"They were trying to intimidate us into quitting. They thought, “They’ll give up, they’ll never finish it.” I prayed, “Give me strength.” – Nehemiah 6:9 (The Message) As practice was about to begin, two coaches watched as players came out of the locker room and onto the field. One athlete caught their attention.

"Then He said to them all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 (Holman Christian Standard) I am amazed at how sports have become ingrained in our everyday lives. We are never more than a few seconds away from the hot topics of the day. ESPN, team websites, blogs, and around-the-clock sports talk keep us connected to the never ending stream of information on teams, players and coaches.

  Mike Singletary had it all. He was living the dream as one of the premier defensive players in the NFL. He was making a lot of money.

  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23 It doesn’t matter what level of greatness an athlete or coach achieves, there is no such thing as perfection. It’s impossible to win every championship. It’s impossible to break every record.

“And whatever you do, in word, or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” 1 Corinthians 3:17 “All In”. That simple two-word phrase is the battle cry of all athletes that are willing to go do whatever it takes to achieve greatness. Athletes that go “All In” are fully committed to a singular goal.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

"There is profit in all hard work….” – Proverbs 14:23a   What does it take to be great? Is there one secret that allowed Ted Williams to become baseball’s greatest hitter? What was it that allowed Hank Aaron to be the most consistent home run hitter of his era?

“Where there is no vision, the people perish….” – Proverbs 29:18 (King James Version)   Great leaders have always been admired. We find them in every walk of life. Books fill the shelves of those who aspire to become great leaders and seminars are overflowing with men and women who are eager to learn leadership skills.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us….” – Ephesians 5:1-2a (Holman Christian Standard)   What baseball players did you try to imitate as a kid? Growing up a huge New York Yankee fan, two of my favorite players were Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. – 1 Peter 1:3   “In the 4th round of the 2014 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select offensive lineman, Dakota Dozier.” That one sentence fulfilled an unlikely dream for a young man and many others who have become accustomed to watching him accomplish the unexpected.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, of you say you have faith, but don’t show it by your actions? – James 2:14 (New Living Translation)   “Talk is cheap.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “He talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk.” How many times have we heard these phrases or experienced them coming from our own mouth? In today’s society, we often say one thing but do another.