In the 1984 Orange Bowl, #1-ranked Nebraska trailed Miami 17–0 after the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne called for the “fumblerooski play.”Nebraska quarterback Turner Gill expertly “fumbled” the snap from the center by setting it on the turf. The ball was picked up by All-American offensive guard Dean Steinkuhler, who ran it 19 yards for a touchdown.

The fumblerooski is a trick play invented by John Heisman. Deception is a crucial part of most sports. Misdirection fools an opponent, so they don’t recognize the strategy in time to counter it. Good teams and players are not easily fooled. 

1 John 3 – Family Resemblance

Deception is also used to produce counterfeit money. The only way to avoid being exploited is to know the “truth,” the real thing, so well that you cannot be tricked. The way to identify fake bills is not by spending hours examining counterfeit money. Instead, you study the real thing. By becoming so familiar with the real bills, you can spot a counterfeit by looking at it or feeling it. This is precisely the same approach John takes in 1 John 3. He warns that there are counterfeit Christians— “children of the devil” (1 John 3:10). John doesn’t list the characteristics of Satan’s children. Still, he describes God’s children so the two can be contrasted. 

John’s key to recognizing a true child of God is that they will practice righteousness and love other Christians (1 John 3:10). Though many great men in the Bible sinned at one time or another, sin was not their regular practice. It was an isolated incident, contrary to their everyday habits. Whenever they sinned, they confessed it and asked God to forgive them. The counterfeit Christian lives in habitual sin.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete are born of God through faith in Christ. They know God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Because of this relationship, they no longer habitually practice sin but live a life of obedience.

Bible Memory Verse – “They are from the world; therefore, they speak as from the world, and the world hears them.” 1 John 4:5 (LSB)

Click HERE for the Kingdom Sports Minute: Counterfeit Faith

Our featured book this week is Lessons From the Sidelines by Beth Walker. Through her personal stories and interviews with other women, Beth Walker shows that it’s possible for wives to pursue their own callings even as they support their husbands’ careers and ministries. Whether you’re a coach’s wife, the wife of a professional athlete, a pastor’s wife, the wife of a CEO, a military wife, or a college administrator’s wife, you have unique challenges to navigate that differ from the struggles of other women.

Click HERE to review. 

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