Alphabetical
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September 19, 2011
Set:
Coach Buckley’s football practices were brutal. I was only 11, but I still remember them to be grueling, agonizing and dreadful. The trademarked practices had tons of running and repetitive drills, all without scrimmaging! Many players wouldn’t make it through the practices without losing their lunch, and many of them quit. Even my best friend had his parents pull him from the team. But, even though the sacrifice was great, the return that season was sweet. We earned a perfect record and no team even scored on us! Our team, the Braddock Road Sharks, brought fear to all 11-year-olds who dared to play football.
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March 01, 2014
Set:
In sports we put our bodies through the wringer. We study game film, review game plans, and tax ourselves mentally. All of it is done so that on game day, we are prepared to win. To achieve victory, we battle our way over virtual mountains, following our dreams—to get to the pot of gold.
Do we follow the same routine in our faith? We rigidly “train” by reading our Bibles, praying, witnessing, and attending church. We compete in “games” when we face setbacks, difficulties, and temptations. And we often do it with a militant attitude of struggling to get to the final pot of gold—heaven.
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September 13, 2012
Set:
Something I recently learned has come from watching cross country. My daughter started competing in the sport for the first time, and it’s been amazing to see the gifts God has given some of these teens to be able to run with such speed and just awesome talent.
The thing I have really come to love is watching the runners at the back of the pack—the ones who have to struggle and fight and overcome so many obstacles just to be out there to run. They fight just to finish as their teammates cheer them on. They are the ones who put me in awe and make my heart burst with pride.
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August 06, 2012
Set:
While on a recent backpacking trip with my daughter, I found myself crying out to God in prayer before even breaking out in a sweat.
First, my GPS was having issues and couldn't locate the trail head. So, what should have been a 1.5-hour drive, turned into almost 3 hours. While it had only been sprinkling all morning, as soon as we started hiking the rain came pouring down. Then, not even a half mile into the trip, my waist belt broke, which meant my pack would have to rest on my shoulders and back, not my hips. And, finally, at the foot of our first incline, my trekking pole broke, and with my bad knees, this was a vital piece of equipment.
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March 04, 2014
Set:
I don’t usually listen to the radio in the car while I’m driving through the suburbs of Chicago. Typically I try to spend my time praying for FCA needs, Huddle Coaches, student-athletes and other family concerns. But one day, I decided to tune in for some music, and I was so glad I did. I heard a song that pierced my heart in a powerful way. If you listen to Christian radio, you’ve probably heard it. It’s the song by Matthew West called “The Motions.” The chorus goes like this:
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September 16, 2008
Set:
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.
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November 16, 2010
Set:
When our athletes become unnerved, out of breath, and in need of a break, we know it’s time to reenergize, refocus, reward, and reassure. Something as simple as a water break helps players reenergize and get going again. They are thirsty for water, just as our thirst for God requires that we take time-outs to be reenergized by Jesus Christ.
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April 29, 2013
Set:
A personal journey with Jesus is like a football game in the sense that both require the active participation of the players. An athlete who gets in the game and competes for victory is like a Christian who seeks to demonstrate his faith with good works. James wrote, “Someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works” (Jms 2:18). Athletes who compete with all their heart make their coach proud, even if mistakes happen. A believer who walks by faith makes the Lord pleased, even if he stumbles, and God calls him a friend (Jms 2:23).
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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.
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May 12, 2005
Set:
"Come on, Coach. Just a few minutes," was the daily request of this young player. Everyday after practice he asked his coach to stick around to help him with his batting. This player's average -- even if he had 20 consecutive hits -- would never even reach the Mendoza line (.200 batting average). But he wouldn't quit. And time after time the coach would put him off. The young man was never going to play, so why should he bother?
