The Champions Spirit
Volume 68, Issue 4
February 1, 2009
In This Issue
Two Amazing Stories, (2)
The Game!
Super Bowl Sunday—today’s contest between the Cardinals and the Steelers is called “The Game.” Yet, I want to tell you about a game with an even greater story!
This game was played between Gainesville State School (0-8, 2 TD’s all year, 14 players) and Grapevine Faith High School (7-2, 70 players, 11 coaches). Gainesville State School is a fenced, maximum security youth facility—the kind of place where kids convicted of drugs, assault, and worse are sent.
To make a long story short, the game was played in Grapevine. Yet, when the Gainesville boys came out to take the field, there was a 40 yard long “spirit line,” made up of Faith High supporters turned “Tornado” fans for an evening. Throughout the evening, those fans—more than 200 of them—cheered the 0-8 team at every turn, from yelling “Dee-Fense!” to providing each boy with a sack of goodies for the bus ride back.
No “fairy tale” ending here...the Gainesville players lost, again. However, they did score two touchdowns and ended by giving their coach the Gatorade drenching traditionally reserved for winners.
All of this happened because the head coach (of Grapevine Faith) thought about these Gainesville boys who had almost no one pulling for them—and thought something could be done about it, for one night at least. Of course, there were also the parents and students who were willing to put their own allegiance aside to do something truly spectacular for these incarcerated young men.
Was it special to the Gainesville team? Gerald, a lineman (with three more years to do) said, "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games...But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!" After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray. Isaiah, Gainesville’s quarterback asked to lead the prayer. He said, “Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us.”
Jesus went about “doing good” (Acts 10:38). He gave hope to the hopeless, love to the neglected, and self-worth to the disrespected. He showed His care. Following in His steps, we will also take advantage of opportunities to do likewise. We will find ways to serve in our own version of The Game.
—Larry Keele
FAMILY MATTERS...
Welcome to today’s services! If you are our guest, please accept our thanks for your coming. Come again, please.
Again the family has grown! In addition to the Sames and the Clintons (already listed in a previous bulletin), it was announced that Terry and Melba McKee also wanted to identify with this congregation. We welcome them!
The Ladies’ Retreat will be held next Friday and Saturday! This will be a great opportunity for relational growth—both with the Lord and with others of the Champions family.
Do you know which month our “Come Home Sunday” will take place?
Parting Thought: The trouble with trouble is that it usually starts out as a lot of fun!
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!
Bill's Bits
Sweetheart Brunch
On February 14th the sweethearts at Champions will have another opportunity to celebrate love and relationship during our first ever Sweetheart Brunch. This is a time to let your sweetie know how much you love him or her.
We will gather in the Fellowship Hall at 10:30 a.m. The men are expected to cook (I found over a million brunch recipes on Google, so be creative) and we will enjoy some wonderful time together.
As in the past, we will open the floor to those who have poems, songs, stories, etc. that they would like to dedicate to their sweethearts. So come join us for a fabulous time!
—Bill Rasco
Jeremy's Junction
Dear Champions Family,
This past weekend was our retreat. We met with the Boulevard Church of Christ and the Liberty Church of Christ in Zavala, Texas, at a camp called Camp His Way. There were 91 people involved in our camp. Fifty-one of these came from Champions. There were plenty of amazing things that happened this weekend. We saw a lot of spiritual growth from many of our younger teens in the group. They worked together after several hours to present their own devotionals to each other. The singing was amazing. We saw (again) the older teens work diligently with the younger teens in helping them through the spiritually challenging events. All in all, this was a wonderful session.
One thing that happened was particularly special. A girl named Ellie McKelroy, from the Liberty church, was baptized. What made people really talk about this event was how cold it was when she decided to be baptized by her youth minister in the lake. The water was freezing. Just going down to the lake the temperature dropped a good ten degrees. However, this girl wanted Jesus in her life so badly, she was willing to withstand the cold waters to be baptized. I heard several teenagers comment on how this showed how strong her desire was to be become a Christian and walk with Jesus.
How bad do you want Jesus? Are you desperate for Him? Are you to the point where you feel like you can't breathe without having Him? Are you so in love with Him that you would get in icy cold water to be closer to Him? All of us have things that we are facing. It could be a temptation that we keep to ourselves or it could be trying to muster up the courage to share Christ with someone we love. Whatever that thing is, choose to brave the icy cold lake, and Jesus will bless you with the warmth of His love.
—Jeremy Geurin
John's Jogs
THE MYSTERY OF MIRACLES is the title of an article in this month’s issue of the AARP magazine with the claim of being the world’s largest circulation magazine. “For the overwhelming majority of Americans 50 plus, extraordinary feats by the hand of God are not just a matter of faith…they’re a matter of fact.” By Bill Newcott
Is it really a matter of fact? Among respondents to their poll the most typical miracle story was a hopeless illness, a desperate prayer, an in-explainable recovery. Of course most medical ailments have been found to be treatable. But those who report such cases as miracles feel there is an extra ingredient present – a “spiritual something” and their conviction is as certain as the fact that they are alive today.
Consider the survey results: of those who believe in miracles, 84% say they happen because of God. About three fourths further identify Jesus and the Holy Spirit as sources of miracles, while lesser numbers attribute them to angels (47%), saints (32%), deceased relatives or others who have passed on (19%), and other spirits (18%).
In I Corinthians 12 & 13, Paul showed that “biblical Miracles” would come to an end. Note the last verse of chapter 12 after discussing the miracle powers, he said, “And now I will show you the most excellent way.” Then chapter 13:8-10 he says miraculous prophecies, knowledge, tongues etc. will cease. Verse 10, “But when perfection comes, the imperfect will disappear.” Biblical miracles were performed to prove that the prophets, Jesus and the apostles were from God. Once the Word of God (The Bible) was completed miracles were not necessary.
Perhaps the problem is understanding the definition of a miracle. Biblical miracles were a “staying” or over-riding the laws of nature. In the article, they quote a “Father” Jonathan Morris, a Fox News commentator and the author of “The Promise: God’s Purpose and Plan for When Life Hurts.” He says “When people say, ‘This is a miracle’ they are not saying, ‘God broke the laws of nature to give me this blessing.’” Morris notes, “They’re saying ‘God cares about me so much that he allowed this to happen.’”
I have no problem saying that extraordinary things happen and that God answers the fervent prayers of His children. But He does no longer over-rule the laws of nature to perform a miracle. That ended with those Christians upon whom the apostles laid their hands.
—John Qualls