What We Can Learn from the World Champion Seattle Seahawks
Allow me to to bask a few moments in the afterglow of Seattle’s first men’s professional sports championship in thirty-eight years.
Seattle Seahawks 43 – Denver Broncos 8.
I’ve gone full circle in sports enthusiasm in my lifetime. In my younger years, sports was an idol that I lived, slept, dreamt and loved far too much. After I became a disciple of Jesus, I ran to the other extreme and threw away all my athletic trophies and scrapbooks in a burst of religious zeal.
A few years back, God brought me to a place of wiser moderation. Jesus is the supreme love of my life and nothing takes His place in time, thought, commitment and passion. I can also enjoy watching the occasional sports contest with interest and enjoyment.
Superbowl 48–the most watched TV broadcast in American history–stimulated that kind of interest and joy. But it goes much deeper for me.
What can we learn from the World Champion Seattle Seahawks?
What We Can Learn from the Seahawks
1. Don’t believe the doubters. Seattle was recognized as a good team in 2013, and for much of the year stood at the top of the NFL Power Rankings. In December, their offense struggled and some analysts began to doubt their ability to go the distance.
Bookmakers made them underdogs in the Superbowl against the Broncos and their legendary quarterback, Peyton Manning. Most of the lead-up to the game appeared to be a coronation of the highly respected quarterback. Certainly Manning would cruise to victory and be hailed as the greatest NFL quarterback of all time.
Instead, the Seahawks defense refused to believe the headlines and shut him and the Broncos down.
We need to learn from them and suppress the satanic and human voices around us that tell us we’re not good enough. Don’t accept the doubts. Do your very best and leave the results to God, whether you’re a student, secretary, soldier, factory worker, CEO, or NFL quarterback. Put your trust in the One Who Can.
2. Faith has its rewards and blessings. Many of the Seahawks players profess faith in Christ and have put their trust in God to save them from their sins. That’s why you hear them “thank God” when they’re interviewed and point their hands toward heaven after touchdowns.
The Making of a Champion shares the faith-stories of a number of Seahawk players and coaches and openly invites the audience to get involved in a local church. Jesus is Bigger Than The Superbowl is an interview with Mars Hill pastor Mark Driscoll that reveals some Seahawks player’s supreme priority.
Faith in Jesus not only restores us to relationship with God, but brings many blessings to our lives. In fact, when you hear various Seahawks say to the cameras that they are “blessed” by what they’re doing, you’re listening to a code word that means that Jesus has given them strength, talents, and gifts in life that they know come from Him.
Every good gift comes from God (James 1:17). Faith brings inner hope, confidence, strong friendships, better marriages, comfort in sorrow and many other “blessings.”
Let the Seahawks’ players inspire you to live by faith.
3. Defense wins. It is an axiom in sports–that great defenses beat great offenses. The Seahawks/Broncos matchup was a test of this theory as Seattle possessed the number one defense in the NFL and the Broncos sported a record-setting number one offense.
Yet, many pundits chose the Broncos. Then the game began and the Seattle defense absolutely dominated up the Bronco Express. It wasn’t even close. After a couple quarters, it looked like the Bronco players were “hearing footsteps” every time they went for a catch. The defense won the day.
Defense is important in our lives too. God is our Rock–we must take shelter in Him. We need to put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness and take up the shield of faith daily against the attacks of the demonic world (Ephesians 6:13-17).
We, too, will conquer if we play good defense.
4. Character counts. This year’s Seattle Seahawks (with the exermption of the Richard Sherman rant) exemplified great character on and off the field.
Character is the sum total of your moral traits and include the attributes of love (1 Corinthians 13), the nine fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22,23), and many other godly qualities. 2 Peter 1:5-7 lists seven character traits including virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love.
Athletes who exhibit many of these qualities make tremendous role models for kids and people of all ages because of their notoriety. Let’s pray for professional athletes in all the fields of sport that they would be people whose lives are worthy of imitation.
