Calling Timeout

By P.J. Meduri

Ready:

Wisdom calls out in the street; she raises her voice in the public squares. She cries out above the commotion; she speaks at the entrance of the city gates. — Proverbs 1:20–21

Set:

Momentum is the one thing that can turn a game completely around. This game-changing element can happen in any sport, but the one that comes to mind immediately is basketball. How often, while watching a game on television, do you hear the announcers start screaming, “Coach so-and-so better call a timeout soon”? They realize that if coach so-and-so doesn’t stop the game and allow the team to regroup, things will soon go from bad to worse. The same can happen to us as coaches when situations catch us by surprise, making a timeout needed. What’s a surprise situation? It’s one of those situations where nothing is going the way we’d like and our emotions get the better of us, causing us to react in a way we later regret. It might be in a practice or in a game. It might involve a situation with a player, a parent, or any situation where momentum is working against us. That’s when a timeout is needed. A timeout can be to ask God for wisdom on how to respond, or a specific request. Scripture says, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him” (Jms 1:5).

Finally, the verses above reveal that wisdom cries out from places that are loud, noisy, and chaotic – just like the coaching world at times. God reaches out to us in a variety of places: on the field, the court, the track, the classroom, and the locker room. So be encouraged! God will never put us in a situation without His grace to assist us (1 Co 10:13). A key timeout is a wise strategy for regaining control and obtaining a little divine momentum.

Go:

1. As a coach, what type of situation causes you to become “reactive”? 2. How does Hebrews 13:5b–6 reveal that God is available in all situations? 3. Do you believe God responds to small, quick prayers? Check Matthew 14:27–31.

Workout:

Extra Reading: James 1:2–8; 3:17–18

Overtime:

Father, give me the grace to wait, and pray before responding in all situations. Amen.

– See more at: http://fcaresources.com/devotional

Fix Your Eyes

by Kerry O’Neill
Source: FCA Resources and Devotionals

Ready: 

“Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Set: 

Athletes are instructed on where to focus their eyes. “Keep your eyes on the ball . . . Keep your eyes on the player’s midsection . . . Keep your eyes on the hoop when shooting . . . Keep your eyes on the finish line . . .”

NFL star receiver Steve Largent was once asked what he kept his eyes on when a quarterback threw the ball. Largent said he looked at the cross-hairs. While it is next to impossible to look at the cross seams of a football coming at you at that speed, it showed Largent’s focus.

The writer of Hebrews tells us where to focus: lay aside the weights and sins that ensnare us; do not focus on our circumstances; do not focus on problems, sin, limitations, or weaknesses; do not focus on our opponent. Focus on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.

Have we fallen into the trap of focusing on our circumstances? There are so many influences competing for our attention that it becomes difficult to keep our eyes on Jesus. Just as coaches fear distractions will impede their athletes, the Lord wants our eyes fixed on Christ.

Go: 

1. Do you focus more on what you cannot do rather than what you can do?
2. Is your focus more on your opponent than on your performance?
3. What things in life compete for your attention?
4. Are you ready to fix your eyes on Jesus?

Workout:

Proverbs 4:25; Colossians 3:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:8

Overtime: 

Lord, forgive me for losing focus. With so many influences competing for my attention, tune my mind and heart to seek You first in every situation. Give me grace as I run with endurance to the finish line. Amen.

About the Author:

Multi-Area Director in Virginia Battlefield Area.

For more devotionals, resources, and information, visit the FCA Resources Page.

FCA Interview with Los Angeles Dodger, Clayton Kershaw

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2011 National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw sat down with FCA to talk about his Christian faith, what it meant to win the Cy Young and play for the Los Angeles Dodgers and what he’s learning about God’s sovereignty.

Dog Poop

by Tina

Every so often my husband and I get the privilege, yes privilege, to dog sit for some friends of ours.  The dogs, Zanzibar and Nefret, (cool names, huh?) are very easy to take care of.  Sometimes, it even makes us want to have dogs of our own…except for times like today.

