• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

C.S. Elston

Worshipper, Husband, Author, Screenwriter, Home Cook, Fan

  • About C.S. Elston
  • Life of Elston
  • C.S. Elston Books
  • Contact

How The Christian Walk Is Like American Football

October 18, 2018 By C.S. Elston

 

I highly doubt that I’m the first to make this connection but, it struck me this morning, as I wrapped up my morning devotions and checked the schedule to see what time my University of Washington Huskies would be playing the Colorado Buffaloes this weekend, how much the Christian walk is like football. To some, that statement may sound a bit silly. But, to others, like myself, who has loved the game of football his whole life, it puts a few simple truths into relatable terms.

 

Football is all about executing plays. In order to do that properly, a football player must start by getting to know the playbook. The player goes to work studying the book full of plays drawn up by his coach. He memorizes them. He practices them. He gets to know that playbook inside and out, backwards and forwards.

 

For the Christian, that playbook is the Bible, the holy scriptures, the very Word of God. We need to go to work studying, memorizing, and practicing the principles laid out for us by our holy and righteous Creator. We need to learn that book every bit as much as the football player must learn his. After all, it contains the foundations for our victory.

 

Next, both the football player and the Christian need to know which play is being called. The football player must look to the sidelines and read the signal. The Christian must go to God in prayer. In both cases, allowing the One calling the plays to do the majority of the communicating is a key factor.

 

The final event that needs to take place before it’s time to execute plays is the huddle. This is where the football player makes sure the team is all on the same page. Otherwise, you could wind up with eleven guys trying to run eleven different plays. Unity is essential for a football team. The same is true for Christians. For us, the huddle is about finding an uncompromising, truth-preaching and truth-practicing church that relentlessly puts God’s ways ahead of popularity and world acceptance, and then plugging into it with zeal and firm commitment.

 

Once we’ve studied the playbook, received the play call, and had our huddle, we’re ready to run the play. Some plays will be harder than others. Some days we’ll lose yardage. But, the only path to victory is to repeat the process until the end of the game. Even if you’re down thirty-five to nothing at half-time, keep trusting your coach. Go back to that playbook. Receive His call. Get in the huddle. Execute the next play. Who doesn’t love a good comeback story?

 

Hut-hut, hike!

 

Filed Under: About Me, Blog, Faith, Football, Home, Sports Tagged With: Bible, christianity, Christians, church, Coach, comeback, faith, Football, Game, God, Huddle, Huskies, life, play, Playbook, pray, prayer, Scripture, truth, unity, UW, Walk, Word of God

2017-2018 Pre-Season NFL Playoff Predictions

September 6, 2017 By C.S. Elston

We all know this is little more than a barely educated guess. Football is even less predictable than presidential elections. There are so many impossible to foresee variables (injuries being at the top of the list) that I’ll be impressed if I get a quarter of this right. But, it’s all in good fun. So, with the Chiefs at Patriots officially kicking off the 2017-2018 NFL season tomorrow night, here is how I see the playoffs going in about a dozen and a half weeks from now.

Wild Card Round

AFC:   Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders

* winner: Raiders *

Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans

* winner: Chiefs *

NFC:   Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons

* winner: Falcons *

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers

* winner: Packers *

*** Notes: The hardest game for me to predict here was Kansas City at Tennessee but that Chiefs defense just barely gives Kansas City the edge. Also, despite being an uber-talented team, I think Dallas will find themselves making it into the Wild Card round by the skin of their teeth due in large part to the Ezekiel Elliot suspension giving them a rough start to the season. If he can stay out of trouble, the team will have a better season next year than they will this year.

Divisional Round

AFC:   Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

* winner: Patriots *

Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers

* winner: Steelers *

NFC:   Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants

* winner: Falcons *

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks

* winner: Seahawks *

*** Notes: Oakland at Pittsburgh was another tough call but, if Le’Veon Bell, Ben Rothlisberger and Martavis Bryant can all stay healthy, the Steelers are going to be a tough offense to beat.

Conference Round

 

AFC:   Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots

* winner: Patriots *

NFC:   Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks

* winner: Seahawks *

*** Notes: What an exciting round of football these two match-ups would make! Losing Julian Edelman was a tough blow for the Patriots but, nobody has more playoff experience than the current Patriots and they’re virtually impossible to bet against. However, pitting them against the Steelers would be a fun AFC title game to watch. Then there’s this NFC matchup between Pete Caroll’s Seahawks and Dan Quinn’s Falcons. Quinn shares a lot of the credit for building the Legion of Boom before leaving to become the head coach in Atlanta, and it’s that reloaded Legion of Boom, coupled with an ever-improving offense, that will beat him to take the NFC title. Sorry, Dan. You won’t be getting Super Bowl revenge this year…

Super Bowl LII

New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

* winner: Seahawks *

*** Notes: …This year, it’s the Seahawks that will be getting Super Bowl revenge. Nobody has forgotten Malcolm Butler’s interception in Super Bowl 49 and the Seahawks will finally have their revenge in Super Bowl 52. The greatest revenge will be for the man who threw that interception in the end zone, Russell Wilson will be both the league and Super Bowl MVP this year. Don’t forget, you heard it here first…

Filed Under: Blog, Football, Home, Sports Tagged With: Arizona, Atlanta, Ben Rothlisberger, Cardinals, Chiefs, Cowboys, Dallas, Dan Quinn, Ezekiel Elliot, Falcons, Football, Giants, Green Bay, Houston, Julian Edelman, Kansas City, Le'Veon Bell, Malcolm Butler, Martinis Bryant, MVP, National Football League, New England, New York, NFL, NFL Playoff Predictions, NFL Playoffs, Oakland, Packers, Patriots, Pete Caroll, Pittsburgh, Playoff Predictions, Playoffs, Predictions, Raiders, Russell Wilson, Seahawks, Seattle, Sports, Steelers, Super Bowl, Super Bowl 49, Super Bowl 52, Super Bowl MVP, Super Bowl Predictions, Tennessee, Texans, Titans

© 2023 C.S. Elston · Log in