February 2, 2010
Egyptian-Muslim Pleads for International Christian Tennis Association to Help!
ICTA Founder, Scott Paschal, and his wife, Mel, in St. Augustine, Florida.
Morning!
It’s early…about 5am. I don’t really do early. This morning my “God alarm clock” woke me and led me to connect you to a couple of emails I received recently.
One is from an Egyptian-Muslim. The other is from a Hindu.
Not sure why God wants you guys to connect with these emails, but here they are. I feel led to write to you about each one, as well.
Hopefully, my Hawaiian Kona coffee kicks in so you guys don’t have to call or email me more than usual about mistpelled wurds! 🙂
I pray God’s purpose in my life this morning will be accomplished….
Please, note that one particular link in this article will lead to shocking pictures and a powerful story of Muslim extremists burning Christians alive in Egypt. I feel it’s important to add this link…to help you see the reality others may be facing around us.
And, if you would like, please share a comment/prayer for Hassan to read and be inspired. There is a comment posting section at the end of this article.
God bless!
Scott Paschal (Coach Scotty) Read Bio
International Christian Tennis Association, President
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Let’s begin with Hassan’s first email to me…
I’m an Egyptian -Muslim religion. I am 28 years old and I have a lot of faith in Christ and I want to become a Christian. I am right now in Kuwait, but I fear for myself of murder and injustice. Please help urgent.
Hassan
Kuwait
Hassan contacted me through International Christian Tennis Association’s online home, Christiantennis.net.
(Click here for pictures and articles to quickly gain a better understanding of situation in Egypt. Warning, very graphic.)
Hassan, please know…”He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” 1 Peter 1:19 (NLT) “The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them.” John 6:37 (NCV)
I would like to ask each Christian reading this to please pray for Hassan…that He discovers an eternal relationship with Jesus. And, please post a prayer or a comment for Hassan, and others like him worldwide, in the comment section at the end of this article.
“May you have the power to understand as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how tall, and how deep God’s love really is.” Ephesians 3:18 (NLT)
Hassan’s email really reached me…deep inside near where God planted the original vision/dream of global ministry through tennis.
I was Hassan’s age when I felt a need to begin a search for my purpose. I felt a need to know the reason why I was created. I, too, felt a need to know Jesus, but didn’t know what to do.
ICTA full time academy students, Ana & Mark. Have coached Mark for 3.5+ yrs and Ana for 3+ yrs. Ana Kharchenko plays tennis professionally now. Mark is transitioning from juniors to pro qualifiers/college this year. Proud of both for such incredible dedication and effort to develop into Champions for Christ and shine for Him through tennis in Godless countries worldwide...
Fourteen years later, I am blessed to see my purpose to strive daily to connect people to a living God, and disciple them.
The journey to reach this point has been a difficult, yet amazing one.
Let me say that seeing and realizing my purpose doesn’t mean I am perfect, or better than you.
Like a tennis player who double faults, hits the ball out or into the net, swears under his breath, loses a match…I’ve made plenty of mistakes.
Having discovered my purpose in life simply means that I now understand the “game”, the situation for which I’ve been uniquely created.
After teaching all levels of tennis for nearly a quarter of a century, after coaching players from 21 nations and 15 USA states full time at my tennis academy, after studying the game from among the best tennis mentors in the world…I understand how to build world class junior and professional tennis players.
I understand players and I understand the game. Combining the two creates a world class opportunity for success for those I choose to coach.
Yet, my purpose isn’t to teach tennis. That was just an analogy, an example.
The “game” I’m talking about is actually a war…a spiritual war we all live in and are surrounded by every minute of every day. Some are aware of the battle, most are not. Yet, all are in the war whether they see it or not…
It is a war for eternal souls. Heaven or Hell. Hassan accepting Christ and facing persecution on earth…or denying Christ and facing an eternity without Him.
The reason God uniquely created me was to connect people of different faiths worldwide with Him. Tennis is simply a tool God has gifted me in.
