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CONTENTS 12 — Holiday GIft Guide Gift ideas for the sports fan on your list.
18 — Bold and Ballin’
As he’s journeyed from No. 6 overall pick to injury-riddled rookie to regular starter on a playoff squad, the Orlando Magic’s Jonathan Isaac has developed a thriving faith in Jesus. He’s preaching at church, handing out food to the homeless and becoming one of the most outspoken followers of Christ in the NBA — at 22 years old.
22 — Raising Suns
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Mired in the worst stretch of basketball the franchise had ever experienced, the Phoenix Suns brought in the highly-respected Monty Williams to lead them back to the postseason. The former New Orleans head coach and longtime assistant brings hard life experiences and a strong faith in Christ to the NBA’s youngest roster.
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26 — State of Faith in the NBA
COVER • PHOTO CREDITS: Jonathan Isaac (AP Photo/John Raoux)
“Heart of a Coach” and “Heart of an Athlete” are registered trademarks of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and used with permission.
PUBLISHER Sports Spectrum Media PRESIDENT Steve Stenstrom
VP OF MINISTRY OPERATIONS Howard Haworth MANAGING EDITOR Jon Ackerman, jon@sportsspectrum.com ART DIRECTOR Aaron Dean Sauer, aaron@sportsspectrum.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Becky York PODCAST HOST/PRODUCER Jason Romano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joshua Doering, Kevin Mercer, Jimmy Page, Joshua Pease, Reza Zadeh BUSINESS OPERATIONS Jacob House, Tricia Hudson COPY EDITOR Lori Stenstrom
Sports Spectrum Global is a multimedia ministry with the purpose to impact people by connecting faith and sports in a relevant way, ultimately directing people, with resources for discipleship, toward a personal, loving God who demands Christ-centered lives. Printed in USA. Copyright © 2019 by Sports Spectrum Media. Bible quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to SPORTS SPECTRUM, 640 Plaza Dr., Ste 110, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
Public displays of faith may not be as common in the NBA as they are in other pro leagues, but Christ-following leaders in the NBA say strong faith is prevalent throughout their sport. + NBA players to follow
28 — Aces in the Faith
Former No. 1 picks Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson are relying on their relationships with Christ to lead the Aces and build a foundation of success in Las Vegas.
32 — Building Purpose into the Program
After leading the Tennessee men to the finest season in school history, renowned coach Rick Barnes received offers to take over more prominent programs. But after much prayer, he felt God made it clear for him to keep building in Knoxville.
36 — Truly at Home
Jaccob Slavin is an up-and-coming defenseman in the NHL — and an unashamed follower of Christ in a hockey culture he describes as spiritually dark. He’s found a home in Carolina, where the 25-year-old aims to reflect Jesus in his game and his family, which now includes an adopted baby girl. + NHL players to follow
42 — Gripping Vision
Through unconventional thinking and God-ordained events, the In His Grip golf ministry took over a prestigious pro-am tournament to bring together golfers for friendship, fellowship and outreach — all at Pebble Beach, one of golf’s most iconic settings.
45 — The Increase Devotionals Messages from professional athletes, chaplains and leaders
62 — The Pursuit: No Pressure, No Diamonds
By Jimmy Page
63 — Victory Beyond Competition: A Life of Peace By Reza Zadeh Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for current news and updates!
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4 - By the Numbers | 6 - Around the Spectrum | 10 - Sports Spectrum Digital | 14 - Heart of an Athlete & Coach | 64 - Gospel Message TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
BANNER NIGHT
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The St. Louis Blues watch as the first Stanley Cup championship banner in franchise history is raised during a ceremony before the start of their 2019-20 season. The Blues overcame a slow start last year before ending a 51-year championship drought that was tied for the longest in NHL history. The reigning champs began the new campaign on a much stronger note. www.sportsspectrum.com
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BY THE NUMBERS
Home runs hit by MLB batters in 2019, shattering the previous record of 6,105 from 2017. The Twins became the first team to hit 300 HRs in a season, and were later joined by the Yankees.
BY THE NUMBERS 4
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AP Photos/Brian Blanco, Elaine Thompson, Young Kwak, Jim Mone, Eric Gay
Russell Wilson’s TD-INT ratio through 9 games this season.
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4 6 776 9 22:1
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1 244 Yards from scrimmage through 8 games for Christian McCaffrey, putting him on pace for 2,488 on the season, which would rank No. 2 all time, 21 yards short of Chris Johnson’s 2,509 in ‘09.
MLB teams — Astros, Dodgers, Yankees, Twins — who won 100 games this year, the most 100-win teams ever in a single season.
TD passes for Washington State’s Anthony Gordon on Sept. 21, when he also threw for 570 yards in a 67-63 loss to UCLA.
BY THE NUMBERS
82 34 72 23 16 AP Photos/ Tony Dejak, Nick Wass, Ringo H.W. Chiu, arcio Jose Sanchez, Lee Jin-man
Two-point attempts without a miss by Gordon Hayward on Nov. 5, the first player since the debut of the 3-point line in 1979 to make that many two-pointers without missing.
Points in October for John Carlson, just the fourth NHL defenseman in history to record 20 points in the season’s first month. No defenseman has scored 100 points in a season since 1991-92.
Points for LAFC (21-4-9) this season, topping the MLS record point total of 71 set by the New York Red Bulls in 2018. Alas, LAFC lost in the Western Conference Finals.
Goals for LAFC’s Carlos Vela in 2019, besting the MLS single-season record of 31 set by Josef Martinez last season.
Career PGA Tour wins for Tiger Woods after his title at the Zozo Championship in Chiba, Japan, Oct. 27, tying the all-time mark with Sam Snead.
BY THE NUMBERS www.sportsspectrum.com
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AROUNDTHESPECTRUM
LSU LEAPS TO NO. 1
49ERS ARE NO. 1 Through eight weeks, the New England Patriots were dominant, outscoring their opponents 25061. But then they ran into Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night of Week 9. The Ravens racked up 210 rushing yards on the ground, Jackson scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing), and Baltimore stunned the Pats, 37-20. That left the NFL’s last unbeaten team in 2019 to be … the San Francisco 49ers?! A team that finished 4-12 in 2018 and has missed the playoffs five years straight was 8-0 after putting up the second-largest point differential (after New England) through eight games: +133.
THE WILD WEST Few conclusions can be drawn from the first month of an NBA season, but it didn’t take long for us to see one major development: the Golden State Warriors will not make the NBA Finals for a sixth straight season. The odds were certainly against them once Kevin Durant left in free agency and Klay Thompson learned he’d be out until at least February or March with a torn ACL. Then the Warriors started the season 2-8 and Steph Curry broke his hand, while the new-look Lakers and Clippers quickly asserted themselves as contenders to take Golden State’s spot.
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KICKING CANCER’S BUTT It took all of one night for college basketball to produce an inspiring performance. The gem came from Texas redshirt sophomore guard Andrew Jones, who had missed most of the past two seasons as he battled leukemia. But he finished his treatments in September, resumed full-time training with the team, and came off the bench in the Longhorns’ season opener against Northern Colorado on Nov. 5 to pour in a career-high 20 points in 29 minutes of action. Throughout his battle, Jones relied on his faith in God, telling reporters last year, “Through the grace of God, anything is possible.” TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
BASKETBALL | BASEBALL | FOOTBALL | SOCCER | HOCKEY
AP Photos/Tony Avelar, Ben Margot, Vasha Hunt, Craig Mitchelldyer
No. 1 Alabama traveled to No. 3 LSU in 2018 and rolled past the Tigers, 29-0. This year, No. 2 LSU traveled to No. 3 Alabama and scored a lot more points while snapping its eight-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide. The Tigers’ 46-41 victory Nov. 9 pushed them to No. 1 in both polls and kept them on a path to win their first national title since 2007. Quarterback Joe Burrow’s 393 passing yards and three touchdowns in the game kept him among the nation’s leaders in yards, touchdowns and passer rating, making him the Heisman frontrunner.
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RUGBY’S NEW KINGS After England upset two-time reigning champion New Zealand in the 2019 Rugby World Cup semifinals in Japan, South Africa stunned England 32-12 in the final to claim its third World Cup championship, matching New Zealand for the most all-time. South Africa was led by Siya Kolisi, the first black captain in the Springboks’ storied rugby history. The 28-year-old is also a follower of Jesus who told SportGoMag, “I’ve been able to discover the truth and saving power of Christ in a whole new way. This new life has given me a peace in my heart I’d never experienced before.”
BLUES CARRY ON
At one point last season, the St. Louis Blues sat in the NHL basement at 15-18-4. Five months later, however, they celebrated with the first Stanley Cup trophy in franchise history, ending a 51-year championship drought that was tied for the longest in NHL history. Should the Blues repeat the feat this season, no such turnaround will be necessary. They were up and down for much of October before reeling off seven consecutive wins (as of press time) after a 3-0 defeat Oct. 26 to Boston, the squad they stymied in Game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals.
AP Photos/Jim Mone, Elaine Thompson, Christophe Ena, Nick Wass
SEATTLE SCORES AGAIN For the third time in four years, Seattle and Toronto met in the MLS Cup final. And for the second time, the Seattle Sounders claimed the championship, topping Toronto FC 3-1 on Nov. 10. Victor Rodriguez’s 76th-minute goal put the Sounders up 2-0 and later earned him MVP honors, as the victory sent the 69,274 fans at CenturyLink Field into a frenzy. The crowd size represents the largest non-concert attendance for any event in the history of the stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. Seattle won its first Cup in 2016 while Toronto claimed it in 2017.
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DISTRICT OF CHAMPIONS Led by regular-season MVP Elena Delle Donne and Finals MVP Emma Meesseman, the Washington Mystics took down the Connecticut Sun, 89-78, in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. It marked the first title in Mystics franchise history, which began in 1998 and included only one other Finals appearance (2018). The championship for Washington D.C. — once considered among the longest suffering fan bases in sports — came one year after the Washington Capitals claimed the Stanley Cup. And just three short weeks after the Mystics’ title came another long-awaited championship to the District of Columbia... SPORTS SPECTRUM
GOLF | SOFTBALL | OLYMPICS | TENNIS | RACING
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AROUNDTHESPECTRUM
NATIONALS CLAIM 1ST WORLD SERIES
OUTFIELDER JUAN SOTO Among the breakout stars of the 2019 World Series was Soto, Washington’s left fielder and cleanup hitter. He turned 21 on the day of Game 3, after he’d already collected four hits and three RBIs in the first two games. He finished the series with nine hits (three HRs) and seven RBIs. “It’s a blessing from God, to be here in the big leagues and play baseball like I have,” Soto told reporters before the World Series. “I never thought I’d be this talented of a player.”
Rendon’s strong showing in the World Series wasn’t surprising considering he put up MVPtype numbers during the regular season. But he displayed his clutch gene as the Nationals faced elimination in Game 6. A controversial call went against Washington in the seventh inning, but Rendon put the issue to rest with a two-run home run that gave his squad a 5-2 lead. He finished the night with the home run, a double and five RBIs, forcing a Game 7. “I want to be known as a Christian baseball player and I’m still trying to grow into that,” Rendon said in 2018. “But in the end, I want to be more Christian than baseball player.”
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WASHINGTON NATIONALS | WASHINGTON NATIONALS
AP Photos/Eric Gay, David J. Phillip, Matt Slocum
THIRD BASEMAN ANTHONY RENDON
AROUNDTHESPECTRUM WORLD SERIES CATCHER YAN GOMES Gomes got a majority of the time behind the plate throughout the season, but fellow catcher Kurt Suzuki started Games 1-3 of the World Series. After Gomes entered in the seventh inning of Game 3, however, he remained the catcher for the rest of the series. He contributed just three hits at the plate, but was instrumental in leading Washington back from dropping all three home games to winning the final two in Houston. Gomes caught the final out (left) for Washington’s first World Series championship. “God is good!!!” he posted on Twitter in the wee hours of the morning following the victory.
PITCHER STEPHEN STRASBURG Soto or Rendon certainly would have been worthy of earning World Series MVP honors due to their strong bats, but the nod went to Strasburg, the star pitcher who won Games 2 and 6. He allowed just four runs over 14.1 innings in those starts, and he became the first pitcher to go 5-0 in a single postseason, collecting a 1.98 ERA over five playoff starts and one relief appearance. Among those to congratulate Strasburg on the MVP award was Gary Haugen, the CEO of International Justice Mission, a Christian anti-human trafficking organization that Strasburg supports and works with. “Grateful that you’re a part of the fight to #endslavery,” Haugen wrote on Twitter.
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WASHINGTON NATIONALS | WASHINGTON NATIONALS
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TIM TEBOW SHARES HOPE OF JESUS WITH SURPRISED INMATES AT MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON By Joshua Pease
Former NFL player turned pro baseball player and sports analyst, Tim Tebow, made a surprise detour from speaking at a pro-life event in Waco, Texas, to visit a maximum-security prison in October. “Honestly it’s one of my favorite things to do on this earth,” Tebow told reporters after visiting Gatesville Prison. “I know it sounds weird, going to a prison, but man I just feel like it’s something God put on my heart a long time ago and He said, ‘Hey, most of the world forgot about them, but you don’t forget.’ So I try not to forget. I try to get with them and share the hope that we have in our faith, to share encouragement … how they matter to me, but more importantly how they matter to God.” The visit happened after the father of one of the inmates reached out to the Tim Tebow Foundation. The inmate’s father and hundreds of inmates were surprised when Tebow visited with Waco residents Suzanne and Terry McDonald, who work for a prison ministry called Discipleship Unlimited. Tebow
spent five hours in the prison hanging out with prisoners, including some one-on-one time with those not allowed to be in a group setting, and he also spoke to a crowd of approximately 250 men. “He was just telling them that he was there because he loves them and they have a purpose and they can fulfill that purpose even where they are,” Suzanne McDonald told KWTX. “And he told them God loves them and there is nothing they could have done that would interfere with that love. I was just so emotional, I started crying and was blown away. He was in such a rush when we left but just to spend the day doing this when he could have been doing whatever. But this is his passion and it just showed. It meant so much to us and it meant so much to the guys. Just to know someone cared.” On Instagram, Tebow shared a picture of himself with inmates at the prison with the caption, “So grateful to spend time with my new brothers in Christ at Alfred Hughes Unit and encouraging them in the hope that Jesus brings!”
To read this story and more like it, search “Tim Tebow” on SportsSpectrum.com. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
FORCED INTO RETIREMENT
By Chris Maragos
grasp the message of 1 Timothy 4:8 a whole lot more: “Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” I’ve invested in my career physically and put my whole life’s work into a game that can end at a moment’s notice (which I’m aware of now more than ever). Yet what I’ve been able to invest in myself and others spiritually is not only for the present life, but for all of eternity! This can never be taken away from you. I might end up limping for the rest of my time here on earth, but I won’t be in Heaven. I’m going to run into Heaven. Things are going to break down and fade away here, but in Heaven, they won’t. That is what I’m putting my hope and confidence in. I don’t know what the future is going to hold for me and that is a bit scary. I don’t know what the next five, 10 or 15 years are going to look like; I don’t even know what tomorrow will bring…
Photo courtesy of Chris Maragos
Unfortunately, I’m no longer able to play in the NFL. Normal retirement usually means a player is stepping away from the game because they want to at that time; I was forced out due to injuries. I want to play more, but I can’t. I’ve been playing football since I was 7 years old. I’ve been training at a high capacity, pushing myself to reach the next level of football, since I was in high school. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been playing sports, pouring myself into physical performance and competition. To hear the doctors say that I’m done — that due to my knee injuries I’ll never be able to compete in that way again — is really hard. I don’t know anything else! It’s a little surreal to be honest. When the doctors told me in December that my knee was no longer conducive to play in the NFL, I sat there stunned. My whole life I’ve been able to do anything I want to physically, and now I can’t. Am I going to walk with a limp for the rest of my life? Will I ever be able to take another step without pain? For me, these questions that run through my mind are scary, but I’m able to
To read the rest of this story, search “Chris Maragos” on TheIncrease.com. www.sportsspectrum.com
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Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame By Barry Zito with Robert Noland
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HOW DOES YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST SET YOU APART? Throughout high school, I would see how everybody would go down this path and act like it’s normal, as if it happens to everyone. I didn’t want that to happen to me. I became very involved with our FCA program at school and in my sophomore year, I joined the leadership team. Then in my senior year I decided we needed something more. I helped start a girls’ Bible study at the school so that we could get more girls involved, meet more people who were Christfollowers, and establish a community to know we’re not alone.
CH UM B L E Y Zoey Chumbley graduated in 2019 from Dallas CenterGrimes High School in Grimes, Iowa, where she was a starting forward for the DCG Fillie soccer squad. In addition to her leadership on the team, Zoey held a leadership role within DCG’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes group, while also starting and leading a girls’ Bible study on campus during her senior year. In August, Zoey began attending Des Moines Area Community College.
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HOW DID YOU LEAD YOUR TEAM? My goal as a senior leader on my team was to reach the whole team, not just the seniors, but the freshmen and even the JV teams as well. I hoped they would see my encouragement and openness toward them and recognize the light of Christ. I tried to show good sportsmanship at all times — if I knocked a person down, I’d help them up; I wouldn’t fight with the refs; and win or lose, I tried to find things we as a team could learn from to become stronger. Last year was our first year with a team chaplain specifically for the soccer team, so I would always encourage the girls to go to chapel with me. My goal was to always have a smile on my face and show God’s light through my personality. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE AND WHY? “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” — John 3:17 I like this because it talks about how God didn’t come to judge or disapprove of us, He came to show the power of Christ’s love toward us no matter what we do. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
Photos courtesy of Zoey Chumbley
ZOEY
HOW DID YOU SEE THIS GROW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR? More and more students came as the year went on. We met every Friday morning before school started. We couldn’t hang up fliers around the school because it was a religious group, so we invited others by word of mouth and Twitter. We were surprised how many kids would come each week! Although, we did bring food to draw more people. Starting with 10 kids at the beginning of the year, we ended up with 20-25 girls each week. It was so cool to see how it grew.
