Man Does Not Live by Sports Alone: Devotions for Men

by Dennis Swanberg Dr.

Overview

A GODLY GAME PLAN
FOR THE MANLY MAN

OK, guys, this book's for you. It's designed especially for manly men who love sports — guys who'd rather watch Peyton Manning and Kurt Schilling than some fluffy chick flick. You're into NFL receivers, the best arms in the Majors, the best guards in the NBA, and NASCAR drivers. But you're also a guy who tries to spend time in God's Word and get your plays called by the Coach upstairs.

Dennis "The Swan" Swanberg has you and your sports-minded buddies in mind in Man Does Not Live by Sports Alone, because this upbeat, humorous book isn't just about guy stuff; it's also about God stuff. Thirty personal devotionals double as springboards for accountability-group discussion with your friends about God's playbook. Each devotional contains:

• A Word from the Coach in a key Bible text
• Warmups questions to ponder and sports-related quotes
• Going Deep thought and heart challenges
• Recap summaries and reinforcing scriptures
• In the Huddle discussion starters
• Game Plan life applications
• And Game Notes pages to record your thoughts and responses

This book offers a game plan for tackling the tough issues in the game of life and will help you do more than just stay in the game — it will give you strategies for being a winner!

It's not enough to be a manly man who talks about manly stuff.
You've also got to be a godly man who talks and thinks about God stuff.
When you do, you'll be a winner in the game of life.
— The Swan

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781416535935
Publisher:	Howard Books
Publication date:	10/10/2006
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Dennis Swanberg, well-qualified to teach on marriage and family relationships, is happily married to his wife, Lauree, and is the proud father of two boys, Chad and Dustin. He hosts a nationally broadcast television show, Swan's Place, which is viewed by over 1,000,000 households, as well as writing Is Your Love Tank Full?, and Swan's Soup and Salad.

A deeply loved pastor and popular guest on Dr. James Dobson's national broadcasts, Swanberg has been called "America's Minister of Encouragement" because of his constant work at lifting hearts and leading people to a richer life through his one-of-a-kind humor.

Read an Excerpt

Devotional One: The Captain of Your Team

Warmups

• Who's the captain of your team?
• Who's calling the plays?
• In other words, who's really running things at your house: you, your wife, the kids, the neighbors, your cat Mittens...or God?

Going Deep

It's easy to talk about letting God take charge of your life, but how do you actually manage to do it? After all, you're a busy man with tons of responsibilities. You've got important decisions to make every day, and you can't wait for God to carve the answers on a stone tablet, Ten Commandments style. Sometimes you've got to make decisions right now or suffer the consequences.

And as you know, play calling isn't always simple. It isn't like you get to make decisions in a vacuum. Far from it! If you're married, you probably consult your wife; if you've got kids, you've got to think about them too. Your boss may have a little something to say about things. And if you're a dues-paying member of the A-Team (that's America's Team), then your good ol' Uncle Sam has a few rules you need to follow as well. So where exactly does God fit into this picture? Well, here's the way it is: either you manage to put your heavenly Father in first place, or he doesn't really fit in at all.

If you insist on relegating God to second place, you're dooming yourself to a second-class existence — or worse. And that's too bad, because God has better plans for you and your family.

If you want to tap into God's plan for your life, you'll need to put him right where he belongs: in first place. Putting him close to first place isn't good enough. It's just like your high-school football coach used to say: "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." Second, third, or fourth place isn't good enough for God — nor, by the way, should it be good enough for you.

Now, you may be thinking: here in the real world, putting God first is easier said than done. You're right. It isn't always easy to put obeying God ahead of everything else in your life. But it's always the right thing to do. And when you put God first, you earn lots of big rewards. One of those rewards has to do with making decisions.

When you finally make up your mind to make God the undisputed captain of your team — when you decide to put God first in every aspect of your life — decision making gets easier. Why? Because God's Word tells you what to do and, just as important, what not to do. So instead of sitting around in a state of confusion (or in the grip of temptation), you can simply get busy doing the right thing.

In the Huddle

Talk to your friends about putting God first in every aspect of your lives, including the things you watch on TV. Talk about the messages you receive from the popular media, and compare those messages to the teachings of God's Word. Discuss ways you can protect yourselves and your families from the temptations and distractions of everyday life. And while you're at it, ask this question: does God really approve of every single TV show (and movie) my family watches?

Game Plan

Make your home a TV-free zone at least one night a week. You probably watch lots of sports on TV — and lots of other stuff too. If so, you and your family members are being bombarded with images and ideas — many of which are, at best, a waste of time and, at worst, a powerful negative influence. So try this experiment: Turn off all the televisions in your house at least one night a week. Spend that evening talking with your family about life, love, and God. It's up to you as a parent to exercise thoughtful control and make sure your kids don't channel surf their way through life.

Man Does Not Live by Sports Alone © 2006 Dennis Swanberg

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction

1. The Captain of Your Team

2. Your "A" Game

3. Preparing Your Game Plan

4. Big Shot According to Whom?

5. Scouting Your Talent

6. Calling the Plays

7. Gut Check

8. Your Mental Game

9. Taking Care of the Home Team

10. How to Play Happy

11. When the Going Gets Tough

12. Becoming a Playmaker

13. Bed Check

14. Winning the Game of Love

15. Technical Foul

16. Learning to Pick Your Spots

17. Handling the Heat

18. Too Much Equipment

19. You and Your Lawfully Wedded Teammate

20. Getting in Gear

21. Time-Out for Thanksgiving

22. Getting in Step

23. Unsportsmanlike Conduct

24. Personal Training

25. Only a Game

26. Toning Your 'Tude

27. Playing Two

28. Crowd Pleaser or God Pleaser?

29. Running from Temptation

30. Chalk Talk