Scott Paschal sharing Christian faith, Christian Bibles & books...in ICTA Outreach Booth at world's 5th largest pro tennis tournament, the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open in Florida. Over 300,000 people from 130+ countries attend...
Some people sing, and through song they share their faith. Me, tennis is my song….
Hassan, like me and you, has a purpose through God.
Unlike me, Hassan lives in Egypt, and travels to Kuwait.
He is Muslim. And, because he wants to know about Jesus and become a follower of Jesus, he is concerned about his safety. (Click here for pictures and articles to quickly gain a better understanding of situation in Egypt. Warning, very graphic.)
What about your situation? What is your religion/faith/belief? When you die, will you spend eternity in Heaven…?
Hassan has a choice. He can choose to follow Christ…to make Jesus his personal Lord and Savior. Or, not. Like all of us, he can worship a false idol or he can surrender his life to Jesus.
I know men who were Muslim and are now Christian. Yet, these men live in the safety of America. They are free to worship. Would these men be able to live in Egypt with their families and still maintain their faith in the face of torture and death? It’s a very real question.
John 3:16 in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, and whoever believes in this will never die, but will have eternal life in Heaven.”
That’s a bold statement. It’s also an eternal one.
I will continue writing to Hassan and we work together to bring Him to an eternal relationship with Jesus. This morning, I would like to ask you to keep Hassan in your prayers. He has much to consider and learn.
I’d also like you to dive deep inside of yourself.
Have you discovered your purpose for existing? If not, first ask yourself if you truly have an eternal relationship with Jesus.
I’m firmly convinced that true happiness and a true understanding of love is not possible unless we are united with our Creator and are walking step for step in the unique path He designed for each of us
Imagine the global impact if Roger Federer had courage to stand up for Christ with the boldness & love of Jesus' original disciples, Michael Chang, Chris Tomlin, or Billy Graham! I fully believe my tennis academy will one day develop top 10 ATP & WTA players w the courage to SHINE!
Your purpose in life is waiting for you. It is very real….
Will post a really special email from a Hindu man as soon as possible..probably in my next article.
Now, I have to do some office work…phone calls, emails, organizing…and coaching of my wonderful, Christian, international students who are here full time at my Florida based, high performance tennis academy program!
If you feel God leading…please post a comment and/or prayer for Hassan….
God bless each of you!
Coach Scotty
Galations 2:20
August 20, 2009
100,000 ICTABlog Visitors…!
Some of my tennis academy players in St. Joseph, Missouri, during mission trip. This pic taken at original Pony Express headquarters that is now famous western museum.
100,000!
Wow!
100,000!
Almost can’t believe it. So neat how ICTABlog has not only survived, but thrived.
To me, a couple years ago, 100,000 was too big of a number for me to wrap around. 10,000 seemed huge!
I get phone calls and emails from people who read something I’ve written and it reaches them in some way. Some folks are really positive and supportive…some are really nasty and mean. But, either way it’s good to see faith & tennis being connected and discussed.
Btw, remember my Gasquet article? I think it was just a few articles ago. Anyway, his suspension has been lifted! Turns out he didn’t do anything purposefully wrong. Never did cocaine!
But, he did kiss a girl at a party who did…and that caused him to get the equivalent of a grain of sand of cocaine in his body which caused his blood to test positive for a banned substance.
I’m glad Rafa kept speaking out about how Gasquet doesn’t do drugs! And I’m glad you guys told your friends to tell their friends to tell their friends to read my article.
Finally, thanks for your support of my Twitter micro-blog! Great to hear you guys like receiving the updates…either by coming here or christiantennis.net... or some of you have updates sent to your cell phones in real time!! Awesome!
God bless,
Coach Scotty
International Christian Tennis Association
President
386 793 0557/ teamICTA@yahoo.com
June 5, 2009
Video: Scott Paschal Snickers at ICTA Women’s Pro Tennis Team Member!