Timmy and I just finished a two-day conference called the Global Leadership Summit.  The Summit is through the Willow Creek Church near Chicago, Illinois and focuses on ‘leading where you are’.  The conference targets business leaders, family leaders, church leaders; you name it, and equips them with tools to lead the best way you can.  We watched it via satellite telecast, but with the many all over the world, over 150,000 attend the GLS every year.  Amazing right?

The Summit is packed with awesome influential leaders of our world.  This year Condoleezza Rice, Patrick Lencioni, Jim Collins, Bill Hybels, and many others spoke.  One speaker in particular talked about integrity, and that will be the basis of this blog post.  Mario Vega, a Senior Pastor of many churches in El Salvador said, 

“The morale failure of a leader will challenge the integrity of others as well.”

The little buggers’

 I was on my afternoon walk with the dogs, reflecting on the many things that were said the past two days at GLS.  I prayed and asked God to help me lead where I am and use me to further his Kingdom.  Mid-prayer, Nefret pooped.  Good thing he is a little dog because I can handle picking up little poops.  After I picked up the gross-ness, I continued on.  About five minutes later Zanzibar pooped.  “Great , ” I thought, “This is disgusting.” Luckily…by the grace of God I think, he only had a little poop.  But man was I wrong.  A few steps later, it just all came out…on someone’s front lawn! Oh my goodness gracious, I couldn’t believe this was happening.  Every time I take the dogs on a walk they poop.  It’s like they wait all day to get it out just so they can torture me. lol.

As I’m getting ready to pick it up, grocery sack in hand, I hear a buzzing noise and notice a wasp right by the poop.  “No WAY am I doing this now,” I thought.  I am too scared to get stung.  So, I looked around to see if there was anyone nearby.  I looked at the house whose lawn Zanzibar pooped on, hoping the owners were not peering out the window. Safe.  I threw a few rocks over the dog poop to try and cover it up and peaced out.

As I walked back to the house, I got convicted.  God reminded me of the integrity sermon I heard today.  He reminded me of the verse,

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.  But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.” Luke 16:10

I started questioning God asking, “Really?  Does this matter over dog poop lol?”  And I was yet again reminded of integrity.  I thought of it metaphorically.  How many times have I avoided addressing my sin by just covering it up?  Do I act in integrity in the presence of others, as well as when I’m alone?

I decided to turn around and go pick it up.

On my way back to pick up Zanzibar’s poop, Nefret pooped again.  I just laughed and thanked God for his humor.  I can just picture him chuckling in heaven as I gagged picking up my fourth piece of poop that day.

I walked home the rest of the way guilt-free.  If I wouldn’t have picked up the poop, someone could have stepped in it.  The same happens with our sin.  If we don’t confess it to God or others, and just try to cover it up, someone else will step in it and face the consequences.  It can affect your church, your business, or your family.

“The morale failure of a leader will challenge the integrity of others as well.”

This post is funny, I have to admit, but I pray it is also an opportunity for you to reflect on your own integrity.  All of us are leaders in some way, especially as an athlete or a coach, so I want you to ask yourself.  When you are in off-season weight training with your team, do you finish that last set? When the coach says hit the line in your sprints, do you hit the line? As a coach, do you think about the impact you are having on your athletes when you are screaming at a referee? As a Christian, do you live a life that is honoring to God?  On the field and off the field?  

Living in integrity is a constant choice, so pick up the dog poop.

Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out

Made New

 Psalms 103:12 “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

I normally don’t write blogs spur of the moment, but after seeing a photo on Pinterest, I felt like I needed to.

Pinterest.  Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don’t.   I like finding house decorating ideas, or following Disney lovers like myself, but I don’t like seeing things like this ecard which said (to paraphrase), “Your God-fearing facebook statuses don’t make me forget who you were in high school”.

