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Coach Jones’s team lost a couple of games that had seemed like sure wins, and the wolves were howling for a change. Coach Jones had allowed his disappointment to turn to discouragement, and he was feeling pretty low. Right about that time a friend came to him and quoted Samuel Johnson: “Great works are not accomplished by strength, but by perseverance.” His friend added, “You are doing a great work and it’s a lot bigger than football.
It seems the psalmist’s heart, informed by God’s truth, was the source of his wise speech and security in life. Many coaches rest their security in their players’ abilities, which serves them well until injuries occur. Other coaches find security in knowledge of their sport or the experience of their coaching staff. Others appear fully confident, but are then found to be inferior in competition. In each case, their confidence easily turns to anxiety because of the nature of their source.
Our heart can be a limitless source of peace and confidence if we maintain our relationship with Christ through careful study of the Bible. Reading the Scriptures regularly deposits the law of God in our hearts and will keep our steps from slipping.
As the second-year head football coach at Clemson University, Dabo Swinney is hoping to lead the Tigers to their first ACC Championship in 19 years. After accepting Christ through FCA in high school, the Alabama native (with one of the most memorable names in college football) is focused not only on making a positive impact on the school’s record books, but also on the lives of his players and staff.
They were highly recruited freshmen on the UCLA volleyball team when they first met — one a shy high-school standout, who quietly went about her business; the other a gregarious, fun-loving star, who quickly made friends with everyone she met.
Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan had never talked before their time as teammates at UCLA, but they certainly knew of each other.
John reminds us to focus on God, and not think highly of ourselves. I once spoke at an event for a large number of kids. Before me, another speaker fumbled through his words in a monotone voice. As I listened, my sinful side said, “Dude, those kids are going to love you compared to this guy.” I couldn’t believe what I was thinking. My pride rose up and I hadn’t even stepped on stage. I was soon reminded, it’s not about me. The host introduced me as a youth pastor—which I’m not; and in the closing prayer, thanked God for me—using the wrong name. I drove home laughing. Those kids had no idea who I was or where I worked.
Chapel – Breakthrough
1 – Games with this opponent have been ones where our team has made breakthroughs over the last few years. What will it be today?
• Breakthrough victory story 1 – Commitment to teammates
• Breakthrough victory story 2 – Commitment to winning
• Breakthrough victory story 3 – Commitment to being champions
• What will it be this year? Our breakthrough will be determined by our commitments.
Referees have a tough assignment. They must keep the game going, uphold the rules, keep every participant safe, and make sure not to create an advantage for either side. It’s a monumental task, all the while facing unbelievable pressure from the stands. But, in the midst of all that goes on during a game, the primary job of a referee is to represent truth. Have you noticed that all referees make truth statements: “No catch…out of bounds…foul on you…off sides…touchdown…no good…time has expired.” They don’t have favorites, aren’t rooting for one team over the other, and are simply stating the truth as they see it. Once the whistle blows, one side likes the call while, inevitably, the other side doesn’t.
Discussion:
Summary:
When we think of worshiping God, what comes to mind? Praying? Going to church? Singing? Worship includes these things, but encompasses much more.
When I started in professional tennis, I aimlessly played for my own pleasure. Gradually, I realized we are to worship the Lord in everything we do. So how can we worship through sports? Much of the answer lies in our attitude and motivation.
NFL, NBA, MLB, and other professional and college sports are filled with athletes who have lost the concept of being a part of a team. If the team wins, great, but they want to get their glory first and foremost. Who do these athletes think they are?
Chapel – Attitude
1 – Attitude:
• It can be our greatest asset.
• It can be our greatest liability.
• Your attitude will affect how you perceive your teammates, your coaches, your opponents, the officials and your team’s support staff.
Since 1997, MasterCard has received hundreds of awards for their catchy ad campaign featuring the slogan “Priceless.” As Christians, I think the slogan for our relationships with Christ should be “Serving Is Priceless.” Most people think that serving is the same thing as service. I disagree. I believe there is a huge difference between the two. Christ did not come to give good service; He came to serve. As an athlete, I am not supposed to give good service to my teammates—I am to serve them. As a coach, I serve my team; I do not provide them a service. Service is something you pay for or something you expect, such as courteous and prompt attention from the employees at a restaurant or gas station. But serving goes deeper.
Into the first 10 years of my pro golf career, my spiritual life could be described as “just going through the motions.” I went to church growing up and knew all the right things to say, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. That all changed in 1985.
