The life of Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews has been epitomized by resilience and perseverance, stability and strength. The stats he produced as a fixture on the Houston-turned-Tennessee offensive line are legendary, and his name is a consistent example for line coaches who seek to inspire greatness in their athletes. And if those athletes never had the opportunity to see Matthews play, a quick reading of his accomplishments makes their jaws drop in awe.
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Alphabetical
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Hall of Fame
Set:What athlete does not want to be in a Hall of Fame? What little kid playing T-ball doesn’t dream of hitting the winning home run in the World Series? What sixth grader playing touch football at recess doesn’t dream of playing in the Super Bowl? It is in our nature to be driven competitors.
Our society has special places of honor for those who are above average. Whether it is dreaming of being inducted in Canton, Ohio, as a gridiron great or making it to Cooperstown, New York, as a hero of the diamond, everybody wants to be the best. The thing some athletes don’t realize is that they are already in God’s Hall of Fame.
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Hand It Over
Set:Last season, I was watching the NBA playoffs and the finals. I saw some miraculous shots (like LeBron's 3-pointer) throughout each series. These moments make it onto ESPN's top 10 plays.
One of the top miracles Jesus performed was the feeding of the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. I noticed that the same pattern appeared in each Gospel. Jesus blessed the bread, broke the bread, then kept giving the bread until everyone was fed. After the meal, 12 baskets of leftovers were filled. That's a miracle by anyone's standards.
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Handling Criticism
Set:David experienced some very low times in his life. During one of these times, Absalom, his son, had taken over the capitol city, and David had to run to the hills for his life. During his hasty retreat, David encountered a man named Shimei, who was walking on a hillside. From where he stood, Shimei began to curse David and throw stones and dirt at him. David was flanked on the right and left by loyal members of his administration, and they were getting hit with stones as well.
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Handling Defeat
Set:As athletes, most of us have experienced victory on the playing field, in the gym, on the road, etc., whether on a team or as an individual. Although we may not remember all the victories, we can probably recall how we felt during that time of victory. It was overwhelmingly satisfying, wasn’t it?
As athletes, most of us have also experienced defeat—maybe even more than victory. And just as we can remember the feelings of triumph, we also remember those of loss—the sadness, disappointment and remorse. Just plain defeated.
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Hard Fighting Soldier
As a hardened 19-year-old, FCA’s Chette Williams found hitting rock bottom a shattering experience. After previously committing himself to three goals — get a college degree, play football and make Mama proud — being told by the Auburn football coach, “You’re a problem ... It’s time for you to move on,” left Williams seemingly with nothing left to live for. With nowhere else to turn, Williams opened his Bible.
Now, 23 years after he last suited up for the Tigers, Williams is serving as chaplain of the Auburn football team while working as both the school’s FCA campus director and the state of Alabama’s director for urban ministries. -
Hard Work
Discussion:
- How important is your work ethic to your performance as a competitor?
- Who is to you an example of a strong work ethic? How is it seen in his/her approach to sport?
- Let’s read a couple of simple Proverbs that speak of work ethic. Proverbs 10:4, 12:24, 14:23, 22:29.
- Which one of these best illustrates your thoughts about hard work?
- Why would this be such an important factor for success in competition?
- How do we lead others to build a stronger work ethic for their sport?
Summary:
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Harlem to Honolulu
It takes the average frequent flyer 12 months to travel enough miles to qualify for Southwest Airlines’ companion pass. Les and Chris Steckel only needed eight.
In their first year of ministry, the FCA President and “First Lady” were on the road as many days as a typical person spends in an office during an entire calendar year. But it wasn’t without purpose. Both Les and Chris knew they were called to spend that time immersing themselves in the FCA field, learning from and building relationships with staff across the country.
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Have a Plan
Set:In 1998 I started a long journey that I had dreamed about for most of my life—running a marathon. I made the commitment to run by registering for the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. I was set to go but did not start running for a month. Crazy? I had a plan, my own plan. I began reading everything I could about running, or surviving, a marathon. I had never been to Washington, D.C., so I printed the course layout and studied every mile. I visually had a mental picture of each hill and the battles and challenges that were ahead. I started running on May 1 for the October marathon. I mapped out a plan for running, including weekly long runs, proper diet, and rest. -
Have Courage - Erwin McManus Study
Watch the video, then walk through the study below.
Key Verse: "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." - Proverbs 1:7
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How has fear gripped your life? What areas in your life have you been fearful?
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Erwin McManus acknowledges his own lack of courage, but where does he get his strength from each day?
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“Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is the absence of self.” What does that quote mean to you?
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