Gift for Sports Fans

Christmas is in the air. My local grocery store already has all their ugly decorations hanging from the lamp posts. Mike gave me a new Christmas CD the other day, and to top things off we girls had our annual shopping trip recently.

I’m already thinking through my gift list for this year and I bet many of you are too. So I have a tip to get you started. Living with not one but three sports fans (my husband, brother, and father) I have the perfect recommendation for any sports fan in your life--Game Day for the Glory of God: A Guide for Athletes, Fans, and Wannabes. My dad had the honor of writing the foreword for this book which we have included here. So go ahead and get some early Christmas shopping done today.

Foreword to Game Day for the Glory of God
by CJ Mahaney

This is the book I needed way back when.

I grew up passionate about sports. I played baseball, basketball, and football, and I swam competitively. And when I wasn’t playing sports, I was watching sports. Sadly, I think it was all a waste.

Yep, all of it. I wasted my sports because I didn’t play for the glory of God. I played for the glory of C.J. Like I said, I wish I had this book years ago. (Being a Christian would have helped as well!)

I wasted years of playing sports. But it can be different for you. And it will be, if you will read and apply the content of this unique book. My friend Stephen Altrogge has given us a book we desperately need, on a topic rarely addressed. He applies the gospel, not just to our behavior, but to our hearts. He is theologically informed, reminding us that sports are a gift from God and a potential means to grow in godliness. Whether it’s a real sport like basketball, soccer, and golf, or a bogus sport like croquet, Stephen wants us to glorify God when we play. (And if you think croquet is actually a sport, we need to talk.)

So whether you are an athlete (like me), a wannabe (like my friends), a parent, a coach, or simply a fan, Game Day for the Glory of God will provide you with a biblical perspective on sports. In the light of the gospel, you will see game day—and yes, even practice—as a moment of eternal significance, whether you win or lose.

C.J. Mahaney
Sovereign Grace Ministries