The first thing I thought of when reading this ecard was myself.  To some of you that may be a shock, but I haven’t always been a follower of Jesus Christ.  I grew up knowing about a God and that’s about it.  My parents didn’t force me to church nor did they really talk about it…(From what I remember) I do remember saying the “Now I lay me down to sleep prayer” at my dads, and I also remember going to a camp called Id-Ra-Ha-Je (I’d-rather-have-Jesus), when living with my mom in Bailey, Colorado.  Other than that, I would describe God to be a fairytale: something I would watch in the movies I love so much.

When it was time for me to go to high school, I moved with my dad and step mom to attend a private Catholic school in Denver, Colorado.  This was really the first in-depth look at who God was for myself, but even though I sort of understood and claimed to believe, it really didn’t register in my heart.  I was very much involved in the world, and struggling to find my identity.  I partied, had ungodly relationships, gossiped, you name it… I would have never been called a God-fearing Christian.

I walked into freshman year of college still stuck in high school. I thought I found my identity in those worldly things because everyone was doing it. I even went to church on my own accord.  But even then, I wouldn’t be remembered as a God-fearing Christian.

It wasn’t until I experienced one of the lowest points in my life that I realized something needed to change.  I smile when I write this because I think of God’s humor in the way he does things.  I was walking in the mall one day, broken, and empty, and I see a table with a sign that says, “Wake up Sleeping Beauty”.  Well…anyone that knows me knows I am a fan of Disney.  So I walked to the table, picked up a pamphlet, and read about finding your true love in Jesus.  I started this Bible study and my life was changed.  I remember sitting in the orientation service and the song, Born Again, by Third Day came on.  I started weeping and that was the day I truly asked Jesus into my heart.

Sometimes I think it’s hard in our Christian walk to forget what happened in high school, college, or a hard point in our lives.  Sometimes it’s hard to see those people on facebook and wonder what they think of you. Well, you know what, you may remember your past, and other people might too, but God doesn’t.  It says in Psalms 103:12 that “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

This means that God doesn’t even consider the sin we have done to keep us from coming to him.  HE HAS FORGOT! Colossians 1:22 puts it this way “Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

Re-read that verse.  “you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

Wow. I don’t know about you, but that encourages me.  We live in a society that holds our past failures over our heads, but it’s so amazing to know that the God of the universe looks at us without blemish.

We are spotless, blameless, and made new. All because of Jesus.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

What you did in your past is never too much for you to overcome in Christ.

Romans 8:37 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Keep posting your God-fearing facebook statuses.  God knows your heart, and you are forgiven 😉

Reflect:

We can’t ignore the past, but we can choose to use what has happened in our lives as a testimony to God’s faithfulness.

Even though other people may hold your past sins over your head, just remember Jesus Christ doesn’t.

One Lap at A Time

“…Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-3

Before. I love that word in that verse. Things that are “before” us are things that God has already planned “before” we knew it was going to happen. But the dictionary also defines “before” as something in front of us.

I remember one day in college I was in the rec center running at the indoor track. As I continued to go around and around my mind began to drift other places.

My goal for this particular run was 2.5 miles, which is about 15 laps around the indoor track. Now, for those of you who know me, I’m not a distance runner…AT ALL. After I would run a 400-meter race I’d be dead for a few days, (that was an all out sprint though. I’m trying to justify it ) but since the previous summer I had really wanted a challenge.

My track career consisted of the shorter distances, and sprinting as fast as I can to get from point A to point B. After about six laps on the track that day I decided to change my mindset. Instead of counting down the laps I had remaining, I chose to focus on the lap I was on.

One lap at a time.

As I continued to run, enjoying the things God was speaking to me, I thought about how much we tend to think about the future. We look to the future as something to work towards. Goals maybe? Which are great to strive for, but if we are seeing it as something better than what we are experiencing to get there, we are missing out.  We can look so much ahead of ourselves and forget about the blessings we have today, remembering this day, this hour, this minute, this second is one to celebrate and be excited about. Yes, there can be pain as we’re running this race of life, we will have hard times for each lap in our life, but God tells us “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”—2 Corinthians 12:10

Sometimes an injury can cause you to stop and enter the rest of God.

