Faith F.A.M.I.L.Y.® Football Challenge #2 by Jess Stainbrook Thanks for joining us in this 7 day reading plan. You may be joining us because you are connected to our Faith Family Football Celebration event live from the Super Bowl in Minneapolis, or perhaps a friend recommended it, or you just found us on the Bible App.  However it happened, we’re glad you could join us for this mini-journey that will give you some more insight and increase your understanding of how to grow your “faith” in your daily life.   Back in the 1990’s, lots of “church people” were wearing bracelets with, W.W.J.D. – What Would Jesus Do?  We always wondered – what’s the answer to that question?  My good friend Mike Manhardt and his buddy while hanging out in Jamaica came up with an acronym that I believe can be a great reminder of the answer to the ‘WWJD’ question. It’s F.A.M.I.L.Y.!  Now, I know the word family can have lots of meanings. Beyond just the standard dictionary definitions, it’s more than “parents and children” or “common ancestors.”  It can be those that stick with us through thick and thin, or our extended and new blended families. Family can be a mentor or a coach, those special people that care about us… dare we say “LOVE” us… no matter what.  Like Lilo says in the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch, “Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”  OR as Edna Buchanan, the American journalist said, “Family are the friends that we choose ourselves.” I give you the word F.A.M.I.L.Y.® as a mnemonic device (pronounced, new-monic). I know what you’re saying, “A Mne… what the heck is that word?!!!”  No, it’s not a new power tool from The Home Depot!  A mnemonic device is a way that that helps you remember something else. We use them everyday – probably without even knowing it, i.e., SCUBA = Self-contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus; ASAP= As Soon As Possible; FYI=For Your Information, FAQ=Frequently Asked Questions, BFF=Best Friend Forever, or LOL=Laughing Out Loud.   In our case, it’s the individual letters in the word F.A.M.I.L.Y.® that will remind you every single day of how to live your life in that “What Would Jesus Do” way.  Plus, you can share it with your friends because while the concept might be straight out of the bible, it’s not overtly Christian and can honestly apply to anyone, anywhere. Hence, a direct response to Matthew 10:16, where Jesus says, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” We will officially start the F.A.M.I.L.Y.® stuff tomorrow. Right now, let me give you some parameters that will help you over the next 7 days: Three things you should know straight up: God made you and knows you.  (PSA.139) God loves you. (ROM.8.37-39)   God thinks you are very special.  (MAT.10.29-31) Sounds quaint, but it’s not.  Walking with God is real and I hope to help you discover some things over the next seven days so you have a better understanding of this thing called “Faith.” THE COMMITMENT Over the next seven days, find a quiet place that you can be for 5-10 minutes each day and prepare to do these four things in that time: ASK God to show Himself to you.  Invite God to make Himself known so that there is no question that the things you will experience are not just some coincidence.  And be ready, because I believe God will show up – for YOU! READ the short passages from the Bible that are part of this 7 day adventure. Reflect on them and how they might apply to you. (I recommend picking a translation of the Bible that is easy to read and understand like NIV or The Message. YouVersion has lots of choices!) WRITE things down – journal – during these seven days so you have a record of what you experience.  This will help you remember what happens as a launching pad for whatever else happens in life from here forward.   You’ll find these “notes” very valuable as the journey continues. If you’re using an old fashioned hard copy bible, highlight things that stand out to you and take notes in the margin. You can do the same in the Bible App. MEDITATE on the things that come to mind, on the stories from the Bible that you read. And talk to God like he is a friend sitting right next to you in the room.  We call this prayer, and there’s no magic way to do it.  It really just feels like a conversation with someone you can trust with everything. Tell Him what bugs you, what you’re happy about, who you’re concerned about, how you’d like help.  You might get immediate answers, you might not.  But you’ll be surprised how it affects who you are, how you think and what you believe as things progress. There will be a bonus video clip link for each day from one of our athlete friends that may encourage you in this journey.  You are welcome to watch that too. Today’s assignment is easy.  Find your quiet place. Then start with the following: ASK God to show up. READ: ACTS.1:8, PHL.2:3-4 WRITE down some thoughts about your expectations for the seven Source: Faith Family Football Challenge #2 – Day 1 of 7

Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth”. It is a verse from the Bible that is a warning to the Israelites about the temptation to become greedy and find prosperity apart from God. Explanation The verse is part of the Mosaic Covenant, which aimed to make the Israelites a model of partnership with God for other nations. The verse is a reminder that God gives people the power to create wealth. The verse is a reminder to act as if wealth is an inheritance from God. The verse is a reminder that God sealed the promise of wealth with an oath.

