Welcome back to the third and final part of my interview with Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III (read part one here and part two here).

Ligon, where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

Everywhere in general, but nowhere in particular. I live in a quiet state of uncertainty that I am making a positive contribution to anything that is of any consequence, and simultaneously find myself loving what I do, very content in my labors and energized for ministry. That being said, seeing marital struggles among professing Christians often deeply troubles and burdens my heart.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I do not exercise (much), but I should. When I do, I like to walk (especially with my dogs, black lab mixes: Lass and Buddy). I used to lift weights, but I do not any more, but, again, I should. I am hoping to start back exercising and trying to lose 60lbs in the next ten months. I’ve just installed “Lose It!” on my iPhone. Pray for me. And pray for Anne and the kids too. I’m grumpy when I’m trying to lose weight.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

I used to play basketball and football. If I can lose some weight, I would like to play basketball again. I would seriously love to drive the lane, left to right, and give a behind the back dish to C.J. for a trey. But I’d hurt myself if I tried now, I’m so out of shape!

I enjoy watching (though I do it infrequently) college football, ACC basketball, “March Madness,” and I enjoy going to the occasional major league baseball game.

What do you do for leisure?

I like to (1) spend time with my family, (2) read, (3) hang out with good friends like Derek Thomas, C.J. Mahaney, Al Mohler, and Mark Dever, (4) watch sports, and (5) play with my dogs – there is something restorative about watching a dog run free in a huge field and dive into a lake and shake itself dry, tongue hanging out with delighted exhaustion.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

I might have been a college or university professor of history, or perhaps have pursued a political or governmental career.

Thank you for your time, Ligon!

Happy Friday! Today we post the second half of the winning entries in our Don’t Waste Your Sports DVD contest (the first half is here).

Winning entry #5:

My most embarrassing moment occurred in the middle of a 3-mile varsity cross-country race in high school. For those who don’t think cross-country is a contact sport, think again.

I was about 2 miles into the race and struggling in the hot weather. My older sister happened to be running next to me so I tried to focus on keeping up with her and looked down to watch her stride.

All of a sudden, her feet disappeared and I look up just in time to wham into a rather large pine tree. There I was, flopping on the ground like a fish after having the wind knocked out of me. I couldn’t get up. I’m not easily deterred so I finished the race and ended the day but with a pounding headache.

After the race, my teammates helped me pick out the bark that had imprinted on the skin of my forehead. I was continually the butt of everyone’s jokes the rest of the season. Can you say “tree hugger”?

Heidi G.
Spokane, WA

------------

Winning entry #4:

In my sophomore year on the varsity basketball team we were in a close game against Mercer County High, down by 1 point with just seconds to go.

The clock was stopped and the referee handed our point guard the ball for the inbounds pass, under our own goal. With only five seconds to inbound the ball, he was not having any luck finding an open player, and time was ticking away. Our entire bench was screaming for the guard to call timeout, so we wouldn’t lose possession.

At that exact moment, I became wide open under the goal, and the point guard threw me the ball. But instead of making the basket for the win, I called a timeout, because that’s what the bench was screaming.
 
We lost.

Kevin H.
Bowling Green, KY

------------

Winning entry #3:

I’m in the third grade, playing right field in my hometown rec league. I’m in right field for a reason—and it’s skill related—I lack the ability to field ground balls. The only thing I do worse is field fly balls. And I’ve gotta…well, you know…go.

Late in the game, I inform the coach of my growing need. There are no facilities at the field. He’s absorbed in the game—we’re tied. He waves me off.

We go into extra innings, and I explain to the coach, again, that I’ve really gotta go. He explains that if I leave, we forfeit the game. There’s just nine of us.

So I trot out to my lonely position in right field. I’m hopping from one foot to the other. I’m squeezing my knees together. And there came a point at which my bladder muscles decided to surrender. The dam burst. My two pant legs became a delta flowing in an ever-broadening stream down into my shoes and then into the right field turf.

No one noticed. At this level, baseball is an infielder’s game.

The inning ended with the score still tied. Now I’ve got an even bigger problem. I can’t run home, and I can’t go back to the dugout looking like this.

I spot, behind the fence that runs along the first base line, a large mud puddle. I don’t even have to think. I sprint toward the dugout and take a detour, diving head first through the brown water.

I walked into the dugout covered from chest to shoes with mud. The coach looked at me and turned his head in disgust.

