1 Timothy 6 v 11 - But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.

O man of God - This was a title of Honour that was rare in the New Testament but very frequent in the Old Testament. Paul was affirming Timothy’s authority and contrasting him from the false teachers he had described in the previous verses of Ch 6.

Flee these things - A man of God must flee thee things and pursue others things. This is a complete rejection of those things that take your eyes of God. In this case Timothy was being warned about false teachers and false doctrines. True ministry is not motivated by greed but the reality of eternal life and an awareness of accountability to God. What do you need to flee from to fix your eyes on God and live for him.

Righteousness - Pursue righteousness for Timothy it was upstanding in his character and in his dealings. How are you doing pursuing righteousness in all you do.

Godliness - Relationship with God, we must reflect both the vertical and horizontal out workings of our faith in God. That is our relationship with God (vertical) and others (horizontal). The emphasis is on our observable conduct.

Faith and Love - These are the supreme christian virtues. The importance of faithfulness and integrity and on the other hand pure love that of self sacrifice and service.

Steadfastness - Patience in difficult circumstances

Gentleness(endurance) - Patience with other people

Paul gives Timothy this practical list of things to pursue. Today in this world we can be distracted caught up in the wrong things, but if we conciously pursue these things perhaps we will be called Men of God and able to fight the good fight. Amen

Hi all, thanks for checking out my blog! I hope you’re all well!
Right, so we’re now into the 3rd week of 90+ and everything is going great. God is good! The team is bonding together well, and all the sessions (both practically and spiritually) are also coming along nicely.
I am staying with the Harris family from Jireh Church, Bebington and I am very thankful for them as they have made me feel like I am one of their own and have been more than helpful and generous in welcoming me into their family. On Sunday I gave a 5 minute presentation to the Church informing them of what I’ll be doing during my time with 90+....and what they’ve let themselves in for!!
So, I’ll give you run through of what I do during an average 90+ week…
Monday, Tuesday and Friday 9-11 is training at Vauxhall Motors FC. In the afternoons we train again and we’ll do stuff like speed and agility, circuits or go for run etc. On Wednesday we have alternative training, so this could be beach runs or circuits based around flexibility and core work. The sessions are run by James and Josh and other visiting teachers. The sessions are varied, enjoyable and very tiring! Thursday – this is our teaching day, spent at Eight4Sport in Bromborough. We spend time studying the Bible - specifically the role of ministry and further to this sport ministry training in the afternoon. In the down time we’ll play 5-a-side or have a game of Cricket! Saturday and Sunday are days off as such, Saturday is open for sightseeing in Liverpool or Chester (mainly for the foreign lads) or just ‘chillaxing’ with each other or on your own, if you prefer! On Sunday I attend Jireh Church and will help out and serve with anything they give me! Further to this, I help out with their youth group on Friday nights!
I hope this gives you more of an insight as to what I am doing over the summer! I will be posting more blogs so lookout for them! I will continue updating with my texts as-well!
In Him
Ste

Hi guys, hope your all well?!
Its been a busy week for the guys is the academy, having got back from out UK tour on Wed. As for the tour itself it was extremely fun, very tiring and most of all a great opportunity to share what we are about with numerous people. We started in Doncaster, moved to Norwich and ended in Buxton. We also played 3 matches whilst away and had the opportunity before, during and after the games to talk to the opposition about the ministry. Whilst in Norwich we worked alongside Surrey Chapel and participated with the church service on sunday and worked with the youth in the evening. We also enjoyed a coaching some football in the community on sunday afternoon, splitting into different groups and sharing with lads from 5-18ish. Our trip to Buxton saw the team working in 2 different primary schools, this was probably, for me, the most rewarding and needless to say tiring day of the tour. We had the pleasure of coaching each year group of the school and talking to these kids about Jesus.
And finally, the Thursday we arrived back home, we spent the day at eight4sport, looking at what the Holy Spirit meant to us, this was really challenging for me, do we really believe that having the Holy Spirit in our lives is just as if we had Jesus in his physical being walking next to us. Reading John 14 made me think about just how much I have taken the Holy Spirit for granted, and how much more I need to be empowered by it.
Thanks one again guys for your continued prayer and support. See you soon.
Bob

