In our pregame talks, we tell our players to “play with heart!” and encourage them to perform their best. The more our players develop such a vision, the deeper their commitment to the sport becomes. This is exactly what Jesus wants from us. He wants to develop a heart in us that will commit to knowing Him in a deeper, more intimate way. As David said in Psalm 51:10, “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” As we develop this kind of heart, others will notice.

Kobe Bryant said that Karl Malone was like a "big brother — a mentor," as well as a friend to him last year as he played alongside of him as part of the Los Angeles Lakers. This week, their relationship has blown up in front of the whole nation. In response to the fireworks, Charles Barkley said that these two "know better. They know to take care of these things in private and not let it out into the public."

In Matthew, Jesus says that we should approach those who have hurt us first and foremost in private — one on one. We should be honest and try to show them how they've upset us. Chances are we can work it out right then and there, as many conflicts between "brothers" are miscommunications and are readily forgiven.

Bobby turned the ball over for the fourth straight possession and the coach called time-out. As Bobby came to the bench his teammates were all over him. Bobby’s response was “Where’s the love guys?” At that moment there was very little love for Bobby or anyone on the team. They allowed the distraction of the turnovers to affect their attitudes toward their teammate.

The key ingredient of any relationship is love—agape love—a love that is self-sacrificing and cares more about the person than any situation. Every gift we have been given by God needs to be exercised in this kind of love—God’s genuine love. What do we do when evil sets in or when we go off on a teammate? We need to cling to what is good.

Jason is a good coach. He coached with me as one of my assistants in Oklahoma. I always knew he had a good basketball mind and that it was just a matter of time before he became a head coach. Strongly desiring a head position himself, Jason waited and waited. He took several positions to teach and coach, but yet was never named a head coach. Other friends around him were getting head coaching jobs, but not him. So, he waited.

Last weekend's dramatic NCAA Regional Championship games have many of us bursting with anticipation for Saturday night's Final Four match-ups. What started as 64 teams has become four. On Monday night, only one will remain above them all.

In some ways it was an uncharacteristic win for Tiger Woods at the 2005 Masters. While entering the final 27 holes four shots behind Chris DiMarco, Woods stormed back with four straight birdies to turn the deficit into a two-shot lead. And just when it looked like he might run away with a big victory, DiMarco showed resolve by sticking with Tiger and sinking his par putt on the final hole to force a playoff. "This was one fun victory, but also a lot of work because I was playing with one heck of a competitor," Woods said. "He put up a heck of a fight."

When it comes to endurance, the power of the resurrection is necessary. As a triathlete who constantly goes through training cycles that push my limits, I often get skeptical about how far I can go or how much I can push myself. After a long race, I feel completely spent, like I’m older than the hills and will never fully recover. But given time and the fact that the body is a work of God—a miracle by all accounts—and in spite of personal human doubt, I spring back, stronger and better than before.