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Originally written April 2020 for CSRM Blog, Now apart of the Ministry Misfits Blog Along with the general controversies about a cheating champion, another major controversy has arisen out of the Astro’s scandal. Players and fans across the board have been outraged over the “apology” statements from some of the Astro’s biggest names. Many feel that the statements made were insincere. However the statements from Dave Hudgens, who was the 2017 Astro’s hitting coach, are where I want to begin today. “Well, I should’ve gone into A.J.’s office and said something, like any of us should’ve done. But we didn’t. And I really can’t even think of what I was thinking back then, to be honest with you.” This is an important statement for us within Sports Ministry to understand. The temptation to cheat can and will happen to everyone. The Prophet Jeremiah says it this way: “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” - Jeremiah 17:9 We don’t know where it will show up, how it will show up, or what it will look like, but the temptation to cheat will come and it will be enticing. So today, let's look at our own deceitful hearts, and be honest with ourselves and this issue of cheating.The Prophet Jeremiah knows a thing or two about being cheated. His entire ministry was one persecution or depressing object lesson for the people after another. He had the responsibility of letting Judah know that the God’s Judgement was finally coming, and they responded by harassment, imprisonment, sentenced to die, had to watch his prophesy come true, and yes he was cheated by the false prophets in the land as well. Here in chapter 17, Jeremiah calls Judahout for their idolatry. He curses the wealth of the land, and announces the Word of the Lord that faith in mankind is foolish, because mankind’s “heart is more deceitful that anything else.” Then Jeremiah has a realization as he delivers the rest of God’s message. “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? I, Yahweh, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve. He who makes a fortune unjustly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay. In the middle of his days his riches will abandon him, so in the end he will be a fool. A throne of glory on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. Lord, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away from Me will be written in the dirt, for they have abandoned the Lord, the fountain of living water.” Jeremiah 17:9-13 The realization Jeremiah comes to, is that he is just as bad as the people he is calling out. This is why the following section we see Jeremiah cry out to God, on his own behalf.“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.” - Jeremiah 17:14There are three thoughts I want to leave you with this week. 1. It’s going to happen to you We have to recognize that everyone is going to be tempted to cheat at one point or another.We already saw in Matthew 4, that Jesus himself was faced with it, and so we better be expecting to see it in our lives as well. And as we see in Jeremiah 17:9 that “The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it?” Deceit comes easily and naturally, and so we actually have to work at being honest. This can only happen when we recognize it. 2. Remember that the outcome is never as good as it seems. All you have to do is look at where we are right now in April 2020. All over the world people are in lockdown over a virus so small that we cannot see it. Why are we dealing with this virus, because we thought that we could cheat the system back in the garden.“I, Yahweh, examine the mind, I test the heart to give to each according to his way, according to what his actions deserve. He who makes a fortune unjustly is like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay. In the middle of his days his riches will abandon him, so in the end he will be a fool.” - Jeremiah 17:10-11 3. There is a way out of the Temptation Jesus shows us very plainly how to respond to the temptation to cheat, all throughout Matthew 4. Jesus responds to Satan all three times with God’s word and God’s authority, something that we see Eve not do in Genesis 3. It is important for us to know and rely on God’s power when faced with the easier option. “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise. Hear how they keep challenging me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come!” But I have not run away from being Your shepherd, and I have not longed for the fatal day. You know my words were spoken in Your presence. Don’t become a terror to me. You are my refuge in the day of disaster. Let my persecutors be put to shame, but don’t let me be put to shame.” - Jeremiah 17:14-18 When we are in ministry, we are often looked at as being perfect people. Perfect people that never sin, and never have to deal with the temptations that “the common folk” have to face. Unfortunately, from time to time, we buy into that lie, and when we do, we fall back into the same trap that we see from the nation of Judah in Jeremiah 17 and that we saw from Coach Hudgens in 2017. We have to be honest with ourselves, “My heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—I cannot understand it. Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.” Once we understand this, we can effectively move on to handling others that do it as well.

