Leadership

I've just returned from the National Athletic Directors Conference in Orlando, FL with stacks of materials, pages of notes from inspirational speakers, and a renewed spirit about the impact athletics has on today's students and ultimately our future leaders.  In the opening session, Pat Williams laid out the 7 qualities of a leader - Someone who has a clear vision, can communicate well (and listen well), someone who genuinely loves peoples, has strong character, is competent, gets results, is bold and can make decisions, all with a serving heart.  He says children get their first exposure to the art of leadership when they participate in athletics and it's our job as coaches/directors to make sure it's a positive experience.

It was such a privilege to be a part of this very informative weekend.  I took two courses for educational development.  One was called, "Athletic Administration: Principles, Strategies, and Methods" and the other was "Legal Issues I: Risk Management".  Other workshops included "Developing the Credible Coach", "Conducting Successful and Informative Parent Meetings", and "Specialization vs. Multi-Sport Participation".

Why am I so amped up about the conference?  Well, God tells us in 2 Peter 1:5 to add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge.  So, when I can find better ways to teach our athletes, coaches, and parents through better communication and relationships, I can't wait to share my excitement.  Stop by the athletic office to hear more as we co-labor to build the next generation of leaders together.

 

Peace

John MacArthur writes in The Quest for Character,

"...peace is the tranquility of a soul who finds rest in Him." 

Many of us, especially during the holidays, try to find peace by getting the perfect gift, decorating the house just so, staying caught up at work, remaining ultra organized, staying in shape, eating the right foods, or dozens of other external do's and dont's.  But, true peace, like salvation, comes from faith, not by our own efforts.

How does this relate to athletics?  Knowing peace is a gift from God (John 14:27) and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7), an athlete can be freed up to perform without fear.  Winning games or practicing until perfect will not bring you peace.  As a matter of fact, high levels of success often lead to an empty feeling and just adds to pressure to repeat the performance.
This Christmas, this season, find rest in Him.  Your soul longs for a relationship with the Prince of Peace, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!

God keeps His promises

The rainbow reminds us of God's promise to never flood the earth again.  What miracles in your life remind you of God's faithfulness?  The email below encouraged me that being obedient to Christ's call is as exciting as a double over-time victory. 

What a game Thursday afternoon between the Calvary Christian Academy Eagles and American Heritage Delray! Both teams gave their all, leading to a double overtime playoff. The Eagles blocked their extra point and then scored a touchdown and the extra point for the win. The best part of the game, though, was watching our boys pray with The Delray team after the game. Looking on, you are amazed to see these boys sharing Christ and praying with their opponents. When my son got in the car he said that four kids prayed to receive Christ! That is what I call an incredible victory! Looking over at the field we noticed a rainbow, and I thought what a blessing. Our school, our football team is part of God’s plan to share Christ and win the lost. And this happened after an intense, exciting, competitive football game.  Awesome! I also wanted to say how really blessed our school is to have such an incredible and dedicated football coaching staff! God has put together an amazing team of men to coach our boys! Way to go CCA! CCA Parent

And, had the CCA Eagels lost, the joy and fulfillment would have been the same because no one remembers a football score a year from now.  But, the boys that asked Jesus into their heart, their lives will be changed for all eternity.

Who wants to share the team creed after the game?

On Saturday, the CCA Eagles middle school football team finally got to play their first football game.  They traveled out west to face the Patriots of American Heritage Plantation.  It was an epic battle between two big (AHP was very big), hard hitting teams.  While both teams made their advances near the end zone, the Patriots were the only team who managed to cross the goal line.  The game ended 6 - 0.

But, as hard fought and physical as this game was, it was the spiritual battle that brought both teams to their knees in the middle of the field after the game.  Jameson Offerdahl, CCA's middle linebacker, stood in front of both teams and shared the CCA football team creed.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross I have a relationship with God. As a man I have put away childish things and I choose to represent that relationship at all times.

I am confident the Patriot players, coaches, and parents were elated by the win and may have expected from CCA a short post game prayer before running off to celebrate.  But, for an 8th grader to step up and share his teams' creed with the opposing team right after the game and ask them to let him know if they had any questions about their own relationship with Jesus, it makes you (it made me) stop and ponder.

To all of the parents in the stands, it displays love and a commitment that regardless of the outcome, we will honor God.  It shows that Jameson and his teammates have truly chosen to represent Jesus Christ "at all times".  It shows that discipleship in athletics IS the focus and it's having an impact on our community.

And it begs the question, who do we need to tell?

Missionary with a Major League Arm

What do Baseball Hall-of-Fame inductee Nolan Ryan, the 43rd President of the United States George W. Bush, and Grammy Award Winner Taylor Swift, and all have in common? All of these famous celebrities have had their picture taken with Calvary Christian Academy alumnus Luke Jackson.

