Alphabetical
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December 26, 2012
Set:
This verse is part of Christ’s Great Commission. As followers of Christ, this is an awesome commandment and responsibility we all share. My question is, how often do we go, but only halfway?
As athletes, we are constantly around teammates, competitors, and others who don’t know Christ. We go to practices, competitions, and social events where we are surrounded by people in need of a Savior, yet end up only going halfway—showing up, but not engaging them in what is most important to us: Jesus Christ. What stops us from going the whole way? Sometimes it’s simple forgetfulness or distractions, sometimes it’s fear, and sometimes it’s a lack of confidence or willingness to be different.
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December 01, 2008
Set:
To hear Ryan Hall nonchalantly describe his winding journey as a long-distance runner isn’t much different from watching him glide with apparent ease through treacherous hills and valleys en route to the finish line. But just because he makes it look effortless doesn’t mean his path to competitive greatness has been without a fair number of trials and tribulations.
“I’ve had a really rocky journey,” Hall says. “The hardest thing is picking yourself up after a shattered dream or an injury or when you know you didn’t give your best.”
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September 22, 2011
Set:
Former Dallas Cowboys fullback Ron Springs, who played from 1979 to 1985, had suffered from Type 2 diabetes for 16 years and had spent three on a waiting list for a kidney transplant. To say the least, things were not looking very good until teammate Everson Walls decided to donate one of his kidneys to Springs. After a successful transplant, Springs no longer needed dialysis for the first time in many years.
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November 01, 2006
Set:
Recently, I was making an early morning drive to speak at a Huddle meeting. As I was driving along I realized that I was the only car going in my direction. Hundreds of cars were going the other way. Why was I the only one going my way? I knew the route, so I knew I was on the right road, so I couldn't help but wonder why no one else was traveling my direction.
In God's Word, we read many references to "the way." Isaiah wrote of such a road that is less traveled. It was the highway to holiness. Many were headed down the wrong path or way -- not so uncommon to our society today. In John 14, Thomas asked Jesus about the way to go with Him, but Christ answered simply, "I AM the way. . ."
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April 17, 2009
Set:
I recently met a girl. She had just moved to Kennesaw, Georgia, from Nashville, Tennessee. A friend wanted me to introduce her to the new city. We met and hung out for several nights. While talking on the phone one day, she said, “I am embarrassed to say that I am 25 years old and don’t really understand Jesus and the Bible.” We talked a little and I invited her to a Bible Study the next evening.
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December 28, 2013
Set:
Sometimes we mistake movement for progress, but if we are moving around in only one spot, we are not really making progress. Isn’t that how life looks from time to time—a whole lot of movement but not a lot of progress? The children of
Israel experienced this. They went around in circles for years, thinking they were headed toward the long-awaited promise, only to find themselves right back where they started,year after year, season after season.
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July 24, 2013
Set:
When five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe retired from competitive swimming at the age of 24 he said, “breaking records wasn’t as inspiring as it should have been.” As a teenager, Thorpe splashed into the swimming scene and swam to 13 world records from 1999 to 2002, becoming an international star after dominating at the Sydney Olympics.
Even with all the success, he realized the medals, titles, records, and accomplishments did not last long. The fans went home. The cameras were turned off. And Ian was left with an empty feeling that success cannot fill. The external stuff fades quickly. It is never enough.
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December 01, 2006
Set:
On Tuesday, November 20, five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe retired from competitive swimming at the age of 24. He said that breaking records "wasn't as inspiring as it should have been." As a teenager, Thorpe splashed into the swimming scene and swam to 13 world records between 1999 and 2002, and he became an international star after dominating at the Sydney Olympics.
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August 03, 2006
Set:
I was flipping through the channels on my TV the other day and came across a softball game that was in the top of the final inning. The visiting team was down 3-4 with runners on 1st and 2nd and a full count to the batter. The pitch. . . The batter hit a line drive past the shortstop, and then as the left fielder charged the ball to make the throw to home, she picked up her glove too soon and the ball rolled underneath allowing both base runners to score. That put the visiting team up 5-4--a score by which they would win. After the game, the announcers were talking about the winning pitcher, saying, "She didn't pitch great, but she pitched good enough."
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May 05, 2010
Set:
“Good grief.” I guess Charlie Brown started that phrase. He might have been referring to a pitiful-looking Christmas tree, a materialistic doghouse designed by Snoopy, or a wild scheme by Peppermint Patty. I’ve used the phrase, too. We kick off on the first play of the game, and it is returned by our opponent for a touchdown. Then they kick off to us, we fumble, and they return the fumble for another touchdown. Thirty seconds have run off the clock, and we are down 14–0. Good grief!
Let me ask this question: Is grief ever good?
