Under Control

 "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." - Proverbs 25:28 (ESV) As a high school student, I kept the shot chart for the varsity basketball coach. This required me to sit next to him on the bench during each game. He did a great...

Walking Straight

 "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth...." - Psalm 86:11 (ESV) If I had a dollar for every line I've painted on an athletic field, I'd be a wealthy man! Preparing a field for competition is an art and it also requires having the right equipment. I...

What Did You Say?

"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" - Psalm 141:3 (ESV) C.J. Stroud was taken as the second-round pick of the Houston Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft. He went on to be chosen as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year finishing the...
You Can’t Fake It

You Can’t Fake It

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven. Then come follow me.” – Mark 10:21 “Give me...

Titles

Titles

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:21 Titles often command great respect. The President of the United States is considered to be the most powerful person in the world. Many...

Strength Through Weakness

Strength Through Weakness

“You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.” – Judges 7:2 It was impossible to contain my excitement as the ten mighty warriors climbed on the...

Face to Face

Face to Face

“And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.” – Revelation 22:4 Can you remember that special feeling you had when you met one of your childhood heroes for the first time? The face to face encounter was almost too much to take in. I...

Uncomfortable

Uncomfortable

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” “I have no husband,” she replied. John 4:15-16 Have you ever had an uncomfortable moment? As...

Paying the Price

Paying the Price

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person get the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step....

The Power of Patience

The Power of Patience

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” – Ecclesiastes 7:8 In the world of athletics, patience is a powerful weapon. Experienced coaches know this, but rarely do we talk with our athletes about it. We certainly don’t...

Bearing Fruit

Bearing Fruit

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22 Happy 90th  Birthday Coach John Byrd! Let me share with you a little about my high school...

Time – Friend or Foe

Time – Friend or Foe

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” – 2 Peter 3:8 We kill time. We save time. We rob and get robbed of time. We lose time, and we have all the time in the world. But not one...

Listen With Your Eyes

Listen With Your Eyes

“Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. – Proverbs 2:2 “Give me your eyes!” As coaches, how many times have we challenged our athletes with these words? With another practice in the books, we stand before our team to share our closing thoughts....

Crossroads

Crossroads

“In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want...

Friendship

Friendship

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” – Proverbs 17:17 Friendships built through sport can last a lifetime. Athletes spend hours of practice time and game situations with their teammates. They compete for playing time, they sweat...