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Play like Champions
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INTRODUCTION
Real life is like an athletic contest. You need to understand the game to
maximize your opportunities for success. Every sport should be in 3-D with
emphasis on your physical, mental, and spiritual preparation.
Proper alignment can be a game-changer. Proper alignment in athletics
and in life is essential. To become the best player you can be, align yourself
side-by-side with God first and then side-by-side with your teammates.
The Side by Side book encourages you to CHECK THE DATE (Direction,
Attitude, Togetherness, and Effort) for your mental, physical, and spiritual
conditioning. It promotes peak performance, winning attitudes, team
unity, and racial harmony. More importantly, it shares lessons for life.
Use this Spiritual Conditioning book for 15 days straight or 5 days for 3
weeks. Each day has a Today’s Team Tip you can start practicing
immediately to become a better player and a better person.
Spiritual conditioning does not just happen. You have to CHECK THE DATE.
Direction. Attitude. Togetherness. Effort. 15 days to
becoming a better and more complete athlete.
Use it. Learn it. Love it.
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by
Rex Blankenship
Life Skills Coach
Acknowledgments to Coach Bill Blankenship who suggested this book,
Graphics Design Consultant Bill Johnson, Kala Krzych, John O’Dell and the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Austin Chadwick and VYPE magazine.
Bible references are from NIV version. All photos are the property of
VYPE Magazine.
This book is dedicated in memory to Hall of Fame Coach and Dad,
Gerald Blankenship, who lived what he taught.
You can always take your love to a higher level.
Love God and others more today than you did yesterday.
Copyright @ 2015 by Rex Blankenship
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DAY 1 It’s about direction, not perfection
Years ago, I actually saw a high school player run the wrong way in a
football game. It was both wild and weird. If a similar event happened this
year, the video would surely go viral.
The home team was playing their archrival for the conference
championship. The offense had driven down to the twenty-yard line when
everything went bonkers. The quarterback was scrambling when he was
turned around and stripped of the football, which sent it flying into the
middle of the line.
A sophomore guard, starting his first game of the season because of an
injury to his teammate, had just stood upright after falling on the ground
when he whiffed on his block. The football hit him right in the stomach, just
a few yards away from stardom. Unfortunately, he was facing the wrong
direction when he started running for the goal line eighty yards away. He
dodged a few players as he cut toward the sideline.
This was his big moment! As he raced down the sidelines, players from
both teams frantically chased him, except for the teammate who made a
tremendous block to free him from the pursuit of two players who were
about to make the tackle. Glory was in his eyes as the turf kicked up from his
flying cleats.
As he approached the bench area, the coaches were yelling, waving, and
shouting, “NO! NO!”
The cheerleaders turned around to see him dashing for the end zone and
they began jumping up and down, screaming, “GO! GO!” This lineman ran
like a scat back until he crossed the opponent’s goal line holding the football
high like a trophy. However, that is not the end of this wrong way jaunt.
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The really bizarre was just about to commence.
The player’s brief celebration was interrupted when the opposing team
tackled him in the end zone. Then the confused referee ran up with both
arms straight to the sky and signaled “TOUCHDOWN,” when in fact it was a
safety scored for the opposing team.
Everyone jumped up and down, some players in disgust, some in jubilation,
the coaches in anguish. The cheerleaders leaped and hugged in celebration
and then…unbelievably…the band struck up the school fight song!
It was sheer chaos! As some fans stood in shock, others halfheartedly
clapped out of loyalty to the rousing music. I looked around and thought to
myself, “Is this the Twilight Zone or something? Maybe it’s some Matrix
movie. THE GUY RAN THE WRONG WAY!”
TODAY’S TEAM TIP:
MAKE SURE YOU ARE RUNNING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Real life is like any athletic contest. It is all about direction, not perfection.
Which direction in life are you running?
Are you following Jesus or are you running toward the opposite goal line?
Check your direction today. Many players are headed the wrong way
spiritually. Just because the world cheers you on and even celebrates your
lifestyle, that does not mean you are headed in the right direction or
helping your teammates in the right direction.
Winning in life is like winning a sports championship.
It starts with the right direction.
#Direction #Side-by-Side #Champions
#EveryDay #EveryPlay
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Leadership
IS EVERYTHING
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Your Personal Spiritual Conditioning Time
This booklet is designed to help you radically reorient your life in the right
direction so you can stay side by side with God and side by side with your
teammates in a way that will glorify God in how you use your platform of
influence to help others. USE THIS BOOKLET. PLEASE!
Are you running in the
right direction?
If you are not yet a
follower of Jesus, then
please read this book.
You might have to do it
alone at night, like Nick in
John chapter 3, because he did not want his friends to know he was even
interested. This book will take you face to face with Jesus so you can listen
to His words and decide for yourself if He is the Lord, or just a liar, or maybe
a lunatic. His words are powerful enough to give you a radical new
beginning. If you don’t want that and choose to be on your own for eternity,
you will still be an integral part of this football team.
Spiritual conditioning will make you a better player.
For the players who believe in Jesus, this could be the season you become
more than just a man. This book will be a reminder of why you follow Jesus
and an encouragement to live side-by-side with Him so that what happens
this season might outlast your earthly life.
God made you a college athlete so play with greater effort,
better attitude, closer togetherness, deeper inner toughness,
and higher passion. Always do your best and never quit.
Make this time count.
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How to use this book in Spiritual Conditioning
This book is a tool to help you become the best athlete you can be. It will
build character, strengthen your heart, and ignite your competitive fire; but
just like the weight room and the playbook, you have to use it to benefit.
1. Read the Daily Spiritual Conditioning There are 15 Practice Days
designed to start you into a season and a lifetime of spiritual conditioning.
Each lesson conveys a truth from God’s Word that provides you strength
and encouragement for that day.
God’s Word is Powerful. God’s Word is powerful and able to make you
wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15). God’s
Word is the only power that can change your heart, your life, and your
eternal destiny. It is the only trustworthy guide for direction in life. It
points the way to salvation and following Jesus.
God’s Word is Profitable. All Scripture is breathed out by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness (2 Timothy 3: 16). God’s Word coaches you about (1) what
to do, (2) what not to do, (3) what to do to turn around when you did what
you were not supposed to do, and then it trains you (4) how to continue
running in the right direction.