“Ron Brown Invokes Red Letter Passage in Powerful Midfield Pre-Game Prayer” Nebraska 17, Penn State 14 (November 12, 2011) Ask anyone who knows Ron Brown and two words will likely come up: “bold” and “intense.” It’s how he coaches. It’s how he leads. It’s how he prays. It’s how he lives out his faith. In particular, Brown has a strong passion for the Bible, which first developed as a sophomore in high school when he began attending a Bible study for teenagers led by a devout Catholic woman in his Martha’s Vineyard neighborhood. Brown’s reputation for never backing down from an opportunity to share that passion was powerfully displayed on November 12, 2011 at Beaver Stadium. It was the first game for Penn State following the firing of head coach Joe Paterno amid the fallout from the infamous Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal. Nebraska was the visiting team on that somber day. But something unusual had been taking place behind the scenes earlier in the week. Brown was inspired to organize a pre-game endzone prayer with players from both teams. Not confident he would get permission, Penn State head coach Tom Bradley at the same time had allowed his team to meet at midfield to pray and they wanted the Nebraska players to join them. Brown was ultimately asked to lead the meeting. With about eight minutes left before kickoff, both teams came back onto the field and gathered at the 50-yard line. As 107,000 fans stood silently in the stands, Brown began what was supposed to be a 45-second prayer that instead lasted twice as long. No one seemed to mind. Even ESPN captured the moment and shared it with a national audience. Towards the end of the prayer, Brown invoked a portion of an oft-quoted New Testament Bible passage: “May we be reminded Lord, as it says in your word in John 1:14, that Jesus is full of grace and truth,” he shouted. “May the truth be known! May justice be known!” Brown’s brief mention of that verse was meant to remind the players and anyone else watching about the biblical concepts of grace and truth, both of which were desperately needed amid such a dire circumstance. It would ultimately point onlookers to the full context of the words that Jesus himself spoke: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) “The whole world got to hear the prayer that was geared towards the grace and the truth of Jesus Christ,” Brown said. “It was a humbling thing. It was a God thing. God had placed people in the right places.” Afterwards, several Nebraska and Penn State players came back to midfield and asked Brown to pray again. ESPN, CNN, Fox Sports, and Fox News were among the national news outlets that continued to capture footage of the unfolding events. “As soon as we broke prayer to walk off the field, the media came around to interview me,” Brown said. “Some of the guys were in tears. These guys that normally don’t have any interest in spiritual matters were moved.” Nebraska won the game, 17-14, but the end result was by no means the most important thing that happened that day. It was Brown’s Bible-inspired prayer that would resonate in the hearts and minds of college football fans in University Park, Pennsylvania, and beyond for weeks to come. Scripture John 1:14   Source: College Football And The Bible – Day 8 of 10

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2007/10/the-football-game-that-changed-my-life?lang=eng Throughout the course of the game, I noticed several things about the other guys. They were all pretty good football players. They could block, pass, catch, and run with the best of them. It was a hard-fought game. But I also noticed a far more interesting fact, a characteristic that shone brightly through the mud despite the spirited competition. There was no cursing, no fighting, no angry exchanges. When a player tackled someone, he would always lend a hand to help his opponent up off the ground. Whenever a player made a good play, compliments of “nice block,” “good hit,” or “nice tackle” were given, even from the opposing team. I had never been with a group of football players who seemed to respect and enjoy each other as much as they did the game. Before long, I began to feel something very special about this game and the people participating in it.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/new-era/2004/11/football-and-missions?lang=eng Just like in any sport, it takes serious preparation to serve on the Lord’s team.

(NFF) & College Hall of Fame today announced the 65 state winners of the 2024-25 NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards, Presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation. The initiative honors the top academic football teams from each level of play within each state and is designed to inspire and foster a culture of academic excellence in high school football teams throughout the nation. The 65 teams will now vie as finalists for the NFF Hatchell Cup, Presented by Bob’s Steak & Chop House. The Hatchell Cup winner will be announced Feb. 4, recognizing the top individual high school football team in the nation for excellence in the classroom, on the field and in the community. The Hatchell Cup, named in honor of NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell, comes with a $10,000 donation. https://footballfoundation.org/news/2025/1/28/football-state-winners-announced-for-2024-25-nff-national-hs-academic-excellence-awards.aspx

https://christianprepfootball.com/2025/football/what-can-coaches-learn-from-jesus-about-leading-their-teams-the-christian-athlete-2/