There are about a million things I loved about John Wooden's coaching, but one of my favorite things was when he taught his players each year how to put on their socks and tie their shoes properly. Now, you would think that college-aged men could do this on their own, but Wooden took nothing for granted. He paid attention to the little things of the game. I believe this is what made the big things come easier for his teams over the years. He always took care of the little things.

The movie "Invincible" tells the true story of former Philadelphia Eagles fan-turned-NFL-pro Vince Papale. After losing his job and his wife, Papale was told that he would never amount to anything, that he wouldn't make any money and that he wasn't going anywhere.

Has a coach ever told you, "You're not talented enough. You just won't make it."? Has a co-worker, spouse, friend or parent buried you in doubt?

In 1 Timothy, the Bible says that Jesus gave Himself as “a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time."

As the quarterback drops back and throws, the receiver hesitantly extends his arms toward to the ball. Sensing a defensive player closing in, he’s not eager to complete the catch. His focus is more on protecting himself from the defense’s attack. In situations like this, when a receiver demonstrates partial effort in catching a ball, it can be said he has “alligator arms.” And likewise, our faith can be like having “alligator arms.” At times, we fail to take full advantage of our opportunities to grow in our relationship with Christ or share our faith with others because we are afraid of what the costs may be. We let fear of circumstances control us, because we prefer to stay safe in our “comfort zone” rather than stretching ourselves and trusting in God.