Insight Super Bowl Special

insightmagazine.org

because life is full of decisions

More Than

The GaMe

everyone needs

a coachTony Dungy’s goal? Coaching like Christ.

Off-season actions make or break the season

Playing pro football versus following God’s will

Cowboys’ star Jason Witten—a success at community service, too!

LeavinG The

fieLd

Theoff-season

BiGGaMespeciaL issue

GridironTired of kicking, clawing, and struggling through life?Life

The

of

This month,

two NFL

teams will

meet in the Super

Bowl. The game it-

self will last a mere

60 minutes, but in

those fleeting min-

utes one team will

be immortalized as champions. For years to come we will remember

their names, the winning plays they made, the crunch-time moments

they mastered, the coach who guided them to victory. That’s the

heartbeat of the Super Bowl, and the reason why more than 90

million people will tune in to watch it all unfold.

Super Bowl winners start early. They set a

course for the big game the moment the

previous season ends. While we

splash around at water parks to

beat the summer heat, they

work out in it. They master the

playbook and learn how to execute plays flawlessly. They sacrifice for

the greater glory of the team. Super Bowl winners are not born; they’re

made. They begin with the end in mind.

If football players are willing to sacrifice all to win a game, how much

more should we be willing to sacrifice to win the biggest game of all—

the game of life? Believe it or not, you can win in life; God has the plan to

help you do it. He sees you walking in His purposes, living a meaningful

life that blesses others, mastering the everyday challenges that you face.

Here’s His pep talk to you: “Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble

with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my

arm and give you victories” (Isaiah 41:10, CEV).*

You can win the game of life, but you’ve got to start early. You’ve got

to give God a chance right now.

*Scripture quotations identified CEV are from the Contemporary English

Version. Copyright © American BibleSociety 1991, 1995. Used by permission.

SUBSCRIP-

WinninG in Life

[email protected]

Miranda Writes:

God and Satan battle for the

heart and mind of each of us.

The Seventh-day Adventist® magazine for youth.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Bible texts in thisissue are from the New King James Version.Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor • Dwain Neilson EsmondAssociate Editor • Jan SchleiferArt Director • Trent TrumanDesktop Technician • Brenda PageAdvertising Sales • Genia BlumenbergSubscriber Services • Steve HansonCover Photos • © 2011 Thinkstock;

Mahanga

Dwain’s got more to say—and so does the Insight staff! Check out their ever-changing blog at insightmagazine.org.

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by David Robinson

For NFL fans and athletes the

off-season is a difficult

time—longing for the thrills

of next season to start. Eventually the fans

move on to other things in the meantime, but

what do the players do in the off-season?

Well, before the NFL became the money-

making monster it is today, players used to have

to look for regular jobs for the rest of the year,

because they didn’t make enough money playing

football. Imagine that: playing in the Super Bowl

one day and working at the local grocery store

the next. Nowadays they get paid so much (a

minimum of $325,000 in 2010) that they can

vacation during the off-season.

However, players know they can’t just take

months off and then expect to be ready when

the season begins. So they keep up some kind

of training regimen. They work to maintain their

bodies so that when the season starts, they’ll

be ready. The players know that doing the little

things here and there in the off-season will help

make them better. And if each player improves,

the team improves. Thus the individual can have

a great impact on the whole.

No Off-season?

The NFL is seriously considering (as of the

writing of this article) extending its regular sea-

son to 18 games and cutting back on the pre-

season games. Regarding this, Colts quarterback

Peyton Manning commented to Michael Silver,

of Yahoo! Sports: “They’re trying to get rid of

off-season workouts. They’re talking about ex-

tending the season to 18 games, so they’re

going to cut down the off-season stuff in

return. That’s not a fair trade. Off-season work-

outs—that’s how we’ve gotten our edge over

the years. It’s how you really develop a player

and improve your craft. Without the off-season,

how do we get anybody ready to play?”

If the off-season is when an individual gets

to improve his or her craft, then Jesus just kept

adding to His excellence like no one else. Did

you know that the Bible mentions many in-

stances when Jesus used His “off-season” to

improve? (See Mark 1:35; Mark 6:45, 46; Luke

4:42; Luke 5:16.) Jesus’ off-seasons consisted

of the times when He was away from crowds,

removed from their prying eyes, away from it

all, really. Jesus used those times to connect

with His heavenly Father, to stay strong spiritu-

ally. And He is our example in all things.