Originally written for the CSRM Blog March of 2020, Now apart of the While I was reading those tweets a few weeks ago and other responses from MLB and its players over the investigation into the 2017 Astros, one tweet in particular caught my eye. “I would rather face a player that was taking steroids than face a player that knew every pitch that was coming.” - Alex Woods, LA Dodgers, P This begs a major question, why do we rate different methods of cheating differently? Why are some methods of cheating considered forgivable or even normal, while others are considered so outrageous that they invoke lifetime bans from the Halls of Fame or from the sport altogether? Let me lay out a few, well known, cheating incidents in MLB from the past 40 years. July 24, 1983 - George Brett hits a home run with a bat deemed illegal for having too much pine tar too far up on the bat. He is called out for violating rule Rule 1.10(c) of the Major League Baseball rule book. It is later overturned by MLB. George Brett and the infamous bat are inducted into the Hall of Fame. 1990s - Steroid Era in Baseball. Home Run records are broken numerous times. Players from all across the decade are later indicted and have since then been barred from the Hall of Fame by the BWAA. The Records remain intact. July 15, 1994 - The Chicago White Sox accuse Albert Belle of having a corked bat. MLB investigates by locking the bat up for the game to be examined laters. Cleveland Indians personnel attempt to steal and replace the bat but are caught doing so. Albert Belle is suspended 7 games for corking. After a go ahead home run in the 1996 ALDS, the Baltimore Orioles again try and accuse him of a corked bat. It was not. June 3, 2004 - Sammy Sosa is ejected, 2 months after hitting his 500th career home run, after his broken bat is found to be corked. Sosa takes responsibility, but claims it was his practice bat and never was meant to be used in game. 2017-2019 - Houston Astro’s win a World Series and 2 AL Titles, but are found to have been illegally recording signs and transmitting them to the hitters. Minor fines are issued, draft picks are removed, and personnel are fired. Titles remain intact. All of these events were made famous simply because someone was caught cheating. Some claim it was unintentional, others clearly showed it was intentional and tried to cover it up. Some were severely punished, others were simply given a slap on the wrist, while others were forgiven. Why? How can we determine which level of cheating is worse? Honestly, this is a question that can’t be answered fully from an athletic point of view, although for athletes and those involved in athletics, it is something we all somewhat understand. Over the last two weeks however, we looked at theological side to cheating and saw that cheating in all circumstances, is always sinful and an act of idolatry and blasphemy. So this raises bigger questions for us in Sports Ministry. If all cheating is sin, is all cheating the same? If all cheating is the same, should it be responded to the same? Biblically we can find the answer to these questions. “Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches people to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 5:19 “For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all. For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. So if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you are a lawbreaker.” - James 2:10-11 Sin is sin. period. If we deny this aspect, even the it comes to cheating in Athletic competitions, we will lose credibility as ministers of the Gospel. All cheating is the same, and if all cheating is the same, then it needs to be responded to the same. And while it sounds harsh to consider a kid sneaking a couple extra bills in monopoly during family game night to be considered the same as Professional Athlete stealing a championship, it is another opportunity for us in ministry to show those in our care the true message of the gospel. “You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” - Matthew 5:43-45 “Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” - James 2:12-13 We as Christians and Ministers of the Gospel have an awesome advantage, that the rest of the world does not. We are judged by the law of freedom and mercy. We are able to forgive the harshest of offenses, because we have been forgiven the harshest of offenses. All Cheating is Sin, and all cheating is the same and should be responded to the same. But the way we respond is one of Love, Mercy, and Freedom through Christ, not judgement. Next week, we will look more at the methodology of how we actually can practice this.

Originally posted on the CSRM Blog February of 2020, Now apart of the Ministry Misfits Blog. “I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.” - John 10:1 What does this verse have to with the 2017 Houston Astros? Maybe nothing or maybe a whole lot. There is one more piece of Theology we have to discuss before we move on to the Philosophical aspect of all this. It's one thing to just say cheating is sin, but we have to understand why it is sinful for us to truly be able to deal with this effectively. It's not enough to just call something sinful, and then leave it at that. What is it about cheating that makes it sinful?The Theology of Sin, referred to as hamartiology coming from the Greek ἁμαρτία (hamartia) meaning “to miss the mark” and -λογια, (-logia,) to study. This begins to help us understand the idea of what sin overall is. Simply put, sin is missing God’s standard for living. St. Augustine describes sin to be “"a word, deed, or desire in opposition to the eternal law of God.” But how exactly does cheating in terms of Athletic Competition fit into this definition? Does stealing signs with a camera really in opposition to the eternal law of God? “I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.” - John 10:1 Again what does this verse have to do with cheating in Athletics? The word ἀλλαχόθεν (allachothen) is used only twice in scripture and both by Jesus, once here in John 10 and once again in Mark 1. It is an adverb that means “by another way.” In Mark, Jesus was encouraging his disciples to keep moving so that he could continue to preach, but here in John 10 it comes with a much deeper meaning.Jesus says that the one that climbs in “by another way” is a thief and a robber. Later on in verse 10 he adds that these thieves “come only to steal and to kill and to destroy.” Last week we saw in Genesis 3 that Adam and Eve get cheating in the garden. They tried to achieve knowledge, sustenance, and power “by another way.” And as a result, their innocence was stolen, death became a reality, and destruction is everywhere. But more than that, there is an underlying issue that cheating as sin brings out, and to see this we have to turn back to Exodus 20.The Ten Commandments, is one of the most well known passages in all of scripture. These 10 rules were the first of the Laws given out by God, that set the moral framework for the entire law to follow. If you could keep these 10 rules, righteousness was within your grasp. No other gods No Idols No misuse of God’s name Honor the sabbath Honor your parents Don’t murder Don’t commit adultery Don’t steal Don’t slander Don’t covet Of these 10, three of these we would naturally apply to the general idea of cheating. Adultery, Stealing, and potentially Slander. However, that is not the commandment I want us to consider when we look at cheating as sin. It is the commandment that we all have broken daily, and the desire to break it makes us want to achieve our goals “by another way.”“Do not have other gods besides Me.” - Exodus 20:2 This first commandment, which if we would follow, would make following all other commandments a natural response. This is the real underlying reason that cheating in any scenario, athletics included, is sinful. We want to be God. We have our goals, and we want to achieve all of them, regardless of what the goals of other people are or how it may affect them. We want to be God. Look back at John 10. “I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him, because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers.”Jesus gave them this illustration, but they did not understand what He was telling them. So Jesus said again, “I assure you: I am the door of the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. - John 10:1-10 Next week we will begin to evaluate how we look at those that cheat, but it is important to remember today that Theology matters in Sports Ministry just as much as every other area of ministry, because like all the other areas ministry, we are in the business of redemption. While we, are driven by our sinful and human desire to become our own God “by climbing in some other way,” Jesus offers a simpler solution. He is the door, and says we can enter in to the One True God’s presence through Him. No climbing, just entering and following after him rather than our own desires. And in response, we see life rather death.