5. Work hard. Seahawk quarterback Russell Wilson, at the ripe old age of 25, has already become famous for the saying “The separation is in the preparation.” Translation? Those who work diligently to be their best will distinguish themselves from those around them. Hard work is one of the primary tickets to success in a fallen world where we’re all competing for survival.
If you work hard like the Seahawks at what God has called you to do, you will also experience many triumphs. The Bible encourages us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving ” (Colossians 3:23,24).
Let’s work hard for Jesus.
6. Use the talent God has given you. Sometimes when elite athletes talk about their skills (as when speaking to an audience of young people), they emphasize “going for your dreams, aiming for the top.” There’s nothing wrong with aiming high, but it comes with a caveat: it must be within the framework of the talent or gifts God has given you.
A wise and honest athlete once said, “You can’t put in what God has left out.” We must have a sober assessment of our talents, both athletically and professionally and then strive to do the best with what God has given us.
We all have special talents, aptitudes, motivations and desires. Find your own, be realistic about God has given you, and use those talents to the best of your ability. When you do, your successes will be just as satisfying as athletes winning the Superbowl.
7. Give God the glory. I loved it on Sunday night when numerous Seahawk players began their after-game interviews with a quick and hearty nod to God. The same thing took place at the NFL Honors banquet the night before. Almost every player chosen for a prestigious award began his acceptance speech with a heart-felt “I thank to God” before going on to mention parents, coaches, and others.
That little phrase tells you alot about a person. They know who their source is. They are grateful to the Person who really gets credit for their ability.
In the famous Chariots of Fire movie, American sprinter Jackson Schultz hands Eric Liddell (The Flying Scot) a folded note before he runs one of the biggest races of his life. It reads, “He who honors Me, him will I honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).
When we give glory to God, He turns around and honors us in multitudes of ways. Be sure to give God the glory for the accomplishments and blessings of your own life.
8. Aim, high and shoot long. Russell Wilson told many audiences this week that he went to last year’s Superbowl as a spectator to learn about how to get there. Then he and the other Seahawks set their bar high to aim at winning the pinnacle prize of American football.
Over our lifetime we need to set goals for how God wants to use our lives. We need to “aim high” (don’t settle for the mediocre) and then “shoot long”–in other words, have the tenacity to look long range and never give up.
Are you aiming high in your life goals? Are you willing to pursue them for years to the glory of your Creator?
9. Be humble and give others the credit. This was one of the clearest testimonies of the Seahawk triumph. Player after player deflected the attention off of themselves to their other teammates. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was especially good at this–giving praise to all of his players and lifting up the value of “team” above individuals.
It was hard to choose the Superbowl 48 MVP. Russell Wilson, Kam Chancellor, Percy Harvin, or the entire Legion of Boom all qualified! The award went to unsung hero Malcolm Smith who quietly accepted the thanks–and then immediately gave credit to his teammates.
That’s the power of humility–team–thinking of others. It’s a beautiful thing to behold, and also gives glory to God.
10. Don’t give up–persevere to the end. The Seahawks played a very steady game in Superbowl 48 which proved they were the best football team in the NFL. But to get there, they had to survive many epic battles, close shaves–even a rally from twenty-one points behind in one game.
Life is lived best by those who endure and don’t give up. They get knocked down, they look like they’re out, but somehow they muster the strength (in God and his grace) to trudge to the finish line.
It’s one thing to persevere in an athletic contest. It’s even more important to do so in your marriage, family, spiritual and business life.
In summary, I’m grateful to the Seahawks for bringing Seattle a championship after nearly a forty year drought. But I’m even more excited about the faith, humility, teamwork, and other character qualities that allowed this team to reach the top of their trade.
Let’s learn from the Seahawks and do likewise. That will make each of us champions in the ultimate game of life.
What Muslims, Secularists, and Richard Sherman Can Learn from Dr. Martin Luther King
This week we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King whose words and actions helped tear down the final edifice of racial injustice in the United States.
