Half-time Devotions
During half-time, coaches gather their team in a circle and share a devotional thought. This is a list of devotionals which have been given to each coach as a resource to use with their team.
Devotions have been taken from The One Year Sports Devotions For Kids. Florea, Jesse, Jones, Jeremy V. and Cooley, Joshua. Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2011. And from Heart of an Athlete: Daily Devotions for Peak Performance. Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Grand Rapids: Revell/Baker Publishing, 2014.
Devotions have been taken from The One Year Sports Devotions For Kids. Florea, Jesse, Jones, Jeremy V. and Cooley, Joshua. Carol Stream: Tyndale House, 2011. And from Heart of an Athlete: Daily Devotions for Peak Performance. Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Grand Rapids: Revell/Baker Publishing, 2014.
January 6, 2019
Leave Your Mark
Brad Holloway, from Heart of an Athlete, p. 58-9.
Ready
"You you yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone, ...not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
Set
One of my favorite childhood memories came on my eleventh birthday, March 15, 1972. i received a gift that set me head and shoulders above everyone else in the neighborhood. it was something that made me the envy of all my friends. i received the coolest bicycle in the world--a real "big boy"bike. I'm telling you, it was so shiny and bright. it had a white frame with a blue glitter banana seat, blue glitter handles and tassels. it did indeed make me the envy of all my friends. That bike made me the coolest kid in the neighborhood. i might as well have been flying an F-16 fighter jet. It was fast as lightening!
But the coolest thing about that bike was its blue tires. i was the only kid in town who could lay blue streaks on the sidewalk. The other kids could only lay black. We'd all line up together, race down the sidewalk and then slam on our breaks to see who could leave the longest mark. Mine was always blue. If there was a blue streak on the sidewalk, you'd know I had been there. I had left my mark, and everybody knew whose it was.
As Christians, God calls us to leave marks on the places that we've been. We are called to influence others for Christ. Whether it is at work, at home, or around the neighborhood, God calls us to live a life that reaches out to others and glorifies Him. We are called to leave our marks on the people we come into contact with each day, and that mark needs to look as much like Christ as possible. So today, as yourself, What kind of mark are you leaving?
Go
What opportunities do you have today to leave your mark for Jesus?
Overtime
Lord, help me to realize that the greatest goal I can reach is to make an eternal impact on the lives of those whom You have put in my path. Amen.
January 13, 2019
Team Player
Carl Miller, from Heart of an Athlete, p. 74-5.
Ready
"The [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself...' " Mark 8:34
Set
We were having an intersquad scrimmage and I was standing among a group of athletes, waiting to find out which team I would be on. I was sure that i would be placed on the team with the best athletes in the school, who were also my best friends. but instead, I was chosen to join a team that was considered to be the underdogs. In my anger and disgust, i told the coach that I was going to quit and began walking off of the field.
To my surprise, the coach let me go. I had been so sure that he would try to stop me, but he didn't. As I continued walking away slowly, I started thinking, What am I going to tell my parents? And what are my friends going to think of me?
Suddenly I came to my senses, went back and joined the team. Guess what? Our team won the scrimmage, and I apologized to the coach for not trusting that he knew what he was doing.
we must always remember to look at the big picture. It's not about us, and it's not about what we want. Being on God's team means denying what we want and following Him. He strategically places us in situations in life in which we can make the greatest impact, even if this sometimes means being separated from things that we want and the people who are most familiar to us.
Remember, you have been created to make a difference, and your team's ability to win may just possibly lie within you.
Go
Can you think of a time that you though would be the worst experience of your life but turned out to be one of the best?
Overtime
God..., help me to look past what I want so that I can use the talent that you have given me to make a difference for the team on which I have been placed. Amen.
January 20, 2019
No Pain, No Gain
Jay Beard, from The Heart of an Athlete, p. 85-6.
Ready
"I do not run like one who runs aimlessly... Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.
Set
All athletes need to go through this, but most would probably rather skip it if it were possible. It's probably the part of sports that is the least fun. Yet this is also the part that separates the average athletes from top athletes.