Those of you who know me have a pretty good idea I like to make people laugh.
Recently, ICTA welcomed a new player to the ICTA Women’s Pro Tennis Team. Her name is Lo and she is from Nigeria. I know her Dad.
Lo attends a college in the US where she competes on the school’s tennis team. She is training with me for the summer to strengthen her tennis, and to deepen her faith in Christ.
In the first 12 days I’ve coached Lo she has taken a bus to meet us in Sumter, SC where she trained for 4 days… drove with us to Palm Coast… drove a day later to Hilton Head Island, SC. where she trained for 4 days… drove back to Palm Coast yesterday… and will fly to El Paso, Texas at 7am in the morning.
Her schedule is stacked and packed. I don’t think she has ever experienced anything like this before.
Welcome to pro tennis… and Christian missions outreach.
Honestly, people really have no idea how much we do on a daily basis to follow the Great Commission…
I’m focused on developing Lo’s leadership skills, and on showing her facts about Jesus… that He is Christ.
Sure, her tennis will improve a lot. But, that’s the easy part.
The hard part can be looking inward and honestly seeing what needs to improve in your life.
In less than 2 weeks, Lo has been challenged intensely, and she can see her weaknesses… on and off court.
Part shocked and part excited for the challenge, Lo is undergoing massive training.
From extreme 2 on 1 tennis workouts, 10 mile bike rides, tennis matches in pro tournaments, travel to 4 new cities in 12 days by bus, van, and plane…
… to meeting new people from 6 countries… Lo has been busy.
In addition, I have Lo studying Lee Stroebel’s book A Case for Christ and John Maxwell’s book Failing Forward. My hope is Stroebel can deepen her belief that Jesus is Christ, and that Maxwell can teach Lo that mistakes can become our motivation and our guide to improvment.
That said, we have a ton of fun in between tennis training, matches, and discipleship.
Lo mentioned she’s laughed more in these 10 -12days than in the last 5 months combined since she has come to the USA!
On to the video…
Lo loves Snickers. She bought a whole bag of the little Snickers when I first met her. She loves to eat them when no one is looking!
When we were all in Sam’s Club (huge wholesale food warehouse owned by Walmart) in Hilton Head Island during our Christian outreach to a USTA Pro Circuit tournament recently, I saw a bunch of boxes of Snicker’s bars… so I wanted to take a pic of Lo with them.
But, instead of a picture I took a really fun video!!
Lo LOVED it minutes later when she found out!
Enjoy the video and please keep Lo in your thoughts and prayers. God is doing a big work in her life!
God bless,
Coach Scotty
May 4, 2009
Scott Paschal Goes to Church!
I really love attending church.
I know it’s a special privilege to be able to worship God at a Christian church.
This is a picture of me, a couple of my full time tennis academy students, and a special visitor a couple days ago before church started.
On the left is Hiromi Takeuchi who is visiting ICTA as she journeys around the USA and travels to different parts of the world. Hiromi is Japanese and has a passion to become a translator for people who journey to Spanish speaking countries or Japan! When visiting ICTA Hiromi also loves to hit tennis balls with my students! In front is Luke from Costa Rica. Anastasia from Ukraine is on the right…both Luke and Ana are full time students of mine.
My life is so blessed.
I am able to coach full time amazing young men and women from countries worldwide. I get to plan and implement large-scale mission trips to prestigious pro tennis tournaments. I have friends who care about me. I attend a tremendous church and am friends with my pastor, missions pastor, and worship leader. I am the director of an international sports ministry.
Wow. God is so good.
I pray God is leading you in your life. That you know the peace that comes from giving Him all.
That you ignore Satan’s lies as he works to destroy your confidence….
Regardless of how young or how old, how rich or how poor… God can and will use you, if you only open your heart to Him.
God bless,
Scott Paschal
April 11, 2009
Christiantennis.net Sights at Sony Ericsson Open
Fans watching final on Big Screen in Food Court.