Hebrews 12:1-3 says “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

I love this verse so much. It first reminds us to remember all of the people who have endured things just like we are today. Hebrews chapter 11 is about the great hall of faith and people in the Bible that went through things like we all do. We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses who have rejoiced, struggled, and have laid aside the sin, which so easily entangles us. We have encouragement!! How great is it to know that we are not the only ones that feel the way we do sometimes. Secondly, when we lay aside the sin that so easily entangles us, we are able to run with endurance. If you have something in your life that is holding you down and back from being who God has called you to be, it’s harder to run, but when we lay it (whatever that “It” is in your life) aside and give it all to Jesus who has already conquered it all…we can get through anything. One of the most powerful things about this verse is to fix our eyes on Jesus, which is the core of this devotion…because when we do, we can enjoy every minute that we’ve been given. “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” psalm 118:24. When our attitudes are changed to being thankful and remembering the things we have, we enjoy the moment more. Sometimes I dread running, but then I remember what a blessing it is to have legs, and to run and be able to think about things and clear my head and see the beauty outside. When I started being thankful and focusing on the things God has blessed me with already, I am able to love others more like Christ has loved us. “For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Matthew 6:25

Praise God that we don’t have to worry about tomorrow. Even though I do worry, sometimes more than I should, these things are a good reminder to focus running this race one lap at a time.

Life’s a marathon, not a sprint. Let’s hold onto the hope we have in Jesus, knowing that he’ll take care of us one lap at a time.

Reflection:

Think about those things in your life that distract you from running one lap at a time and ask God to give you patience as you confidently trust that He, in His perfect time will work everything out.

Application Steps:

Make a list of things that you are excited about and surrender them to God in prayer. It’s great to be excited about things in the future, but it’s another thing to have them consume your thoughts. Spend some time in your devotion praying for opportunities to rejoice in what you have today and remember to take one day at a time.

by Tina

Pride Bombs

By Dan Britton

Ready:

“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.” – Proverbs 27:2

Set:

I did it again. I can’t believe I haven’t learned yet. I should know better, but it’s so hard not to do it. Everyone does it. I guess it’s considered just part of life, but I refuse to cave in and be like everyone else.

While I was talking on the phone the other day with one of my accountability partners, I got fired up because we were having an awesome conversation. For some strange reason, I felt the need to slip in a quick, small, innocent sentence. Or so I thought. We were discussing the response we received from a fellow FCA staff member, and I quickly inserted, “Yeah, and he is a GOOD friend of mine.” I wanted to make sure my accountability partner knew of my significant relationship with this staff member. I wasn’t letting him know that I was friends with him; I was implying that things worked out because of my tight relationship with him. I was making myself look good, bragging. I had dropped a Pride Bomb!

As soon as I said it, my accountability partner responded, ‘Why did you have to say that?” I didn’t respond. He then said, “Dan, if you need encouragement, just let me know, and I will give it to you.” Ouch. His accountability stung. But he was absolutely right! Not only was I praising myself, I was also fishing for praise. I wanted him to think better of me. My small, “innocent” comment screamed, “Look at me! I’m important! I’m significant!” T.S. Elliot was right when he wrote, “Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.” Not only did my comment turn the spotlight on me, but it also removed God from the situation. I’d blown up a great, God-centered conversation with a Pride Bomb.

Pride Bombs are unnecessary statements we make that puff ourselves up. Others can hear them go off a mile away, and they produce the most awful, selfish odor. They reek of self-glorification. In the world of sports, unfortunately, they have become a natural part of the language. Athletes and coaches often aren’t even aware that they do it, and, even if they are, they brag about it.

