Popular content
May 05, 2013
Set:
Today’s culture breeds entitlement thinking—even in the church. Supposedly, if we have our daily devotions, go to church, help the old lady across the street, and pray before our games, then God should bless our lives. We think God owes us for all we do for Him. We think that God needs to hook us up because we have done our part.
If we look at the Apostle Paul, he addressed the fact that if anyone was entitled to privilege it was him. But despite his Hebrew heritage and incredible obedience to the Law, he wrote in Acts 20:23, “in town after town the Holy Spirit testifies to me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.”
April 06, 2011
Set:
Nike sold a lot of shoes with their slogan “Just Do It.” Now, I’m not a Bible scholar or professional minister, but I think Nike should give some church somewhere a little compensation because I think they were probably the ones who came up with the phrase.
Last night, in the NCAA women’s national championship game, the Texas A&M Aggies took that quote to heart in their victory over Notre Dame. According to the post-game interviews, their coach had to “coach hard” during the game in order for the team to be successful. And the women responded well, topping the Irish 76-70.
December 02, 2004
Set:
The big item of the week has been the surprise firing of Tyrone Willingham after completing only three seasons of his five-year contract as the head football coach at Notre Dame. Kirk Herbstreit, analyst for ESPN's College GameDay, said, "This firing is all about wins and losses … it's about failing to produce wins." The Notre Dame AD said Willingham was an "outstanding coach" with an "impeccable reputation." Indeed, it seems as if this decision all boiled down to one thing: performance.
September 22, 2010
Set:
I like to think the writer of Hebrews was a sports fan.The analogies he uses would certainly lead one to support this idea. Just as the writer referred to great numbers of witnesses, we athletes often compete in front of an audiences of great numbers.
This is also true in the Christian walk. Both believers and nonbelievers comprise our audience. There are those who encourage us: our pastors or our Sunday School teachers; and then there are those who "boo" us, ones who are opposed to any semblance of commitment to our Lord.
March 05, 2004
Set:
She was a cute and happy kindergartener in the very first PE class I taught in 1987. I knew she would grow up to be quite a young lady. Seventeen years later, Kristen is a senior playing basketball for a Christian college in Indiana. Coming off an outstanding high school career, Kristen has had a hard time finding success at the next level in most people's eyes. You will not find a harder worker or a more disciplined ball player than this young lady, but for some reason her number is not called too many times. Many players in her situation would have quit by now, but not Kristen.
March 13, 2012
Set:
A coach looks at his players’ strengths and weaknesses and decides who will play and how long they will be in the game. He or she often will take players out of the game to get some rest or to give someone else some playing time.
When I played softball in college, our shortstop had a very positive, contagious personality. When she was out of the game, you could tell the difference on the field. The game of life is no different. When a loved one leaves the playing field, they are dearly missed. For those who believe in Christ as Savior, this is a welcome call home. The rest of the “team” will miss them dearly, but they can find peace in knowing that the Creator, our Coach, has a plan.
May 05, 2011
Set:
Imagine playing your sport without a ball when one is needed. You walk 18 holes swinging a club aimlessly without once striking a golf ball. You shoot baskets without feeling the ball release from your fingertips. You drop back to throw a 50-yard bomb to a wide open receiver for a game-winning touchdown, but there’s nothing in your hand. Yes, it sounds ludicrous to do these things. It would eliminate the game itself. Most sports require a ball in order to fulfill the goals and objectives of the game. Simply put, a game without a ball is not even a game at all.
January 06, 2013
Set:
I stood at his grave in a beautiful cemetery. His grave was inconspicuous. The marker was very simple, with only his name on it. It was a moving experience for me.
I had first met this man eleven years before his death. For years I had watched and admired him from a distance and never dreamed I would get to meet him. In fact, I actually got to be with him on several occasions over the years. I cannot say I knew him well, but I was as impressed after getting to know him as I was prior to knowing him. He was a man of character, integrity, and humility. He was real. He was down to earth.