Luke, who last year led the CCA Eagles to the 2A Regional Quarterfinals by going 8-1 with 96 strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.90, signed a contract with the Texas Rangers that included a $1,545,000 bonus. So, meeting Mr. Ryan, the current owner of the Texas Rangers and President Bush, the past owner of the Texas Rangers, was a special privilege for their first-round pick. But, the picture capturing him getting a peck on the cheek from Taylor Swift, well, let’s just say that’s “par for the course” in the life of Luke Jackson.

Luke is a unique individual that excels in just about any sport. He’s won a two-man beach volleyball tournament, he was First Team All-County in soccer, and he hits the golf ball as far as anyone on the professional golfer’s tour (just ask him).
But, what really sets Luke Jackson apart is his relationship with the Lord Jesus, his love for his family, and his heart for others. Behind the long hair, laid back approach, and the black-and-white checkered shoes and matching backpack, is a genuine “class act”. Luke is friendly, fun-loving, and compassionate.

Benefiting from spending time on the mission field and being led by parents who diligently taught him the Bible, Luke learned at a young age what it meant to live, to give, and to serve in obedience to Christ’s command. When asked about what he would do with his signing bonus, he responded that he would like to build schools in remote areas of the world and continue the mission work that inspired him as a child.

Who knew Luke Jackson, caught on television at a Florida Marlin’s game dressed in a bright orange Spandex body suit dancing on the seats, was a tender hearted, Spirit-filled missionary, who, o yeah, throws a baseball 96MPH.

Is today the Day?

In sports, there's a saying that on "any given day" a team or an individual has the opportunity for victory.  Let's look at a few sayings that accentuate just how much power and promise a day can hold.

1. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).  Be very thankful for the gift of another day.
2. Our day will come.  We may have lost to Pine Crest this year, but the Facebook post from Shawn Lashbrook and the response from Rod Pearcy show that character is shaped by adversity. 
   

   "Ya live and ya learn. Tough loss, but we will go at this week in practice and get better. Learn our lessons and improve." 

   "When faced with adversity, great players redeem themselves by being great leaders. The only real score that will be remembered is that 3 were added to the kingdom...great job Shawn."

   And, for those three Pine Crest players and coaches, they're day of salvation did come when they accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior through prayer after the game.
3. Exhort one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approching (Hebrews 10:25).  The Day is coming.  King Jesus' return is fast approaching.  Our life may end before His return, but either way, soon and very soon, we will be in His presence.  May I join with the author of Hebrews and implore you, Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts.

The day has a lot to offer.  It may be a chance to play better, run faster, jump higher than you ever have before.  But today may also be the first time you heard a call from the Lord to join into a personal relationship with Him.  Or, it may be today you are being challenged by the Lord to be obedient with the day He has provided.  Whatever today is for you, embrace it with all your heart.  Accept the challenge of competition, accept the free gift of eternal life, accept the call to obedience and experience the power and promise a day can bring.

Great is Thy faithfulness!

1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification..."  Sanctification is the purifying work of the Holy Spirit that makes us more like Jesus.  It happens through the reading of the Word, through worship, through teaching, and through fellowship.  But, sanctification also takes place during tests, trials, and tribulations.  Remember, it's how we react to an opportunity or challenge that determines how much or how little our actions and attitude are like Christ.

This week at CCA we had many opportunities to see God work in us and through us.  But Friday, was one busy day.

At 7:30 AM... I had to inform a dad that his two sons were ineligible for the entire football season.  Due to an FSHAA rule on when forms needed to be turned in, the boys could not play.  I told him we would see what we could do, and he and the family should pray to see what God would do.

10:30 AM... Chapel time on Friday's at CCA.  Pastor Bob declared God has a place, pace, and purpose for every student.  Some are called to academics, some to music or drama, some to athletics, the point is God's place, pace, and purpose should be respected and encouraged by all.  He concluded by saying pastors, teachers, and coaches are there to come along side and help students reach their goal, not the goal others may have had in mind for them, but the life God has prepared.

11:00 AM... A coach hustling to get the field ready for the afternoon football game flips his golf cart and is thrown from the seat and lands on the pavement.  He's pretty banged up, but he manages to complete his work.  Thank God he wasn't more seriously hurt and kudos to this individual who's heart and determination give us a glimpse at what it means to be "set-apart", serving no one else but the Lord.

After lunch it got even busier.  But, let me tell you... God is FAITHFUL.  Our prayers and dependence on Him brought us closer to the Lord.  Friday's football game was excellent.  Great play and after the game great conversations about what God is doing in athletics and who Jesus is, to which two players from the other team asked about starting their own relationship with Christ.

Then, on Sunday, the FHSAA said they would give us some latitude and granted the two boys their eligibility.  Great is Thy faithfulness, morning by morning new mercies I see!