Hey guys, I know I haven’t updated my blog in a while but the team have been really busy with various activities!
Okay so the past few weeks have been really exciting for me, both on and off the field. My injury seems to be slowly getting better and I am hoping that I might be able to start competing in some competitive games within the next 6 weeks, this may seem a lifetime away but I’d rather wait for its full recovery than to rush back and injure the same knee!! So please remember this in your prayers. On a positive not though I have been able to join in with some of the teams training sessions and its just great to be on the field enjoying the time with the other lads.
I have also had the pleasure of sharing with the guys on thursdays a little of what is close on my heart at the minute. I was speaking to the guys about what it means to fully surrender everything that we have to God, becoming a slave to his holy spirit and not being luke warm in anything that we do.
I was also able to share at the lads/dads outreach on tuesday night, where I asked a simple but life changing question as to what ‘they will decide to do with christ Jesus’ Matthew 27 v 22. I encouraged these lads and dads alike to really think deep about life and to seek out Jesus as he is waiting for each one of them to come to him.
We have also had the joy of starting a youth group in a church that is struggling somewhat, each monday night we run games, teach football and leave the club asking some questions to these kids about life and the meaning of it. Please continue to pray for these kids and church (Willaston Methodist) that it may start to develop a regular youth spot on sundays and that the youth will really take on board what we tell them!
And finally!!! We have just got back from our first UK tour where we visited leeds! We were able to serve throughout the week end in helping run a football tournament, refereeing and setting up before and after. Two guys from the team had the opportunity to share their testimonies with over 150 guys in attendance, again really challenging these men to look at what they hold as idols in this life.
So its fair to say that everyone at 90+ has been working really hard these last 2 weeks and with another tour starting on Wednesday (for 9 days) there is still so much to offer, we are all here to serve one another but more importantly to reach out to the lost (mark 10 v 44)
Thanks again for your continued support and I will hopefully post some more in a week or so to let you know how we have been blessed whilst on the road again! Much love Bob.

Bob Milton
Week One (Gods Plans for the future)

Hey guys, I hope you are all well? I am going to try update a blog each week to keep people informed of what is going on during the summer throughout 90+ ministries! So hopefully this will be the first of many!

Well after just two weeks at the academy things are beginning to take shape, not all the academy has arrived yet and your prayers would be much appreciated for those still to arrive.
I have been placed in a wonderful home with such fantastic hosts (Jo and Adrian Jaggard) who have welcomed not only me but two others guys into their home for the summer and they have helped us settle into the academy easily, so please remember them as they host and feed an extra three mouths for the months ahead!

The academy is working alongside many different churches in the Wirral, some continuing youth work which has already been started and others starting from scratch in order to witness through football the love of Jesus Christ, these are exciting times for the individual and the team as they rely on Gods guidance so please remember all the work which is going ahead over the summer. As a team we have already made some great bonds with children and parents through a lads and dads football outreach which is held every Tuesday night, this allows a player to share a little bit about them and their faith before we commence with the football match!
We have also had the privilege to carry out our own 60 minute make over (although it lasted most of the day!) for a family who have been struggling domestically, just getting alongside the family and being willing to help them out in their time of struggle was a great witness and a much enjoyable day.

The football training is going really and the lads are getting put through their paces daily! With double training sessions on a Monday, Tuesday and Friday the team cohesion is firmly in place and should set us up perfectly for our first competitive game in the next fortnight.
On a personal note the knee injury which I sustained towards the beginning of the year seems to well on its way to recovery, hopefully this should allow me the chance to get more involved each week with the training schedule that James and Josh have planned. Again please remember the lads as they work really hard to get fit and with any trails that may be coming up, pray that God has his hand over each session and that injuries may be kept to a minimum.

Thursdays are our dedicated day for the team to come together and spent time looking at Gods word, looking at how to use sports ministry in its most effective way. These are really encouraging and open times where players get to share their own views and experiences with one another in order that\we best equipped when being sent out into the mission field.

Finally, the mission statement for 90+ is a verse found in Matthews gospel which reads

“the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into this harvest field”

this verse has really been speaking to me over the past few weeks, its not only a privilege to share the truth of the bible with so many people throughout the summer but also what we are commanded to do, please pray for strength, courage and opportunities for each individual in these up and coming months that the harvest will truly be plentiful and that the workers may be ever increasing as we press on with Gods great command. 