While looking up some of the tips the NFL

has for training in the off-season, I found three

main things: focus on your legs, have a partner,

and improve communication. These same prin-

ins ightmagazine.org 3

New England Patriots' Victor Hobson stretches during team football training camp, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008, in Foxborough, Mass.(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Continued on p. 15

The off-season

Off-season actions make or break the season

everyoneneeds

a coach

by David Robinson

The gridiron is one of the most

feared playing fields in sports.

A football field contains some

of the highest levels of testosterone on earth.

So it’s hard to imagine that somewhere in

football’s coliseum-like world coach Tony

Dungy found success.

Adjectives such as fierce, tenacious, and un-

yielding describe some of the best NFL coaches,

but not Dungy. In the NFL Dungy is synonymous

with soft-spoken, calm, and gentle. Throughout

his coaching career Dungy stressed that coaches

should be like teachers. While others used

swearing and steel fists to handle their teams,

Dungy chose the road less traveled.

“I really wanted to show people you can win

all kinds of ways. I always coached the way I’ve

wanted to be coached,” Dungy explains.

The ability to coach one player is a tough

task in itself. Now multiply that by 53! Dungy

believes in coaching all 53 players on the team

roster! It’s called the Next Man Up theory. It’s

related to the idea that a chain is only as strong

as its weakest link. Dungy believes that the fifty-

third person on a team is just as important as

the first. This mind-set prompted him to uplift

the structure of the whole team rather than just

certain individual players. If one of the players

on the team is injured, the next man up should

be equally trained to fill the position.

Bearing Fruit

Now, is this theory successful? Well, in

Dungy’s time as a head coach he had one con-

ference title, six division titles (the last five of

which were consecutive), and one Super Bowl

championship. Of course, it also helps to have

some of the best players in the business on your

team.

Regarded by many as one of the best quar-

4 F e b r u a r y 5 | 2 0 1 1

Tony Dungy’s goal? Coaching like Christ.

terbacks of all time, Peyton Manning flourished

under Dungy’s coaching. Since his arrival in

1998 as the number one overall pick, Manning,

along with Dungy, has brought much success

to the Indianapolis Colts. Notable current head

coaches who once coached under Dungy include

Lovie Smith, Jim Caldwell, and Mike Tomlin.

Living It

A lot of people don’t see Dungy’s soft-spoken

way of coaching as the best way to win, but you

can’t argue with his impressively successful

stats. Besides, Dungy chooses to measure his

success differently. He says: “I know I probably

didn't get a couple of jobs in my career because

people could not see my personality or the way

I was going to do it. . . . For your faith to be

more important than your job, for your family to

be more important than your job, . . . we all know

that’s the way it should be,

but we’re afraid to say

that sometimes. . . . I’m

not afraid to say it.”

Dungy is a big

believer in faith and

family. Even though

he retired from

coaching football

on January 12,

2009, the game

of his life is far

from over. He’s

involved himself in numer-

ous community outreach

programs since then.

For instance, he’s spoken

Indianapolis Colts head coach TonyDungy, left, talks with quarterbackPeyton Manning after Manning ledthe Colts to a 34-31 win over theDenver Broncos in their footballgame in Denver, on Sunday, Oct. 29,2006. (AP Photo/Bill Ross)

at various prisons to give the inmates the hope

of the gospel message. He’s also a national

spokesperson for All Pro Dad, a football-themed

organization that offers practical fathering as-

sistance and aims to help men be good fathers.

Through these activities Dungy embodies the

things that truly matter.

Dungy tries to follow Christ’s way of teaching.

Rather than yelling or screaming his point, he

chooses “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians

4:15). Jesus never yelled at people for their

mistakes or shortcomings. He was always gen-

tle and caring in His ways—guiding but never

goading.

Christ set an example for Tony Dungy and

all the rest of us to follow. He first showed us

that by building up individuals, we can unite

the body of believers and transform it. He taught

that one person isn’t more important than the

next one. Someone who’s just been baptized

into the church is just as important as an elder

in the church. We all have our roles to play

within the team that is the church. As the old

saying goes, the whole is greater than the sum

of its parts.

Don’t let anyone run pass interference on

your chosen ministry by telling you you’re not

doing it correctly. As long as your heart and

mind are turned toward Christ, He’ll shape you

and use you as He sees fit. Your mind-set should

be that earthly rewards won’t last, so you don’t

need to focus on them. Just keep working to

truly help people and win them for Christ until

He returns. And on that awesome day, don’t

worry—there’ll be no penalties for excessive

celebration!

David Robinson lives in Maryland and loves to write aboutsports.


Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy carries off his son Jordanafter a Colts 23-0 win over the Tennessee Titans in a NFL foot-ball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008. (APPhoto/Michael Conroy)

Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth. . . . In the same way that you gave

me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world. . . . I’m praying not

only for them but also for those who will believe in me because of them and their witness

about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—just as you, Father, are

in me and I in you, so they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might

believe that you, in fact, sent me.”—John 17:17-21. From The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995,

1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Jesus Prays

For His Team

MoreThan The

GaMe

Cowboys’ star Jason Witten—a success at community service, too!

by Janna Peterson

What becomes of an 8-

year-old boy who is

made to endure years of

relentless torture at the hands of his father?

Who is forced from his toddling days to wit-

ness the violent, disrespectful treatment of

his mother? Who spends his adolescent years

in a single-parent household after fleeing from

a place he once called home?

Nine times out of 10 that boy won’t grow up

to become a loving husband, a caring father,

and a successful, respected athlete. But that’s

exactly what Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason

Witten became.

You might have heard of his stunning, historic

play in 2007 during a game between Dallas and

the Philadelphia Eagles. After catching the ball,

Witten, hammered by two opponents, stumbled

and lost his helmet but still didn’t go down, in-

stead pressing ahead for 25 extra yards.

Off the field, those obstacles from his child-

hood can’t take him down either. He uses his

father’s negative example as a guideline for

what not to do. At home Witten loves spending

time with his wife, Michelle; their two young

sons, C.J. and Cooper; and Tink, their dog.

Witten scores high not only in the area of

family life but also in community service. Four

years ago he established a foundation called

SCORE, which is an acronym for support, com-

munity, overcome, rebuild, educate. This foun-

dation places full-time trained male mentors in

battered women’s shelters across the state of

Texas. Their purpose is to demonstrate positive

male behavior to abused women and especially

to abused children so that the cycle of domestic

violence will be broken instead of continuing

from generation to generation.

In addition, Witten’s foundation has recently

started another program to prevent domestic

6 F e b r u a r y 5 | 2 0 1 1

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) looks tothrow the ball during an NFL football game against theMinnesota Vikings, Sunday, October 17, 2010, at Mallof America Field at the HHH Metrodome in Minneapolis,Minnesota. The Vikings won the game, 24-21. (APPhoto/James D Smith)

violence, Coaching Boys Into

Men. This unique program in-

structs high school coaches on

how to educate their team mem-

bers about the dangers of dating

and relationship violence and

how to avoid them.

Even more recently Witten has

taken steps to help fight childhood obesity by

speaking with elementary students about the im-

portance of eating healthfully and staying active.

It’s Our Turn

As much as Witten is trying to do to make

life better for as many people as possible, he’s

still only one person. He can’t stop every teenage

girl who looks in the mirror and loathes her own

reflection enough to starve herself. He can’t re-

spond to the desperate plea of every young guy

who’s being pressured to join a violent gang.

He can’t provide food for all the young people

who feel driven to sell their bodies for a meal.

He can’t mentor everyone struggling with an

addiction. He can’t convince every high school

dropout to stay in school. He can’t stop pollution,

or shelter all the homeless, or put an end to

racism, or stop every hopeless person who

feels tempted to commit suicide. But you

(and I) can help in some way!

With just a little of your time and effort,

you can start to make a difference. Pick a

cause—maybe something meaningful to you

or a family member or a friend or your school

or your pet—and support it in some way. Start

small and increase your efforts gradually. Know

that there’ll be times when the task seems daunt-

ing and you’ll feel that your efforts can’t possibly

be making a difference. But remember that you

can always call on a certain Someone for

strength—Someone who’s been dedicated to

helping others in every way possible for a very

long time. That Someone is Jesus.

From His birth until His death,

Jesus’ entire mission on this

earth was to change lives for the

better. He Himself said, “I have

come that they may have life,

and that they may have it more

abundantly” (John 10:10).

Jesus was a poor man and didn’t have the

funds to donate to any causes, let alone start a

foundation. So instead He lived His causes. He

spoke out against racism with His stories about

the Samaritan woman at the well and the good

Samaritan (see John 4:5-10 and Luke 10:30-

37). He fought against ageism when He scolded

His disciples for trying to shoo away children

(see Matthew 19:13, 14). He fought against sex-

ism by defending Mary when she washed His

feet with expensive perfume (see John 12:3-

8). He fought against elitism by washing the

feet of His disciples (see John 13:3-17). In a

time when it wasn’t popular, He showed com-

passion for those who were disabled by healing

blindness, lameness, many diseases, and even

demon possession.

Granted, we can’t perform miracles, and the

majority of us won’t be award-winning tight

ends, but we’ve all got a shot at helping others

in this game of life. So get ready, get set, and

let’s play!