Have you figured it out yet? It's training. Athletic training involves many different things. Proper eating, weight training, and practicing are all necessary in order to get into top playing condition.
As Christians, we need to be training ourselves spiritually. This involves ...removing those things [in our lives] that... are a hindrance in our walks with Christ. An example of this is when sports in your life begin to take away time that you need to be devoting to God.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that he trains spiritually so that he does not become disqualified for the prize. If a person comes into a game when he hasn't been practicing or is out of shape, he is not qualified to play. he will not reach his potential. The same is true of our spiritual lives: We need to continually bring ourselves under God's command so that we remain qualified for what He has for us. We need to be like Paul and press on toward the prize.
Go
[When you play basketball, how can you keep your eyes on what is most important to God? What do you think God considers the prize to be?]
Overtimed
God, I want to win the prize. Please show me the areas in my life where I need to train harder. Open my heart to the teaching of Your Holy Spirit.
January 27, 2019
[More] Leaving a Mark
Dan Britton, from Heart of an Athlete, p. 44-45
Ready
"Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Set
As an eight-year-old, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride my older brother's motorcycle. I wanted to show him ho "big' I was, so i took off recklessly. About 100 yards down the dirt road, my front tire hit a hole. As i flew through the air, my life passed before my eyes. I landed in a ditch and the motorcycle landed on my back. Ouch!
Thankfully, as a result of my being in the ditch, the only part of the motorcycle that touched my back was the muffler. as the muffler burned through my shirt and my flesh, i experienced a world of hurt. i had been branded! Eventually, my brother rescued me, and I was banned from riding his bike again. Even though that event happened 28 years ago, I still have a nice burn mark on my back--an imprint made by that hot muffler.
An imprint is a permanent mark. it is an engraving, etching, impression or inscription. Every time I compete or coach, I leave an imprint. It can be either a good impression or a bad one, but that is up to me. The ultimate question is not whether I have left a good or a bad imprint, but whether I have left an imprint of myself or of Jesus. It is so true that the athlete or coach who is walking with Jesus will never leave an imprint of himself or herself, but on the imprint of Jesus. What a challenge!
...When you are playing or coaching, be committed to leave behind the imprint of Christ!
Go
{How can you leave an imprint for Jesus when you play today?]
Overtime
[Lord, may Jesus live with me and in me in such a way that my teammates, coaches, and refs see His kindness in me. Amen.]
February 3, 2019
Pro athletes...
Make millions of dollars. When you play professional sports, you're loaded with cash, right? Not Troy Ready. He played professional soccer for free. Troy had wanted to be a soccer pro since he was five. He even had green carpet in his bedroom to look like grass. Troy was a soccer star at the University of Washington, and he played semipro for the Portland Timbers. His desire to play soccer was matched only by his desire to spread God's love. So he and his young family moved to Tajikistan in 2009 to help people in one of the poorest nations in the world.
Troy went to to one of Tajikistan's top pro teams, FC Vakhsh, He didn't mind that his permit to be in the country didn't allow him to be paid. Troy just wanted to be part of the team and to connect with the people. Soccer was the perfect bridge. Troy couldn't speak the language well, but he could play the game they all loved. He organized local soccer events for kids and got involved with some coaching, too. Brining hope to people in Tajikistan was much more valuable to Troy than making lots of money.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Troy's choices may seem crazy to some. They might say he gave up so much. But his life is what Jesus was talking about when he said, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it" (Matthew 16:25). It might sound confusing, but it's pretty simple. Jesus said we gain true life and real joy when we give everything to Him.
Jesus wants nothing to be more important than Him. That can be hard sometimes. We get hung up on our stuff. It 's okay to have and iPod or a Wii, but it's not ok to love them more than we love God or other people. When we're willing to give up everything for God, He fills us with a peace that's much better than any possession. Ask Him for help to have an attitude like Troy's.
ON THE BALL
Bounce a soccer ball on your knee. Notice that it's only when you bounce the ball away from yourself that it can come back. Our lives are kind of like that. When we give freely to others, God's true plan for our lives can come back and fill us up. What can you use to give to others?