Heart Coach OF A
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Photos courtesy of Luke Barnwell
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At 29 years old, Coach Luke Barnwell finds himself in his seventh year as the boys’ basketball head coach at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kan. His program has sent 63 players to Division I collegiate teams and one player to the NBA. Coach Barnwell didn’t only find his dream of coaching basketball fulfilled on Sunrise’s campus, it is also where he discovered what it looks like to live his life for Christ. HOW DID YOUR COACHING CAREER BEGIN? In my fifth year of college at Newman University in Wichita, Kan. (after a transfer I had to stay for an extra year to finish my degree in Sports Communication), I went on staff to help coach our basketball team. Then after that year, I knew I wanted to coach, and I reached out to a lot of programs. A lot of doors were shut, but one opened up at Sunrise. I used to say I never wanted to be a high school coach, but now I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. At Sunrise, we get to recruit and bring in guys who can help us win, we travel and play against the best, and we really embody what we believe at the school. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU GIVE YOUR PLAYERS? We have a few pillars we stand on. The first is work ethic. I encourage our guys to work their tails off in everything they’re doing — not only in practice, but in the classroom as well. Every day we need to wake up and strive to be great in all areas of life. The second thing we want them to be is passionate. We want their passion and energy to be apparent every day. The third thing is servanthood. We have a great opportunity to walk the halls of a K-12 school and find ways to serve others. In all of this, Christ is our cornerstone. Christ embodies all of these things and we want others to know that this is where our strength comes from. WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE AS A COACH? The biggest challenge is knowing how to lead people. You need to understand what buttons to push, while getting the most out of each guy. You can watch others do this in a certain way and try to emulate how they do it, but if that’s not who you are, you can’t lead that way. You have to be yourself and learn how to lead well. You may be a little uncomfortable, but you can’t stray from who you are. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE? “For nothing will be impossible with God.” — Luke 1:37 ESV
Photos courtesy of Heather Every
I came to Sunrise from a small town in Kansas. I would have never envisioned all the things God has blessed me with and the things I’ve been able to do. The word “impossible” is a very human word. God continually tears this idea down in my own life as I realize I’ve been able to be a part of a lot of great things all because of Him. www.sportsspectrum.com
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HOW HAS YOUR FAITH IMPACTED THE WAY YOU PLAY YOUR SPORT? I grew up in a family that always put faith in God first, then family, then sports. I know that as long as I put God before everything else, it’s the only relationship that matters and the rest will fall into place. This takes a lot of pressure off me when I’m on the field because I know I’m playing for a better purpose — for Him. A game is just a game; the real reason I go out there is to glorify Him. HOW HAS YOUR FAMILY BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO YOU? My dad was a Tampa Bay Buccaneer when I was growing up. I trust him; he’s always been one of the greatest influencers in my life. He knows what it takes to get to the very highest level. He always told me we are all made for a purpose, and that purpose is for God. My dad talks about controlling what you can control in life: your effort, your attitude and your relationship with God. These are the three things I try to focus on, both on and off the field.
HOWELL
Jaelin Howell is a sophomore midfielder at Florida State who helped the Seminoles win the 2018 national championship. She has also competed in both the U-17 and U-20 World Cups for the U.S., and she was called up to the senior U.S. women’s national team in 2017 for a friendly with Russia, but did not earn a cap. A native of Colorado, Howell’s dad, John, played six seasons in the NFL and won Super Bowl XXXVII with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 16 16
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HOW DO YOU SHARE YOUR FAITH WITH YOUR TEAM? I try to show them Jesus through who I am. Before games we have a prayer and I invite anyone to come and join us. I also have invited all my teammates to our Monday night Bible study with other college athletes around the country. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE AND WHY? “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9 This is the first verse I read that I felt like I could really relate to. I use this both on and off the field, knowing I don’t have to be afraid. When I was on the national team, traveling around the world, my mom got me a plaque with all the places I had visited and this verse at the bottom of it. It’s a great reminder that He really is with me wherever I go. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
Photos courtesy of Jaelin Howell
JA E L IN
HOW HAS YOUR FAITH BEEN CHALLENGED AT SCHOOL? My biggest challenge at school is balancing everything while prioritizing my relationship with God. There are so many distractions when you’re in the middle of the grind of your season, in school, and wanting to have a social life. When I’m home with my parents, I go to church and a Bible study with them — that’s easy. But when I’m on my own in college, it’s my responsibility to grow in my faith. That’s why I am a part of an online athlete-driven Bible study with my mentor and friends each Monday night, so I can continue to learn about God and have accountability with others. I also find times in my day to pray and learn about Him on my own.
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SHELLENBERGER Jake Shellenberger is in his 10th year as the women’s swimming and diving head coach at Liberty University, an NCAA Division I Christian school in Lynchburg, Va. After being an assistant coach at Penn State for three years, he left his home state in 2009 to start the women’s swimming and diving program at Liberty from scratch.
DO YOU FEEL CALLED TO BE A COACH? Coaching can only be a calling. The reason why people come and the reason people stay at Liberty to coach is because it’s more than a job. You don’t leave Penn State to start up a program at a Bible college. My colleagues and family thought I had lost my mind to leave the Big Ten and take a pay cut to come here. I had well-meaning family members telling me I was commiting career suicide. But three things drew me: I wanted to be a head coach; Liberty wanted to build up a program and I knew I could contribute to this; and the faith aspect was huge for me.
Photos by Joel Coleman and Andrew Snyder
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU GIVE YOUR ATHLETES? Details matter. A general excellence in life is sorely lacking, especially on the professional level. Cross your T’s and dot your I’s. While it may not matter on that English paper, when you’re driving, flying an airplane, or raising children, details matter. If you don’t do the little things right, it’s really hard to do the big things right. I also tell the girls to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Treat others with kindness. If we are who we say we are, others should know that by how we interact with them. HOW DOES YOUR FAITH IMPACT HOW YOU COACH? You don’t get hired [at Liberty] unless you are a believer and on board with the mission statement. It’s not about how we incorporate faith, but how we incorporate coaching into our daily faith walk. Faith is No. 1, then academics, family, and then coaching is probably fourth place. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THOSE YOU COACH? Patience. I’m a hard-charging, let’s-go-get-them kind of guy. The women I coach teach me to have patience with the little day-to-day things — the “dog eats the homework” type of stuff. It happens. Our women are 18-22 years old and they’re going through a lot, so patience is big. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VERSE AND WHY? It’s our team verse, Ephesians 2:10, which says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” As Christians, our point for living is to glorify our Creator and do good works along the way. Whether or not you’re happy has nothing to do with it. When you are doing good works and finding purpose and fulfillment in doing what God has called you to do, then happiness is a byproduct. But it’s the purpose that comes first. www.sportsspectrum.com
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NBA | J ON AT H AN IS AAC
BOLD AND
BALLIN AS HE’S JOURNEYED FROM NO. 6 OVERALL PICK TO INJURY-RIDDLED ROOKIE TO REGULAR STARTER ON A PLAYOFF SQUAD, THE ORLANDO MAGIC’S JONATHAN ISAAC HAS DEVELOPED A THRIVING FAITH IN JESUS. HE’S PREACHING AT CHURCH, HANDING OUT FOOD TO THE HOMELESS AND BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST OUTSPOKEN FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST IN THE NBA — AT 22 YEARS OLD.
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rlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is still growing. Literally. When Isaac entered the NBA from Florida State in 2017, the league listed him at 6-foot-10. He’s now up to 6-11, but in pictures of Isaac next to teammate Nikola Vucevic, who’s also listed by the Magic at 6-11, Isaac appears to be at least an inch or two taller. Isaac’s on-court reputation is growing too. The Ringer recently praised him as a “deterrent” who can guard all positions, alter opponent shots, and who is “rarely in the wrong position, and even when he is, he’s so athletic that he can make up for it.” And through the first 10 games of the 2019-20 season, Isaac’s scoring (12.1 points per game), rebounds (6.7), blocks (3.0), shooting percentage (.489) and minutes played (30.2) were all on careerhigh pace. But where Isaac is growing the most is spiritually. In three years, he has developed from someone who had a faith but didn’t necessarily live it out, to one of the most outspoken followers of Jesus in the NBA. Isaac — who self-identifies as a fairly anxious, public-speaking-adverse personality — has preached several times at his home church. And Jonathan Isaac is only 22 years old.
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AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
BY JOSHUA PEASE
AP Photos/John Raoux, Willie J. Allen Jr., Tony Dejak,
saac grew up around Christianity, as he and his five siblings would memorize songs and Bible verses they’d perform in front of their church congregation. But by 2017, when the Orlando Magic made Isaac the No. 6 overall pick in the NBA draft, he says his faith “went in my back pocket and it was something I pulled out every once in a while when things weren’t going so well for me.” And in 2017, a lot of things weren’t going well. Chronic ankle injuries kept Isaac off the court for more than two-thirds of the season, and the forward averaged only 5.4 points in 27 games. Yet, it was during this stretch when Isaac had his life changed by a 15-minute sermon. Optional chapel services are held before every NBA game, and Isaac looked at going to chapel sort of as a way of confirming he still had a faith. But one day, he was convicted by the opening verse the chaplain started with: Luke 6:46, in which Jesus says, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” “It was one of those moments where you just kind of get punched in the gut by the Word,” Isaac said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “And I was like, ‘Wow that’s me, this is exactly what I do. I say “Lord, Lord” but I don’t live it, I don’t know it.’ And it was almost like a fork in the road for me, like I’m either going to drop this whole thing and do me, or I’m going to kinda seek it out and figure out what it really is. And I had that time period of just seeking.” As Isaac opened himself up to a deeper faith, he just so happened to meet a friendly, strangely-friendly older man who lived in his building. When the man asked him to lunch, Isaac initially thought, “I’m not going to lunch with this dude … anybody that just wants to take me out to lunch for no reason, I’m like, ‘OK, this guy is trying to take advantage of me’ … This was me at 19 and this older guy.” But Isaac and the man kept running into each other, always at pivotal times in Isaac’s path toward following Jesus. The man kept inviting Isaac to attend his church, and eventually Isaac relented. That’s when he found out his strange, friendly neighbor, who kept lecturing him about Jesus and faith, was Bishop Durone Hepburn, the pastor and founder of J.U.M.P. Ministries Global Church in Orlando. Hepburn, who grew up in the Bahamas, didn’t follow basketball at all, and had no idea who Isaac was when he first met him. “And I told Jonathan, ‘I can tell you how to be great,’” Hepburn told Sports Spectrum in a recent phone call, his voice brimming with enthusiasm and a thick Carribbean accent. “And he said to me, ‘OK, tell me how to be great,’ and I said, ‘You have to know Jesus!’” “I felt like I came to an understanding [around this time] of what I believed to be a key principle of faith in Jesus,” Isaac said. “So one morning, all fired up, I asked the pastor if I could preach at his church — and he said, ‘Why not?’ He didn’t even ask what I wanted to speak about. He just told me he knew I could do it. “It’s been a real encouragement to my faith to see myself step out and speak, because I’ve always battled with anxiety and the fear of messing up. If you would have asked anybody from Florida State, or from my earlier years, if Jonathan could get up and speak in front of anybody, let alone in a church, the answer would be no. To me, the fact that I was able to do this, and continue to do so, confirms God’s power — simply because I know without a doubt it was not by my own ability. Being able to do something I knew I could never do, or even want to do, has skyrocketed the level of my faith.” www.sportsspectrum.com
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NBA | B OL D & BALLIN’
“It was one of those moments where you just kind of get punched in the gut by the Word. And I was like, ‘Wow that’s me. I say “Lord, Lord” but I don’t live it, I don’t know it.’” — Jonathan Isaac
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AP Photo/Doug McSchooler
Before long in his journey, Isaac came across Matthew 25:40, where Jesus says “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.” He had an idea: Buy a bunch of burgers from McDonald’s and distribute them to homeless people in the Orlando area. He mentioned the idea to Hepburn, who promptly told him, “If you’re going to do this, do it right.” Hepburn told Isaac to buy some food and he would set up the rest. “So I’m following this guy to Sam’s Club and as I’m driving in my car following him, I’m asking myself, ‘Jonathan, what are you doing?’ … I barely know this guy and I’m following him to Sam’s Club. Long story short: I buy like $700 worth of food and I just hand it over to this guy, and [I’m thinking] ‘I’m never going to hear from him again.’ And then he hits me with a text and tells me to come to this address and I pull up and there’s literally a line of 200 homeless people. I put on an apron and hairnet and start to serve.” Hepburn and Isaac are still partnering together to feed the homeless, only now they travel around the world. Under the umbrella of Project Life Now, they bring their “Global Food Festival” to different countries. The event is a celebration of culinary experiences from dozens of different cultures that attracts thousands of attendees, as well as a time to provide non-perishables and clothing for those in need. Most recently, Isaac and the Global Food Festival traveled to Trinidad. “These people in Trinidad got to go out and get food they wouldn’t normally be able to eat,” Isaac says. “And we give away free clothes, shoes … medical supplies … there’s a place where we feed homeless people and drop off canned goods … I got to get up and talk to youth and tell them about my message for them … I’m hoping with my influence and with the grace of God that [the Global Food Festival] becomes a world-renowned event.” TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
NBA | JONAT HAN IS AAC
eading up to the 2017 NBA Draft, scouts and experts raved about Isaac’s “rare combination of size, length and fluidity,” his “uncommon quickness for a player his size,” and the fact that he began high school as a guard before growing seven inches and maintaining his perimeter skills, making him a “multi-faceted threat” and a “tantalizing prospect.” Though his pro career got off to a slow start with the injury-riddled rookie season, Isaac started 64 of the 75 games he played in 2018-19, when he averaged 9.6 points and helped the Magic to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. And early this season, on Nov. 6 against Dallas, Isaac displayed that versatility as he entered rare company. He tallied 13
points, 10 rebounds, a career-high six blocks, five assists and four steals — just the third NBA player since 1983-1984 to record at least 13 points, 10 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and four steals in a single game. The other two to accomplish the task? Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson. It’s an impressive feat, from an impressive young athlete, who has already made his mark as one of the most vocal followers of Christ in the NBA. “Many men point others to themselves,” Hepburn says, “but [Jonathan] is a young man who stays in the Word. If he has a question, he asks what it means. He constantly tries to grow in faith, trying to be that example
and light to people around him. I see strength in Jonathan. I see a lion.” Isaac, for his part, has borrowed a phrase from the Philadelphia 76ers, saying he’s learning to just “trust the process” in his Christian walk. “We want things all in the wrong time or in our time,” Isaac says. “There is a process of God working things out of you to get you where you need to be … [and my job is] being patient, allowing myself to be molded, to grow in knowledge and understanding … to trust the process and go with the flow, go with the ride.” Jonathan Isaac is still growing in all aspects of his life. It doesn’t look like he’s stopping anytime soon.
Bishop Durone Hepburn
AP Photo/John Raoux
“Many men point others to themselves, but [Jonathan] is a young man who stays in the Word. ... He constantly tries to grow in faith, trying to be that example and light to people around him.” — Bishop Durone Hepburn
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NBA | M ON T Y W ILLIAMS
BY BECKY YORK
MIRED IN THE WORST STRETCH OF BASKETBALL THE FRANCHISE HAD EVER EXPERIENCED, THE PHOENIX SUNS BROUGHT IN THE HIGHLYRESPECTED MONTY WILLIAMS TO LEAD THEM BACK TO THE POSTSEASON. THE FORMER NEW ORLEANS HEAD COACH AND LONGTIME ASSISTANT BRINGS HARD LIFE EXPERIENCES AND A STRONG FAITH IN CHRIST TO THE NBA’S YOUNGEST ROSTER. 22 22
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t seemed to be just another Oklahoma winter’s day on Feb. 9, 2016, as Monty Williams, an Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach at the time, sat on the couch watching television with his son, Elijah. They were waiting for Ingrid, his wife, to return home from their daughter Faith’s basketball game.