I don’t remember who won.

John L.
Bowie, MD

------------

Winning entry #2:

Since I am a professional golfer, I figure I have a lot of humbling sports related experiences.

This past year I graduated from college and turned professional. Seeing as I did not have much money to fund my expenses yet, I did not play as much as I would have liked during the summer. I still decided to go to PGA Tour Qualifying in the fall.

After a successful career in college winning multiple times, I went to Q-school looking like a weekend golfer. I shot 80-83-83-81 to finish close to last. It was the most humbling experience of my life. I was way under prepared and unfocused. To make matters worse, most of my potential sponsors pulled the plug on our deal afterwards.

Through golf God has always showed me how much self-worth I derived from my performance and the point was really driven home after that tournament. Also, it has forced me to rely on Him for my finances and that other sponsors will come along. I am thankful that I am in a profession that really makes me to trust the Lord and seek to have my identity in Him alone. Golf is a game that will give you many opportunities to practice humility and grow in holiness.

Kyle M.
Palm Beach, FL

------------

Winning entry #1:

As a high school sophomore, I was trying to get on the varsity basketball team. Playing in a J.V. game on the road, I was posted up and calling for the ball, hoping to impress the varsity coach who was watching.

The guard didn’t have a good passing angle. Frustrated, I turned to screen across the lane. Just as I began to turn I was smacked hard in the head.

The next thing I know, everyone was laughing.

Apparently when I turned my head, the pass was made, smacking me in the back of the head. The ball bounced off my head, up in the air, and down into the basket. The referees were laughing so hard they called a timeout.

But I got to play varsity that night for the first time!

Chris M.
Waseca, MN

Congratulations to the ten winners of the Don’t Waste Your Sports DVD Contest. Today and tomorrow we are posting the ten winning entries on the blog, in ascending order (to heighten the drama).

Today we feature winning entries #10–#6. Enjoy.

Winning entry #10:

Playing baseball was my lifeline as a young boy. And I was pretty good at it. I was the pitcher nobody liked to face (once threw a 16-strikeout game).

For years my parents, coaches, and teammates recognized my gift and encouraged me in the game. Every summer I was part of a tournament “all star” team that traveled around the Pittsburgh area, playing other schools.

Can you just sense the humility here?

In one particular game, we faced a team with one fantastic hitter. I was pitching, two men were on base, and Mr. “Big Shot” steps to the plate. And just to be safe, we decided to intentionally walk this kid, who greatly resembled Goliath.

I threw the catcher two intentional balls. My third pitch came in a little too close to the plate, close enough for Goliath to swing at and send out of the park—a three-run home run on an intentional walk. That was the day I learned what humility was all about.

David S.
Pittsburgh, PA

------------

Winning entry #9:

The most humbling moment in my athletic career is more serious and sad than anything else.

During high school I was fortunate enough to compete at the high school and Junior Olympic level in volleyball. I had several scholarship offers to play volleyball at the D1 level (and a few offers for softball too).

Volleyball was my life; I ate, breathed, worked, played, and slept volleyball. And I was raised in church, and had been a believer since a very young age, but had ignored God during this time in my life because I was so focused on volleyball.

Toward the end of my senior year season, I developed severe tendonitis in my dominant shoulder. Being a typical prideful athlete, I took painkillers and ignored it.

During a semifinal game for the state championship, we’re tied 14–14 with our rival team. I go up for a spike. Perfect. Except it was not so perfect. My shoulder dislocated and in the process I ripped my rotator cuff apart.

We lost the game and I lost my ability to play volleyball and softball (I was supposed to be the ace pitcher that year), I lost scholarship offers, I lost my pride, and lost what I thought was my life.

But what I gained was far greater. Through the pain and tears, and many months of anger, God changed my heart and my attitude. That painful, embarrassing, and devastating event readjusted my view on life and showed me that Christ really was my only solution for happiness and fulfillment.

Kim A.
Huntington, WV

------------

Winning entry #8:

The town where I attended high school had its share of rivalries. I attended the slummier, grittier public high school, and we were playing a big basketball game against one rival, a private Mennonite school, both of our schools having long histories of success.

Big crowds, pep rallies, and a lot of excitement preceded the big game. And although we were visitors in the Mennonite gym, we had our share of loyal fans bussed over.