God’s Word is Preparational …that you may be complete, prepared, and
equipped (2 Timothy 3: 17). Spiritual conditioning is the practice field
where you prepare for the first game as well as for the biggest games of
your season and your life.
God’s Word is Purposeful.…for every good work. (2 Timothy 3: 17).
Spiritual conditioning has an ultimate purpose. It coaches you how to use
the student/athlete’s platform of influence (1) to honor God and (2) to do
good for others.
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Check the D A T E
2. Check the Date Some dates are extremely important. The date of the
first game or the big exam or your birthday. In athletics, you should always
Check the Date. You cannot control the circumstances of a game or of a
season. You cannot control the weather, the referee’s call, the way the
ball bounces, injuries, and a thousand other variables. However, there are
four things that you, the athlete, control in practice and in games that are
vital to success: (1) Direction (2) Attitude (3) Togetherness (4) Effort
3. Practice Today’s Team Tip Each session ends with a Team Tip that can be
put into practice that very day. Just like in physical conditioning, spiritual
conditioning does not happen because of the promise or the opportunity.
It’s the practice that makes the difference and each practice is designed to
make you a better athlete.
(1) Read the Side by Side
(2) Check the Date
(3) Practice Today’s Team Tip
You can be different. You can make a difference.
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How to have a Side by Side Time with God
Your is designed to nurture the spiritual part of your life
which supplies the inner strength to take on the tasks you are will face.
15 Days of Side by Side Time
The most important part is to start.
You might want to have your in the morning right after
you get up when your mind and body are fresh and alert before the
physical and mental demands of the day.
If later in the night works
better for you, then focus
on the next morning’s
conditioning lesson. When
you wake up, you can
meditate on the spiritual
truths as you prepare for
the challenges ahead.
There is no formula or time requirement for your daily or
for prayer. The important part is the attitude of your heart. Just like
practice time for any sport, it is not enough to just show up, go through the
motions, and put in your time. Yet some players do that.
However, the best players practice the way they intend to play…with all of
their heart, soul, mind, and strength. The same is true spiritually.
Check out the sample 15 minute Side by Side Time Practice Schedule.
Use it for your spiritual conditioning.
Adapt and adjust to fit your time constraints.
Make spiritual conditioning
part of your daily practice schedule.
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Step One: Thank the Lord for giving you another day and being side by side
with you for your good. (1 minute)
Step Two: Read the daily Spiritual Conditioning and notice the lessons about
God’s preparation, guidance, and encouragement for your life. (2-5 minutes)
Step Three: Think about the TEAM TIP for the day. Ask God to help you
apply the spiritual truths and necessary changes to your life. (1-2 minutes)
Step Four: Work on the week’s TEAM MEMORY VERSE from God’s playbook.
Be prepared to share and apply it during the day. (1-2 minutes)
Step Five: Spend some time talking with God. That is what prayer is. You
don’t have to use special words. You can talk to God in your bed or in the
shower or on the way to practice or anywhere at any time. (1-5 minutes)
Here is one sample guideline for your prayer time to help you cover all the
fundamentals in the same manner a coach sets up a practice session during
training camp. You can use the acronym P.L.A.Y.
Praise God for who He is, not just for what He has done for you. God is
incredibly awesome in greatness and infinitely abundant in goodness.
Love God for being with you side by side for your good. Remember God’s
unending, steadfast love for you. Two always appropriate expressions in any
relationship and especially with God are “Thank you” and “I love you.”
Agree with God about who you are and what you need to become, about
the things that do not need to be in your life like self-centeredness and sin,
and about the things that should be in your life like faith, hope, and love.
Yield to God God has a better plan for your life than you do. Surrender
total control of your life to God, joyfully and willingly. Trust God to take care
of you and spend this time praying for God to bless your teammates. Ask
God to meet their needs and to shape their goals. Ask the Lord to show you
how to be side by side with your teammates to do them good.
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DAY 2 It’s about direction, not perfection
There are questions we ask one another for the purpose of information. “Do you know the way to San Jose?” or “Can you move like Jagger?” Other questions anticipate celebration like, “Can we win this game?” or “What will it take for us to be conference champions?” Questions we want to ask God are intended for contemplation such as, “Why is there so much suffering in the world?” “Are heaven and hell real places where people spend all of eternity?” and “Why do the good guys sometimes lose to the bad boys?”
We all know the experience of people asking God questions or asking questions about God and why things are the way they are. But what about when God asks us the same questions God asked individuals in the Bible? When God asks us questions, it is never for the sake of His information, but for our consideration.
The most important questions are not the ones we want to ask God or anyone else, but rather life’s biggest questions are the ones God asks of us. God asks probing questions. We see examples of these in several places, including His very first question directed at the first man, Adam, in Genesis 3. God’s questions continue in His conversation with Cain in Genesis 4 and with Moses in Exodus 4. In each of those situations, God corrects a wrong way of thinking in order to point the individual in a different direction.
God’s questions are the most important questions every athlete has to answer:
Where are you? Where is your teammate? What is that in your hand?
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: This booklet is designed to help you consider life’s biggest questions. Use it. Answer the questions honestly. God controls your ultimate eternal destiny. God’s questions cause you to think about your life and eternity. The right questions cause you to think rightly about the right direction for your life, how to become a better athlete and teammate, and how to use your platform of influence for good. God’s questions are life changing. Listen, learn, and live. Become the very best mentally, physically, and spiritually conditioned athlete you can be.
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Team Memory Verse 1
The greatest commandment is this,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,
and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Our spiritual conditioning will focus on the three biggest questions in life. These questions will lead you to the part of the spiritual conditioning
workout an athlete controls:
Direction Attitude Togetherness Effort
These questions were the first and most important questions from God to
mankind. God is asking you these same questions today.
Where are you? Do you really know where you are spiritually and where
you need to be? God created you to stay side by side with Him for your
own good. Are you side by side with God today?
Where is your brother? In the Bible, the meaning is the same whether it
refers to your brother, your sister, your teammate, or your neighbor. God
designed for you to keep them by your side in order to do them good. Are
you side by side with your teammates?
