FCA Daily Impact Play Devotional

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pPsalm 37 was written for competitive people. It will help any athlete stay focused on the big picture and release them to perform better. There is a fine line between being worried and prepared; but to ldquo;fretrdquo; will only weaken us. Fretting is a warning that we want our own way more than Godrsquo;s. It has been a custom around the world for years to rattle off the Lordrsquo;s Prayer before competition. Do the athletes really mean, ldquo;Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,rdquo; or ldquo;my kingdom come, my will be donerdquo;?/p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pIf we tried to count on our hands the number of times someone let us down or we have let someone else down, wersquo;d run out of fingers. We as humans fail miserably all the time. Thankfully there are promises in the Bible like the one in Psalm 103:12, which states, ldquo;As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.rdquo;/p pThere is incredible power in looking at ourselves through the eyes of Christ. No matter the mistake, the loss, the pain, or the regretmdash;in Godrsquo;s eyes we shine brightly. When we feel inadequate, depressed, or ashamed; we should feel His presence. He redeems our life, rescues us from the pit and showers us with love and compassion. He satisfies our desires with awesome and wonderful things./p /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/24/his-eyes" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pNFL, NBA, MLB, and other professional and college sports are filled with athletes who have lost the concept of being a part of a team. If the team wins, great, but they want to get their glory first and foremost. Who do these athletes think they are?/p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pOne of a coachrsquo;s toughest jobs is telling athletes what they are doing wrong. Most coaches try to do it constructively, but even then many athletes will choose to ignore the instruction or make excuses, blaming everyone else for the problems they themselves have caused./p /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/22/constructive-criticism" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pMy brother, Stu, was a wrestler in high school. His junior year he won 14 and lost 10, which is not bad, but he wasnrsquo;t happy with the results. So, he decided to spend one summer at various camps to get better./p pStu knew one of his weaknesses was wrestling in the standing position. He was terrible at takedowns. When he went on the offensive, he usually ended up on the bottom. His defensive strategy usually yielded the same results. At the camps he worked hard to overcome these weaknesses. He sought good coaching, made tremendous efforts, and then implemented the new strategy. The next year Stu ended up with 24 wins and only six losses!/p /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/21/solid-strategy" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pWhen our son was only four, he looked his mom and me in the eyes and asked, ldquo;Do you think Irsquo;ll make the Hall of Fame?rdquo; Donrsquo;t just settle for playing in the ldquo;bigs,rdquo; bypass Little League, shoot for being one of the best!/p pFor most of us, the realization that we might not make it big came early. My dream was crushed when as a nine year old, after all the uniforms were handed out; I was left standing on the right-field line./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pAs an athlete, I constantly struggle with my thoughts. I have thoughts of doubt, confusion, and pridemdash;just to name a few. I wrestle with doubting my athletic ability and potential, my place on the team, and my acceptance from teammates. It is usually my mind that is the greatest challenge, not my physical ability. My mind runs wild with speculation./p pMy college lacrosse coach would post his daily practice plan before practice began. Based on where he would put my name on the practice plan, I would think better or worse of my ability. My thoughts would consume me as to why my coach had listed me in the order that he didmdash;thinking that he had either moved me up or down in the rotation. I later found out that he had no real reason for moving the names around./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pSacrifice is something most people never even consider, let alone complete. Letrsquo;s consider what it is to be a living sacrifice./p pAt the time of this writing by Paul, sacrifices were usually killed and laid upon an altar to be burned. The problem with ldquo;living sacrificesrdquo; is that they tend to crawl off the altar when it gets a little hot. We start with good intentions of making a sacrifice for our teammates, our family, or career, but when it gets uncomfortable we often snatch the sacrifice from the altar and lose the reward that comes from faithfulness./p /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/18/living-sacrifices" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pAs I watch sports today, I get this feeling that too many athletes think they created all the talent they have inside. Jersey popping, chest beatings, and trash talking are all about prideful attitudes that lead to arrogant behaviors on the field. These athletes showcase their demeanor as much as their true talent. God has a better plan./p pWhen God gives us talents and gifts, He wants us to use themmdash;not in some prideful, selfish, ego-driven way, but faithfully to serve others and bring Him glory. Romans 12:6 states that we all have different gifts and are to use them. Many people have gifts but rarely use them, and when they do, it is for their own glory, not Godrsquo;s. Again, all gifts we have received are God-given, not man-made./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pIt was a long day, my schedule was out of whack, and the time I put aside to train was messed up. If that wasnrsquo;t enough, the aches and pains from summer workouts were wearing me down. Then the clouds rolled in and rain began to fall. I decided to make up my workout another day./p pI sat and read a devotion book. The author told of struggling one day to keep his focus on the task set before him. He tried several things to get his mind on track, but nothing worked. Then he remembered John 10:10: ldquo;A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy.rdquo; Was Satan keeping him from doing what God had planned for him?/p /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/16/offering" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pIf you run around the soccer field for 90 minutes, you tend to sweat a lot. When you sweat excessively, your body loses much of its natural salt. Without salt in your body, you cannot stay hydrated. Being ldquo;saltyrdquo; is an important part of being able to compete at a high level./p pIn the same respect, without a relationship with Jesus, you cannot absorb and learn from His Word. Learning Godrsquo;s ways by reading the Bible will impact your approach to competition, but not until you give your life fully to God and accept what His Son did for you on the cross./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pOne of the common elements in all levels of football from peewee to pro is the playbook. It contains the game plan each team uses to try to overcome its opponent. Without the playbook teams and players would be in a state of confusion not knowing what to do or where to go. On the other hand, no matter how good the playbook is, itrsquo;s absolutely useless if the players donrsquo;t study and apply it./p /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/14/playbook" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pEvery day as coaches, we face many decisions that will affect our team. We need to deal with everything from what to do at practice, to who should be the starters in the next game. Some decisions are bigger than others, but they all have some bearing on our team. Every once in a while we may find ourselves in a position where we have no clue what decision to make or how to resolve an issue. It is at those times that we turn to assistant coaches, athletic directors, and others for help./p /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/13/decisions" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" divThe Oscoda High School football team cancelled their seasonrsquo;s last five games as a result of going 0-4 and not scoring a point. I know going winless and scoreless stings, but my heart hurts thinking someone gave up on those athletes. I think about the possible victories they will never experiencemdash;not on-the-field victories, but the life victories they will miss. I guess they never heard the Winston Churchill quote, ldquo;Never give inmdash;never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in . . .rdquo;/div divnbsp;/div /div /div /div pa href="http://fcaresources.com/devotional/2013/05/12/never-give" target="_blank"read more/a/p