Originally posted on the CSRM Blog February of 2020, now apart of the Ministry Misfits Blog. As news of the 2017 Astro’s Cheating Scandal Investigation came to light in January 2020, MLB players took to social media to express their opinions. Many of them are not suited to be posted on a ministry site, but the majority all shared the same sentiment. “For the sake of the game I Hope this isn’t true.. if true, there needs to be major consequences to the players. That Completely ruins the integrity of the game!!!” - Cody Bellinger, LA Dodgers, 1B “I would rather face a player that was taking steroids than face a player that knew every pitch that was coming.” - Alex Wood, LA Dodgers, P “They shouldn’t feel comfortable looking at any of us in the eye let alone on the field and any other MLB player feel different, they can get it too.” - Mike Clevinger, Cleveland Indians, P “What happened to the term ‘cheaters never prosper’?” - Evan Longoria, SF Giants, 3B Cheating always, understandably, brings a lot of emotion with it. You work hard at something and then suddenly it gets stripped away from you by no fault of your own, and by someone that didn’t deserve it. When emotions are so high, it becomes increasingly important for us as ministers to be sure we are responding appropriately, and more importantly, how do we as disciple makers respond redemptively? So for the next few weeks, I want us to look at Cheating and Cheaters in the context of the Three Tier Paradigm. This week we are going to look at the Theology of Cheaters and Cheating. What is it that God has to say? To fully understand what God has to say in this matter, we need to go all the way back to the beginning, Genesis chapters 1 & 2.In the beginning, God creates everything with order and structure, and then places mankind in the garden to take care of it. God then gives them one rule,“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” - Genesis 2:16-17One rule to follow, and if they do, God provides them with everything they need to not only survive, but to rule over the rest of creation. We know what happens next though, the serpent shows up and tells Eve “No! You will not die,” the serpent said to the woman. “In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” - Genesis 3:4-5Look at what the serpent is really offering here, “you will be like God.” God already had given mankind the ability to do this. We were made in God’s image, given free access to Him, and had even been given authority to rule over Creation. But Satan offers another option to “achieve” the same status, even if it means violating the rules. This isn’t the only time we see this either. Look at what we see in Matthew 4:8-9.“Again, the Devil took Him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to Him, ‘I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.’”Satan is talking to an exhausted and hungry Jesus. Jesus, who has been preparing for the last 40 days and nights with prayer and fasting in the desert to begin His Messianic ministry. A ministry that He knows results in Him being tortured and killed, in order that He can rightfully take His place as the King of Kings. And what does Satan offer Him? A quick and painless way out. He can have His kingdoms, but without the work, the torture, or the death.Why is cheating a Theological issue, because cheating is sin. There is no other way to describe it. The idea that you can accomplish a goal, outside of the standards put forth by the creator, whether in life or athletics, is nothing short of sin.This is important for us to remember in the Sports Ministry world, especially. As long as there is something to be gained, there will be people that try and cheat their way to the top, even within a Discipleship focused league. So rather than trying to deny it, we need to figure out what we are to do when it rears its ugly head, both with the temptation to cheat and the cheaters that we encounter. We will look at this more in the coming weeks, as we continue through the three tiers, and look at both the Philosophical and Methodological sides to this all too common temptation.

Originally written for the CSRM Blog February 2020, now apart of the Ministry Misfits Blog As I write this, the athletic world is focused on the postponement of March Madness 2020, the 2020 Olympic Games, Wimbledon 2020, the 2020 Masters tournament, and the seasons of MLB, NBA, and NHL. It is a weird time for every aspect of world culture that is unprecedented and unseen since WWII. However, if you were to go back just 3 weeks ago the Sports Headlines were filled with headlines about the Houston Astros Organization 2017 Championship Season, and the responses coming from Major League Baseball. This had been coming for a long time, the Houston Astros had been somewhat of a laughing stock since their failed World Series run in 2005. In the 58 seasons that they have been apart of MLB they do not even have a .500 record (.496). Furthermore, in the decade between World Series appearances, they had only 4 .500 seasons, and 3 100+ loss seasons. Then in 2017, they won 100 games and the World Series. They had accomplished the ultimate underdog story. They went from the worst team in baseball to the best. But almost instantly, it was thrown into question. The NL Champion LA Dodgers had been suspicious from the moment the final out was recorded. The following year, the Cleveland Indians and NY Yankees had caught the Astro’s taking pictures of their dugout in the playoffs. Then in 2019, a former Astro’s pitcher leaked the information to Ken Rosenthal. Mike Fier’s blew the whistle on the sign stealing scheme that the Astro’s had used to give them an edge in 2017. They had been using the new cameras and monitors, meant for replay review, to steal signs. They relayed the signs through a coded banging on the clubhouse trashcans. The 2017 Astros were not the Disneyesque underdogs of MLB, but were in fact frauds that had cheated their way to a Championship. The Astros responded immediately by firing the manager and general managers involved. Former players from the 2017 Astros lost their coaching positions as well. However, when MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred took action, he seemingly did nothing. The Astros remain the 2017 Champions, only losing a few draft picks and $5 million. Astro’s players attempting to act sincere gave halfhearted apologies and unrepentant remarks. This is not the first time in Athletics we have seen people or organizations trying to cheat the system, and it won’t be the last. Just in the past 30 years we have the examples of known and proven cheaters that look to have won. 2017 Astros - World Series Champions Caught stealing signs with a camera. Allowed to keep the World Series Championship Protections put in place by MLB from teams retaliating 2015 New England Patriots - Super Bowl Champions “DeflateGate” Patriots balls were tampered with during AFC Championship Game Not stripped of AFC Title 2007 New England Patriots - AFC Champions Was caught filming opposing teams play calling Was not stripped of AFC Title Head Coach named Coach of the Year Steroid Era of Baseball Records for Most Career and Single Season Records held by steroid user 5 of the Top 15 Career Home Run Leaders held by a known Steroid User How do we deal with this in our world of Sports Ministry? How do we as athletes, coaches, parents, pastors, and coordinators deal with the reality that in our fallen world, sometimes cheating does pay off. What are we to do? How do we promote Christmanship in our athletes and programs, when Cheating Champions go on to glory? This is not a new question. We see throughout Scripture the Psalmist and Prophets struggle and pray through these types of questions: “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the treacherous live at ease?” - JEREMIAH 12:1 “Look at them—the wicked! They are always at ease, and they increase their wealth. Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing?” - Psalm 73:12-13 The one who is at ease holds calamity in contempt and thinks it is prepared for those whose feet are slipping. The tents of robbers are safe, and those who provoke God are secure; God’s power provides this. - Job 12:5-6 “So now we consider the arrogant to be fortunate. Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God and escape.” - Malachi 3:15 When we witness the wicked prosper, what is our response? Throughout the Old Testament we see the prophets constantly asking God, “How can this happen?!” Why do I work so hard, and do what is right, only to be mistreated and overlooked? Meanwhile people that have done everything wrong are gaining more and honors and awards. What are we to do? To answer these questions we must go back to the source of moral integrity, Scripture. What is it that God has to say about all of this?

