The Shortest 10 Weeks of the Year

It's football season once again! The temperature cools down, the arm chair quarterback begins to share his wisdom, and fans pack stadiums to watch their favorite high school, college and professional football teams chase championship glory. To celebrate this American tradition, we even have a new anthem to remind us how close we are to this game. Kenny Chesney's "The Boys of Fall" is currently being played at every country radio station, can be heard from the windows of pickup trucks and is hummed at the checkout line at Walmart.

This year in Brownwood, fans have the added excitement of their team being ranked #1 in the Class 3A Associated Press football poll. Football is good and fun, and it highlights some core values that we should all hold dear.

1. Everything in Life is Temporary - Last season's success of failure is over. Can you tell me, off the top of your head, who won the Class 2A state championship in Texas last year? Who lost last year's Superbowl? What was the record of the 1983 Dallas Cowboys? If you correctly answer these questions, you either looked it up on the internet, or are too obsessed with football. Mike Leach said it best, "That catch you made last year, well, that was last year!" Most of our accomplishments on this earth will be short lived. My grandfather desegregated the Dawson (TX) public school system, and secured the funding to build a new high school for Latexo, TX. Neither town remembers who he is. Dawson, TX, does remember their most successful football coach ever, and named the stadium after him, but they forget that my grandfather hired him. Most of what we do will be forgotten.
2. Invest in That which is not Temporary - When the Dallas Cowboys signed Terrell Owens, most fans knew that TO would only be around a few short years. Still, Jerry Jones signed the receiver to a huge contract. Even after TO was cut from the team, the Cowboys still owed him millions of dollars. That is not a wise financial investment, neither is investing in something that won't last wise. While most footballers see the value in bringing in rookie talent and developing it into superstar talent, many don't understand the value in investing in the eternal things of this life.
3. Football is for a short time, but eternity is forever - Brownwood is full of men walking the streets who played on the 1960 state championship team, or any one of the other 6 state championship teams from Brownwood. These men, for the four years they were in high school, invested every ounce of their being into their football careers. Most of these football careers ended at graduation. A few went on to play in college. While they recognize how fleeting those football days were, and how important it was to get an education and gainful employment to take them through the rest of their lives, most fail to realize the importance of preparing for eternity. My four years of high school ended 14 years ago. It seems like it was in the distant past, and it seems very short. That's how your life will appear to you when you go into eternity. The life we lived on this earth will have seemed short and fleeting, yet, just like the decisions I made in high school still affect me now, so will the decisions we make on this earth affect you throughout all eternity.

And so now we get to the meat of the matter. Isn't it sad to see a man whose best days were while he was in high school? Don't make that mistake with your life in eternity. No matter how good or bad things are in this life, they will be but a blip on your eternal existence. The key decision you need to make in this life is to repent of your sins and trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. If you do so, you will spend eternity in Heaven. If you choose not to do so, you will spend eternity in Hell. The choice is yours.

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Irreplaceable

Did anyone notice the slap in the face the Philadelphia Eagles handed their longtime starting quarterback Donovan McNabb? The slap didn't come in the form of being traded, the slap came in the form of to whom McNabb was traded. What in the world am I talking about? Let's go back a couple of years.

February 2008, Brett Favre announces his retirement from the NFL and the Green Bay Packers. However, by July 2008, Farve decides that he wants to go back into the NFL. The Packers told Favre that they would not guarantee him the starting QB position, at which point Favre demanded to be traded.

Favre's desire was to play at Minnesota. The Offensive Coordinator for the Vikings was a coach that Favre loved and desired to play under. However, Green Bay, who still owned Favre's contract, refused to release him from the contract and allow him to play at Minnesota. Why? Because the Packers realized that while Farve might not be good enough to be their starter anymore, he was still good enough to start in the NFL, and could possibly do some damage to his opponents.

Green Bay was not willing to release their former star quarterback to a division rival, Minnesota, and have to play against him twice per year. They didn't want to be on the receiving end of his offensive prowess. So a deal was worked out that sent Favre to the New York Jets, where he played one season before retiring again. He was later released from the Jets, and then came out of retirement yet another time, and being a free agent, was finally allowed to sign with the Vikings.