MLK was not a perfect man. Recently the possibility of exposing his sexual indiscretions prevented his estate (family) from allowing a movie to be made of his life. That is a tragedy–because truth is both brutally honest and peace-loving.
In his struggle against racial injustice, MLK understood this. He was a man of honesty and a man of peace.
What can the Muslim world, secularists and Richard Sherman learn from Dr. Martin Luther King?
Dr. King founded his civil rights strategy on the words of Jesus who famously said:
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:44-48).
Love your enemies.
Most of us know from experience this is hard to do. We get angry, act vindictively, hold grudges, shoot off our mouths and sometimes our guns because we don’t like or agree with others. We need salvation in Christ and the fruit of self control, that only God provides, to reign in our baser nature.
When we “love our enemies” we show that we know God and have become “mature” (perfect).
In the Civil Rights struggle, Dr. Martin Luther King walked that walk. He refused to call names or resort to violence because the end didn’t justify the means. With elegant self control, he led a peaceful struggle against discrimination that altered the course of American history and brought healing and hope to millions.
Truthful people do not hurt or persecute others because truth requires humility and repentance due to its own failings. When we don’t accept the “truth” about our own condition and soften our hearts, then an evil heart can fester hatred, reaction, filth and violence.
Now let’s examine these principles of MLK’s life to two religions and one athlete.
The Muslim World
Raymond Ibrahim has written an insightful article called “The Existential Elephant in the Christian Persecution World” which exposes the main source Christian persecution in the world. Ibrahim is a widely published author, public speaker, and Middle East and Islam expert who serves as a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center.
He concludes that over 80% of ALL Christian persecution in the world comes not from jihadists but from Islam in general. It is the Muslim faith that leads the world in violent hateful persecution of its perceived enemies–not in line with the heart and methods of MLK.
Ibrahim reports:
“Open Doors USA recently released its widely cited 2014 World Watch List—a report that highlights and ranks the 50 worst nations around the globe persecuting Christians.”
“The one glaring fact that emerges from this report is that the overwhelming majority of Christian persecution around the world today is being committed at the hands of Muslims of all races, languages, cultures, and socio-political circumstances: Muslims from among America’s allies (Saudi Arabia) and its enemies (Iran); Muslims from economically rich nations (Qatar) and from poor nations (Somalia and Yemen); Muslims from “Islamic republic” nations (Afghanistan) and from “moderate” nations (Malaysia and Indonesia); Muslims from nations rescued by America (Kuwait) and Muslims claiming “grievances” against America (fill in the blank __).”
“A common denominator, a pattern, exists, one that is even more extensive than Open Doors implies. According to that organization’s communications director, Emily Fuentes, ‘of the 50 worst nations for persecution, 37 of them are Muslim,’ or 74%. In fact, while this number suggests that the other 13 countries making the top 50 are not Muslim—for example Kenya and Ethiopia—those doing the persecution there are.”
“In other words, those persecuting Christians in 41 of 50 nations are Muslims; that is, a whopping 82% of all persecution around the globe is being committed by the adherents of Islam—sometimes in Christian majority nations; for example, the Central African Republic which, after the 2013 Islamic takeover, now ranks #16.”
“As for the top ten absolute worst nations, where, according to the 2014 World Watch List, Christians suffer “extreme persecution,” nine—that is, 90%—are Muslim. (Indeed, Open Doors’ global map of Christian persecution can easily be confused with a global map of the Islamic world, with the exception of China (ranked 37, “moderate persecution”) and some sporadic countries dominated by crime and godless tyranny, Columbia, North Korea, etc.).”
“Similarly, a recent Morning Star News report listing 2013’s ten most horrific anecdotes of Christian persecution around the world finds that nine out of ten—again, 90%—were committed at the hands of those professing Islam.”
