The Cowboys are Winning the Super Bowl! (A Fantasy Football Devotional)

James 1:19-21

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

The Cowboys are Going to the Super Bowl!

The first week of the season is in the books and overreactions abound. While I don’t think that my Cowboy’s prediction is an overreaction, there are plenty of them to go around after just one game: “Mac Jones and Jordon Love will be top 5 QB’s”, “Tyler Allgeier will outscore Bijan Robinson in Fantasy points this year”, “I’m firing all my guys and for such a dismal showing”, or “I’m winning the Fantasy Football Super Bowl,” are just a few possible overreactions based on a limited amount of information.

As the weeks go on, we will have more data points on teams and players with which we can make informed decisions about who the best players and teams are. Being quick to listen and slow to speak is like that. Listening helps you gather more data points about a person or situation so you can make an informed decision on how you can minister to someone in their situation. Truly listening can help you understand and keep your anger in check.

Think about a time recently when you were quick to anger. If you are like me, listening and gathering more data points could have helped you produce the righteousness that God desires, instead of the raised-voice, over-the-top scolding I recently gave my son…confession is good for the soul! After an apology and an honest assessment of where things were, my anger was kept in check and I was closer to the humility needed to accept the word that had been planted in me.

Dear God,

Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.

In Jesus Name, Amen!

I also pray the Cowboys will win the Super Bowl, but there is a lot of football to be played still!

Stay tuned for the return of our Commissioners’ Report Podcast next week.. You can catch up on old episodes here.

Pastor Ray is the Pastor of Worship and Administration at First Baptist Church Weslaco. He manages the Elisha’s Bears Fantasy Football team in the Baptist Ballers League. His 124 points were the second highest in the league this past week…an impressive feat being that his starting QB was Aaron Rodgers! He also apologized to his son, gave him a hug and told him he is really appreciative of the man he has become.

Dropkick Me Jesus

Updated from Oct. 29, 2019

Matthew 28:19-20”Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in  the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 10:27-30 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Dropkick Me, Jesus (Lyrics by Paul Charles Craft)

Dropkick me, Jesus, through the goal posts of life
End over end, neither left nor to right
Straight through the heart of them, righteous up rights
Dropkick me, Jesus, through the goal posts of life

Verse 1:

Make me, oh, make me, Lord, more than I am
Make me a piece in Your master game plan
Free from the earthly tempestion below
I've got the will, Lord, if You got the toe

Verse 2:

Bring on the brothers who've gone on before
And all of the sisters who've knocked on your door
All the departed, dear, loved ones of mine
Stick 'em up front in the offensive line

Verse 3:

A lowly bench warmer I'm contented to be
Until the time when you have need of me
The flash on the scoreboard that shines upon high
And the big Super Bowl way up in the sky

We get our theology (a fancy word that means what we believe about God) from all sorts of places. I’m not sure an old country song should be the basis of deep theological reflection, but there are some interesting pieces in the prayer, “Dropkick Me, Jesus” sung by Bobby Bare and written by Paul Charles Craft.

I love the humility in this song. “Make me…Lord, more than I am…[and] make me a piece in Your master game plan.” These lines demonstrate that in addition to needing Jesus, we also need to join in God’s great plan for the world. I love the offensive line as a nod to the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) that have come before us and the idea of sitting on the bench while humbly waiting for our time in the big game. But while we shouldn’t be fighting for the stardom enjoyed by today’s athletes (and church leaders), the bench is not the place to which God has called us. The Great Commission at the end of Matthew reminds us that we all have a role to play in discipling, baptizing and teaching as a part of God’s kingdom.

Perhaps the greatest theological shortcoming in Dropkick, if taken literally, is pitting our will against God’s toe. The implication here is that I’ve got my life in order as long as Jesus is capable of kicking me through the uprights. Most likely, “I’ve got the will, Lord if You’ve got the toe” is meant to be ironic because we all know that Jesus has got the toe! The real question is do you have the will?