Originally posted on the CSRM BLOG February 24, 2016 I feel blessed that over the years I have had the pleasure of watching in person my sons participate in their sporting endeavors. From the days of Little League baseball and soccer to school sports, travel basketball, and travel volleyball. One of the best things my father gave me was his presence at all my events. My dad’s presence was stronger than most of what others tried to communicate to me about the way I should play the game. It was his presence that built confidence, a sense of genuine care, and that it was ok that I made mistakes and that he was present if I needed to talk about it or learn from it. The best part about my dads presence was that I was the most important person in his schedule for that time, not just another athlete he happened to see play when he could.  The demonstration of my father’s commitment to my athletic endeavors created that desire to provide for my own children. While I have coached both of my sons on different occasions, I have found it most rewarding to simply be there….be there to watch them grow in character…be there to watch their sport development…be there to watch them experience the enjoyment of playing a sport of their choice. Through the years I have often arrived at games with much excitement for the game and my child’s performance in the game. There have been times I knew my child would play well against a particular co-competitor and there were times when I was anxious as to how he would respond. Of course, the times in which I knew he would do well meant for a better mental and spiritual process for me. It was the times in which he struggled that created more “begs” to God than He probably wanted or cared about over a sporting match. Recently, I was unable to travel with my son’s team. It was a back-to-back weekend travel schedule and I was there for the previous weekend, but due to work schedule and weather, I was not present for this series of games. What we know about being present is that the unknown is removed. You are aware of the game day operations, the teams participating, the refs, the coaches, and the interactions of the players and fans. It’s as though you can control (at least attempt to) what’s going on during the process. But, when you are absent, the mental faculties go crazy. You spend most of the time trying to create specific scenarios, interactions, and reasons for good or bad play. It really becomes an anxious event for you (the reason is its your child!). The unknown creates worry of failure while playing, fear of disrespecting officials and players, and the made up emotion of hurt for the team if they loose. There is also the emotion of a false sense of joy, excitement, and adrenaline that we create as we daydream about them winning. The unknown really created a roller coaster emotional experience. On this particular weekend, I felt as though I was calm on the first day of the tournament. I awakened, prayed and asked God to bless the team and give them a great experience (of course He knew I meant wins).  As the day went on, I would hear reports of the team losing one match, a second match, a third match that did include a win, and finally a fourth match. What happened? After all I prayed for God to bless the team. And by the sounds of my sons voice that night, he wasn’t experiencing any blessings. Where does a father (parent) go from here? I wasn’t able to help him process all the events that would have caused such mishap. While he did share some wisdom with me regarding reasons for the losses, I found myself hurting that night for him and his teammates. The best I could do at the moment was go to my ever-trusty sports motivation quotes and send him two quotes to think about and tell him I love him. Meanwhile, I lay in bed praying to God for his experience the next day. The next day arrived and I was up and ready.  As a father struggling how to integrate my faith in Christ and sport, and share that with my son, I found guidance from bible regarding the mercies of the Lord being new everyday and sent it off to him in social media format. Just letting him know that today was a new day and we are reminded to put yesterday behind and enjoy the processes for today. I then jumped in, as many of us do, with prayers of blessings again for the team and his playing performance…only to be quickly stalled in the midst of my prayers. It was then the question of “what am I really praying for” came to light. While I can have multiple dialogues on whether God cares who wins or not during a sporting event, I was convinced that I was praying in a selfish manner. You see, in actuality I was praying for the selfish reasons in regards to performance such as: His skill would be displayed His attitude would be good so he wouldn’t be a discouragement to team or coach His team would win so they wouldn’t be discouraged His team would improve so he / team wouldn’t have altercation with their coach His team would play better so that he / team members wouldn’t want to quite The referee would make the right calls (meaning the benefits for his team) The reasons all these prayers were selfish were they worked toward a goal of removing adversity and growth. My prayers were centered on being answered so that non- confrontational issues would arise.  My prayers had become more focused on performance levels and desired behavioral outcomes. As I continued to pray, I realized the need to re-focus. Sure, God does care about performance levels and behavior, but more importantly, God cares about His glory. When we pray for the glory of God to be displayed, just like it was in scripture (both with the first Adam in Genesis and the second Adam of Christ) we can do so as modeled by Jesus when he said, “Father, not my will but yours.”  It’s then glory that can be revealed and create an altering transformation. Praying now for the team and my child was altered to: Create a desire within him to glorify you with his gifts and talents, not for his glory May his attitude towards his teammates, coaches, and co-competitors represent Christmanship over Gamesmanship (win at all cost) Despite losses, may the team learn how to work together as a body, much like the body of Christ Through trials and multiple losses, would the team learn their weaknesses and how to overcome them. For success is fun, but reveals little like adversity does. The Apostle James speaks of trials and tribulations being growth points. Though I lived in a continual state of prayer on this day with anticipation of hearing about their matches, I am pleased to say that they responded to trials and placed third in their bracket out of sixteen. In final conversations with my son, we could dialogue about learning through the experiences. Learning how to communicate with teammates in difficult times, learning how to “play through” life’s disappointments, and learning how to lose and win in a Christ-like manner. Most of all, I was thankful for the processes that God led me through that weekend. It caused me to re-focus on what’s most import – learning to pray for my child during his sporting events.  While my son was facing struggles of competition, I too was facing struggles. Struggles of not being there physically to try to control the outcomes, struggles of wanting things to go their way so adversity wouldn’t be a factor, and struggles of how is it I’m to pray. Through my own adversity, God transformed the way in which I would pray for my child and his team. Not only does his performance need to reflect God’s glory, but also my prayers need to do the same. The next time you’re at your child’s sporting event, ask God to show you how to pray for them and their team. It’s a learning curve we will all face.

