Rise Up - Part II

RISE UP!  This is truly a calling from God.  And don’t be fooled, this isn’t some insignificant calling.  This is big time.  As we embrace the titles of husband/father to our families, leaders in the church, and coach/mentor to our players, RISING UP needs to carry a significant meaning to us.  The fact of the matter is that the greatest coach of all-time, Jesus Christ, knew the true definition of RISING UP.  He was sent to this earth, fully God and fully man, for one reason and one reason only.   His purpose: to take our punishment for our sin.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17.  The love Jesus had for us put him on the cross to take the punishment that we deserved.  Three days later, there was an empty tomb.  Jesus literally and physically fulfilled the calling of his Father to RISE UP!  And by doing so, we were made alive in Christ!

We are now called to live in the image of God, but how do we do that?  What do we need to focus on every day in order to RISE UP?  Ephesians 5:13-14 says, “But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.  Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’”  Because Jesus shined his light on us, the ability to RISE UP was made possible.  

There are three aims that we need to focus on in order to RISE UP successfully.  

First, we commit to MAKE THE BEST USE OF OUR TIME (Ephesians 5:15-17).  Legendary coach, Jim Valvano once said, “There are 86,400 seconds in a day.  It’s up to you to decide what to do with them.”  Scripture commands us to not be fools, but instead “…understand what the will of the Lord is.”  God has called us to RISE UP, and we cannot accomplish that if we waste our lives by giving in to our flesh.  We are called to greatness and we need to spend our time doing things that will last for eternity. Instead of turning on the TV when you get home, talk to your wife and play with your kids.  In place of your free time on the internet, take that time to invest in the lives of your family or players.  “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” – Isaiah 60:1

Secondly, we commit to HAVE A CLEAR MIND, FILLED BY THE SPIRIT (Ephesians 5:18-19).  Keep a clear head.  Do not give in to the pressure.  This verse specifically condemns drunkenness and the effects it has on our minds, but there are many more things that can mess with our clearness of mind.  Adversity will present itself, but how you respond to that adversity will determine what you’re made of.  Make prayer a daily routine and ask the Lord for guidance and direction with every decision you will have to make throughout the day.  You never know when you will have to draw up that last second play in crunch time.  Keep a clear head, give all your heart to Jesus, and the opportunity to RISE UP will be right there waiting for you.

Lastly, we commit to GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST (Ephesians 5:20-21).  I firmly believe that God wants us to RISE UP in everything we do.  He is our biggest fan.  What is your response when someone is cheering for you?  You want to please them!  As God gives us multiple opportunities to RISE UP, all he wants from us is a thankful heart and a motivation to direct all the glory to him.  Remember that victorious display Jesus put on when he conquered death at the cross?  There was urgency for mankind’s need of a Savior.  Jesus gave us that saving grace on the cross.  Because of the life Christ has given us, we can RISE UP to anything we are called to do!  I am so thankful for all the blessings God has placed in my life and my only desire is to live for His glory!  When your only purpose is to give God the ultimate glory in everything you do, there is no other option than to answer the call, RISE UP!  

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

“Rise up and let your light shine.  A city on a hill cannot hide!”

 This is a follow up post to the original post "Rise Up"

Nations of Coaches

Lately, I have been very encouraged by the coaches ministry, Nations of Coaches.  I was first introduced to this ministry in the Summer of 2010 and have been greatly impacted since.  Their goal is to give coaches the resources they need to lead their families and teams all while making an impact for the glory of God.  I have met some outstanding people who are involved with this ministry and have been truly blessed by their relationships.  Every year at the Final Four, they conduct ministry events that focus directly on worship and the discipleship of coaches.  Although the games and networking are fun, these ministry workshops are the reason I want to go to the Final Four every year.  In the mean time, however, Nations of Coaches conducts a weekly conference call to, "encourage and strengthen coaches to use their God-given talents for His glory and to discuss relevant issues coaches are dealing with."  These conference calls feature several godly coaches from across the country who share 30 minute devotionals and challenge us in numerous areas.  I would strongly recommend for you to tune in sometime and see just how impacting these things are.  The conference calls take place on Sundays at 8 PM CST.  For information regarding the "Victory Call," visit their website, Nations of Coaches.  If you would like to listen to past "Victory Calls," a direct link to the archives is "Victory Call" Archives.  I hope that you find this ministry an encouragement to you as you begin the final stretch toward the end of the season.