Jesus has already done everything he needs to do to bring us into his kingdom. Those of us who are believers are then called upon to “follow [him]” (John 10:27). And even though Jesus continues to protect us, his work on the cross has already gotten true believers through the goalposts of eternal life.

In these crazy times, I am thankful that we have the assurance of eternal life. But right now, it is more important to get off the bench and get into the game as we are called to bring glory to God in everything we do (Col. 3:17).

I don’t think that Bobby Bare or Paul Charles Craft wrote “Dropkick Me, Jesus” to be a theological treatise. Most likely, they just wanted to bring a smile to your face and figured even Christians need a good kick in the backside every now and again.

Ray Sanchez is the manager of the Elisha’s Bears Fantasy Football Team (3-6) in the Baptist Ballers FBCW Fantasy League. His team is sooooo bad that CCCKromer beat him this past week with 4 empty spots on his starting roster. Pastor Ray’s only hope may be for Jesus to dropkick Elisha’s Bears straight into the playoffs. Enjoy “Dropkick Me Jesus” and our Commissioner’s Report podcast below.

The Commissioners: FBCW Fantasy Football Podcast

What Would Jesus Do? (A Fantasy Football Devotional)

One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. Luke 6:12

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35 (ESV)

And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. Mark 6:46 (ESV)

Jaylen Hurts, the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, has been on fire! According to some reports, this young man spent much of his off-season training and studying to greatly improve his game. Instead of living a life of luxury that his NFL salary has afforded him, he has chosen instead to abstain from the things that might get in his way and keep his eye on the prize of winning a Super Bowl. These actions have helped him prepare for the high-stress games that define the NFL.

There was a popular phrase some years ago where Christians would ask, “What would Jesus do?” when trying to decide how to navigate a certain situation. In his book, Family Systems and Congregational Life, Author Robert Creech says, “We may sincerely ask, ‘What would Jesus do?’ And then attempt to imitate his behavior in intense situations. We might as well ask, ‘What would Beethoven do?’ And then attempt to play the piano. The better question is, ‘What did Jesus do before intense situations arose?’” (Creech, 158)

Imagine showing up to football game to play quarterback and asking yourself, “What would Jaylen Hurts do?” Do you believe contemplating that question would have any effect on your actual ability to play quarterback? The game of football moves so fast it takes years of playing and training to play a position like quarterback at any level. Similarly, trying to be like Christ is more than just thinking about what Jesus would do in intense situations. Instead, it’s modeling our lives after the fully-incarnate deity who still took time to pray in solitude and commune with God. Like Jaylen Hurts preparing for the big game in the off-season, we should spend a part of each day preparing to live the life to which we have been called.

If we really want to do what Jesus would do, we must, as Creech concludes, practice disciplines of “solitude, silence, prayer, retreat, corporate worship and Scripture reading and meditation.” (Creech, 158). Fortunately, it is God’s grace that transforms us; but these disciplines allow us to be more easily shaped into Christ-like figures. Let’s not wait until those intense game-speed situations to finally ask “What would Jesus do?” Instead, let’s model ourselves after Jesus by spending more nights praying to God (Luke 6:12), waking up early in the morning (Mark 1:35), practicing solitude (Mark 6:46), and engaging the creator of the universe before the stress of the game of life becomes too much to handle.

Questions to Ponder:

There are many ways we can emulate Jesus. Why might daily prayer and solitude be so important to truly doing what Jesus would do?

Showing up on Sunday to worship and reading one fantasy football devotional each week may be a good start to becoming a Christ follower. What is one thing you can do this week to strengthen your relationship with Jesus?

Pastor Ray is the manager of the Elisha’s Bears (2-4) fantasy football team. He doesn’t like waking up very early in the morning to do anything, but he tries to make reading the Bible App on his phone the first thing he does each day. Sometimes the Fantasy Football App wins out, especially on waiver wire Wednesday. He could definitely spend more of his morning time praying - especially for his terrible fantasy team! He has already prayed asked forgiveness for writing a devotional about a Philadelphia Eagle.

