July 31, 2023 - Play By Faith

Sometimes the game simply isn’t going the way we planned… maybe it is a close hard-fought game where we expected to be winning handily… maybe we just are stinking it up one night… or maybe we are simply getting the crud beat out of us because the opposing team is bigger, stronger, faster, better, etc. Man, I remember some nights where it seemed like the opponent was overwhelming us like a flood…

So much of our training in sports (and in life) tends to revolve around outcomes/scoreboards while there is so much to learn about how to deal with it when things aren’t going our way.

The Apostle Paul writes about this often… in fact, one of his most famous verses he penned under the inspiration of the Spirit, stated that he could "do all things through Christ" --- and the context indicates he is referring to both winning and losing… (Philippians 4:13)

This idea was shared by Dustin Poirerer after getting knocked out in a fight this past weekend: “If I win like a man, I’ve gotta be able to lose like a man.”

The reality is that life is at times really hard! Even as I type this week’s Game Plan, we face some exciting upcoming opportunities, yet also face some very serious obstacles… BUT we know what the Game Plan is… what God has called us to in spite of the circumstances… and as a result we take instruction from what Paul shared to the Corinthians that were facing some very serious struggles… even to the point of death.

Paul states, “Be steadfast, immovable…” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

When troubles hit… when the game isn’t going the way we planned… there is a call to stay firm and unwavering to the Game Plan… “always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

There is no need to tell us to be steadfast and immovable unless there is uneasiness around us… when the scoreboard isn’t showing what we want, we have the choice of quitting or pressing on… of coming up with our own  plan or trusting the Coach… (I choose to play by faith…)

Recipe for Losing: Focus on self above team… instead of self for the team!

Recipe for Losing: Focus on self above team… instead of self for the team!

I’ve written in the past about guys I played with that couldn’t wait to see the scorebook or the stat sheet after each game… this was even true in post-scholastic rec leagues I played in… and I confess was true of me to some degree through high school. I cared about our team greatly but, to be honest, we were not a “winning program” and I found myself often focused on individual victories. To this day, when I reminisce about high school ball, I tend to talk about what I did more than what we did. The only team victories that come to mind are games where I scored a last-second winning shot… or had a big scoring night against bigger players… or even my first coaching victory when, as an 18 yr old, when I led a jr. high school team to a big unexpected “W”! (I detect an “I” problem in that paragraph!)

Yet as I matured, I started playing a different position than I did in high school… I moved to the point guard position and discovered a whole new joy in playing! Granted this was just at the adult rec league level, but I found that my teams had much more success in the wins column when I started taking pride in making others around me better. I still scored the ball… a lot… but also found myself piling up the assists. I started taking notice of little things such as where certain shooters liked to receive the pass to be in their best rhythm... or how words of affirmation would encourage stronger effort… I was “considering” what set up my teammates for team success!

The majority of the New Testament is written to them team, and many of the things we attribute to the individual is better translated to the team as a whole… and when we do read individual instructions of how we should be playing the game, they tend to be in the context of how that will help the team.

Hebrews 10:24 tells us: “…consider one another in order to stir up love and good works…”

This is not a game plan that tells one to ignore his personal game/growth… but to the contrary… one that says, “get better… grow… be the best you can be… for the sake of the team!”

Ephesians 4:16 says: “from whom the whole body (the team) joined and knit together by what every joint supplies (the individual player), according to the effective working by which every part (the individual player) does its share, causes GROWTH of the body (the team) for the edifying of itself in love.”

This week’s game plan question: Have you ever done something because others were depending on you?

The team needs you.. it is hard to run plays when players are missing!

July 17, 2023 - Let your ATTITUDE determine your ALTITUDE!

I have said before that I have never entered a huddle with one of my teams and told them what they needed to do to lose… the same would obviously be true of God and His Word… He always gives us the best way to find victory in circumstances. (Note: Victory “in” is different that victory “from” – God doesn’t always remove circumstances but always provides for victory “in” or “through” them!)

Our devotion site is titled “Game Plans for Life” with a goal of helping navigate the ups and downs of the game… to help with when we are winning or when we are losing. The reality is that we can’t always control the scoreboard, (sometimes we have a bad game… sometimes the other team is simply better…), but we can control our ATTITUDES…

When our physical ALTITUDE (circumstances/the scoreboard) determines our ATTITUDE, we will only find joy/peace/satisfaction if things are going our way… BUT… when our ATTITUDE determines our spiritual ALTITUDE, we will find joy/peace/satisfaction in spite of circumstances/the scoreboard…

I’ve written about this part of The Playbook many times, but felt it appropriate again this week…

Philippians 4:4 is an incredible ATTTUDE verse: REJOICE in the Lord ALWAYS. Again I will say, rejoice! (I figure if the Spirit can prompt Paul to write it again, I can share it again… and again… and again!)