My first few weeks in England have been a great experience. I have to admit that before I arrived I was a bit nervous about this summer. This is a huge experience for me, I have never lived outside of the States and I did not quite know what to expect about living in England. Whatever doubts I had disappeared very quickly, I am living with a great host family Adrian and Jo Jaggard. They have been everything and more for what I could of asked for in a host family, and I feel like I have really been blessed to have been put with such a great family.

Football has also been a huge blessing. The team consists of group of great guys that all seem to have a lot of love for the game. We have been playing at least once a day, usually in the morning then we will have an afternoon session of either strength training, or speed and agility. One of the main reasons that I came here was to find a future in football and also to play as much as possible. So far it has been everything that I could have asked for. Josh and James have done a great job of organizing and coaching all of our sessions and I am excited to see how the rest of the summer turns out.

We have also been doing a fair amount of work with kids and youth groups which is great. We have been put in a great situation where we have the opportunity to work with kids through football, and so far we have met a lot of great kids. Hopefully throughout the summer we will get bigger turnouts on nights such as the lads and dads evening, but it has been great working with everyone that has come out so far.

Week 4: Chasing a Dream
Hey, Hey, Hey!  I hope this blog finds you well!  It is a very rainy Sunday afternoon here in England.  As I write to you, I am currently sitting in the living room of our flat watching ‘Britain’s got more talent’ realizing that in fact they do not (just kidding to all my UK readers).  Anyway watching some of these acts is incredibly similar to the watching people audition for American Idol except worse.  No sir your eyes popping out of your head is not a talent.  Lady, your dog barking at you when you sing is unfortunately not a talent and Sir you in fact cannot sing.  Finally Lorain, you are sixty years old and cannot dance and no it is not the floor as you claim. Wow, this is wildly entertaining.  Anyway, in between my random outbursts of laughter, I find time to sit and reflect on this past week.  It would seem as though God has been incredibly close teaching and refining me in so many different ways this week.  I would ask you to do the same.  Take a look back on your week.  Ask God to reveal to you situations, instances and times that he seemed incredibly close or far away as well as things he was revealing to you.  I hope that this time will find you refreshed and ready to tackle the week ahead taking into account what God just revealed to you. 

Training wise this week has been incredibly challenging.  I am pushing myself like never before praying that God will reward my work ethic with the some incredible opportunities to serve him through professional soccer.  I simply cannot explain my renewed passion and love for the game.  After losing to Radford in my final collegiate game, I sat on the pitch with a feeling that my soccer career was over.  Whether that ends up being my last game or not, I will always know that I went after my dream with everything that I had, never quitting or giving up.  This summer has been a success already regardless of the outcome.  To all my readers I encourage you to follow your dreams.  Be honest with yourself, but FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.  Whether you are ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty or eighty go after your dreams until God changes them.  This life is to incredibly short to not follow your dreams.  Do not be afraid for our God goes with us.  I cannot help but think of Nehemiah and his rebuilding of the wall.  What is your dream?  Are you living it or chasing it?  Whatever it is I encourage you to go for it as it works with God’s will.  At the end of your life will you say, I wish I had done this or that, or will you say, I am so tired, I have run the race and fought the good fight and now I am ready to go home?  I hope it is the second.

Our ministry work is going very well.  We have split up into three respective churches and are beginning to get immersed in them.  The majority of my work is done through youth group activities.  On Wednesday and Friday I helped out with the youth activities assisting the youth minister with different things.  Also, during that time, I am there to build relationships with the kids, trying to illustrate what living the Christian life looks like while pointing them to the cross.  I can only hope and pray that these kids will come to know the truth that so many of us know.  A personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven and it will change the course of one’s life.  Finally, tonight we have another youth gathering at the Church .  As Christians we cannot shy away from the gospel message.  I pray that we will see lives changed for Christ in these coming weeks, as we infiltrate schools and other towns on our UK tour!

On a personal note, things are going very well here in England.  I miss my friends and family very much but clearly recognize God’s purpose for bringing me to England.  I love speaking to all of you so feel free to e-mail or Facebook me.  Also I have been watching the NBA Finals at 2AM and have loved every minute of it.  Go MAVS!  Love you guys!  Hope you have a great week!

Week 3: Mid Week Special
Hey guys!  Thanks for the comments on my blog!  I always enjoy hearing from you!  Your comments encourage and spur me on.  They bring to mind Hebrews 10:24!  Anyway, I thought that I would send out a mid week special updating you on what God is teaching me.  It is my hope that this will encourage you personally as well as allow you to connect with me in a deeper manner.