After you have spent time with God, enjoy our latest Fantasy Football Podcast!

The Commissioners: FBCW Fantasy Football Podcast

Faith and Fantasy Football by Dr. Joe Rangel

22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:22-24

In the fantasy football world, I have walked away from my computer screen numerous times after having looked at my team’s final score and thought one or two of my players should have produced more points for me. Sure, those players seemed ready. Their projected score was set, and it was set pretty high. The game plan was in their favor, and from my vantage point on the couch, that catch should have been made and that run for the touchdown shouldn’t have gotten stuffed at the goal line.

Disappointment is the word.  That is what I am feeling at that moment, disappointment. I’m disappointed in my team's lack of points. I’m disappointed for what should have happened that didn’t. Disappointed with the fact that I lost to Nathan Obregon and now I owe him lunch. I guess I’m disappointed in the fantasy of it all.

I believe that when Jesus was awakened by his disciples on that stormy night, that is exactly what he felt: disappointment. Not in a fantasy football kind of way, but in understanding the truth to which he awoke. His disciples disappointed him with their lack of faith. Although the storm was raging, and the wind and the waves were ominous, the Son of the Living God was with them. In fact, it seems that Jesus even leaned into the rocking and rolling of the boat to enjoy some much-needed rest!

The question Jesus asked his disciples pertains to us today, “Where is your faith?” This fall, as modern disciples of Jesus, let’s produce more in the faith category. Let’s not leave a Savior disappointed in our lack of faith. The storm might be raging, but remember Jesus is with us and He is not freaked out one bit; in fact, He is pretty chilled. Like Christ, we can lean into the storms of this life and experience the much-needed rest that only the Father can provide. Faith should never be a fantasy for us! Let’s set that kind of real-faith as a projection for all of us; and let’s set it pretty high because the One who “commands even the wind and the water” is with us!  

Dr. Joe Rangel is a professor at Wayland Baptist University and the manager of El GridIronman fantasy football team. His team name pays homage to his obsession with Tony Stark as well as his important job of ironing most of his family’s wrinkled clothes.

If you want to know more about all things RGV and fantasy football, check out our podcast!

The Commissioners: FBCW Fantasy Football Podcast

Don’t Be an Uncle Rico (A Fantasy Football Devotional by Steve Urbina)

John 15:2 (NIV)

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Colossians 3:7-10 (NIV)

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Philippians 1:4-6 (NIV)

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

One of my all-time favorite movies is Napoleon Dynamite.   The dry awkward humor makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.  In the movie, Napoleon’s Uncle Rico is a middle-aged guy that lives out of a 1970’s orange van.  Uncle Rico loves steak and dreams about his past glory days as a football player. He is stuck in this loop of wondering what his life would have been if his football coach would have played him as the quarterback at the state championship.  What if he could have won the game and won state?  Even after 30 years, he still dreams of how much better his life would be if only he would have played.  So much so that he buys a gimmick time machine off of E-Bay that, spoiler alert, doesn't work. 

This sounds absurd, right?  You and I would never live like this guy! Yet, a few weeks into the season, some of us not named Mark Garza wondered,“What if I would have paid top dollar and picked up Josh Allen in our draft?”  “What if I had picked up Zay Jones off the waiver wire week one and his 24 points had led me to victory past week?”

If we are good fantasy football managers, we don’t look back at past failures or successes; we just keep developing our team until the completion of the season. We cut players, seek out trades and pick up new players on the waiver wire. We keep moving forward each week trying to put together the best team possible. How much more will our good God continue to work in you, pruning away things that don't bear fruit in your life, trading out your old sinful life for new self, and renewing you by picking up knowledge through daily Bible study and weekly worship.

Don’t be an Uncle Rico. Living in the past, letting your past woes and what if’s define you. Instead rid yourselves of the old self and put on the new self; be renewed by the creator. Let us look forward and follow the One who began a good work in us because He is faithful and just to complete His good work in us until the day of Christ Jesus

Steve Urbina is the manager of the “Uncle Rico’s Revenge” Fantasy Football Team. A former FBCW Fantasy League Super Bowl Champion, Steve doesn’t rest on the success of the past but continues being faithful and just to complete each and every fantasy football season. That, and he really wants to win it all again!

