“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” – Matthew 13:44 (NIV)

When my wife asks me to go to the grocery store for “just a few things,” I know I’m probably in for a long day. On those days, you’ll find me searching aisle by aisle and, more often than not, on the phone asking her for help. It’s similar to when she tells me to look for something in her purse. I don’t even make an attempt. I’ve learned it’s much faster to just get the purse and bring it to her.

Those that overcome discouragement and failure, win.

• Secure day, time, and location of team bible study. 
• Recruit a bible study leader or facilitator. 
• Develop a bible study plan with timeline and specific lessons outlined. 
• Organize a weekly study agenda.
• Plan an initial study that introduces FCA, explains what the study is about and the importance of commitment and confidentiality.

In sports today, everything a pro athlete does is under a microscope. Every single day newspaper headlines scream about another athlete who has crashed and burned. Sometimes it's part of their personal life, while other times it's directly related to his or her sport. Either way, we have access to information about virtually everything these athletes do. Their lives are in full view.

If we're honest, I don't think any one of us would want that kind of scrutiny and spotlight on our lives. We all sin. And since our mistakes don't usually make the headlines, it's easy for us to think that we're getting away with them and just sweeping them under the rug. But, like I tell my kids, the truth always comes out.

On paper, 15 pounds is just about all that separates John Smoltz, Mike Sweeney and Tim Salmon. All are accomplished, 6-foot-3 major league veterans who have spent their entire careers (all dating back to the mid-90’s) with one club. And if you really want to stretch out the comparison — as any true baseball follower would do — you could add to it the fact that all are right-handed men whose last names start with the letter “S.” Still, to find three men so alike is to contradict the rarity that they are in the league as Christian men serving in spiritual leadership roles in their respective clubhouses.

Wisdom for a Young Head Coach
Week 5

I Timothy 2:8-15

Read the text aloud.

Discussion Questions:

What started as a lump in my throat eventually worked its way down into my stomach as I read the ESPN.com headline. Something to the effect of, “Wainwright injures pitching elbow.”

“This can’t be good,” I thought.

Just a few weeks earlier, I had interviewed the Cardinals ace for our April cover story, and, as soon as I read the news, I knew we were going to have to make some adjustments to the magazine, which was already mid-production. But that internal knot wasn’t just the result of professional nerves; it was also the product of personal compassion.