As Christian athletes we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that God is always on our team’s side. We think, Why would God not want us to have victory on the playing field? Are we not more righteous than our opponents? (For some reason I always saw the other team as the bad guys). Even more, Why would He not want us to experience victory?
Habakkuk cried out to God for answers to questions like these. He could not understand why God would allow such evil and horrible injustice to take place in his land. God gave him an answer he couldn’t believe. God told him the Chaldeans were going to invade his land. God had purposed that the Chaldeans—a nation more evil than his own—were going to be His instrument of justice among the people of Judah.
Every day, I run across the same busy bridge without sidewalks. Once, as I saw a car coming, I scooted to the guardrail, expecting they would slide toward the center lane. Nope. They stayed fully in their lane, flew past me, and nearly clipped off my arm! I whipped around shouting angrily. They didn’t hear me (a good thing).
Why hadn’t they moved over? I thought angrily. It’s not that difficult to see a runner coming straight toward you. Where’s the common courtesy? I always accommodate a runner on the road!
As a coach, my main objective is to communicate the game plan to my players. My next objective is to teach them to execute it on game days through hours of practice. During my pregame speech I may promise that if they execute the plan properly, they will have a chance to win. However, in the chaos of the game, the plan that I have mapped out may begin to unravel. If some of the players failed to study and learn it, the whole team will suffer. Are there similarities between this scenario and your own experiences?
Georgia FCA’s Joey Potter believes in a simple philosophy: Build a church and send a missionary, and a hundred people might come. But build a sports field and put a coach or pastor on it, and you can attract thousands.
My first fall playing collegiate Division I volleyball went exactly as I imagined. We ended up conference champions and competed in the NCAA tournament. It was smooth sailing. Though classes were difficult and I was homesick, I felt at home, because the volleyball court was the same 900 square feet it had always been. My second year started like the first. However, six starters had graduated. After our first win, the season disintegrated. As a sophomore, I could no longer hide behind the older players. Suddenly that 900 square-foot court didn’t look as familiar. We began that season as conference champions and ended with a 5-25 record. At the season’s end, all I could think about was my failure as a player and anger at the game.
As a young coach I was blessed with good players and quick success. Although people told me what a good coach I was, I considered the really great coach to be in the local junior high. Phil Hodson was the Wilbur Shooterfly (Hoosiers) of my day. He had an incredible knowledge of the game. One day after winning our seventh or eighth game in a row, he pulled me aside. I was expecting him to tell me I did a great job. Instead, he let me have it. He told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear.
We know them well—athletes who, at first, worked hard and gave the credit to God for their success. But then as success increased, giving God the glory decreased. It happens all the time—the once humble athlete asks for more of the world and less of God. Pride takes over!
King Uzziah was one of these men. Under the spiritual influence of Zechariah, Uzziah sought the Lord and was blessed. But Uzziah started to focus more on himself and less on God. He became powerful quickly and quickly forgot who got him to that point. He became so proud and brash that he entered the temple and tried to do things only the priests were allowed to do.
In just his fourth full season in the Major Leagues, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw has already become a household name. After winning the 2011 NL Cy Young Award, the then 23-year-old joined the ranks of all-time Dodger greats Sandy Koufax, Fernando Valenzuela and Orel Hershiser, and he recently became just the fifth pitcher in franchise history to strike out more than 200 batters in three consecutive seasons.
We are excited to offer two new One Way 2 Play radio commercials. The commercials feature Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton and Steve Fitzhugh.
How to use them:
1. Select the one(s) you want to air when you have a station in your area donating PSA’s/radio time to FCA. You can listen to them, and the station can download them from FCA Resources under Marketing. Scroll down to “Radio Spots.”
2. Be proactive and call on a local station who might have a manager with a heart for FCA. Take your lap top or log on at the station to TeamNet. Let them listen to the spots and decide they want to air them!
Suggested stations to contact:
-Local Christian
-Stations who air the local sports games and reports
This customizable ad provides a blank text box at the bottom for you to insert local information to post at schools, churches and other locations.
Florida State University sophomore Caroline Smith made an immediate splash with the Seminole swimming team when, as a freshman, she set the school record in the 500-yard freestyle. Even more impressive was the fact that she did so while turning in a stellar classroom performance, earning ACC Honor Roll honors and a 4.0 GPA. Still, as member of FSU’s FCA leadership team, Smith knows the records and honors are blessings from the Lord, whom she joyfully worships both in and out of the pool.
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