What is that in your hand? The Lord
God has given you talents and abilities
so that you might have a platform of
influence to help others. Have you
committed all of your abilities to the
Lord? Are you using your platform of
influence to help others?
Are you ready to become the very best mentally, physically, and
spiritually conditioned athlete you can be?
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DAY 3 It’s about direction, not perfection
You were created to be side by side with God for your good. When God
asked the first man, “Where are you?” it was not for the sake of information.
Both God and Adam knew exactly where he was. He was hiding from God
because he had foolishly left God’s side and gone out looking for good
somewhere else, which proved to be foolish, futile, and fatal. God’s question
was intended as an exclamation of wonder at man’s absence from the place
designed for his ultimate good—side by side with God.
What went wrong? Can it be fixed? How do you get back to where you
need to be, where you want to be? That is exactly what God’s question calls
for us to consider.
God speaks to us through His Word like He spoke to Adam, the first
representative of all of us. Now the question is directed to you. “Where are
you?” To answer correctly, you need to start at the beginning.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). God
caused the beginning of this world. Everything was created by God out of
nothing; everything but God came out of what did not previously exist. Only
God is eternal. God uses all of His creation to reveal God’s glory to us. God’s
world and His Word are God’s introduction of Himself to us. What do they
tell us about God?
God is supreme, first and foremost, before everything else and above
everything else. God is your sovereign Lord, the One who creates and
controls everything for your good. Just like in the beginning, God still brings
order and good even out of chaos and darkness.
The key to life is to live for something
that will outlast it. -William James
God designed you to be the personal representative of His goodness. Just
as God designed all of His creation to display the glory of His goodness to
you, God purposed for you to reflect His goodness to others in the same way
that the moon reflects the light of the sun. You are like a spiritual telescope
designed to help others see the glory of God’s goodness to them.
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God is your Life Giver and Loving Partner. God designed, created, and
placed you by His side for your good (Genesis 2). With every new breath
God gives you, He creates life afresh and anew, again and again. The faithful,
loving God is by your side every step throughout life. He is always present
with you even when you cannot see Him. He promises to never leave your
side, to never forsake you, to never give up on you. What a God! That is the
God that Adam knew well, but something went wrong that affected all of us.
Adam’s disobedience proved to be foolish, futile, and fatal for him and all of
his descendants.
Every person is now born into a life that is free falling toward death and
destruction. The historical narrative of how mankind lost the goodness of a
perfectly created world is recorded in Genesis 3. It is the true story of how
man started at the top and has been in a free fall into sin ever since. Adam
thought he could do better without God. So he left God’s side to find
happiness on his own, but he could not find it. That dishonors God.
The greatest commandment is to love God with all of your heart. So you
sin when you do not love God with all your heart. When you do not care
about being God’s personal representative of merciful goodness, you miss
the whole mark of why God placed you here on this earth. The Bible calls
that sin.
When you love yourself more than you love God, it is sin. Do you love the
Lord your God with all your heart? Where are you? Are you still free
falling to certain death and destruction? Remember this, in the last days
difficult times will come, because men will be lovers of self…lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God. And all of mankind will proceed from bad to worse
(2 Timothy 3:1-13).
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Remember your Side by Side purpose in life. God
has a much better plan for your life than you do. God is doing you good
even when you cannot see it or when circumstances in your life do not look
good.
God is infinitely greater, bigger, stronger, wiser, more faithful, and
overflowing with extremely generous goodness than you are. Remember
that God’s sovereign lordship is for your good. Trust Him today.
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DAY 4 It’s about direction, not perfection Life’s biggest question is the first question God asks every man,
“Where are you?”
And they (Adam and Eve) heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the
garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from
the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD
God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9)
God’s question calls for spiritual consideration. Where are you…really? Adam was trying to hide from God. That is like a little child thinking he is hiding from his parents by putting his hands over his eyes until they say, “Peek-a-boo.” Hiding from God is impossible no matter where you go to sin. If you leave God’s side running in the wrong direction, you are getting farther and farther from what is good for you. That is foolish. The Bible states that the nearness of God is your good. But for me it is good to be near God (Psalm 73:28). What would you say about an athlete who is told by the coach that the best way for the team to win is for him to play “hard and smart,” but he decides to play “soft and stupid”? We would call him an idiot and probably a whole lot of other things for doing what he knows is not in the best interest of himself or his team. Sin is spiritual insanity. It is irrational to run in the direction that is proven to cause you to fail and fall. But that is what sin does to you. Your sin deceives and disorients you. Adam dishonored God, destroyed himself, and defiled his descendants, leaving all of them in a “free fall.” Just like a skydiver who has jumped out of an airplane without a parachute, he is not controlled by anything but the force of gravity. During a brief time he thinks he can have a lot of fun. However, no matter what he does, unless there is some intervention from outside of himself, the end will be certain destruction.
The only hope for free-falling sinners is the undeserved mercy of God.
God is merciful to sinners. God’s question, “Where are you?” is a call for the
sinner to come to his senses. Why did Adam and Eve sin in the first place?
It was for the same reason you and I sin.
We don’t think right. I call it “stinkin’ thinkin.”
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Sin disorients you and distorts spiritual reality. Sin lurks in “the
imaginary world of not,” where you imagine you are NOT really happy
and that things are NOT going to work out for your good, and that you are
NOT better off staying close to God. So you head off for something else.
That is exactly what the first man and woman thought. They lived in a
perfect world with perfect people surrounded by God’s abundant
goodness. But they did not “see” it that way in their minds. Living in a
perfect world, they imagined they were NOT happy.
The mind can deceive you when you begin to entertain thoughts that
maybe you are not really happy where God has placed you or not
happy with how God has made you. You begin to live in your own
“imaginary world of not.” You begin to imagine, “The coach does NOT like
me.” “I am NOT getting a fair chance.” “I am NOT happy.” The
“imaginary world of not” only exists in your mind which is focused on
loving yourself first and foremost.
God’s questions are always an invitation to experience His mercy and goodness. “Where are you?” is a call to repentance, a spiritual whistle signaling you to turn completely around and head in a different direction.
