Psalm 37 was written for competitive people. It will help any athlete stay focused on the big picture and release them to perform better. There is a fine line between being worried and prepared; but to “fret” will only weaken us. Fretting is a warning that we want our own way more than God’s. It has been a custom around the world for years to rattle off the Lord’s Prayer before competition. Do the athletes really mean, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,” or “my kingdom come, my will be done”?
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Risk and Danger
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Let’s consider the most reckless, dangerous, and risky thing we’ve each done. (Please don’t answer out loud.) If we said it was love our family, friends, and teammates, we’re thinking like Jesus. In John’s gospel we read these challenging words, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.”
These words are remarkable for more than one reason. First, Jesus said them while Judas, who would betray Him that very evening, was in the room. He also said these words to His disciples—His teammates—who, within hours, would go into hiding or deny knowing Him. His love was rather risky, but very deep.
His Ground - "It's About Power!"
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Day 4
When I step onto His field, there is power. Power comes through Jesus Christ. We can experience this power when we play and live on His ground. Everything I do should start on His ground.
Warm-Up
Identify and describe your favorite place to compete (field, court, pool, arena, track, etc.).
Workout
Leaving a Mark?
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An imprint is permanent mark. It means to engrave, etch, impress or inscribe. I remember as an eight-year-old, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride my older brother's motorcycle. I wanted to show him how "big" I was, so I took off with reckless abandonment! Around 100 yards down the dirt road, my front tire hit a hole that I never saw. As I flew through the air, my life passed before my eyes. I landed in a ditch, and the motorcycle landed on my back! Ouch! Thankfully, as a result of being in the ditch, the only part of the motorcycle that was touching my back was the muffler. As the muffler burned through my shirt and my flesh, I experienced a world of hurt. My brother rescued me and I was forbidden to ride his bike again.
Let Your Banner Fly
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You will find them on fields and in arenas, flying high to represent honor, pride and love. What could I be talking about but those huge banners and school flags that are so visible in sports today? These banners are flown proud and freely as if to say, "This is our team and our house. Much is at stake." These truly are a sight to see.
Impact Play
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Every morning, I have a routine once I get to the office.
1. Fire up the computer - 8:00 A.M.
2. Delete the spam from my e-mail account (while eating a couple pieces of toast).
3. Head to “Morning Glory,” the corporate prayer time of the FCA National Office.
4. Transition into prayer time with the Communications/Marketing Department.
5. Edit and send out the daily Impact Play e-mail devotion.
6. Start the day - 9:30 A.M.
I’ll be honest. Prior to writing this story, bullet point number five wasn’t that much of a landmark in my day.
The Power of Joy
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A large crowd gathered for the memorial service of Coach Whitson, a much-loved junior high coach who had been at the same school for 17 years. Several former players spoke of his impact on their lives, describing him as happy and joyful. Those close to him knew what they were talking about, because Coach Whitson understood what it meant to offer thanksgiving and praise to God regardless of the circumstances. He walked in worship, even when the circumstances were not happy. Though he had had his share of pain, his focus on thanksgiving gave him a joy that touched many lives.
We or Me?
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At the end of the movie The Greatest Game Ever Played, there is a scene that depicts what winning is all about. Based on a true story, 20-year-old golfer Francis Ouimet wins the 1913 U.S. Open with a fifth-grade caddie named Eddie. After accomplishing this unthinkable feat by sinking a playoff-winning putt on the 18th hole, Francis yells, “We did it!” Francis played the round of his life, but understood that he won with the help and encouragement of Eddie. This scene captured my heart and I was convicted. I’m embarrassed to say I would have yelled, “I did it!”
1 Corinthians 12:25
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Hockey Chat: Good hockey teams win as a team and lose as a team. They are protective of each other on the ice, sometimes getting in scuffles that they never started. They celebrate together after a goal, whoever scored it. It’s that comradely that keeps the team strong.
Fields of Hope
November 14, 2009. It was a typical fall evening in Stonewall, La., on an athletic field, much like every other across the South where students of all ages rallied together with friends and families for a single purpose... But it wasn’t football.
Finish the Drill
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Several years ago when Bobby Dodd was the coach at Georgia Tech, Tech was beating Alabama by five points with only seconds remaining in the game. The coach told the quarterback to fall on the ball, but instead, he dropped back to pass. The pass was intercepted by an Alabama defensive back who was very fast. He got by everyone, but the quarterback chased him down from behind to tackle him. Tech won the game. Afterward, Coach Dodd was asked how the slow quarterback outran the fast defensive back. Coach said, “The defensive back was running for a touchdown, but the quarterback was running for his life.”