It would appear that trails and tryouts with professional clubs are fast approaching.  These trials bring an incredibly wide range of emotions to me.  First of all, I clearly recognize that these upcoming weeks will bring about moments that I have been waiting and dreaming about all my life.  For so long I have longed to get to have a chance to play professionally for the glory of God, and it is finally here!  As I lay down at night I cannot help but think about the hard work that lead me here; extra sprints after practice, the long hours in the weight room, personal training sessions, and a constant longing to get better.  I also recall all of the ups and downs of my career to this point.  I think of achievements, championships, injuries, pain, discouragement and wanting to give up.  I think of times when I felt so incredibly sharp and strong to times where deep inside I had little confidence and wanted to quit.  But then at some point during all of those thoughts I realize that Christ has always been there.  No matter what, Christ has always been there, in everything, through everything, refining me through fire like gold and silver (Malachi 3:3).  After this my mind begins to wonder to the present.  I say to myself; am I good enough?  Do you have what it takes?  At times I answer of course I am and yes I do. Other times I hear; I don’t know, maybe I am, or no you are not, you are to short, you are not strong enough, fast enough, quick enough etc… It would appear that all my insecurities, past failures, and what people have said are all coming to mind inhabiting my thoughts.  Then the most beautiful thing happens….  Christ steps in and says, I have atoned for all of that.  I have taken all of that for you Paul.  Give me all of your insecurities, all of your sin, all of your past failures, all of your fears, GIVE ME EVERYTHING.  And when you are successful… GIVE ME THAT TO!  It is amazing how even in that moment, that split second of insecurity, Jesus steps in and says, I got this.  I guess my point in all of this is to emphasize that we all of doubts, insecurities, and fears.  We all ask ourselves if we are good enough, or if we measure up to a certain standard, but I am here to combat those false thoughts.  The word ‘confidence’ immediately comes to mind, but you know what; confidence is all relative.  Confidence is all about who or what you put it in and how you exhibit it.  I would challenge you today to put your confidence in Christ.  Paul says in Philippians 3:3-5:

“For we are of the circumcision, who worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh-- though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.  If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more…”

This verse rang so true to my heart today, that I had to share.  I feel like Paul is saying that if we put our confidence in the flesh it will surely be crushed.  The Apostle Paul of all people would understand this. Any confidence but in Earthly things will surely die. I hope that you will put your confidence in Christ just as I am seeking to do everyday.  Psalm 139:13 talks about how God knitted you in your mother’s womb.  The creator of the universe fearfully and wonderfully made you, just the way you are.  What an incredible truth.  Take confidence in Christ and find your identity in him and nothing else.  Then you will fall asleep at night just as I have, with the peace and confidence in knowing that Christ has your past, present and future all under control.

Love,
Paul

Week 2: Dream Big; Train Hard
Hello all!  I hope this greeting finds you well.  This past week has been incredibly exhausting but satisfying at the same time.  Because of the ‘Holiday’ here in England, most families are on vacation.  This has put some of our ministry activities on hold.  Most youth group and church outreach activities were cancelled this week due to the holiday.  This however, has allowed us to train incredibly hard as well as give us some much needed alone time.

Training

With two training sessions on Monday, Tuesday and Friday it would appear that we are improving individually and collectively.  Personally, I feel great.  Throughout all of my training sessions, I have felt sharp and energetic.  I have also been able to take in the countryside and beauty of England much more than I expected.  With trail runs on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I have been able to push myself physically as well as enjoy God’s beautiful creation.  The trails here are amazing!  Furthermore, my roommate and I have acquired two bikes that we have made great use of.  On Sunday, Vinnie and I were able to take in the countryside with a bike ride through the forest eventually leading to Liverpool Bay.  A long bike ride that was incredibly relaxing.  This proved to be quite the workout in the end.