The evening turned bleak, however, as 8:30 rolled around and no car entered the driveway. Instead of the sound of a car engine, Williams heard his eldest daughter Lael’s cell phone ring. On the other end was Faith. As Williams watched Lael’s face fall, he knew something was very wrong. She shared that there had been a car accident. Ingrid, along with daughters Faith and Janna, and son Micha, were rushed to a hospital. Within a moment’s time, Monty’s life seemed to have stopped. Within 24 hours, his wife’s life ended at the age of 44. The children all survived with minimal injuries. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971 TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
NBA | RAISING SUNS
Suddenly a single father of five grief-stricken children (Lael, 18 at the time; Faith, 15; Janna, 13; Elijah, 8; Micah, 5), Williams was faced with the question: Now what? A few days later, he found himself stepping into a church auditorium, preparing to address a crowd of more than 900 people, all who gathered to celebrate the life of Ingrid, his wife of 20 years. Though he was deeply mourning his own personal loss, Williams gave a powerful speech on forgiveness and compassion regarding the family of the driver who hit the car which held Ingrid and three of his kids in a head-on collision. His message was widely praised. “We cannot serve the Lord if we don’t have a heart of forgiveness,” Williams said nine days after the accident, during his eulogy at Crossings
Community Church in Oklahoma City. “That family didn’t wake up wanting to hurt my wife. Life is hard. It is very hard. And that was tough, but we hold no ill will toward the Donaldson family, and we as a group, brothers united in unity, should be praying for that family because they grieve as well. So let’s not lose sight of what’s important.” When asked on the Sports Spectrum Podcast this past September if he anticipated such attention being drawn to his eulogy, Monty said, “I was just talking to my kids. At the beginning of the day and the end of the day, that’s my biggest ministry — to shepherd my children. I didn’t want them to have bitterness and unforgiveness in their heart.” Williams confessed his strength was not something he held deep within, it was
granted to him by the grace of God. It was his faith in a Heavenly Father that carried him through such heartache. “[God] is good,” he says. “He loves me. You go through a time like that and you tend to lose sight of that because you are hurting, but God is good.” The theme of grace and healing seems to be one that has continually marked the life of this former first-round draft pick. Williams was taken by the New York Knicks out of Notre Dame in 1994 as the 24th overall selection — only four years after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a heart condition with potentially fatal consequences, which was discovered during a routine preseason physical in 1990. “I had test after test, shipping me all over the place, trying to figure out a way for
me to play… and it didn’t work out,” Williams said during his eulogy. “My career was over at the age of 18.” Immediately following the Notre Dame press conference announcing his condition, Williams — who had been told by doctors he should never play competitive sports again to avoid unexpected and immediate death — went to his future wife’s dorm room and shared his devastating fate. Tears streaked the faces of both students as they held each other, fear and sorrow filling their hearts. The soft sobs were broken as Ingrid’s first words in response came gentle, yet firm: “Honey, Jesus can heal your heart.” Two years later, test results revealed that any sign of an HCM condition had disappeared. He was cleared to play.
AP Photos/Jack Dempsey, Brandon Dill
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There are times when you tend to lose track of your focus. Sometimes it’s just on basketball or wins and losses. God told us to focus on Him and He’ll take care of the other stuff. — Monty Williams
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fter his nine-year NBA playing career came to a close in 2003, Williams took the court in another capacity as he stepped into a coaching role for the first time in 2005 with Portland. Five years later he became the head coach in New Orleans, which he led to two playoff appearances in five seasons. Williams caught on with the OKC staff in 2015, joined the San Antonio front office after Ingrid’s death, then got back into coaching in June 2018 with Philadelphia. On May 3, 2019, Willams became a head coach again, filling the Phoenix Suns’ vacancy. “Monty brings a wealth of NBA experience, both as a coach and former player, in addition to being a highcharacter individual who will infuse basketball wisdom and life lessons into
showing up on time. After that we want to get the guys to understand we value guys, we work hard, we want to defend the basketball and have a level of gratitude. We feel like if guys can adopt those values consistently, we can create a positive culture. We feel like we have the guys that can fit that.” Hard work and gratitude have been key factors in Williams’ career, both as a player and as a coach. But he admits when he first entered the league in 1994, he had a lot of room for character growth. “I probably would grade my faith [in Jesus Christ] shallow at best at that time, but God has shown me so much grace,” Williams says. “He used a good friend of mine, Charlie Ward, in my life.” Winner of the 1993 Heisman Trophy, Charlie Ward chose pro basketball over football. Drafted only two picks after Williams in 1994, Ward joined the Knicks alongside Williams. Wanting to save money, the two quickly agreed to bunk our locker room,” Suns General Manager together on the road (players back then James Jones said in a press release had to pay for their own rooms). announcing the hire. “Monty is well “We were able to be each other’s respected for his coaching pedigree, accountability partners,” Williams leadership and commitment to the remembers. “My adjustment to the community, all of which make him the ideal NBA was enhanced because I had person to lead our team moving forward.” Charlie as a brother at the time.” With 14 years of NBA coaching and Williams and Ward were both Christexecutive experience under his belt, followers, and married their wives only a Williams is eager to take on the challenge few weeks apart. But how they got to the of turning the tide for Phoenix, a team NBA was quite different. Williams arrived that has missed the playoffs nine years in New York after living the city life near straight, the longest drought in franchise Washington D.C., and Ward from a small history. Last season, the Suns finished 19- town in Thomasville, Ga. Yet because of 63, the second-worst record in the league their common faith in Jesus Christ, the behind only the Knicks (17-65). two formed a deep bond. Setting the culture on the NBA’s “We were joined at the hip,” says youngest roster (average age: 24.49) Ward, fondly remembering many became Williams’ first priority and focus in occasions when he’d come in to find leading the team. unexpected “gifts” his roommate had “Everyone has a culture, some good left him, including one instance when he and some they want to improve on,” climbed into a bed full of M&M’s. “Monty Williams says. “For us, it starts with was a prankster. It was annoying at the time, but I knew it was all in fun. There
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We cannot serve the Lord if we don’t have a heart of forgiveness. — Monty Williams
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AP Photo/Jack Dempsey
NBA | RAISING SUNS
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are a lot of memories we have. We are lifelong brothers.” First meeting Williams at pre-draft camp, Ward learned of Williams’ heart condition when he watched him bring a just-in-case defibrillator with him to all his practices and games — a practice that continued into his NBA career. “It was his adversity,” Ward says. But Williams didn’t allow this stumbling block to stop him. His faith in God’s power to heal and his resolve to compete inspired his teammates and fans alike. To Ward, though, it was his character that was most inspiring. “He was a brother who wasn’t going to discredit me or look at me differently if I shared anything that I was struggling with,” Ward says. “Those are the kinds of friendships you want to have.” A few months into their first NBA season, the duo was split when Williams was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. But the two became lifelong friends. Currently the head boys basketball coach at Florida State University High in Tallahassee, Ward
brotherhood with Williams. The two still hold a deep-rooted friendship. “It’s amazing what a few months can do to a friendship that has a certain connection, which is the relationship with the Lord,” Ward says. Eager to help foster the kind of relationships and bonds among his own team that he has held with Ward, Williams now seeks to bring in a new wave of success for the Suns. Having overcome many adversities in his 48 years of life so far, Williams relies on his foundation of faith to carry him through this next leg of his journey. “For me, it always goes back to Matthew 6:33, ‘Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’ That’s where I have to keep my focus — on the Lord,” Williams says. “There are times when you tend to lose track of your focus. Sometimes it’s just on basketball or wins and losses. God told us to focus on Him and He’ll take care of the other stuff. My prayer and hope is that I can do that consistently.”
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AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, Ross D. Franklin
CHARLIE WARD
He was a brother who wasn’t going to discredit me or look at me differently if I shared anything that I was struggling with. Those are the kinds of friendships you want to have. — Charlie Ward
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will not allow 1,800 miles to disrupt his www.sportsspectrum.com
S P OSRPTOSR TSSP ESCPTERCUTMR U M
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N BA | BASK ET BALL
STATE OF FAITH IN THE NBA Public displays of faith may not be as common in the NBA as they are in other pro leagues, but Christ-following leaders in the NBA say strong faith is prevalent throughout their sport.
pend any considerable amount of time following the NFL and the chances of seeing some sort of expression of faith from a player are pretty good — after a touchdown, during an interview, on social media. Or just watch what takes place after nearly every contest — a postgame prayer near midfield involving players and coaches from both teams. Spend any considerable amount of time following the NBA and the chances of seeing some sort of expression of faith from a player aren’t nearly as good. To be fair, basketball players don’t have the luxury of a stopped clock to celebrate after a score, there are a lot more players in the NFL, and though postgame prayers don’t take place in the NBA (at least not on a regular basis), pregame chapel services do. Yet from the outside looking in, there doesn’t seem to be as many outspoken believers in Christ sharing their faith from the platform the NBA has afforded them. So is it fair to say the “state of faith” in the NBA is lacking? Are there not that many Christfollowers playing professional basketball? After Sports Spectrum asked some key figures representing faith in the NBA, the answers to those two questions are clear: No and no. Faith is strong, and there are many believers. “I will say that looking around, in other sports, football and baseball, there are more outspoken men in those leagues,” says third-year Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac. “I go to chapel every chance that I get and there are men that are in there seeking to grow and to learn more in their walk with God. But I don’t think there are as many willing to be more outspoken about it. I don’t want to step on any toes with saying that, but I do know that there are men of faith in
There are a lot of brothers and sisters who love God, who are not ashamed of their faith, who know Scripture, who are diligent in prayer, and are just good, good people. — Monty Williams our league and they show up and it’s shown through their lives … But I do see a difference when it comes to leagues like football and baseball that do have those men that do stand up and speak out.” Monty Williams has spent nearly 25 years in the NBA, combining his playing and coaching days. So the new Phoenix Suns head coach brings great perspective when he says there is too much attention paid to the league’s marquee names. “In our business, we tend to focus on the stars as it relates to faith. And I think that’s where a lot of the commentaries or the stories that are written can be a bit off as it relates to what you see from a public standpoint,” Williams says. “I’ve met so many brothers and sisters, who you may not ever see on camera, who are really good players and really good coaches. So I think as it relates to sports, we always focus on the stars, and if somebody gets on TV and says, ‘I have a relationship with Jesus Christ,’ that’s all we focus on. But there are so many brothers
By Jon Ackerman
and sisters behind the scenes that are just really good players; they might not be stars. “So, just me, I wish we could focus on everybody, not just the stars, because there are a lot of brothers and sisters who love God, who are not ashamed of their faith, who know Scripture, who are diligent in prayer, and are just good, good people and good at what they do.” Boston Celtics forward Semi Ojeleye, also in his third season, thinks the lack of awareness of faith in the NBA has to do with the negative tendencies of our society. “I know a lot of guys in the NBA or just professionally or in college that are Christians and do love Jesus and do want to walk with Christ, are walking with Christ,” Ojeleye says. “So I guess it’s about the narrative that you see. I think sometimes you see too many negative examples of athletes, or NBA players or football players, that you think that’s all there is. There’s not enough news about the good things out there. I think news in general is negative, and negative news sells, unfortunately.” However, players like Isaac and Ojeleye, and coaches like Williams — who live out Romans 1:16 (“I am not ashamed of the Gospel”) when speaking to the public and on social media — can change the perception. They say there are many men of strong faith in the league, so it’s a matter of living out Luke 12:8 (“Whoever publicly acknowledges Me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God”). Says Ojeleye, “I think it’s our job, and whoever else is out there, to spread — as cliché as it sounds — the good news about being a Christian, about good examples of people doing good things for God, for Christ.”
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
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NBA | BAS KE T BAL L
PLAYERS TO FOLLOW HARRISON BARNES SACRAMENTO KINGS
AP Photos/Rich Pedroncelli, John Bazemore, Paul Sancya, Michael Dwyer, Sam Ortega
@hbarnes #IJNIP
TOBIAS HARRIS
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
@tobiasharris “Walking In The Path The Lord Has Laid Out For Me”
SEMI OJELEYE BOSTON CELTICS
@semi “‘Whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me’ 1 Corinthians 15:10” www.sportsspectrum.com
JRUE HOLIDAY
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
@jrue_holiday11 “We most bear resemblance to Christ, when we bear another’s burden.”
ANTHONY TOLLIVER
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
@atolliver44 “Man of God” #teamiJnip #teamJesus SPORTS SPECTRUM
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W NBA | KE L S E Y P L UM
ACES IN THE
FAITH BY JOSHUA DOERING
FORMER NO. 1 PICKS KELSEY PLUM AND A’JA WILSON ARE RELYING ON THEIR RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHRIST TO LEAD THE ACES AND BUILD A FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS IN LAS VEGAS.
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“THE ROAD’S NOT GOING TO BE EASY AND IT’S NOT GOING TO BE GLAMOROUS. THAT’S WHAT I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO UNDERSTAND — THAT GOD IS IN CONTROL.”
AP Photo/Nick Wass
as Vegas Aces teammates Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson have experienced a wealth of success in their basketball careers. Plum is the leading scorer in women’s college basketball history. Her 3,527 points for the University of Washington (2013-2017) trail only Pete Marovich’s 3,667 on the men’s side. That led her to become a No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft. Wilson, meanwhile, led the University of South Carolina (2014-2018) to the 2017 national championship, after which she was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. She also became a No. 1 pick, then earned WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 and was an All-Star her first two seasons. With those achievements, though, they were also dealt numerous challenges. A 2013 McDonald’s All-American and five-star recruit coming out of La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego, Calif., Plum opted to attend Washington. The Huskies had not made the NCAA Tournament since 2007. Yet as a junior in 2016, Plum led them to the Final Four, where they fell to Syracuse. Her college career ended the following season with a loss to Mississippi State in the Sweet 16. Three weeks later, the San Antonio Stars took Plum with the first selection in the 2017 draft. “It’s obviously great when you look back and you realize what you did, but during the time it’s really hard,” Plum said in a recent interview with Sports Spectrum. “There’s a reason not a lot of people [choose to play for a lessestablished program].”
— A’JA WILSON
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W NBA | A’ J A WIL S O N Plum entered the WNBA with massive expectations. She was supposed to be able to replicate what she did in college at the pro level right away. But a right ankle injury during her first training camp made the transition even more difficult. Plum made 23 starts and averaged 8.5 points per game her first year, appearing in 31 games. Not bad numbers for a rookie, but not exactly what she was hoping for. Even Wilson was surprised by the pressure and scrutiny Plum faced her first year in the WNBA. “I don’t think I would’ve even been able to take the wrath and the heat [Plum] took her rookie year,” Wilson told Sports Spectrum. The adversity led Plum to evaluate her relationship with God. Raised in a Christian home, she never had faith forced on her by her parents. But she needed to learn what it truly meant to rely on Christ. “I kind of had to go through life and figure out what’s important,” she said. “It takes a lot of failure and mistakes and humility to be able to see that I need a relationship with God.” Prior to her second WNBA season, Plum and the Stars franchise relocated to
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Las Vegas and became the Aces. The general manager and head coach were fired, and Plum was still playing for her professional team in Turkey during the Aces’ training camp. That meant she had very little time to get acclimated with her teammates and new head coach, former NBA star Bill Laimbeer. It also meant she was trying to learn a new offensive system as the season got underway. “People don’t understand,” Plum said. “When you miss a month of training camp, you’re missing all these two-aday practices and going through all the offense, breaking it down, everything.” Despite her late arrival, Plum increased her scoring average a full point from her rookie year and shot 43.9 percent from 3-point range, good for fourth in the league. Still, the Aces finished 14-19 and missed the playoffs. In 2019, the additions of 2018 scoring champion Liz Cambage and No. 1 overall selection Jackie Young (the third straight year the Stars/ Aces franchise held the first pick) to Las Vegas’ roster presented a new challenge for Plum. Adding Young to the starting lineup meant Plum went
from point guard — the position she was most familiar with — to shooting guard. Plum also missed training camp again due to overseas commitments. “I was struggling all year and it was very hard for me personally,” she said. “I think He was building me for something bigger.” That “something bigger” turned out to be the playoffs, which the Aces (21-13) entered as the No. 4 seed. Plum posted averages of 15.2 points and 7.8 assists in the Aces’ five postseason games. She made her first playoff start in Game 2 of Las Vegas’ semifinals series against the eventual champion Washington Mystics, posting a double-double with 19 points and 10 assists. All the ups and downs Plum has endured in her professional career have provided her with a different perspective on life. “The biggest life lesson that I’ve taken away in the last three years ... is people’s opinions do not make up your value as a person,” she said. “I think I never really understood that until things didn’t go the way I wanted them to, because from high school to college, everything had kind of gone the way I wanted it to.”
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AP Photos/John Locher, Nick Wass
s Plum made the move from San Antonio to Las Vegas, one of her new teammates became Wilson, the 2018 consensus college player of the year whom the Aces took with the first overall pick in the 2018 draft. A native of South Carolina, Wilson says she was “dang near” raised in the church. Her grandfather was a minister and Wilson’s family was heavily involved in the church he pastored. “I don’t have that hardcore story where I had a tough life, had a tough childhood,” she said. “I was just kind of normal. I knew, and my parents really kind of made sure I understood, that this is a gift from God and I can’t take that for granted. Everything that I did, I looked at it not just as luck but as blessings.” When it came time to choose a college, Wilson decided to stay near home and play for coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks. She made an immediate impact as a
freshman, contributing 13.1 points on a team that reached the Final Four. The Gamecocks returned to the national semifinals her junior season, and Wilson recorded double-doubles in both Final Four games. She put up 23 points and 10 rebounds in the national championship game, which South Carolina won 67-55 over Mississippi State for its first national title in program history. Two days before her college career came to a close the next season with a loss to UConn in the Elite Eight, Wilson wrote a piece for the Players’ Tribune. In it, she discussed being diagnosed with dyslexia as a sophomore in high school and the role her learning disability played in shaping her as a person. “It was tough because I didn’t want people to think I had a weakness and I was a failure and things like that,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, I really grew up when I released [the Players’ Tribune story] and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” When Wilson got to South Carolina, she started saying grace before team meals. That soon turned into reading Scripture out loud to the team in the locker room before games, which helped her become more confident reading and speaking in public.
