews 12:7-8 (NLT)

To say our games should be marked with more discipline is to say...

• the physical nature of the game is different (competitive yet with great sportsmanship),
• the mental nature of the game is different (played with great character as well as skills),
• the spiritual aspect of our games are different (we grow as Christians who are athletes).

As you play...is it more than just a game?

It's Never Too Early

My brother, Jimmy, and I grew up playing basketball. Of course, I was always better than he was (he may argue that point).

He now has the blessing of a daughter, Olivia. He is starting her off in the right direction with this nerf basketball goal. Since she made the basket, I can tell she got her skills from her mother.

Sarah played basketball growing up as well. She is probably better than both me and Jimmy!

Go Gators!!

I haven't said anything about it on my blog, but.....

GO GATORS!!!!

My Cousin The Great Softball Player

I just found out what a great softball player my cousin in West Virginia is.

Erin plays on her high school team. She has .456 batting average and plays 2nd base.

Last night her mom called to tell me Erin had a single, double, and triple in her game. She scored 3 runs and also stole 3rd base.

Carrie and I are very proud of Erin. Not only is she a great athlete, but a great young lady who has a heart to follow God. She is going on her first overseas mission trip this summer. We pray that God will use her to bring many people into a closer relationship with him.

Like a lot of the young people who play in our sports leagues at Christ's Church, Erin is a true example of someone who engages with the world around her (like playing sports) yet does not allow the world to change her.

Keep it up, Erin!

More Than Just A Game, Part 1

Sports - The Ultimate Common Ground
1 Corinthians 9:19-23

We have a saying at Christ's Church that our sports ministry is "more than just a game." This is the first of several articles that will explore what this really means.

Take a look at this picture. I love this picture. It shows some of the diversity God created. We had just finished playing a game of soccer. It was the Christ's Church group of men vs. the local school kids. We barely won!

It was taken at a school in a village about one hour south of Tegucigalpa, Honduras. While on our mission trip their last September, we had several opportunities to play soccer with the locals. I couldn't speak their language and they couldn't speak mine, but we spoke the common language of 'soccer.' (The kids actually spoke the language of 'soccer' much better than I did!)

When I lived in Nashville, TN I worked for an inner-city YMCA. I was able to go into any community without fear because I had built a relationship with these guys based on basketball. The first game I played on their court I was respectful, but played all out. I actually had a pretty nice dunk! From that moment on, no matter what the reason I was in their community, I was respected. They knew I was there to have fun and just play some ball. Basketball had become our common ground. There wasn't much else that we had in common.

Today it is Tim. He plays on my church basketball team. If it wasn't for this team, I would have never had the chance to meet Tim. He is a great basketball player and now my dunks have turned to lay ups! By starting with this common ground, we have built a friendship that I hope will last a long time.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about this concept.

• I have become a servant to everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. (vs 19)
• When I am with the Jews, I become one of them so I can bring them to Christ. (vs 20)
• When I am with those who follow Jewish laws, I do the same, even though I am not subject to them, so I can bring them to Christ. (vs 20)
• When I am with the Gentiles, I fit in with them as much as I can while never disobeying the law of God. In this way I gain their confidence and bring them to Christ. (vs 21)
• When I am with the oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. (vs 22)

Here is the key verse. The second part of 1 Corinthians 9:22 says "Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ."

That is one of the reasons we can say Christ's Church sports is "more than just a game!" It is a common ground we can use to bring people to Christ.

Why do you play sports? More than likely, if you are reading this you are not getting paid to play sports. You do it for fun. If you are a Christian, take a look around. Who has God placed in your league or on your team that he intended for the sport to be a common ground that you can build a relationship from?