When President Thomas Jefferson was traveling with companions across the country on horseback in the early 1800’s, he approached a large river that needed to be carefully crossed. A stranger appeared and wondered how he was going to get across. He looked at the President and asked if he could get a ride across the river. Thomas Jefferson said, “Sure, hop on!” As the stranger slid off the horse on the other side, one of the companions questioned why he asked the President for a ride. The stranger replied, “I didn’t know he was the President. All I know is that his face said yes, and all your faces said no!”

In the heat of the day, after a drill or competition, athletes crave water. Suddenly the person in demand is the water boy/girl. Being the water boy is not a well-recognized position, but we sure are thankful for their presence.The water boy, managers, or trainers bring relief and refreshment. The thirst of the athlete is quenched and they are able to continue. Without that water, the player’s performance would be weakened.

We are also spiritually thirsty. I’ve noticed a change in people’s attitude toward God, a lack of moral behavior, and a rise in materialism. A lack of love, bad moral choices, and the absence of parental involvement may be part of the problem; but what I believe we need is the nourishment of God’s Spirit.

It was a long day, my schedule was out of whack, and the time I put aside to train was messed up. If that wasn’t enough, the aches and pains from summer workouts were wearing me down. Then the clouds rolled in and rain began to fall. I decided to make up my workout another day.

I sat and read a devotion book. The author told of struggling one day to keep his focus on the task set before him. He tried several things to get his mind on track, but nothing worked. Then he remembered John 10:10: “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy.” Was Satan keeping him from doing what God had planned for him?

Have you ever been on a team that has won it all? Winning a championship title is truly a position of glory. Really it is the only position of true glory in sports because you received the highest honor possible! No other team could make that claim.

Now, while we are on the earth, we can get a position of glory if we give our lives to Jesus Christ by receiving Him as Savior and Lord. God restores us when we give our sins to Him. God establishes us when we willingly say, “Here I am Lord...use me.” God strengthens us when we come to Him and ask Him for His care. God supports us when we face our enemies or problems.

For Lorenzo Romar, integrity is one of the simplest concepts he’s ever learned—so simple, it only takes a brief, pondering pause followed by a concisely spoken sentence for him to explain.

“A person with integrity consistently does the right thing,” he matter-of-factly states.

As the University of Washington men’s basketball coach, Romar has provided a walking, talking example of integrity to the young athletes that don the Huskies’ uniform year in and year out.

Every football player knows the value of a good offensive line. There’s a mild disgust when a defensive back finds a hole and the play is over before the offense could produce something. That’s where it all starts—or ends. There’s something formed in the hearts of men/women when they stand shoulder to shoulder with their teammates; and the strength as a unit is greater than the sum of the parts. There’s a bond formed and a confidence forged deep in the soul.

Sacrifice is something most people never even consider, let alone complete. Let’s consider what it is to be a living sacrifice.

At the time of this writing by Paul, sacrifices were usually killed and laid upon an altar to be burned. The problem with “living sacrifices” is that they tend to crawl off the altar when it gets a little hot. We start with good intentions of making a sacrifice for our teammates, our family, or career, but when it gets uncomfortable we often snatch the sacrifice from the altar and lose the reward that comes from faithfulness.