Ministry

Unfortunately, our ministry work has been somewhat limited this week due to the holiday. Our main ministry work for this week took place on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.  Tuesday, our team held our weekly ‘Lads and Dads’ soccer game.  At the get together, my roommate Vinni shared about the importance of seeking Christ above anything else. Also, on Thursday we participated in sport ministry training.  As a team we pray, study the scriptures and seek to become better Christian men.  This Thursday, I was given the privilege of providing the team with a quick devotion.  I spoke on the parable of the Talents and how it is not about what God has given us but what we do with what God has given us We discussed the idea of stewardship and what God expects of us.  Furthermore, we discussed “the called man” and what he looks like.  Finally, on Sunday we attended Church in the morning and at night.  After the night service we went to a family’s house and played games with the youth from their church.  A very fun time, however I am looking forward to next week, when we continue our work with the youth and other under privileged families in this area that we have already begun building relationships with.

All in all this week has been very productive especially with the emergence of upcoming training sessions with some Welsh teams.  I am so very excited for what is to come.  I feel very confident that God will guide me to a specific place, on a specific team, where I am meant to do ministry.  I ask that you would continue to pray for me.  Pray that God would open up doors for us to share our faith, as well as potential trials and professional opportunities.  Thanks so much for reading.  As always, I would love to hear from you.  If you would like me to pray for you or just say hey feel free to give me a shout.

Love,
Paul

Week 1: Rollarcoaster
Hey guys! I hope this greeting finds you well.  Now that I am in England and have somewhat settled into a routine, I hope to post on my blog every Sunday.  This will make it easy for you guys to keep up with me and my progress every week.  So with that said the title for this weeks blog is “Rollercoaster Ride.”

This last week has been crazy.  I have been pushed physically, mentally, and spiritually.  I feel as though my range of emotions has been huge.  At times I have been extremely happy and joyful other times have been upsetting and a bit frightening.

The Trip

The most difficult thing about this week was simply getting to England and Liverpool.  My trip began in Tampa, Florida from where I flew to Miami.  From Miami I was supposed to fly to London; leaving at 6:30PM and arriving at 8:30AM in London, enough time to catch a train to Liverpool at 11:40.  This is what was supposed to happen.  Well, my flight to London from Miami was initially delayed one hour to 7:30.  At approximately 8:00PM we were all set to take off, at the beginning or the run way, when the Pilot comes over the loudspeaker.  It would appear that we were having engine trouble.  So back to the gate we went.  At the gate we sat for three hours, in order to fix the engine and find luggage for the three people who decided to leave the plane.  Very frustrating and did not ease my nerves.  Finally we took off and eventually landed in London at noon.  I had missed my train and still had to go through customs, which was backed up because of tardy flights.  Well, after customs I am standing in baggage claim with no clue what to do or where to go.  So I found the underground train with train tickets in hand, and apparently the people working at the station have no idea how to read the ticket stubs that I had.  Of course now I can read them perfectly.  So, with no English Currency or cell phone access, I was able to get on an underground train with three American girls, two of which were on my flight and were being picked up by their friend.  There friend was very helpful putting me on three different trains while I was trekking around my luggage before I finally made it to the huge train station that I needed to be at.  Here I was quickly told I had missed my train that I had tickets for and needed to buy new tickets.  Well tickets are not cheap.  I ended up paying 75 pounds or 130 US Dollars to catch a two hour train to Liverpool.  So then as I am waiting for the train, I thought it would be a good time to use the bathroom.  Well here in England public restrooms may be public, but you have to pay for them.  They are about 60 cents or 30p, and of course I did not have any money.  So here is this crazy American kid asking people for money to use the restroom.  I am sure it was hilarious.  Finally, someone helped me out, I used the restroom and was able to then get on my train.  Oh and they had restrooms on the train, go figure!  Anyway I sat next to an English girl and struck up a conversation that eventually lead to me asking to use her phone.  I was able to contact our ministry leaders and tell them what was going on.  Praise God!  Finally I got to Liverpool and then Wirral where I met up with the team.  What a relief.  It felt so good to get settled in with our host and setup shop.

Room

I am staying in a three bedroom flat with a guy from the local church, Thierry and my teammate Vinnie, a Brazilian who plays at Asuza Pacific in California.  It has been awesome to have my own room to come back to, in a sweet town in England.  So grateful for Thierry and his willingness to open up his home!