W NBA | ACE S IN T HE FAIT H
“I KIND OF HAD TO GO THROUGH LIFE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT’S IMPORTANT. IT TAKES A LOT OF FAILURE AND MISTAKES AND HUMILITY TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT I NEED A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.” — KELSEY PLUM
www.sportsspectrum.com
“It really helped me get closer to my teammates and at the same time, it helped me just kind of become that leader, and then that’s when it turned into our chaplain giving me scriptures to read before pregame,” she said. Wilson started all 33 games for the Aces as a rookie and finished sixth in the WNBA in scoring at 20.7 points per game en route to winning Rookie of the Year. She followed that up with another All-Star selection and an average of 16.5 points per contest in 2019. Wilson says prayer has played a crucial role throughout her life, and helped her cope with the loss of her grandmother in 2016. “Don’t even get me started,” she joked. “Prayer has just really helped me out through my whole basketball career. It’s a part of my pregame ritual, it’s a part of my warmup. It’s always involved because I know that it’s so much more than what’s at stake and what’s in front of me. I just have to give thanks, that’s the biggest thing. Prayer is my peace.” Guided by their faith, these two former No. 1 picks look to lead Las Vegas deeper into the postseason in 2020. Both the achievements and adversity they’ve experienced have prepared them, and they’ve grown in their faith to know their identity comes from being grounded in a relationship with Christ. “Looking back on my journey so far, as hard as it’s been, I wouldn’t change anything because I’m a different person than I was when I got drafted,” Plum said. Added Wilson, “I think God has really been showing me and teaching me that I am made for this. He wouldn’t put me in this situation if He knew I couldn’t handle it. The road’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be glamorous. That’s what I have to continue to understand — that God is in control.”
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PURPOSE INTO THE PROGRAM
AP Photos/Adam Hunger, John Minchillo
By Jason Romano
After leading the Tennessee men to the finest season in school history, renowned coach Rick Barnes received offers to take over more prominent programs. But after much prayer, he felt God made it clear for him to keep building in Knoxville. 32
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ick Barnes is a legend in college basketball. The Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball coach is entering his 33rd season of coaching, and his 690 career wins rank him 22nd on the all-time Division I coaching list. Barnes is coming off a season in which he was named the Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year, after leading his team to a 31-6 record last year and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. The Vols reached No. 1 at one
point during the 2018-19 season (the first time in program history), before finishing ranked No. 6 in the country. Barnes will lead a much different squad this season, after the departures of key players such as Grant Williams, Admiral Schofield, Jordan Bone and Kyle Alexander. The 2019-20 Vols opened the season at No. 25 in the USA Today/ Coaches Poll. We caught up with Coach Barnes at a Nations of Coaches event in Atlanta before the season. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
NCAA | R ICK BAR N E S Let’s start with the Nations of Coaches Legacy Summit, where you were given an award and were able to speak to a group of coaches about your faith. Why is Nations of Coaches so important to you? It is an important program for me but I think it’s very important for the basketball profession, because as a young coach you always go out to clinics to learn offense, defense, special situations. I believe what they’re doing here with Nations of Coaches is far more important than any of those clinics because this is a clinic about being the kind of coach and bringing the principles that Dr. (James) Naismith thought about — the Christian characteristics that we need to coach by. I think the biggest thing is that we should want to share our faith, we should want our players to understand who Jesus Christ is. They should see us living that every single day. There’s a way to do that. It’s not forcing anything on anybody, it’s just something that I certainly believe in. Nations of Coaches is putting character coaches on campuses and we need our coaches to realize that their players are really their family while they’re there. You were the Naismith College Basketball Coach of the Year for 2018-19. It was a pretty special year for you. What was this past year like?
It was a special group. It’s a group of guys that started out four years ago and that senior class lost 19 games. And two years ago we made it to the tournament and got beat in the second round. You could just tell when we finished up two years ago that this group had something special about it — the way they worked, the way they worked on their own, going above and beyond what we asked them to do. They wanted one thing and that was to get back to the NCAA Tournament and see if they could go further. It’s always heartbreaking when you get knocked out of it, but the fact is, I know that this group maximized what they had and they set the bar. Sports Spectrum did an online story about a couple of your players being baptized earlier in the season. Can you share a little about the spiritual side of your players and those that were growing in the Lord? It was a big day for everybody but it was a big day obviously for them (Kyle Alexander and Jordan Bowden). It meant a lot, being there and seeing all their teammates there and truly witnessing what I think is the biggest decision those guys can make. There are a lot of good things going on on our campus and I’m just glad our guys are involved with it.
Something changed recently for you in your walk with God and through something your daughter had to say. Can you share that story? I grew up in a home that understood principles — went to church, knew right from wrong. I got into this business and once I became a head coach, I started to let the world dictate what I thought. I think I would say I was still a good guy but I wasn’t abiding in Christ. And my daughter one day sat me down with my son and said, “We want to be in Heaven and we’re going to be in Heaven, but if you died today, you wouldn’t be there.” And she actually said, “You would go to hell.” It hurt and any father would understand that you love your daughter, but I knew she was right. I left and came back and I knew she was right, because I was really running from what I knew was right. I certainly knew what it meant to abide in Jesus Christ, but I was letting the world [control] me. What I learned from that situation was once God gets a hold of you, it’s not going to be easy. I’m still a work in progress, and every day I have to get on my knees and ask the Lord to help me through this day, and to help me through the temptations and the pitfalls that are staring at me every single day.
AP Photo/Bill Feig
“I want to treat [players] the way God has treated me, and what He’s done is He’s loved me and He’s never quit on me. He’s stayed with me. God’s been patient with me. I don’t want to lose any of that.” To listen to the entire interview with Rick Barnes, visit SportsSpectrum.com www.sportsspectrum.com
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N C AA BASK E T BALL But what I learned is that when He gets a hold of you, He’s not going to let you go. He’s going to keep crafting you, and we know that He’s the potter and we’re the clay. I’m just praying that He’ll continue to mold me to be the person He wants me to be. How did that change the way you coached after having that awakening to Christ? It brought me back to the fact that it’s not about me, that it’s really about the players. And I made up my mind that I was going to coach them and love them in a different way. I was going to truly treat them the way I wanted my kids to be treated. That means you still have to be demanding. You’ve got to expect a lot, set the bar high, but it’s the way that you go about doing it every single day. They know that you care about them, that you love them and I want them to know that I serve a God who has forgiven me and a God that, when you mess up, He’s there for you. He’s going to catch you.
AP Photo/Matt Stamey
You mentioned that word “forgiveness.” You told the story of asking former players for forgiveness because you weren’t truthful with them. Can you share what happened? I did not treat them the way I should have treated them. I was over the top in my tone to them; the language that I used was wrong. It’s not the kind of language that I would want my son or daughter to be around. But like I said, I had gotten to a really dark place and I thought I was all that.
“We should want to share our faith, we should want our players to understand who Jesus Christ is. They should see us living that every single day.”
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T O TSOU SB US BC RS CI BREI :B EC :A LC LA L8L6 68-6 86 2-18-2 21 9-7219 7 1
AP Photo/Michael Wyke
But it was important to me that I went back and apologized, especially to some players that I knew I had crossed the line with. It was an emotional time. It was a time that some tears were shed but I’m thankful that God allowed that to happen. I know that I’m better for it and I know that I still need forgiveness every day. But what I don’t want to do is ever treat a player in a way that God would look at me and say, “You shouldn’t be doing that.” I want to treat them the way God has treated me, and what He’s done is He’s loved me and He’s never quit on me. He’s stayed with me. God’s been patient with me. I don’t want to lose any of that. www.sportsspectrum.com
www.sportsspectrum.com
You had an opportunity to leave Tennessee in the offseason, but you came back. Can you share what role prayer played in making that decision to return to Knoxville? What you just mentioned about prayer was the key. I had a lot of great people around me in Knoxville, Tennessee, that cared about me. And I expressed to them why this opportunity was in front of me, and what I’d grown up with watching UCLA basketball. But as I went through it, I knew that I had to get on my knees, and along with my wife, we prayed. Friends prayed with me, and we just truly believed that in the end, some way, that
God would make it crystal clear. And He really did. I do think God is sovereign and He’s got a plan for all of us and I think He puts things in front of us. I think that He put that [opportunity] there. For what reason? Maybe I don’t know totally yet, but I just know this: He’s blessed me to have an opportunity at the University of Tennessee, the people I’m around, the city I’m in, the state I’m in. I just hope that I can do everything I can to do His work because I do think the most important thing is to tell people about Him. SPORTS SPECTRUM SPORTS SPECTRUM
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N H L | J AC C OB SL AV IN
TRULY AT HOME BY KEV IN MERCER
Jaccob Slavin is an up-and-coming defenseman in the NHL — and an culture he describes as spiritually dark. He’s found a home in Carolina, where the 25-year-old aims to reflect Jesus in his game and his family, which now includes an adopted baby girl. 36
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AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, Karl B DeBlaker, Mark J. Terrill
unashamed follower of Christ in a hockey
NHL | T R ULY AT HO ME
s the final whistle blew and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin skated toward the home team’s locker room, the crowd at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C., which had been quieted by the Boston Bruins for most of the night, erupted into applause. It wasn’t because the Hurricanes had won. They hadn’t. They fell to the Bruins that night, like they had in the previous three games of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals. The Hurricanes had just been swept, but their fans cheered simply because the team was there. Not since 2009 had Carolina reached the postseason, and it had squeaked into the 2019 playoffs as an Eastern Conference wildcard team.
Then to the surprise of many, it bested the defending-champion Washington Capitals in seven games, and swept the New York Islanders in the second round. The Bruins, not the Hurricanes, would be heading to the Stanley Cup Finals, but Slavin and his teammates had given Carolina fans a reason to cheer again. Slavin heard the crowd’s reaction. He understood. Carolina is the only pro franchise Slavin, 25, has ever known. He’s now in his fourth NHL season, all with the team that drafted him in 2012. He put off the pros to spend two seasons at Colorado College (2013-2015), but then decided to go pro and start the 2015–16 season with
the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. After 14 games, he was called up to the Hurricanes and on Nov. 20, 2015, at the age of 21, Slavin made his NHL debut. Since that time four years ago, as Slavin has become a key cog in the Carolina lineup, the city of Raleigh and its people have become just as important to Slavin and his wife, Kylie. They found a church. They made lifelong friends. Slavin grew up in Colorado and Kylie was raised in Illinois, but Raleigh truly is their home. “The way we got connected [to community] out here is something that God ordained,” Slavin says with a smile.
“HE’S ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED PLAYERS TO ME IN THE LEAGUE. HE CAN MAKE SOME PLAYS OFFENSIVELY, BUT WHAT HE’S REALLY GOOD AT IS HIS DEFENSE. HIS STICK IS REALLY GOOD. HE’S A GOOD SKATER. HE BREAKS THE PUCK WELL. HE DOES IT ALL.” — CAROLINA CENTER SEBASTIAN AHO ON SLAVIN
www.sportsspectrum.com
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NHL | J AC C OB SL AV IN
“AS CHRISTIANS, WE’RE CALLED TO REFLECT JESUS IN OUR LIVES. BEING ABLE TO DO THAT IS HUGE, AND GUYS SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU IN THE WAY YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE OR WHAT YOU PUT YOUR PRIORITIES IN.” — JACCOB SLAVIN
ike so many cheering Hurricanes fans in the stands that playoff night, Slavin’s mind was already shifting to 2019-20. He had tasted playoff hockey, and he wanted more. “We wanted to build on what we ended with last year,” Slavin told Sports Spectrum after a recent practice. “I think last year was a very successful year for us getting back to the playoffs for the first time and obviously going as deep as we did, but it left everyone wanting a little bit more. Obviously, our goal is to get back there and go farther.” The Hurricanes started the
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2019-20 season just like they ended the last, going 8-3-1 in October. But an early November losing streak showed Carolina it still has work to do. Slavin, meanwhile, continued his strong play. He amassed nine assists and two goals, and ranked second on the team in plus/minus rating (5) through Nov. 10. But his offense is a bonus. He is known for his defense, which has helped to stifle many teams’ best attackers. “Watching him, he’s one of the most underrated players to me in the league,” Carolina center Sebastian Aho says of Slavin. “He
can make some plays offensively, but what he’s really good at is his defense. His stick is really good. He’s a good skater. He breaks the puck well. He does it all.” Slavin’s level of play this season has only served to validate his playoff performance last spring and the league-wide acclaim he garnered in the process. In 15 total playoff games last year, Slavin racked up 11 assists — a franchise record for a defenseman in a single postseason. Nine of those came in the series against the Capitals, one of the Stanley Cup favorites, including three on the road in Game 7 as the Hurricanes prevailed
4-3 in two overtimes. For the nearly month-long playoff run, praise poured in from fans and experts alike. Finally, the hockey world had noticed what the Hurricanes had known for years. In 2017, Carolina signed Slavin to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual salary of $5.3 million. Slavin didn’t stop impressing afterward. For this season, the coaching staff named him an alternate captain. His teammates rave about him as a defender and as a person. “He treats people fairly,” Aho says. “He respects everyone. He’s just always smiling.”
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NHL | TR ULY AT HO M E
AP Photos/Karl B DeBlaker, Chris Seward, Gerry Broome
lavin easily could have let himself revel in his newfound fame. Instead, he pointed back to his Lord and Savior. “You’re not going to be able to control what people say and so thankfully they were saying good things, but at the end of the day, it’s not about me in this game,” Slavin says. “It’s about the platform that God’s given me, so He was just giving me more opportunities to shed light on His glory during that time.” Faith is always Slavin’s foundation in the midst of a hockey culture he himself describes as spiritually dark. The opportunities to speak out about his faith are scarce, with few believing teammates and a volunteer chaplain. (Teams in other leagues sometimes employ chaplains or at least compensate them for their time.) Slavin, however, seeks to let his light shine in all he says and does. “As Christians, we’re called to reflect Jesus in our lives,” Slavin says. “Being able to do that is huge, and guys see something different about you in the way you live your life or what you put your priorities in.” Some spiritual conversations have come from Slavin’s intentionality in chapel, over dinner or even in the locker room. He recognizes his hockey career is not ultimately for his glory, but he can count it as a success if God is glorified and magnified through it. “We realize this is a platform God has given us,” Slavin said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2017, “so we try to go into each day thinking, ‘OK, whom can we witness to?’”
www.sportsspectrum.com
Slavin has been living for Christ since his time with the Chicago Steel in the USHL, a junior hockey league he played in as a high schooler. He knew of God growing up in Erie, Colo., thanks to his Christian parents. But in Chicago, away from home, while Slavin worked on his game, God worked on his heart. God drew him near in Chicago in the midst of greater independence, yet greater solitude. At the same time, God was orchestrating another development that would change his life — connecting with a woman named Kylie from three hours south of Chicago. “I was just on Twitter one day,” Slavin remembered on the podcast. “Somehow I came across one of her tweets. And it was a tweet about Jesus and being on fire for Christ.” The pair connected via Twitter and eventually on Snapchat. By the time the 18-year-old Slavin’s third season ended in Chicago, the couple was ready to visit Kylie’s home and meet her family. By 2015, as Slavin finished up his sophomore season at Colorado College and set his sights on professional hockey, the couple married. They moved out to Raleigh and subsequently grew deep roots there. Unlike many NHL players who return to their hometowns in the offseason, Slavin stays put. “It’s a blessing to be here in the city of Raleigh,” Slavin says. “The community here is awesome. The friends we’ve made outside of hockey here are awesome.” God used unusual means to bring Jaccob and Kylie together, but His work through their relationship was far from over.
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N HL | J AC C OB SL AV IN
doption is a theme that runs throughout Scripture. Eventually, God called the Slavins to make it a theme that runs throughout their family too. “[Adoption] was definitely something we felt God calling us towards,” Slavin says. “It’s something that’s been on my wife’s heart for a really long time, and something that God really had to kind of change my heart towards. He really worked on my heart for a good year or so. ... It was Spirit-led for sure.” In April 2018, the Slavins began their long, convoluted journey through the adoption process and were placed on a waiting list. About a year later, this past April 12, a baby girl named Emersyn was born in North Carolina. She would be the couple’s first child. Emersyn’s birth coincided almost exactly with Carolina’s first playoff run in a decade; Game 1 against the Capitals was the day before she was born. It made for an incredibly busy, yet exciting, April and May, during which Slavin even found himself borrowing Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon’s private jet to fly back to North Carolina. He couldn’t bring himself to miss his first postseason, but neither could he miss those first few weeks with his wife and newborn daughter. As exciting as Carolina’s playoff run was, Slavin found the offseason back in Raleigh just as thrilling as he watched his little girl grow. “Emersyn is doing great,” Slavin says. “She’s got her first two teeth coming in. She’s over six months old now, so we’re starting to introduce real food to her and stuff. It’s been so much fun. It was a little bittersweet start to the season this
year, just with being able to be home all summer and spend every single day with my wife and the baby.” Jaccob and Kylie are praying about whether they should adopt their next child. There certainly will be another child. “We want a big family, so we’ll see where God leads us in that,” Slavin says. Whatever happens, he knows nothing falls outside of God’s will. God ordained that he would be a talented NHL defenseman. God ordained that he would meet Kylie, and that they would build a home together in Raleigh. And God ordained that His Gospel would be proclaimed in the Slavins’ lives through the adoption of Emersyn. They joyfully brought her into their home and made her a part of their family, just as Christ is pleased to call believers from across the globe back to their one true home with Him.
