Tim Ellsworth

Tim Tebow, 18, was one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks this season. He threw for 3,442 yards and 34 touchdowns and ran for 1,045 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Wow.

Next year, he’ll play for the University of Florida.

A member of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Fla., Tebow is a committed Christian from a godly family. This story from Baptist Press looks at Tebow’s life, his family and a future that is undeniably bright.

The New York Times describes Samuel Alito as holding “extreme views about the expansive powers of the presidency and the limited role of Congress” and says it would be “frightening” to have him on the Supreme Court. Thus, the paper is calling on Democrats to filibuster Alito’s nomination.

“The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel”
By Mark Dever and Paul Alexander

Overview: From the outset, the authors are clear that the book is not a new program or a quick fix that pastors and church leaders can implement to quickly heal and grow their churches.

It could instead be called a “model of ministry,” but “it’s really just an attempt to be deliberate about treating the biblical Gospel as that which feeds the church’s growth, drives its progress, and governs every aspect of the church’s corporate life and leadership,” the authors write in the forward.

Though the book is geared primarily to pastors, anyone interested in the health of the bride of Christ would benefit from reading it. At 200 pages long, it’s a pretty quick read.

The book is divided into three sections. In the first, “Gathering the Church,” the authors cover such topics as the importance of expository preaching, responsible evangelism, meaningful membership and church discipline.

The second section, “When the Church Gathers,” deals with topics primarily related to worship – the regulative principle, music, the role of the pastor, the role of the ordinances, etc.

The third section, “Gathering Elders,” discusses the wisdom of using elder leadership, what elders do, how elders should be selected and other related topics.

What I liked: The methods and rationale given for how a church should operate are clear, simple and biblical. As I read I felt a kinship with the authors and Capitol Hill Baptist Church because my church shares many of the same characteristics. If more churches would follow the principles outlined in Scripture (as described and explained in this book), our churches would be healthier, Christians would be better disciples and our evangelism efforts would be more potent.

What I didn’t: Nothing major. Though touched upon briefly, an expanded discussion of the role of deacons might have been helpful.

On a scale of 1-10: 8

GQ has offered its list of the 10 most hated athletes:

1. Terrell Owens
2. Barry Bonds
3. Kurt Busch
4. Curt Schilling
5. Kobe Bryant
6. Michael Iaconelli
7. Bonzi Wells
8. Phil Mickelson
9. A.J. Pierzynski
10. Lleyton Hewitt

Honorable mentions went to Alex Rodriguez, Rasheed Wallace, Randy Johnson, Jeff Kent and Danny Fortson.

New York Mets outfielder Cliff Floyd is in the last year of a four-year, $26 million contract and says he’ll only talk about an extension if the Mets bring it up. He won’t be the one pushing for it:

“I won’t let it be disruptive to my teammates at all,” Floyd said. “I believe that when you sign a contract, you play until the end, and then at the end of that you sign another one. If they choose to call you and say, ‘You know what? We’ll give you an extension,’ you deal with that accordingly. Honestly, I’ve done good things, but you still have to establish yourself where you have a right to talk - ‘You know what? I deserve this right now.’ I haven’t done that. I just want to play.”

I wish more athletes had the same opinion.

The Houston Astros and first baseman Jeff Bagwell are in a nasty spat that’s most unfortunate.

The Astros are trying to get Bagwell declared medically unable to play professional baseball, so they can file an insurance claim to recoup $15.6 million of the $17 million they owe Bagwell this year.

Bagwell has suffered from an arthritic right shoulder condition since 2001, but he avoided the disabled list until May 2005. He was unable to start from May 4, 2005, until the first game of the World Series in late October, when he was the Astros’ designated hitter for Games 1 and 2 at Chicago’s U.S. Cellular Field against the White Sox.

He underwent capsular release surgery on his right shoulder on June 7 and rushed his rehab to come off the disabled list in September. He has been working out and undergoing physical therapy this winter in hopes of playing in 2006, the final year of his contract.