Contrast this with the saga of Donovan McNabb. McNabb, 34, six years younger than Farve, was considered by many to be past his prime in Philadelphia. Sure he had better days with the Eagles, made good plays, and even led the Eagles to a SuperBowl appearance, but the past couple of seasons, Philly fans booed him instead of cheering him on.

Though he was once the face of the franchise, he was now being regarded as the man who was holding the franchise back (this from a team that signed Michael Vick). During the offseason of 2010, McNabb lost his starting position with the Eagles to Kevin Kolb. McNabb, like Farve, had seen great days with his team, but was no longer considered good enough to start. Unlike Favre, however, the Eagles placed very little confidence in McNabb's ability to compete in the NFL. Why else would they agree to trade him to longtime NFC East rival Washington?

In the NFL, you never send good players to division rivals. (1) You have to play against them twice per regular season, and possibly a third time in the playoffs. (2) If they succeed against you, you'll hear it from ownership, media and fans about how stupid you were to let them go to your rival. (3) You never want to give a division rival the ability to outperform you. It's bad enough to lose in the playoffs and miss the Superbowl. Even worse is to lose while your rival excels, mostly because you handed them your ace.

So when the Eagles traded McNabb to the Redskins, they basically said, "This guy is totally expendable. He's a bum, and has no potential in the NFL." Once the face for the franchise, now the garbage to be hauled away.

There's a lesson to be learned here. Many are the church members and preachers who think that the sun doesn't rise until they awake in the morning. Many are the church members who think if they leave, the church will have to close its doors. Many are the preachers who think that if they leave, the church will not be able to find another pastor as qualified as himself. Friend, you are a fool to believe such folly.

The churches of the Lord are preserved, prospered and built by the Lord Himself. Sure, He uses the labor of those willing and obedient to accomplish His will, but He doesn't NEED us. He allows us to serve by His grace.

Consider Ephesians 4:7 "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ."

Christ gives us a gift, the gift of a position of service. That gift is given by His grace (the undeserved favor he extends toward us.) So your position of service and leadership is not given to you because of your credentials and the fact you've earned it, it's given to you by God's grace, which means you don't have credentials and you haven't earned it.

Now if this does not convince you that the Lord's churches will not survive without you, consider 2 Corinthians 4:7, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

God's word is the treasure, we are the earthen vessels. Earthen vessels (clay pots) are not pretty, but are easily breakable, and easily replaceable.

So, the next time you think you are high and mighty, just remember that you are nothing more than a sinner saved by God's grace, put in a special place by His grace, all because He loves you.

I don't write this to berate you, nor to discourage you, but that we can all keep things in perspective as we serve the Savior.

One final thought, Old Time Farmer wisdom teaches us that when we think we are a person of great influence, we should try to boss another man's dog around.

God bless you, everyone.

Is it in the water? No. Look to the parenting.

This morning, I played "The Fool" by Lee Ann Womack on my radio show on KSTA. Lee Ann Womack is from my hometown of Jacksonville, Tex. Her father was a radio personality for KEBE in Jacksonville, owned by Dudley Waller, whose company would never hire me... but that's a completely separate issue from this post.

While the song played, I began to think about my alma mater, Jacksonville High School.

Over the past 25 years, Jacksonville High School has produced two successful major-label country music singers (Lee Ann Womack and Neal McCoy), three NFL players (Former Dallas Cowboys' punter Toby Gowin, current Tampa Bay back-up quarterback Luke McCown and current Miami back-up quarterback Josh McCown), several other pro football players who played in leagues like the Arena Football League, numerous Division I college football stand-outs (Randy McCown, former Texas A&M quarterback and Richard Whitaker, former Texas A&M runningback), and that's just the high profile success stories.

We have Jacksonville alumni working with the outreach division of the Republican Party. Some have launched successful businesses, while others serve God in the ministry.