Originally posted on the CSRM Blog - March 2, 2016 This blog is going to be about money. Why? Because among the many tensions and stresses a Sports Ministers faces is managing an income that may not seem to be adequate in the midst of some difficult economic times. I write from the perspective of personal experience and the experiences and training I have been privileged to be taught. I have learned that Christians in all walks of life (including Sports Ministers), and with a wide range of incomes, have some very common struggles. Permit me to share what I see are a few of the arenas of struggle. BIBLICAL AUTHORITY: while we say we take God’s word as true and inspired we sometime do not search out what all He has to say about money. There are 2350 verses in the bible pertaining to money. Jesus spoke 38 parables, 16 of which dealt with money or, 45%. Since there is such an abundance of scriptures regarding money we may want to ask “why?” I believe God spoke 5 times more about money than any other single topic is because he knew money would be the leading competition for the Lordship of Jesus in our life. No matter our income, or lack of it, money will compete with Jesus in our hearts. The Psalmist tells us in 24:1, “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” If he owns it all then he has the right to instruct us in the best use of his assets. In future blogs I will share more of the specific verses and teachings, but for now let me share with you another struggle: CONTENTMENT: or the lack thereof! Paul writes in Philippians Chapter 4 that he has lived with a lot, with a little and all in between. But, he has learned to be content (13). We know that the Lordship of Jesus was firmly established in Paul’s life and he wrote from that perspective. What causes discontent among believers…among Sports Ministers? I believe is falls into not fully trusting what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you.” A major cause of discontent comes from comparing ourselves with others. Ken Boa writes that “comparison is the basis of discontent.” Do you find yourself comparing what you earn to others on your church staff? To your Senior Pastor? To others in your congregations? When we compare ourselves to others who seem to have it much better, we can get quite disgruntled and take our attention away from serving Jesus. Our discontent can also lead us to another major struggle: CONSUMERISM: or the penchant to purchase items and desire to live a lifestyle above our means. Consumerism is saying to God “you aren’t providing well enough for me so I have to go into debt to get the things that I deserve and will make me happy.” Consumer debt and credit card debt is as high among the family of God as it is in secular society. Struggling with issues of being in Sports Ministry becomes more difficult with a credit card payment due every 30 days. I mention this because I have personally: “been there, done that.” Getting wise counsel and then “gritting our teeth” for the struggle of getting out of debt is all worthwhile when we finally arrive at a place of being at peace with Jesus and our finances. This leads to another arena that is: PERSPECTIVE: or, seeing things from God’s point of view. We need to learn that all money decisions are spiritual in nature, and often emotional. God wants to instruct us in all matters including money. James 1:5 tells us to seek wisdom from God and He will give it without making us feel stupid. We learn to view life from a biblical perspective through wise counsel, taking advantage of the many teachings in the Christian community and just simply and sincerely asking God. God’s grace is extended to us and he does not condemn us even in the area of finance. THANK YOU: for reading this far! Look for more blogs in the ensuing months regarding money and finance as we expand further upon what God would have us to know.

