Heart of an Athlete , livre ebook

P RAISE FOR
Heart of an Athlete ™
Athletics can be a great way to learn lessons about everyday life. But what is really special is when you can take athletic lessons and apply them to your spiritual life. Heart of an Athlete takes a look at how the tests we face as players and coaches can help us grow as Christians.
C OACH T ONY D UNGY
Head Coach, Indianapolis Colts
Staying close to God through the study of His Word is an essential part of any Christian’s life. The devotions in Heart of an Athlete will help you dig into the Word and be encouraged not only in your faith but also in your sport.
B ETSY K ING
Member, LPGA Tour Hall of Fame
Heart of an Athlete is a training manual with an eternal goal. Being an athlete, I realize the importance of training and preparing my body so that it is ready for competition. This book will help you train so that you can live life the way God intended.
C HRIS K LEIN
Midfielder, Kansas City Wizards

2005 Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Published by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.revellbooks.com
Revell edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-2503-0
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible . © 2001, Broadman and Holman Publishers, Lifeway Christian Resources, 127 Ninth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234.
Other versions used are:
THE MESSAGE— Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE . Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
NIV —Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
NKJV —Scripture taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
NLT —Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Contents
Foreword
Matt Stover
Letter from the President
Les Steckel
Introduction
Les Steckel
Priceless
Dan Britton
Play the B.U.G.
Dan Britton
Constructive Criticism
Jere Johnson
One Way 2 Play
Steve Fitzhugh
It Happens
Jere Johnson
Team J. C.
Josh Carter
Didn’t See It Coming
Jere Johnson
I Was Wrong
Jere Johnson
Lean on Me
Jere Johnson
Obstacles and Opportunities
Fleceia Comeaux
God’s Nutritional Plan
Jimmy Page
Who, Me?
Jere Johnson
Conformity
Heather Price
$10 Million Tongue
Dan Britton
Put On Your Armor!
Jimmy Page
Following Your Dreams
Dan Frost
Far More Important
Dan Britton
Leaving a Mark
Dan Britton
Taking On Defeat
Kyle Shultz
Sweat Equity
Harry Flaherty
Forget About It
Dr. Julie Bell
Failing?
Alex Harb
What God Hates
Roxanne Robbins
Wear the Colors
Jimmy Page
Tunnel Vision
Michael Hill
The Eternal Prize
Jill Ewert
Leave Your Mark
Brad Holloway
Setting an Example
Josh Carter
Commitment 101
Jere Johnson
Teammates
Josh Carter
Awestruck
Jere Johnson
Should Have Listened
Jere Johnson
’Roids
Kyle Shultz
In His Eyes
Danny Burns
No Comparison
Kerry O’Neill
In Him
Jere Johnson
Salty
Amanda Cromwell
Team Player
Carl Miller
Praising God Through Pain
John Register
Personal Best
Joe Outlaw
Higher Standard
Jere Johnson
Trust
Judy Siegle
Learning: A Lifetime Achievement
Jere Johnson
Looking Ahead
Kyle Shultz
No Pain, No Gain
Jay Beard
Most Powerful Tool
Jere Johnson
Grieving with Hope
Josh Carter
The Word
Judy Siegle
Whose Side?
Dan Britton
What Are You?
Jere Johnson
Athletes and Sex
Elliot Johnson
Brothers and Sisters
Roxanne Robbins
Protect the House
Jimmy Page
Right or Left?
Dan Britton
Finish Line
Jere Johnson
One Thing
Dan Britton
Damaging Words
Jere Johnson
What Do You Sow?
Josh Carter
In the Zone
Dan Britton
Etc.
Dan Britton
The No-Look Pass
Stan Smith
The Lord’s Army
Jere Johnson
TLINAU
Josh Carter
The Flying Scotsman
Dan Britton
Measuring the Heart
Charles Gee
The Playbook
Josh Carter
From the Grandstand
Kande Speers
Focus Factor
Josh Carter
The Competitor’s Prayer
Dan Britton
Surprising Strength
Jean Driscoll
Whatever
Debbie Haliday
Spiritual Muscles
Dan Britton
The War That Rages On
Danny Burns
Right Place, Right Time
Jere Johnson
The Audience
Jess Hansen
The Gap
Dan Britton
Fire in My Belly
Dan Britton
Six Percent
Dan Britton
Five Minutes
Dan Britton
In One Ear
Marc Agnello
Power Play
Jere Johnson
Workout Partners
Michael Hill
Give Me Credit
Michael Hill
Smack
Jere Johnson
How Would Jesus Compete?
Josh Carter
Hooked Up
Ken Bakewell
Not What It Seems
Loren Thornburg
The Ultimate Pregame Meal
Michael Hill
Horsepower
Josh Carter
For the Glory
Dan Britton
Endnotes
Contributors
Thanks