Deep into the game, the ball became trapped between the backboard and the rim. Our coach called a timeout, and my teammates retreated back to our bench. Eager to help out the hapless referee—and show off my amazing vertical skills!—I took a couple of steps and with breathtaking athleticism, leapt towards the ball. Reaching a height just short of my goal, I was able to reach (and slap at) the ball. But I could not free the ball.

The large crowd erupted into jeers, as my face turned an inhuman shade of red, whereupon my coach promptly screamed at me to get over to the huddle.

The fans heckled me mercilessly during my endless jaunt back to the bench. We eventually won the game, but my vertical was never the same!

Ken B.
Toronto

------------

Winning entry #7:

The game was clearly over. Time had not run out, but the scoreboard indicated an insurmountable lead of our team and the faces of the opposing team confirmed it. We dominated on the boards and sank one shot after another.

We were the better team on the court that day, or at least the scoreboard would have you believe.

With the decision in hand, our team of 8th graders was clearly having a blast. And being an inexperienced, volunteer boys basketball coach, I seemed to let the unruly on-court behavior get the better of me. Discipline soon waned. One fancy no-look pass on one play gave way to a showy alley-oop on the next. Before we knew it, our players began chucking three-pointers from half-court.

After the game, as both teams were exchanging high-fives, their coach, several decades older, confronted me.

“Congrats on the win. You got a talented team,” he said, “But it was disrespectful what you did towards the end. Maybe they can learn a thing about sportsmanship, Coach.”

I can’t believe it didn’t occur to me then, but we were no longer just having fun—we did it at their expense. Though we won the game as was obvious on the scoreboard, we had lost the game in spirit. Sure enough, I would deliver this message to the kids who were not expecting such words after a victory.

There is much to be said about humility, because the ability to reflect genuine grace is perhaps the best victory of all.

Martin Y.
Diamond Bar, CA

------------

Winning entry #6:

I was attending a San Francisco Giants baseball game about 10 years ago accompanied by a junior high student from my church. I had acquired some field level seats along the third base line, and as is the custom with most baseball fans with “good seats,” I brought a baseball glove.

Halfway through the game, a right-handed batter pulled the ball foul on the ground in my direction. As I (and the fan to my right) stretched over the fence to snag the ball, I toppled over the fence entirely and landed right directly my head! In a panic, I scrambled back over the fence. Needless to say, there was a roar of laughter from the fans who caught the moment. Which would include the photographer from the Chronicle newspaper who ended up capturing the moment. The next day that picture of me falling head-first onto the field was published in full color on the front page of the sports section.

To make matters worse, the picture captured not only my fall, but also captured the junior high student who had joined me cracking up in laughter.

Now that was a bit humbling, especially when I had to explain that for all that effort and embarrassment—and brief of moment of “fame”—I never got the ball.

Evers D.
San Jose, CA
 

…Time’s up.

Thanks to each of you who responded to the contest and submitted stories. The number of responses exceeded our expectations.

We read and appreciated the serious entries, where you explained how you learned humility through defeats, setbacks, and career-ending injuries. And we enjoyed a laugh over the many embarrassing and humorous entries where sports taught you similar lessons of humility.

These contest entries reflect an awareness that God was at work behind the embarrassments, the injuries, the blowouts, the blushing faces, the nervous sweating, and all those humbling scenes that you never forgot—and likely never will.

Out of this stack of entries, C.J. has chosen ten winners. Each will receive a copy of the Don’t Waste Your Sports DVD and a bonus copy of the Psalms album. The winning entries will be posted soon on the blog.

Congratulations to the following contest winners:
        
(1) Chris M. (Waseca, MN) Basketball: Pass to the head to the hoop.
(2) Kyle M. (Palm Beach, FL) Golf: Successful college golfer humbled at Q-school.
(3) John L. (Bowie, MD) Baseball: Purposeful slide through an off-field puddle.
(4) Kevin H. (Bowling Green, KY) Basketball: Wide-open pass turns ugly.
(5) Heidi G. (Spokane, WA) Cross-country: A runner redefines the term “tree hugger.”
(6) Evers D. (San Jose, CA) Baseball: Headfirst landing at a major-league game captured on film and published in the newspaper.
(7) Martin Y. (Diamond Bar, CA) Basketball: Learning humility despite coaching the winning team in a blowout.
(8) Ken B. (Toronto) Basketball: Too painful for summary.
(9) Kim A. (Huntington, WV) Volleyball: Athlete humbled by a career-ending injury.
(10) David S. (Pittsburgh, PA) Baseball: Pitcher intends an intentional walk, allows three RBIs.

