Alphabetical
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February 14, 2008
Set:
Across from the headquarters of FCA, atop a hill, is a tall communications tower. In the almost three years that I’ve worked here, I’ve glanced at this tower hundreds of times and never given it a second look. But yesterday morning I caught myself daydreaming. It was in this daydream that God taught me a beautiful lesson--one He’s been teaching me over and over again for the last several weeks.
At the top of this tower is a flashing light. It guides air traffic and prevents aircrafts from flying into it. No matter the time, day or season, this light continues to flash, and communication continues to be broadcast.
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November 05, 2010
Set:
Football players at Virginia Tech carry on a meaningful tradition. Each offensive player carries a chain link that symbolizes the teamwork they exhibit both on and off the field, as well as the responsibility each player has to work toward the success of the team.
I have adopted this tradition at the high school at which I now coach football; however, our chain link is symbolic of several biblical principles rather than simply inspiration for team victory. We carry our chain link to every practice and game as a reminder that each player is significant, valuable, important, and dependent upon the others not only for success on the football field but in our walk with Jesus Christ.
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October 07, 2005
Set:
One of my favorite things about John Wooden’s coaching was that he taught his players each year to put on their socks and tie their shoes properly. You’d think college-aged athletes could already do this, but Wooden took nothing for granted. He paid attention to the little things, which made the big things come more easily for his teams over the years.
Of course, Coach Wooden wanted to teach his players a lesson: If they were going to play in his program, they had to put aside what they wanted to do and follow his plans for the team. That discipline in the small things gave his teams great results, as they won 10 national championships and set an example for the rest of us how the little things make the biggest difference.
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April 19, 2013
Set:
He had accepted his dream job as the head football coach in a highly successful school. He had always been successful. He won lots of games and championships in his first few years of coaching and now had just completed his first two losing seasons. He was hearing boos from the public, and his wife could barely take the unending criticism flooding from the stands about her husband.
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November 01, 2008
Set:
I was at home one morning, just minding my own business, when I heard a proclamation coming from outside of my house. It was loud. It was proud. It was my four-year-old son singing at the top of his voice, “I’m in the Lord’s Army. Yes, sir!” He was sitting against the door with his light saber in hand, singing his praise to the General of the heavenly Host.
When you play sports, you enter into battle. Sides are chosen, boundaries are drawn, and the battle begins. No matter what the sport, you choose whom you will compete for and against. This is no different from your walk with Christ.
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February 07, 2007
Set:
Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith were the first African American coaches to lead their teams to the Super Bowl. Even before Dungy's Colts prevailed over Smith's Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI, we knew that there was a connection between these two men beyond the color of their skin. "I'm proud to be the first African American coach to win this," Dungy said during the trophy ceremony. "But again, more than anything, Lovie Smith and I are not only African-American but also Christian coaches, showing you can do it the Lord's way. We're more proud of that."
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June 30, 2009
Set:
I was getting ready this morning, minding my own business when I heard a proclamation from outside my house. It was loud. It was proud. It was my 4-year-old son singing at the top of his voice, “I’m in the Lord’s Army. Yes, sir!” He was sitting with his light saber in hand singing his praise to the General of the Heavenly Host. When we play sports, we go into battle. Sides are drawn, boundaries set, and the battle begins. No matter what the sport, we choose whom we will compete for and against. It is no different in our walk with Christ. Every day we battle against evil. We are in a war for our souls. God wants us to choose a side.
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November 29, 2010
Set:
Andrew had an interesting season. He started as the back-up quarterback, and then after four games he became the starter for four games, and then he was moved to receiver where he played the final four games as a receiver/quarterback. His team did not finish as they would have liked and missed a bowl game. During the season, the team suffered through a six-game losing streak. As each week went by with loss after loss, you could see it wearing on most of the team. But Andrew had more on his mind than worrying about the previous week's loss.
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May 10, 2004
Set:
Wright College had a football team of 100 players. Every player knew the system, except for one. He was lost. A freshman who had never played football before, and had walked on to the team. He thought it would be fun, but he was lost. Everything seemed foreign to him. On plays, he would go one way, and everyone else another. He was always last in drills and always making his unit run for his struggles. Many players did not like this freshman, but he was still part of the team — the body. Ninety-nine players and one who was lost.
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February 14, 2012
Set:
“Coaching is a profession of love. You can't coach people unless you love them.” - Eddie Robinson
On June 26, 2010, thousands gathered at a memorial service to honor the life of legendary coach John Wooden who passed from this life to the next. Coach Wooden lived 99 full years. He lived well, died well and understood his eternal fate. He once said, “There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior.”
