Whether you realize it or not, you are a warrior — one enlisted in a great battle. As a Christian, the moment you pledged your allegiance to Jesus Christ and became a member of God’s Kingdom you became a sworn enemy of the devil and his armies of darkness. And every day, you wage war against those armies of evil. The question is, are you armed and ready?

There’s not much about Anthony Parker that isn’t unique. Among NBA starters, he’s probably the only one who can rattle off useful phrases in Hebrew — something he picked up while dominating the European League from 2000-2006. He’s also the only playoff-caliber shooting guard who really does have the potential to be shown up on the court by his little sister. (He refers to little sis, All-American Candace Parker, as the Parker.) And he may be the only person who can read or owns a TV who’ll defend the good reputation of the NBA.

If you’ve never seen the movie Secondhand Lions, don’t read the next paragraph. I’m about to spoil the ending.

At the end of the movie, the film’s two wildly adventurous uncles have died in an attempt to fly their biplane upside-down through their barn door. When the local sheriff breaks the news to their nephew, Walter, the sheriff says, “They had a good, long run. They went out with their boots on.” A young boy who had heard stories of the uncles’ adventures turns to Walter and asks, “They really lived?” His response: “Yeah. They really lived!”
 

The following was cultivated from an FCA Leadership Camp held at Point 11 at Table Rock Lake.
These are simply key take away points and nuggets of truth for everyone to reflect on.

Gospel: Leadership begins and ends with the gospel. That is that we were once separated from God by the penalty of our wrong doings. We could not earn our way to God by any amount of our own goodness so God came to us as the man Christ Jesus. As Jesus, He then died, on a cross, in our place and for our sin. In doing so, Jesus took our penalty, brought forgiveness by His death, and granted us right relationship with God by His resurrection when we rethink our actions, thoughts, and words and trust in Jesus Christ's finished work of the cross.

If you meet Nichole Jones on the starting line she’ll probably smile at you, but then when the gun goes off, she’ll leave you in the dust. Don’t take it personally, though; she does that to everyone. “We call her the Smiling Assassin,” says Todd Harbour, Baylor’s head track/cross country coach. “She’ll smile at you and then just beat you bad.”

This 5’2”speedster is a quiet giant, both athletically and spiritually, who’d rather show you what she’s about than tell you.

 “…I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20

Annie Lockwood had high expectations for her athletic career when she walked on to the softball team at Arizona State University in 2009. Knowing the Sun Devils were fresh off a national championship and hoping to continue in their success, Lockwood immediately knew she wanted to be a part of it. Now three seasons later, she has realized that dream and stands amazed at what the Lord has done in her life—and how she loves to play for His glory.

November 14, 2009. It was a typical fall evening in Stonewall, La., on an athletic field, much like every other across the South where students of all ages rallied together with friends and families for a single purpose... But it wasn’t football.
 

God truly does make His strength known in whatever way He sees fit—whether through point-blank pows to the face or in subtle hints. In my case, it has been both.

When I came to Central Christian College in McPherson, Kan., God blessed me with the rare opportunity to play college baseball at a school that also helped cultivate my faith and personal ministry. It had always been a dream of mine to play baseball at the college level, but, if things had gone according to my own plan, I would have become just another face in the crowd. Thankfully, God has always put me in the place I needed to be—surrounded by the right people, challenged in appropriate times, and nurtured by His supreme love.

Watch any highlight reel of Shalee Lehning — Kansas State's sparkplug point guard who currently leads the nation in assists and triple-doubles — and it's easy to see why she's been called "one of the best point guards in America" and "a stat-sheet stuffer" by college basketball analysts. She flies around the court, diving for loose balls, setting her teammates up for layups and snatching rebounds from opponents almost a foot taller than she is.

“…the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7

North Carolina junior attackman Thomas Wood developed a love for both lacrosse and the FCA ministry at an early age. Looking back over his life so far, he is able to see how the avenues of sports and faith have always been connected. In fact, according to Wood, his spiritual journey with Christ has made a direct and tangible impact on his lacrosse career, shaping him both as a player on the field and a leader off of it.

Brian Roberts knows how hard it is to move on from a mistake. He’s reminded of it every time he sits down for an interview.

If you’re one of the few who missed it all, here’s a quick recap: On December 13, 2007, former Senator George Mitchell held a press conference to unveil his now-infamous Mitchell Report: a 409-page document, based on a 20-month investigation, which accused nearly 100 ballplayers of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.

Among the names appearing on the list was that of Roberts.

It’s easy to see why emerging NCAA track star Lana Mims has Olympic aspirations.

The University of Missouri senior is the daughter of legendary four-time Olympian Madeline Manning Mims, the younger sister of former University of Oklahoma triple-jump champion John Jackson, and has dreamed of competing on the world’s greatest stage since she was a kid. But it was a dream that appeared destined to fall by the wayside, snuffed out by unexpected adversity, after Mims came to Mizzou in the fall of 2006.