Ministry Work

Our ministry work has been going really well.  We have been able to have a few non believers play with us, so it has been great to encourage them and show them the love of Christ.  We have also shared with a group of ‘Lads and Dads’ before a friendly match in the park.  I was blessed to have the opportunity to give them a short devotion over Matthew 6:19.  We talked about the importance of serving Christ and his kingdom over Earthly, material things in everything that we do.  Also, Vinnie and I have had a couple meals with local churche families as well as attended Life Group.  Life Group is basically a Church youth group that meets every Wednesday and Sunday.  This past Wednesday Vinnie and I were able to go and meet the kids and just hang out with them, showing them what a mature believer looks like.  This is great because here in England there are not a vast number of Christians and in order to share with people you first have to demonstrate a way of life.  People respond much differently here to the Gospel message.  It is more important to first demonstrate a difference in lifestyle than say immediately striking up a conversation and sharing the Gospel without really knowing that person.  I think this is also something that we as Christians should be weary of daily.  How does our life look to others around us?  Do we look the same as everyone else?  Or do people say, “there is something different about them?” Think about it.

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the ways of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of you mind…”

Training

My training has been going very well.  Initially, it was very difficult to get acclimated because of jetlag, but after a few days, I think I am into the swing of things.  We train twice a day on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and once on Wednesday. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday are recovering days and a lot of ministry work.  Tuesday’s session was very difficult for me.  Trying to get my legs back after my flight and many travels was difficult.  Wednesday I pushed myself very hard and then got an extra run in on Thursday morning.  Friday was excellent.  Training with another local keeper in the morning was awesome.  I felt extremely sharp and strong.  Hope to continue that throughout the summer!

Finally, the Saturday we are working with a local organization that works on homes for the less fortunate.  We specifically will be painting a house, and then enjoying the Champions League final.  Sunday we will attend church and then help with life group at night.  Sunday will be a much needed day of rest, before we start another week.

Thanks for reading.  Love you guys!

Do please enjoy this resource. Do feel free to leave comments and what you got from the sermon. If you would like Josh to speak at your church or any other events do just get in contact on info@ninetyplusministeries.com.

In this 2nd part Josh considers the imapact the gospel has on the people of Ephesus and what impact it should have on us. 

90+ helped the NCFL launch their first ever Open Day. This was aimed at allowing communities and churches to have a look at what the NCFL is all about. Allowing those not involved to understanding what the league stand for and for those to have a look who are considering entering the league. 

In the morning at Heartsease Towers there was u18 5 a side match. A first for the league followed this when an Adult League Select 11 took to the field to play a U18 League Select 11. Josh Walsh (Assistant Director) managed this side. Both he and James Jaggard (Director) were heavily involved. Josh himself bagged 3 and James 1 help the Adult side to a convincing win.

The match demonstrated the influence the league can have. Many spectators watched as both sides gathered around the centre circle for a prayer. A fantastic opportunity before a match to help remind players that their focus should be on something more important, to display the love of Jesus Christ and honour him using the gifts and talents that he has given us in the game of football.

In the afternoon was the NCFL Awards Presentation for the Youth League. This was held at the newly opened venue in Norwich called the Open Venue, which is offering an alternative to the young people of Norwich. A non-alcoholic contemporary venue for the young people of Norwich. Fully kitted out with the largest screen in Norwich. The largest climbing wall in Norfolk and endless games consoles and pool tables. For more information visit http://www.open247.org.uk

With over 50 teams in the age groups from u10 – u16. Josh was the guest speaker. He addressed the audience consisting of players, managers, mums and dads. Josh was able to share with them all how success in the world cup and all our hopes there are all but a fleeting moment in our lives. Josh spoke from 1 Corinthians 9 v 24 – 25. It says Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one will get the prize. Run in a way to get the prize. Everyone goes into strict training they do it to get a crown that will not last but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

This letter of Pauls is very true in reference to the World Cup. Josh used the example of all the teams training under strict orders to ensure they are at there best to win the world cup, however only 1 will win the world cup and hold on to the crown for 4 years. To listen to the talk please visit our News Section for the full viewing.

The audience were introduced to the Chasing the Prize DVD which interviewed several of the Christian players in the world cup namely Kaka and Lucio. They shared how their faith has impacted there life and how they play football. How God has perfected their football talent and they want to play in a way that honours and glorifies him the creator of all things.

Josh presented all the youth awards to the winners of the leagues and cup winners.

Again in the evening as anticipation of England’s first World Cup game the NCFL and 90+ welcomed the u18 and adult league players, managers to the Open Venue. Again Josh was guest speaker and helped present the awards before we all watched the game.

A fantastic way to end a memorable day. 90+ and the NCFL continue to work in great partnership to further the gospel to those passionate about football.

