Devotional
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November 01, 2010
Set:
A special tree grows each year in every sport. It’s called the coaching tree. Throughout the history of sports, wesee a list of coaches who have been trained by other great coaches, who, in turn, continue the legacy to form an incredible tree. Bob Knight, Pat Summitt, Knute Rockne, Tommy Lasorda—all have great coaching trees because at one time or another, they committed themselves to being taught and they gained the knowledge they needed to pass along to others. Basketball coach Dean Smith is an example. His coaching had many branches that stemmed out to high school, college, and professional ranks and included coaches who had been and still are following in his footsteps.
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October 31, 2010
Set:
Coaching involves serving, teaching, encouraging, and leading. If you are in a coaching position right now, you have tremendous power to influence the lives of not only the athletes you coach, but also anyone in your circle of influence. What an awesome responsibility.
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October 29, 2010
Set:
It’s easy to make our way through the winning seasons; however, the struggles we face during losing seasons are what we tend to remember most. Most of us have experienced seasons where we’ve tried every plan we can think of, yet the team still struggles. It was during a season like this that Christ’s “good part” was revealed to me. The season began with one of our leading scorers breaking his foot. The problems mounted throughout the season, and the players and coaching staff began to buckle under the pressure. Arguments began and I started to worry about the team’s demise.
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October 28, 2010
Set:
I went to three high schools in four years, so you'd think I'd enjoy three homecomings. Truth is, having gone to so many schools, I never really got to know anyone all that well, and now—years later—I really don't feel like I have a high school to come home to.
Homecoming and Halloween often coincide. My favorite costumed-kiddos are the aliens. Whether it's Roswell-green or tin-canned space beings... they all remind me that—as a follower of Jesus—that's what I am: an alien... this isn't my home. Christians are here for a season... learning to love and calling out to other aliens to get ready for the home-coming.
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October 28, 2010
Set:
Over the past two weeks, I have been listening to the guys on ESPN and the NFL shows give their two cents on the rules they’re going to enforce involving vicious hitting in pro football. The argument seems to be that violent collisions are occurring way too often and are being done with the intent to hurt a player, not just separate the man from the ball.
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October 27, 2010
Set:
I don’t usually watch the show “The Biggest Loser,” but when I get a chance to see it, I always love it. There’s always something to learn about our human nature through that show, and I usually come away from it inspired in some way.
Last night, I caught part of the show and was struck by a particular comment from trainer Jillian Michaels. One of the participants had been giving her particular trouble through his poor attitude, and she commented on how it was affecting not only him, but also his entire team. I might botch the quote, but Michaels said something like, “The problem with teams is that the actions of individuals don’t just affect individuals, they affect the other people on their teams.”
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October 25, 2010
Set:
All-star quarterback Jack Kemp and his teammates boycotted the 1965 AFL All-Star game in New Orleans “as a statement against the racial climate in the city.” Jack’s black teammates were not treated with the same respect as he and his white teammates, and because they were a “team united,” they did something about it. As a result,the game was moved to another city.
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October 24, 2010
Set:
Have you ever found yourself “between a rock and a hard place,” “at the end of your rope,” “out on a limb,” with “your back against the wall,” or in “hot water?” These are just a few ways people describe life’s challenges. In football terminology, life can cause a “sudden change.” Changing our circumstances cannot always be avoided.Still, we can control how we respond to them. Life is 5 percent what happens to us and 95 percent how we respond.
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October 22, 2010
Set:
What talent impresses God? No one can argue that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player ever, or that Tiger Woods is the most talented golfer in the world. But does their talent surprise God? Is Jesus amazed when Tiger sinks a fifteen-foot putt or when Jordan makes a game-winning basket? No, because He gave them these athletes their ability, so their victories are no surprise to Him. Actually, nothing surprises God. He has always known the end from the beginning in all matters.
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October 20, 2010
Set:
When I was in college, our FCA leaders were called the “God Squad.” We represented most sports and held each other accountable for our actions as ambassadors for Christ on the court and field. I remember after one game in which I got into a fight on the basketball court defending my point guard. My fellow squad members prayed for me that it would not negatively impact my testimony. I realized then for the first time that my life was either all godly, or all compromise. I apologized publicly at the next meeting for not representing Christ in public.