International Christian Tennis Association exhibitor's booth near Grandstand
Full time ICTA student, David, from Australia, hanging out at Beach Tennis
Beach Tennis mascot getting a pic while Scott Paschal gives interview
ICTA full time student, Luke from Costa Rica, hitting on Grand Stand court
Scott Paschal pic with news crew after interview. Great time bringing ministry in tennis to Miami. This helps open doors for others and inspire them to share their faith through tennis.
David hitting on Grand Stand court. So awesome for ICTA players to attend whole Sony Ericsson Open.
Fun group of people visiting International Christian Tennis Association exhibitor's booth.
Jon hitting on Grand Stand court. Soon to leave for college, Jon is a really special kid with loads of potential to change the world.
Melody Snelen takes a pic with Fernando Verdasco before his match with Andy Murray.
April 4, 2009
International Christian Tennis Association Pics from Sony Ericsson Open
Enjoy some sights from the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open.
Man, have we had a great time shining for Christ to over 250,000 tennis fans from around the world.
We are each exhausted, yet fulfilled.
More soon… scotty
Huge Jumbotron Screen Showed Stadium Matches
Men's Draw
ICTA Gained Record Breaking Numbers of New Members at This Event!
Local TV News Interviewed Me... Great Time Sharing ICTA w/ Miami!
March 29, 2009
Coach Scott Paschal Raising Some Heaven With Christiantennis.net In Miami, Florida!
Roger Federer signed newly designed and embroidered ICTA God is Good Baseball Cap for ICTA Women's Pro Tennis Team Fundraiser
Women's Draw and Stadium
ICTA President, Scott Paschal, introducing ICTA Global Outreach to tennis fans.
ICTA Global Outreach has a fantastic location near the Grandstand, Beach Tennis, Fila Touring Camps, and Royal Caribbean Cruises!
Tennis fans worldwide have joined ICTA Membership. Christian books are travelling worldwide! A body of believers is gathering!
Melody Snelen, ICTA Women's Pro Tennis Team member, giving away ICTA God is Good fans. These fans have John 3:16 on the back and information on ICTA's Travel Tour packages to 2009 US OPEN!
View from inside ICTA Outreach booth as people excitedly join ICTA Global Membership
ICTA Full Time Academy Student, Mark (from Mexico), setting up ICTA Global Outreach booth.
Stadium
March 27, 2009
Scott Paschal and International Christian Tennis Association @ Sony Ericsson Open
ICTA Founder, Scott Paschal, with new ICTA members!
I’m having a great time here at the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.
ICTA Global Missions is hosting a large-scale outreach offering free Christian materials to over 300,000 tennis fans.
These two ladies with me in this picture are new ICTA members… and I had a great time with them yesterday, and again this morning as they came by ICTA’s booth on their way to watch a match in the Grandstand.
In our outreach booth we offer free Bibles and Christian books. ICTA also offers a free membership to anyone who would like to join.
Our membership has grown by about 150 people the first couple of days. Engineers, tennis pros, teachers, writers, financial investors, dentists, students and much, much more… a lot interesting people.
I’m having a really nice time meeting them.
Will send more updates as time allows. I have internet access here at our booth, but little time to write so far.
Thanks for your prayers as International Christian Tennis Association brings the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world’s 5th largest pro tennis tournament.
God bless!
Coach Scotty
ballboy4jesus@yahoo.com/386 793 0557/www.christiantennis.net
March 9, 2009
Scott Paschal Is On A Mission!
Fulltime ICTA Academy Student, Mark, From Mexico.
I don’t know what is going on, but lately I can’t stop reading Philippians.
Seriously, every day I’m studying this stuff. Not just every day… every morning, every break, in the evening, before bed.
Philippians is like chocolate. I love chocolate, too. Dark chocolate. I think about chocolate nearly every time after I eat, except after breakfast.
Chocolate after breakfast isn’t good. I’ve tried it. Maybe hot cocoa on a cold day after breakfast….