If 90+ can serve your church in anyway in being a guest speaker, equipping your leaders of your church in Sports Ministry to advise your church in Sports Ministry Events please contact us:

via email or phone - Josh@ninetyplusministries.com or 07912304496
James@ninetyplusministries.com or 07850540295

90+ Ministries Launch Norfolk Christian Football u18s League

Assistant Director Josh Walsh helped launch the new league in Norfolk. The Norfolk Christian League was established as a Christian one and its central purpose is to reach team-mates, colleagues and young people for Christ through an example set in playing and administering football. With 6 leagues from u10s up to Adults there is now 51 teams in total competing throughout the age ranges.

This year saw a new era where the u18 league was launched initially as a 7a side however due to demand this was expanded to 11 a side and Josh Walsh was asked to come and help with the launch.

With Network Norwich and YFC Norwich present Josh gave a spiritual insight and backing to the new league. Josh challenged the players in their motives and ambitions in football. What football meant to them. He shared a brief playing background of himself. He encouraged the players to seek God to acknowledge their gifts and talents were ultimately from him and to give all the glory to him.

Josh was interviewed by Network Norwich which can be heard by using the link at the bottom of this article. He discussed the importance of this league as an outreach opportunity. The opportunity to share a verse and pray before a game with the majority of un churched players is fantastic.

We pray that God would use the NCFL and Network Norwich and all the workers there to proclaim the gospel of Christ. Making the most of every opportunity. We here at 90+ hope that we can be of help and through our partnership be a resource to further the work there.

Please do visit the Link to Network Norwich Interview of Josh http://www.networknorwich.co.uk/Articles/186518/Network_Norwich_and_Norfolk/Regional_News/Ex_international_footballer_launches_Norfolk_league.aspx

“Worlds Apart Our Souls Alike”

It is 11:45 pm, Sunday, February 28th. I am sitting here in Singaraja, Indonesia. I am at Rumah Bapaku, a home to some 34 children who have been abandoned or left by their families for us to take care of.

At this very moment thousands of miles away, Michael Owen has just equalized for United in the Carling Cup Final. And now in the 42nd minute, Owen has been taken off due to injury. Not the first injury in his career. I can remember in 1998, watching him as young and fearless 18 year old, run rampant through Argentina’s defense and scoring what might have been the goal of his career. He was a fighter. A competitor. He hated to lose. And still does. Even now, with all his “ups and downs”, he is still getting the job done and finding the back of the net.

Rumah Bapaku’s own “theater of dreams” is a far cry from Wembley, but about 5 hours ago here at Rumah Bapaku, we had our own Cup Final of sorts. At least you would have thought so judging by the facial expressions of the winning and losing teams.

At 11 years old “Andy” (Josua Andy Pratama) is no stranger to the “ups and downs” of life. Andy came to Rumah Bapaku a year ago. This is his second orphanage. He has been in them since he was 6 years old. He is a survivor. A fighter. A competitor. He hates to lose. And at times, he is just as fearless as Owen was that day when he dribbled half of team Argentina and smashed the back of the net. He lost today. But I can promise you he will be back tomorrow ready to win.

Our surroundings vary. Wembley held 90,000 spectators today with millions more around the world watching. The daily “Rumah Bapaku Cup Final” had only its own players watching. Though Wembley is worlds apart, its souls are still very much like those of Rumah Bapaku.

Me, you, Andy, Michael Owen, the 90,000 plus at Wembley, and millions more around the world all share one thing in common besides this beautiful game. We each have a soul.

The God of the universe cares not if you are playing in front of 90,000 on a sunday afternoon in London. He does not care if you are playing at an orphanage, on a dirt field in front of no one. He cares only for your soul. Our soul reconciled to Him through Christ. People are people, all kinds all equal. All equally in need of the Savior. One who will rescue our souls.

Psalm 139.1-10

Jason Hotchkin is currently serving in Singaraja, Indonesia, with the aim to use football as a tool to share the Good News. We are priviledged to welcome Jason to 90+ as he shares with us the work God has called him too. Please pray for Jason during his time in Singaraja and if you have any words of encouragement please share them with him.

Jason is an exceptional footballer and has played professionally across the world. Most recently Jason played with the Cleveland City Stars in the second tier of Professional soccer in the US. However Jason has laid his playing career aside during his calling to serve in Indonesia.