Why do we have such a need to brag? Do we really want people to think we have a big head or are on an ego trip? Do we want to be tagged as cocky, full of self and puffed up? Why is it so hard for us to recognize it in ourselves when others can spot it a mile away? Do we feel that we need to prove something to someone? Will others like us more if they know how important we are? Is there something missing in our lives that we desire others to fill? Maybe the reason is answered by the Spanish proverb, “Tell me what you brag about, and I’ll tell you what you lack.” What’s really crazy is that while we do this so that others will like us more, it only makes them want to avoid us. That is messed up.

As Christians, God has called us to a higher standard. He does not want us to go with the flow. He wants us to be humble and to speak with words of grace and thankfulness. Our conversations should puff others up. We should look for opportunities to slip in encouragement. I think it’s safe to say that God wants us to drop Encouragement Bombs instead of Pride Bombs. The two bombs are much alike with the exception of one small distinction: the replacement of the word “I” with the word “you.” Encouragement Bombs say, “You are great.” Pride Bombs say, “I am great.” It’s that simple.

Instead of letting our comments drip with self-exhortation, we should drench them in the edification and blessing of others. I can name several people in my life that I actively seek out because of the encouragement they offer. They are gifted to build others up with authentic, genuine Encouragement Bombs. When they go off, the effect is love, joy, compassion, blessing and motivation.

If we are truly walking in accordance with the will of God, we will drop Encouragement Bombs everywhere we go, and He will use them to bring healing and restoration. May we all be committed to bringing change to our teams, homes, schools or offices through priceless bombs of encouragement. I firmly believe that everyone is under-encouraged, so there is a lot of work to be done. Today, will you blow yourself up with a Pride Bomb or fill another up with an Encouragement Bomb? The choice is yours.

Go:

1. This past week, did you drop more Pride Bombs or Encouragement Bombs?
2. Reflect on these conversations and recount the times you dropped Pride Bombs. Ask the Lord to reveal why you felt the need to do it and ask for His forgiveness.
3. In your own circle, who drops the worst Pride Bombs?
4. On the flipside, who drops the best Encouragement Bombs? What makes this person different?
5. Ask the Lord to help you identify when you drop Pride Bombs, then pray to become the world-record holder of the most Encouragement Bombs dropped in a single day!

Workout:

Proverbs 25:27
2 Corinthians 10:12, 18
2 Corinthians 12:11

Overtime:

“Lord God in Heaven, please forgive me for dropping Pride Bombs. They do not honor You or others. I know You want me to speak blessings, encouragement and love. Today, I have the opportunity to unleash favor upon others. Free up my tongue and unlock my heart, Lord. Let it flow so that others can be touched and impacted. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.”

A Cup of Cocoa

“They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” Psalm 145:7 (NIV)

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, there’s one thing that always calms my heart and quiets my thoughts – a cup of hot cocoa. Who doesn’t feel warm and peaceful while sipping a cup of steaming cocoa with marshmallows piled on top?
But, there is another reason I love cocoa. Each letter of my favorite winter drink helps me focus my heart on Christ at Christmas:
C – CHRIST

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:18 (NIV 1984)
We all know Christ is the reason for this season, yet it’s easy to focus on shopping and planning instead of Jesus. This month, let’s spend as much time seeking God’s heart as we do searching for the perfect gifts.

O – ORNAMENTS
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV 1984)
We can easily spend more time decorating our house to look like the holiday edition of a magazine, than we do adorning our inner spirit with God’s love and compassion. Let’s ask God to make our hearts beautiful by giving us His patience and kindness. Then let’s look for ways to bless those around us, especially those in need.

C – CHEERFULLY CELEBRATE THE SEASON
“A happy heart makes a face look cheerful. But a sad heart produces a broken spirit.” Proverbs 15:13 (NIV)
As gift lists grow and calendars get full, our physical and emotional energy can be drained. Although Christmas is meant to be a joyous season, many of us struggle with depression and discouragement during this time of the year. Let’s take time each day to focus on how much we are valued and loved as children of God. The holidays are merely a season, but God’s love and compassion for us are permanent.