February 10, 2019
How would you...
Travel around the world -- jet, cruise ship, helicopter, submarine? Colin Angus biked, hiked, skied, canoed and rowed during a totally self-powered circum-navigation of the globe. The Canadian adventurer trekked through 17 countries. He and his fiancé, Julie Wafael, rowed unsupported across two oceans. the route went from Canada to Alaska, across the Bering Sea and Siberia (in the winter), from Moscow to Portugal, across the Atlantic Ocean to Costa Rica, and then back up to Canada. Makes you tired just reading about it doesn't it?
So, you may be wondering, why'd he do it? Besides the obvious love of adventure and exploration. Colin wanted to raise awareness for our amazing world. His message was that if he could spend nearly two years and travel 26,000 miles without polluting the earth, the rest of us should be able to try to reduce pollution in our everyday travels.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
For followers of Jesus, the earth is more than a good cause or a challenging adventure. It's God's handiwork that he put in our care since the creation of the world. And it's one of the ways God is revealed to us.
Romans 1:20 says that nobody has an excuse for not believing in God because "ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature." That's good reason for us to live in ways that protect creation and keep it reflecting the pure, majestic, and unspoiled nature of its creator.
ON THE BALL
Do everything you can today to travel everywhere by your own power. Walk, bike, skateboard, or ski. Then consider walking or biking to school more often.
February 24, 2019
In surfing...
There are waves and there are BIG waves. Big waves are taller than your house. They can be taller than five-story buildings, reaching 50 or 60 feet or more. But that doesn't stop big-wave riders from surfing them. For them, the bigger the wave, the bigger the adrenaline rush.
Most big-wave riders are men. But Maya Gabeira is a Brazilian woman who lives for supersize surf. In 2009, she caught the biggest ride of her life when she rode a 45-foot wave off the coast of South Africa. It proved to be the largest wave ever surfed by a woman. Later that year, Maya earned her third straight women's Billabong XXL award, which is given for the biggest ride of the year.
Maya's surfing performance was even more impressive when you realize that she had been surfing only five years. She tried riding the waves when she was 14, but she couldn't learn even after a month of lessons. At 17, she finally picked up the sport and has been breaking records ever since.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Maya's courage in the face of giant waves was amazing. The Bible tells us to be courageous too: "Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!" (Psalm 31:24). When we put our hope in the Lord, we tap into a power source that's way stronger than the ocean.
You may never surf 40-foot waves, but you will face plenty of intimidating situations in life. No matter what gets your knees knocking, you have the greatest source of courage possible: God. He is far stronger than your toughest challenges, and he can do more than all your ability, determination, or bravery -- combined! Turn to him when you're nervous about a school test, an important competition, or standing up to pressure from your friends. When your hope is in God, you have nothing to fear.
ON THE BALL
Write down the things you're afraid of. Stick the list inside your Bible by Psalm 31. Notice how small your list is compared to God and His word.
March 3, 2019
Look out for giant, killer mosquitoes!
That's probably what players at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa were thinking. In the summer of 2010, a simple musical instrument made international headlines as big as the soccer being played. A small plastic horn called the vuvuzela created quite a controversy during the biggest sporting event in the world. Blown by itself, a vuvuzela sounds innocent enough. But when excited soccer fans blow thousands of vuvuzelas at once, they sound like a deafening swarm of insects.
Many South Africans felt the vuvuzela was a vital part of the first World Cup hosted on African soil, saying it represented the freedom and racial equality that South Africa had struggled for decades earlier. Others complained that the vuvuzelas sounded like a dying goat. Many coaches and players called for vuvuzelas to be banned, and TV executives worried that people wouldn't be able to hear the announcer's voice because of the instruments. In the end, tournament officials allowed fans to blow vuvuzelas during games. Although their loud drone could distinctively be heard on TV, they weren't loud enough to drown out the exciting action.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Thousands of years ago, horns and trumpets played an important part of life in ancient Israel. Various trumpet sounds were signals for the Israelites to gather at the tabernacle, to pack up their belongings for relocation, or to prepare for battle. The Israelites heard a piercing trumpet sound after receiving the ten Commandments. Rams' horns were used as priestly trumpets when the walls of Jericho fell. They were also blown to commemorate festivals and to hold the oil that anointed the head of a new king.
