Alphabetical
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April 11, 2012
Set:
In our daily lives and our athletic venues we face many giants. Maybe it is an opposing team that you are playing, and the critics give you no chance of competing with the “giants,” much less beating them. Or maybe it is your job, your finances, your past or even raising your kids. Regardless, the giants in our lives are there to do one thing: intimidate us and steal the hope that God has given us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
David told Saul in 1 Samuel 17:32 (NIV), “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine…” but still, many people ran from the giant, Goliath. It says in 1 Samuel 17:24, “When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear.”
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October 07, 2010
Set:
The 2005 St. Louis Cardinals were masters of the squeeze play, often winning games in their last at-bat with their precise and timely execution of baseball’s most fundamental plays. Each time, a batter gave up his opportunity to reach base to make sure his teammate on third crossed home plate. The batter sacrificed his own at-bat to benefit one teammate, which in turn benefited the team as a whole.
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June 09, 2013
Set:
You may be familiar with the story of James J. Braddock, which was told in the film Cinderella Man. Braddock was a former successful boxer who lost everything he had in the Great Depression. He couldn’t get work (much less a fight), couldn’t pay his bills, and was running the risk of losing his children.
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March 02, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Some guys have made a career out of standing in front of the net on offense. They get all the tips and rebounds. But they also get all the hacks and whacks from trying to stake their claim near the crease. In the end it’s worked well for many players who can hang in there.
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September 25, 2012
Set:
Recently, I was reminded of a football game my younger brother played years ago. It was a classic Friday-night match-up between the top two teams in the conference. Both teams were highly rated for both their dominant defense and offensive efficiency. Each entered the battlefield with spotless conference records and brought bus-loads of fans to the game. The atmosphere was thick with pressure.
As in any such classic battle, the game was well-played on both sides, and it all came down to the last stand. My brother’s team was down by four. They had the ball on the one-yard line and four full downs to get into the end zone.
“Defense!” was the cry from across the field. “Stand firm!”
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July 29, 2013
Set:
How encouraging it is to find someone firm in his or her faith in the world of sport. It is obvious that some people are drifting spiritually. Many athletes are looking for a new gimmick to improve their performance, so they try Jesus the way they may try a lucky charm or a new color of shoes. Often a superstitious faith comes with feigned or half-hearted devotion to God. These people do not want to obey their creator; they prefer to have a “genie in a bottle” that will obey them. When convenient, they may go to church or read their Bibles, but they are often drifting with the current. Sometimes the drifters get anchored to God—sometimes they flounder and fade away. An eccentric friend who often talks in Christian jargon asked a colleague of mine, “When did you wake up?”
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October 08, 2010
Set:
A pastor once told me about his job on a Navy ship in Europe—to stand night duty at port side. Sounds easy, right? But his job was to stand in the darkness from
midnight until 5:00 a.m. staring into the vast nothingness. His job was to watch for anything out of the ordinary. He would stand guard for hours in the black silence, watching for change.
Habakkuk stood guard. He was in turmoil over his land, so he decided to stand guard and wait for a voice from the Lord. He was looking for change. I wonder how long or how often Habakkuk stood guard, staring into the vast darkness, waiting on the Lord. I wonder what kind of determination it took to stand still in the midst of turmoil, waiting for a message from the Lord.
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December 19, 2003
Set:
Do you like to speak in public? What about in front of many adults? What about speaking in front of your school board? Three students at a local middle school did just that the other night to defend why they thought FCA should be allowed in their school. For three months, this school board tabled the decision to allow FCA to start, but these students stood their ground and continued to pursue the school board until they allowed them to speak. These brave students had to stand tall for their faith.
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June 10, 2004
Set:
As I write these devotions, I always try to challenge the readers with the questions at the end. I find myself beginning my final questions with "start today" or "today, how can you start…" In a society that is so goal-oriented, we sure procrastinate a lot. Why do something today that can wait until tomorrow? We say, "It can wait," or "I will have time later to get to it." Is it because we are self-serving, or because we simply aren't willing to do what it takes TODAY to make necessary changes in our lives?
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October 09, 2010
Set:
Many times we think about the starting lineup for an athletic team and how we as athletes work to make the cut. What about God’s starting five—not five people, but five direct commands from His Word.
