Several years ago, I left the press box to go down onto the field, before pregame time, to talk to a college friend, who was an assistant coach on our opponent’s team. After we had talked for a few minutes I asked him what he thought about the game we were about to play? He said, “You guys are going to kick our butts.” There were two other coaches standing there listening to our conversation, from the opponents team, and they took exception to what their fellow coach had said and they said so with anger in their voices. My friend answered them back, “You guys are too young and blind to see that our kids don’t want to be in this game and are not mentally prepared to play in this game.” My team won the game about 40-0.

I can’t count, how many times over the years, I have heard a coach or another sportscaster, newspaper writer, fan say, when asked a question about their team, they will answer with the following, “Depends on which team shows up tonight.”

A football team takes on their own personality. Sometimes they are focused and ready to play. Other times they may not be ready to play. The kids may have their minds on other things. Sometimes half the team is ready and half aren’t ready to play that night. The football team that is not one at heart, but has a split personality will struggle in the game.

In our own personal lives, are we living our lives with divided personalities? My guess is most of us, do that. We have the life we live at school and that personality. Then at home around our mothers, father and grandparents, we live and talk differently. When we are at church, we act differently, than at our work or at our play.

Speaking of our football teams, if we can get all the players on the same page, with an attitude of one focus and that is the game for the next couple of hours, we usually have got something special to behold.

In your own lives, if we did not compartmentalize our life and instead focused our entire life around one specific goal or set of beliefs, what kind of life do you think you would be living?

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O Lord; that I will walk in your truth; Unite my heart to fear your name.

Saturday Sabetha defeated Marysville in the state championship football game. That evening the Bluejays were dealing with the death of 3 members of one family of two of their teammates.

Topeka Capital Journal story is here.

Another story with picture of mom with her two sons here.

Sabetha Funeral Home Popkess Mortuaries

As the football community of Kansas, we should respond with cards and letters to those boys.

Beautiful picture of the Sabetha High school football team
praying before practice (as they do before every practice) with a
gorgeous sunset behind them. Most teams (though not all) pray after
games at the 50, but these guys have taken it upon themselves to pray
before every practice.

Have you ever wondered what is said in the Scott City or Smith Center football offensive or defensive team huddles? To find out what is said in any teams offensive or defensive team huddle you must join the team.

Even if you could hear what is said in those team huddles, you most likely would not understand what was being said. Oh you would understand the language, but not understand the actual play calling. Every team has their own specific football language and numbering system. Sure some of all of that is generic, but the specifics to each team do apply.

When the football coach is talking X’s and O’s and play calling you have to join the team, go to practice and study to understand what he is talking about.

You have to join Jesus’ team to understand him also.

John 8:43-47 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

God is constantly recruiting the hallways of life. He wants you to understand, when he is talking. Join the team and get yourself in a team huddle today.

I was standing with one of our opponents assistant football coaches visiting, just as the players were taking the field for the first time to warm up during pregame. One of the football players came over to us and said, “Coach, one of my shoulder pad straps has come undone, can you help me?” The assistant coach and myself pulled up the front of the players jersey and restrapped his shoulder pad strap to the proper place.

After the player ran off to warm up, I remembered back to the night our coaches brought out the game day pants and jerseys. The very first time I would dress out in varsity game day clothing. It was essentially a practice session putting on our game day gear. As a sophomore, I was terribly excited to be putting on that jersey that I had wanted to wear for years. In my minds eye I could see the guys from the past years who had worn my given jersey number.

The pants were incredibly tight to get over my legs and hip pads. Once I put my shoulder pads on there was no way I could get the jersey over my pads. I had to ask for help. Everyone else needed help putting the jerseys on also. We asked coach, “Why the clothes were so small and tight on us?” He said, “I want them tight on you, so nobody can grab your jersey and easily pull you down.”

Football is the greatest team sport because you have to have help to even dress out in game day gear and if your shoulder pad straps come undone you may need help to put them back together.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.

Football glorifies the past history of great teams and players. ESPN does 30 on 30 stories from the past. High school and college programs honor past state and national champions. The media books of those programs tell the past history of these great teams and players. Telling the past history of your team helps you to recruit young players into the future.

In Christianity and our churches today are we telling our past history? Do we remember those who have gone before us and who have given everything, including their lives, in the attempt to further Christianity? Does your church have its roots in all the scripture and in the past history of the church? When I say history, I mean all the way back to the beginning of our story, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, Jesus and the Apostles. Also the past 2,000 years of both the good and the bad of church history.

We need to remember the past and the difficulty of being Christians. Jesus said the only way to the Father was through him. Some today have difficulty believing that statement. Because of that statement other groups want to make fun of us, persecute us and even kill us.

Maybe life in America has become too easy. Most of us have everything we need so what do we need God for? Who wants to be persecuted, made fun of or killed for being a Christian? Although, when difficulty does come to the U.S.A. such as September 11, 2001 or a great hurricane, or other weather phenomenon, people flock back to church to pray, to remember, to ask for forgiveness, to ask for God’s blessing.

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. His story is told in Acts 7. Stephen tells our early history and is stoned to death for it. Why would these men from the past die for this story?

During my college years at K-State, the guys I hung out with were all former very good high school basketball players. The guys were from Lyons, Topeka, Dighton, Scott City, Parsons and Shawnee Mission South as I recall. That guy from SM South was recruited by every college in the state to come play basketball out of high school.

They were all forwards and post players who were just awesome basketball players and I was a bench warmer in high school. They would come get me and tell me they needed a guard to distribute the ball to them. So I would go with them, just because I loved to watch them, once they got the ball in their hands.

Now this was in the days before Bramlage Coliseum and before K-State had the new Recreation building (Chester Peters building). All we had was Ahearn Fieldhouse upper and lower gyms. Every basketball goal had a half court basketball game going on, every night of the week except on Wildcat game nights during basketball season. The only court and goals that were allowed to be full court was the main court floor in Ahearn where the Cats played.

To get some court time, you had to challenge the team who won the last game at that particular goal. That meant you sat and waited until it was your turn to play and challenge. You could go anywhere in the building, but all the goals had games going on and a challenger waiting to play.

My group of guys only wanted to play in one place in Ahearn and that was the main court floor where we could play full court. The only problem was the main court was ruled by the K-State football players. The football players, who played on center court, were also former very good high school basketball players. I don’t remember any team ever beating them, but we kept trying.

Being lazy college kids we always played a zone defense. The over aggressive football players always played man to man defense, which we used against them with back door plays.

One night I crossed half court quickly with the ball. My defender, who I had got a step or two on him, was just too my left and behind me a little. As we approached the top of the key, my teammates saw what had happened and they all four broke to the outside at once. Their defenders all followed, so I went right down the lane for what I thought would be an uncontested lay-up. About the time I released the ball, a defender, who was guarding the post player to my left, on the baseline ran back into the lane and jumped and blocked my shot just before it touched the backboard at about eleven feet off the ground.

The shot blocking defender and myself landed on our feet just to the right of the basket in the lane. The defender immediately put two hands to my chest and shoved me out of the lane and yelled at me, “Get the Weak Stuff out of Here!”

The moment that it happened, I was not angry, I was just amazed at how quickly he got to the spot, how high he jumped and I had a new appreciation of how athletic these K-State football players were. But also over the years I have thought about a Bible scripture that seems to fit the situation well.

Hebrews 4: 15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We are weak, but we must approach the throne of grace boldly.

I have not even finished this book, but have decided to put in on here today. This is a great book about a great kid who only lived until he was 22 years old. He lived by Faith, Family and Football.