“Winning Wisdom” Will Change Lives
Transcription
“Winning Wisdom” Will Change Lives
ENCOURAGING AND EQUIPPING COACHES AND THEIR SPOUSES WITH BIBILCAL TRUTH 1720 Regal Row, Suite 152, Dallas, TX 75235 Ph. 214-654-0042 Fax 214-920-3699 www.coachesoutreach.org “Winning Wisdom” Will Change Lives A re you enjoying those sideline closeups of coaches going crazy? Frankly, I miss the Tom Landry’s and Tony Dungy’s. They won by keeping their cool, not by having fits. I guess that has always disappointed me, even as a player. Maybe because I never saw my dad really mad about anything. And I could get fired up, excited, and ready to play physical football, without the ranting pregame talks. I liked the coach who came in and said, “Men, you know what you need to do. Hit hard and have fun. Let’s go.” Bum Phillips would say things like that. Bum always had cool quips. One time Houston was playing Pittsburgh and that was always a very physical game. Coach Phillips strolled in to the locker room with his cowboy hat firmly in place. He said, “Boys, Churchill once said that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Well, I got to tell ya, Pittsburgh is fear itself.” The players all looked at each other and didn’t know whether to laugh or get fired up. Most didn’t laugh at first, but they were all laughing going down the tunnel. Pittsburgh fans saw laughing players coming on the field! That was disarming. I later asked Coach where he came up with those sayings. “Well,” he said, “They just came to me.” Then he said, “I kind of knew when the men were overly tired, anxious, or losing confidence. I like a little humor to loosen things up. It works most of the time.” Next to Coach Sturdivant in High School, Bum was my favorite coach. This fall the coaches are studying Proverbs. The author hits on most of the topics that coaches need a lot of wisdom in like “Controlling Your Temper,” “Dealing with Pride,” “Controlling the Tongue,” “Proper Perspective on …the conquest of self is better than the conquest of others. Work,” etc. As I read the lips of those closeups with coaches cussing on the sideline, I think of how much they need to be in this Proverbs study. It is thrilling to think that thousands of coaches are digging into verses like, “The one who is slow to anger has great understanding, but the one who has a quick temper exalts folly.” They will look at the Hebrew word for “understanding” and see that it means “good sense” and “know how” - what works in life and what doesn’t. They will see that FALL 2012 by Tommy Maxwell Executive Director wise people know that losing your temper “exalts folly” and is counter productive. It brings nothing but resentment, conflict and destroyed relationships. People still talk about and “exalt” Bobby Knight’s chair throwing rant (folly) as kind of a cool example of what winning coaches do. How pathetic. Coaches will be looking closely at and even memorizing verses like, “Better to be slow in anger, than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper is better that one who captures a city.” They will see in the study notes that these verses are saying that the conquest of self is better than the conquest of others. Not only does this verse define what true strength is, it also reminds us of how powerful anger is. Hopefully, we will be seeing coaches who reward self control rather than exalt out-of-control anger. Coaches in Proverbs will be praising a young man’s self control when he walks off the field while another “exalts folly” type player is trying to draw him into a fight. Yep, we are praying that coaches will never be the same after going through our Proverbs study entitled, “Winning Wisdom – Achieving Success God’s Way.” There is not a better Bible book for coaches who will be passing on what they learn to thousands of young people. Please pray often a general prayer to God, asking him to use these studies to make a huge impact for his Kingdom. 1 CO.fall.2012.indd 1 10/15/12 9:59 AM Summer 2012 Marriage Conferences by Tanya Baugus “Four years ago we came at a friend’s request almost as a last chance to save our marriage. Thru this ministry, God worked a miracle in my life…I have recommitted myself to God. I was baptized last May… I pray for God to continue to work miracles in my life and marriage.” Coaches Outreach held five marriage conferences over the summer for coaches and their spouses.The first conference was held in Huntsville, Alabama at the Westin Hotel. Next came our conference at the T Bar M Resort in New Braunfels, then we headed north for the conference in Rogers, AR at the Embassy Suites Hotel. Then it was back south to Kerrville, TX for our largest conference at the Inn of the Hills. Finally, we wrapped up the conference season at DeGray Lake Resort in Bismarck, AR. The summer was filled with so many great experiences, and God was present at each location, touching the hearts of those coaches and their spouses. Below are quotes taken directly from some of the many thank you letters written by coaching couples who attended the conferences, along with some photos from the different locations. We are already looking forward to the 2013 conference season, where we have exciting new speakers planned. For a list of dates and locations, check out our website at www.coachesoutreach.org under “Upcoming Events.” 