Bagwell, however, insists he’s healthy enough to play and says he’s going to report to spring training as usual. If he practices with the team, chances are the insurance claim will not be successful. That means the team will have to pay Bagwell his full salary, and the Astros think Bagwell’s performance won’t be worth anywhere close to that much.

Needless to say, the whole episode has resulted in a strained relationship between the Astros and arguably the best player in team history.

“It probably will never be fixed between me and the Astros,” Bagwell said.

Recommend a good biography. Three of my favorites are “Alexander Hamilton,” by Ron Chernow, “George Whitefield,” (2 vols.) by Arnold Dallimore, and “Cobb,” by Al Stump.

When you produce a lousy show like “The Book of Daniel,” that’s what happens — it gets canceled. I never saw the show but I read plenty about it. Good riddance.

An Italian man has filed a lawsuit against a priest, claiming he broke two Italian laws when he asserted that Jesus actually existed.

Now an Italian court will weigh the merits of the case.

The Rev. Enrico Righi was named in a 2002 complaint filed by Luigi Cascioli after Righi wrote in a parish bulletin that Jesus did indeed exist, and that he was born of a couple named Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem and lived in Nazareth.

Cascioli, a lifelong atheist, claims that Righi violated two Italian laws by making the assertion: so-called “abuse of popular belief” in which someone fraudulently deceives people; and “impersonation” in which someone gains by attributing a false name to someone.

Cascioli says that for 2,000 years the Roman Catholic Church has been deceiving people by furthering the fable that Christ existed, and says the church has been gaining financially by impersonating as Christ someone by the name of John of Gamala, the son of Judas from Gamala.

Thanks to Amanda for first alerting me to this story.

From the Washington Times:

Russia’s intelligence service said yesterday that it has uncovered a British spy ring that used a James Bond-style communications device hidden in a hollowed-out rock to gather secret information.

The Federal Security Service (FSB) confirmed a report on state television that four British Embassy employees had used the device, hidden in a park on the outskirts of Moscow, as a high-tech version of the traditional dead drop in which agents can anonymously deliver and retrieve information.

The FSB also said the British “spies” had financed nongovernmental organizations in Russia, including a number of prominent human rights groups.

This is just cool. Sounds like something out of “Alias.”

The fan who got into a confrontation with New York Knicks forward Antonio Davis and his wife won’t sue after all. Good deal. Let’s put this thing to rest.

Let me start by saying all my posts about “24″ are going to have spoilers in them. So be sure not to read them if you haven’t seen the episode yet.

It wouldn’t be 24 without someone inside CTU working for the enemy, would it?

The question is, was Spencer telling the truth when he said he thought he was working for the president, or was that just a line to cover his own rear?

I’m ready for Tony to get out of the coma and play a role in the show. And Rudy/Samwise Gamgee is growing on me.

A 25-year-old woman in Westmont, Ill., will serve 30 days in jail for leaving her three young kids at home alone while she attended a taping of the Jerry Springer Show.

The children were 3 to nine months old, and the two older children eventually knocked on a neighbor’s door. The neighbor called police.

The woman, Shannon Cook, said she didn’t expect to be gone for nine hours when she left. Police arrested her when she got home.

What do you think the average IQ is of those who watch Jerry Springer? I’m guessing it doesn’t break triple digits.

Thanks to Jeremy for the link.

Let’s see … I write a column saying that Virginia Tech should kick Marcus Vick off the team, and the next day they do.

Now, I write an analysis giving the Cincinnati Reds a “D” for their offseason moves, and they fire their general manager four days later.

Hmm …

South Dakota Rep. Roger Hunt has introduced a bill in the state legislature that would ban abortion, with the only exception being abortions to save a mother’s life.

Hunt says, “DNA testing now can establish the unborn child has a separate and distinct personality from the mother. We know a lot more about post-abortion harm to the mother.”

The legislature debated a similar bill two years ago, but Governor Mike Rounds vetoed it because of concerns over some technicalities.

Hunt says, “We have made those corrections to the bill.”

Press on, Roger — and may your tribe increase.

Hat tip: Drudge