A few years ago, a college basketball team was serving on a mission trip in the Dominican Republic. As they were talking about going out for pizza after one of their games, they discovered that these young Dominican players had never eaten pizza in a restaurant, so the American players picked them up on their …
One of the great benefits of trusting Christ and following Him is the joy we have as believers. But our walk isn’t always one of joy. Christians experience sadness, disappointment, discouragement and grief “almost” like everyone else, and it’s natural to do so. The difference is that we don’t have a light at the end …
One of the most rewarding things we can do is to to help others. To encourage, support and guide another person on their life journey is a noble thing to do. But to really help someone, we must first truly care about them. John Maxwell once said, “To add value to others, one must first …
This morning I read a devotional by a well-known pastor and his theme was, “quit trying to defend yourself, let God defend you.” Then, on my Bible app, this was my verse of the day: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) Message received! I don’t know about …
When I go through anxious times and realize that I’m not in control of life’s circumstances, there is only one place for me to turn; that turn is toward Jesus and His Word. That is where I find rest for my soul and compassion. “I have a great need for Christ; I have a great …
In the heat of competition, and in the spirit of protecting players on your team, coaches sometimes say things or react in ways to the opposing coach that may hurt their Christian witness. This happened at least twice to me during my 28 years of coaching. On one such occasion, one long year after the …
Recently, a young baseball coach was excited that he was selected to be a coach at a particular school. He said in his tweet after being hired, “I want to be a positive influence on the game.” My prayer for him is that he will be a positive influence on those who play the game. …
There’s a lot of “talk” today. There’s talk radio, podcasts, social media, cable news, etc. We have many experts, but few people who want to roll their sleeves up to get things done. May we all “do” something today to make our team, work-place, communities, our state and our nation better today than it was …
Try getting a president, or a king to hang out with you when you are going through serious trials in your life. If you are just an average person like me, they wouldn’t want to spend time with you even during the best of circumstances. But God, the Creator, “the high and lofty One” says …
“Sooner or later I will be faced with the fact that the world is helpless to meet my needs. And at that point, I will be left with two conclusions; that life is cruel or God is real.” (Craig D. Lounsbrough) When Jesus’ teachings became uncomfortable for those who were following, many deserted Him. During …