“[ADOPTION] WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE FELT GOD CALLING US TOWARDS. IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S BEEN ON MY WIFE’S HEART FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, AND SOMETHING THAT GOD REALLY HAD TO KIND OF CHANGE MY HEART TOWARDS. HE REALLY WORKED ON MY HEART FOR A GOOD YEAR OR SO.” — JACCOB SLAVIN
@jslavin74
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T O S U B STCOR SI BU EB:S CC AR LI BL E8: 6C6A-L8 L2 18-6269-7812 1 - 2 9 7 1
NHL | HO CKE Y
PLAYERS TO FOLLOW
MATT DUCHENE
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
AP Photos/Paul Sancya, Karl B DeBlaker, Winslow Townson, Charles Rex Arbogast, Chris O’Meara
@matt9duchene
“Christian, Father, Husband, Die-hard Fisherman, Wannabe Country Singer & Nashville Predators #95”
RYAN CARPENTER CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
@carpydeuces
“Romans 5:8, Blackhawks #22” www.sportsspectrum.com
STAAL FAMILY FOUNDATION
KEVAN MILLER
ERIC, MARC, JORDAN AND JARED
BOSTON BRUINS
@staalfamily
“A family foundation motivated to give back to communities where we live & work, providing support & opportunities for children fighting cancer”
@kevan_miller86
“Christian, Patriot, Husband, Father, UVM Alum, Boston Bruins #86”
ROCCO GRIMALDI
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
@rgrimaldi23
“Nashville Predators #23” SPORTS SPECTRUM
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Gripping Vision By Art Stricklin
Through unconventional thinking and God-ordained events, the IN HIS GRIP golf ministry took over a prestigious pro-am tournament to bring together golfers for friendship, fellowship and outreach — all at Pebble Beach, one of golf’s most iconic settings. or more than 100 years, Pebble Beach Golf Links, in scenic Carmel, Calif. — once described as the greatest ever meeting of land and sea, by writer Robert Louis Stevenson — has stood as a public golf capital for thousands of golfers from all over the world. It has crowned professional golf champions for decades, hosting perhaps the three greatest U.S. Opens of all time — Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods all capturing golf’s national championship here, including Woods’ victory in 2000 by an all-time record margin of 15 shots. And Pebble Beach’s 18th tee box and finishing green, adjacent to the surging Pacific Ocean, has been captured in millions of photos. But this December 9-12, two innovative, 42
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golf-minded individuals from Tennessee, aiming for faith, fellowship and out-of-thebox outreach, are using Pebble Beach for the first-ever In His Grip World Pro-Am. They aim to reach others with golf and for God in one of golf’s most famous settings. “God has really orchestrated a bucketlist trip with a purpose,” says In His Grip CEO and Founder Scott Lehman. “Maybe somebody doesn’t feel comfortable asking a friend to church, but they could ask them to golf on one of the most famous courses ever,” says Phillip McCutchan, a longtime IHG participant who will make his first-ever trip to Pebble Beach in December. Lehman, a former golf teacher, began his unique organization in 2007, when he moved to the Nashville area. The mission:
“In His Grip seeks to impact one man at a time to equip and empower them to put God first in life, family and business.” The vision: “Men mentoring men to go and change the world.” So that’s what IHG sets out to do with tournaments in the Southeast and around the country — encouraging men to help out others and live out lives of purpose. But the vision to hold a national event on a national stage took unconventional thinking and God-ordained events. “This is really an outside-the-box thing for us, but we are the Church everywhere we go, and we are called to make disciples everywhere we are stationed. Pebble Beach has 100 years of history and quite a following; they have quite a tradition,” Lehman says. TO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 866-821-2971
Photo courtesy of In His Grip
“I could have never dreamed something this big would happen. But in life, sports and golf, we must always have a purpose in our passion. ” —
Scott Lehman, In His Grip founder
rian Jorgenson has been going to Pebble Beach for 18 years to play in various corporate events, including the Wilson Pro-Am, which was named for the national sporting goods company, and occupied a prime early-December date for 39 years. The Director of Golf for the Nashville Golf & Athletic Club, Jorgenson came to know Wilson Pro-Am owner Dick Farley, who told Jorgenson five years ago that he was thinking about selling the tournament and its date. He was looking for a new company to take it over. Jorgenson was first connected with Lehman and In His Grip years ago, when Jorgenson’s wife was killed in a tragic auto accident. Lehman showed up to help him in those dark times, seeking to restore his faith and assist his walk through life. www.sportsspectrum.com
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W
hile most professional sports leagues and teams have regular chapel and ministry programs — like the PGA Tour chapel program (as featured in Sports Spectrum’s Fall 2018 issue) — Lehman said what was missing was a way to reach amateur golfers and golf pros who are not part of a full-time organization. Or those who are just looking for likeminded fellowship with golfers and newcomers from a faith perspective. “Golfers are a very unique bunch,” says Wayne Brantley, who works in the computer software profession. “You may enjoy playing golf with somebody, but you don’t want them to feel you’re just out there to invite them to church or to convert them. This is a great way to 44
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reach out and share your faith, doing what you already love to do.” That’s what happened to Brantley, playing golf with a good friend in the Chattanooga, Tenn., area. “I was playing golf one day and my friend had a small bag tag on his club which said, ‘In His Grip,’ and so I asked him about it. He didn’t say much, but by the time we got to the back nine, I asked him, ‘Now tell me, what does that tag really mean?’ “It’s a good, open-ended way to involve others, and going to Pebble Beach is a cool thing God worked out with a real special aura around it. It’s a great opportunity to get the name out,” Brantley says. That’s what Jorgenson was looking to do when he decided to make In His Grip the beneficiary of the tournament at Pebble Beach. “In Proverbs 27:17 it reads, ‘Iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another,’” Jorgenson said. “My goal is to create an atmosphere of fellowship, and I envision this event affording men an opportunity to develop deeper personal relationships with each other through a common love of golf.” He already hosts an IHG Bible study at Nashville Golf & Athletic Club, through which he has seen 30-50 golf pros and golf-loving amateurs come together to see how they can be better people, husbands, fathers and friends. “When I first came out (in the golf industry) I didn’t know what it was like to live a life of purpose and let me honor God and my faith. Now we’re impacting golf pros that are not afraid to live out their lives of importance,” Jorgenson says. While the biggest math in the IHG World Pro-Am may be the scores recorded on the scorecards at the majestic setting, McCutchan, the longtime IHG participant, said the organization started with simple math, which still works today. “Our goal has always been to expose somebody to the Lord, then expose two, and then add two,” he says. “I think in golf or any sport, what people want to hear is that they’re not alone, you have somebody you can do work, life, church and golf [with]. Maybe the same approach doesn’t work with everybody, but what we want to do is plant the seed.” With the initial showcase tournament at Pebble Beach this year, Lehman said he is already thinking about other public golf destinations, like possibly Pinehurst (N.C.) or Sea Island (Ga.), to continue the unique and iconic locations to reach others for an eternal purpose. “As we look down the fairways for the next 40 years, we will be leaning into Proverbs 3:5-6: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight.’”
Brian Jorgenson and Scott Lehman Photo courtesy of Scott Lehman
“God put Scott in my life to help me, like we all need help, and this golf tournament was about more than just golf, but how can we reach out to others,” Jorgenson says. What if, Jorgenson wondered, we purchased the Wilson tournament, which was known nationally at a nationallyfamous location, and turned it into an In His Grip world event to attract others for a mission? “While we may not have had the highest bid, we had an eternal purpose and he (Farley) knew it would be in good hands,” Jorgenson says. The first In His Grip World Pro-Am will draw 108 players, both professional and amateurs. It will be one of 13 proam tournaments Pebble Beach hosts each year. But it’s much more than just a tournament. Before the sale was agreed to, Jorgenson and Lehman decided that a Sunday sunrise service, perhaps a first for the iconic resort, will take place near the 18th green. Lodging would be at the adjacent Lodge at Pebble Beach and Spanish Bay. And the fourday event would center on friendship, fellowship, ministry and outreach — all at a beautiful location. “I never dreamed this big,” Lehman says. “Twelve years ago when I started In His Grip, I could have never dreamed something this big would happen. But in life, sports and golf, we must always have a purpose in our passion.” That was a focus in founding In His Grip: G — God’s Word R — Reveal I — Implementation P — Prayer
“My goal is to create an atmosphere of fellowship, and I envision this event affording men an opportunity to develop deeper personal relationships with each other through a common love of golf.” —
Brian Jorgenson, golf professional
To learn more, visit InHisGripWorldProAm.com.
T O S U BTSOC SR UI BBES:C CR AI BL EL : 8C6A6L-L8 2816-62-987211 - 2 9 7 1
DEVOTIONALS Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” Like the Psalmist says, it’s important for us as Christians to know God’s Word so that we stave off sin in our lives. But the Bible also has many other vital benefits. As Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
These devotionals come directly from The Increase, a community of athletes all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.” For more first-person testimonies and stories from the lives of Christian athletes, visit TheIncrease.com.
www.sportsspectrum.com
S P O R T SS PSOPRETCST RS PU EMC T R U M
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MONDAY
Don’t Shortchange God In the NBA, like everywhere, there are a lot of different walks of faith and a lot of different lifestyles lived. These days there is tolerance, which gives us all the ability to stand for what we believe in — to stand proudly. You should be able to stick up for it and tell people about it. This is not a solo journey. My family is always texting each other verses, we do devotionals together, and all of this helps me to stay on top of my faith. I still get up early every day to spend time alone with God — whether that’s 15 minutes, 30 minutes or 45 minutes, I will spend that time. I was just talking to someone the other day who said they feel lost in the Word at times — that it’s intimidating. And it can be! There are some days when you feel like you have direction and you’ve got what you need, then there are other days when you think, “Man, I don’t even know where to start.” But the most important thing is to spend that time; God will meet you where you’re at. The other important thing is to find a good church. Sometimes I’m on the road and my coaches will know someone in that city and I’ll go to church with them, or I’ll find a good church in Boston. I’ve been to some great places where I’m reminded that I’m not alone on this walk. You need those reminders. There are guys who you look up to who have kept their walk with Christ, and seeing that and being around that reminds me there are people who make it through. When you’re in chapel before a game, sitting next to the opposing team’s players, you kind of forget about basketball for a moment. You know you’re about to compete against someone and go out there to beat them, but we all get to a point where we realize basketball can be taken from us. It is just a game. Yes, we do everything we can to win, but at the end of the day, it isn’t life or death. This is just a game, even if it’s a job for us right now. The more mature you get and the longer you’re in the game, the more you realize that Christ is the most important thing. God has gotten me this far in my career. I cannot shortchange God or believe that what I can do is from my own ability. I am only limited by the amount of faith I have. He brought me here for a reason, not to embarrass or shortchange me at all, but to do something great with my life. He wants to do great work in your life too.
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SEMI OJELEYE 37 • BOSTON CELTICS FORWARD
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TUESDAY Spiritual Crossover
[Open with 2 Corinthians 10:13; 1 John 1:9]
You are finally making progress and
moving forward in your walk with God. You have experienced true spiritual victory in areas that normally cause you to stumble. Then out of nowhere, as if the enemy has put on a full-court press, your spiritual life is now a series of double dribbles, missed free throws and technical fouls. What just happened? How did victory turn into defeat so quickly? In basketball, when the defensive player is guarding you so tight that you can barely breathe, you have to learn to create space. Every player knows the crossover dribble is one of the most effective ways to alleviate heavy defensive pressure. Tim Hardaway and Allen Iverson were masters of the crossover “break your ankles” dribble. If executed correctly, the defensive player will go in the opposite direction and it will result in a wide open jump shot or an uncontested layup.
comes both blessing and cursing. It’s part of the spiritual battle. For the Christian, it is a constant struggle. The tongue is a very small part of the body, but it can lead our whole body to destruction. The taming of the tongue is one of the hardest disciplines to achieve, and it’s impossible apart from Christ. A Godly vocabulary does not mean we cannot show emotion, but those emotions must not control our words. If a referee makes a bad call, we can disagree, but never with profanity-laced superlatives. Just because a few choice words are directed toward you by your opponent does not give you license to respond back with ungodly verbiage. It will not be easy but we have a perfect example from our Lord Jesus Christ, who “did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered.”
THURSDAY Are You An Encourager?
[Open with Proverbs 24:16]
Older sports fans remember in 1985, when Washington Redskins quarterback Have you developed a spiritual crossover Joe Theismann broke his leg during a vicious hit by legendary New York Giants dribble? The Bible is clear that if we linebacker Lawrence Taylor. It ended resist the devil, he will go in the opposite Theismann’s career. In 2014, many of us direction and flee. God has promised to always provide a way of escape; that is, He witnessed Paul George suffer a serious injury to his right leg, but he was eventually shows us a clear path to safety. able to return to the NBA. It is time to start practicing the necessary spiritual footwork and Biblical life skills so we can execute a spiritual crossover when the enemy intensifies his attacks. Loving God and applying His Word will teach you how to recognize the path of escape in times of temptation.
WEDNESDAY The Tongue
[Open with Ephesians 4:29, James 3:7-8]
Profanity is common in every sport. When directed at an official, a penalty or technical foul ensues. Every coach wants their team to play with emotion and passion, but even coaches have been known to get ejected from the game. According to the Bible, we all have a problem with our tongue. We can tame lions and tigers but our tongue is the hardest thing to control. One minute you are talking to God and within seconds you can curse out a person who cuts you off on the freeway. From the same mouth www.sportsspectrum.com
FRIDAY WE WIN
[Open with Revelation 19:11-16]
Have you ever wondered why sports competition draws so many fans? One of the reasons is that competition is exciting and great to watch because we do not know who will win the game. Whether an individual sport like boxing, or a team sport like football, it is great entertainment to watch two individuals go head to head or observe two opposing teams battle it out. Not knowing the outcome only heightens the entertainment factor. There is a future war that will happen between good and evil; it’s recorded in the book of Revelation. It’s a real battle that looks like evil will triumph. But when Jesus Christ shows up, the battle is over in less than a second. It’s a blowout. It’s more one-sided than the New England Patriots playing a Pop Warner team. It’s more devastating than you fighting Mike Tyson, Bruce Lee and Hulk Hogan all at the same time. In this life, we can quickly forget the final outcome when Jesus returns. There are times when anxiety and worry can overtake us due to real-life situations. We must always look forward to Jesus’ return, which will give us hope in every situation. We may not know how every situation will turn out, but we do know the final score. We have been told how it all ends.
In sports, a serious injury can cause you to The outcome is recorded in our Bible miss a whole season or even end your sports and we win. career. But what Theismann and George experienced firsthand was the abundance of love and support from teammates and fans. The encouraging words and heartfelt prayers from so many transcended the sports in which they played.
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In life, there are times when we as believers in Christ may experience failure in our own lives or we may watch someone else fall in their spiritual walk. Just as Theismann and George felt the overwhelming support of teammates during their injuries, it is important that we come alongside those who have stumbled in their faith. What a source of encouragement it is when a brother or sister in Christ comes alongside you to help you to stand when you fall. The Bible tells us when we see our brother or sister knocked down by sin, we are to gently and humbly help them get back up, and lovingly remind them to follow Christ.
Continue reading about Christlikeness: Galatians 6 & Philippians 3; Ephesians 1 & Jude 1
Sam Johnson San Antonio Spurs chaplain SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
EASEALS R C IN TION DEVO
MONDAY
God Works In You Before He Works Through You Anything I do is by God’s grace. Anything God asks me to do for Him, I will be able to do by His grace. In this season, I feel God is calling me to somewhat of a sabbatical — spending more time at home, doing more planning and preparing for the future. I’m sitting and meditating more — spending more time with God. He can do so much more work within me when I sit and rest than He can when I’m traveling and “doing.” This year, I’m focusing on God just as much, if not more, than when He’s telling me to “go.” I think a lot of times we feel like we are serving more when we “go,” but the truth is, we’re able to serve more when we are obedient to Him. If He’s telling you to go, go! But if He’s telling you to be still, you have to be willing to do that as well. Ministry in the home is probably the most important place a man can do Kingdom work. It wouldn’t be right for me to travel around the world helping others if I wasn’t first helping my wife and children grow in their faith. Spending time with God and with my family comes first — praying with them, disciplining my kids, talking to them about God, doing nightly Scripture memory with them, teaching them to pray and read God’s Word both on their own and corporately. My kids need to know how to grow in their relationship with the Lord, understanding who He is and that He wants to talk to us and hear from us. To see this come to light in a 5-year-old, 4-year-old and 2-year-old’s mind is nothing short of a miracle. Seeing my kids talk to God is amazing. This is what I give priority to, no matter what else may be vying for my attention. I’m also responsible to help my wife grow to become whom God is calling her to be. Who she is in Christ, and how He’s calling her to fulfill her role as a daughter of the King, wife, mother and mentor to others is important. But before God is going to do anything through you, He has to do a work in you. The more He has you pouring out, the more you have to lean in so He can fill you up. I know I can’t equip others if I’m not first being equipped. What I share with others, I share from my experience with God — things I’ve personally gone through with the Lord by my side. I find I often don’t fully comprehend the importance of the work God is doing in me until I share it with others who are going through the same, or a similar, thing. God works in mysterious ways to bring us close to Him and then send us out. What is He calling you to do in this season? Are you positioned in a place to listen and hear His voice?
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DEMARIO DAVIS 56 • NEW ORLEANS SAINTS LINEBACKER
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TUESDAY
Our Freedom Is Paid In Full
[Open with Galatians 3:13]
How amazing would it feel to be totally free from sin and the consequences of all your wrong choices and actions? Well, according to Galatians 3:13, you already are! You just have yet to comprehend it.
Although Jesus broke the bonds of slavery and the devil has no legal hold on followers of Christ anymore, most Christ-followers still feel the limitations of bondage; they are still wishing to be free. These chains that hold them are an illusion, because Jesus already paid in full the price for our release. In Galatians 3:13, Paul is telling us plainly that Jesus’ sacrificial death didn’t only pay the penalty for our sin, His death removed us from living under the curse forevermore. Take time today to rejoice in the fact that God’s purpose in sending Jesus was not only to inspect your condition of slavery and locate you in your depravity, but His ultimate plan was to buy you out of that miserable condition and then place you in His family as His own child. You are forever removed from the curse of sin and the law. God accomplished that plan through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. It’s a done deal!
assistance to meet tangible needs, such as food, shelter, money and so forth. Although this word “aiteo” means to demand or to insist, it does not give a person license to be arrogant or rude in his approach to God. In fact, in the New Testament, the word “aiteo” is used to portray a person addressing a superior. The person may insist or demand that a certain need be met, but he approaches and speaks to his superior with respect and honor. When you know you are praying according to the will of God, you don’t have to sheepishly utter your requests. Rather, you can boldly assert your faith and expect God to move on your behalf. God wants you to act boldly and courageously in prayer. He wants you to seize His will for your life and demand that it come into manifestation. He’s just waiting for you to ask!