Janna Peterson writes from Alabama.


HoW To HelP

by J A NN A P E T E R SON

Don’t know where to start? Here are a few pointers.

Ask questions. Call or visit some charities and service organizations and find

out some different ways in which you can help. Ask your teachers, coaches, etc. if they

have any ideas or have heard of people or groups that need help.

Start small. Instead of trying to form a movement to end world hunger, start off

with your family or a few friends and take a trip to a local shelter or soup kitchen to

help out. Or get organized and ask some adults to go with you to distribute blankets,

warm clothing, sandwiches, etc. to people living on the streets. For safety reasons, do

this in groups and not by yourself.

Volunteer. Find a charity or organization involved with a cause that you feel

passionate about. Then sign up as a volunteer. Try searching a volunteer database

such as www.volunteermatch.org. Enter your zip code and some key words to describe

what you’re interested in doing. Some examples include mentoring, environment, dis-

aster relief, the elderly. The site will link you to possible groups to contact.

Be positive. Think of all the good you have the potential to do. And even if you

end up helping only one person, that’s still one person who wouldn’t have gotten help

without you!

© 2011 Thinkstock

© 2

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by Omar Miranda

Football players often talk

about how games are won

and lost in the trenches, the

line of scrimmage. Players scratch and claw,

push and shove, run through and over one

another, just to win the game. The gridiron is

the place where the battle is won or lost, the

spot where players are tested and proved.

Life today isn’t much different from football,

many say. People are willing to do almost any-

thing to get ahead these days, to succeed. Is

this truly God’s plan for our lives? Can we find

lasting joy, contentment, and peace this way?

Is this how we were meant to live?

The answer to all of these questions is a re-

sounding no! Jesus came to this earth so that

each one of us could have life—not just a 4-

inch black-and-white TV life, but a 52-inch flat

screen, 3-D, HD, surround-sound, color TV life!

Jesus puts it this way in the Bible: “A thief

comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I [Jesus]

came so that everyone would have life, and

have it in its fullest” (John 10:10, CEV).1

Jesus also said: “Are you tired? Worn out?

Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away

with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show

you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and

work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the

unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything

heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with

me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly”

(Matthew 11:28-30, Message).2

And we can have that full life right now! We

don’t have to wait until we get to heaven, where

everything is perfect. The moment we accept

8 F e b r u a r y 5 | 2 0 1 1

The Gridironof Life

How to win your biggest game

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) is tackledby Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent (92), BradieJames (56), Mike Jenkins, third from left, Alan Ball, above, andGerald Sensabaugh, right, during the second quarter of an NFLfootball game at New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday, Nov.14, 2010, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we can have

heaven right here on earth!

Jesus as Savior

What does it mean to accept Jesus as both

our Savior and Lord?

To accept Jesus as our Savior means to ac-

cept the fact that there’s nothing we can do to

save ourselves. Because all of us have a sinful

nature and have sinned. As the Bible says: “All

of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

But God treats us much better than we deserve

[gives us grace], and because of Christ Jesus,

he freely accepts us and sets us free from our

sins” (Romans 3:23, 24, CEV).

Without Jesus as our intervening Savior,

guess what the penalty for sin will always be.

That’s right—death! Listen: “Sin pays off with

death. But God’s gift is eternal life given by

Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23, CEV).

The Bible explains further: “Christ died for

us at a time when we were helpless and sinful.

No one is really willing to die for an honest per-

son, though someone might be willing to die

for a truly good person. But God showed how

much he loved us by having Christ die for us,

even though we were sinful. But there is more!

Now that God has accepted us because Christ

sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept

safe from God’s anger. Even when we were

God’s enemies, he made peace with us, be-

cause his Son died for us. Yet something even

greater than friendship is ours. Now that we

are at peace with God, we will be saved by his

Son’s life. And in addition to everything else,

we are happy because God sent our Lord Jesus

Christ to make peace with us” (Romans 5:6-

11, CEV).

Are you wondering why Jesus died for us?

The answer is very simple, very basic: “This is

how much God loved the world: He gave his

Son [Jesus], his one and only Son. And this is

why: so that no one need be destroyed; by be-

lieving in him, anyone can have a whole and

lasting life” (John 3:16, Message).

Jesus as Lord

Now, to accept Jesus as our Lord is more

difficult than to accept Him as our Savior. Be-

cause when we accept Him as Lord, we sur-

render our wills to Him and let Him call the

shots in our lives. We give up control, and He

leads us “in paths of righteousness for his

name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3, NIV).3 One of the


Jesus says: “Keep companywith me and you’lllearn to live freelyand lightly” (Matthew

11:28-30, Message).