Anyway, back to my current obsession with this book in the Bible.
ICTA Academy's WTA Ranked Fulltime Student, Anastasia Kharchenko from Ukraine, Returning Serve As She Prepares For a 3 Week ICTA Women's Pro Team Tour in Peru.
I’ve read Philippians about three times a day for the last week or so.
And I’ve studied books that were written to explain more about Philippians.
The books help me to get the big picture of what all was happening back in the day.
And the more I learn the more I want to learn.
Coach Scotty the history dude.
Who would have thought it?
Mark Has Trained w/ Coach Scotty and ICTA for Over 2.5 Years.
History Dude’s factoid #1: Philippi has a claim to fame as being the first city in Europe to have a church.
Yep, cool stuff, huh!?
Paul had a vision of a guy pleading for help from Macedonia (Act 16).
This got Paul into action!
He sails out of Troas during his 2nd missionary journey… lands near Philippi… and hikes 10 miles inland to reach the city.
Then and there, Paul starts the first church in Europe!
As an 18 year old teenager, Ana Won 2 Professional Tournament Titles in 2008.
This first church stays intensely loyal to Paul… and I really love studying his letter to them.
A God seeded vision… global journey… church planting… loyalty…. AWESOME stuff to learn.
Want some controversy?
Ok, Paul wrote this letter from prison.
Currently a Senior, Mark Will Earn His High School Degree at ICTA Through the Abeka Education System.
I can hear the gasps from “modern day” Christians in the USA striving hard to keep up their godly appearances and reputations.
Yes, Mr. And Mrs. Modern… prissonnn…
Paul even said he was ready to die, if needed, for the sake of the Gospel!
I know, I know…. I can hear your further gasps, as you pull your over protected 19 year old babies closer to your bosom and cover their eyes and ears from such rumor and controversy.
Moving on…
Honestly, I have no idea why God has sparked such a passion inside of me to study Philippians.
But, whatever His reasons may be, I know my life is further growing and improving as I focus strongly on God’s word.
In other news…
- ICTA Women’s Pro Tennis Team is flying to Lima, Peru in Wednesday for a missions tour to 3 ITF Women’s Pro Circuit tournaments. This is the first time the team will travel to South America. Please keep this special team and mission outreach in your prayers.
- ICTA Blog is closing in on 70,000 visitors! January was our biggest month ever with 10,159 visitors. February was a close 2nd with 9934 visitors. I want to thank each of you for telling your friends about International Christian Tennis Association.
- Remember the Malaysian player who wanted to come train with me, but couldn’t get visa approval? I received word from his Dad recently that he finally did receive his visa! Plans right now are for him to arrive the 3rd week of March.
A lot of neat stuff is happening around here… and is upcoming!
I will keep you guys in the loop and up to date as God further grows and develops both me and ICTA.
Thank you for your prayers, emails, and phone calls of support, advice, and encouragement. In the chaos that is the fallen US economy and a Godless tennis industry… ICTA is actually growing… and has enjoyed our best year ever.
I’m not sure why, though.
I guess God just wants to keep His hand on us. That’s what it’s really all about, too. God blessing.
Thanks for taking a break with me. I’m going to get back to studying Philippians… and planning an upcoming missions outreach, which I will share with you soon.
God bless you guys!
Coach Scotty
President, ICTA Inc 386 793 0557
May 21, 2008
Justine Henin’s Shocking Retirement: WTA Flaws Exposed by Tennis Star
Justine Henin, the #1 ranked WTA player, launched a huge, international statement directly at the WTA on Wednesday by quitting as a professional tennis player.
Without warning, the tennis world’s #1 female player looked straight in the WTA’s eyes and forced them to finally listen to her.
Never before in the history of women’s professional tennis has the #1 player walked away!
Magazines and newspapers and TV shows are quickly spreading the “shocking” news…
I wasn’t shocked.
Over and over during the last year, Justine kept telling the world she was getting fatigued.