THURSDAY
Free To Overcome Temptations
[Open with 1 Corinthians 10:13]
Everyone has to deal with temptations, so you don’t need to feel embarrassed if you’re facing a particular temptation right now. But at the same time, you don’t have to succumb to temptation, because it is something you can overcome! All temptations can be beaten. You just have to make up your mind that you’re going to be the conqueror and not the conquered.
FRIDAY Free To Trust Him
[Open with 2 Corinthians 1:9]
Although we don’t like to admit it, we all occasionally run into dead-end places in our lives where we don’t know what to say, what to do, where to turn or even how to pray. In other words, it seems like everything is finished, over and done with. If you’ve ever been in a place like this, you know what a hard place this can be. Through these kinds of experiences, you and I discover that in our own strength, we are no match for some of life’s problems. That’s why we must learn to depend on the power and wisdom of God. When you don’t know what else to do and when you have no one else to turn to, that’s usually when God’s resurrection power begins to operate in you to the greatest measure! There’s no such thing as no hope. As long as there is a loving Heavenly Father you can call on, there is still hope for you. If you learn to rely on Him, that dead-end place in your life can become a new beginning. So call out to your Heavenly Father right now. Expect Him to release His resurrection power on your behalf to turn around your dead-end situation.
You’re a purchased possession, bought out of bondage by the Son of God, never to be a slave to sin again. So make a quality decision to walk in the reality of that The devil tries to lure you into sin by marvelous fact! using your mind and emotions. He injects Continue reading about freedom in Christ: thoughts into your mind and emotions that James 4-5 & 2 Corinthians 3:17; act as stimulants to get you all stirred up in 1 Peter 1-2 & John 8:36 a certain area of your life. At that moment, Free To Make A Demand you are consciously aware that you can [Open with John 15:7-8] let the temptation pass you by, or you can allow those thoughts to fester in your Exactly how bold will you dare to mind and take root in your emotions until pray? Do you have the right to come into they become a major stronghold in your the presence of God and make certain mind to battle and conquer. By refusing to demands of Him? What are your rights, accept the thoughts in the first place, you your limitations and your boundaries when can avoid the whole struggle. it comes to the issue of prayer? Today the Lord is asking you, “Are you going to stay the way you are right now, The Greek word “ask” destroys any or are you willing to take the proper steps religious suggestion that we are lowly to escape from this emotional temptation worms who have no right to come into and demonic trap?” What is your answer? the presence of God. It also destroys the What are you going to do? God is waiting picture that we must pitifully beg and for you to decide if you will receive the plead for the things we need from the Lord. You see, the word “ask” is the Greek freedom He is offering you or remain a hostage for the rest of your life. The choice word “aiteo” — a word that means to be is yours to make. adamant in requesting and demanding
WEEKEND
WEDNESDAY
Ted Winsley Philadelphia Eagles chaplain www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
EASEALS R C IN TION DEVO
MONDAY STAYING STEADY
Women’s soccer is a melting pot, made up of women who hold different views, opinions and ways of looking at the world. One thing I’ve found peace with in this arena is looking at what Jesus has done for us all; that makes it so easy to love everyone. So that’s what I do — I focus on love. Jesus was a friend to everybody. When I replicate that, people naturally start to ask questions. God has called me to be as steady as I possibly can right now. This season has brought about a ton of change for me — having a baby, getting a new coach, switching positions from forward to defender after 20 years of playing on offense, and my husband, Jordan, switching NFL teams. But I’m choosing to be steady. Every one of my teammates knows how much transition I’ve been going through, and yet if they can see me handling it with grace, they will ask questions. And I myself am constantly being reminded of God’s grace. Each morning as I drive into work and listen to God’s truths, I make sure I’m putting my flesh and desires aside, and choosing to embrace my new role. If I’m able to remain calm and collected every day, whether we lose or have a bad practice, it makes people raise their eyebrows. I know I can only do this through the Spirit of God living in me. Naturally, I talk to my teammates about what I believe and what I’ve read in the Scriptures that day, but I also encourage them to read for themselves. I’ve been blessed with great teammates who, whether they know it or not, have the Holy Spirit working in them. They just need to recognize it. Once we get past society’s view of Christianity, and the tendency to divide people into different groups based on their lifestyle and beliefs, then we can break down walls. We’re not supposed to be divided, we’re called to move closer to Christ. When we remove this universal view and focus instead on what Jesus has done for us on the cross, people are more receptive to His love. The Spirit continues to move on my team, and I’m keeping Matthew 9:37-38 at the forefront of my mind: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.’” — Matthew 9:37-38 It doesn’t matter whether I’m at home with the baby, at work, or have a million errands to run, this verse keeps me moving with a purpose. I know where I am most valued and I know the only work that really matters is moving toward the Lord and His purpose for me. He is my Comforter even in the busiest of seasons. His grace all around me pushes me closer and closer to Him.
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CHEYNA MATTHEWS 20 • NWSL’S WASHINGTON SPIRIT & JAMAICAN NATIONAL TEAM
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TUESDAY Nebuchadnezzar
[Open with Daniel 4]
In his day he was the most powerful
man on earth, and Nebuchadnezzar knew it. He was the king of the great empire of Babylon. People bowed before him and obeyed his every command. He bowed before no one, not even God. One day, Nebuchadnezzar was regaling his greatness, his power and his majesty. Mid-sentence, a voice came from Heaven predicting he would be removed from his position as king, driven away from people and for seven seasons dwell as a madman with the beasts of the fields, eating grass like cattle. Why? Because he refused to recognize that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. Immediately, this became his reality. At the end of the seven seasons, Nebuchadnezzar’s reason returned. He looked to the heavens, acknowledged, blessed and praised the Most High God. In other words, he repented of his pride. Nebuchadnezzar had taken credit for all God had given him. He exalted himself and looked down on others. God drastically put an end to his pride by stripping him of his position and his dignity. Scripture tells us “pride comes before the fall” and “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The choice is ours. Though God rarely does anything as drastic as He did with Nebuchadnezzar, I prefer to experience God’s grace rather than His opposition. What about you?
WEDNESDAY DAVID
[Open with 2 Samuel 11]
David is known as a man after God’s own heart, but he was far from perfect. Second Samuel 11 details David committing adultery and then trying to cover it up by committing murder! He probably thought he got away with it until the prophet Nathan showed up and rebuked him. When confronted with his sin, David quickly repented, admitting, “I have sinned against the Lord.” This incident led to him writing Psalm 51. Admitting we were wrong is difficult. It started at the beginning of time with the first recorded sin. When Adam and Eve www.sportsspectrum.com
disobeyed God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam blamed Eve. Eve then blamed the serpent. Probably the three most humble words we can speak are, “I was wrong” — whether to a person or to God. Like Adam and Eve, we feel guilty, try to hide our sin and/or shift blame. Only through confessing our sin can we experience God’s forgiveness and be freed from the guilt of our sin.
FRIDAY JESUS
[Open with Philippians 2:5-11]
I recently did a Google search, typing in, “Who was the most influential person of all time?” The first name that came up was Jesus Christ. Jesus did not discover the law of gravity nor paint the Sistine Chapel. He did not invent the automobile or win a David’s humility in quickly acknowledging prestigious award. So, what makes Jesus his sin is an example for us. When we have so influential? Perhaps it was the way He wronged someone or sinned against God, lived His life. the speed at which we admit we were wrong is a reflection of our heart. Jesus broke cultural barriers by stopping to talk with an outcast woman. How is your heart today? If there is He welcomed children. He provided food unconfessed sin in your life, do not wait. for the hungry. He comforted Mary and Humble yourself, admit you were wrong Martha when their brother, Lazarus, died. and experience the freedom of the Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, even the Lord’s forgiveness. feet of one who was about to betray Him. While hanging on the cross, He ensured someone would care for His mother. He never claimed glory for Himself but gave it D.L. Moody to the Father.
THURSDAY [Open with Romans 12:3-4]
Dwight L. Moody was a noted American evangelist and founder of Moody Church, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Press. The story is told of a time when, in the middle of the night, he secretly shined the shoes of the men attending one of his conferences. While many might argue others should have been serving him, Moody understood the verse in Romans 12 stating “do not think more highly of yourself than you ought.” D.L. Moody did not expect others to serve him. He chose to humble himself and serve others in secret.
Jesus’ attitude may be His defining feature. Philippians 2:5-11 explains how even though He was God, Jesus took on the nature of a servant and came to earth in the form of a man. Though He deserved to be honored and worshipped, Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death on the cross, that we might experience God’s love and forgiveness. Jesus consistently modeled putting the needs of others before His own. We are encouraged to have the same attitude as Jesus and to follow in His example. What is one way you might do that today?
Traveling with athletes over the years, I have seen some sit back and wait to be served. With a sense of entitlement, they expected free swag, wanted others to carry their gear and walked around like they Continue reading about God’s grace: were God’s gift to the world. They seemed 1 Peter 5:6-7 & Proverbs 16; to have an attitude that because they had Psalm 51 & Genesis 3:1-14 athletic talent, they should be served.
WEEKEND
At the same time, I have seen other athletes jump in to help wherever needed, and express thankfulness for anything given to or done for them. Instead of expecting to be served, they displayed a heart of humility. Which group would you put yourself into? Do you think of yourself more highly than you ought? What would it look like to humble yourself before God and others, recognizing that all you have, including your athletic ability, is a gift from Him?
Karen Zando NWSL’s Orlando Pride chaplain SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
EASEALS R C IN TION DEVO
MONDAY
TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5 There’s a lot of power in the way we think. Our brains are wired in such a way that allows our thoughts to guide our decisions. Do we give enough thought to the power of our thoughts? Because while our situations have direct influence on us, we have control over the way we choose to allow our minds to process things. So what are the first thoughts of my day? How are they working for the Lord? How am I shedding light on Christ in all circumstances and at all times of the day by the way my thoughts lead me? Am I truly taking captive each thought, as Paul tells us to do in 2 Corinthians 10:5? By taking my thoughts captive, I can then turn those thoughts into actions to bring glory to Christ. Just as the situations surrounding me influence my thoughts, my actions can influence what those around me think about the Kingdom of God. Am I expanding the Kingdom by the way I’m guided by my thoughts? What opportunities might I be missing out on by simply entertaining stray thoughts? There will always be temptations and distractions in this world — anything that is not of God. There are some that are more blatant: money, fame, sex, etc. Those are the sins of the world that the Bible directly addresses and we all know to stay away from. But at times, the more dangerous ones are those that slowly creep into our lives, causing us to be only one degree off of God’s path. That one degree can continue to lead us down a different path if we give it an inch. I know for me personally, I all too often get caught up in the concerns of the future instead of staying present where God has me in that moment. God calls us to be in the present, with a hope for the future promises He has for us, but trusting in Him for those things. He doesn’t want me fixing my mind on the next 10 games or on the new house I’ll be able to see and furnish at the end of the season. God has called me to be present in Detroit right now, not at home in Seattle, and not in Atlanta for the next game. This is where I’m going to grow into who He’s called me to be. It doesn’t matter if I’m on the mound about to throw a pitch, walking around a mall or sitting at home with my family, each individual moment is an opportunity to grow closer to God and experience what He has for me in the present. Though my situation or activity might change, my presence of mind can stay the same — fixed on Christ and at peace with His will.
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MATTHEW BOYD 48 • DETROIT TIGERS PITCHER
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
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TUESDAY
The goat attitude must go! Pride is sin and there is no sin in eternity. The goat attitude guarantees your life without Christ. The Good Shepherd The goat attitude not only hurts Christ, but [Open with Matthew 25:31-33] it also hurts those around you. The goat attitude is one of the flesh and not the fruit Jesus Christ is coming in all His splendor of the Spirit. with the angels of Heaven to do something spectacular — to receive us into His The only remedy for curing this attitude Kingdom! When Jesus returns to gather His is repentance — turning away from sin and flock — His Church — He will immediately toward Christ. When He returns, He will give separate those who knew Him from those a righteous judgment on our lives. He is the who didn’t. way, the truth and the life. He loves you and has provided a way to His right side through The verses in Matthew 25:31-33 speak His pierced right hand! volumes in so many ways. But the most intriguing words that jump off the page are “sheep” and “goat.” Jesus always has a way with words. He brings out the characteristics of two animals who are The Sheep’s Path completely opposite. Sheep are typically [Open with Psalm 23:4] gentle, humble followers. They tend to bond well in flocks. Goats are typically As we continue to embrace the prideful, independent and do not work well characteristics of sheep, David reveals to in flocks. They are stubborn, hard-headed us the journey of sheep. “Even though and need a lot of training. I walk…”
THURSDAY
FRIDAY I Shall Not Want
[Open with Psalm 23:1-2, NKJV]
I want to focus on these first words David wrote in Psalm 23. He gave us the blueprint to live like sheep and to trust a shepherd. I do not want the life of a goat, I want to learn how to trust the good Shepherd. “The Lord is my Shepherd…” You must make a willful decision to follow Jesus. For those who make the decision to follow Him, He promises to lead your life in the right direction. He does not demand to be your Shepherd, He invites you to follow Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and He is a shepherd worth following. Sheep are dependent on the shepherd to provide everything they need: food, shelter, protection and guidance.
“I shall not want…” This should be a continual confession for Christ-followers. We all were once like goats, but by God knows what we want, but He is more Notice here in Psalm 23:4 that David the grace and instruction of God, we can interested in the things we need. Green did not say sheep run; they walk. They become humble sheep, gently led by the pastures speak of provision. We shouldn’t walk because they trust the shepherd. The Shepherd to do His work. Are you ready for want for anything because the Lord will shepherd’s responsibility is to protect the Christ to come back? If He comes today, provide everything we need. It’s not sheep from danger. No need to run from which group will you be separated into? poisonous bushes or dry ground. He knows a shadow! exactly how to lead and where to lead We cannot afford to remain stubborn for — to a land flowing with milk and honey. Now if someone is traveling through one more day. Humble yourself and allow Still waters speak of peace. Peace is also the valley of the shadow of death, yourself to come under the gentle, yet provided with our Shepherd (“He makes wouldn’t you think they would run? But mighty hand of our Good Shepherd! me lie down”). you don’t have to run when you have the greatest Shepherd who ever lived guiding We can rest in Christ (Matthew 11:28) your every step. You are going to go because of what He did for us on the cross. through situations, trials and tribulations, SHEEP VS. GOAT but God has promised that He will always [Open with Psalm 95:7] be with you. If a valley exists, there has to be a mountaintop. So, keep your head The only guarantee we have of walking up! Focus on the things above. like sheep is to trust in Christ. Our attitude Continue reading about God being is determined by our exposure to Him. It’s “I will fear no evil…” Fear and faith our Shepherd: this attitude that will determine if we will be are two of the most powerful forces on Psalm 95 & John 10:11; on the right hand or the left hand of Christ the planet. As followers of Christ, we are Psalm 79 & Hebrews 12 when He returns. not exempt from fear, but we are not to embrace the spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). He knows we can’t wander in this life alone, so He invites us to walk with Him. The last part of Psalm 23:4 speaks of The life and sacrifice of Jesus gives us discipline: “Your rod and your staff, they access to be a part of the herd. He is the comfort me.” The rod helps sheep stay Good Shepherd. He promises to lead us on the right path, and the staff helps pull to and through this life. But we must make sheep from danger. David said these tools the decision to change. We must humble are a comfort to him. I believe they are a ourselves under His mighty hand. comfort because it’s the proof of love, and the same comfort is offered to us. The more we focus on prayer, reading of the Word of God, and fellowship in God corrects us because He loves us community, our hearts will soften and (Hebrews 12:6). become more like Him. This is the desire of the Good Shepherd.
WEDNESDAY
WEEKEND
LaMorris Crawford Cincinnati Bengals chaplain
www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
EASEALS R C IN TION DEVO
MONDAY
PRESENT IN THE HERE AND NOW It definitely takes balance to be a dad of three kids under 5 and a player in the NFL. Often, while my wife is in Phoenix with the kids, I’m a coast away in New Jersey, training with the team. It’s challenging, yes, but I can’t complain, or expect a convenient, perfect schedule. We make things work and know that it’s only a seasonal routine. And when I’m able to come home, I try to be as present as I can be. When I’m home, I turn off my phone. When I’m away, I try to FaceTime and check in as much as I can. I want to maximize the time I have with my family. Multitasking can be hard, no matter what profession you’re in. I try to carve out times solely for rest and recovery as well. For me, that often looks like jumping on a four-wheeler by myself or with one of the kids and just riding. I’ll leave my phone and just get lost — literally. It’s helpful for me to unwind and enjoy life. I don’t often get these moments, especially during the season. But when I do, I cherish them. We have to cherish the small moments. My wife often talks about a passage in Scripture that says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). It’s only when we allow the peace of God to transcend everything else that we will be able to actually rest. Your body won’t be reeling back and forth between this and that; your mind won’t be wound up about X, Y or Z. You can find rest. You can find peace. God’s challenging me to truly trust and rest in Him. This being the last year of my current contract with the Jets, I don’t know where I will end up afterward. I’ve been in this situation before, the last year of my deal; this is the third time I’ve been in this boat. God’s not just sitting there waiting to see what I’ll do, He knows everything that is going to happen before we act. But He is challenging me to show Him that I trust Him. This is a great opportunity to put my faith in Christ on display, and honestly, I’m looking forward to it! I don’t know what’s going to transpire in the months ahead, but I’m trusting God. There is a time and a season for everything. Whatever God has for me, it will be better than anything I could hope for or pursue.
