Many consider the 1972 Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament as the most well-known rigged games in history. The US team had a record at the games of 63-0 and took on the Soviet Union for the gold medal in Munich. The Soviets were ahead much of the game, but the US came back to make it 48-49. Doug Collins then went to the line after a foul to try and take the lead, making the first to tie it. A horn went off during the second shot, but Collins still made it. Afterward, the Soviets were supposed to inbound the live ball and were not penalized when their coach charged to the scorers. The Soviets were given three opportunities to inbound the ball, and on the final one, they made a layup to win.

2 Peter 2 – False Teachers

Chances are, if you have played sports, you have felt like you have been victimized at least once by an official or referee. There are all types of scams in sports, from steroids to sports memorabilia. The most threatening scam or con you will face in life is not in sports. The most harmful deceptions are in religion, which Peter addresses in chapter 2. He warned his readers to base their faith on the truth in the gospel because they had counterfeiters among them (2:1).

The false teachers were primarily motivated by greed, which led them to teach lies that would bring the most money. These counterfeit truths were imitations meant to trick those who were unaware. Today, some ministries are based on lies and can reach more people than ever because of the Internet. They appear real but only deceive those who buy into their false answers and hope.

Peter urged the believers to lean on sound teaching, encourage persistence in the faith, and establish biblical foundations of beliefs and practices. He was trying to establish the church’s feet on solid ground and avoid the false teachers at all costs. Today, these same counterfeit teachers threaten to weaken faith unless believers rely on the truth of God’s Word.

 The Kingdom Coach and Athlete think critically about what they hear from teachers by using the Bible as their source of authority rather than how a message makes them feel. They seek clear truth based on real knowledge!