Ibrahim concludes, “Time is not on the side of Christians living amid Muslims; quite the opposite. Since the 7th century, when Islam came into being, Muslims have been invading and conquering Christian lands, so that more than half of the territory that was once Christian in the 7th century—including all of North Africa–are today the heart of the ‘Muslim world.’”
“Muslim persecution of Christians exists in 41 nations today as part of a continuum that started nearly 14 centuries ago. The very same patterns of Christian persecution prevalent throughout the Muslim world today are often identical to those from centuries past. The facts speak for themselves.”
You might want to take a quick look at the maps above. They show what missiologists call the 10/40 Window where Muslim nations are in the majority from North Africa to Indonesia. These are the nations where the greatest “hate” thrives It’s not just the jihadists. It is Muslims of all backgrounds and stripes.
This is because the Koran condones the hatred and conquest of those who do not submit (infidels). It has done so for centuries. During the Middle Ages, after the Muslims had pillaged the biblical lands and began to invade Europe, Christians made the mistake of responding in kind.
We call that era “The Crusades”–and it became violent, vindictive and evil. At least today we admit it. During that terrible time, Christians lost sight of the fact that truth is peaceful and self-controlled.
Muslims never learned. They are not relaxed in the truth and thus peaceful in its application. When you know the truth about God, life, sin, and the need for salvation, then you can “love your enemies.” You’re not motivated to persecute or hate.
Muslims need to find the “Prince of Peace” and become established in the truth. Then they will be following the example of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Secularism
Secular governments are second worse in persecuting or hating others. Secularism simply means “worldly,” and is a philosophy that denies God’s existence while elevating dictators into places of government authority. Tyranny and persecution follow.
Communist China is a large-country example–a nation that persecutes Christians and many others. North Korea is the poster-child in the 21st century of a hateful, persecuting nation due to its god-like worship of Kim Jong Un and total rejection of biblical values.
But secularism is also becoming stronger in Europe and America. As it rises, tolerance of Christians and others is falling. We see this today under the Obama administration where the Affordable Care Act is trying to force Christians (such as the “Little Sisters of the Poor”) to go against their God-given conscience in the name of the aims of the state. This is just the beginning of a rising tide of Christian persecution and suppression that bodes ill for the future.
Remember: Truth is peaceful, not forceful or hateful–and even works to “love its enemies.”
Dr. Martin Luther King would not be pleased with the current secular death spiral in the US.
Richard Sherman
For those who are non-football fans, Richard Sherman is the All-Pro cornerback of the Seattle Seahawks who are headed to the Super Bowl. He is considered the best at his position in the NFL.
Sherman was raised in Compton, California when drugs and gangs ruled the streets. His Christian parents kept him and many others away from those things but the hateful and violent environment left its imprint. Sherman went on to play football at Stanford (an elite academic college) and was drafted by the Seahawks in the 2011 NFL draft.
I like Richard Sherman. He’s smart, articulate, confident and playful. He does much good in the community and is an energetic, fun loving guy.
But at the end of the NFC Championship Game, won by his Seahawks (in which he made the final game-winning play), Sherman ripped into his opponent in an explosion of emotion and boldly declared himself the best at what he does. You can see the rant here (viewed by 60 million Americans).
Some commentators and athletes defended his action. They say “trash talk” is normal in sports and people should be “authentic” in what they say and do.
Nonsense. Hitler, Stalin and Mao were “authentic” and so were the Ku Klux KLan and the leaders of the Inquisition. So what. They did what wrong. They expressed hate, condescension, anger and even violence toward their enemies.
Yes, football is a violent sport. But it can still be played with classiness, verbal self-control, and even graciousness (outside of the tackling and physical punishment). We all know many superb athletes who do just that (like Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson–opposing QBs in Super Bowl 48).
Sherman made a mistake. In an adrenaline-charged moment he snapped and came across as an arrogant hater (which is not his real persona). He also went against another wise truth:
“Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth–a stranger, not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).
I’m glad he apologized. He would be wise now to elevate the “content of his character” to that of the late Dr. Martin Luther King and let his play (and conduct) speak for itself.