Repentance is the radical reorientation of your entire life to the truth that Jesus Christ is always LORD for your good. Repentance begins with right thinking. Right thinking leads to right actions. Here is the beauty of God’s question. God is for you. God is side by side with you. You are never alone. God offers you a spiritual parachute to rescue you from the free fall of sin. God still searches for lost and straying souls. TODAY’S TEAM TIP: The merciful God still has a place for you by His side for your good. Get closer to God today. How? Believe in His Son Jesus and follow Jesus as your Lord and Savior for your own good. Jesus invites you into a new relationship of spiritual closeness. Ask God to help you think right today. Where are you? Which direction is your devotion headed? Are you running the wrong way or are you side by side with Jesus? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
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Direction
Direction
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DAY 5 It’s about direction, not perfection Sin will cost, but Jesus can conquer your sin.
God told the first sinner the same thing He tells every sinner. There
is a cost to sin. The wages of sin is death. But God also promised the first
sinner what He promises you. Jesus has conquered your sin. For the
wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord (Romans 6:23).
God sent His own Son into the world to save sinners (2 Timothy 1:15).
Unlike Adam, Jesus lived a perfect, loving life. Jesus became our new
representative before God. Jesus also showed us the Father’s love in the
way that every personal representative of God should show to others. He
stayed side by side with God the Father to demonstrate to you that
obedience to God is an act of faith and love, not fear and misery.
Obedience is about lordship and love. That is always the main issue.
God never designed obedience to be a set of rules or a list of do’s and
don’ts. Every command of God is based on love. Obey them for your own
good. What you think about Jesus will determine how you act. What do
you think about Jesus?
On the cross, God treated His perfect, loving Son
as if He had lived your selfish, sin-filled life
in order that for the rest of eternity, God might treat you
as if you had lived Jesus’ perfect, loving life.
The Bible calls that grace. But God shows His love for us in that while
we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus lived and
died to do you good. Jesus voluntarily paid the cost for your sins. He
conquered sin on your behalf. Now there is no condemnation and no
separation from the love of God in life or in death (Romans 8). What a
supreme, sovereign Lord, gracious Life-giver, and faithful Loving Partner!
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of sinners.
Stay side-by-side with Jesus today and forever. Where are you…really?
Are you where you want to be when you are asked that question the last
time? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind, and with all your strength.
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HOW TO FOLLOW JESUS
God shows His love for us in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
God promises everlasting life to whoever believes in Jesus.
God treated His perfect loving Son on the cross as if Jesus had lived your
sinful selfish life so that when you believe in Him, God will treat you forever
as if you had lived the perfect loving life of Jesus.
This is a gift from God by grace, undeserved and unearned by you.
Whoever believes and follows Jesus can live side-by-side with God now and
forever. Wow! That’s great news! If you confess with your mouth that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the
dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
So where are you spiritually? Have you ever received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?
Accept what Jesus did for you on the cross and receive Him as your
substitute. Put your name into the verse. God said, “Whoever (your name)
believes in Jesus has everlasting life.” Place your faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ for side-by-side fellowship. His love for you is so great that He will
never, never, never, never, never let you go.
God is merciful to perishing sinners. God’s gift of undeserved grace is what
saves you, not your performance. God will stay side-by-side with you in
this earthly life and He has already reserved a place in heaven for you.
This is God’s love gift to you, not because of anything you have done or
earned on your own. God did this so in the future heaven He might show
you how truly good and kind He is to you . . . because it will take God
forever to give you all of His infinite goodness and never-ending love!
(Ephesians 2:1-10)
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Here is a sample prayer for trusting Jesus
as your Lord and Savior.
The important thing is to follow Jesus side by side. This suggested prayer is
not a formula. There is no magic in these words. God is looking at your
heart. Use your own words or use these words if they express what your
heart feels and desires. Jesus is inviting you to love Him and follow Him
side-by-side. Will you? Why not pray right now? It’s that important today,
this season, and for all of eternity.
Dear God, Thank you for loving me. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus
to rescue me from perishing under the responsibility of my sins. Thank you
for paying the cost for my sin on the cross and conquering my sin by rising
from the dead. Thank you for the gift of a new beginning with everlasting
life.
I pray believing in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I want to have a personal
relationship with Jesus. I want to follow Jesus side by side. Change me. I
want to learn how to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Show me how to love my teammates like I love myself. Use me and my
platform of influence as a student/athlete for your glory and the good of
others. I love You, Jesus. Amen.
WELCOME TO GOD’S TEAM!
Thank God and tell someone else.
Tell your parent, your coach,
or one of your Christian teammates.
Find a church where
they teach God’s Word.
Join a FCA Huddle Group.
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Affect Change…..Love your Brother
Team Memory Verse 2
The second commandment is equally as great,
You shall love your brother as yourself (Mark 12:31)
WHERE IS YOUR
BROTHER?
Side by Side…4ever
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Attitude
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DAY 6 The Story of William Borden
William Borden was a young man who gave up everything to follow Jesus
Christ to the mission field to live among Muslims in Northern China. As the
heir of the Chicago based Borden Milk Company and the family fortune from
silver mining in Colorado, he was already a millionaire when he graduated
from high school.
No Reserves For his high school graduation present, his parents gave 16-
year-old Borden a trip around the world. As he traveled, he felt a growing
burden for the world's hurting people. Finally, he wrote home to say, "I'm
going to give my life to prepare for the mission field to help others know
about Jesus Christ." More than one friend expressed surprise that Borden
was "throwing himself away."
Soon after he renounced his fortune in favor of missions, Bill wrote these
words in the back of his Bible: "No reserves." Even though young Borden
was wealthy, he arrived on the campus of Yale University in 1905 trying to
look like just one more freshman. However, Borden's classmates noticed
something unusual about him and it wasn't his money.
One wrote: "He came to college far
ahead, spiritually, of any of us. He had
already given his heart in full surrender
to Christ. His classmates learned to
lean on him and find in him a strength
that was solid as a rock."
During his first semester at Yale,
Borden started something that would
transform campus life. He started meeting with two friends to study the
Bible. That small group gave birth to a movement that spread across the
campus and changed many lives. Borden also cared about widows and
orphans and cripples. He rescued drunks from the streets of New Haven.
To rehabilitate them, he founded the Yale Hope Mission.
