As this young leader was about to lose his daughter, Jesus gave him three steps to overcome fear—a process that applies to us as well. (1) “Don’t be afraid.” This phrase is mentioned 365 times in Scripture. (2) “Only believe.” Believe that Jesus is more than capable of handling any situation. (3) “She will be made well.” When we obey His teaching not to be afraid and believe He is capable of handling any circumstance, we will come out just fine.

Whether you are facing a larger opponent, an opponent with a better record, or an opponent from a larger school, follow these steps and God will help you with your fear. Remember, God doesn’t care about the scoreboard as much as He cares about the attitude of your heart.

If a person tried to build or repair something without the proper tools, it would not take long until he became tired and gave up in frustration. In this passage a group of men were building a place to live and cutting trees for lumber. As one of them was chopping, the ax head flew off the handle and fell into deep water. He could have gone on and beat the tree with the handle alone, but his time would have been futile without the ax head to do the work. A sharp ax is what is needed to chop down a tree.

Hockey Chat:  There is a technique play in hockey know as “cycling”.  It’s a matter of one guy skating with the puck then passing it off to another player, moving the puck in the same way while the first guy takes the second guy’s position.  Sounds confusing?  It’s much harder to defend than to understand.  The premise is to skate until you get in trouble and then pass the puck back.  When that guy skates and gets in trouble, you’ll have skated back to be open so he can pass it to you.  The constant helping out the guy in trouble becomes a “cycle” that draws the defense and helps keep control of the puck.

In 1996, Bob Carlisle penned a tune entitled “Butterfly Kisses” which became a popular wedding song. It brought tears to even the toughest of men. But many don’t know that he also wrote a song entitled, “It is well with my soul.” Check out these words:

“Oh, my life is filled with white-hot anxiety, though I think I wear it very well. I still worry ‘bout what people might think of me if they every saw me past my outer shell. Believe me, I know how to worry. I’ve chewed my fingernails down to the bone. Oh, I’ve got my share of problems. Still it is well with my soul. Sometime I wrestle with my conscience. Still it is well with my soul.”

It’s interesting how we can take just about anything in life and use it for good or evil. James 3 illustrates how fire can be good or evil. It only takes a small spark to set a forest on fire and yet what is more soothing on a cold winter night than sitting before a crackling fire that radiates a comforting heat? Is fire good or evil?

Who’s the best? Who’s number one? Who is the greatest? These are all questions we ask in our culture—all very important questions. As a coach, I’ve spent much time and energy trying to persuade young people to work in order to win a game, to determine who is best on a playing field.

Ask almost anyone in America who is great, and they will answer with names of those who score touchdowns, hit balls a long distance, and slam dunk basketballs; people who sing great songs or are great actors; strong people; powerful people who tell others what to do; people who can have anything they want, go anywhere they want and do anything they want to do. Such is greatness as we define it in our time. And then along comes Jesus, who changes everything.

Moses warned the Israelites against failing to serve God. We should take this warning to heart. Jesus tells us, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40b). When serving God, we cannot help but serve others; and in serving others, we serve God.

Sports like tennis and volleyball require serving the ball. In an article, “Six Steps to a Better Serve,” the author wrote, “Serving is a skill that takes years of practice to master, and something that you can always improve upon. . . . Keep at it, take your time, and practice lots.” This applies to serving others as well.

As a coach, I used to love preseason practice. (As a player I could have done without it.) I loved working with the players and coaches, the camaraderie of being part of a team, and the anticipation of opening night. Preseason was always electrifying.

Then came the first game. The scoreboard was turned on, and a new element was added—the element of stress.

Hockey Chat:  There are the guys on the team that wear the “C” on their sweater representing that they are the Captain.  They’ve given their best at putting forth the qualities of a leader.  The management of the team sees those actions and gives this prestigious reward to the top man who has earned it.  It’s an honor given to them because of what they gave to the team.