Winning the Battle

This morning, my pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rockford, preached an outstanding message entitled, "Winning the Battle Over Sin".  I instantly knew that I wanted to share this on my blog not only because it is so convicting and powerful, but also because he relates it so strongly to the sports arena.  His whole point was to encourage us and inform us of the necessity it is to "make war" with our sin on a daily basis.  So many times we find ourselves just doing the typical "Christian" thing and making sure we are just doing OK.  But I was really challenged in this message to take initiative and really take a "Holy violence" against my sin. He had 3 things we need from Colossians 3:1-7 that he used to make that point to us.  The three points were:

1. You must have a good OFFENSE

2. You must have a good DEFENSE

3. You must have good TEAMMATES

The entire passage talks about our utter dependence on God and how me must put on a "New Self."  I thought it was so awesome how he related sports analogies to our walk with Christ.  I was extremely convicted of my walk with Jesus and how I am playing "defense" too often.  I just want to fight sin and stay out of trouble.  But Jesus really encouraged me to take the "offensive" in winning the battle over sin.  I was also struck back by how important it is to have the right 'teammates' on your side to encourage you in your walk.  Instead of summarizing the entire sermon in this blog post, I would rather allow you to listen to it yourself.  I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to listen to this sermon while your working out in the morning or while your driving your daily commute to/from work.  I feel like this idea  of "making war" or "winning the battle over sin" really needs to be strengthened in my walk as a Christian and I believe that it can be directly translated to the way I coach a basketball team.  I hope you are as encouraged by this message as I am and I would love to hear your feedback!

Encouraging Others

Nothing is more powerful than our words.  The words we say can impact someone's life in a great and mighty way.  As coaches, it is crucial for us to realize this and emphasize the importance of encouragement amongst our team.  Not only do we have to make sure our players are mindful of their words, but we have to be an example of this in our own lives.  Paul writes in his letter to the church at Ephesus about the importance of their speech.  "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." - Ephesians 4:29.  This is a powerful verse.  Author and leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries, C.J. Mahaney, describes this verse in further detail in his book, Humility: True Greatness.  Mahaney writes, "'Let no...but only...'  There's a certain kind of speech that's never to come from our mouths, and another kind that should be in everything we say."  I was taken back when I read that because it is true that God is very precise in telling us what kind of speech we need to have.  As a coach, I know that I am not always saying things to my players that is probably giving them grace or uplifting them.  I know we can't be perfect, but I want to strive to be that kind of coach.  In order to effectively communicate like this, we need to know each individual player on our team.  Talk to them, get to know them as a person, and figure out in what ways we can best communicate with them.  We need to be able to edify each player with appropriate and timely words.  And finally, the biggest area that I need work in and probably most coaches need work in is: How do I edify my players when I am trying to correct them?  Every area of correction needs to be directed to the gospel.  If we can't give our players hope in the gospel, then our correction is going to be wasted.  I have been really convicted of my words as a coach, and I know that I need this more than anybody.  I strongly encourage you to read Humility: True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney if you get the chance.  It is a great book and most of this has come from it.  Keep coaching "coram deo" and remember your purpose as a coach is to ultimately bring glory to God, not yourself.

S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals in 2012

As the New Year rolls in, the number of people setting goals and resolutions is overwhelming.  Statistics show that 92% of the population that sets goals for the new year will ultimately fail.  This occurs because so many people aren't specific in their goal setting.  They make lists and put a lot of thought into it, but they really aren't ready for the task.  I see so many people just say they want to do "more."  I want to exercise "more", read "more", spend "more" time with my family, or do "more."  What does more mean?  I think that is most likely the number one reason why only 8% of goal setters reach their goals (and I honestly think that 8% is a little high).  Here is an acronym that I believe is essential in reaching your goals.  I have applied this to many areas of my life and I find that is beneficial in accomplishing things that I set out to do.  We have to set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals:

S: Specific.  Give yourself details about your goals.  Your focus level will rise if it has specific details.
M: Measurable.  Instead of just doing "more", give yourself a number.  Try to read 30 pages per day or exercise 20 minutes a day doing 50 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and a 1 mile run.
A: Attainable.  Break your long term goals down into a lot of smaller goals that you can reach on a short term.
R: Relevant.  Make sure that the goals you are setting will benefit you in everything you do.
T: Trackable.  Stay organized.  Make checklists and keep track of all your successes and failures along the way. 
E: Extra Effort.  Some days you will not feel like taking those steps towards your goal.  Do it anyways.  Always give a little more, it will go a long ways.
R: Revise & Review.  Constantly be checking to make sure you are heading in the right direction and you are taking the right steps in pursuit of your goals.  

I firmly believe that setting SMARTER goals will enable us to accomplish a lot more and keep us focused on the task at hand to reach our goals.  Have a Happy New Year and God bless in 2012!


S.M.A.R.T.E.R acronym taken from the book, The Strange Secret of the Big Time by Frosty Westering, 2005.