We should do the same in the game of life. Ditto Muslims and secularists.
Loving your enemies is the greatest mark of strength. Thanks Dr. King. It only comes through the power of Jesus Christ enshrined in the human heart.
Ozzie & Harriet Were Right: Treasure the Family God Has Given You
Since the recent sexual revolution, it has become increasingly acceptable to sneer the family values that prevailed during the 1950s.
Some commentators look down on the quaintness and naivety of “Leave It To Beaver,” “Father’s Knows Best,” and “Ozzie and Harriet”–as if those wholesome family-oriented shows are something to flee like the plague.
I grew up during that time. It was not perfect (which is true of every period), but there was something about the family love of that era that should not be laughed at.
Ozzie and Harriet were right. Family is your greatest treasure. Are you nurturing and appreciating the family heritage God has given you?
Some sermons you never forget. They impact you, etch your mind, give you insight that last a lifetime. It is rewarding for me, as a public speaker, to meet people who say that they never forgot a certain message that I gave which touched their life.
Today I’d like to honor Oren Paris, one of the early leaders of Youth With A Mission (and father of singer Twila Paris), who gave a message, probably thirty years ago, that I never forgot.
His text was Psalm 16:6: “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places. Indeed, I have a beautiful heritage.”
I don’t recall many details of the message. But I remember good ‘ole Oren, a winsome and passionate southern preacher (he started YWAM’s work in Arkansas) talking with near awe and deep gratitude for the multi-generational family God had given him.
He had good reason to be proud. His family lineage included many followers of Jesus, including quite a few Pentecostal preachers who shared God’s love for generations. They include Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM who is Oren’s cousin and his brother Leland who was Youth With A Mission’s North American director for many years and now works extensively in North Korea.
Oren’s family line also included a few scoundrels and prodigals as all families do. He was honest about them all.
But what struck me was Brother Oren’s incredible delight in his family. Many times in his message he exclaimed what a beautiful family inheritance he had! He was grateful for his forefathers, enamored with his immediate wife and children, and excited about their future.
Oren treasured his family heritage. He is now in heaven with many of those ancestors while others from his line carry on here on earth.
I was deeply impacted by his love of family and set my heart to treasure my own–just like Oren.
However, that revelation was harder for me because of my own background. Yes, I did grow up in the era of Ozzie and Harriet when American family life seemed wholesome and strong. But as many families know (including Oren’s!), mine experienced some difficulties.
If you count multiple generations, those trials included the sudden death of loved ones, incarceration, divorce, suicide, health problems, adoption, and even estrangement from relatives. (One Boehme relative “left” the family two generations ago and was never heard from again. I still pray for his possible children and grandchildren because God knows who they are.).
I also didn’t have any Pentecostal preachers in my background, but many good Lutherans! So I think I sub-consciously believed that our own family problems out-weighed the positives. I didn’t default to thinking of my heritage as “beautiful.”
Maybe you can relate. Possibly you were abused as a child, a victim of alcoholism, or divorce. Maybe you grew up poor, lived in a bad neighborhood, or endured various family crises that damaged your view of the “heritage.”
If you feel that way, what you went through is real–but it is not the full picture God wants you to have of the family he gave you.
Let’s back up for a moment and ponder our beginnings. Most believers accept that life started with God creating the heavens and the earth. In our minds-eye, we can see the Master Builder speaking into existence the universe, designing the plants and animals, and putting in place all the stars and planets.
When we think of creation, we naturally gravitate to God making stuff–of which we are a part.
On the other hand, if we get our idea of origins from a secular science class, the emphasis is different, but really the same. There’s no mention of God, but just a “Big Bang” that created the universe billions of years ago and evolved into what we see today.
Evolution teaches a slower and de-personalized life process, but the overall emphasis remains: The emergence of stuff. But here’s where we need a higher view. Is life really about the “stuff” around us?
I think not. Here’s a more accurate picture.