The stats are alarming. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (as of 2016), nearly 1 in 5 adults in America battle some sort of mental illness in their lives.1 That’s not a statistic to be taken lightly. I’m one of that 20%. Growing up, did I ever think I would someday be writing about any type of mental illness that I was battling? Not in a thousand years! As far as I knew, I was a happy child with a positive outlook on life. Never could I have imagined what I would face down the road of life. As an adult, and as life began to become a bit overwhelming, I started to struggle with negativity. From there it was a slow decline. While I was in the Word, I wasn’t applying many of its truths to my own life. I had been listening to the lies of the enemy my whole life, but only now was I truly taking these lies upon myself as a part of my identity. The self-talk in my mind was ugly. Wounds from my childhood (and one traumatic incident which occurred 2 months prior to my breakdown) that I didn’t even know the depths of began to open and infect my soul. Have you ever tried to be absolutely perfect on all fronts because inside you feel lost, empty, unlovable, never good enough, and always fear the worst? I have. For 33 years. I just didn’t see it for equally as long. It took the darkest week of my life, which landed me in the ER believing I was dying, for me to begin to see what damage had been done in my mind. That whole summer was really a blur for me. The darkness, the torment, the crying out to God, the fear that took over my every move, the burden that became physical pain, the inability to leave my house, the plans I made for my family in case I should die… it was as if I was living someone else’s life. Surely this wasn’t what had become of me. I’ll admit that prior to my own battles, I didn’t take seriously the battles others faced. Anxious? Stop worrying! Depressed? Get out of bed! Suicidal? How dare you not consider those around you! My entire experience opened my heart to a type of compassion I’d never known before. I knew I wasn’t the only one struggling, and yet I never heard anyone talk about it- especially within the Church. Why wasn’t this talked about? I was determined to be open about my story. But in doing so, people didn’t know what to do with me. By being open and honest with my journey, I may as well have posted a “fragile: breaks easily” sign on my forehead. Yes, I had some who were abundantly kind, prayerful, and supportive, but others, may I be blunt, were clueless and quickly distanced themselves. The world is waking up to the reality of the grim situation we’re finding ourselves in, but is the Church? I know this is finally becoming something that is talked about on talk shows, news specials, in our schools, and even now amongst pro athletes… but where are the people of God? At least in my life experience, the topic of mental health has been kept at arm’s length (or further) within the Church. But why is that when God cares about all parts of who we are: body, mind, and spirit? The Bible has a lot to say about our thoughts and minds, yet we tend to brush right by those parts as if they don’t apply to us or wouldn’t actually make a difference in our mental health. Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Christian Cognitive Neuroscientist, in her book Switch On Your Brain states, “Research shows that 75 to 98 percent of mental, physical, and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life.”2 Let’s take that seriously and apply God’s Word as He intended! Dr. Leaf goes on to say, “Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking. When we hope, it is an activity of the mind that changes the structure of our brain in a positive and normal direction.”2 We can’t afford to keep pretending this isn’t present in our ministries and in those we’re trying to reach. If it truly is affecting 1 in 5, then it is much more prevalent in our circles than we could ever imagine. Questions to Consider: Do we believe people with these struggles have value? Do we believe they have kingdom gifts that we need? Do we want people keeping this internal battle hidden? Or can we help them by bringing it into the light? How can we do all of that? Challenge/action step: First and foremost, we must take Scripture to heart: “For as he thinks within himself, so he is…” Proverbs 23:7 NASB “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 NIV “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB Next, check in with your leaders regularly. Hold them accountable for their thoughts and words. Encourage them when they speak truth and gently remind them of it when they listen to the enemy’s lies instead. Provide them with the needed tools to practice this on their own. (My Biblical Self-Care Workbook may help! These are literally the tools that changed my life: http://fixyoureyesonhim.com/workbook) Help get them professional Christian counseling if you see a need. Finally, make sure to create a culture where there is no shame. We don’t distance ourselves from those who develop diabetes, do we? Cancer? Heart disease? So, why do we see a mental “illness” as any different than any other illness? Treat people with known mental struggles just as you would anyone else. Allow them to talk freely about their journey without any shame or embarrassment. Ask them to share their victories and then celebrate with them! The harvest is great but the workers are few. If we don’t care for our mental health, just as we do our physical health, we won’t be able to serve the kingdom as much and as long. Let us do all we can to help leaders within our own ministries, as well as those whom we serve daily, become stronger in body, mind, and spirit. Later this year, I’ll be back to talk about one more specific area we should be covering as we teach others (and learn for ourselves!) about wholistic health and what that might look like as a component of your ministry. In the meantime, feel free to join me over at http://fixyoureyesonhim.com for other wholistic health tips, resources, and more! ------------------------------------------------- Link to free printable version for distribution (unaltered) to those in your ministry: https://fixyoureyesonhim.com/download/3533/ Additional resources: http://hope4mentalhealth.com/ https://www.aacc.net/ https://drleaf.com/ Sources: 1https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml 2https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/26928437-switch-on-your-brain-the-key-to-peak-happiness-thinking-and-health

The stats are alarming. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (as of 2016), nearly 1 in 5 adults in America battle some sort of mental illness in their lives.1 That’s not a statistic to be taken lightly. I’m one of that 20%. Growing up, did I ever think I would someday be writing about any type of mental illness that I was battling? Not in a thousand years! As far as I knew, I was a happy child with a positive outlook on life. Never could I have imagined what I would face down the road of life. As an adult, and as life began to become a bit overwhelming, I started to struggle with negativity. From there it was a slow decline. While I was in the Word, I wasn’t applying many of its truths to my own life. I had been listening to the lies of the enemy my whole life, but only now was I truly taking these lies upon myself as a part of my identity. The self-talk in my mind was ugly. Wounds from my childhood (and one traumatic incident which occurred 2 months prior to my breakdown) that I didn’t even know the depths of began to open and infect my soul. Have you ever tried to be absolutely perfect on all fronts because inside you feel lost, empty, unlovable, never good enough, and always fear the worst? I have. For 33 years. I just didn’t see it for equally as long. It took the darkest week of my life, which landed me in the ER believing I was dying, for me to begin to see what damage had been done in my mind. That whole summer was really a blur for me. The darkness, the torment, the crying out to God, the fear that took over my every move, the burden that became physical pain, the inability to leave my house, the plans I made for my family in case I should die… it was as if I was living someone else’s life. Surely this wasn’t what had become of me. I’ll admit that prior to my own battles, I didn’t take seriously the battles others faced. Anxious? Stop worrying! Depressed? Get out of bed! Suicidal? How dare you not consider those around you! My entire experience opened my heart to a type of compassion I’d never known before. I knew I wasn’t the only one struggling, and yet I never heard anyone talk about it- especially within the Church. Why wasn’t this talked about? I was determined to be open about my story. But in doing so, people didn’t know what to do with me. By being open and honest with my journey, I may as well have posted a “fragile: breaks easily” sign on my forehead. Yes, I had some who were abundantly kind, prayerful, and supportive, but others, may I be blunt, were clueless and quickly distanced themselves. The world is waking up to the reality of the grim situation we’re finding ourselves in, but is the Church? I know this is finally