Even today, Christians wait in great anticipation for a special trumpet sound. In 1 Thessalonians 4, the Bible praises a future day when a great trumpet will blast to signal Christ's return to earth. He will come in incredible majesty and power to gather all Christians and take them back to heaven to live with Him forever. That's a sound worth listening for.
ON THE BALL
The next time you hear a trumpet being played, remember the wonderful promise of Jesus' future return.
March 10, 2019
When Hank Aaron...
Broke baseball's home run record, it could've cost him his life. The Atlanta Braves slugger knocked his 713th homer on September 29, 1973, which put him just one behind Babe Ruth's all-time mark. With the season over, Hank received numerous death threats and hateful letters that warned him about coming back next season. These people didn't want an African American player to overtake Babe's record. Instead of running scared or responding in anger, Hank stayed dignified and let his bat do the talking.
On April 8, 1974, Hank crushed his 715th home run in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. There was extra security in the stadium as Hank rounded the bases and was picked up by his teammates after crossing home plate. Hank retired two years later with 755 hime runs. During Hank's 20-year career, he never hit more than 50 home runs in a season. Instead, he put up solid numbers year after year, until he became the greatest home-run hitter of all time. Hank hit 40 or more hime runs eight times, and in 14 seasons he had a batting average above .300.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Hank was a great ambassador for baseball. Shortly after retiring, he was hired by the Braves and became one of the first African American executives in Major League Baseball. In 1982 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hank persevered during a long and difficult career. When he was threatened, he just kept doing what he loved to do--playing baseball.
The Bible talks about somebody who had a long career for God. The apostle Paul traveled the world telling others about Jesus Christ. When his life was threatened, he didn't back down. Paul just kept doing what he loved to do--spreading the life-changing love of Jesus Christ. Near the end of Paul's life he wrote a letter to his friend Timothy. In it he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful." Those same words could easily be used to describe Hank's baseball career. Wouldn't it be cool if you could say those words at the end of your life?
ON THE BALL
What characteristics would you have to show to live a life that could be described in such glowing terms? You'd have to be determined, consistent, faithful. . . . (Add a few ideas to the list.)
Commit yourself to living this way, and you can have a Hall of Fame faith.
Leave Your Mark
Brad Holloway, from Heart of an Athlete, p. 58-9.
Ready
"You you yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, recognized and read by everyone, ...not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
Set
One of my favorite childhood memories came on my eleventh birthday, March 15, 1972. i received a gift that set me head and shoulders above everyone else in the neighborhood. it was something that made me the envy of all my friends. i received the coolest bicycle in the world--a real "big boy"bike. I'm telling you, it was so shiny and bright. it had a white frame with a blue glitter banana seat, blue glitter handles and tassels. it did indeed make me the envy of all my friends. That bike made me the coolest kid in the neighborhood. i might as well have been flying an F-16 fighter jet. It was fast as lightening!
But the coolest thing about that bike was its blue tires. i was the only kid in town who could lay blue streaks on the sidewalk. The other kids could only lay black. We'd all line up together, race down the sidewalk and then slam on our breaks to see who could leave the longest mark. Mine was always blue. If there was a blue streak on the sidewalk, you'd know I had been there. I had left my mark, and everybody knew whose it was.
As Christians, God calls us to leave marks on the places that we've been. We are called to influence others for Christ. Whether it is at work, at home, or around the neighborhood, God calls us to live a life that reaches out to others and glorifies Him. We are called to leave our marks on the people we come into contact with each day, and that mark needs to look as much like Christ as possible. So today, as yourself, What kind of mark are you leaving?
Go
What opportunities do you have today to leave your mark for Jesus?
Overtime
Lord, help me to realize that the greatest goal I can reach is to make an eternal impact on the lives of those whom You have put in my path. Amen.
January 13, 2019
Team Player
Carl Miller, from Heart of an Athlete, p. 74-5.
