Alphabetical
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March 01, 2013
Set:
Pride is a state of mind vital for any champion to have—pride in yourself, your accomplishments, your team, and your school. But there is a flip side to pride—boasting and self-interest that can bring a championship-caliber team to its knees. So how does a coach ensure his or her team does not fall into the negative state of pride? Humility. Webster defines humility as modesty in self-examination and humbleness. For a Christian, the definition is simpler—to become like Christ. Jesus had every opportunity to boast and brag. After all, he was the Son of God.
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January 16, 2013
Set:
Staying humble is one of the most difficult things to do. Whether it's doing good on a test in school, landing a job interview, or succeeding in sports, our first instinct is to praise ourselves. In most scenarios, it is very acceptable to be proud of yourself.
For example, if you hit a homerun in baseball, you will reflect on all of the training and hard work you put in. Because you took the time, you had the ability to hit your homerun; and that is great. You should always be proud of yourself and have a great self-esteem, but should you gloat to all of your teammates and friends about your accomplishment? Probably not.
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December 18, 2007
Set:
I was playing in a volleyball tournament, trying to apply what Scripture commands us Christians to do: seek the Lord, not just in our quiet times, but in every aspect of our lives. That principle goes along with the goal to not be conformed to this world, but to be conformed in the image of Christ Jesus.
As the game began, I began to talk with the Lord right there on the court. I started by telling Him where I was at, what I was feeling, how I didn't want to lose the game. I was completely honest with Him and told Him that I was playing to impress the cute guy who had just walked through the door. I told Him how I didn't want to let down my teammates, and I shared how I wanted to impress the other girls on the opposing team.
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April 26, 2005
Set:
In his first four seasons in the major leagues, Cardinals' first-baseman Albert Pujols has generated statistics that have people comparing him to Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and other greats. "There are too many things in the game you have to worry about," Pujols said. "If you start putting those things in your head, you just put pressure on yourself. You don't want that. You want to keep your mind clear and make sure you are prepared mentally and physically. I believe I've done that for most of my career, and I want to keep doing that."
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December 29, 2011
Set:
Recently while reading a book, I was reminded of the parable of the hidden treasure. This lesson from Matthew 13:44 offers a powerful message in just a single verse of Scripture. The beginning of Matthew 13 says that Jesus had been standing in a boat, teaching a crowd on the shore. Then, in verse 36, we are told that He left the crowd and went inside a house. When they were inside, the disciples asked Him to explain one of the parables He’d used, and once He’d finished that explanation, He offered another two-sentence parable.
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May 27, 2010
Set:
Yesterday my fifth grade son lay at the top of the stairs, refusing to come down for breakfast before school. As the self-designated family barber, I was under fire from this 11 year-old for having cut his hair too short over the weekend. Now, he cried out, his ears stood out and looked stupid. Naturally, everyone was going to notice and make fun of him.
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January 27, 2012
Set:
These verses examine a lot of things in our lives. Will we have anxiety? Sure, but we must not let it lead to self-destruction. God knows our hearts. He knows what motivates us. Our trust must be in the Lord, not in our own abilities. We need to look to the Lord and think, Lord, how will you use me?
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April 15, 2013
Set:
Rick Carlisle took over as coach of the Detroit Pistons and went on to become Coach of the Year because he directed his team to the NBA Eastern Conference finals in back-to-back fifty-win seasons. Unfortunately it wasn’t good enough. Carlisle was fired because the management of the Pistons decided to go in a different direction.
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January 25, 2010
Set:
Today, the entire state of Louisiana is asking one question: “Who dat?” It’s part of the celebration surrounding their Saints’ 31-28 overtime victory against the Minnesota Vikings in yesterday’s NFC Championship game.
As the Saints marched through this season to where they are now, much attention has been given to their quarterback, Drew Brees. He’s been on magazine covers (including the January issue of FCA’s Sharing the Victory) and in thousands of interviews. His story is remarkable—one that clearly shows the power of God at work in his life, both on and off the field.
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May 13, 2010
Set:
I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t breathe. It was the final moments of a close game and all of a sudden I began to hyperventilate. Many thoughts ran through my mind. One was of getting a bag and breathing into it; but how would
it look if the head coach were catching his breath with a bag around his head while the team tried to finish well. Finally our linebacker intercepted a pass and when he did, my breathing returned. It’s interesting that my panic subsided once I knew the outcome of the game.