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No Retreats Borden's missionary call narrowed to China. Once that goal
was in sight, Borden never wavered. He inspired his classmates to consider missionary service. One said: "He was one of the strongest characters I have ever known. He put backbone into the rest of us at college."
Upon graduation from Yale, Borden turned down some high paying job offers. When his father told him he would never work in the company again if he chose mission work, he wrote two more words in the back of his Bible: "No retreats." Before he left, his father died and people asked him to come back to run the company. Borden said, “God’s got me for a higher cause.”
No Regrets When he finished his studies at Princeton, Borden sailed for
China. Hoping to work with Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead. He never made it to the mission field.
When news of Borden's death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by nearly every American newspaper. "A wave of sorrow went round the world. Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice.”
Was Borden's untimely death a waste? Not in God's plan. Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in his Bible. Underneath the words "No reserves" and "No retreats," he had written: "No regrets."
He forsook all and followed Jesus, Kindly affectionate with brotherly love, Fervent in spirit serving the Lord, Giving to the needs of others,
In honor preferring others, Apart from faith in Christ, There is no explanation for such a life.
Epitaph of William Whiting Borden (1887-1913)
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Check your Alignment and Attitude today. What will you do with the opportunity you have been given?
When this season is over, what will be said about you? Will you have made a difference in any lives?
If you live your life for the value of knowing Jesus, your life will have no regrets. You might not accomplish all the things that this world would have
you do or have all of the worldly pleasures, possessions, and profits, but you will have no regrets.
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DAY 7 No one can make you have a bad attitude
Are you different or indifferent regarding your brother?
Life’s biggest question is, “Where are you in your relationship with God?”
Since the nearness of God is for your good, hopefully, you are right by God’s
side. The second biggest question springs from the first. God asks Cain, the
first man ever born into this world, “Where is your brother?” (Genesis 4:6).
God never asks questions for the sake of information. God’s question is a
wonder of absence. In a translation of the original Hebrew language, the
question is literally, “Why is your brother not by your side?”
The context of the question to Cain and to you is this: If you are going to
live side-by-side with God, then your brother needs to be side-by-side with
you. The side-by-sides go together. In the Bible, loving your brother is the
same idea as loving your sister, or your neighbor, or your teammate.
If you love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength,
then you must love your teammate as yourself. Cain’s parents (Adam and
Eve) were created, made by God into adults. However, Cain was the first
man who entered this world through natural childbirth. Therefore, Cain is
the prototype of a sinner born into this world with an inherent nature to sin.
It is in his blood so to speak. He was born free-falling. So Cain’s true story
reveals a lot about what and why ungodly people say and do things. His
ungodliness was displayed in his attitude towards God and then in his
attitude towards his younger brother, Abel, who is always referred to in the
story as Cain’s brother (teammate).
Something went wrong in worship. Cain was a farmer; his younger brother
was a shepherd. They both brought gifts of worship to God but Cain’s was
unacceptable. It was not rejected because of what he brought but rather
because of his wrong attitude about worship. Cain really worshiped himself.
He did not really love God and he did not really love his brother.
Jesus would later teach that when you come to worship God while you
have something wrong between you and your brother (teammate), first go
make things right with your brother (teammate) and then come back to
worship God.
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God is merciful to miserable people. That means there is hope for all of us.
God came to the miserable Cain and asked questions designed to make him
consider his life, to reflect, to think because right thinking precedes right
attitudes and actions. God asked, “Why are you angry?” God knew Cain was
angry and God already knew why. But He wanted Cain to understand why
he was angry.
When you mess up with the Lord, you mess up with others. Cain’s anger
was rooted in the fact that he was not side-by-side with the Lord. That is
revealed in his response. Cain just disregarded God’s question as being
irrelevant to his life. He was indifferent to God’s presence and God’s
questions. Literally, God asks, “Why is your inward heart rising up in your
face?” Have you ever seen a person like that whose face is becoming red
and intense over something? Have you ever seen that in the mirror?
The anger of sin and selfishness always leads to misery. People, like Cain,
take the fast and furious track to anger because everything is about self-love.
Anger springs up from viewing life from the wrong perspective. The source
of all anger and conflicts is unmet and unrealistic selfish expectations
(James 4:1-3).
When you are always thinking of yourself and not others, you will end up
angry because the rest of the world is not focused on you. They are not
going to always do what you want, when you want, and the way you want.
Misery is always self-inflicted. So many people choose to drown in their
own misery rather than accept the mercy of God. They choose to remain
indifferent to God and to their teammate. Don’t be indifferent; be different!
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: The way you love God is by loving your teammate.
Do not look at him/her with indifference today. Look at your teammate
differently today through the eyes of God’s love.
When you get right with your teammate, you get right with God.
If you love Jesus, you will get things right with your teammates
today.
Following Jesus is all about direction with a good attitude.
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DAY 8 No one can make you have a bad attitude Anger leads to your own unhappiness.
God asked Cain a follow-up question, “Why has your face fallen?” Why are
you so downcast and in despair? Why? Because Cain’s eyes and heart were
not set on the Lord. You cannot reason with a self-focused person. Cain was
mad at God, so he took it out on his brother/teammate. That is both ironic
and spiritually insane. Like so many of us, Cain said he did not care about
God or his brother/teammate, but his anger and unhappiness were
connected to them. You can protest all you want, but your countenance will
eventually reveal the truth.
Unhappiness is rooted in indifference to God and to your teammate. Cain
thought that his brother was irrelevant to his life and to his happiness. He
never took the time to consider that God gave him a brother/teammate, not
just for his teammate’s good but also for Cain’s own happiness.
At this point in the story, Cain is the absolutely worst guy on the face of the
earth, and yet God offers him mercy to rescue him from his self-inflicted
misery. God offers you that same promise of hope and help. “If you do well,
will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the
door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
What is the right answer to your own unhappiness and anger? Loving your
teammate is always the right thing to do. That is how you love God. Go
get side-by-side with your teammates even if you have been angry or
unhappy with them. That act of mercy will breed love. Your happiness will
return. But if you refuse, be warned. Sin is crouching like a mean dog
outside the door of your heart. Your anger becomes self-destructive. It
hurts you the most.