Once upon a time, only the Godhead–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–existed. “They,” the unexplainable Three-in-One, were not only the “First Family” but the Creator of what we now see and enjoy. And, the essence of the Godhead is relationship–Three-in One–loving, enjoying, appreciating, delighting and caring for each.
It is the biblically-understood Trinity that provides the only meaningful explanation of love and relationships. Evolution does not. If we are just a mass of matter, where does love, feeling, sensitivity and altruism come from? From amino acids? It makes no sense. Nor does belief in a single God who has no other relationships and doesn’t need any (such as the Islamic “Allah”).
The biblical truth about the Godhead answers the mystery. Love and family originate in the heart and mind of the eternal, omniscient, omnipresent Trinity (First Family). And the Triune God decided many years ago to multiply it.
Creation was not primarily a Big Bang of stuff. It was an Explosion of Love that the Godhead released into the universe. The stars, planets and earth were simply the backdrop. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit so desired to share their family-love relationship with others that they decided to create a universe and world where their love could be multiplied.
Thus, with the heaven and earth as a necessary environment, God had made man in his image, with the ability of mind, emotion, and freedom–the ability to enter into loving relationships with God and also with other human beings.
It was all about love. It’s still all about love. The goal of missions is love through reconciliation to God. The means of salvation was love, provided through the gruesome death of the Son.
This makes sense because God is love (1 John 3:4)
And God’s structure for experiencing, nurturing and multiplying his love explosion is the family unit. Genesis 1 tells us how God created the environment, but Genesis 2 describes God’s real intention–creating human beings to share loving relationship with him–with the nuclear family the centerpiece.
Family–with God and other humans–is the crux of it all.
If we really understand this concept, that God created us for love and placed us into families to nurture and discover His love, then certainly “our heritage will be beautiful to us.” And the closer we look at our immediate families, we will see the hand of God in their formation.
The time frame of Ozzie and Harriet was simply a good “picture” of God’s desires for mankind–loving, caring parents, obedient children, and family nurture, unity, gratefulness and appreciation–all things that ultimately bring glory to God.
Those family attributes still exist today, but our God-denying secular culture is chipping away at them on many fronts. The AP recently did a story on how the nuclear family–especially marriage–is dying in America. You can read the sad tale here. It was also announced this week that 50% of African American youth and 40% of white American young people have been arrested. 70% of black children are born out of wedlock.
The devil is trying to destroy the family because it most represents the purpose of God.
So how can we treasure the family God has given us? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Pray for a God-given revival of loving, nurturing families.. I take a prayer walk everyday and pray for different themes. One day the prayers focus on families all over the nation and world. I also pray for for all my family members on all sides of the Boehme-Cookson family.
2. Pour great grace and love into your family relationships. A friend of ours once said that “this generation needs a lot of grace.” Lavish it into the lives of your parents, children, and grandchildren. Grace and love are the primary currencies of God-oriented families.
3. If your family is fractured, work to repair it and draw in others in need. One family on our street adopted four foster kids. We have many friends who have adopted children or are foster parents. YWAM Adoption Ministry and Streams of Mercy are good ministries to those in need of family. Support them. Join them.
4. Get together often to love one another and create rich and meaningful memories.
My most special memory this Christmas was our entire family watching a four minute video that our son Nathan produced called “Home for Christmas.” The clip was a reminder of our family heritage. It showed our old home being built, then some snippets of past Christmases we enjoyed together.
When we viewed it on Christmas Eve, we experienced a “God-moment” as every single family member (and a few additions) wept openly over the love we’ve shared over the years.
Tears of joy and remembrance.
The video is here for you to enjoy. I know it’s not your family, so the heart tug will not be the same. But put your own family faces into the reel and think about God’s love explosion that produced your unique family.
Ozzie and Harriet were right. Treasure the family God has given you.
And shout with all your heart: “Indeed my heritage is beautiful!”
Disputing the Big Bang – The Family Love Explosion of the Godhead