Meet John Piper.

Dr. Piper is a graduate of Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.).

Dr. Piper is the Pastor for Preaching & Vision at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the founder of Desiring God, and the author of more than 30 books including:

• When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy
• Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist
• The Supremacy of God in Preaching
• Battling Unbelief: Defeating Sin with Superior Pleasure
• Don’t Waste Your Life
  

But you probably know all this already.

So who is John Piper? What does he read for fun? What discourages him? How does he structure his devotional time? What correction from others has most benefited him? What career path would he have chosen if not ministry?

Thanks for your time, John! Please describe your morning devotions. What time do you wake up in the morning? How much time do you spend reading, meditating, praying, etc.? What are you presently reading?

I get up two mornings at 5:15, four mornings at 6:15 and one morning at 6:00.

I set aside one hour for prayer and Bible reading using the Discipleship Journal read through the Bible reading plan. That puts me now (February 2009) in Exodus, Psalms, Matthew, and Acts. On the five free days when there are no assignments I focus on memorization.

What book(s) are you currently reading in these three categories: (a) for your soul, (b) for pastoral ministry, or (c) for personal enjoyment?

I am reading Team of Rivals about Abraham Lincoln, Gilead by Marilyn Robinson, Pilgrim’s Progress, Culture Making by Andy Crouch, and Reformed Is Not Enough by Doug Wilson.

Apart from Scripture, what book do you most frequently re-read and why?

I don’t re-read books, except to read them to my family (like Pilgrim’s Progress).

When you finish a book, what system have you developed in order to remember and reference that book in the future?

I index books as I read them, by writing short notes in the front of the book with page numbers beside them. In a good book there may be over a hundred such notes.

If you could study under any theologian in church history (excluding those men in Scripture), who would it be and why?

Jonathan Edwards because he saw the grandeur of God and experienced a great awakening and ran a happy family.

What single piece of counsel (or constructive criticism) has most improved your preaching?

Don’t preach in a way that a Muslim would approve. Preach a divine crucified Christ.

What books on preaching, or examples of it, have you found most influential in your own preaching?

Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students; Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers; John Stott, Between Two Worlds; Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your effective use of time?

A great tree will fall with many small chops. Pray for daily grace to keep chopping.

What single bit of counsel has made the most significant difference in your leadership?

Lead by helping people see the same truth in the Bible you do so that commonly perceived truth is the fabric that binds together. When truth is not the bond, power moves are inevitable.

Where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

My own recurrent sins are the most discouraging thing in ministry. Next are the sins and sorrows of my family.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not? (Please be specific.)

I run on the treadmill 30 minutes Monday, Wednesday and Saturday morning followed by a set of back lifts with a Swiss ball, stomach crunches with the ball, and pushups on the floor. I almost always walk to church instead of driving, 600 paces from door to door.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

I enjoy watching gymnastics, soccer, basketball, and football, in that order. If my back weren’t so stiff I would love to play racquetball. When our staff goes away we play volleyball and floor hockey.

What do you do for leisure?

Fill out forms from fellow pastors. Play scrabble with Noël. Read.

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

Teaching literature. Or, if my hands stopped shaking, medicine.

Do the gospel and sports connect? If so, how does the gospel shape the way we play, view, and coach sports? These and other questions are answered by C.J. in his sermon “Don’t Waste Your Sports.”

This week Sovereign Grace Ministries released C.J.’s sermon on DVD. And we are giving away some copies.

Here is how to win.

As C.J. points out in his message, athletics provides us many opportunities to cultivate humility (often unexpectedly). Whether it’s having a jumpshot rejected, a big fat swing and a whiff at a waist-level fastball, or accidentally high-fiving someone in the face, few things in life provide more opportunities for humility than athletics.

And now is your opportunity to tell the world about your embarrassing moment lesson in humility. For a free DVD, of course.

Here is the deal: Explain the most humbling moment from your life as an athlete, coach, or parent of an athlete. In 250 words (or less), write a narrative of the experience. Include your first name, last initial, and your hometown in an email and send it to blog AT sovgracemin DOT org.

No, you cannot share someone else’s story.

