|
PICTURE THIS: Its Wednesday morning July 28, 2010. Its 6:30 AM, time for my morning run. It’s raining. Its decision time…to run or not to run that is the question. Put up or shut up, go hard or go home, don’t be a punk were some of the thoughts that ran through my mentality as mind kept reminding me that it was raining. OK Chad, what’s it gonna be?
January 19, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: 2008-2009 season marked the first time in the 82 year franchise history that every game of the Chicago Blackhawks was televised. This moved was a big change from the “blackout” ruling that had been in place from earlier ownership. With the new ability to watch the games came a great interest in the sport making the Hawks games the highest attended of any hockey venue for the entire season.
June 03, 2010
Set:
During football, soccer, and hockey games, the course of the game can change quickly. Success is often the result of an interception that leads to a score and victory. God can also intercept our life. When we think that everything is going wrong, God finds a way to get our attention. It may be by a circumstance or someone He strategically puts in our life. The next time you see a defensive player intercept a ball or a puck, watch and see what happens next. They are congratulated by their teammates and the change of momentum will often lead to a score and victory. When it is needed, don’t be surprised if God intercepts your life.
January 05, 2010
Set:
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.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: On November 2 of 2002, Tie Domi took a penalty and then let his emotions take his whole team out of the game. His mouthing off and cursing at referee Brad Watson landed Domi a gross misconduct penalty and an accompanying fine of $200. The Maple Leafs were scored on during the penalty and stayed back on their heels to lose the game 5-2. His words cost him and the team a loss.
March 09, 2010
Set:
Over the past fourteen years, I have been a defensive coach in our high school football program. Specifically, I coach linebackers. In order to play linebacker successfully at our level, a player must make a total commitment to the expectations placed upon him. It requires an unwavering self-discipline.
October 10, 2010
Set:
In 1979, as a Christian follower for fourteen years, I awoke to find my world crumbling. I had tried to be a good coach, a good provider, a sharing Christian, a church deacon, and a well-conditioned athlete. But I learned a great lesson that day. Sometimes I can be doing God’s work and not God’s will! I had been trying to do God’s work, but His will was for me to love my wife more.
I turned to my Bible and immediately turned to the verse above, 2 Timothy 3:1–5. I knew this was written for me. Immediately I read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in order to know Jesus and His words. I said, “If I was an apostle with Jesus in His time—what would I have thought?”
December 17, 2009
Set:
Birdie Pitts served Christ for all of her 92 years on earth. On August 9, 2001, she went home to be with the Lord. She was my first official FCA prayer warrior when I started with FCA almost 20 years ago. Little did I know, however, that Birdie had actually started praying for me 11 years before I even joined FCA. I was in eighth grade when I first met two buddies, James and Tim (Birdie’s grandson), at a summer camp in New York. Not only did I make two lifetime friends at that camp, but I also made a commitment to full-time ministry.
September 19, 2010
Set:
I had the great privilege of knowing Prentice Gautt, who passed away March 17, 2005. He was a wonderful human being. Prentice Gautt was the first black athlete to play football at Oklahoma University. He began playing there in 1956. He was two-time all conference in both 1958 and 1959. Not only was he a great runner; he was a fierce blocker.
June 05, 2009
Set:
At soccer practice, it was always understood that the freshmen were the ones who would always help clean up by collecting soccer balls, cones and pennies. That’s just what they were supposed to do, kind of like a rite of passage.
After long practices, it always seemed like nobody wanted to collect the sweaty pennies or run all the way to the far corners of the muddy field to collect the balls and cones. Then, one day, our coach gave the freshmen a break and asked the older players to help pack up. We looked around, thinking it was a joke. This wasn’t our job! Why should we be stooping so low? We were above the task. In reality, it seemed we were looking after our own interests, and not the interests of the entire team.