The sin of self-love is a dangerous beast. If you ignore the solution, you will
continue to struggle all your life with the misery, anger, and unhappiness
brought on by your self-love. It will be a life of continuous conflict—with
your family, teammates, and co-workers. You will struggle and lose.
The opposite of love is not hate, but selfishness.
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Selfishness leads to indifference to God and to your teammate. Then the
LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” Cain said, “I do not know;
am I my brother's keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). Cain said, “I don’t know and I
don’t care.” At that time, Cain had already murdered his brother and God
knew it and said, “His blood is crying out from the ground.” Abel’s blood was
not just crying out for vengeance, it was crying out for mercy to Cain. If not,
God would have just wiped Cain out. God offers mercy to miserable people.
God’s Son, Jesus, came into this world to be our side-by-side
brother/teammate. He loved God and everyone else, yet He was murdered
by our sin and self-love. His blood cried out for the mercy of God on our
behalf. “Forgive them… Forgive them. They are not just killing me and their
brothers, they are ruining themselves with self-destruction.” Everyone who
hates his brother/teammate is a murderer (1 John 3:15).
Your teammate is never irrelevant to your life and happiness. God asks why
your teammate is not by your side for his/her good and yours. Jesus said,
“Love one another the way I have loved you” (John 13:34). Be different, not
indifferent.
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Don’t give up on any of your teammates today or
ever. God gives you his life and love to share with others. God’s love is a
long-suffering, encouraging love that never gives up on a teammate, no
matter what.
God’s love is always a side-by-side love. When you do not know how to
love your teammate, just do like Jesus. Forgive them and do something good
for them. Love your teammate like you love yourself. Desire the same
success for them that you want for yourself.
Anger is a signal that something is wrong…in you…not someone else or
your circumstances. Take a good look in the mirror today. There is hope
for you today. God can mercifully take away your unhappiness and your
anger and change you into a teammate who loves others as much as you
love yourself.
That will be the play of the day
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DAY 9 The Story of Team Hoyt
Rick Hoyt was born a spastic quadriplegic, unable to walk.
Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth after his umbilical cord
became twisted around his neck, which caused the blockage of oxygen flow.
As a result, his brain could not send the correct messages to his muscles.
Doctors encouraged the parents to institutionalize Rick, informing them that
he would be nothing more than a “vegetable.”
His parents ignored the advice of doctors who said Rick’s situation was hopeless, and instead fought to get their son access to all kinds of activities, despite the fact that doctors said their son would never live “a normal life.”
Dick Hoyt encouraged his son to know that together they could overcome anything. At the age of 11, after some persistence from his parents, Rick was fitted with a computer that enabled him to communicate and it became clear that Rick was intelligent. With this communication device, Rick was also able to attend public schools for the first time. Rick went on to graduate from Boston University with a degree in special education. When he was 15, Rick asked his father to push him in a 5-mile road race to raise funds for a local lacrosse player recently paralyzed. Rick told his father after their first run,
“When I’m running I don’t feel handicapped.”
“We run for those who can’t.”
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It was a new beginning of togetherness.
Team Hoyt was formed. They would run together.
That local 5-miler was the beginning. Thirty eight years later, Team Hoyt has competed together in various athletic endeavors, including 1,108 endurance events, 73 marathons, six Ironman Triathlons, and a 3,735 mile USA cross-
country trip. During competition Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat in the front of a bicycle, and pushes him in a special wheelchair as they run. Last May, Team Hoyt ran their 32d Boston Marathon together. Dick is now 74 and Rick is 53.
Team Hoyt was inducted to the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2008. ESPN honored Team Hoyt with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYS in 2013. “Thirty-eight years ago nobody would even talk to us, but because my dad said ‘yes’ when I asked him to push me in the first race, even with so many people telling us that we did not belong, we are here,” said Rick in his acceptance speech. “Next time you see someone in a wheelchair, or who can’t talk or walk or they may talk or walk a little bit different, they are people too, and they deserve to live, learn, work and play.”
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: How far will you go to be together side-by-side with your teammates? When you consider Team Hoyt, there are no excuses and
no limitations. Do something to help someone else today. You might end up teammates for a lifetime. #Teammates #No Excuses
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DAY 10 Togetherness is about loyalty God gave you teammates so you would keep them by your side
in order to do them good.
Loving your teammates is about loyalty. You have to be by your teammate’s side and you have to go in the same direction. That is what makes a team! Jesus shows you how to be a side-by-side teammate. It is about being there with your teammates in practice as well as at game time. You cannot love your teammate unless you are there with him/her.
Whenever you choose to line up beside your teammate to do him/her good, God promises to give you the power and the opportunity to do it. God gives you the power to be different. God will give you opportunities to love your teammates. Some opportunities will come today. Be alert. Seize the opportunity. It’s the difference between winning and losing.
The practice field is a great place to learn how to love your teammates as yourself. The champion players love the miserable ones, the difficult ones, and even the ones who rub you the wrong way. You are most likely doing the same thing to them and your coaches. That is why you have to be different, not indifferent, so you can see the opportunities. No matter who they are, what they say, or what they do, you want to be able to answer the Lord’s question, “Where is your teammate?” with a smiling response, “My teammate is side-by-side with me…forever.”
Side by Side is all about the practice, not the promise. Anyone can make a
promise to stay side-by-side whether that promise is made to a coach,
teammates, or a marriage partner. But it is the practice of that longsuffering,
loyal love that proves the promise. Love your teammates as yourself.
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Practice the side-by-side promise over and over.
Stay close to God and keep your teammates close to you today and forever.
Here is a sample Player’s Prayer. Remember that it is not the words, but the
attitude of the heart. It is not the promise but the practice.
Lord, let my teammates see me loving you today and loving them side-by-
side. Let me see my teammates loving you today and loving one another
side-by-side. Let us practice and play side-by-side in such a way that we will
leave a legacy for the future teams to love you and love one another side-
by-side.
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Effort
Togetherness
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Team Memory Verse 3
Whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Togetherness is about Loyalty
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DAY 11 Togetherness is about loyalty God has given you a platform of influence to be used for His purpose.
Are you using your God-given abilities and opportunities to call attention to
God’s glory and to do good for others, not only on your team but also in
your community?
