Luis Suarez netted a hat-trick at the Nou Camp this weekend when Barcelona hosted Celta Vigo for a league game. However, it would be Lionel Messi who stole all the headlines. Not because of his precisely taken free-kick to open his side’s scoring, but for the way in which he took his 81st minute penalty after being brought down in the box.
Many anticipated Suarez to step up to take the penalty in order to secure the match ball as hat-trick hero. It was with some bewilderment then, when Messi placed the ball on the penalty spot in a way the seemed to suggest he had dismissed Suarez’s hopes of a 3^rd goal.
As Messi stepped up to take his penalty, he chose not to convert in his usual confident fashion. Instead, he simply rolled the ball to his right for an oncoming Luis Suarez to place the ball into the back of the net. Much to the delight of the 70,000 fans inside the Nou Camp, Suarez now had his hat-trick.
The goal has captivated the media. Some are excited by the audacity of the goal, others, find offence in the showboating manner in which the penalty was taken. What I find most interesting is, in the aftermath of the goal, the fans erupted into a long and sustained chant for Messi, despite it being his team mate who had just completed his hat-trick.
The fact that Barcelona fans decided to praise Messi rather than the goal scorer is one of the few times in football where the person who gets the assist is praised higher than the goal scorer. It reminds me of the passage in Matthew 6 where Jesus instructs us not to make a big deal out of our good deeds.
 ‘“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”’ – Matthew 6:1-4
Now, I’m not saying that Suarez is needy or that Messi is a hypocrite. But it does provide an interesting illustration of how to go about giving to those in need. Jesus makes it clear that our giving should not be done in order to receive praise and thanks, rather, we should do so in secret, in a way that only our heavenly father will see.

After being awarded the Ballon d’Or title, this weekend was all about Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou stadium. The 28 year old argentine striker presented his fifth ballon d’Or trophy to the on looking fans, players and coaching staff.
At the award ceremony it was to be Messi’s night with him gaining 41.33% of the vote, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with 27.76% and fellow Barcelona team mate Neymar Jr coming third with 7.86%. Messi’s victory means that between them, Messi and Ronaldo have won the award over the past eight years.
Here’s why Messi won the most prestigious football award for 2015:

• 61 games, 52 goals and 26 assists.
• A goal every 101 minutes and an assist every 202 minutes
• Best minutes-per-goal rate
• Directly involved in 49 goals in La Liga – 34 scored and 15 assists – which was the joint most with Ronaldo in 2015 across the top five European leagues.
• Scored in all six club tournaments in 2015, as Barcelona won five of them.

The delights of his footballing prowess have once again been awarded; recognising his talent and ability to outclass his opposition. However, with the award comes the responsibility of being the best. As the best player in the world, Lionel Messi has the added responsibility (like many famous footballers) to set a good example to those who look up to him. Setting an example to live by is not an easy task and many fall short of their potential to honour God. Here’s what the bible say’s about being an example to others:
‘Always set a good example for others. Be sincere and serious when you teach.’ – Titus 2:7 (CEV)
‘Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your father in heaven.’ – Matthew 5:16 (CEV)
Many of us look up to footballers. They are our heroes; at times we think they have the lifestyles we’d like for ourselves. Unfortunately, far too often footballers lose sight of their purpose and fall away from the good and positive influence they can provide society. Something John warns us to about when he says:
‘Dear friend, don’t copy the evil deeds of others! Follow the example of people who do kind deeds. They are God’s children, but those who are always doing evil have never seen God.’ – 3 John 1:11 (CEV)
I urge you to remember in your prayers footballers like Lionel Messi, who although may feel a million miles away, does have a huge influence over many who look up to him. Pray that he may set an example that honours God and all that is good.