Ready
"The [Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself...' " Mark 8:34
Set
We were having an intersquad scrimmage and I was standing among a group of athletes, waiting to find out which team I would be on. I was sure that i would be placed on the team with the best athletes in the school, who were also my best friends. but instead, I was chosen to join a team that was considered to be the underdogs. In my anger and disgust, i told the coach that I was going to quit and began walking off of the field.
To my surprise, the coach let me go. I had been so sure that he would try to stop me, but he didn't. As I continued walking away slowly, I started thinking, What am I going to tell my parents? And what are my friends going to think of me?
Suddenly I came to my senses, went back and joined the team. Guess what? Our team won the scrimmage, and I apologized to the coach for not trusting that he knew what he was doing.
we must always remember to look at the big picture. It's not about us, and it's not about what we want. Being on God's team means denying what we want and following Him. He strategically places us in situations in life in which we can make the greatest impact, even if this sometimes means being separated from things that we want and the people who are most familiar to us.
Remember, you have been created to make a difference, and your team's ability to win may just possibly lie within you.
Go
Can you think of a time that you though would be the worst experience of your life but turned out to be one of the best?
Overtime
God..., help me to look past what I want so that I can use the talent that you have given me to make a difference for the team on which I have been placed. Amen.
January 20, 2019
No Pain, No Gain
Jay Beard, from The Heart of an Athlete, p. 85-6.
Ready
"I do not run like one who runs aimlessly... Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified." 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.
Set
All athletes need to go through this, but most would probably rather skip it if it were possible. It's probably the part of sports that is the least fun. Yet this is also the part that separates the average athletes from top athletes.
Have you figured it out yet? It's training. Athletic training involves many different things. Proper eating, weight training, and practicing are all necessary in order to get into top playing condition.
As Christians, we need to be training ourselves spiritually. This involves ...removing those things [in our lives] that... are a hindrance in our walks with Christ. An example of this is when sports in your life begin to take away time that you need to be devoting to God.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that he trains spiritually so that he does not become disqualified for the prize. If a person comes into a game when he hasn't been practicing or is out of shape, he is not qualified to play. he will not reach his potential. The same is true of our spiritual lives: We need to continually bring ourselves under God's command so that we remain qualified for what He has for us. We need to be like Paul and press on toward the prize.
Go
[When you play basketball, how can you keep your eyes on what is most important to God? What do you think God considers the prize to be?]
Overtimed
God, I want to win the prize. Please show me the areas in my life where I need to train harder. Open my heart to the teaching of Your Holy Spirit.
January 27, 2019
[More] Leaving a Mark
Dan Britton, from Heart of an Athlete, p. 44-45
Ready
"Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Set
As an eight-year-old, I had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride my older brother's motorcycle. I wanted to show him ho "big' I was, so i took off recklessly. About 100 yards down the dirt road, my front tire hit a hole. As i flew through the air, my life passed before my eyes. I landed in a ditch and the motorcycle landed on my back. Ouch!
Thankfully, as a result of my being in the ditch, the only part of the motorcycle that touched my back was the muffler. as the muffler burned through my shirt and my flesh, i experienced a world of hurt. i had been branded! Eventually, my brother rescued me, and I was banned from riding his bike again. Even though that event happened 28 years ago, I still have a nice burn mark on my back--an imprint made by that hot muffler.
An imprint is a permanent mark. it is an engraving, etching, impression or inscription. Every time I compete or coach, I leave an imprint. It can be either a good impression or a bad one, but that is up to me. The ultimate question is not whether I have left a good or a bad imprint, but whether I have left an imprint of myself or of Jesus. It is so true that the athlete or coach who is walking with Jesus will never leave an imprint of himself or herself, but on the imprint of Jesus. What a challenge!
...When you are playing or coaching, be committed to leave behind the imprint of Christ!
Go
{How can you leave an imprint for Jesus when you play today?]
Overtime
[Lord, may Jesus live with me and in me in such a way that my teammates, coaches, and refs see His kindness in me. Amen.]
February 3, 2019
Pro athletes...
