Tim Griffin is the Vice President and Director of Spiritual Formation for Motor Racing Outreach as well as the lead NASCAR Chaplain. He will be the keynote speaker at the 2010 FCA Chaplains Conference.
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Ministering to the Professional Athlete
The Lost One
Set:
Wright College had a football team of 100 players. Every player knew the system, except for one. He was lost. A freshman who had never played football before, and had walked on to the team. He thought it would be fun, but he was lost. Everything seemed foreign to him. On plays, he would go one way, and everyone else another. He was always last in drills and always making his unit run for his struggles. Many players did not like this freshman, but he was still part of the team — the body. Ninety-nine players and one who was lost.
Slump
Set:
Tiger Woods doesn't win a tournament in a month. Barry Bonds doesn't homer in a week. Jeff Gordon doesn't win a race for a month. All of these are recent happenings. Sportswriters love this type of reporting because they get to go for the jugular. They break out the big "S" word — SLUMP. Sports fans and writers get used to the sports heroes performing day in and day out. When reality hits that these athletes aren't perfect, they feel like they have to make an excuse or that something must be terribly wrong with them. For the three examples above, I'm not sure if the word "slump" is right, but we all go through tough times in life and in sport.
The Hunter's Hope
Very few people know what it’s like to play in the NFL. Even fewer know what it’s like to play in a Super Bowl. Only one knows what it is like to be the starting quarterback in four consecutive.
His name is Jim Kelly, and he is a football legend. From 1986 to 1996, as the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, Kelly led his team to four consecutive Super Bowls, was selected to five Pro Bowls and passed for more than 35,000 career yards. Years before he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002, his poster graced the bedroom walls of kids nationwide, and his football cards were placed carefully into thousands of collectors’ albums.
Heart of a Coach: Natasha Brown
Chosen Topic: Arrogance
Dictionary definition: “An offensive display of superiority or self-importance; overbearing pride.”
My definition: “To be boastful or disrespectful in an attempt to appear smarter, wiser or better than someone else.”
Be a Caleb
Set:
This year, my son Caleb is playing freshman football at his school, and as he’s discovered, being one of 70 players is tough. He loves the game and enjoys certain drills in practice, but lately his teammates have been the bigger challenge for him. Two of the guys he considered to be his best friends have been verbally mocking him and putting him down. As a teenager, he expects that from some of the guys on the team but not his closest friends. All he wants to do is be his best and help his team in any way he can.
Raising the Standard (Excellence - Chapter 6)
Set:
One athlete’s career-threatening injury is another athlete’s blessing in disguise. At least that’s been the case for Major League Soccer veteran and four-time All-Star Chris Klein, who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2001 and his left ACL in 2004.
Called to Compete
Set:
I like to think the writer of Hebrews was a sports fan.The analogies he uses would certainly lead one to support this idea. Just as the writer referred to great numbers of witnesses, we athletes often compete in front of an audiences of great numbers.
This is also true in the Christian walk. Both believers and nonbelievers comprise our audience. There are those who encourage us: our pastors or our Sunday School teachers; and then there are those who "boo" us, ones who are opposed to any semblance of commitment to our Lord.
Didn't See It Coming
Set:
John was a great miler. He always liked to take the lead early in the race and run to victory. His coach, however, was concerned about an upcoming race. John's top opponent would be one who liked to come from behind to win.
When the race started, like clockwork, John raced to the lead. His coach told him to move to the inside of lane one, but John ignored him. He liked to run in the first lane, but not always on the inside. Laps two and three, his coach said the same thing, but John only grew upset with him. John knew he had the lead — the victory was his. On lap four, his coach was more insistent that John move to the inside of lane one, but John stayed firm in the middle of the lane.
Home Stretch: Justin Masterson
My story begins in Kingston, Jamaica. That's where I was born and where my dad served as a pastor and the dean of students at the Jamaican Theological Seminary. We lived there for two years until we moved to Indiana.
Growing up as a pastor's son was a huge blessing. It helped me understand from an early age what it meant to have a relationship with God. That relationship has been so important to me in my baseball career as I have worked my way up through the Boston Red Sox farm system, and it is evident in the way I play every day.
R U Fat?
Set:
I was approached the other day and asked if I was fat. Well, as a former athlete and coach who has put on a few since his glory days, I was taken aback. "I may be fat, but you're ugly," I kidded him. He laughed and responded, "Not that kind of fat!" I was interested to see how he was going to get out of this one.
He went on to tell me that the "fat" he had been talking about stood for Faithful, Available and Teachable. He told me that we need FAT people involved in the ministry. What a great thought! We most certainly do need FAT people in every area of life. Athletes need to be FAT. Coaches need to be FAT. Pastors need to be FAT. And the list goes on and on. The question now is ... Are you FAT?
Fit 4 Ever: Christmas Food Survival Guide
I absolutely love the Christmas season! There’s nothing better than celebrating the birth of our Lord in the presence of family and friends.
For many of us, however, this time of year means we abandon our healthy routines, throw off our restraint, and overindulge in huge quantities of food. There is just something about a huge turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, dinner rolls and green bean casserole. Finish that with a slice or two of pecan pie, and it’s time for an afternoon nap!
Faith Over Circumstance
Set:
Another grueling workout… I have just finished leg presses with 10 plates. As I grab the sides of the press machine to steady myself as I get up, I can feel my legs shaking. It is not the normal shake of someone who has worked out hard. It is the shake that comes from the nerves in my body struggling through multiple sclerosis.
I look around the gym as I try to get my mind to coordinate my legs to move and I see the other bodybuilders working out. They are all healthy. They stand strong and steady on their legs. They don’t hold onto the machines to keep from losing their balance. There is no effort in walking from machine to machine.
Consuming Madness
Set:
March can be a time of spiritual renewal and testing. Depending on your area of the world, you may be encouraged by the promise of spring and new life as your surroundings begin to change. But there are also distinct temptations that come with the new season. For example, participating in St. Patrick’s Day parties this week probably tempted a few out there. Then there are also various temptations that come with the NCAA Tournament and the thousands of bracket pools.
Getting Cut: A Good Thing?
Set:
After the third preseason game of an NFL team, many players find out where they stand in trying to make the cut. One such player, Jason, found out some bad news. Before his third game, he was told that he was cut. Jason drove home, obviously disappointed in not making the team.
Becoming a Volunteer Chaplain
What does it take to be a successful volunteer chaplain? Doug Pollock, chaplain for the basketball teams at Bradley answers that question and much more as he walks you through the process.
Divine Power
The majestic beauty of Niagara Falls is no secret to the world. Millions of tourists visit the falls every year to take in its resplendent sights and experience the grandeur of the 170-foot waterfalls that separate the United States and Canada. What few people know, however, is that the water cascading over the falls was first harnessed in 1759 as a way of supplying power to a small sawmill. Now, more than two centuries later, Niagara Falls still provides electricity, but on a much larger scale, serving as the largest power source for the entire state of New York.
Discouragement in Ministry
Join Dr. John Ed Mathison as he shares from his 45 years of ministry experience, "How to be an encourager even in discouraging times."
For more about John Ed Mathison, check out his website.
#8 - StVRP - Pete Maravich, Micky Mantle, Bobby Richardson
This week, you’ll hear testimony of basektball great Pete Maravich, the story of Mickey Mantle’s faith conversion and 1960 World Series MVP Bobby Richardson.
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