He goes on to mention having gentleness (vs 5), contentment (vs 6), and peace (vs 7)… These are all examples of a spiritual ALTITUDE that is a result of a proper ATTITUDE...

This plays out in Paul’s life in not allowing his physical ALTIUDE to determine his ATTITUDE… in verses 10-12 he reminds us that the physical ALTITUDE is ever changing… many ups and downs… but one’s ATTITUDE determines how he/she handles it…

4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Paraphrase: Circumstances/the scoreboard will not determine my ATTITUDE… my victory is in Jesus… not in what I am taken from… left in… or going through! I will REJOICE in or out of the storm!

Next week I plan to share a recipe for a losing attitude: When there is too much focus on the individual instead of the team…

July 10, 2023 - Have You Committed Any Turnovers Lately?

Sometimes statistics can be a bit misleading… especially when we lose sight of what it really means to be a good player…

This past NBA season ended with the Denver Nuggets on the championship podium. They had great contributions from many players in the playoffs with 6 guys averaging double figures in scoring… their biggest star, Nikola Jokic, came close to averaging a triple double for the playoffs (30 ppg, 13.4 rbg, 9.5 apg.) Nikola is a phenomenal player yet he also led the team in turnovers per game at 3.5 per game…

In the meantime, there were 3 Nuggets that averaged no turnovers per game for the entire playoffs… BUT… the three of them combined only averaged .5 ppg, .8 rbp, and .4 apg! You see those three guys spent most of their time on the bench, and we measure how effective a player is being by what he contributes, not by what he avoids.

Simply put, Nikola did lead the team in turnovers because he handled the ball the most… the offense flowed through him… and, in the words of John Wooden, “the doer makes mistakes.”

I fear that in church circles we spend too much time just focused on the “do nots” instead of the “dos”! We say things like “he’s a good Christian boy, he doesn’t…” (fill in the blank.)

We were set free at salvation and told to be sanctified… set apart… but remember these truths:

James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

I love the way the NASB puts it: But prove yourselves doers of the word…

Galatians 5:13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Our set apart lives were never intended to be sitting on the bench and averaging no assists… we are called to Go MAD (Make A Difference) in the game! And sometimes that may even mean we mess up…

July 3, 2023 - Miracle on Ice

In 1980, legendary hockey coach, Herb Brooks, took a group of diverse players… some that were bitter rivals… and persuaded them to lay down their egos for the sake of whom they were playing for… and Team USA won the “Miracle on Ice” against the Soviet Union team. Brooks reminded his players that the name on the front of their jerseys was what was important!

Brooks convinced this group of college stars to buy into a common game plan… to be on the same page with one another and put behind how they may have played in the past…

When one becomes a Christian, he “puts on a new jersey”! Yet, as Christians, we still remember how we used to play… at times we can fall back into it, either by forgetting the new “plays” – or – willfully choosing the old to try to feed our egos.

At a time of year where we celebrate freedom, can I remind us of a couple truths?

For you, brethren, have been called to liberty (freedom); only do not use liberty (freedom) as an opportunity for the flesh, BUT THROUGH LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER! Galatians 5:13

Do you see it… freedom is for the good of the team!

In Ephesians 5:7 Paul is telling us to “not be partakers with” those living in sin… he goes on in verse 8 and says, “For you were once darkness…” (That was our old team!) “…but now you are light in the Lord…” (our new team) “Walk as children of light…”

Do you see it… in each of the passages from the Playbook I shared, there is a command to play according to the new game plan… [NOTE: A COMMAND INDICATES IT IS POSSIBLE FOR US TO PLAY LIKE BEING ON OUR OLD TEAM]

In Ephesians, Paul goes on to describe the new game plan as being servants, submitting to others.

I love the story of the “Miracle on Ice” – BUT – it has nothing on the story/mystery that Paul writes of in Ephesians… a mystery of Jew and Gentile (diverse people) becoming one… and I echo his sentiments:

“…that I should preach… the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship (teamwork) of the mystery…” Ephesians 3:8-9

The name on the front of your jersey is what the mystery is all about… the new team you are a part of… the new game plan you are called to…

Great teams have players committed to putting the past way of playing behind, and buying into a common goal… common game plan… BECOMING ONE! This mystery is the real miracle!!!