Make millions of dollars. When you play professional sports, you're loaded with cash, right? Not Troy Ready. He played professional soccer for free. Troy had wanted to be a soccer pro since he was five. He even had green carpet in his bedroom to look like grass. Troy was a soccer star at the University of Washington, and he played semipro for the Portland Timbers. His desire to play soccer was matched only by his desire to spread God's love. So he and his young family moved to Tajikistan in 2009 to help people in one of the poorest nations in the world.
Troy went to to one of Tajikistan's top pro teams, FC Vakhsh, He didn't mind that his permit to be in the country didn't allow him to be paid. Troy just wanted to be part of the team and to connect with the people. Soccer was the perfect bridge. Troy couldn't speak the language well, but he could play the game they all loved. He organized local soccer events for kids and got involved with some coaching, too. Brining hope to people in Tajikistan was much more valuable to Troy than making lots of money.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Troy's choices may seem crazy to some. They might say he gave up so much. But his life is what Jesus was talking about when he said, "If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it" (Matthew 16:25). It might sound confusing, but it's pretty simple. Jesus said we gain true life and real joy when we give everything to Him.
Jesus wants nothing to be more important than Him. That can be hard sometimes. We get hung up on our stuff. It 's okay to have and iPod or a Wii, but it's not ok to love them more than we love God or other people. When we're willing to give up everything for God, He fills us with a peace that's much better than any possession. Ask Him for help to have an attitude like Troy's.
ON THE BALL
Bounce a soccer ball on your knee. Notice that it's only when you bounce the ball away from yourself that it can come back. Our lives are kind of like that. When we give freely to others, God's true plan for our lives can come back and fill us up. What can you use to give to others?
February 10, 2019
How would you...
Travel around the world -- jet, cruise ship, helicopter, submarine? Colin Angus biked, hiked, skied, canoed and rowed during a totally self-powered circum-navigation of the globe. The Canadian adventurer trekked through 17 countries. He and his fiancé, Julie Wafael, rowed unsupported across two oceans. the route went from Canada to Alaska, across the Bering Sea and Siberia (in the winter), from Moscow to Portugal, across the Atlantic Ocean to Costa Rica, and then back up to Canada. Makes you tired just reading about it doesn't it?
So, you may be wondering, why'd he do it? Besides the obvious love of adventure and exploration. Colin wanted to raise awareness for our amazing world. His message was that if he could spend nearly two years and travel 26,000 miles without polluting the earth, the rest of us should be able to try to reduce pollution in our everyday travels.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
For followers of Jesus, the earth is more than a good cause or a challenging adventure. It's God's handiwork that he put in our care since the creation of the world. And it's one of the ways God is revealed to us.
Romans 1:20 says that nobody has an excuse for not believing in God because "ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature." That's good reason for us to live in ways that protect creation and keep it reflecting the pure, majestic, and unspoiled nature of its creator.
ON THE BALL
Do everything you can today to travel everywhere by your own power. Walk, bike, skateboard, or ski. Then consider walking or biking to school more often.
February 24, 2019
In surfing...
There are waves and there are BIG waves. Big waves are taller than your house. They can be taller than five-story buildings, reaching 50 or 60 feet or more. But that doesn't stop big-wave riders from surfing them. For them, the bigger the wave, the bigger the adrenaline rush.
Most big-wave riders are men. But Maya Gabeira is a Brazilian woman who lives for supersize surf. In 2009, she caught the biggest ride of her life when she rode a 45-foot wave off the coast of South Africa. It proved to be the largest wave ever surfed by a woman. Later that year, Maya earned her third straight women's Billabong XXL award, which is given for the biggest ride of the year.
Maya's surfing performance was even more impressive when you realize that she had been surfing only five years. She tried riding the waves when she was 14, but she couldn't learn even after a month of lessons. At 17, she finally picked up the sport and has been breaking records ever since.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Maya's courage in the face of giant waves was amazing. The Bible tells us to be courageous too: "Be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!" (Psalm 31:24). When we put our hope in the Lord, we tap into a power source that's way stronger than the ocean.
