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Is Your Bracket Busted??? What to do when your agenda doesn’t go as planned

Has your bracket been busted yet?

Or are you still going strong?

If it has been busted, how have you responded?

Today, we will talk about:

What to do when your plans and agendas get busted in life.

We are already in the Elite Eight and a few teams have already punched their tickets to the Final Four.

By now, many people across the country have had their brackets busted in some way, shape, or form.

One thing that amazes me is how different people respond to their brackets being busted in different ways:

• Some will check out and stop watching the tournament
• Others will make excuses as to why their bracket didn’t work out
• But some will release the pressure from themselves of needing to have the perfect bracket and simply enjoy watching the tournament for the wonderful spectacle it is

For these people that surrender their control, the tournament often becomes more enjoyable to watch.

The same scenario often plays itself in life.

Many times, people try to force their own plans, their own agendas, and the way they think they want things to go.

Many times, GOD will come in and spoil these agendas to re-route them.

And when this happens, people respond in different ways:

• Some will give up
• Some will make excuses
• And some will surrender their agendas, release the pressure to force their own plans, and enjoy the route GOD is guiding them on

And when you do surrender your plans and let GOD guide you, things often seem to turn out in a way more glorious than you could have ever thought on your own.

My encouragement to you is …

Release your rigid control on how you think your plans should unfold and fall back in surrender, allowing GOD to guide the events of your life.

When you do:

• You release a lot of pressure from yourself
• You can more fully enjoy the events of life for the beautiful spectacle they are
• You find that your path in life unfolds far more gloriously than you could have thought of on your own

Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of surrendering your plans and agendas into GOD’s mighty hand, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!

May GOD inspire YOU every step of your way,

Kyle

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Bible Verses:

• Isaiah 55:8-9
• Proverbs 3:5-6

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Will You Make a Deep Run??? How to Make a Deep Run in Your Walk of Faith as a Christian Athlete and Coach

How do teams make deep runs in the NCAA tournament???

How can you make a deep run in your walk of faith???

Today, we will talk about:

How you can make a deep run in your life as an athlete and coach for Christ.

Today is the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, which is my favorite time of the sporting season.

Throughout my life, I have been a huge Michigan State basketball fan.

(During games, I’m probably down in my defensive stance and burning more calories than any of the players out there!!!)

One thing that has amazed me over the years of being a Michigan State basketball fan is …

They don’t always have the top prospects:

• The All-Americans
• The 5-star recruits
• Those that go pro instantly

Still, they are able to make the NCAA tournament year after year and often make deep runs in the tournament.

One reason I believe this is so is because they have a master hall of fame coach in Tom Izzo who is able to see through to the heart of his players:

• Their grit
• Their tenacity
• Their toughness

And he is able to get the best out of them.

GOD can work in the same way.

Over and over throughout the Bible, GOD did not always choose the highest prospects to do His work:

• He chose Gideon to defeat the Midianites
• He chose David to become one of Israel’s most powerful kings
• Jesus’ disciples were a bunch of Misfits and outcasts in their own way
• Even Jesus was not the ideal Savior and Messiah in the eyes of many as He was a carpenter

However, GOD was able to see through them to their heart and enabled them to do amazing works.

May this be an encouragement to you.

You may not appear to be the highest-caliber prospect on the outside. You may not be:

• The biggest
• The fastest
• The strongest

However, GOD can see through to your heart and can perform amazing works through you.

He has a purpose for you that transcends all understanding.

He will enable you, through His Power, to do things you never thought possible.

Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of making a deep run in your walk of faith, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!

May GOD inspire YOU every step of your way,

Kyle

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Bible Verses:

• Story of Gideon
• Story of David

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Are You In??? How you can punch your ticket to the Big Dance of Heaven

Are you in???

Or are you on the outside looking in???

Today, we will talk about:

How you can be confident in punching your ticket to the Biggest Dance there is.

Today is Selection Sunday.

A time marked by dozens of college basketball teams across the country watching and waiting to see whether they will make it into the NCAA basketball tournament.

For some teams, they can watch with confidence because they know they are in.

They’ve either racked up many wins throughout the year or have won their conference tournaments.

But for other teams, it’s a different story.

The are watching in fear and anxiety because they are on the bubble or on the outside looking in …

And the rest of their season’s fate lies in a selection committee who judges them based on various metrics:

• Wins
• Losses
• Strength of Schedule
• The “Eye Test”

Personally, I’d much rather be a team watching with confidence, knowing I’ve made it.

