1 John 3 – The Kingdom Sports Blog

Counterfeit Faith

In the 1984 Orange Bowl game, #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 center by setting it on the turf. The ball was picked up by All-American offensive guard Dean Steinkuhler, who ran the ball 19 yards for a touchdown.

The fumblerooski is a trick play that was invented by John Heisman. Deception is a crucial part of most sports. Plays with misdirection fool an opponent, so they don’t recognize the strategy soon enough to counter it. Good teams and good players are not easily fooled.

Deception is also used to produce counterfeit money. The only way not to get exploited is to know the “truth,” the real thing, so well that you cannot be deceived. The way to identify fake bills is not by hours of examining counterfeit money. Instead, you study the real thing. By becoming familiar with the actual 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 the readers there are counterfeit Christians—“children of the devil” (1 John 3:10). John doesn’t list the characteristics of Satan’s children. Instead, He provides a description of God’s children so they two can be contrasted.

John’s key for recognizing a real child of God is 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 the regular practice of these men. It was only an isolated incident and was contrary to their everyday habits. Whenever they sinned, they confessed it and asked God to forgive them. The counterfeit Christian lives a life of habitual sin.

The Kingdom Coach & Athlete is “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 regularly practice sin but live a life of obedience.

Journal Entry

Journaling helps you understand and respond to the Bible. As you journal, use the acronym HEAR which stands for highlight, explain, apply, and respond to what you have read in the reading plan.

H – Highlight

E – Explain

A – Apply

R – Respond

Bible Memory Verse

This blog includes a Scripture memory verse. There are many methods for memorizing the Bible, but I have found that using a pack of index or blank business cards works best for me. If you write the verse on a card, you can pull it out during the day and meditate or recite it.

Click HERE for Kingdom Sports Minute on Coaching Priorities