True Champions
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My wife coached with the Houston Comets when they were crowned the first WNBA champions. When most people see her championship ring, very few think about what it took to obtain it. The Comets won it all because that team consisted of true champions.
A champion is by definition an ardent defender or supporter of a cause or another person; one who fights; a mighty warrior. In the case of Goliath, it literally means the man between the two, denoting the position he held between the quarreling camps. From this vantage point, we’re given a very clear indication of what a true champion is: one who willingly steps up when it’s time to do battle.
Beyond the Game
Walking through the halls of the Auburn football office, you can almost feel it. there’s something different about this athletic complex — something bigger than just sports.
Make no mistake about it, these Tigers have the same on-the-field mission as every other football team in the country. They want to win. But unlike most other teams, their definition of a “win” isn’t restricted to a scoreboard.
What a Gift
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Chris Tidland is a very good golfer. However, for six straight years he missed the final cut in q-school by a couple of strokes. In 2005, it came down to the final hole, and he missed it by one stroke. Many athletes would stop trying after all those years, but knowing Chris, he would never give up. The following year, Tidland again found himself in the top 30 players on the leaderboard in the final round. Only the final 30 would advance to the PGA Tour the next season. Would he finish strong and get an early Christmas present?
Justice
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The NCAA men's basketball tournament breeds controversy and cries of injustice. There are always teams who feel they deserve an at-large bid to the tournament and have their hopes crushed by the selection committee. The 2004 tournament selection was no different. Texas-El Paso snuck in with a 19-13 record, while Utah State, ranked No. 22 in the country with a 25-3 record, got snubbed. Then there are others who made it in, but feel they did not get the seed they deserved. Mama always told me, "Life isn't fair."
Attitudes - Chapel
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Chapel – Attitudes
1 – I’ve been very pleased with the attitudes of this team thus far.
• Valuing the team over individualism
• Making sacrifices rather than demands
• Expressed on the field, between teammates, with coaches and even in the media
2 – This reminds me of Philippians 2:3-4 (read the text aloud).
• Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit.
o Don’t draw attention to yourself – deflect praise to others.
o Don’t take offense to trash talk or cheap shots – respect your team and the sport.
o Don’t overestimate your importance – there are other players ready to step into your spot.
This is a Bible
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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.
#5 - StVRP - Cam Cameron, Tom Osborn and Herschel Walker
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Ron interviews Cam Cameron and Tom Osborn. Herschel Walker talks about his days at Georgia. Les talks about Christ.
Pursuing My Passion
God truly does make His strength known in whatever way He sees fit—whether through point-blank pows to the face or in subtle hints. In my case, it has been both.
When I came to Central Christian College in McPherson, Kan., God blessed me with the rare opportunity to play college baseball at a school that also helped cultivate my faith and personal ministry. It had always been a dream of mine to play baseball at the college level, but, if things had gone according to my own plan, I would have become just another face in the crowd. Thankfully, God has always put me in the place I needed to be—surrounded by the right people, challenged in appropriate times, and nurtured by His supreme love.
Rewards - Chapel
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1 – Today we will discuss ironic nature of rewards in sport.
- The rewards are the same for the freshman playing his first season as for the senior playing his last season.
- The rewards for the first year coach are the same as for the twenty year veteran of coaching.
- At the end of the game or the end of the season, the rewards are the same.
2 – Jesus told a story about this in Matthew 20:1-16 (read the text aloud).
Pray Specifically
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Former Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne said, “I’ve found that prayers work best when you have big players.” Maybe when it comes to football, big players do make the difference in prayer. In the game of life, I’ve discovered the bottom line to getting prayers answered. As I look back on the times God has answered my prayers, I know why I got the answer. It was because I prayed the right prayer. I was specific with God when I prayed.
In Malachi 3:10 the Lord says, “Test Me in this way…See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure.” Here we see the power of God to provide when we test Him. The way to test God is to be specific.
#94 - StVRP - Jamey Carroll, Del Wright, Bobby Richardson & Les Steckel
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Cleveland Indians infielder Jamey Carroll, FCA Regional Director for Florida Del Wright, former New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson and FCA President Les Steckel.
Linked
Since the beginning of time, love stories have been told and retold. Typically, they go something like this: Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl get married. Boy and girl live happily ever after.
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