Most towns have that one football star that made it. (Rusk has Dr. Jim Swink). Other towns might have that local resident who rose to fame (Coleman has Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn, Lindale has Miranda Lambert, Henderson has Jim Reeves). It is not that common for a town to have as many success stories as Jacksonville.

So, what's with the success stories? Is it something in the water? Having drank Jacksonville water, I can gaurantee you, NO!. Is it the fabulous school system? No. Jacksonville schools have struggled with accreditation ratings and are having to rely too heavily on portable buildings to accomodate its students. That being said, I want to emphasize that when I was in school, we had some of the best teachers in public education.

No, the difference is in the parenting. Lee Ann Womack's mother was a teacher at Jacksonville High School. Her father took her to work with him. They set her up for success.

The McCown brothers' (Luke, Josh and Randy) father taught them to be successful quarterbacks. He taught them a solid work ethic and a strong sense of respect. One of the brothers has even made it public that he is surrendering to the ministry. At the present time, he says he plans on using his football career for God's honor and glory, but after football is over, he plans to serve the Lord in the ministry. The other two McCown brothers are class acts as well.

Toby Gowin's mother taught biology at Jacksonville High School. Her biology class was hard enough, as her philosophy was to set very high standards and empower her students to rise to the occasion. No challenge meant no growth. She forbad her sons from owning home video games like the PS3 (Or SuperNintendo back in that day), though they were allowed to play if they were at a friends house. They were required to change their own oil in their cars, etc. One time, one of her sons made a failing grade in college, and we thought were were going to have to plan a funeral.

The point is that these parents strongly disciplined their children, witheld things that would be detrimental to their kids, and trained and groomed their kids for success. Some of these parents, if not all, even brought their kids up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

These parents did not view their child's success as a game of chance, neither did they buy into the idea that we were just lowly country people capable of little else than continuing the life-cycle of our small town. They grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns and reared (not raised) their children. (For a difference between rear and raise, email me). The results are in the pudding.

These kids did not grow up perfect, but they had the opportunity to maximize their potential. Without loving parents to discipline kids, remove destructive influences and conditions, and to train them up in the way they should go, the natural progression is for further rebellion, mistakes, and lifestyle decline. The natural result is failure, both secular and spiritual.

Young parent, your child's future is not up to chance, neither is it limited by your area's socio-economic deficiencies. Your child's future is dependent on your willingness to make the tough choices, take the tough stands, put forth the effort and sacrifice to groom them for success (spiritual and secular) and their desire to follow your parenting. It'll be the toughest thing you ever do, but you can do it, especially if you are living with Jesus as your Savior.

KSTA Audience ingores my pleas for the NFL to come to the Alamo City

Seems like I'm the only one interested in my futile, and almost ficitious efforts to get the NFL to come to San Antonio. I got no feedback on my radio show this morning. Maybe the conventional wisdom is right in this case. Texas belongs to the Cowboys. There is room for no other NFL team. Sorry Houston.

Okay, back to work!

Is Anyone Going to San Antone

It amazes me that a city like San Antonio, a city with great recreational opportunities, historical culture, fabulous restaurants and a great downtown district, in addition to one of the more unique football stadiums in America, has no NFL franchise. I was hoping the Saints would make a move to the Alamo City after making it a temporary home following Katrina, but the San Antonio Saints just weren't meant to be. Hey, I do have to give props to the Saints for committing themselves to New Orleans and helping with the recovery. If more pro sports teams had their attitude, pro sports would be a whole lot better.

Then, I was hoping the NFL would reward San Antonio with an NFL franchise the way the NBA did with Oklahoma City, after they hosted the New Orleans Hornets. The NBA was willing to move an expansion club into OKC, but then didn't have to once the Seattle Supersonics moved to town.

Look, San Antonio needs an NFL team. There are ample sponsors in the San Antonio area and outlying areas to make it feasible, I believe the city would support their team the way they do the Spurs, and NFL players might just decide they like the area. Ever notice how Spurs' players retire, then stay in San Antonio?