The Commissioners: FBCW Fantasy Football Podcast

The Prize (A Fantasy Football Devotional by Kim Curry)

1 Corinthians 9:25-27  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Football is a game, a competitive sport. In order to be prepared to compete you must train: physical strength training, nutritional training, endurance training, and study of your opponent. It requires repetition of these disciplines as the results have their effect slowly.

Once the season starts and the games begin, those who have proven themselves, take the field. They face equally prepared opponents who also want to win. Head to head, hit after hit, try and try again. They invested much to succeed on a play by play basis.  Even injuries are part of the experience.

It amazes me how much pain a player will endure during the game in order to stay in the game. Little thought seems to be given to long term effects of the repeated pounding.

I guess the prize is worth all the rest.

We can see a parallel in serving the Lord. Do you prepare and train in order to be able to endure the hits of life. Physical discipline, nutritional discipline, endurance / stamina, even study?  Are you willing to take a hit, endure some discomfort or pain in your service to the Lord? And when you face the trials of life do you stand against the schemes of the evil one.  Even when it requires a trip to the blue tent sometimes?

Is the prize worth it to you?

“Father, give us the faith to trust you, to stand (even if we have to lean on someone). Show us the opportunities around us to share your message of salvation to others who are injured by life. May we have the attitude that the prize is worth the cost. Open our eyes that we may see. “

Kim Curry is the Manager of the Puro 956 Chili Dogs. Formerly known as the RGV Chili Dogs, Kim was so moved by Ep. 1 of the FBCW Fantasy Football Podcast. The Chili Dogs are now 1-1 after dousing chili all over Pastor Ray’s Bears in week 1 and following it up with a LackLuster Loss to Micah Parker’s, L Bozos.

Our Life’s Worth (A Fantasy Football Devotional)

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”  

We had our church fantasy football draft a couple of weeks ago.  In our auction style draft, we have a budget of $200 with which we bid on the players we think have the most worth. Many of us made plans to draft the perfect team by researching players and analyzing the different schedules. But in our eagerness to draft specific player, many of us found ourselves overpaying for certain players.  Blowing a big chunk of your budget on one player can make or break your season.  

I overpaid for a couple of the players on my roster and because of this, I was left with very little cap space to build the rest of my team.  As I looked at my roster the day after the draft, reality sank in: I was far away from the perfect fantasy team and my season was possibly over before it even began. As I worked through my buyer’s remorse, I finally realized that there was value in my players. With a “go big or go home” mentality, I committed a big chunk of my budget on them because I believed they will get me the most points. To me, they were worth the hefty price tag.

Similarly, we are blessed because of the worth God sees in us. God’s desire for all humanity to come to salvation had a hefty price: the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. It’s amazing to me that Jesus was willing to go to the cross because of his love for us and because of our life’s worth. God has paid the greatest price for us, by giving his only son for our redemption. Maybe we think that we are not worth the hefty price tag, but to God we are!

Many of us will follow the football season and will make changes accordingly to better our teams and to try to get the most points. But the greatest news is that God will not trade or drop us and his budget of love and forgiveness through Christ is unlimited. He bought us not just for a season, but has paid the price for us for all eternity! God has seen your worth, will you join the call to be part of His team?

Dear God,

May we remember that you see us as people of great value. Thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice of love on the cross. May we should show others the same grace and mercy that has been shown to us so they too can come to know him and make him known to others. Amen.

May you have great weekend and God bless you beloved Familia of faith.

Pastor Luis is the Pastor of Missions and FBCW En Español. He may have spent 3/4 of his budget on Justin Herbert, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce…but it paid off in his first week when his team, For the H beat down Logan Urbina’s Late Not Never team.