While the chaos of a hectic Christmas fixture list has dominated the news over the past couple of weeks, there was one piece of breaking news that unfortunately showed a side to life that even football can’t solve.
A week ago, Martin Ling, now ex manager of Swindon Town FC, resigned from his position at the club because of ‘health reasons’. Following Mark Cooper’s sacking, Ling, now 49 was appointed on the 3rd of November and remained in charge of the League One side for 56 days. Having previously taken time out of the game due to depression, Swindon Town was Ling’s first managerial role since leaving Torquay United in April 2013.
Ling’s departure from football came at a time that is so often the hardest for those living with mental health problems. However, those living with mental illness know how much of a struggle it can be year round, yet it remains one of the last taboo subjects with many people struggling to speak about the subject.
Paul writes in his letter to the Romans an uplifting message to those experiencing a variety of circumstances, we can presume this included mental health issues:
‘I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!’ – Romans 8:38-39 (CEV)
Paul goes on to offer up his prayers:
‘I pray that God, who gives hope, will bless you with complete happiness and peace because of your faith. And may the power of the Holy Spirit fill you with hope.’ – Romans 15:13 (CEV)
For some, mental health issues come and go while for others it can be a strenuous battle. With new figures suggesting as many as one in four people are affected by mental illness, there has never been a more prudent time for us to tackle this taboo subject with an honest and heart felt approach.
Mind and Soul is a Christian organisation dedicated to supporting people with mental health issues and has more on how to approach mental illness. Follow the link for more information.
If you are affected by mental illness, then do not endure in silence – turn to a friend or your local GP. As for Ling and all those living with mental health issues, we keep them in our thoughts and prayers remembering that the Lord is, ‘a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high’. – Psalm 3:3b (NIV)

Last week, news broke about one fan in particular who had travelled quite a bit further than your usual away day supporter. Unfortunately for Andrew Urry from Brisbane, Australia, he was unable to watch his team Southend United take on Bradford City away at Valley Parade due to the match being postponed as a result of the pitch being waterlogged.
Andrew, who used to live in Southend, is able to keep up to date with the Shrimpers via the internet but while on a trip to Europe he planned to see his team play in person once more. Andrew Urry has been quoted as saying, “We were told as the coach pulled up outside the stadium”; “I got off the coach to have a couple of pictures taken outside the away turnstile, and then we were straight back on the road again.”
For this disappointment, Andrew travelled 10,000 miles from his home in Brisbane.
I have always been struck by the lengths many supporters go when following their club. Travelling with the team for away games is not for the faint hearted and takes a real commitment. But, regardless of how far you have ever travelled to support your team, God has been further. Becoming a human, God became flesh and lived among us on earth – was this the ultimate away day? Out of his comfort zone he humbled Himself to our level in order to be the light to a world in darkness.
In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. – John 1:1-5 (CEV)
For Andrew, the club did attempt to soften the blow by offering the committed supporter a signed ball for his troubles. However, this momentary lift in spirits is nothing in comparison to what God has already done for every one of us in and through Jesus. The lengths that He has gone for us are awesome and are certainly worth a moments thought as we celebrate Jesus’ birth – “thank God for His gift that is too wonderful for words!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15 (CEV)
Merry Christmas and God bless.
What has been your best/worst/funniest away day experience?

‘The Soul of Football’ is a new book from Mark Chester of Who Let the Dads Out. One man’s story of football, family and faith by Mark Chester

• Cloning Jamie Carragher
• Lionel Messi’s mistakes
• It’s all Wayne Rooney’s fault…

