Sports

Varieties of Gifts

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One thing I’ve noticed over the past several decades of watching the NFL playoffs and Super Bowls is that the teams that go to the playoffs and deepest into the playoffs have the most Pro-Bowl selections. What is striking, though is the team with the NFL rushing leaders or passing leader isn’t always the team that stands victorious at the end.

Teams that hold the trophy at the end are almost universally made up of a large group of guys who all played their part in the success. No one chastises the left tackle for the fact that he scored zero touchdowns. Yet the touchdowns scored by the team are credited to the left tackle for the part he played in making them happen.

A Variety of Gifts

Such is the case in the church as well. In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter writes, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace,” and then follows up with a list of the types of gifts God has given the church. Not only has God provided a variety of gifts to the church, each individual has his or her own personality and character. Some folks are more extroverted while some are introverted. Some people are more likely to dive headlong into a risky situation, and others will be cautious, maybe overly cautious at times.

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The 1st Amendment

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Free speech, free expression, and the freedom of religion are excellent rights which our constitution’s 1st amendment promises cannot be taken away. These elements, though not the Gospel themselves, allow the Gospel to be proclaimed freely within our borders. Our nation’s commitment to protecting and preserving these rights has led to a lot of good. America is a world leader in the production of Christian resources. You and I can acquire virtually any supplemental resource we could imagine to help us study the Bible as a result of this protection.

Admittedly, American is also a world leader in the production of bad Christian resources. That’s the trade off, though, isn’t it? Your local Christian bookstore’s commentary section is probably a lot smaller than its section on self-help. That’s a rant for another day…

Frequently we see someone lose their high profile position or get punished by their employer over something they said. The initial reaction we might have is to ask, “what about their freedom of speech?” Are their rights trampled in this situation? The quick answer is “No,” but I want to explore the issue a bit deeper.

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Things Above Us?

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Colossians 3:1-2 is, in essence, the theme of this blog.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.[/perfectpullquote]

So how can a group of guys get together, entitle a blog “Things Above Us” in clear reference to scripture, then proceed to make sports one of the four pillars of categories alongside such heavenly minded topics as theology, evangelism and missions?

Let’s briefly (for word count purposes) examine Col 3:1-2. Mouse over the verse references to read them or just keep a copy of God’s Word open next to you or in another browser tab.

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It Hurts Right Here

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The Problem A few months ago I developed a tightness in my right Achilles tendon when squatting. When I would hit the bottom of a squat, I would feel a burning sensation where the tendon attaches to my heel. Realizing it was not correct, I stopped achieving full range of motion and began to treat … Read more

Brady Is Not The GOAT, But Super Bowl LII Was

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I’m old enough to remember a time when the running joke was about people being more excited for the commercials than the game. The games were routinely lopsided and the commercials, in my nostalgic mind, were hysterical. I don’t know how true that is. From 1985 (the year I was born) to 1997, there were … Read more