Last week I got to go to Austin, Texas, to interview Colt McCoy for the December issue of Sharing the Victory magazine and our online video ministry. In my line of work, I get to sit down with Christian athletes and coaches on a regular basis and talk about their faith. It’s a dream job, of course, and one that I thank God for every day.

In all of these interviews, I meet a lot of different personality types. There are hard-nosed, intense guys who convey that in their passion for the Lord. Some are more reserved and shy, yet incredibly sincere. Others are just straight-forward, no-nonsense athletes who tell you like it is. It’s such a unique opportunity to see how God’s body has many different parts that function as a whole unit for His glory.

One problem with us today is that we often forget we own nothing. Talent, leadership ability, and even the very lives we live are God’s property.

Job lost all he had through no fault of his own. As he struggled to understand why, it became clear that it was not meant for him to know the reasons. How he reacted is paramount—He worshiped God! Today we tend to worship depending on how well life is treating us. Job exemplified a very valuable principle—worship is the lifestyle we lead, not the momentary prevailing mind-set.

Walk it Out. We have to live out our theology through action.

Obey. Every Christian has been called to obedience. Job was known as a man of integrity because he obeyed God.

After an All-American college basketball career at Kansas State University, Shalee Lehning experienced a breakout rookie season in the WNBA as a guard for the Atlanta Dream. Not only did she help the team set a franchise record in wins, but also ranked individually among the top 10 in the WNBA in total assists. Now between pro seasons, Lehning is serving as an assistant coach at her alma mater under Coach Deb Patterson.

Each new season starts out with a team meeting. The coach gives the team rules and goes over the expectations for the upcoming season. The coach makes sure that there is no question about what will be expected out of the athletes.

God is the ultimate head coach. Just as a good earthly coach goes over the rules, so does He. God gave His “team rules” to the Israelites through Moses, and He expected them to be followed.

When our earthly head coaches expect us to follow the team rules, they generally set out a reward. The reward might be a letterman’s patch or pin, or it could be lessened conditioning in practice. Whatever it is, the head coach makes sure that we know the rewards for following the team rules.

I have a handful of life principles. One that I see played out over and over again is just how much competition reveals a person’s heart. In the heat of competition, true colors are shown. It is hard to hide your heart when you are sweating and giving it your all. Everything seems to come out, and sports have a way of exposing the truth. That can be really good or really bad, depending on what is in your heart.

Hockey Chat:  Could you imagine what the scores would be like if goalies weren’t allowed to wear any equipment.  We’ve got some talent between the posts during our skates but they thank much of that to the equipment they put on.  Not only does it help to stop the pucks, it stops the pain as well.  Going out there unequipped would be disastrous.  Sure they would stand there for a few minutes and maybe even grab a slow sliding puck with their bare hands.  But as the attacks keep coming, their lack of preparedness would leave them broken down.  Every player has equipment to keep them safe.  It helps them stand their ground and play hard.

Hockey Chat:  You can feel effects being out on the ice for the first time in a while.  You can also feel the effects from working out or keeping active in preparation for game time.  Devoting the extra effort helps you be a better skater.  That helps the whole team win.  Individual dedication leads to team victory.

Hockey Chat: The current engraver, Louise St. Jacques is the engraver of the Stanley Cup every year.  During engraving, the Cup is disassembled from the top down. The band being engraved is clamped onto a homemade circular jig that creates a steel background for stamping. Special hammers with different head-weights are used to strike against a letter-punch to sink each letter into the silver.  When complete, it is another part of the awesome masterpiece.

During this past off season NFL quarterback Brett Favre found himself in the middle of a sports controversy. As the events played out regarding Farve and the personnel of the Green Bay Packers, it became apparent that Favre harbored some hurt feelings and resentment toward his former team.

Sometimes we can be offended by what someone asks us to do or by what they say to us. How are we to respond in times like these? Well, as I watched Brett Favre hurl a bomb downfield to a speeding receiver this weekend, I gained a little more understanding of what God wants us to do in these situations.

The Lady Bing trophy is awarded to a player for the most sportsman like conduct.  This is the only sport that actually gives an award for playing within the rules.  Sounds ridiculous?  Not really considering it’s the only sport where fighting is generally expected and only punished by 5 minutes of offsetting penalties.  The point is that to play in such a tough field, and still keep courteous to those who generally don’t deserve it, deserves to be acknowledged and rewarded.