Copyright Page
2016 by 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
Some devotions are adapted from Heart of a Coach, Heart of a Competitor, Heart of an Athlete , Impact Play, and True Competitor .
Ebook edition created 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout 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.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0523-7
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB, and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations labeled BSB are from The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible, BSB. Copyright 2016 by Bible Hub. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011
Scripture quotations labeled Message are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The devotions for Days 12, 131, 218, 303, and 322 are used by permission of BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC, 2745 Chicory Rd., Racine, WI 53403.
Notes
. Charles R. Swindoll, Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives: Rediscovering Some Old Testament Characters (Nashville: W Pub. Group, 2005), 4.
. Dana ONeil, UConn Never Stopped Believing, ABC News, April 8, 2014, http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/uconn-stopped-believing/story?id=23233300.
. Alan Goldberg, Handling Winning & Losing, Competitive Advantage , accessed March 7, 2016, https://www.competitivedge.com/handling-winning-losing.
. Yogi Berra, The Yogi Book: I Really Didnt Say Everything I Said! (New York: Workman Pub., 1998), 51.
Letter from the President
Dear Teammate,
At Fellowship of Christian Athletes, we believe in the power of Gods Word to change lives. We have gathered the best of the best FCA devotionals to train your heart and mind for the sports journey that lies before you. These 365 devotionals are written from a competitors mind-set and include Bible verses to help you understand Gods perspective on key issues. Our hope is that this book will motivate you to develop a consistent, focused way of spending time with God so you will deepen your understanding of His Word and become a true competitor for Jesus Christ.
Whether you are a coach, athlete, or competitor, you have been given a tremendous platform from which to influence others. We pray that God will use these devotions to transform your life so that you can make an eternal impact for Jesus Christ.
Your Teammate in Christ,
Les Steckel
FCA President/CEO
Contents
Introduction
Training Time
In sports, time-outs give athletes and coaches a chance to strategize for upcoming challenges. Similarly, in life, we need to take time-outs to think about our purpose as members of Gods team. 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 written from an athletic perspective and will encourage you to be more like Christ both on and off the field.
Every morning, set aside a special quiet time to be with God. During this spiritual training time, talk to God and let Him speak to you through the Bible. There are many effective methods that can be used for your daily time with God. One method that we recommend is the PRESS method.
The PRESS Method
Pray
Begin your quiet time by thanking God for the new day, and then ask Him to help you learn from what youre about to read. Prepare yourself by
- clearing your mind and being quiet before the Lord
- asking God to settle your heart
- listening to worship music to prepare your spirit
- asking God to give you a teachable heart
Read
Begin with the devotionals provided in this book. Also, try reading a chapter of Proverbs every day (there are thirty-one chapters in the book of Proverbs, which makes it ideal for daily reading), one psalm, and/or a chapter out of the Old or New Testament. You might consider beginning with one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John), or one of the shorter letters, such as Ephesians or James.
Examine
Ask yourself the following questions with regard to the passage you read:
- Teaching: What do I need to know about God, myself, and others?
- Rebuking: What do I need to stop doingsins, habits, or selfish patterns?
- Correcting: What do I need to change in my thoughts, attitudes, or actions?
- Training: What do I need to do in obedience to Gods leading?
Summarize
Do one of the following:
- Discover what the passage reveals about God and His character, what it says or promises about you, and what it says or promises about others (such as your parents, friends, or teammates). Write your thoughts down in a personal journal.
- Rewrite one or two key verses in your own words.
- Outline what each verse is saying.
- Give each verse a one-word title that summarizes what it says.
Share
Talk with God about what youve learned. Also, take time each day to share with another person what you learned during that days study. Having a daily training time is the key to spiritual development. If you commit to working through these 365 devotionals over the next year, you will establish this as a habitone that will be vital to your growth in Christ.
If you are committed to establishing this daily training time with God, fill out the box below.