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SPORTS SPECTRUM
KELVIN BEACHUM 68 • NEW YORK JETS LEFT TACKLE
Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini
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TUESDAY STRENGTH
[Open with Psalm 28:7]
When we think of the word “strength,”
our minds go right to someone who has real physical or mental ability. But what does true strength from the Lord really look like? What made King David strong? It certainly wasn’t his size or ability. He learned what it means to place true, genuine trust in the Lord. This is where his strength came from.
trust You because we don’t believe You have our best interests in mind.” My youngest daughter, Selah, hates to ask for help because she wants to figure it out all on her own. I can respect that, but she gets stuck often and then gets really frustrated. I have been there! Haven’t we all?
FRIDAY THANKSGIVING
[Open with Psalm 28:7]
How can having a thankful heart be a position of strength? The world tells us that anger fuels the passion necessary to overcome and defeat whatever lies in front of you. However, deriving strength from something negative will ultimately put you in a weakened state.
The kingdom of this world laughs at those who ask for help, but those who seek the Lord are by no means weak. James 4:3 states, “And even when you ask, you don’t I used to live from the mindset that if get it because your motives are all wrong — someone said I couldn’t do something, you want only what will give you pleasure.” The bigger question is how do we, in a I would set out to prove them wrong, practical way, trust the Lord? Just saying which would lead me to fight hard. But When we do ask for help, the question we trust the Lord isn’t going to put us in the outcome only brought satisfaction if at hand is, which kingdom are we seeking a position where that magically unfolds the person acknowledged he or she was to build? in our lives, so it must be something wrong. The sad reality is that even if they deeper. What should manifest from trust admitted they were wrong about what they is submission. had said of me, it still left my soul empty and unsatisfied. On the surface, submission scares most JOY people because we want to be in control, This thought process functions in the [Open with Psalm 28:7] and to submit is a sign of weakness. opposite way of the Kingdom that Jesus However, in God’s economy, to submit to came and established. First, we discussed how trusting in His ways and abide in Him is where true the Lord grants us strength. Then we trust and strength lies. A thankful heart constantly reflects on covered how seeking the Lord for help what the Lord has done and is doing for allows us to be content with just holding Why are we scared to submit to the you. When was the last time you burst out His hand, instead of wanting things from Lord? We like to be in control, we want to into songs of thanksgiving? To most, the His hands. Now, let’s look at the idea call the shots, and we want to build our Kingdom of God is foreign, but to the few, that when we are content with Christ, joy own kingdom! This mindset makes it very it’s a normal way of life. When His Kingdom is what will overflow. difficult to trust God unless He is going is our way of life, then we know we are our way — which He won’t, FYI. Trust takes operating from a position of strength! What do you allow to rob your joy? If time, effort and vulnerability. you are building your own kingdom, then “But seek first His Kingdom and His everyone and everything could become a What does your life reflect? A heart righteousness, and all these things will be threat to your joy. But if you are investing of trust and submission? Or a heart of given to you as well.” — Matthew 6:33 into the economy of Heaven, then stubborn and self-centered pride? What nothing can rob you of peace and joy. can you do today to submit your way to trust in God’s perfect plan? When King David lived at the address of building the Kingdom of Heaven, he danced. But when he lost his way, Continue reading about God’s strength: he mourned. Strength comes from the Matthew 5-6 & Psalm 28; HELP Kingdom of God, and when we go that Matthew 7-8 & Psalm 29 [Open with Psalm 28:7] way, we become a blessing to those around us. When we go our own way, We often struggle to ask for help we use relationships as leverage to gain because we want to figure it out on our something for ourselves, and instead own, and to ask for help would be a sign of being a blessing to others, we end of weakness. Again, in the Kingdom of up being a curse. Peace and joy are the God, we are never in a greater position of evidence of one’s life who trusts in the strength than when we cry out to the Lord. Lord, and the storm reveals whether or not we are truly trusting in the King. Pride kills vulnerability but humility expresses it. The Kingdom of Heaven “In that way, you will be acting as true operates in the complete opposite way children of your Father in Heaven. For He from the earth’s kingdoms, and Jesus made gives His sunlight to both the evil and the His Kingdom known to us at a great price. good, and He sends rain on the just and When we refuse to seek the Lord for help, the unjust alike.” — Matthew 5:45 (NLT) what are really saying to Him? “We don’t
THURSDAY
WEDNESDAY
WEEKEND
Brian Hommel Arizona Diamondbacks chaplain www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
EASEALS R C IN TION DEVO
MONDAY FAITHFUL TO TEACH
“For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” — Hebrews 4:12 It takes a lot of effort to teach others. I love it and I have a desire to teach, but I also know that, being new to it, I have to sharpen that skill in order to best serve the Church in this way. Yet as I do, I feel such a deep sense of joy. When I was in college I remember thinking, “I love the Bible so deeply, what a joy it would be to know it well enough to help make Scripture come alive for others.” There’s something so sweet about being able to teach God’s Word. But I ran into a wall because there I was with a desire to teach, but no avenue in which to practice this skill. You can’t just get on stage and preach. I was left with the question, “What is God doing with this desire?” Was it just that I loved the Bible and loved it being taught? Or was this something the Lord had gifted me and I needed to hone it? In order to figure out this nagging question, I had to start exercising this skill. A year and a half ago, I started occasionally teaching at a men’s Bible study to see if the Lord was really behind this desire. As I’ve continued teaching, the Lord has revealed a lot of things to me. Though I’m still discovering if teaching is something I’m gifted to do, I love serving the Church in this way. So for now, I’m able and faithful to teach. Last year, we taught through the books of 1 and 2 Samuel. With the depth of study it takes to teach Scripture, especially for a 45-minute timeframe, the Lord does so much work in my own heart during the preparation. By the end of it all, I’m so pumped at what God has done in me, how can I not then bring that to others? How do I share with these men just how excited I am about this text? You really do have to spend a lot of time in the text, diving into Scripture and coinciding commentaries. The Word suddenly becomes so much more than a book; it becomes so much more intimate. There are so many layers to the Gospel; it’s a book that is living and active. Whether I spend an hour reading a book of the Bible or an hour diving into and seeking to understand just one single verse, that’s an hour spent worshipping and getting to know God. Anytime we become acquainted with His Word, He is glorified.
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SPECTRUM
RYAN HOLLINGSHEAD 12 • FC DALLAS MIDFIELDER/DEFENDER
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
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TUESDAY
TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE
[Open with Nehemiah 6:15-16]
Nehemiah heard that the walls
protecting Jerusalem had been torn down. The city was unprotected and this broke his heart. He then went to Jerusalem and inspected the walls at night. At the appropriate time, he shared the vision of rebuilding the wall with God’s people and they accepted the challenge. The wall was about two miles in circumference, 40 feet high and 80 feet wide. It probably took nearly 300,000 tons of stone to complete the wall, and they didn’t have earth movers, forklifts or bulldozers. The task was daunting.
Third, we get to the asking, as the “A” stands for ask. In Nehemiah 1:8-9 and 11, Nehemiah prays God’s promises back to Him and asks God to send His people back to Jerusalem. Finally, the “Y” stands for yield. In Nehemiah 1:10, Nehemiah prays that God’s people are His servants. In other words, he is saying, “Lord, whatever You want us to do and however and whenever You choose to answer our prayer, we yield and submit to You. We are Your servants.” Incorporate the PRAY outline into your prayers. Praise God for who He is and what He has done. Repent of your sin and turn back to God. Make your requests known and ask God according to His Word. And finally, yield to Him.
In Nehemiah 3, we find that the people got to work. Nearly everyone did their part. We see religious and political leaders helping to rebuild the wall. We see both What Breaks Your Heart? men and women rebuilding the wall. We [Open with Nehemiah 1:2-4] see goldsmiths and perfumers rebuilding the wall. We see business people rebuilding What breaks your heart? When your the wall. Because the task was so great, favorite team squanders a huge lead everyone got to work. They were a TEAM and loses a playoff game? How about — Together Everyone Achieves More. when you watch the news? When families tragically lose loved ones? When families It is estimated that there are more than are destroyed by addiction? Does 3 billion people in the world who haven’t fatherlessness break your heart? Human heard the Gospel or have access to hear trafficking? Knowing that billions of the Gospel. That’s more than 40 percent of people will spend an eternity separated the world’s population. There are millions from God? in America who haven’t had an opportunity to respond to the Gospel. The task is Sin always leads to brokenness — a daunting, but if every Christian were to see broken relationship with God, others, our their neighborhood, school or workplace as world and ourselves. Our world is broken, their mission field, together we can reach but the good news is that God invites us millions of people with the Gospel of Jesus to join Him in the work of redemption Christ. Together everyone achieves more. (Colossians 1:13-14) and restoration (Matthew 6:10). If our hearts have never been broken over our broken world, we can start by praying, “Lord, break my P. R. A. Y. heart for what breaks Yours.”
THURSDAY
WEDNESDAY [Open with Nehemiah 1:5-11]
Do you find that in most of your prayers, you go straight to asking God for stuff? For help? For healing? For money to pay bills? In Nehemiah 1:5-11, we find an outline for prayer that spells out PRAY. First, the “P” stands for praise. In Nehemiah 1:5, Nehemiah starts his prayer by praising God. He praises God for who He is and what He has done.
You Will Have Opposition
[Open with Nehemiah 4:1-3]
I arrive about two hours before tip-off to Rockets’ games and sit on the visitor’s side of the court as they are warming up. I do this so I can invite the visiting team to chapel. After they are done warming up and shooting around, I’ll greet them, shake their hands, and invite them to the service. As I watch players warm up, I’m always amazed by their skill. I’ll see players make two-thirds or more of their shots from behind the 3-point line. I’ll see post players execute silky smooth post moves. But here’s what I’ve noticed: Once the game starts, their shooting percentage goes down and their moves aren’t as silky — because now they have opposition. Every team looks like it’s full of all-stars during warmups, when there is no team opposing them. And here’s what you’ll find in the Christian life: If you are trying to do God’s will and follow His call on your life, you will have opposition. Don’t be surprised by it. In Nehemiah 4:1-3, we find that Nehemiah was called to rebuild the wall, but he had opposition. In the Bible, we find that there are two kingdoms at war with one another, the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of Light (Colossians 1:13). As Christians, we will always have opposition. But here’s some good news: If you’ve trusted the Lord Jesus Christ and are in the Kingdom of Light, you’re on the winning team. You are an overcomer (1 John 4:4).
WEEKEND Continue reading about being a conqueror in Christ:
In Nehemiah 1:3, Nehemiah hears Isaiah 41 & Psalm 27; that the walls surrounding Jerusalem 2 Peter 1-2 & Psalm 56:3 have been torn down. God’s people are vulnerable to attack. God’s people can’t focus on worship and serving God. Upon hearing this, Nehemiah weeps and mourns for days. God breaks his heart. What does Nehemiah do? If they had social media back then, he probably wouldn’t have posted anything. Instead, he prays. For four months he prays. He asks God to open up an opportunity for him to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.
Second, the “R” stands for repent. In Nehemiah 1:6-7, Nehemiah repents of his sin, his family’s sin and God’s people’s sin. He openly confesses sin. He is sorry over sin As God breaks your heart for what and turns from it and back to God. breaks His, pray and ask God to use you to help restore what is broken. www.sportsspectrum.com
FRIDAY
Ikki Soma Houston Rockets chaplain SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
EASEALS R C IN TION DEVO
MONDAY WHY I DO WHAT I DO
Winning gold at this year’s Pan Am Games was the ultimate highlight of my time in Peru. But there were other aspects of my experience there that really stood out to me. I remember during our last practice before the competitions were to begin, I was standing on the field with one of my teammates and I looked around me. They had built the field just for the Pan Am Games. Right in the middle of a poverty-stricken village, the field was encircled by dirt hills and rundown shacks of various colors. It brought me back to something that has been stirring in my heart since the beginning of the summer, and that is the question, “Why am I doing what I’m doing?” This question has been a constant challenge for me, causing me to continually do a perspective-check for my life and career. Earlier this summer our team was in Japan for the Japan All-Star Series. I’m always very even-keeled at the start, but as soon as I either do well or do poorly, I immediately set an expectation for myself. I had done really well in our first event, so naturally, I had set a high expectation for myself heading into the second event. This event was in a dome, where the lighting was weird and the umps were not great. I found myself letting all the outside circumstances that surrounded me steal my joy. Later that evening as I was having my quiet time with the Lord in my hotel room, I was reading through Philippians 3, where Paul says, “I count everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” As I read this, I realized, “I’m not here to win gold medals. It’s not all about softball, it’s about being a light to others and showing Christ through the way I play.” My husband, Jake, a professional baseball player, recently said, “Whenever our careers become about softball or baseball, we have the worst jobs.” It’s true! This career is so up and down, and we’re constantly facing failure. But this is a tactic the enemy uses to steal our joy — one bad game and you’re down in the dumps again. The game cannot determine my joy. There’s an internal stewardship we are responsible for as we handle what’s going on around us. Being a professional softball player and being married to a professional baseball player isn’t always the easiest, but we make time to learn from each other and sharpen each other, not just in our game, but also in our faith. As we experience the ups and downs of our careers, we are discovering how to have the faith to pray for victory while still rejoicing in the midst of the hard times.
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SPORTS SPECTRUM
JANIE REED 9 • USA SOFTBALL PLAYER
Photo courtesy of USA Softball
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TUESDAY
The Misunderstood Leader
[Open with Mark 14:3-10]
Part of being the head of anything
is learning how to honor and love well. Sometimes you find yourself leading your players well, but failing at leading your coaches consistently. Sometimes you reveal your fallacies as a leader only to hear the dangerous and often untrue opinion of those you lead.
the same room — like a child playing alone but knowing their parents were nearby. Praying about everything and inviting God into anything assures us that He will always be in the room. Jesus wants to be with you in your situations and circumstances. He changes everything. In Mark 6, His presence alone changed the disciples’ condition and left them amazed. Will you allow His presence to do the same in your life? Without Jesus there is chaos, uncertainty and a lack of peace. But once He climbs on board, the winds of life die down, the torrential rains of worry cease, and the peace that passes all understanding comes in. So what difference does Jesus make? All the difference in the world — if you let Him.
In Mark 14, Jesus found Himself in a similar position. When the woman came to Him and poured her very expensive bottle of perfume over His head, His disciples were indignant. They couldn’t believe what a waste this was! But Jesus loved the act of Prayer: Lord, help me when I try to go honor and love this woman demonstrated. at this life on my own. I want to invite You In fact, He said she would be forever into every situation so that Your presence remembered for this one act. will bring me peace and Your Word will make me calm. Help me to recognize the Judas, however, didn’t understand difference You make. In Jesus’ name, amen. what was being done and in the same moment, decided to betray Jesus. What a misunderstanding! Judas missed everything Jesus said and went his own way.
THURSDAY
Don’t be discouraged when people misinterpret the things that go on around you; just know you are in good company. Keep loving and keep leading. God’s purpose will always prevail. Prayer: Lord, keep me from discouragement as I lead. Help me to recognize that people will not always understand what You are asking me to do, but help me to be obedient nonetheless. In Jesus’ name, amen.
WEDNESDAY The Difference Jesus Makes
[Open with Mark 6:45-51]
A friend once asked, “Is it necessary that we pray all the time? Why do you have to bring God into everything? God doesn’t care about your coaching or your game!” What? Are you kidding me? Everything that concerns me, concerns Him! I shook my head in disbelief, thinking, “How in the world can you live this life without the wisdom and presence of God?” I was perplexed. I could not imagine doing anything without Him.
FRIDAY
Spiritual Checklist
[Open with James 1:25]
Every new year or season starts with a checklist. If you’re a teacher, you have a list of supplies, activities, goals and lesson plans. If you’re a parent, you have lists of games, practices, play dates, recitals, school events, instructors and coaches. If you’re a coach, you have a list of rules, expectations, plays, players and objectives. Has your life become a list of things you just check off? Are the things you do on a daily basis routine and mundane, without real thought or life attached to them? As I look back over my life, there are some indelible images stuck in my mind — the image of my mom sitting at a table paying a list of bills and balancing the checkbook; the image of my daddy walking around talking to himself about all the things he needed to complete in the yard; the list of clothes and gadgets my brother would make every summer from the Sears catalog.
One More Year
[Open with Luke 13:6-9]
Some of these lists I have carried into my adult life, and others I have tossed aside, but the idea of a checklist rules our Have you ever finished a season, a hearts more than we know. As we consider school year or a job and thought to our days and responsibilities, is our time yourself, “If I only had one more year?” with God just another thing we check off One more year to make things right; one our list? Or is it something we treasure and more opportunity to do everything I didn’t make a significant time for? do this year; 365 days of new potential, new promise and new beginnings. Prayer: God, You are not a checklist item, forgive me for treating You like one. In Luke 13, Jesus tells the story of a Help me to treasure each moment spent man who planted a fig tree in his garden with You like it is the very breath I breathe. and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he kept coming back disappointed. Eventually, he told his gardener to cut down the tree. After all, he’d been waiting for three years, and there hadn’t been a single fig. It was just taking up space. But the gardener asked Continue reading about making God first: the man to give it just one more year. Matthew 6 & Matthew 27:37-40;
WEEKEND
What would you do differently if you had one more year? What area of your life could you cultivate, dig around and give special attention to for one more year?