And what if I told you …

There is a way to know you’ve punched your ticket to the Biggest Dance there is:

• There’s a way to go from fear and anxiety to confidence and poise
• There’s a way to go from being on the bubble to a for sure lock
• There’s a way to go from watching your life’s fate go from being judged by a committee of humans to a Committee of One

And this Committee of One doesn’t looks at what humans look at.

Rather, it looks at the heart.

It looks at your desire to be part of an Eternal Team that will never perish, spoil, or fade.

It looks at your belief in a Savior that has already punched your ticket for you.

And when you trust your life in the hands of this Committee of One, playing for this Eternal Team, it will transform you …

By the renewing of your mind …

And shifting your spirit from one of fear to one of power, love, and self-control.

The choice is up to you!

Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of punching your ticket into Heaven and placing your faith in Jesus Christ, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!

May GOD inspire YOU every step of your way,

Kyle

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Bible Verses:

• 1 Samuel 16:7
• 1 Peter 1:3-5
• Romans 12:2
• 2 Timothy 1:7

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Why Fast During Lent? How releasing unnecessary things from your life impacts Christian Athletes and Coaches

Have you ever participated in a fast before?

What’s the point of fasting to begin with?

Today, we will talk about:

How Releasing Certain Things in Your Life Can Help You in Your Walk as a Christian Athlete or Coach.

We are now into the season of Lent and many people will participate in fasting of some kind:

• Refraining from red meat on Fridays
• Giving up social media
• Releasing something to focus more intently on the LORD

The Bible also talks a lot about fasting:

• Certain miracles could only be performed through prayer and fasting
• Many prominent figures went on fasts
• Jesus fasted before beginning his ministry

I remember a time when I decided to go on a 40-hour fast without eating any food.

(If Jesus did it 40 days and 40 nights, what’s the difference 😀*?!?)*

When I came out of the fast, the following day I did a workout …

And to my amazement …

I felt so free for the first part of it!

My body was so limber and efficient in its movements.

(Now, the second half of the workout was a different story as I was exhausted, but I felt amazing during the first half)

As I reflected on this, I realized …

Since I was so weak, I wasn’t putting in any unnecessary effort, allowing my body to function most efficiently.

Many times when I feel strong …

I force the movements …

Which causes unnecessary friction and tension because …

It’s like putting effort into pushing on the gas and brake pedals at the same time.

The same can be true in our walks of faith.

Many times we can force our own agendas which can cause unnecessary suffering, friction, and tension.

However, when we are at our weakest, GOD is our strength, and we often surrender our lives to Him when we feel the most helpless.

When we fully surrender our lives, we remove our foot from the brakes, and GOD’s foot is on the gas …

And GOD has a way of navigating our Path in a way that is far greater than we could have imagined on our own.

Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of releasing your agendas and surrendering to GOD, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!

May GOD inspire YOU every step of your way,

Kyle

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Bible Verses:

• Matthew 17:21
• Matthew 4:1-11
• 2 Corinthians 12:9

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Do You Train Your Faith for Four Quarters??? How FCA’s model “The Four” can help you as a Christian athlete or coach

You may play your game for four quarters …

But do you play out your faith for four quarters???

Today, we will talk about:

FCA’s Four-Stage Model and How it Can Help You in Your Walk as a Christian Athlete or Coach.

FCA has a model they call “The Four,” which states:

1. GOD loves you
2. Sin separates you
3. Jesus rescues you
4. Will you trust Jesus?

This verse is largely based on John 3:16:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

GOD Loves You

The first part of the verse and “The Four” is GOD loves you.

His love for you is infinite …

It stretches from the east to the west, which never intersect …

And He is offering you everlasting life.

Sin Divides You

Although GOD is offering us this everlasting life, we have cut ourselves from this gift through sin, which leads to death.

The Bible says the wages of sin is death.

Jesus Rescues You

But Jesus came into this world to save us and bring us back to GOD’s gift of everlasting life.

Although we were stumbling in our sinful ways, Jesus died for us. He gave His life as a ransom for many. He gave His life, so we may have life in abundance.

Will You Trust Jesus?

Which brings us to the question …

“Will you trust Jesus?”

Will you choose to put your trust in Him?

Will you choose to accept the gift of everlasting life?

This choice is one not accomplished through works, that no one may boast.

Rather, it is one done through faith.

This faith is not a superficial hope …

But a deep confidence in what is hoped for …

An assurance of what is not yet seen.

And this newfound faith within us will cause a transformation in our thoughts, words, and deeds:

• To our players
• To our coaches
• To our teammates
• TO ALL

Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of experiencing “The Four” in your life, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!