You may never surf 40-foot waves, but you will face plenty of intimidating situations in life. No matter what gets your knees knocking, you have the greatest source of courage possible: God. He is far stronger than your toughest challenges, and he can do more than all your ability, determination, or bravery -- combined! Turn to him when you're nervous about a school test, an important competition, or standing up to pressure from your friends. When your hope is in God, you have nothing to fear.
ON THE BALL
Write down the things you're afraid of. Stick the list inside your Bible by Psalm 31. Notice how small your list is compared to God and His word.
March 3, 2019
Look out for giant, killer mosquitoes!
That's probably what players at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa were thinking. In the summer of 2010, a simple musical instrument made international headlines as big as the soccer being played. A small plastic horn called the vuvuzela created quite a controversy during the biggest sporting event in the world. Blown by itself, a vuvuzela sounds innocent enough. But when excited soccer fans blow thousands of vuvuzelas at once, they sound like a deafening swarm of insects.
Many South Africans felt the vuvuzela was a vital part of the first World Cup hosted on African soil, saying it represented the freedom and racial equality that South Africa had struggled for decades earlier. Others complained that the vuvuzelas sounded like a dying goat. Many coaches and players called for vuvuzelas to be banned, and TV executives worried that people wouldn't be able to hear the announcer's voice because of the instruments. In the end, tournament officials allowed fans to blow vuvuzelas during games. Although their loud drone could distinctively be heard on TV, they weren't loud enough to drown out the exciting action.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Thousands of years ago, horns and trumpets played an important part of life in ancient Israel. Various trumpet sounds were signals for the Israelites to gather at the tabernacle, to pack up their belongings for relocation, or to prepare for battle. The Israelites heard a piercing trumpet sound after receiving the ten Commandments. Rams' horns were used as priestly trumpets when the walls of Jericho fell. They were also blown to commemorate festivals and to hold the oil that anointed the head of a new king.
Even today, Christians wait in great anticipation for a special trumpet sound. In 1 Thessalonians 4, the Bible praises a future day when a great trumpet will blast to signal Christ's return to earth. He will come in incredible majesty and power to gather all Christians and take them back to heaven to live with Him forever. That's a sound worth listening for.
ON THE BALL
The next time you hear a trumpet being played, remember the wonderful promise of Jesus' future return.
March 10, 2019
When Hank Aaron...
Broke baseball's home run record, it could've cost him his life. The Atlanta Braves slugger knocked his 713th homer on September 29, 1973, which put him just one behind Babe Ruth's all-time mark. With the season over, Hank received numerous death threats and hateful letters that warned him about coming back next season. These people didn't want an African American player to overtake Babe's record. Instead of running scared or responding in anger, Hank stayed dignified and let his bat do the talking.
On April 8, 1974, Hank crushed his 715th home run in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. There was extra security in the stadium as Hank rounded the bases and was picked up by his teammates after crossing home plate. Hank retired two years later with 755 hime runs. During Hank's 20-year career, he never hit more than 50 home runs in a season. Instead, he put up solid numbers year after year, until he became the greatest home-run hitter of all time. Hank hit 40 or more hime runs eight times, and in 14 seasons he had a batting average above .300.
WHAT'S THE SCORE?
Hank was a great ambassador for baseball. Shortly after retiring, he was hired by the Braves and became one of the first African American executives in Major League Baseball. In 1982 he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hank persevered during a long and difficult career. When he was threatened, he just kept doing what he loved to do--playing baseball.
The Bible talks about somebody who had a long career for God. The apostle Paul traveled the world telling others about Jesus Christ. When his life was threatened, he didn't back down. Paul just kept doing what he loved to do--spreading the life-changing love of Jesus Christ. Near the end of Paul's life he wrote a letter to his friend Timothy. In it he said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful." Those same words could easily be used to describe Hank's baseball career. Wouldn't it be cool if you could say those words at the end of your life?
ON THE BALL
What characteristics would you have to show to live a life that could be described in such glowing terms? You'd have to be determined, consistent, faithful. . . . (Add a few ideas to the list.)
Commit yourself to living this way, and you can have a Hall of Fame faith.