becoming something that is talked about on talk shows, news specials, in our schools, and even now amongst pro athletes… but where are the people of God? At least in my life experience, the topic of mental health has been kept at arm’s length (or further) within the Church. But why is that when God cares about all parts of who we are: body, mind, and spirit? The Bible has a lot to say about our thoughts and minds, yet we tend to brush right by those parts as if they don’t apply to us or wouldn’t actually make a difference in our mental health. Dr. Caroline Leaf, a Christian Cognitive Neuroscientist, in her book Switch On Your Brain states, “Research shows that 75 to 98 percent of mental, physical, and behavioral illness comes from one’s thought life.”2 Let’s take that seriously and apply God’s Word as He intended! Dr. Leaf goes on to say, “Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking. When we hope, it is an activity of the mind that changes the structure of our brain in a positive and normal direction.”2 We can’t afford to keep pretending this isn’t present in our ministries and in those we’re trying to reach. If it truly is affecting 1 in 5, then it is much more prevalent in our circles than we could ever imagine. Questions to Consider: Do we believe people with these struggles have value? Do we believe they have kingdom gifts that we need? Do we want people keeping this internal battle hidden? Or can we help them by bringing it into the light? How can we do all of that? Challenge/action step: First and foremost, we must take Scripture to heart: “For as he thinks within himself, so he is…” Proverbs 23:7 NASB “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 NIV “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB Next, check in with your leaders regularly. Hold them accountable for their thoughts and words. Encourage them when they speak truth and gently remind them of it when they listen to the enemy’s lies instead. Provide them with the needed tools to practice this on their own. (My Biblical Self-Care Workbook may help! These are literally the tools that changed my life: http://fixyoureyesonhim.com/workbook) Help get them professional Christian counseling if you see a need. Finally, make sure to create a culture where there is no shame. We don’t distance ourselves from those who develop diabetes, do we? Cancer? Heart disease? So, why do we see a mental “illness” as any different than any other illness? Treat people with known mental struggles just as you would anyone else. Allow them to talk freely about their journey without any shame or embarrassment. Ask them to share their victories and then celebrate with them! The harvest is great but the workers are few. If we don’t care for our mental health, just as we do our physical health, we won’t be able to serve the kingdom as much and as long. Let us do all we can to help leaders within our own ministries, as well as those whom we serve daily, become stronger in body, mind, and spirit. Later this year, I’ll be back to talk about one more specific area we should be covering as we teach others (and learn for ourselves!) about wholistic health and what that might look like as a component of your ministry. In the meantime, feel free to join me over at http://fixyoureyesonhim.com for other wholistic health tips, resources, and more! -------------------------------- Link to free printable version for distribution (unaltered) to those in your ministry: https://fixyoureyesonhim.com/download/3533/ Additional resources: http://hope4mentalhealth.com/ https://www.aacc.net/ https://drleaf.com/ Sources: 1https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness.shtml 2https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/26928437-switch-on-your-brain-the-key-to-peak-happiness-thinking-and-health

This post was originally posted on the CSRM Blog January 29, 2018 In the world of Sports, Recreation and Fitness (SR&F) Outreach Ministry, we quite obviously tend to focus primarily on the physical fitness component of both ourselves and those we serve. But as a Certified Health and Wellness Coach who specializes in Biblical Health and Wholeness, I see a bigger, more complex picture. It all started when my family had to call an ambulance for me one day while out running errands. See, I had taken on too much. Like many of us, and many of those we serve, it was hard for me to say no. I did everything anyone asked of me… in addition to my God-given responsibilities. I didn’t want to let anyone down and wanted to look like I had it all together. After all, if I said no, they would think I couldn’t handle it, right? But where it got me was somewhere I never expected to end up. I landed in the ER. In the process of trying to not fail others, I had failed to care for myself well. I had fallen for the enemy’s lies that whispers, Christians sacrifice. Others come first. You don’t have time to slow down. Maybe you’ve heard those same whispers? But you didn’t know it was from an enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy? He has a way of twisting truth and turning it into a lie. Sacrifice? Caring for others? Great things! And obviously a part of the foundation of our faith in action, but God cares about YOU, too. He cares about those we partner with in our ministries who are running on empty. We all know that the greatest commandment Jesus gave us was to love our Father in heaven with everything we are. But the second has a component we often leave out. We are told to love others as we love ourselves, but often simplify restate it as: “love others”. Yet, in order to love others as we love ourselves, we must first actually love (and thus care for) ourselves! We aren’t much good to the expansion of the Kingdom, if we aren’t well enough to serve. I like to teach that in those 2 commandments, there are actually 3. And if we put them in their proper order, it looks like this: We are to love God, love (and care for) ourselves (so that we can), love (and care for) others. God not only gave us the command to rest (Exodus 20:8-11), He also modeled it at creation (Genesis 2:2). However, I’m willing to bet most Christians don’t take it seriously. Jesus also modeled stepping away for times of prayer (Matthew 14:22-23, Mark 1:35, Luke 4:42, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12… you get the idea), encouraging others to rest (Mark 6:31), clarifying His priorities in ministry (Matthew 15:24), even catching a nap (Mark 4:38)! I’m sure you’ve seen it. I know I’m not alone in having been there. You may have been down that road also, or know others who have. We live in a culture, even a church culture, that neglects to care for ourselves well. We want good health, but we’d prefer the quick fix offered by the world than look at true wholeness. While I have been blessed to find the path to healing, many are left to navigate those waters alone. Medical doctors often just want to prescribe a pill to reduce symptoms in the body, psychologists often only look at worldly theories on the brain and mental health, and pastors often only offer prayer. While each of these professionals may have the patient’s best at heart, each may be missing that bigger picture. There are 3 areas of the whole person that we must address in order to guide people toward true wholeness. God made us with 3 parts: body, mind, and spirit. We must address physical health including diet as well as exercise, we must address mental health and what the Bible says about it, and we must address spiritual health and not simply assume it’s healthy. Many of us, or those we serve, have become experts at masking the real issues. We may look fit, seem sane, and appear spiritual, but under the surface we are a mess. For most, it is a definite struggle to be real in front of others and open up about what’s going on underneath the façade. But by creating a new culture within your church or ministry that is a safe space to talk about these things, people WILL begin to open up about what they’re facing. By hearing you discuss your own internal or unseen battles, people will be encouraged to do the same and begin to walk toward healing those areas. Remember, leaders must lead by example! You cannot expect your people to be transparent with you if you are not being transparent with them. We must start addressing health more wholistically- the whole person: body, mind, and spirit, if we want to lead people toward true wellness…toward true wholeness. Begin the conversation with your leaders. Challenge your people to examine their own wholistic health and be willing to work through it with them. (I’ve got a fantastic new resource for this in my shop!) Checking in on their physical, mental, and spiritual health is not only a component of discipleship, but will keep your ministry strong and healthy as well. Burnout benefits no one. The rest of this year, I’ll be periodically offering new blogs to talk about the specific areas we should be covering as we teach others (and learn for ourselves!) about wholistic health and what that might look like as a component of your ministry. In the meantime, feel free to join me over at http://fixyoureyesonhim.com for other wholistic health tips, resources, and more!

