Devotional
-
December 07, 2007
Set:
As coaches, we spend long hours watching film--film of our practices or film of our opponent. We spend countless hours on the telephone talking to recruits or high school coaches. Our day starts before the sun comes up, and sometimes we don't get home until our children are sound asleep.
The Lord has appointed us to become coaches, and how honored we are! And now with the season nearing its end, the "silly season" begins. Yes, the silly season. When, for the next month or so, there will be many firings and hirings. Numerous coaches will be removed from their jobs or snatched up to take others, and thousands of coaches will be left wondering if they even have a job or where the next paycheck might come from.
-
December 04, 2007
Set:
A few weeks ago, my basketball coach asked me to consider playing junior varsity instead of varsity. At that time, I made the decision that if he ultimately decided to put me on JV, I would quit playing basketball and concentrate all my focus on softball and cross-country. Just a few days ago, he asked me to play JV basketball, for my own sake--"To get more playing time." It was a tough choice, but I decided to decline his offer, hang up my sneakers and pick up a softball glove.
-
November 19, 2007
Set:
Recently, a good friend of mine was stopped at church and asked by another church goer why I had attended a football game rather than going to the men's retreat at my church. This person knew I was involved with FCA and was the football chaplain at the school, but he was frustrated that I choose football over these men, and he expressed it to my buddy. My friend came to my aid quickly. He talked with this other man and quietly told him that ministry can take place in many places.
-
November 12, 2007
Set:
After inheriting a team that had won only four games the previous two years, Ron Zook set out on a course to turn the University of Illinois football program around. While the record didn't change as quickly as Coach Zook would have liked, winning just two games in each of his first two years, the 2007 Illini have won eight games including wins against No. 5 ranked Wisconsin and No. 1 Ohio State. "If you believe in something, and you know you're doing the right thing, you've just got to stay the course," Zook said.
-
November 09, 2007
Set:
Last weekend, at FCA's "Weekend of Champions," Pastor Nick Orduna spoke to almost 600 Nebraska high school students about God's amazing grace. He explained how God's grace is marked by His goodness, mercy and never-ending love for us, even though we deserve nothing but judgment and condemnation. How are we fortunate enough to receive God's grace?
Romans 3:23-24 says that we all have fallen short of God's glory, but only by God's grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ can we be saved. It is often easy for us to lose sight of how amazing God's grace really is. We take forgiveness and mercy for granted, and don't even realize the love that God shows through His grace. Can you fully grasp the true meaning of grace?
-
November 05, 2007
Set:
Through adjustments and adversity, know there is a loving Lord whose arms are wide open:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
-John 3:16 (NIV)
Through trials and pain, know there is a Lord ready to comfort:
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles. . ."
-2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
Through struggles and despair, know there is a Lord in whom you can confide:
-
November 03, 2007
Set:
Baseball is a game that can be dominated by a pitcher. It seems that no matter how well a hitter prepares for a game, if a pitcher is “on” and executes his pitches, there is really nothing a hitter can do. Many times a hitter will try to “step out” in order to disrupt the rhythm of the pitcher. Or, in other situations where a pitcher is dominant, the hitter may try bunting in order to get on base.
-
November 02, 2007
Set:
"Looks like you went to the football game," noted an office associate. The unsolicited observation instantly caused the accused to wonder how in the world his office associate had known. He was right, as the football fan had gone to the local junior varsity game the night before. But how in the world had his colleague known that he'd been at the game? "How did he know where I was last night without being told?" he thought.
-
October 30, 2007
Set:
Game four of the 2007 World Series featured a pitching match-up of two men who had faced more pressure than their current big stage could offer. Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox and Aaron Cook of the Colorado Rockies both had life-threatening illnesses they had to overcome in order to make it to the pinnacle of baseball. "I don't think it's a coincidence," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "I think this game drips with irony. I believe in a lot of different venues that God's fingerprints are all over a lot of things if we are able to open our eyes and recognize it."
-
October 29, 2007
Set:
Have you ever been accused of being too competitive? That's probably a stupid question if you're reading this devotion. The likely answer is yes. Me, too. In fact, that happened to me recently when I revealed a lofty goal I had regarding marathon competition and my next attempt at a PR. Shortly after I mentioned the plan, I heard several Christian friends saying that I was just out for my own glory and not that of God. They didn't ask me about the venture, but whatever I had said had led them to draw the conclusion that I was out for personal gain.