I’ll pass the entries along to C.J. The best and/or funniest stories will win a free copy of the DVD and the entry will be posted on the blog.

If your entry is chosen and posted on the blog, your first name, last initial, and hometown will appear along with it.

Please email your story by 12:00 noon (EST) on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Winners will be announced later that afternoon.

Please note that reference to the supremacy of the Duke Blue Devils, New York Yankees, or Dallas Cowboys will not help your chances.

For further details on the DVD, video excerpts, and free downloadable application questions, please visit our online store.

By now most of you have seen the photograph of Olympic superstar swimmer Michael Phelps filling his giant lungs from a bong of marijuana. When the picture appeared in a British tabloid, Phelps acknowledged it was “youthful and inappropriate.”
 
Now there is no debate over whether the 23-year-old is gifted with athletic greatness. He is. And financially Phelps is set for life, his agent Peter Carlisle estimating his potential earnings will reach somewhere around $100 million.* Which I’m told would equal a stack of $100 bills 360 feet tall!
 
The photograph of Phelps reminds me of myself prior to conversion, a competitive swimmer (of slightly lesser skill), a sinner (of greater degree), held captive by sin, pursuing the fleeting pleasures of this world. And sadly, in my case, pursuing sin with passion.
 
So what was Phelps searching for in that bong pipe? What emptiness in his soul was he trying to satisfy?
 
Once again we are reminded that athletic gifting, championship trophies, gold medals, and million dollar endorsement deals cannot satisfy the soul.
 
Last year, in the wake of his third Super Bowl championship, disillusioned Patriots quarterback Tom Brady admitted on 60 Minutes,

Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, “Hey man, this is what is.” I reached my goal, my dream, my life. I think, “God, it’s got to be more than this.” I mean this isn’t, this can’t be, what it’s all cracked up to be.

I commend Brady for his honesty.

And no doubt some Pittsburgh Steelers players are beginning to have similar thoughts.
 
But in Phelps’s case, if you listen to the media (with the exception of my man Michael Wilbon of the Washington Post) you hear a common chorus of excuses like “Give Phelps a break, nothing he did was anything worse than happens in an average weekend at a typical college campus.”
 
But we are not talking about a typical American college student. Phelps is a rich superstar.
 
This is what I find so striking: A man whose chest has been covered with gold medals, has achieved international fame, showered with awards, and blessed with an incomprehensible amount of money, still feels compelled to press his face to a bong.
 
It was Augustine who said that the soul is restless until it finds its rest in God. So true. Only God can satisfy the soul. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ provides forgiveness of sin, and therefore it is here in this gospel that we find rest for our restless souls.

Study the unflattering picture of Michael Phelps to be reminded of the deceitfulness of sin and the superficiality of fame and money. But also study the picture to be reminded of the message of Christ and him crucified for restless sinners like you, and me, and Michael Phelps.

------------------

* “Phelps Apologizes for Marijuana Pipe” By Karen Crouse, New York Times, February 1, 2009.

Welcome back for the fourth and final part of my interview with Dr. Wayne Grudem. Read part one here, part two here, and part three here.

Dr. Grudem, where in ministry are you most regularly tempted to discouragement?

Honestly, I don’t often become discouraged. I continue to see evidence of God’s work in my life and the lives of those around me, and I am simply overwhelmed with thankfulness to him.

Are there events in the church that bring me sadness? Yes. I am disappointed when I see churches and organizations gradually adopt an egalitarian position, because I think it will lead them step by step toward liberalism, and because egalitarianism is not a position that God will bless.

As far as my own writings, I am disappointed when I read books and articles that simply misrepresent me or use incorrect arguments to criticize what I have published on some topic or other. But when such things happen, I also remember other times in the past when a scholar has published something criticizing my position on something, and God used that to prompt me to write a response and refine my position, taking account of criticisms and making my position more accurate.

So then I think, “OK, Lord, I didn’t want to work on this question any more but apparently you want me to go back and spend more time on it.” The tension comes when you realize that you have a finite amount of time in life and have to make choices about what to do, and you already have deadlines you are trying to meet.