2 CO.fall.2012.indd 2 “We came to a Coaches Outreach marriage retreat and it saved our marriage. God’s love put our marriage back together and it started that weekend. This past year we have been rebuilding our marriage with God at the center. This weekend was so refreshing and it was so awesome to tell our small group that I am more in love with my husband than I’ve ever been!” 10/15/12 9:59 AM “There is something about seeing 150-200 coaches with their hands in the air and their voices raised in praise for our Savior. I get goose bumps thinking about it…I have now participated in 10 Coaches Outreach Bible studies. The strengthening of my walk with Christ and the relationships I’ve built during these studies has sustained me.” 3 CO.fall.2012.indd 3 10/15/12 9:59 AM “This time last week I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to be married anymore. God has shown me this weekend that the enemy has and is doing everything possible to keep my eyes off of Him and destroy my family. I feel like I have fallen in love with my husband all over again. We are eternally grateful!” 4 CO.fall.2012.indd 4 10/15/12 9:59 AM by Robert Irion, Director of Ministry Operations The Fulfillment of a Promise In the fall of 2003, Coaches Outreach introduced the current playbook format for the Bible studies. The traditional teacher/student, teach/listen model was replaced with a more interactive Bible study model. We no longer needed well-versed teachers to teach the studies, but rather godly grounded lay men to facilitate the studies. Coaches love a good plan, so Coaches Outreach introduced a biblical training grid (see below). This grid signifies what a student at seminary would touch on over the course of his/her education. We promised the coaches that if they stuck with the program we would touch on all of the genres, doctrines of faith and important themes of the Bible. The fall 2012 study of Proverbs fulfills this promise. Any coach that started the study in the fall of 2003 has now covered every aspect mentioned in the grid. We will continue to write new studies and reintroduce older studies to reinforce the truths of past studies. Coaches Outreach Theological Education Strategy Grid GENRE Narrative Lit. - OT History - NT History Poetic Literature - Psalmic Lit. - Proverbial Lit. - Parables - Midrash Lit. Prophetic Lit. Epistolary Lit. DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH Bibliology (doctrine of Scripture) Theology Proper (doctrine of God) Christology (doctrine of Christ’s person/work) Pneumatology (doctrine of the Holy Spirit) Trinitarianism (doctrine of the Trinity) Anthropology (doctrine of the nature of mankind) Soteriology (doctrine of salvation) Harmartiology (doctrine of sin) Ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) Sanctification (doctrine of the spiritual life) Angel/Demonology (doctrine of angelic beings) Eschatology (doctrine of last things) IMPORTANT THEMES Sacrifice/Atonement Suffering/Theodicy Ethics Temple Messiah Holiness Worship/Stewardship Prayer Community Faith Kingship/Sovereignty Eternity Over the last nine years, the playbook and study format has evolved into an excellent learning tool for all coaches. This is not a typical study that can be found on the shelf of your local book store. Here are the key aspects of a Coaches Outreach Bible study: n The study is written specifically for coaches. n The material is gender neutral, written to engage believers (and non-believers) at all stages in their walk. n The study is written for married and single coaches to apply to their lives. n The material is sensitive to all denominations – however does not contradict the Coaches Outreach doctrinal statement. n The studies are full of short and inspiring stories written by coaches and their spouses to encourage other coaches and spouses. n The short, inductive format takes only minutes per day, yet coaches learn so much. n The verse-by-verse study teaches coaches how to study the Bible for themselves. n The helpful Study Notes explain the text in a relevant way, especially to coaches. The notes are deep, easy to read, and full of sports illustrations. n The playbooks cover all genres, areas of theology, and essential themes of the Christian faith. n This system helps coaches mature in their faith and Christian worldview. n The leaders are facilitators, not lecturers. The playbook is the key source of information. n All information is self-contained in each playbook. No external sources are required. 5 CO.fall.2012.indd 5 10/15/12 9:59 AM Seasons of Ministry T here are many seasons of ministry each year. There is the banquet season, the marriage conference season, the season of state coaching clinics, etc. However, one of my favorite seasons is in August when we meet with lay leaders in several areas for a fellowship time and to give out the new playbooks for the fall semester. We have meetings in Lubbock, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Houston, San Marcos and Dallas. These meetings are primarily designed for the lay leaders to hear from each other. They share stories from the year of encouragement and sometimes challenging situations that coaches have faced. Overall it’s a great time for them to reconnect and meet new leaders. One of my favorite memories from these meetings was last year in San Marcos when D. W. Rutledge, who is the President of the Texas High School Coaches Association, told the 40 plus lay leaders that they had no idea how important that they were to the coaches that they meet with each week. In another meeting this year the leader told about one of the players who was paralyzed last fall during a game and how difficult it was for the town and his coaches to move forward afterwards. The