Catch Ep. 1 of our Church Fantasy Football Podcast if you missed it HERE.

Shout Like No One is Watching! (A Fantasy Football Devotional)

What is a Fantasy Football Devotional? A few years ago, the pastors and some of the members of our Fantasy Football league started by writing one Fantasy Football devotional a week. The goal was to use sports, scriptures, and this crazy fantasy league to help draw people closer to God and each other. Thanks to Steve Urbina, Kim Curry, and Joe Aguilar, there are a few devotionals that are so good we try to share them each year. But what is a devotional? For our purposes, a devotional is a spiritual reflection rooted in God’s word.

With that simple definition in mind, we are going to ask our Fantasy Managers - and maybe even you sometime, to share a devotional that reflects on a favorite passage, a brief story of how you became a believer, or an observation about how God is working in our world. If you happen to be fantasy manager then “voila!”, you have written a Fantasy Football Devotional.

I’ll start:

A favorite passage of mine is Psalm 33:3:

Sing to him a new song;

    play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Obviously I love singing new songs and playing skillfully, but I’ve recently felt led to shout more in public worship - especially when the music says, “I feel like shouting.” There are many reasons not to shout: it takes energy, it’s embarrassing, people might question your sanity, and you may not be comfortable doing it. But the Psalmist doesn’t say “shout for joy if you are comfortable. Shout for joy if you feel like it. Shout for joy only when no one is around.” It doesn’t even say, “shout with joy.” The command is simply, “Shout for Joy.” To shout for joy, you only need an understanding of the joy found in Christ.

I have attended many football games in my life. People there have no problem shouting for their team when they win and when they lose. They shout because they are in favor of their team. Shouldn’t we, God’s people who have the ultimate victory in Jesus, be eager to shout for joy? We should shout because we are in favor of the joy we have in Jesus.

Nehemiah reminds God’s people that “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). In light of this joy-driven strength, I challenge you each day to remember all that God has done for you and then shout for joy…maybe you can even try Shouting Like No One is Watching some Sunday when we sing, “Glory Glory God is Able”!

Pastor Ray is the Manager of Elisha’s Bears and spends most Sundays doing his best to sing new songs and play skillfully. For his Fantasy Football Team name, he is also considering Breece’s Reeses, Elijah’s Dry-Bones, and Najee by Nature. All suggestions will be considered in the comments below…

Do Your Job - By Kim Curry

1 Corinthians 12:18 

But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

We recently held an auction to fill our fantasy football rosters for our teams in the FBCW fantasy football league.  We picked a QB, RB, WR, etc.  Why didn’t we pick 11 QB’s* or 11 RB’s? A Team is made of many members playing different roles.  Are the linemen unimportant?  Ask any QB the importance of a good offensive line.

The same is even more true in the Church family, the Body of Christ.  We all have different roles, but the body cannot function without all the areas filled. Some are good at physical work, some are good at contacting and checking on people, and some are good a hospital visits.  Whatever our gifts, God has called us to serve His kingdom in our homes, our church, and our places of business. As Sean Payton of New Orleans Saints said a couple of years ago, “Do your job”.

By Kim Curry

*Steve Urbina may have taken 11 QB’s, but 4 is the limit.

Kim Curry’s favorite scripture is John 14:1-6.

Kim has been married to his wife Janice for 46 years and has been a member of FBC Weslaco for 47 years (I think we can all see what happened there). They have two children and five grandchildren. Kim, who recently retired, has spent 40 years in Information Technology as an Application Developer, and has served as a Sunday School Teacher for 39 years, recently becoming a master of the zoom platform, and a Deacon for 37 years. When Kim speaks, you should listen. His words are equal parts wisdom and comic relief. You have to be on your A-game to discern which is which!

Kim enjoys hockey (thanks in part to the former Rio Grande Killer Bees), football, basketball, and boxing with his favorite sports team being the Dallas Stars. Kim also enjoys playing guitar, operating a ham radio, and laughing!

This Devotional was originally posted on September 18, 2019.