O – OVERJOYED not
OVERWHELMED
“When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:10-11 (NIV)
Do you ever feel overjoyed to kick off the holiday season but overwhelmed by the middle of the month? If we take time each day in December to thank Jesus for coming as our Savior, we could become overwhelmed by His kindness instead. When we focus our hearts on all God has done, we won’t get as easily overwhelmed by all that still needs to be done.

A – ABUNDANCE
“…I came that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10b (NIV)
Whenever I think of Christmas morning, from my childhood to the present, the word ABUNDANCE comes to mind. Abundance of presents, food and activities. But these things are temporary. What we need is the abundant life Jesus came to give us. Our hearts need His mercy, peace and love, not only on Christmas day, but every day throughout each year.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a cup of Christmas cocoa. Will you join me? Let’s take time to ponder these Christmas truths and, as that chocolaty goodness warms us, let’s allow the warmth of God’s love to pour into our hearts and His abundant goodness to pour out into the lives of those around us.

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me the gift of Your Son. Please help me not get so caught up in the earthly celebrations of Christmas that I forget to celebrate all I have in Christ. Remind me of Your love each day and show me how to share it with others each day of this month. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Application Steps:
Share today’s devotion with friends and family.
Why not print the acronym for COCOA on a gift card and tie it to a pretty cup to give as a gift this Christmas?

Reflections:
Have I allowed the chaos of Christmas to overshadow my love for Christ?
How can I share God’s goodness with others this season?
Power Verses:

Number 6:25-26, “The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” (NIV)

© 2011 by Tracie Miles. All rights reserved.

Giving Thanks In Everything

By Amanda Tewksbury

Ready:

“Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
-1 Thessalonians 5:18

Set:

Our world today tends to say that we should only give thanks in the midst of good circumstances, so it’s easy for us as athletes to give thanks to God after a victory. Now, there’s nothing wrong with thanking Him for good Ws, but God challenges us through His Word to adopt a much higher way of living by giving thanks in everything.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (above), the word “thanks” comes from a Greek word that literally means to be “thankful for God’s good grace.” This kind of thanks never needs to be circumstantial.

While playing basketball at the college level, I found it very difficult to give thanks to God in the midst of losing streaks, injuries, or when I was benched, and I didn’t understand why. But now I realize that it’s because we get so consumed by the performance in our sport that we forget we are constantly experiencing God’s grace in our lives and in our hearts. When we choose to remember the grace and forgiveness God has given us through Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross, no loss or disappointing outcome can keep us from giving thanks.

Today, don’t allow your life to be just a reflection of thankfulness during good circumstances. Choose to make thankfulness the condition of your heart as an athlete or a coach both in and out of competition. Dwelling on His grace and forgiveness more than your circumstances will allow you to do that.

Go:

1. As an athlete or coach, in what circumstances do you find it difficult to give thanks to God?
2. How would thankfulness change your frame of mind and the condition of your heart?
3. What are some things God has done for you that can define the way you live?

Workout:

• Matthew 14:13-21
• Matthew 26:27-29
• Philippians 4:4

Make a play-

 

http://fcaresources.com/devotional

Too Much Tebowing?

So………………I’m sure all of you know who Tim Tebow is.  Former Florida Gators quarterback, Heisman trophy winner, and Denver Broncos quarterback.  People either love him or hate him.

I’m just going to tell you flat out that I am a Tim Tebow fan, for a number of reasons.

