Alphabetical
-
July 16, 2012
Set:
Baltimore Orioles’ second baseman and leadoff hitter Brian Roberts knows what it means to trust the Lord amidst injury and trials. The 12-year Major League Baseball veteran has spent the last year battling through a myriad of injuries making him dig deep with his faith and trust the Lord with the results.
When asked what God has taught him through his experience battling injury, he explained how it has produced spiritual growth and ultimate trust in the Lord, “If we never went through trials we would never grow. If I just hit .300 every year and everything went smooth, I wouldn’t ever grow in my faith. I would never have to rely on Him or trust in Him for everything.”
-
June 10, 2009
Set:
When someone is on a team they usually wear team shirts, use team gear and do team cheers. They like to represent their team and let others know that they're part of it.
As Christians, Jesus calls us to let our "light shine before men" rather than hiding His light under a shade and covering it. This doesn’t mean that we have to forcefully demand that someone become a Christian or go around telling people they're doing wrong all the time, but we should show Christ with our lives. We should live unashamed of being a Christian and never try to cover up the fact that we are followers of Jesus Christ.
-
November 11, 2009
Set:
Glory – it is such a simple word. It is what all of us play the game for. We want the glory associated with being an athlete. We want to be recognized for our skill. Who doesn’t want to win a championship this year? How many times have you put your goals for the season down and listed “To NOT be remembered”?
At first glance, we have it all messed up. We should not want to get the entire spotlight. We should want to be a team player. We should not want to be so focused that we “win at all costs.” It’s in the nature of a competitor to “go for it.” Shouldn’t we want to be that focused?
-
January 02, 2014
Set:
During a losing season or bad game, it’s easy to give up on each other. When a teammate breaks team rules, the question arises: Can we count on this player whose conduct or performance is below our team’s standards? When we blow it, will our teammates give up on us?
Peter made a lot of mistakes. He made claims he could not back up; did things without thinking of the consequences; talked when he should have listened; and lied, cried, and almost died because of his immaturity. But Jesus never gave up on him, and he became a world-changer.
-
November 11, 2013
Set:
The game is on the line; the next play can make or break the outcome. The quarterback drops back in the pocket and throws deep into the end zone. Many players jump for the ball, but the receiver comes down with it right by the line. Did he have his foot down in bounds? The line judge signals touchdown, but before the extra point is kicked, the referee waves his arms and says, "The previous play is under further review." Off he goes to find out what the decision will be.
-
November 14, 2006
Set:
All competitors face pressure-packed situations, but often the difference between the good and the great is displayed in how one handles the pressure. University of Tennessee women's basketball star Candace Parker was voted the ESPN.com preseason player of the year partly because of her ability to thrive under pressure. "What impresses me is how well Parker handles pressure, seems unfazed by what's happening around her and wants the ball in key situations," said ESPN analyst Beth Mowins. Adds Parker's coach, the great Pat Summitt, "Candace Parker has a chance to be the best to ever play this game. And if she isn't, I'll be very disappointed." How's that for pressure?
-
May 02, 2014
Set:
How often have we watched a football game in which one team is leading by six points with a few minutes left, and they decide to go into a “prevent defense”—allowing the other team to march down the field, throw short passes, and score a touchdown in the closing seconds? Or a basketball game in which they double-team the post player who has been scoring all the points, only to have that little point guard who hasn’t made anything all year, hit consecutive three-point shots and win the game? I call those unintended consequences or unexpected results.
-
March 18, 2010
Set:
THUD. One. The fierce bite of the whip sunk into Jesus' back.
THUD. Two. A 350-pound Roman guard, unleashing the power of every muscle in his body.
THUD. Three. A short pause, to let the blood ooze and the pain sink in. Forty times would surely kill Him, so they went one less. Then the nine tails. Nine ropes holding the sharpest things they could find. Rusty nails. Baked glass. Jagged razorblades. They all plunged into Jesus' back, mercilessly ripping Him apart and tearing His skin to shreds with force no NFL lineman could hope to muster. They found the roughest thornbush with thorns three inches long pointing in every direction, and they forced it onto His head and ground the thorns into his skull.
That was the easy part.
-
March 20, 2009
Set:
It was the final game for the eighth grade I.H.M.-St. Casimir Eagles boys basketball team, one in which they could capture the league championship of the City-Wide Catholic Youth League. For the previous three seasons, this talented group of young men and their devoted coach had achieved success but had always narrowly lost in the final games of the tournament. But this year, in their final game together, their hopes were high. It seemed to be their year, and everything seemed to be lining up for the perfect ending to their basketball career.
-
September 01, 2006
Set:
Our school's football team began a voluntary conditioning program three weeks before the official start of the season. The program ran four days a week and saw nearly every returning player and many trying out for the first time attend every session--not because they were told they had to, but because they wanted to be there.