November 22, 2011
Set:
I still remember being a 12-year-old aspiring basketball player and hearing NBA Hall-of-Famer Adrian Dantley teach about basketball’s “triple threat.” I learned that when you first receive the ball, you are in a great position with three potential options: dribble, shoot or pass. I wouldn’t soon forget the power of the triple threat. It changed the way I played basketball, and it even helped me beat my older brother in one-on-one a few times.
As followers of Christ, we also have a “triple threat.” Our opponent, Satan, wants to defeat us and take us out. He doesn’t want us to win and is working overtime to make sure you and I are discouraged and overwhelmed. We start believing that the goal in life is to just survive—just get through one more day.
June 11, 2004
Set:
He received the handoff, and moved towards the line. They had him cornered, pinned in the backfield for a big loss. But next thing you know, Barry Sanders wiggled his way through all the defenders for a touchdown. Left standing in his dust, the linemen had to think, "We had him trapped! There's no way he could have gotten out of that jam." More often than not, Sanders did get out of the jams, and that is what made him such a special player. A modern-day football Houdini, Sanders broke through many traps set before him and turned calamity into celebration. All it took for Sanders was a small opening.
February 11, 2004
Set:
John was a great miler. He always liked to take the lead early in the race and run to victory. His coach, however, was concerned about an upcoming race. John's top opponent would be one who liked to come from behind to win.
When the race started, like clockwork, John raced to the lead. His coach told him to move to the inside of lane one, but John ignored him. He liked to run in the first lane, but not always on the inside. Laps two and three, his coach said the same thing, but John only grew upset with him. John knew he had the lead — the victory was his. On lap four, his coach was more insistent that John move to the inside of lane one, but John stayed firm in the middle of the lane.
August 03, 2010
Set:
A few years back, Herm Edwards was speaking in a post game interview as the head coach of the New York Jets. He was asked by a reporter how he felt about the loss and did it matter to Edwards considering how poorly the team had been performing that season.
Edwards responded "This is what's great about sports, the greatest thing about sports is you play to win the game. Hello? You play to win the game. You don't play just to play it. That's the great thing about sports, you play to win. And I don't care if you have any wins. You go play to win. When you start telling me it don't matter, then retire... GET OUT! Because it matters. This whole conversation bothers me."
September 09, 2004
Set:
Many players head off to college to play sports with dreams of making it to the big time. Jonathan was no different. Coming out of high school, he was a talented player with a promising future. But he arrived to school only to find disappointment and hard times. Like many new players in their first year, adjustments came hard for Jonathan. He didn't get in one single play last season. He was ready to give up and give in to his frustrations and disappointment, but did what every good young athlete should do in a case like that … He talked to his mother. Her advice was to stick it out, stay in God's word and wait on the Lord. He did just that.
May 04, 2005
Set:
I was approached the other day and asked if I was fat. Well, as a former athlete and coach who has put on a few since his glory days, I was taken aback. "I may be fat, but you're ugly," I kidded him. He laughed and responded, "Not that kind of fat!" I was interested to see how he was going to get out of this one.
He went on to tell me that the "fat" he had been talking about stood for Faithful, Available and Teachable. He told me that we need FAT people involved in the ministry. What a great thought! We most certainly do need FAT people in every area of life. Athletes need to be FAT. Coaches need to be FAT. Pastors need to be FAT. And the list goes on and on. The question now is ... Are you FAT?
January 27, 2004
Set:
It has become a regular occurrence in professional sports today to see athletes look up toward Heaven and point their finger. The Chicago Tribune published an article (01/22/2004) on the trend attempting to determine why different athletes look to Heaven and point. Philadelphia Eagles' receiver James Thrash looks toward Heaven and points after nearly every catch. He says this is, "just a reminder to everyone that I'm in it for the Lord."
I'm not naive enough to think that all athletes who look up to Heaven and point are showing their love for God. However, I think this is an opportunity for Christians to remember to look to God in all situations.
December 17, 2010
Set:
Every team has them. Most of us have even played the role ourselves, but no one really likes to. It’s the role of the bench-warmer.
There are only so many players who can play at one time, and every team has players who sit on the bench more than they play in the game. But does this make them any less of a team member than one of the starters? No way! The role of a bench-warmer is simply different than that of a starter. Bench-warmers have big roles in contributing to practices, developing team spirit, and in giving necessary breaks to the starters.