lay leader talked about how his office became a place where the coaches would come and pray for the athlete and his family These meetings are also great for new leaders to get an idea about what they are about to experience from men, some who have led studies for several years. by Ben Haralson Outreach Coordinator The Lord continues to bring us faithful men to lead in all fourteen states where we have studies. This week I talked to one of my dear friends who has been a lay leader for six years. He told me that it only seemed like a year and a half that he had been a lay leader. Last week I took his head coach the new playbooks for the fall semester and he told me this study is the most important thing in his life. He went on to tell me that the only thing that used to mean anything to him was winning and that now if he can be a servant leader to a student, that is all that matters to him. What a change that only the Lord can make! Leading a study quickly becomes a top priority in a lay leader’s life for several reasons. They begin to see themselves being used in a deeper way in the lives of men and women than they ever thought possible. They become a trusted friend to their coaches and they become an advocate for their coaches in the community, The Lord is doing something special in the lives of coaches! Thank you for being a partner with Coaches Outreach. Leading a study quickly becomes a top priority in a lay leader’s life for several reasons Thanks to everyone who supports Coaches Outreach and all you do to make this possible. If you are a retired coach and interested in representing Coaches Outreach in your area, please contact me at ben.haralson@ coachesoutreach.org or 214-654-0042. To receive the latest information on all that is going on with Coaches Outreach, please make sure we have e-mail addresses for you AND your spouse. Send your e-mail addresses to Tanya Baugus at tanya@coachesoutreach.org. 6 CO.fall.2012.indd 6 10/15/12 9:59 AM For the Refrigerator We are often asked how someone can pray for the ministry. Here are some major requests for the next 6 months. October n Bible studies - Pray that our Proverbs study will be challenging and encouraging to the hearts of all coaches involved in our studies. n Coaches - Pray for safety for all the students participating in athletic events this school year. n Coaches Marriages - Pray that the Lord will keep their marriages strong during this busy time of the year. November n Bible Study Leaders - Pray for those currently leading Bible studies, that they would be an encouragement to their coaches and that the Lord would bless them for their service. Also pray that the Lord will continue to bring new leaders to Coaches Outreach. Those who will understand our mission and want to get involved somehow with the ministry, whether through leading a study or becoming an area Field Rep. n Bible studies - Continue to pray for our Proverbs Bible studies. - Pray for strength and boldness for coaches as they impact thousands of youth in the name of Jesus Christ. December n End of year funds - Pray that the Lord will bring in the necessary funds for all upcoming events, such as the spring Bible studies and the 2013 summer marriage conferences. n Bible studies - Pray that the Bible studies will finish strong and the coaches and lay leaders will grow closer to the Lord as a result. January n Banquet - Pray for the success of our annual fundraising banquet, which will be held on Saturday, January 26. n Bible studies - Pray for new Bible studies to start in the spring and for the Holy Spirit to work in coaches’ lives as they work through the new study. February n Lay Leaders - Pray for the men and women leading Coaches Outreach Bible studies across the United States. Ask God to bless their service and help give them the right words to facilitate the studies each week. March n Summer marriage conferences - Pray that registration for the conferences goes smoothly. - Pray that at-risk couples hear about the conferences and are led to sign up to attend. 7 CO.fall.2012.indd 7 10/15/12 9:59 AM Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Dallas, TX Permit no. 2650 COACHES OUTREACH, INC. 1720 Regal Row, Suite 152 Dallas, Texas 75235 Return Requested 2621 Mockingbird Ln. Dallas, TX 75235 1720W. Regal Row, Suite 152, Dallas, TX 75235 Memorial & Honorariums, Fall 2012 THANK YOU! In memory of Dave Adams Gary & Sharon Kitchens In honor of Hank and Jean Boswell Joe and Nancy Foran In memory of Wallace & Julia Cook Todd and Karla Swearengin In memory of Tom Gray John and Sue Clark In honor of David and Ashley Hall Dan and Janet Chenoweth In memory of Louis Jay Hauser Waylon & Cheryl McMullen In memory of Nella Faye Hauser Waylon and Cheryl McMullen In memory of Bonnie Jean Henderson Billie Edwards In memory of Bob Irion Albert and Mickey Brown Mark and Tammy Calkins Scott and Janice Calkins Jim and Loraine Cavoto Buddy Clarke John Cook (Butler and Land, Inc.) Steve DeJernett Judy Huffaker Dwight and Linda Landmann Gary and Betty Parker Bob and Patricia Slaughter Turck, Inc. In memory of Mike Janszen Larry Lee Judy Smith In honor of Joyce Kraemer Donette J. Terry In memory of Harold Mellina Gary and Sharon Kitchens In memory of Rue Allen Moody Tommy Allen In memory of Jim Rodrigue Smithson Valley Coaches Outreach Bible Study In honor of Scott Royal’s 60th Birthday Leigh G. Ehrhardt In honor of Buddy and Jeanne Thames Paul and Marcie Thames In memory of E.D. (Gene) Tilley Lucille S. Tilley 8 CO.fall.2012.indd 8 10/15/12 9:59 AM