April 30, 2010
Set:
Coaches have it tough. Let’s be honest. There’s a stigma that we are all ex-jocks and not very good classroom teachers. There are many stereotypes about coaches: “They are teachers who get all the breaks without really working hard in the classroom…They get to miss faculty meetings…They eat meals with their teams that are paid for by the school…They sit down all day and hand out worksheets to their students…They think winning ballgames is the most important thing in the world.” For some coaches, these stereotypes may be true, but I know many where that is not the case.
May 09, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: April 22, 2008, four teams played hockey knowing that by the end of the night, only two of those teams would be going on to the next level. It was time to shine and give it all. There is no “next game” to fall back on. Time to show the true spirit. It was two “Game Sevens”. San Jose and Philadelphia advance to the next round and for Calgary and Washington, the season was over.
September 23, 2010
Set:
When most sport seasons end, numbers get crunched. It’s easy for coaches to get caught up in the numbers game, especially as the media highlights our career wins, our titles, and our Coach of the Year awards. However, any true coach knows records are not the important thing; what matters is having the opportunity to work with athletes, to make a difference in their lives. Coaches, like players, make a lot of sacrifices to develop winning teams, but most will tell you those sacrifices and successes are for the athletes, for the joy of watching players mature and grow.
August 02, 2010
Set:
Most of you have probably heard the greatly catchy, but annoying Britney Spears song "Oops I did it Again". The lyrics of this song go something like "Oops I did it again, I played with your heart". The song stresses the idea of not only making the same mistakes over and over, but leading someone into thinking we like them more than we actually do. Unfortunately our lives as Christians look much the same.
May 09, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: After winning the Stanley Cup in 1924, Montreal Canadiens players on their way to a victory party stashed the trophy in the trunk of their car. Part way to the festivities, the vehicle had a flat. The players removed the Cup to get at the spare, changed the tire and drove away leaving the Stanley Cup perched on a snow bank. Only when it came time to drink champagne from the Cup did they realize they didn't have it Cup with them. They drove back to where they'd changed the tire, found the Cup sitting there patiently waiting for them, and hastily reclaimed it.
February 08, 2010
Set:
Last year, I was on the junior varsity basketball team. Our record was 23-4. It was the best record our coach had ever had. However, he was not pleased with us all of the time. He continually told us that even though we were winning games, we had not played to our full potential. He told us we had yet to play a full four quarters at our hardest. Just because we beat other teams the coach believed we were not living up to the standards he had for us on the court.
June 06, 2010
Set:
Before Jesus left His disciples and returned to heaven, He promised that He would send them a “Counselor” or helper, the Holy Spirit. The word helper in the Greek means, “one called alongside.” He stands beside us to help us. That’s why we, as Christians, fight no battles and face no problems alone.
February 08, 2010
Set:
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.
September 02, 2010
Set:
One of the most damaging aspects of sports today doesn’t happen on the field. The media, team members, and many others all take part in this meaningless act. It is called gossip. People love to tear something or someone apart with their words. They would rather say what they heard about others than search for the truth. I have seen more teams ruined by gossip than by performance.
January 19, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: Although hockey pucks are hardened by the vulcanization process in which they are made, the black biscuits are kept frozen during an NHL game to stop them from bouncing on the ice which gives better control. Sometimes the refs swap thawed pucks out with chilled pucks during stops. It takes a little extra attention to keep them hard but it makes for a better playing puck.
September 10, 2010
Set:
Hockey Chat: The chest protectors that goalies wear are nothing short of phenomenal. They allow for 100+ miles per hour vulcanized rubber biscuits to bounce off them with no pain to the goaltender. That keeps him confidently in the game.
February 25, 2010
Set:
Most coaches have heard the phrase “the coaches’ widow.” Among football coaches, that phrase is explained with the following admonition: “Kiss your wife in August and tell her you’ll see her in December.” That’s the motto that most coaches live by in our culture. Funny thing is, Christ never challenged us to do what “most people” do. As Christians, we are called to live to a higher standard—to create a new normal in our culture.
Featured Resources
-
Video
-
Promotional
-
Bible Study
-
Wallpaper
Browse By
Ministry
Sport
Book of the Bible
FCA Bible Topic
|