Want to learn more about having a right-now

relationship with Jesus? It’s easy. There are only

three things you need to do:

1. Agree with God that you’re a sinner, that you’ll

always be a sinner, and that there’s nothing you yourself

can do to change that.

2. Humbly confess your sins to God and

sincerely ask for His forgiveness.

3. Ask God to apply to you the credit

that belongs to Jesus for the perfect

life that He lived and the death that He

suffered on your behalf.

In return God will do two things:

1. He’ll forgive your sins. Here’s the Bible’s promise: “If we

confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us

and take our sins away” (1 John 1:9, CEV).*

2. God will give us an abundant life filled with joy, contentment,

and peace. Jesus says: “I give you peace, the kind of peace that

only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So

don’t be worried or afraid” (John 14:27, CEV).

To view a simple presentation explaining this information in more

detail, please go to the following Web site: www.hutchcraft.com/yours-

for-life/presentation/alpha.

To learn more about what the Seventh-day Adventist Church be-

lieves, please go to the following Web site: www.adventist.org/beliefs.

THe CruCial KiCKoFF

by OMAR M I R A ND A

© iStockphoto.com/CEFutcher

Continued on p. 15

* Scripture quotations identified CEV are from the Contemporary English Version.Copyright © American Bible Society 1991, 1995. Used by permission.

by David Robinson

mention the name Albert

Haynesworth to Wash-

ington Redskins fans,

and 95 percent of the time the response will

be some kind of groan. Haynesworth is one

of the most talented defensive tackles in the

league. In fact, when the Redskins signed

him, the New York Times considered

Haynesworth to be the best at his position in

the entire league! So why in the world would

Mike Shanahan, the Redskins’ head coach,

not want to play him? One word: discipline.

10 F e b r u a r y 5 | 2 0 1 1

pracTice,pracTice,pracTice

Talent and potential are nothing without practice

Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth(92) sits on the bench during the fourth quarter of an NFLfootball game against the New York Giants, Monday, Dec.21, 2009, in Landover, Md. The Giants won 45-12. (APPhoto/Nick Wass)

All the talent and potential in the world won’t

make up for a lack of discipline. Discipline leads

to practice, which in turn leads to excellence.

That’s exactly what Haynesworth’s problem was;

he was losing his discipline.

When you lose your discipline, the next thing

you begin to lose is your credibility. Why? Be-

cause you start manufacturing all kinds of ex-

cuses for why you don’t want to practice. One

time it’s a stomachache, another time it’s a

headache, and on it goes. As sad as it is, there

are people in the world like that, and usually

when we come across them, we write them off

because they’re not credible. Within the sports

realm, such people are referred to as divas.

Credibility is one of the most precious things

to have in sports. Think about it: If no one be-

lieves in you, do you think you’re going to be

one of the team’s go-to guys? Will you get much

meaningful playtime? Not likely. A player who

wants to be a leader has to lead by example.

And you don’t stop leading when practice is

over or a game is over. It’s a 24-7 job. In other

words, there’s no off-season. You’re constantly

being watched for the slightest mistake. It’s a

high-pressure position to be in, but Jesus gladly

wore those shoes . . . er, sandals.

The Pharisees, Sadducees, and other Jew-

ish leaders were all after Jesus. They “prayed

and prayed on His downfall,” as some might

say. They tried to entrap Jesus by asking Him

trick questions; nitpicked about His behavior;

scoffed at His values; and stalked Him and His

disciples, trying to catch them in wrongdoing

(see, for example, Matthew 22:15-45; Luke

6:1, 2; John 8:1-11). They wanted to kill Him

long before they actually managed to do so

(see John 5:16-18).

Now, it was within Jesus’ power to ask His

Father for “more than twelve legions of angels”

to prevent Him from being put to death (Matthew

26:53), but if He had done so, the plan to save

us from our sins would have failed. As Jesus

Himself put it: “How then could the Scriptures

be fulfilled?” (verse 54). He suffered then so

that we can choose to be saved now. In Luke

6:3-5, Jesus refuted His haters with the Bible.

Then, in Luke 6:8, 9, Jesus flipped it on them

and challenged their motives. Finally in Luke

6:10, instead of getting angry, Jesus channeled

His energy into His ministry.

Practice is essential because it helps you to

prepare for the big moments in life. It also helps

you to be a better leader. There’s a lot of truth

in that old saying “Practice makes perfect”—

both in the sports world and in the spiritual

realm. So stay in practice!

David Robinson lives in Maryland and loves to write aboutsports.


