Devotional
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November 05, 2012
Set:
Every time my family goes to a Baltimore Ravens football game we get caught up in signaling and chanting “Move those chains!” every time the Ravens get a first down. At first glance you might think, ‘big deal…they moved the ball ten yards.” But first downs lead to touchdowns.
The player or team that practices, prepares, and performs with the most consistency generally outplays their opponent. And when we “move the chains”, we create and sustain momentum. Consistency leads to excellence and is fueled by self-discipline.
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November 02, 2012
Set:
Everything in me wanted to be the fast marathoner that my bib number said I was. The big “B” on my bib, which indicated that I had qualified for a fast start corral, got tons of comments from other runners and made me feel pretty special. I even started to believe that my month off from running wouldn’t matter and that I’d be blessed with a 3:30 marathon simply because I’d done it before. Let me explain…
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November 01, 2012
Set:
I once heard of a man named Scott who calls himself a professional gate-crasher—and with good reason. He claimed to have attended 300 sporting events and concerts, including 25 World Series baseball games, all without paying a single penny. In fact, he wrote a book that describes 50 ways to sneak into concerts and sporting events.
Scott’s gate-crashing raises all sorts of ethical questions, but let’s talk, instead, about a higher issue. Think about what it takes to get into Heaven. Jesus said there was only one way to get in: through Him (John 14:6). The “ticket” is having a personal faith in Jesus as your Savior, believing that He paid the penalty for your sin and accepting His offer of forgiveness as a gift (John 3:16; Romans 6:23).
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October 31, 2012
Set:
Pride. In my second year at the Kansas City Bike MS, an annual fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, I had confidence going into the race knowing that I’d completed it the year before. “One hundred and eighty six miles in two days….no problem,” I thought. “I’ve been training all spring and summer with over 2,000 miles already accumulated on my bike. What’s another 186?”
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October 30, 2012
Set:
Most cars don’t even travel 422.6 miles in three days, but that’s the very distance that a man named Gary Brasher did a few years ago on behalf of FCA by taking on three iron-distance triathlons in three consecutive days. I’ve run a few marathons in my life, but those were nothing! Gary Brasher took on a whole different level.
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October 29, 2012
Set:
After I finished up my preseason football camp, I reflected heavily on how the mental aspects of sports take a toll on us all during any kind of camp or season; whether it be learning technique, understanding key team concepts, memorizing plays, you name it.
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October 26, 2012
Set:
When Matt Barkley decided to attend and play football at the University of Southern California, visions of conference and national championships surely ran through his mind. But rather than seeing those dreams become reality, he was instead thrust into the role of the man who would lead the cardinal and gold through the darkness of NCAA sanctions. Given the opportunity to transfer or pursue NFL stardom, Barkley instead chose to remain at Southern Cal and now, in the midst of his senior season, he’s rewriting the Pac-12 Conference and Trojan record books.
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October 25, 2012
Set:
I walked into a room full of Division-I athletes, all on scholarship, who had been chosen to go to school at Mississippi State. I, on the other hand, had chosen to go to Mississippi State myself. I felt a lot like the Israelites did in Numbers 13. God had promised them the Promised Land, but they were going to have to conquer the land. Moses sent 12 leaders out, one from every tribe, to explore the land and come back with reports.
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October 25, 2012
Set:
As the quarterback drops back and throws, the receiver hesitantly extends his arms toward to the ball. Sensing a defensive player closing in, he’s not eager to complete the catch. His focus is more on protecting himself from the defense’s attack. In situations like this, when a receiver demonstrates partial effort in catching a ball, it can be said he has “alligator arms.” And likewise, our faith can be like having “alligator arms.” At times, we fail to take full advantage of our opportunities to grow in our relationship with Christ or share our faith with others because we are afraid of what the costs may be. We let fear of circumstances control us, because we prefer to stay safe in our “comfort zone” rather than stretching ourselves and trusting in God.
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October 25, 2012
Set:
As a coach it can be easy to get caught up in the details of our sport. We can spend more time with our coaching staff and student athletes than our own family, and we find ourselves weighed down with worry and becoming overworked in effort to keep our jobs. Some coaches are famous for the number of hours that they put in to secure a position. But in Matthew 6, Jesus gives us specific instructions not to worry about the details of life. This got my attention. Worrying about our jobs is like worrying about what we will eat or wear; they are all provided by God.