… are just three of the issues BRF’s Who Let The Dads Out? founder Mark Chester reflects on in his new book The Soul of Football.
You only have to listen to a match commentary or read game reports to know that football has a unique and widely accepted language quite unlike any other. Could that language be used to explore the deeper issues of life and faith and spark conversations with football fans across the UK and beyond?
In this book of two halves Mark delves into his footballing story of success and dreams of success, of the joys of winning and the sadness of one of the worst football stadium disasters in history at Hillsborough. This is a story of a long search for the soul of football, its true essence and its essential and emotional nature – a search he very nearly did not conclude.
In the second half, ‘Soccer soul’, Mark weaves together his football and faith experiences, using the language of football learnt so well over the years to begin to explore 15 key areas of the Christian faith.
Football offers us great enjoyment, whether to school kids playing in a park with jumpers as goal posts or to crowds watching a vital game in one of our mega stadia. Winning seems to bring most happiness, but for those who look deeper, football offers more: a chance to contribute to a team; an opportunity to improve on one’s best, to win by playing the right way, to be tested by the challenge the opposition provides; and the possibility of learning lessons in the present for use in the future. This book gets beyond the surface of football, and reminds us that we need to get beyond the surface of life, too. Revd John K. Boyers, Chaplain, Manchester United
Read a sample chapter…
Find out more and buy.
Available for Kindle Jan 2015
Find out more about Who Let The Dads Out?, a BRF (Bible Reading Fellowship) ministry to dads, father figures and their children www.wholetthedadsout.org.uk

Arsenal vs Aston Villa, 1st of February 2015. 5 minutes gone – 1:0 to the Arsenal. 90+2 minutes gone – 5:0 to the Arsenal. 612 minutes gone – Since Aston Villa last scored a goal.
Being a villa fan during the 2014/15 season has not been easy. We waited over 600 minutes for one goal and endured a record breaking 7 match losing streak. To remain a Villa faithful after all that has taken a great deal of stamina. But what is Stamina? Is it the size of your heart? How far you’ve come minus how far is left to go? Your ability to not stop, to just keep on going? Perhaps it’s all of these. One thing that’s certain is we’ve all got it.
I think as Christians there is a certain type of stamina in particular we have. Faith stamina. Faith stamina has its ups and its downs but it keeps us going. Our beliefs are what set us apart, what drive us forward and are what we live for.
I am an Aston Villa fan – but first I am a Christian. On match day I cheer and jeer and the next morning I cheer for a different cause. Only the cheers on Sunday should not stop there. They should come through our lives into the week, through the turnstiles and onto the stands. Our Sunday faith should be evident on match day.
Let’s switch our main focus from the match before us to those sat around us. Sure, enjoy the game! But be intentional with your faith; look to stand out to those around you.
Be a counter cultural fan – be the chap that doesn’t call the ref an expletive word when he makes a bad decision, the fan who doesn’t go too far when baiting the opposition fans, the fan who looks for the positives not the negatives in the game (believe me after over 600 minutes without a single goal, that’s a tough ask). And yes, maybe your team is losing like mine was this season. But trust me, it’s worth it.
What for? Well, its for the bloke sat two rows down from you who gets a pie every game 5 minutes before half time, or the bloke sat 5 seats behind, 3 to the left who doesn’t know the difference between a swear word and a compliment. Those guys. They are whom we have this faith stamina for. They are the blokes who a few years down the line not only will be sat around us on Saturdays at 3pm, but also on Sunday mornings as well. In the same way you dig in deep during what may turn out to be your teams record breaking losing streak, dig in deeper now in anticipation for what God has in store for you and those sat around you at the match.