When you lack discipline, you seldom reach excellence, andthen you losesomething youcan’t afford to—your credibility.

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by Benjamin Baker

youth. Talent. Fame.

Money. Glory. Legend . . .

Exit!

Looking at it from a worldly point of view,

Glen Coffee’s August 2010 announcement that

he was quitting the NFL after his rookie season

to go back to school and enter the ministry

seemed crazy. Already a star at 23, Coffee faced

a fabulous future in football. A coveted position

on one of the most storied franchises in NFL

history. A contract that guaranteed him awesome

wealth in a few short years. An opportunity to

be known—even adored—by millions of people

worldwide. And he left it all—just like that.

Why?

“I found Christ my junior year in college,” he

said.

Once he explained this, we could relate a bit

more easily to his turning his back on the fame

and fortune. Ever go where you knew God wasn’t

leading your life? Coffee admitted that he never

should have left the University of Alabama to be

drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, because it

was clear to him that God didn’t want him to have

a career in football. So after a solid rookie season

Coffee couldn’t resist God’s voice any longer.

He said, “I don’t know what call God has for

my life, but it wasn’t football. . . .

I’ll be happier, not necessarily be-

cause I’m without football, but be-

cause I’m letting Him do His work.

Whether it was leaving football or

leaving something else, another

job, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be happy

because I’m following His will.”

The beauty of Coffee’s words is

that this is no fake miracle story in

which everything falls perfectly into

place. He’s just like the rest of us—

not sure of everything, not having

all the answers, not having worked

everything out, but knowing when

a decision brings him peace.

“I’m at peace with God now,

and that’s what’s most important to me,” he

said at the time of his announcement.

To Obey Is Better

But why not play in the NFL a couple more

years and use the resulting fame and money

for the ministry? Coffee was asked.

“Christ was the one that gave me the money

in the first place,” Coffee replied in answer to

12 F e b r u a r y 5 | 2 0 1 1

LeavinGThe fieLd

Playing pro football versus following God’s will

San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee (29) slips atackle during an NFL game against the Denver Broncos, Aug.14, 2009, in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game 17-16.(AP Photo/Greg Trott)

that question. “It wasn’t His will for me to be in

the NFL. He can open any door He wants.”

Although new to the Christian faith, Coffee

possesses a surprisingly mature view of God.

He had already reasoned it out that if God was

leading him to do something other than play

football, it wouldn’t honor or please God for him

to keep playing—even to get publicity and

money for the purposes of ministry. As the bib-

lical prophet Samuel said to King Saul after the

king had disobeyed the Lord: “Does the Lord

delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much

as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is

better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than

the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22).*

So Glen Coffee walked off the field that day

last August. In doing so, he gave us an example of

what it means to put God first and follow His will.

Purpose

How can you know God’s purpose for your

life? You can discover it by taking three steps.

First, give your heart to Jesus

and decide to follow Him fully.

Jesus said: “If anyone would

come after me, he must deny

himself and take up his cross

and follow me” (Matthew

16:24). Deciding to follow Jesus

is the single most important life

choice you’ll ever make. It will

involve denying yourself by giv-

ing up some things in your life

that you know aren’t part of

God’s plan for you—just like it

did in Glen Coffee’s life.

Second, as you develop a

relationship with Jesus through

regular prayer and Bible study,

He will make His plan for your life clear. Wise

King Solomon said: “In all your ways acknowl-

edge him, and he will make your paths

straight” (Proverbs 3:6). God will direct you by

speaking to your heart, as He did with Coffee,

and you will know that you’re

following Him when you’re at

peace. God also leads through

His Word (the Bible), through

open and closed doors in your

life, and through wise counsel

from godly people.

Third, you can know God’s

plan for your life by doing what

He tells you to do. “The path of

the righteous is like the first

gleam of dawn, shining ever

brighter till the full light of day”

(Proverbs 4:18). When you fol-

low what you know God is

telling you to do today, tomor-

row you will know more. Coffee

admits that he doesn’t totally know what God’s

plan is for him, but leaving football was step

one. And since God led him in that, he knows

God will lead him in the future.


© 2

011

Thin

ksto

ck

Continued on p. 15

Saul Converted

in the meantime Saul,

now a member of the

High Council and full

of hatred, threatened to kill the

believers wherever he hap-

pened to find them. One day

he went to the high priest and

asked permission to go as far

north as Damascus in search

of Christians. He said that all

he needed were letters to the

synagogue leaders authorizing

him to arrest any Jewish

Christians he found there.