1. His character and love for the Lord.  He’s not ashamed and lives a consistent lifestyle.  In a recent article by The Associated Press says, “his teammates and coaches, who see him when the cameras and recorders aren’t around, say he’s a sincere, aw-shucks, praise-the-Lord-and-pass-the-football kind of guy, with the world at his feet and his head nowhere near the clouds.  ‘He really is genuine and the emotion and the passion that you see him out there playing with, he has the same passion off the field with those type of things, the charity things and the missionary things,’ receiver Eddie Royal said. ‘He’s real,’ coach John Fox agreed.”
2. He’s a great role model.  John Fox later said in the article, “He walks the walk.  A guy like that in today’s society, in my mind, ought to be celebrated, not scrutinized to the level that he is.”  Bronco’s safety Rahim Moore said, “Look at the guy. He’s not a guy who’s out clubbing and doing this and that.”
3. Tebow plays the game like a man.  Not some mamby pamby quarterback who crumbles to his knees if the wind hits him too hard.  Tebow dishes out just as much pain as he takes.  Before the days of throwing a flag for every little thing the NFL was a rough and tough game:  The toughest team won hands down.  Now the team with the fastest guys and the prettiest quarterback wins.  Tebow has taken the NFL back to the good ole days of smash mouth football.  Tebow hears more negative comments from sports writers and fellow football players than any other player in the NFL.  There is absolutley no quit in Tebow.  The fourth quarter is now known as ‘Tebow Time’ across the NFL, because of Tim’s late game heroics.  When you are watching the Denver Broncos you know that they are never out of it.  Tebow plays like a man!
4. He’s been a great leader on every level he has played; pee wee, high school, college, and now the NFL.  He shows up first and leaves last.  He has been known to compete with the linebackers in weight lifting.  And he wins.  You can be a hard working great guy but if you are not winning players won’t follow you.  But he is winning, and his teammates are following.

Leading the team 5-1 since his recent position as starting quarterback, Tim Tebow is making an impact.  One of the most recent fads now a-days isn’t the eye black with scriptures, it’s tebowing.

Tebowing is posing as if you were praying when everyone seems to be doing something else: one knee on the ground, elbow on knee, fist on forehead…and now, take a picture, post.  There has been a hot discussion in the sports arena about whether or not Tebowing is offensive.  Some say that it is opennly mocking Christianity.  Others say these guys are just mocking Tebow himself.  Then, some say that posers are just paying homage to their hero.  Tim Tebow has come out and said that he doesn’t find it offensive.  He has actually said there are many positives about it.

All in all, I am not here to talk about how great he is.  I am not here to talk about to pros and cons of Tebowing.  I want to bring up the idolization of men.  (meaning: we make something a “god” in our life) We celebrate how wonderful and talented athletes and musicians are.  We place them on pedestals that no one can live up too.  We want to be just like someone who has just as many faults as we do.  We find ourselves talking more about ‘the game’ than what Jesus is doing in our lives.  In this age of moral decay, evangelical christians, including myself, have latched onto Tebow as the savior of the sports world.  While I have to admit I root for Tebow more because of his beliefs than anything, I see that many of us are taking it way to far.  Tebow is a great player, person, and Christian, but he is not a savior.  And he is not Jesus.

Now don’t get me wrong, root for your Broncos!  I’m just as big a Tebow fan as the next guy.  We need role models in this day and age of pride and selfishness being the norm in sports.  So I say this; please root for Tebow, root for the Broncos.  If there was a guy to look up to it would be him.  But lets put some perspective on this.  This man is getting more attention than any football player has gotten in as long as I can remember.  He is the face of the Denver Broncos, and Christian athletes.  But Jesus Christ is the face of love.  Jesus Christ is the face of redemption.  And Jesus Christ is the face of salvation.  Tebow cannot offer forgiveness of sin.  And Tim Tebow cannot offer the free gift of eternal life.  As we enjoy football and what Tebow has been doing lets have some perspective.  He is just a man being open about his relationship with God and letting Christ’s light shine through him.  We all can do that in our different arenas.  Tebow may be able to run over linebackers, but he can’t walk on water!

Go Broncos!

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Thank you to my wonderful husband, Timmy who helped write this post. 🙂