Then I try to put my trust in God and ask him to guide me to know what I need to spend time on and what I should leave to others to do. Romans 8:28 is still true, and always will be true: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

One event that still puzzles me concerns my book Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth (2004). I had been involved in the controversies over biblical manhood and womanhood for over 20 years at that point, and during that time I had compiled a list of 118 objections that egalitarians (evangelical feminists) had made to the biblical teachings on men’s and women’s roles in marriage and the church. I then researched and wrote detailed answers to those objections, and added a number of appendices that could not easily be found anywhere else, key documents on the controversy over men’s and women’s roles. Many evangelical leaders gave strong endorsements to the book.

I had hoped the book would provide a final answer to the manhood/womanhood controversy in the evangelical world, but instead I don’t think it had much impact or visibility, due to some mistakes that were made so that it was not sent out for review to influential journals, and I didn’t find this out until over a year later, when it was too late for reviews. I believe that God is still sovereign, and in his wise providence he will yet use this for good, but I don’t understand it at this point. I leave it in the Lord’s hands.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do? If not, why not?

I exercise on average about four days a week. I run in my neighborhood two or three days a week and lift weights two days a week. Usually I run for 25 minutes, but sometimes if have a bit more time and I’m feeling good I’ll run for 40 minutes.

Arizona has such great weather that it’s possible to run outdoors in your own neighborhood year-round. And I drive to a gym about five minutes from my house and lift weights following the general outlines of a program in the book Body for Life by Bill Phillips. A good friend who is a doctor told me that as I age I will continually lose muscle mass and be prone to injuries and weight gain unless I lift weights in addition to aerobic exercises.

My motivation in exercising is (1) I feel better and (2) I want to stay healthy to be able to serve the Lord effectively as long as I can in this life.

Currently, what sport do you like to play and/or watch?

I golf from time to time and enjoy it. I used to enjoy racquetball quite a bit but there’s no easy place to play near my home and I haven’t played regularly for a number of years.

I don’t really watch sports on TV, but when my sons come to visit, I enjoy going to a spring-training baseball game with them here in the Phoenix area. And now that the Arizona Cardinals are in the NFC championship I’ll probably watch that game this weekend.

What do you do for leisure?

Various things.

Margaret and I like to travel and we sometimes add an extra day or two to the beginning or end of a conference when I go out of town to speak. We love to wander through different cities! I also enjoy doing small (unskilled!) work in the yard or in fixing a few things that need repairs around the house.

I read spy novels to relax (see question above). Margaret and I enjoy watching movies together or going out to dinner either alone or with friends. And a highlight of each month is when we get together with two other faculty couples to play cards (we play a great game called “Cancellation Hearts,” using two decks of cards).

If you were not in ministry, what occupational path would you have chosen?

No question, I would have become a lawyer and gone into politics. (I’m writing a book now on Christians and politics, discussing Christian worldview issues from the Bible, and how they impact over 40 specific political issues.)

Thank you, Dr. Grudem, for satisfying my curiosity on these questions!
 

Sports are a gift from God. And for the Christian, sports provide a means of growth in godliness and an opportunity to glorify God. But too often Christians participate in sports without first being theologically informed about sports.

To my knowledge, there are few books available that present a biblical worldview of sports, and even fewer that are rooted in the gospel, assist us in applying the doctrine of sin to our hearts, and help us grow in godliness through our participation in sports. So I am thrilled to now hold in my hands a copy of Stephen Altrogge’s new book, Game Day for the Glory of God: A Guide for Athletes, Fans, and Wannabes (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008).

Stephen is currently a student in our Pastors College. Previously, he was a pastoral intern at Sovereign Grace Church in Indiana, Pennsylvania, where his father, Mark Altrogge, serves as senior pastor.

Last week I sat down and interviewed Stephen. We talked about sports, why he wrote this book, and how it will equip athletes, parents, coaches, and pastors to glorify God in sports. But it also provided an opportunity to ask: How did Mark Altrogge—a much-loved pastor and world-class songwriter, but a man with limited athletic ability or interest—raise a son with such a strong appreciation for sports? I’m assuming Stephen’s athletic ability and interest come from his mom.

Listen online or download the 20-minute interview with Stephen Altrogge.

Listen to the interview online here:


Download interview here (20:1; 13.8MB MP3).

 

The audio recording from C.J.’s message Sunday at Covenant Life Church:

Don’t Waste Your Sports    
C.J. Mahaney
1 Corinthians 10:31
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Covenant Life Church; Gaithersburg, MD
57:34 run time; 13.2MB MP3

Download here.

Listen here:

Art by David Somerville.

-----------

Related: Don't Waste Your Humor.