He would then bring them

back to Jerusalem to stand

trial, whether they were men

or women. The high priest

gave Saul the letter of authori-

zation he requested and im-

mediately Saul headed for

Damascus. After days of

travel, he and his companions

were nearing the city when

suddenly a brilliant light from

heaven flashed around Saul.

He stumbled and fell blinded

to the ground. Then he heard

a voice, saying, ‘Saul, Saul,

why are you persecuting me?’

“Trembling, Saul said, ‘Who

are you, Lord?’ The voice an-

swered, ‘I’m Jesus, the One

you’re persecuting. You’ve been

fighting against your own con-

science and covering your guilt

by persecuting my people

CHanged in a momenT

V i c t o r y o v e r a v i c i o u s o p p o n e n t

Like Glen Coffee, countless others have experienced change in

their lives as a result of a saving relationship with God. Ever

heard of the apostle Paul? Here’s his story of change, as found

in Acts 9:1-29 from The Clear Word,* an expanded paraphrase

of the Bible. As you read this, search your heart. Have you let

God change you?

14 F e b r u a r y 5 | 2 0 1 1

ever since you consented to

Stephen’s death.’ Saul said

weakly, ‘Lord, what do you

want me to do?’ The Lord an-

swered, ‘Get up and go into

Damascus. There you’ll be told

what to do.’ The men who were

with Saul stood speechless.

They had heard a voice but be-

cause of the bright light didn’t

see anyone. When Saul stood

up and opened his eyes, he

realized that he was totally

blind. His companions had to

lead him by the hand the rest

of the way to the city. For the

next three days, Saul sat in his

room, blind, refusing to eat or

drink, his mind going over the

prophecies about the Messiah.

Saul Baptized and Called Paul

“In Damascus there was a

follower of the Lord Jesus Christ

called Ananias. The Lord spoke

to him in a night vision, saying,

‘Ananias?’ He answered, ‘Yes,

Lord, I’m here.’ The Lord said,

‘Get up and go to Judas’ house

on Straight Street and ask to see

a man from Tarsus named Saul.

He is fasting and praying, asking

for help. I told him in a vision

that a man named Ananias

would be coming to see him and

that you would restore his sight

by placing your hands on his

head.’ Then Ananias answered,

‘Lord, this sounds like the man

I’ve heard about who’s been

going from house to house in

Jerusalem looking for Chris-

tians, arresting them and send-

ing them to prison. I’ve also

heard that the high priest gave

him the authority to come here

to arrest us and take us back

to Jerusalem.’ The Lord said,

‘Go and do as I’ve told you. I’ve

chosen Saul to serve me and

I want him to carry the good

news of salvation to the Gen-

tiles, to princes and kings and to

the Jews scattered throughout

the empire. I also need to share

with him how much he will

have to suffer for my sake.’

“So Ananias went to the

house where Saul was staying.

When he met him, he said,

‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus

Christ who stopped you on the

way here has sent me to heal

you.’ Then he placed his hands

on Saul’s head and said, ‘Re-

ceive your sight and be filled

with the Holy Spirit.’ Instantly,

something like fish scales fell

from Saul’s eyes and he could

see. He stood up and went down

to one of the rivers with Ananias

who baptized him. (From then

on those who knew about his

conversion began calling him by

his Roman name Paul.) Then

Paul ended his fast, and after

eating something, his strength

began to return. For a few days

he stayed with the believers in

Damascus.

Paul Preaches in Damascus

“Immediately, Paul was con-

victed to preach. So he went to

the nearest synagogue to tell the

people that Jesus Christ was the

Son of God. Everyone who heard

him preach was amazed and

said, ‘Isn’t this the man who

went from house to house in

Jerusalem arresting and de-

stroying those who worship

Jesus? Wasn’t he sent here by

the high priest to do the same

thing and to take believers back

to Jerusalem for trial?’ Yet each

day he preached more power-

fully than the day before, show-

ing from the Scriptures that

Jesus was the Messiah. The

Jews who argued with him

could not disprove what he said.

Paul Escapes

“Their hatred grew so intense

that the Lord directed him to

Arabia where He personally

taught him for three years. Then

Paul returned to Damascus to

preach. The Jews were so upset

that they decided to kill him. But

he found out about their plot and

learned that they had stationed

men at each of the city gates to

kill him as soon as he came out.

So the believers took him to an

opening in the city wall, put him

in a large basket (for he was

small), and with ropes gently

lowered him to the ground.