September 02, 2004
Set:
After the third preseason game of an NFL team, many players find out where they stand in trying to make the cut. One such player, Jason, found out some bad news. Before his third game, he was told that he was cut. Jason drove home, obviously disappointed in not making the team.
June 03, 2004
Set:
Tiger Woods doesn't win a tournament in a month. Barry Bonds doesn't homer in a week. Jeff Gordon doesn't win a race for a month. All of these are recent happenings. Sportswriters love this type of reporting because they get to go for the jugular. They break out the big "S" word — SLUMP. Sports fans and writers get used to the sports heroes performing day in and day out. When reality hits that these athletes aren't perfect, they feel like they have to make an excuse or that something must be terribly wrong with them. For the three examples above, I'm not sure if the word "slump" is right, but we all go through tough times in life and in sport.
March 18, 2004
Set:
March Madness has arrived. How did these 64 teams and 64 head coaches arrive in the tournament? Some teams had it easy, some had a tough road, and still others charted new territory as they brought their team to the tournament for the first time in years. Early in the season, many coaches had to decide if they were going to dance to the madness or become miserable as their hopes were dashed by defeat after defeat. One such Coach took the road from misery to March Madness to ministry. Lorenzo Romar, head coach of the Washington Huskies, found the right road to take.
March 11, 2011
Set:
Every once in a while you read a positive story about coaching. I particularly like examples of the coach who goes back home to his or her alma mater to rebuild a struggling program. These coaches not only have a passion for their home schools, but also a plan to put the schools back on the map. It may take time to rebuild, but for the Christian coach, it will also take something else: prayer, and a lot of it.
October 07, 2005
Set:
Sometimes I wonder why it is so difficult for coaches to be still and listen. We have no problem knowing how to lead, direct others or give commands. But to whom do we look when we need direction? Who helps us make tough decisions?
We don’t have to look far in Scripture to find a leader with similar challenges. Joshua was a brilliant military leader and had a strong spiritual influence, but his success came because he had learned whom to go to when he faced difficult choices. Joshua knew that unless he first submitted to God, he would never accomplish what he’d been given to do. So when God spoke, Joshua listened and obeyed.
April 16, 2009
Set:
Maintaining integrity these days is one of the hardest jobs for us as Christians. You just look at the moral standing of our world and the stuff that you see on TV and all the things that young people are exposed to today. It was hard when I was in middle school and high school to stand firm on my principles. I can only imagine how much harder it is now. Christian values and Christian morals are getting increasingly further away from the norm in society. That’s why you have to cling to God and cling to the things that you know to be true in terms of the Word. You’ve got to find something like FCA to get involved with and try to find people who are like-minded with you.
March 07, 2012
Set:
As competitors, we understand the law of the harvest. What we sow or plant today will produce a harvest at a later time with a greater result. We understand that the training we do today will not produce results today, or even tomorrow, but will produce great results down the road. It will even produce something greater than the training itself. For example, in basketball, working overtime on shooting will produce not just a better shooter, but a better player for the team. The law of the harvest is about later and greater.
December 30, 2004
Set:
2004 was an interesting year in sports…
1. The BCS became the biggest college football screw-up of all time.
2. Hockey was shut down except for one night in Detroit.
3. Steroids became all too real.
4. Terrell Owens proved that he is a better football player than actor.
5. Coaches were hired, fired, hired, fired, hired, fired ... You get the idea.
6. The Olympics offered more medal controversy.
7. Shaq and Kobe split.
8. And Kobe had a little courtroom drama.
July 01, 2013
Set:
Ask any athlete who has ever won a championship game if they regret the time and effort they spent developing as a player. In the middle of the season, they may have been frustrated or tired, but when the end result is being a champion, no one wishes they had put in less effort or spent less time practicing.
In Mark 8 Jesus was confronted by a blind man with a pretty direct request: he wanted to see. Jesus touched the man and asked if he saw anything. He could see, but not clearly. Did Jesus make a mistake? Or did He want the man to learn something about the way He works?