This study of the third biggest question will focus on a dramatic life-
changing event in the life of a man named Moses. God used Moses to set
free several million people trapped in a lifetime of slavery and then lead
them through a wilderness wandering to their Promised Land of abundant
goodness.
However, it all started with Moses paralyzed from fear and inadequacy.
Have you ever felt that way regarding an athletic contest or this idea of
actually making a difference for good in your school or community? God
wants to ask you another one of life’s biggest questions. It is exactly what
He asked Moses on the day he came to understand, accept, and act on using
his platform of influence to do good to others. I pray it will have a similar
effect on your life this week.
The Lord God said to Moses, “What is that in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2). For
Moses, it was a shepherd’s staff, a long rod used to guide, guard, and care
for sheep. It represented who he had become when he walked side-by-side
with God. It also symbolized everything he was afraid to lose in following
God. What about you? Who have you become? What are you afraid of
losing?
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Have you ever considered giving who you are and
what you have fully to the Lord? As you consider the context of Moses’
situation, remember that whatever was written in former days was written
for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement
of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4).
This Team Tip is for your instruction, perseverance, encouragement, and
hope in your present situation as a student/athlete. Today and all season,
focus on how to use your platform of influence for the glory of God and the
good of others.
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This is who we are
This is what we do
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DAY 12 The Story of Stylianos Kyriakides
The star athlete returned to his native Greece humiliated and defeated.
Kyriakides had competed for Greece in the 1936 Olympics, placing 11th,
when he was invited by his American friend and fellow Berlin marathoner,
Johnny Kelley, to participate in the Boston Marathon. It was a huge source
of pride for the entire Greek nation. On the day of the marathon he wore
new shoes, which injured his feet and caused him to not finish the race.
Cameras caught him exiting in a taxi. The whole sports world was shocked!
During World War II, Kyriakides barely survived starvation during the
German Nazi occupation and narrowly escaped execution when all the men
in his hometown were hanged in one night. He was spared because his
passport was stamped with his visit to the Berlin Olympics. He felt he had
been saved for a reason and he vowed to somehow, someway, and someday
help his countrymen.
The end of the war marked a new beginning for Kyriakides. With the Greek
civil war raging, he came to Boston in 1946 to raise awareness of his nation’s
plight. He was emaciated from the lack of food in Greece and he had not run
in six years. The doctors in Boston would not allow him to run because they
were afraid he would die in the streets. His passionate persistence gained
their permission.
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That backdrop only added to the almost
mythical race performance, in which
Kyriakides’ amazing finish defeated the
defending champion and set the best time
in the world, even though he had not
trained for the previous six years.
He was running alongside Johnny Kelley
carrying the hope of his nation. Near the end,
an old man shouted from the crowd, "For
Greece, for your children!" inspiring him to pull away and win the race in
2:29:27. Kelly said of him, “It was like he had wings on his feet.”
In his hand, Kyriakides carried a note with the Spartan warrior
battle motto, “Win or Die.” As he crossed the finish line in victory, years
removed from his humiliating defeat, he shouted, “For Greece!”
Kyriakides used his marathon victory as a call to action to aid his
war and famine-ravaged homeland. Nearly a million people gave him
a hero’s welcome on his return to Athens. He came back with boat loads
of food, medicine, clothing and other essentials donated by Americans
who read of his victory. A sculpture of Kyriakides now stands at the 1-
mile mark of the Boston Marathon called "The Spirit of the Marathon.”
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: What will you do with a new season? What
kind of effort will you bring? Go all-out today…every play. There is
a bigger goal. Make an extra effort to help someone else today.
When you play for a higher cause than just yourself, then you play with greater effort!
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DAY 13 A higher cause is worth greater Effort God is intimately involved in your life from the biggest plan to the smallest detail.
Moses’ true story serves as your road map. Moses was miraculously spared
as a child and graciously given an excellent education in a high profile
environment. But his glory years were shaped on the practice field as he
shepherded the sheep of his father-in-law on the backside of a mountain.
That is where he met God personally. Moses saw a burning bush that just
kept burning but was never consumed (Exodus 3). The Lord God first got
Moses’ attention and then called out to him from the burning bush.
God was involved in Moses’ life but sometimes Moses was not aware of
God and did not pay attention to God. Does that sound like you? This time
God’s involvement would be unmistakable, undeniable, and unavoidable.
God uses things like speaking to you through this book in order to get your
attention. God wants you to know His presence and His purpose.
You never face a game or a challenge or a crisis alone. You never go
through difficulty and suffering alone. God is always with you. God is
always for you. God is over you, beside you, in you, around you, and
underneath (Isaiah 41:10). There is no reason to be afraid or lack in
confidence. God reminds you that He alone is always holy (Ex. 3:5), always
faithful (3:6), always compassionate (3:7), always deeply involved in the lives
of His people. God calls you to be involved in His plan (3:10).
God always has a bigger and better plan for you than you have.
Preparation years are never wasted years, even if it’s not God’s plan for
you to be prime time right now.
How do you get prepared? Like Moses, you are ready when you realize that
you cannot do anything on your own (3:11). The last place he wanted to be
(Egypt) and the last person he wanted to see (Pharaoh) left him shaking and
shaken in confidence. But God promised him the same thing He promises
you every day and in everything, “I will be with you” (3:12). What a promise!
The Lord always practices what He promises!
God is with you and for you today and every day, in practice and in games.
Trust Him. God is involved in your life so get involved in His plan.
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Give everything to God. Give God all you are and all you have.
God promises to always be with you, to guide and strengthen you. That
sounds good on the backside of some mountain or at the training camp
retreat, but is it enough for game time? That is what Moses questioned.
Like many of us, Moses just had a hard time trusting God with his future.
Moses began making a long list of contingency plans. How are individuals
like Moses and you supposed to do what seems impossible?
God is able. God told Moses to get to know his God. When Moses inquired
about God’s name, credentials, and abilities, God said, “I Am.” (Ex 3:14). God
is. He just is what He is. He is God. God is self-existent and self-sufficient.
God has always been the supreme and sovereign God. He still is God and He
always will be God. God is Lord over you (3:15-17) and God is Lord over all
nature and all nations for your good (3:18-4:5).
Moses wanted to know how he and others could know that God is really
Lord for their good all the time. That question about God is what led to
God’s big question to Moses, “What is that in your hand?”