Matthew 10 & Matthew 13:44-46
Prayer: God, I relish new opportunities to make things right. Would You bless me with one more year to make the most of every situation around me? Would You fertilize the dead areas in my life and There have been seasons in my life where cultivate new growth in me? In Jesus’ I knew God was near, though not always in name, amen. Fleceia Comeaux NWSL’s Houston Dash co-chaplain www.sportsspectrum.com
SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
EASEALS R C IN TION DEVO
MONDAY
HOW WE PRAY MATTERS “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 10:5 Everything in life — whether good, bad or indifferent — can be used for Christ. Every thought should be centered around bringing you closer to Him. If you dwell on negative things, clearly these are not bringing you closer to Him, but you can take that thought and twist it in a way that’s positive. Take it captive. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the negativity; that’s just evil creeping in. Recently, I’ve been reading a book about the prayer life of C.S. Lewis. I’m finding that how we pray and the tone of our prayer makes a huge difference in our approach to Jesus. If we say prayers filled with longings or hope, but are not full of faith, these prayers are fruitless. It’s almost as if we treat prayer as a last-ditch effort for what we think should happen. But if we pray with faith, confident in our belief that God has the ability to do what we ask and He hears our prayers, they become powerful. Many times guys will ask why prayers aren’t answered or why God says “no” to what we ask for. When things don’t go as we hope, it’s not always God saying “no,” He may just be saying “not yet.” You can assume God’s not answering your prayers, but the reality is you just don’t know how He’s answering your prayers. I can pray for a contract extension tomorrow, but when tomorrow comes and no contract is extended, I can’t say God didn’t answer me. Maybe I have to be patient and wait for God’s timing. Maybe I have to accept that God has a different plan for me. Even if our prayers are for good things — things to be used for God’s glory — they may not be what’s best for us. In His Word, God promises us that everything He does is for “the good of those who love Him” (Romans 8:28). We’re all still being molded and shaped for His purposes. Sometimes we have to explore other avenues or wait for God’s open door for us. Faith in Christ requires us to trust His timing and purpose for even greater things than we can imagine. So while our prayers should be carried out in faith and with confidence, our ultimate confidence is found in knowing His plan is perfect.
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SPORTS SPECTRUM
DANIEL NORRIS 44 • DETROIT TIGERS PITCHER
Jeff Haynes/AP Images for Panini
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TUESDAY
read John 1. In verse 14 we read, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the Finding Answers In Suffering glory of the one and only Son, who came [Open with Job 2:10] from the Father, full of grace and truth.” And verse 18 states, “No one has ever What questions do you ask when seen God, but the one and only Son, who suffering enters your life? For most of us, we is Himself God and is in closest relationship find ourselves asking the question, “Why?” with the Father, has made Him known.” Why did I get injured? Why was I cut from the team? Why did my loved one die? Why Yes, God knows you and you can know did that relationship come to an end? There Him through His Son Jesus Christ. There are countless more “why” questions. are times when human relationships may abandon us, but this is never true with In his book, “The God Who Hears,” Jesus! Read and reflect on the following author W. Bingham Hunter offers some passages: Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Romans possible answers for why we suffer: 8:35-39 and Hebrews 13:5. developing Godly characteristics (Romans 5:3-4), increasing fruitfulness (John 15:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever2), reinforcing dependency on God (2 present help in trouble.” — Psalm 46:1 Corinthians 12:7), confirming genuine faith (Job 1:8), and allowing God’s glory to be revealed (John 9:3, 11:4). While our “why” questions may or may not be fully answered in this life, perhaps there are some more important questions to have answered in the midst of suffering. In the Old Testament book bearing his name, Job’s story and struggles through suffering are recorded. Based on geographical and cultural references in the book, there is a good indication that the time period of Job’s life coincided with the latter part of the book of Genesis (perhaps a contemporary of Abraham, Isaac or Jacob). So, at an early point in God revealing Himself to mankind, what questions did Job ask? For the setting and context of Job’s story, read the first two chapters of Job. What you see in those pages will set the stage for this week. Follow Job’s questions over the next three devotionals.
WEDNESDAY Can A Person Know God?
[Open with Job 23:3]
Do you ever feel alone? Often, loneliness is a crushing byproduct of a trial or time of suffering. The player on the injured reserve list can feel separated from the team. The abandoned spouse may come home to an empty house. The childless couple may feel left out from their circle of friends who are parents. A hospital room can interrupt the joy of familiar relationships. We are prone to ask, “Where is God when I’m hurting?” This was Job’s question reflected in Job 23:3. Can a person know God? The answer to this question is fully revealed in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Stop here and www.sportsspectrum.com
THURSDAY
Can A Person Be Right With God?
[Open with Job 9:2]
(Philippians 4:6-7). Have you answered this eternal question of being rightly related to God?
FRIDAY
Will A Person Live Forever?
[Open with Job 14:10]
“If someone dies, will they live again?” — Job 14:14 The Bible is clear: We will all live forever somewhere. Matthew 25:46 states, “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Where will you spend eternity? The resurrection of Jesus Christ and a person’s belief in Him answers this question. At the death of a friend, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me will live, even though they die...” (John 11:25).
In our temporal existence here on earth, sometimes we will experience victories and “How then can a mortal be righteous restoration through trials and suffering. Job before God? How can one born of woman did — stop and read Job 42. However, on be pure?” — Job 25:4 other occasions, difficulties and suffering may persist until the ultimate comfort and Can sinful humans be rightly related to victory in Heaven through Jesus Christ. a holy God? The answer is a resounding “YES!” because of the crucifixion of Jesus Read Luke 16:19-31. Note verse 25, Christ. Romans 5:8 declares, “But God which says, “Son, remember that in your demonstrates His own love for us in this: lifetime you received your good things, While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.” While Job had his “why” questions about suffering in this life, of greater In past years, a mainstay of sports on importance was his eternal question television was ABC’s Wide World of Sports. about being rightly related to God. Its memorable opening montage included On his own, he knew he was lacking. the line, “the thrill of victory.” Regardless Sinful people cannot be in a relationship of one’s level of trials and sufferings in this with a holy God without the sacrifice of life, the Christian’s hope is eternal victory Jesus Christ on the cross. Stop and read through Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-10.
In the midst of his suffering, Job was surrounded by well-meaning friends and family. However, their failure to draw his attention to an eternal relationship with God caused Job to address them as “miserable counselors” (Job 16:2). The hopeful and promising message that provides comfort at all times (when suffering or not) is the “Good News” of Jesus Christ.
“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57
WEEKEND Continue reading about God as our refuge: Joshua 1-2 & Isaiah 41; Philippians 4 & John 1
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Romans 5:1 Once a person has peace with God, he or she can enjoy the peace of God
Jeff Totten Detroit Tigers chaplain SPORTS SPECTRUM
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For more stories from the lives of athletes, all pressing toward the goal found in John 3:30, visit TheIncrease.com.
THE PURSUIT
NOPRESSURE NODIAMONDS BY JIMMY PAGE
As a coach several years ago, my high school-level lacrosse team was on a roll, winning all our regular-season games and cruising to the championship match. We had a healthy culture, strong team cohesion and a lot of success on the field. But truthfully, we were never tested; in fact, I can’t remember playing from behind. The championship game was different. Two unbeaten teams collided and we got crushed. We were down 3–0 before we even possessed the ball. Under pressure, we fell apart. Our emotions got the best of us and teammates turned against each other — playing the blame game and making excuses. By the time we calmed down and came together, the game was out of reach. We learned a lot that day. If there’s one thing we all have in common, it could be pressure. Some people hate it and try to avoid it at all costs. Others seem to enjoy it and even thrive under it. But one thing’s for sure: We will all face pressure in life. I’ve come to believe that it’s impossible to develop character, greatness or even maturity without adversity and pressure. People who have the most wisdom, make the best decisions, have the greatest performance and make the biggest difference for others have almost always experienced great pressure and adversity. And they weathered those storms. A good friend of mine — an expert on positive leadership — has a formula that has helped me turn pressure into character: E + P = O (Events + Perception = Outcome) All of us have events that happen in our lives. Some challenging things happen to us, while others we cause. But no matter how they happen, how we perceive and respond to the challenge will often determine the outcome we experience. Character is uncovered in crisis and formed in the fire. It will be revealed and refined. When we are squeezed, what comes out shows us what’s inside. And it gives us a chance to let God change us, especially when we don’t like what we see. In Daniel 3, we read the account of how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced one of the hottest trials in history. When they refused to bow down and worship a false god, they were literally thrown into a fiery furnace. Adversity brings opportunity. The “Big 3,” as I call them, faced a life-and-death situation. When they took their stand and fell into the fire, the soldiers who threw them in were killed instantly. But the Big 3 were unharmed. The trial did not produce death but life. The trial set them free from what was holding them back. Even though this trial worked out in the end, they were willing to trust God no matter what. If they were delivered from danger or delivered through it, it didn’t matter. No pressure, no diamonds. 62 62
“But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.”
SPORTS SPECTRUM
— 1 JOHN 4:4
In order for God to truly transform us, it takes time, pressure and heat. He forms our character the same way He forms diamonds. The word “diamond” comes from the Greek word “adamas,” which means invincible or unconquerable. Diamonds are formed from a single element — carbon. The process not only takes time, but extreme heat and pressure to transform carbon into a diamond. When carbon is forced to go deeper beneath the surface of the earth (100 miles down) it encounters extraordinary temperatures (2,200 degrees) and pressure (725,000 lbs. per sq. in.). Those intense conditions make diamonds. And when they rise again to the surface, they display the brilliance of the light. “Count it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:2-4 God uses trials to make us unshakeable and Him unmistakable. You know that under pressure, your faith is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely, let the fire do its work. Carbon is common — anybody can avoid adversity or tackle trials on their own and remain ordinary. But diamonds are uncommon — God wants to produce the extraordinary out of our adversity, and He will never leave your side. Trials come in many shapes and sizes, but one thing is for sure: Trials will come. Pressure is a privilege with purpose. No one is exempt from adversity. Sometimes we choose it and sometimes it seems to choose us. God will make us complete, expand our faith and bring glory to His name. Let your character be formed in the fire. And remember – no pressure, no diamonds. CHALLENGE YOURSELF:
1
Have you experienced pressure, adversity or trials that have tested your faith?
2 What has that pressure and adversity revealed about your character?
3
How have you grown and matured through adversity? What lessons have you learned that have made you better and more like Jesus?
Jimmy Page serves as the Executive Director of Field Ministry for FCA. He is a competitor, speaker and author of “One Word,” “True Competitor,” “Life Word,” “WisdomWalks” and “Called to Greatness.” He and his wife started a cancer foundation called Believe Big following her victory over cancer. They live with their four children in Colorado. You can reach him at jimmy@fca.org, Twitter @jimmypage37, or www.jimmypage.us.
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Throughout my years talking with athletes, I have come to the conclusion that one thing is clear about them: Athletes are driven. You must be driven to spend the wee hours of the morning at the swimming pool working on your butterfly stroke, or hours upon hours throwing the shot put to develop impeccable technique and form to break your personal record. The beauty of sports is found in the unseen moments athletes spend working in the gym, watching tape and pursuing excellence while they learn to compete and achieve their personal and team goals. However, this unbridled pursuit of athletic achievement has the potential to steal something essential from the emotional, mental and spiritual side of each and every athlete: Peace. Shelves and seminars are filled with books, lectures, sermons and practices that promise peace in a variety of ways, but sociologists tell us that, as a society, we experience less and less peace on a daily basis. Our world is obsessed with talking about, seeking and pursuing peace, yet more and more people (athletes included) are more unsettled than ever. Why is peace so elusive, like we can never get our hands on it? How does an athlete not just pursue peace but also compete from a place of peace, especially in the midst of competition? Peace is that elusive state of being that psychologists call “a harmonious state.” The dictionary definition of peace tells us that it is “a state of tranquility and calmness.” Peace is a state of mind. But what is peculiar about this definition is that nowhere is the absence of conflict mentioned. A Christ-centered athlete achieves peace in a distinctive way, and this path to peace is contrary to the ways the world experiences peace. The world seeks peace from what you have or who you know; a Christ-centered athlete has the potential to attain peace from Whom they know. In the Gospels, we read different accounts about the disciples of Jesus riding out a storm in a boat. In one situation, the disciples are terrified in the midst of everything going on, yet Jesus is sleeping. He is so at peace within the bowels of the ship, and seemingly undaunted by the storm, that His peaceful attitude catches His disciples by surprise. How can Jesus even consider sleeping at such a dire time? They wake Him and are bewildered when Jesus challenges their faith (Mark 4:35-41). Then He directs the waves and winds to cease. Another time, we read of the disciples in a boat in the same sea in the middle of another storm. This time they stare out into the storm, horrified at the sight of what they perceive to be a ghost. But it’s Jesus, so Peter calls out to Him and then does the unthinkable — he walks on water.
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OF PEACE
BY REZA ZADEH
However, as Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and sees the raging storm around him, he falls into the water. Jesus reaches out His hand to rescue Peter. The Gospel account (Matthew 14:32) then tells us that Jesus stepped into the boat, and the waves and winds stopped. The first time, Jesus verbally declared “peace” and the storm calmed. The second time, He just stepped into the boat and the storm knew what to do in response. The presence of Jesus is all we need to experience peace, because His presence is peace. This tells us that peace is not an emotion we feel, but Someone we call on — and His name is Jesus. Even in a culture that screams anxiety and anxiousness in every situation, an athlete has the ability to experience peace in the midst of any trial, injury or competition, because we know the Prince of Peace resides with us through the Holy Spirit. Scripture’s narrative on experiencing peace does not end with the Gospel accounts. The Apostle Paul eloquently gave every believer a simple formula to engage when the worries and stresses of the world overwhelm us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
VICTORY BEYOND COMPETITION
A LIFE
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” — PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7
Simply stated, the antidote to anxiousness is thankfulness. Look at what Paul was saying. He was letting the Philippian church know that even in times of anxiousness, peace is not elusive. Paul pointed them toward Jesus, reminding them that the “peace of God” is able to guard their hearts and minds, and the pathway to this reality is paved with thankfulness.
It is impossible to be thankful for what God has done and anxious about what will happen at the exact same time.
Athlete: If you find yourself anxious or worried in any circumstance, be sure you discipline yourself to call on the name of Jesus in thankfulness. It is impossible to be thankful and worried simultaneously. Call on Jesus and allow His presence to usher you into a life of peace. Reza Zadeh serves as the Colorado Front Range Director for Athletes in Action, overseeing athletic ministry at six colleges and serving as the Denver Broncos’ team chaplain. As a college athlete, he converted from Islam to Christianity through the ministry of AIA at Colorado State University, and now enjoys training athletes to be athletic disciples who make athletic disciples. Reza, his wife Allyson and their three children live in Colorado.
SPORTS SPECTRUM
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YOU CAN KNOW CHRIST PERSONALLY
OUR PROBLEM, GOD’S SOLUTION
God created mankind in His own image … God saw all that He had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1:27, 31). God made human beings with personal and relational qualities like His own (Genesis 1:26) and desired to have a delightful relationship with them. But something went terribly wrong. When Adam and Eve chose to follow Satan’s advice in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), sin poisoned the world and now we are all born with the desire to do things our own way, not God’s.
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For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our sins against a good and holy God have distanced us from Him (Isaiah 59:2). God “cannot tolerate wrongdoing” (Habakkuk 1:12). Through sin we forfeit a relationship with God, and along with it our happiness. The result of all this is death. Spiritual death is separation from God in a very real place called hell. Physical death marks the end of our opportunity to enter into a relationship with God and avoid eternal condemnation (Hebrews 9:27).
If these words reflect your heart and you would like to receive salvation through Jesus Christ, say this prayer to God. It's as simple as A-B-C: Admit, Believe, Confess. SPORTS SPECTRUM
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
There is absolutely nothing we can do to restore ourselves to God. He is holy, we are not. In fact, He says even our good deeds are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). But God loved us so much He sent us His Son Jesus, fully God and fully man, to deliver us from death and give us life (John 3:16). "God demonstrates His own love toward us … while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Jesus went to the cross to pay the price for our sins. He did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. When Jesus died for us, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The Greek word translated “it is finished” was written across certificates of debt when they were canceled. It meant “paid in full.” Jesus then rose from the grave, conquering sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
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Steven Souza Jr., Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder
“I remember how draining was live a performance-based lifestyle “Three questions every single human on earthithas toto answer: How did I get before I accepted Christ LordJesus of myislife. of being unconhere? Why am I here? Is there anything afterasthis? the The onlypeace One who loved by afor Savior who paid price for mymade salvation is can truly answer allditionally of these questions us. He tells wethe were uniquely humbling uplifting theenjoy sameHim time. There’s no greater joy than by God, we’re here to give Godand glory and weatcan forever! I cantruth abide in love instead of having to work I challenge anyoneknowing to searchthat for the — determine if Jesus really did live, for it.” die and rise three days later from the grave. It’ll be the best choice you make.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). God’s greatest gift is a restored relationship with Himself, delivering us from hell and granting us entry into Heaven (John 3:36). This gift depends not on our merit but solely on Christ’s work of grace for us on the cross (Titus 3:5). He is the one and only way to God. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
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If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”
Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
To be right with God, we must admit our sinful hearts and actions, and ask God’s forgiveness. If we do, He graciously promises full forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”(1 John 1:9). Then we are to affirm to others that the resurrected Jesus is our Lord.
The life we long for is freely offered to us in Christ. We can believe His promise and call on Him to save us, humbly accepting His gift of eternal life: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). God’s Holy Spirit indwells us and helps us obey Him (2 Timothy 1:14).
(Romans 10:9).
[
“Dear God, I ADMIT that I’m a sinner and the penalty of my sin is death. I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He died and rose from the dead for my sin. And I CONFESS Jesus as my Savior. Please forgive me. I repent of my sin and surrender my life to You. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen." — Miles McPherson, senior pastor & former NFL player
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