Paul in Jerusalem

“From Damascus Paul went

to Jerusalem to make peace

with the believers there. But

they were still afraid of him

because they thought he had

been sent to spy on them and

that his talk about conversion

wasn’t true. But Barnabas be-

friended him, learned more

about his conversion, then took

him to the apostles. Barnabas

explained to them what had

happened to Paul on the way

to Damascus and how the Lord

had appeared to him and spo-

ken with him. He also told them

about Paul’s days of fasting

and prayer, his baptism at the

hands of Ananias and how he

had gone into the synagogue

and boldly preached Jesus

Christ in Damascus. So they

welcomed Paul and had him

stay with them. He went

all over Jerusalem with them,

preaching the good news about

Jesus. Everywhere Paul went to

preach, he did so openly and

boldly, telling the people that

Jesus Christ was Lord.”

* Texts credited to The Clear Word arefrom The Clear Word, copyright © 1994,2000, 2003, 2004, 2006 by Review andHerald Publishing Association. All rightsreserved.

ciples can be applied to the Christian life.

Focus on your legs: NFL coaches want their

players in shape when the season starts. Ap-

plying this to the Christian life, make sure your

spiritual “legs” are strong enough to walk that

straight and narrow path that leads to eternal

life (see Matthew 7:13, 14). Keep in shape

through daily prayer and Bible study.

Have a partner: Having a workout partner in

the off-season provides players with motivation

and encouragement to reach goals. Having a

partner on your Christian walk accomplishes

the same things.

Improve communication: NFL coaches want

their players to sharpen their listening and com-

prehension skills so that they know what they’re

supposed to be working on and so they’re on

the same page with the coach. Christians need

to focus on really talking with God and listening

to Him—by reading His Word, the Bible. They

also should ask the people closest to them what

areas of their Christian experience could use

improvement.

Follow these three tips, and when seasons

of trial occur in your life, you’ll be prepared to

overcome through God’s strength. Remember,

if you don’t have a plan, then you plan to fail.

Staying in top spiritual condition at all times is

how to win in the game of life.

David Robinson lives in Maryland and loves to writeabout sports.


Continued from p. 3, The Off-season

Continued from p. 9, The Gridiron of Life

Continued from p. 13, Leaving the Field

most difficult things for any of us to do is to

allow Him to decide what’s best for us. But the

Lord reassures us with this promise: “I know

what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans

to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to

give you the future you hope for” (Jeremiah

29:11, Message).

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of fighting,

kicking, clawing, and struggling my way through

life. I’m tired of trying to grab as much as I can as

fast as I can, thinking that this will help me win in

life. I’ve discovered that everything is worthless

and meaningless unless I decide to love and follow

God and choose to obey His laws—especially the

Ten Commandments—which He established for

the happiness, peace, and safety of us all. King

Solomon, whom the Bible calls the wisest person

in the world (see 1 Kings 4:30, 31), gives us this

advice: “Respect and obey God! This is what life

is all about” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, CEV).

Are you searching for peace? For joy? For

contentment? The apostle Paul wrote something

amazing while he was in prison: “I’ve learned

by now to be quite content whatever my cir-

cumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with

much, with much as with little. I’ve found the

recipe for being happy whether full or hungry,

hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have,

wherever I am, I can make it through anything

in the One who makes me who I am” (Philippians

4:11-13, Message).

Do you want to start winning the game of

life today? Make a connection with Christ. Ac-

cept Him as your Savior and Lord right now.

Don’t wait.

Omar Miranda is a Christian counselor with 20 years ofexperience working with youth in public and private mid-dle and high schools. He’s married and has two kids. Heenjoys teaching the youth at his church, reading, writing,gardening, and camping.

1 Scripture quotations identified CEV are from the Contem-porary English Version. Copyright © American Bible Soci-ety 1991, 1995. Used by permission.

2 Texts credited to Message are from The Message. Copy-right © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Usedby permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

3 Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New Inter-national Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, Interna-tional Bible Society. Used by permission of ZondervanBible Publishers.

Will everything always be crystal clear? No.

Will following God always be easy? No.

Will people always understand? No.

But a life lived with and for God promises

peace, happiness, and ultimate fulfillment. In ad-

dition, your witness for Jesus will lead others to

Him, and they will lead even more to Him. Only

in heaven will you fully realize the power and in-

fluence of your decision to follow God’s plan for

your life all the way.

On Glen Coffee’s last day with the NFL, after

he had made the decision to follow Jesus com-

pletely, he cut the tape off of his ankles for the

final time—the tape that football players use.

Then he described the feelings he experienced:

“It was like a slow motion type of thing. It was

almost like shackles falling off my feet.”

Benjamin Baker writes from Maryland.

*Bible texts in this article are from the Holy Bible, New In-ternational Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, Inter-national Bible Society. Used by permission of ZondervanBible Publishers

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