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" divHave you ever received a note or a phone call at just the right time? I did today. I had just arrived at Northwestern for my weekly visit to their football team when my phone rang. I had no clue who was calling because it was shown as a quot;private call.quot; What happened next was a much needed blessing in my life today. /div divnbsp;/div divThe man on the other end, Randy, shared with me how my devotionals have helped him through some tough times recently. I share this not to pat myself on the back, but to let you know a simple truth: if God has given you a gift (which He has) use it for His glory./div divnbsp;/div /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pSince I was a young boy growing up in Pittsburgh, I wanted to work for the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Pittsburgh Penguins. A family friend of ours was Mike Lange, who is a Hall of Fame announcer for the Pittsburgh Penguins. As a boy playing sports with his son, I would see Mr. Lange when he attended our games and get-togethers. I always admired him as a person, but I also admired the two championship rings that he always wore. On several occasions, Mr. Lange let me wear his Stanley Cup Championship rings on my fingers. It was those moments when I knew that all I wanted was to win a ring of my own./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pWhat does a basketball coach look for in his players when he walks into the gym before practice or a game? Perhaps what pleases the coach most is to see his players continuing to hone the skills that contribute to the team playing their best—shooting, dribbling, and passing. It would be disappointing nbsp;if he were to observe the players constantly working on the art of spinning the ball on their fingers./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pEvery team sets goals before the season. They work, strive, and stretch to reach those goals, but the reality is only one team wins it all in the end. Does that mean all the other teams were failures in their seasons? Not by any means. Most teams reach their goals each season. The key is to be focused on the established team goals as players pursue each game and contest. In this way each team is bound to end their season in glory./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pAs a young coach I was blessed with good players and quick success. Although people told me what a good coach I was, I considered the really great coach to be in the local junior high. Phil Hodson was the Wilbur Shooterfly (Hoosiers) of my day. He had an incredible knowledge of the game. One day after winning our seventh or eighth game in a row, he pulled me aside. I was expecting him to tell me I did a great job. Instead, he let me have it. He told me what I needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear./p /div /div /div

div class="field field-type-text field-field-set" div class="field-items" div class="field-item odd" pBobby turned the ball over for the fourth straight possession and the coach called time-out. As Bobby came to the bench his teammates were all over him. Bobbyrsquo;s response was ldquo;Wherersquo;s the love guys?rdquo; At that moment there was very little love for Bobby or anyone on the team. They allowed the distraction of the turnovers to affect their attitudes toward their teammate./p pThe key ingredient of any relationship is lovemdash;agape lovemdash;a love that is self-sacrificing and cares more about the person than any situation. Every gift we have been given by God needs to be exercised in this kind of lovemdash;Godrsquo;s genuine love. What do we do when evil sets in or when we go off on a teammate? We need to cling to what is good./p /div /div /div