Impacting the World Through Sports
FCA Competitor’s Creed
FCA Coach’s Mandate
Foreword
Becoming Authentic Men and Women of God
Too many of today’s athletes are just out for themselves. I see it in the National Football League and I am sure that you see it in your sport and league. Selfishness is rampant. Players make their sport their god. I know, because there was a time when I did it, too.
When I was younger, football was my world. I was successful in high school and in college. I was one of the best kickers around and was drafted by the New York Giants. I was injured during my first season but celebrated as my team won the Super Bowl. It couldn’t get any better, or so it seemed. A few years later I found myself struggling. Football was supposed to bring so much joy, but it was killing me. The pressure was immense. After missing a 19-yard field goal, I cried out, “Lord, help me!” right there on the field. Before that day, I had always known of God but did not have a relationship with Him.
It took a little more time, but I finally got to the point where I realized that I had to surrender my football career to God. I had to let go. I heard someone talk about Mark 8:35-36: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and the gospel will save it. For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life?” For me, that verse contained the answer. Looking back, I can see that God had a plan all along. I had to get to the point of seeing that it was not about me; it was about Him.
As I write this foreword, I am in the middle of my sixteenth season of professional football. I now play for the Baltimore Ravens. In these 16 years, I have seen a lot of success, including another Super Bowl championship and being named to the Pro Bowl team. God has placed me here and given me this platform. It is a gift to be able to speak to young players and to be able to write to you now.
When I speak at FCA camps and other places, I talk about taking personal responsibility as Christians. There are many big issues in our lives. Money, pride in physical ability, and the availability of sex can deceive us as athletes. The world tells us that these will satisfy us, that they are it . I can tell you, I have had it and got it , and it is not it.
True satisfaction only comes when we have a relationship with God, accept our responsibilities as authentic men and women of God, and put others before ourselves. One of the best ways to do this is to have a daily devotional time. It is pretty simple: Talk with God and read His Word—the Bible. That’s what this book of devotional readings is all about. Just take a few minutes each day to connect with God. These readings, written by athletes like you and me, will help you get started. As you read, let go of yourself and allow Jesus Christ to take control.
Matt Stover
Kicker
Baltimore Ravens
Letter from the President
Teammate:
For over 50 years, FCA has been privileged to minister to athletes and coaches by encouraging and equipping them to know and serve the master coach, Jesus Christ. One of our priorities is to develop resources to engage athletes and help them integrate their faith and sport.
Being on a team is all about relationships. Whether it’s a fellow teammate, a friend or a member of our family, the only way to get to know a person is to spend time with him or her. These 90 devotionals are designed to help you develop a focused time with God. They are written from a competitor’s point of view and include key verses from the Bible to help you gain an understanding of God’s perspective on issues that you face in your daily life. Our hope is that this book will motivate you to have a consistent training time and read God’s Playbook to deepen your understanding of His Word.
As an athlete, you have been given a tremendous platform to influence others. Our prayer is that God will use these devotions to transform your life as a competitor so that you can make an eternal impact, not only in your life, but also in the lives of others.
God Speed,

Les Steckel
FCA President/CEO
Introduction
Training Time
In sports and in life, there is always the need to take a time-out to think about your purpose in living and playing for God. FCA is excited to present you with a collection of devotions that will challenge you to play and live for the glory of God. Each devotion is wri