The tennis gods refused to listen….
And it seems they’ve refused to learn, as well. Instead of looking inward to see what responsibility they have in this terribly embarassing situation, they smoothly moved Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic to the front of the line.
I wonder if they asked young, unsuspecting Ana Ivanovic if she wanted a blindfold and a cigarette.
As much as Venus Williams changed women’s tennis, Justine Henin also brought hope. She reminded us all that heart is important.
She was a tiny giant among towering tennis superpowers… such as Lindsey Davenport, Venus and Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jancovic….
The tiny giant brought the tiny female players worldwide back to tennis… the ones who had became discouraged and quit when height took over the sport. Yet, our tiny giant needed rest, and none was allowed by the tennis gods.
When a player becomes injured, the WTA protects their ranking while they heal from injury, thus when the player recovers she can pick up where she left off. I had written an article recommending the WTA allow a player the same protection for mental fatigue recovery, or physical recovery before a major injury occurs.
The tennis gods refused to listen….
Justine Henin’s Mom died when Justine was in juniors.
The tennis gods refused to listen…
She didn’t speak to her Dad for 8 years.
The tennis gods refused to listen…
I remember when she got married. I also remember last year’s divorce.
The tennis gods refused to listen…
Recently, instead of offering players more freedom to rest, the WTA chose to force top players to attend more tournaments by stiffly fining players who pulled out of events.
The tennis gods also made Indian Wells and Miami (world’s 5th and 6th largest pro tournaments) mandatory for players to enter. These two 2-week long events are played back to back.
Immediately after announcing her retirement, Justine Henin demanded her name be completely removed from the WTA ranking list! That statement was huge. Embarrassingly to the WTA, their heavily marketed Maria Sharapova was moved to the #1 spot without having earned it.
For once in a long, long time the tennis gods have been forced to listen….
Justine Henin’s statement is huge.
Professional tennis is about $. Anyone who thinks differently is clueless. The WTA and ATP worship the almighty dollar. Image is everything and players are simply the product. They are cattle to be used to feed the masses.
Troy Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and winner of 3 Super Bowls, blasted the NFL in the ’90s by saying he believes the NFL players are nothing more than prostitutes for the NFL….
Could the same be said by female professional tennis players towards the WTA… that players are simply prostituted to the masses as a source of entertainment and revenue?
The WTA seems to claim to be an organization designed to represent the players’ needs. Is this happening?
The #1 WTA player in the world, and arguably one of the best female players in history, quit!
She demanded her name be removed from the WTA rankings!
As the WTA’s public relations people quickly move into position to keep the public from seeing the real issues, tennis fans worldwide will begin to see the WTA heavily pimp their next prostitu.., excuse me 😉 … promote their next player, which looks to be Ana Ivanavic.
I have little doubt Ana Ivanavic will be gone at 23 or 24 years of age. Her body will be broken down, her mind exhausted, her spirit broken. Like Kim Clysters and Anastasia Myskina, she will crave a real life and love from people who treat her like a human being.
So, what is there, really, with the WTA? New players simply replacing the old? What do tennis fans truly invest in… why even bother falling in love with a WTA player’s game when you know she’s soon worn out?
The #1 female player in the world just quit! She walked away and asked to have her name removed from the WTA computer rankings! She said “no” to millions of $ in prize money, said “no” to millions of $ in sponsor money….
The Women’s Tennis Association must stand up and take notice of their champion walking away, and they must be willing to take some responsibility for their part in her decision.
I’m no brain surgeon, but I do know that when a champion even hints they are tired, they should be listened to and help should be given. When a champion hints changes should be made to help the other athletes, they should be listened to.
When a young person is in trouble, those in a position to help should help.
Take away the facade of tennis.
A kid was hurting. Her mother is dead. She was estranged by her father for 8 years. Last year, her marriage fell apart in divorce. Basically, her only family is her long time coach, Carlos.