This blog post was part of the original CSRM Blog - posted on March 23, 2016 The Church has utilized many ministry strategies throughout history: hospitals, schools, arts, music, dance etc., but sport has a few distinctive advantages over other worthy endeavors… A. Its Relevance 1. Sport attracts the two missing groups of most churches. Men and youth. What’s the common denominator? Both are hormonally challenged! Any one with teens will tell you they are often “bouncing off the walls” because they have so much energy. In addition, it’s well documented the male hormone drives men towards activity. Most youth stop attending church shortly after the church stops providing refreshments, recreation and activity-based learning – usually about grade 3 or 4. Men get and stay involved in churches providing manly “roles" and "rolls” (think donuts!). It is important to feed men (physically and spiritually) and provide them with roles based on activity rather than communication. But what is most important...it is vital to “challenge” men with the adventure of following Christ. Churches engaging in dynamic activities for youth and men will grow. 2. Sports activities and sports facilities attract people. There’s something about seeing: families enjoying a parking lot of “inflatable games;” men kicking up the dust on a softball field; young adults running and jumping as they play ultimate Frisbee; or women "digging" and "spiking" volleyballs. Far more people are attracted to athletic pitches, fields and courts than ever think to attend a church service because the church has beautiful architecture. 3. Sports activities provide continual marketing opportunities. Local papers keep league standings and will often advertise your upcoming leagues and activities for free. The print and other news media are always looking for innovative activities to feature and sports, tournaments and events all provide great stories for media in need of continuing story lines. B. It fulfills church growth principles 1. Sport Ministry focuses on outreach. Most churches know they will not grow if they don’t evangelize. Yet they are often unaware of a very dangerous principle called “maintenance creep.” The shift from “outreach,” to “pastoral care” is often so subtle most churches aren’t even aware it is occurring until it is too late and their evangelistic efforts are no longer receiving the priority needed for continued success. Sports oriented activities are naturally attractive to the unchurched in ways unparalleled by any other ministry. 2. It provides a role for everyone. Traditional churches are based upon verbal skills. Preaching, teaching, fellowshipping and even singing are all based upon verbal exercises. These activities are perfect for those who are gifted communicators. Not so much for those who are more inclined to activity. Many people are excluded from being able to serve or lead within the church. A sports outreach opens up roles for many non-involved parishioners. 3. It provides a natural “back door” activity that church members can invite friends, families and co-workers to.” Whereas, most un-churched people are not receptive to invitations to a church service, they are very open to playing on a softball or football team. Furthermore, it provides a continual opportunity for relationships to deepen and develop because sports leagues occur at least once a week for months at a time. This becomes even more relevant by the fact it normally takes 6-7 years for a totally non-churched, secularized, non-believer to come to a personal faith in Christ! Most church outreaches last one hour, one day or perhaps in the rare occasion, one week. Sports keeps people involved for years, greatly enhancing outreach success. C. It has built in accelerators 1. The accelerator of relevance is primary. The statistics of how many people participate and are interested in sport fluctuate each year but regardless of the year or the study the results are always the same: vast majorities of people are involved in sport, thus making it the most relevant connection to a secular world the church has. 2. The accelerator of relationships is crucial to the overall goal of reaching and discipling those far from God. Men who met each other for the first time just prior to the game physically embrace one another after a teammate “puts one in the net” or "over the fence." Sports bring disparate people together quicker than any other ministry. 3. The accelerator of communicating faith is unparalleled. Sporting analogies, metaphors and experiences provide unique, insightful and relevant ways to communicate a personal and growing relationship with Christ. D. It is cost effective Would those who attend your Christian Education classes pay money to attend? Do you charge those attending your youth group or small groups? Yet, millions of people pay churches up to $150 per person to participate in leagues or other sporting activities. In addition, local businesses are willing to sponsor teams or otherwise advertise at your sports facilities and events. Concessions, sports gear and fundraisers such as marathons and tournaments are all “economic engines.” Sports ministries are far more cost effective and have a far greater potential for raising funds than any other ministry in the local church.