The Notes

This coming Wednesday night, July 2, 2025, we celebrate the Declaration of Independence.  On July 2, 1776,  Congress voted to declare independence from British rule, and after two days of editing, Congress adopted the text of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.  ratified.  Using this patriotic celebration as our backstory, we will share a Biblical message of encouragement.  Join us "online only" this week at 6:30 p.m.  

If you can't join us in person, you can always participate through our Facebook page - we go "live" at 6:30 p.m., and you will have a front row seat.  If you can't join us live at 6:30 p.m., you can always listen to the message later, either from Facebook, or YouTube, on here on our website.  Messages are posted the following day and you can watch a replay of any message anytime!  

If you want to keep some notes from a message, you can download the notes for a specific message from the "Past and Future Messages" page of our website.  There are many ways to be spiritually fed and encouraged.

This past Wednesday night, June 25, 2025, we concluded our Bible study series called "In the Game."  For this final week, we looked at the sport of football to teach us a corresponding spiritual truth and strengthen our relationship with God.  It's the same idea as how Jesus used parables to teach a deeper spiritual truth and make it more understandable or meaningful. 

Here are 7 truths about life we can learn from football.

The offensive team is given 4 downs to move the ball 10 yards for a 1st down.  When you make a 1st down, you get a new set of 4 more downs.    

Truth # 1 – God gives us multiple chances.  He is more than just a second chance God.  If you fail and sin, God doesn't give up on you . . . He gives grace.  Just ask Jonah.   Peter.  David.   Moses.  Zacchaeus.  The Prodigal Son.

Over and over, from the Old Testament to the New, the Bible shows us how God still uses people who make mistakes, commit sin, and are rebellious.  Here are some scriptures that show us why - and here's a hint - it's the nature of God.

Micah 7:18 – “Who is a God like you? You forgive sin and overlook the rebellion of your faithful people. You will not be angry forever, because you would rather show mercy.”  (God’s Word trans)

Joel 2:13 – “Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.”

John 1:16 – “From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.”

As you watch football and see new first downs and multiple chances to get a first down, let it remind you that God freely forgives and gives us abundant grace & mercy.  

To win a football game, you must score points.  You do that by getting the ball over the Goal Line.

Truth # 2 – is more of a question to ponder - What is the Goal Line of your life?  Is it to get into heaven?  That's not a good goal because we don’t earn it.  Heaven and salvation are free gifts from God.  So is the answer to be righteous?  To be more Christ-like?  To love God and others?  All good aims.  But the Bible gives us a purpose for living, and fulfilling that purpose should be the #1 goal of our life.  Here it is:

Isaiah 43:7 – “Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I who created them.”  That tells us - we were made to give God glory.  That should be our Goal in life.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says:  “whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

If that is our goal - to glorify God - when we will live, love, and act more Christ-like.  In other words, by focusing our goal on glorifying God, everything else will fall into place in our lives.  Jesus said it this way in Matthew 5:16 – “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”

And for all who are athletes and physically fit, keep this verse in mind - 1 Cor. 6:20 – “you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.”

Now there are penalties in football for violating the rules.  When a player does so, a penalty is assessed which backs up the team, 5, 10 or even 15 yards.  

Truth # 3 – The penalties of a player hurt the whole team.  

So it is in life, the bad acts of one bad lawyer hurts the whole profession.   One bad cop can ruin the reputation and honor of all in law enforcement.  And the truth is - the wrongful acts of one Christian can hurt all of Christianity.  How?

Take hypocrisy - when Christians fail to live up to the moral standards they profess to follow, people then doubt the sincerity and validity of our faith.  So many people have said they don't want to go to church because there are too many hypocrites there.  And that has been a problem since the time of Jesus.  (See Matt. 7:5 - "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye"). 

There is also a problem with being judgmental – judging or shunning others because of sin or differences contradicts the Christian message of grace and forgiveness.

What about having a lack of love or not showing compassion?  Failing to show love & compassion towards others undercuts the message of Jesus.  Remember His parable of the Good Samaritan?  As Christians, we have a “collective responsibility” as the body of believers to live to glorify God.  We need to see it, be aware of it, and own it.  Because when we fall short, we can hurt the cause of Christianity.  1 Corinthians 12:26 says:  “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”  We ought to be aware that the careless, hurtful actions of one Christian can impact and harm Christianity as a whole.

In football, every position player is important.  There are 11 players on the field, and the team needs all of them.  You need linemen to block for the quarterback to have time to throw; you need a tight-end to make a screen so the wide receiver can make the catch, etc. 

Truth # 4 – The body of believers must work together as a team.  1 Corinthians 12:27 – “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  The Apostle Paul explained in Romans 12:4-5 – “Just as our bodies have many parts & each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”  

Remember in this life, you are part of the Team.  You have a purpose, a role, a position… and the body needs you.  We belong to each other.  Let that sink in.

Football, like all sports, has an "off season" and an "in season."  The season doesn’t succeed without the “off season.”

Truth # 5 – Understand that God prepares each of us… we also have an “off season.”  God’s call to action is always preceded by a time of preparation.   For example, Paul is known for his missionary journeys, but those happened only after spending 3 years in obscurity, learning and growing and maturing after his dramatic encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus.  Moses is another example, he spent 40 years leading stubborn sheep through pastures before He was ready to lead Israel out of captivity.  The time with the sheep was his "off season."  

Jesus, too, was in an off season – 40 days in the wilderness - before his ministry began.  Even the disciples waited in the upper room for the Holy Spirit, approximately 50 days from the crucifixion until the day of Pentecost.  So understand that your life will have numerous in seasons, and many off seasons.  1 Peter 1:13 - “So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control.”  In the waiting, we have time to get prepared for the big game.  You will be called into the game.  God will have a plan for you.  Be prepared.

Here is another lesson about football - you can only do what you can do.  You can’t control the other team, other players, the referees, or even the championship selection committee.  (Inside joke for FSU fans ... you know what that means!)

Truth # 6 is this – Victory is God’s, not ours.

Psalm 3:8 - “Victory comes from you, O LORD.  May you bless your people.”  

And Romans 8:37 says that  “in all these things" - in all the challenges, problems, and difficulties of life - "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

It’s not us, it’s the power of God working in us, and through us.  When you know it’s God at work, you don’t take credit for success.  Give the praise to God.  Give God the glory.  After all, our lives should be lived to glorify God.

Lesson and truth # 7 – the Coach is important.  The Coach in football sets the tone … prepares players for the game … designs the game plan … assigns positions and calls the plays.  The question to ponder here is - who is your coach?  Are you coaching yourself, or is God the coach of your life?  Who is running your offense?  Who is calling the plays?  Are you trying to prepare yourself for the game of life?  And consider this, in a football game, a Coach calls in a play, but it’s up to players to execute it.  When they do their own thing, do you blame the coach?  Maybe… for lack of disciple, or respect.  But we have free will.  You can't blame God when people do their own thing and take matters into their hands.  You can't blame God when He has called us to love and forgive, and another person rebels with actions of hate and retribution.  God is not to blame. 

Here is a verse to keep in mind - John 10:27 – “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

The sheep follow the Shepherd… and we as Christians, need to listen to our Coach and obey.  It's up to us to execute the game plan - to go and make disciples and share the love of God in this world.

So keep asking yourself throughout your life - are you being coached?  Or are you coaching yourself?