Nothing is too difficult for the Lord. God gave Moses proof. When Moses
replied that all he had in his hand was just a rod, a shepherd’s staff, God told
him to throw it on the ground. Moses turned loose of the one thing that
represented his life and the one thing he was most afraid of losing. The rod
turned into a snake and Moses ran in fear. God told Moses to pick up the
snake by the tail. That did not make sense but God always tests a person’s
faith in God’s lordship and goodness. Would Moses trust God with his life
and with his future?
When you get in the position where you know for certain that you cannot
do anything by yourself, you are prepared to get involved in God’s plan.
What about you? What is that in your hand?
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Whatever you have in your hand, give it to God to
be used by God in His plan. Go all in with God. God looks for obedience,
not talent. One rod in God’s hand is mightier that the world’s greatest
armies and more valuable than the world’s greatest treasures.
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DAY 14 A higher cause is worth greater Effort God will take whatever you give Him and give you back something better
that can be used as a platform of influence for good in this world.
It is never the bush, the rod, the person, or the talents that are special. It is
the God inside that makes someone powerfully influential for good. When
Moses picked up the rod he had thrown onto the ground that was now a
snake, it turned back into a rod. But now it was not Moses’ rod that he held
in his hand. He was holding the rod of God.
Whatever you give to God comes back with His purpose. You need more
faith in God’s faithfulness, not more ability. God is not looking for more
talent and strength than you have. Each one of us lacks something. Usually
it is the one thing you think that you need most and if you had it, then you
could get involved in God’s plan and use your platform of influence for good.
Do not waste your time wishing you were someone else. Envy and jealousy
are cancerous sin cells. You do not need someone else’s platform to be used
by God to impact this world for good.
God does not need you; you need God. Who made you? Who gave you
some amount of academic and athletic ability? If you think you did all of that
on your own, then “Go fish!” Every ability is a gift from God specifically
designed for His purpose for your life and your platform of influence.
Whenever you realize you could not have done any of that on your own,
then you are prepared to be greatly used by God for a bigger and better
purpose than you have ever imagined. That does not mean that you will
win every game, always be on the first team, or never get injured. It does
mean that whatever you do, it can bring glory to God and help others on
your team, in your family, church, and community.
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A higher cause is worth greater Effort
1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your mind, and with all your strength.
You never go out into this world alone. You never play any game
alone. God is always with you, side-by-side.
2. Love your teammate as yourself.
Life is about direction, not perfection; it’s about devotion, not Vegas
point spreads. The biggest game in life is about finishing with love
and loyalty.
3. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Use your platform of influence to display the incredible worth of
God. God’s glory is more important than anything else, even
winning and losing. Your God is supreme and sovereign, first and
foremost in all things, before and above everything else. Show that
in how you compete in athletics.
God orchestrated your circumstances so that you could be a
student/athlete. God created you and is involved in your life with a plan and
purpose for your life. He alone is the One who gives you your next breath
and orders all your steps.
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this:
that Jesus died for all…that those who live
might no longer live for themselves but for Jesus
who for their sake died in their place and was raised
so they could live to the praise of God’s glory. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
When you love your teammates, they receive help and hope. When you
give God what is in your hand, others will notice and be encouraged by
your faith in God’s faithfulness. Pray that this will become a Team thing.
God is just looking for a leader. The real leader is known by the practice,
not the words.
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Decide to use your God-given platform of influence
for something good. Mark this DATE in your life.
Direction. Attitude. Togetherness. Effort.
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DAY 15 A higher cause is worth greater Effort How do you give uncommon effort? That is one of the purposes of a
consistent daily spiritual conditioning time. It takes you from the practice
field of training camp to the game time of real life.
The game of life is like any sports contest. The practice repetitions make
you ready to step onto the turf or court before a raucous crowd of cheering
supporters and hostile opponents, side-by-side with God and your
teammates.
Use the platform of influence sports has in this culture to Praise and Prize
Jesus. Pursue Jesus, Please Jesus, and Prefer Jesus.
Keep taking your love for God and love for your teammates to a higher
level. You were created by God, saved, placed as an athlete, and gifted with
something in your hand in order to make a positive difference on this team,
this community, and this world.
Everything is about everything. Every time you practice, it has to do with
God. Every time you play a game, it has to do with God. Every time you go
to class, church, or work, it has to do with God. Every time you just hang out
with your teammates, it has to do with God. Every time you are on social
media, it has to do with God.
Everything you are is about God. Everything you say and do is about God.
Everywhere you go, everything is about the use of your platform of influence
to glorify God and help others.
Everything is about everything. Alignment is more important than
assignment. Stay side by side with God. Stay side by side with your
teammates. Always use your platform of influence to do good for others.
That is how you glorify God…Side-by-Side.
TODAY’S TEAM TIP: Keep taking your love for God and love for your
brothers to a higher level. Use your platform of influence for something
good.
Whatever YOU do, do all to the glory of God.
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Spiritual Conditioning Check List
Salvation is a living and loving personal relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
God offers salvation as a free gift. You cannot earn it or ever deserve it.
You receive salvation by believing God paid the cost for your sin and
conquered your sin through Jesus dying as your substitute on the cross and
then rising from the dead as your living Lord and side-by-side teammate.
How do you know if you are really following Jesus or just pretending?
Biblical salvation is described by what it produces,
not by what one says or promises.
Here is a Biblical check list to examine your own heart.
Therefore, if anyone is in Jesus Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; the new beginning has started.
(2 Corinthians 5:17)
1. Do you have a new direction in life?
If there is no new direction in life, there is no new destination for eternity.
2. Do you have a new Lord in life?
If there is no new Lord in your life, there is no new life in you.
3. Is your life changing to live side-by-side with Jesus and for Jesus?
If there is no change in your life, there is no Jesus Christ in your life.
Christianity is simply following Jesus. It’s about direction, not perfection.
Follow Jesus. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and
strength while learning to love your teammates as yourself.
WELCOME TO THE FIRST TEAM!
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#Champions
#SidebySide4ever
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OU FCA HUDDLE
John O’Dell
State Director
Abraham Wright
OU Leader
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GAME TIME
Side by Side 4ever