So, I'm launching a new (albeit, futile) campaign to bring the NFL to San Antonio. I'm including my radio audience in this as well. We've got the stadium (Alamodome), we have potential sponsors (Toyota, 3M, Clear Channel, and the usual suspects), we need to come up with a name, colors, and logo. Once we put this package together, we can then begin the process of lobbying the NFL for a franchise. I know, we need to find an owner, and our pleas are more than likely going to be dismissed by the NFL (I bet they won't even read them), but we can still have fun, can't we?

So, what would be a good name for the San Antonio football team?

(By the way, San Antonio doesn't even have Division I college football.)

Greatness is by Design, not by Accident

One of the reasons I like Tony Romo, and rookie runningback Felix Jones, is that they remind me of the greatness of the Dallas Cowboys from the 1990s. I know, nothing will compare to the Super Bowl teams of the 70s, but do keep in mind that I was born in '78, so I missed much of that. I was just discovering football when Tom Landry was fired. So while I am aware of the greatness of the Cowboys from the golden days of yore, my personal experience of watching the greatness of the Cowboys is limited to the Super Bowl teams of the 90s.

Emmitt Smith was the best rusher in the league, could always get the yardage needed for a first down, or a touchdown (except one fateful day in Philly), and could be depended on to get the team where it needed to be. Troy Aikman was a solid on-field leader who made the plays when it counted. Their greatness inspired the rest of the team, to the point that even the no-names came up big. Who can forget the time Aikman went down, and an unknown Jason Garrett saved the day at QB. Garrett, now a successful offensive coordinator, had little cred as an NFL QB, but that day, he shined like a superstar. You see, greatness is contageous, but it doesn't happen by accident.

To be a star in the NFL, one has to be groomed from childhood, learning to love the game and the oval shaped ball as soon as he is learning to walk, possibly sooner. That child then is taught to throw and catch by his father, enrolled in the flag football league before advancing to pee-wee football. Often, the family will decide on a place to live based on the quality of the youth sports programs and the football program at the local school. Upon entering the 7th grade, that boy then gets involved in scholastic athletics.

It is the job of a head football coach/athletic director in the state of Texas to develop football talent at all levels in school (at least, in the smaller cities like Brownwood, Jacksonville, and so on. I'm not sure how far the sphere of influence spreads in places like Dallas where there are multiple high schools and junior highs, but in smaller towns, the high school head coach hires the junior high coaches.) The successful AD/Head Football Coach will have an organized plan and program in place to develop his players from the time they hit seventh grade up until high school into great football players. Your exemplary ADs work with the youth progams to start the development sooner.

The successful AD will enjoy winning seasons, possible state titles, praise and acclaim from the townspeople, high salaries and the opportunity to advance to a larger school and make even more money. If successful there, he may even go on to coach college or professional football. But none of this happens by accident. It is all a deliberate effort to teach, condition and prepare the players for the games.

You can tell the quality of a football program, not by their win-loss record, but by how many players graduate and go on to college (Division I) or even professional football. Danny Long, remembered for leading the Jacksonville Indians to gridiron glory in the Texas state playoffs, actually suffered some down years in the late 90s. Notwithstanding, each team graduated 3-5 Division I prospects, with one or two of those having a shot at the NFL, with maybe one actually making a roster. (Mostly, the one that did make a roster wound up on the practice squad, with the exception of a couple of quarterback brothers). Having gone through part of his program, I can tell you it was a deliberate process.

So, on the football field, winning is only half the battle. True success is displayed by graduating the next generation of NFL stars.

When I think if this, I often think of our discipleship efforts in our churches. Our aims in discipleship ought to reflect an effort to introduce someone to Christ, see them accept Jesus as Savior, Baptise them, and the teach them the doctrines of Christ, all while helping them grow in their faith until they find the place where God wants them to serve. When they find that place of service, helping them grow in that position until God leads them on to bigger things. It should be a deliberate process that produces super-disciples by design.

So, my question is, does your church have a plan in place to develop these disciples? If so, can you share with me? I am developing my approach on trial and error, and hope to have Grace Pointe in the disciple-making business as soon as possible.