Young girls worldwide chase the dream of becoming the #1 WTA player in the world….
Why? Is it for fame and fortune? If so, they are chasing a rainbow’s pot of gold.
The vast emptiness at the top of women’s pro tennis is a wasteland of pain, isolation, and doubt. For the very few who reach financial security, it comes with a cost. Possibly a cost too steep to pay.
What is the answer? Easy.
Jesus Christ.
Without question, placing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of her life will change the lenses from which life is viewed.
It seems the WTA has worked diligently to allow a player’s sex life and sexual preferences take Center Court.
Yet, if one mentions Jesus Christ, or even the spiritual needs of players from all religions, the WTA gods quickly cry foul.
Did you know not even one Christian Chaplain is officially allowed in players’ areas at tournaments? Why? How can this be?
We talk all day about the technical and tactical game of tennis. We discuss nutrition and fitness. Mental training is a hot topic. But, as much, if not more, than any of these is a player’s spiritual fitness.
Without question, Chaplains from every major religion must be allowed access to the players, coaches, tournament staff, volunteers, media, and fans who want them there.
Terrorism, isolation, mafia, constant worldwide travel, lack of family stability… WTA and ATP players need guidance…. spiritual guidance. And the guidance shouldn’t come from the tennis gods….
When will the giants of tennis past step up and lead? When will our current and former Grand Slam champions reach out for the next generation with the message of hope that is Christ? When will Jesus take center court in tennis?
In America, when will hiding behind political correctness to protect your reputation be a thing of the past? Christians worldwide are being martyred at record pace… they’re being murdered daily for their faith in Jesus… they’re being tortured… and they refuse to back down!
That’s how the 12 disciples did it. That’s how Jesus did it.
Yet, in tennis, including past American tennis greats, we have a bunch of geldings worrying about their reputations.
It’s not supposed to be easy and it’s not supposed to be fun and it’s not supposed to be cool. You are a Christian, a follower of Christ… you are heavily involved in a spiritual battle… you have work to do.
Stop hiding, stop whining, stop being politically correct.
Stop trying to be “cool” hoping your “coolness” will “win people” for Christ. It doesn’t work. Worldly techniques can’t effectively fight a spiritual battle.
Tell this lost generation about Jesus. Start sharing the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will convict those you speak to. Start using your influence to bring the name of Jesus to all people groups worldwide.
Learn to understand how a small band of Jewish brothers sent the name of Christ global. Learn to understand how followers of Christ in Rome stood strong, spoke of their faith in Jesus, refused to waver in intense persecution… and conquered the most powerful nation of their day.
Honestly, I wonder if Jesus would be sitting in a box seat being celebrated during the US OPEN.
Without question, I understand I’m a little nobody in ministry and in tennis. Let me make that clear. I’m in no way the authority on anything, and I can see much improvement I need to do in my own walk with Christ.
And maybe in some ways I’m not seeing the whole picture here. But, that said, you can’t really make much of an argument that I haven’t worked my tail off with the resources and knowledge, however limited, I’ve had at my disposal.
I make mistakes, and I’ve worked to learn life lessons. I’m not even hinting at any type of perfection in my life choices.
What I am saying is when a large platform is offered, Jesus Christ should be the One being celebrated.
Players, coaches, fans… former Grand Slam Champions… should make Jesus’ name and story the focal point. Ask yourself why “sexual orientation” is all the rage, yet Jesus is viewed with hate and anger.
Justine Henin’s retirement shocked the world. Yet, there is a bigger picture here.
The tennis world is void of meaning. The purpose of tennis is void of life. $ and power last just so long, then a need for meaning becomes crystal clear.
If you have influence in tennis, you can have a real purpose beyond yourself.
And, if you are a nobody like me, you can have influence to. Just read the Bible and strive to do what it says.
It’s really that simple.
Read the Bible and strive to do what it says…
God bless,
Coach Scotty
International Christian Tennis Association
International Christian Tennis Association 2012 