CVM intern, Sam Lomas writes about his short term mission trip to Swaziland with Samaritans Purse
You’ll never fully understand overseas mission until you’ve been and done it for yourself.
Nandos. Not the first thing that comes to mind when traveling to a tiny country in Southern Africa. But there I was, sat in Nandos eating a chicken burger less than 10minutes away from the Swaziland border. Pre-trip training complete, malaria tablet swallowed, money exchanged and bags packed. Having never been on a short-term mission trip before I felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension.
Day one of the trip we travelled to a school, where the local churches had come together to build toilet blocks for the students. Arriving at the school with paintbrushes ready to paint the new toilets we had our first taste of African timing. The toilets hadn’t been built yet! No matter, we left the paintbrushes in the van, picked up shovels and pick axes and got stuck in, mixing the cement and digging foundations. As this was our first contact with local people we were all a bit nervous. We didn’t know how they would respond to us being there. The ice was quickly broken though thanks to our poor technique cement mixing and lack of experience using pick axes – confirming their stereotype of westerners not being very good at physical work!
During our time in Swaziland we were able to visit a number of different water projects. The first we visited, the church had organized a water committee and they had been able to cap a natural water spring about 1 kilometre away. A well had been dug to store the water and fences put up to keep cattle from contaminating the water source. The fresh clean water was then piped down the hill into the village and out of a shared tap. Easy access to clean water was such a game changer for this small rural community. In the past, cattle would drink from the same water source as the locals which contaminated the water, making the children seriously ill and gave all who drank the water sickness and diarrhea. Since the new system was installed they have had no cases of diahorrea.
Visiting a child led home was a stand out part of the trip for myself and most of the team. We had heard the statistics (1 out of 10 homes in Swaziland are led by children under the age of 11) but now we had the chance to see it for real. Up close – in your face. The home we visited had burnt down while the children were at school and so they now had to live out of a tent which had been given to them by aid agency World Vision. The girl aged 18 was head of the family, and was responsible for looking after her two younger brothers aged 16 and 13. After being shown around their somewhat shattered home and seeing what little possessions they had, we congregated inside the tent where she answered our questions. She said she was worried that she might not be able to provide for her brothers, not knowing where their next meal would come from. She also said she was scared of abusive men who live in the area. Before we left she told us that she loved going to church and had a strong faith in Jesus Christ. The team was broken emotionally. Silence echoed on the bus journey back to our accommodation that night.

Never in my life did I think I would get chance to build a mud hut. But by the end of the trip I’d had so many new experiences that I was used to just getting stuck in. An elderly lady’s home had blown down over night. Fortunately her daughter had moved her out of the house and into her home as she had serious concerns for her mother’s house and its stability. When we arrived at the location to build the new house we were greeted with singing and prayers of joy. It was quite something. Feeling very unworthy and unable to grasp just how much it meant to these people for us to come and be with them, we rolled up our sleeves, got alongside each other and began the build. Some mixed dirt and cement; some placed rocks into the wooden frame of the house, and others prepared food for dinner. As the day went by one thing became very apparent. These people were so full of joy and happiness you wouldn’t believe it. Through our eyes they had nothing; the house was tiny and made of mud. Food was hard to come by and money was scarce, and yet they were happier and more at peace in comparison to how we are back home.

How could they have so little and yet be so joyful and full of life, so confident and publicly unashamed to be Christian? It was clear that we could learn a lot from them. Later when I opened my bible, there was a passage that stood out to me.

‘Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.’ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

In other words… Forget about everything you own and possess. It counts for nothing and never will. No wonder they were joyful. They understood that they had no less than us.

The last day before leaving Swaziland was a Sunday. This meant attending a local church. As guests to the church one of our team members was asked to speak on our behalf. He spoke about what we had seen and experienced in Swaziland. He then went on to speak a little about the UK and what life’s like. They struggled to understand how so few Christians there are in the UK, and were seemed surprised when we asked them to pray for us, as we share our faith with those around us. The children would ask, “Don’t your friends want to go to the heavens?” Stunned by such an innocent question, it was just another reminder of how important telling our mates about Jesus really is.
If there is one thing I could say to you now it would be to go and do it for yourself. Reading about mission trips, listening to presentations in church or just watching comic relief it’s all good but you’ll never fully understand until you’ve been and done it for yourself. CVM have partnered with Tearfund and Compassion challenging men around the UK to ‘speak up and stand up’ for those who cannot themselves. Whether it’s sponsoring a child or signing you and your mates up for a short-term mission trip, don’t hesitate to act.
Short-term mission trip
Sponsor a child
Bless children, who have nothing, this Christmas