Click here to listen to the radio version.
Click here to search the AOG archives.
Apples of Gold
Radio Script for April 15, 2010
“The Crowd Affects the Game”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Dan loved playing football.
Then he suffered a career-ending injury.
Now what?
He could have slipped into depression. He could have been angry. He could have been jealous of his teammates.
Well he was “bummed out” he said. It killed him, not being out on the field with his friends.
But then he had a revelation.
“I realized how much the crowd affects the game,” he said. So he said, “You know what? Why don’t I lead the charge?”
This was at St. Charles East High School in Illinois – the home of the Saints.
So instead of letting a black cloud envelope him after his injury, Dan did something very proactive. He formed a group called the Superfans.
He rallied a couple hundred students and they piled into every game to pump up the team. They even had weekly strategy meetings. What could they do to fire up the Saints?
Yes, the Saints still had to work on their game plan. They did have to go out and actually play the game.
But then there is what some call the 12th man on the field – the crowd.
Now let me repeat Dan’s quote. He said, “I realized how much the crowd affects the game.”
And you know what? I think that applies to all of life.
The crowd affects the game.
I said that to a woman yesterday who was telling me about her husband’s new business venture.
She said it was making her nervous. She wasn’t sure if it was going to be successful or not.
So I reminded her that she was not simply a passive observer. As his wife, she could have a very real impact on the success or failure of his business.
Why?
Because the crowd affects the game; and in this case she was the crowd.
Now think back to Dan after his career-ending injury. He had the choice of either staying at home all dark and gloomy, or he could rally the troops and come out in flying support of the team.
In your marriage you have a similar choice. When your spouse makes a decision you aren’t sure about, you can choose to be dark and gloomy, or you can come out in flying support of the home team.
This applies to your children. Think of a dad who loves sports, but then his son loves music instead. The dad could be all weird about it, but how much better if he’d come running out in support of his son’s music?
I think this happens a lot in church. A visionary pastor dreams of a powerful, city-changing ministry. He casts the vision to the members, who proceed to pick it apart. They cast a black cloud over the pastor’s vision, then feel justified when things don’t work out.
But wait a minute. The crowd doesn’t just predict the outcome. The crowd affects the outcome.
When a pastor casts a vision and the people rally to it, almost anything can happen.
For example, the pastor of the Southeast Christian Church in Louisville decided it was time to do something about the almost 200 sex businesses in the city. He rallied people to the cause, got people out to hearings and talking to city officials and testifying in cases. In six years they were able to clear over half those shops out of town.*
Sure, he could have taken up the fight by himself, but how discouraging if no one joins you, if everyone says, “Oh, that’s impossible. Why even bother? Good luck with that, preacher.”
Hebrews 10:24 tells us to spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
I like that word “spur.” It’s like a sudden jolt of energy and enthusiasm.
Over and over the Bible tells us to encourage and exhort one another and build each other up.
That’s not psychobabble. It’s Bible!
So don’t forget your part in everything that’s going on around you. Your words and your attitudes can be a real game changer, so put on your team colors and show your support!
And remember the example of Dan after his career-ending injury. Instead of sulking at home he started the Superfans.
And why did he do it?
Because he realized this one powerful truth.
The crowd affects the game.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
Here is the original newspaper report about Dan and the Superfans: http://football.dailyherald.com/story/?id=49415
* http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=CM10D08
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
To subscribe to your own daily “Apples of Gold” e-mail, write dougapple@wave94.com.
If you want to be removed from this e-mail list, simply click reply and type UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line.
If you want to catch “Apples of Gold” in its original audio format, go to www.wave94.com
To search through the large archive of past articles, go here: http://www.wave94.com/modules.php?name=Stories_Archive
If you have trouble reaching me at my main e-mail address, try this one: douglas_apple@msn.com
(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
-vi-
No comments:
Post a Comment