May GOD inspire YOU every step of your way,

Kyle

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Bible Verses:

• John 3:16
• Ephesians 3:19
• Romans 6:23
• Romans 5:8
• 1 Timothy 2:6
• John 10:10
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Hebrews 11:1

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Building Perseverance in Sports: How Christian Athletes and Coaches can Build Resilience and Overcome Obstacles

What do you do when trials come your way???

Do you succumb to them???

Or do you rise triumphant and persevere???

Today, we’ll talk about:

How you can use your trials to build perseverance as an athlete and a coach for Christ.

The verse James 1:2-4 says:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

I remember a time in my life when many trials were coming my way.

It felt like life was handing me blow after blow.

I felt beaten by all the challenges I was facing, and I went one night to pray.

During that moment, all the major trials I had endured flashed before me:

• My dreams of being an athlete shattered
• My health sucked away from me
• A business dissolving
• And on and on …

However, this verse popped into my mind as well, and I knew …

Every trial I had faced was testing my faith, building my perseverance, and helping me become more mature and complete.

And the same is true for you!

Athletes

You may go through trials:

• Feeling dead on the last few reps in the gym or wind sprints
• Slumps that sap your confidence
• Derailing injuries

Know these are testing your faith, building your perseverance, and making you more mature and complete.

Coaches

You may go through trials:

• Challenging seasons
• Off the court issues with players and/or parents
• A referee who may make a bad call every once in a while

Know these are testing your faith, building your perseverance, and making you more mature and complete.

Athletes and Coaches for Christ

In life, you may go through trials:

• Emotional heartbreaks
• Painful transitions in your development
• Struggles and confusions about discovering your purpose

Know these are testing your faith, building your perseverance, and making you more mature and complete.

And when you are able to consider these trials pure joy …

You see them from a higher perspective and know GOD is facilitating a refining process within you, to mold you into the person you were born to be.

Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of persevering through your trials and becoming more mature and complete, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!

May GOD inspire YOU every step of your way,

Kyle

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What is Real Love??? How Christian Athletes and Coaches can Experience Christ’s Love

Are athletes and coaches supposed to feel love???

We’ll talk about this and a lot more to see how:

You can experience real love as an athlete and a coach for Christ.

This past Friday was Valentine's Day.

During this time of the year, many people throw around the topic of LOVE.

The Bible also talks a lot about love.

We are told that GOD is love and we should love our neighbor as ourself.

However, the world of sports tells us something else.

In sports, we are told if we show love and affection, we can be viewed as weak or soft.

If our opponents sense signs of weakness or softness, they will be more likely to take advantage of us.

We are told we need to hide our emotions and put on a game face.

After going through this environment for some time, I decided I wanted to experience what love felt like to me.

Around this time, I also heard someone say if you wanted to understand what love feels like ...

Look yourself in the eyes in the mirror every morning and tell yourself you love yourself.

I made this part of my morning routine.

Every morning I'd wake up, go to the mirror, look myself in the eyes, and tell myself I loved myself.

Day 1, nothing happened ...

Day 2, nothing happened ...

I repeated the same process for over a year, but still nothing happened.

I grew discouraged:

• Maybe I wasn't meant to feel love in this phase of my life
• Maybe my heart had become hardened from a life of sports
• Maybe there was some subconscious blockage preventing me from experiencing love

And I gave up!

I stopped this part of my morning routine.

However, a few weeks later, I was going through a challenging and demanding part of my life where I was working on many long and difficult projects.

One night, after a long day, I went to brush my teeth before bed, and I was so exhausted that I just stood there, staring at myself in the mirror.

I seemed to stare through myself:

• I looked through my eyes
• I looked through my face
• I looked through my body

And connected with my core.

When that happened, I experienced an emotion I had never felt before, and realized what love felt like to me.

It was not a fluffy, romantic emotion.

Rather ...

It was a deep, intense, burning emotion:

• I could see a heart of perseverance
• I could see a heart of resilience
• I could see a heart of service

And I was willing to do anything to bring that heart out to share with others.

I also realized ...

If this was how uncontrollable and uncontainable this love felt in myself ...

How much more was Christ's infinite Love for everyone!!!

And there was no doubt in my mind ...

He would be willing to do anything for you and me:

• He would be willing to carry the weight of the world on His shoulders
• He would be willing to take the sins of the world on His back
• He would be willing to suffer on a cross to save all

Athletes and coaches for Christ, I wish you well on your journey of experiencing what love feels like for yourself, and I send love, gratitude, peace, and blessings to you!

May GOD inspire YOU every step of your way,

Kyle

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