No Matter What Podcast w/ Kevin Knox: Recent Episodes
Kevin Knox
This podcast is a reading of No Matter What as read by the author. Each episode is essentially a chapter of the book, with author commentary sprinkled throughout.
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1
“No matter what: we’ll love you.” - Hoke Knox
“A cheerful heart fills the day with song.” Proverbs 15:15
“To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything.” - Thomas Merton
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” Proverbs 1:5
“Change awaits us. What is decisive is our deciding.” - Gregory Boyle
“For in God, we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28
“How many things have to happen to you before something occurs to you?” - Robert Frost
“I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19
“God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.” - Max Lucado
“Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.” Isaiah 41:10
“We are unfinished creatures - longing, reaching, stretching towards fulfillment.” - Eugene Peterson
“It’s not too late to come back to God…Here’s why: God is kind and merciful.” Joel 2:14-15
“Being realistic is the most commonly traveled path to mediocrity.” - Will Smith
“Be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7
“There’s two kinds of pain in sports; the pain of discipline and the pain of regret.” - Jeff Blatnick
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 1 Timothy 1:7
“Do the thing you fear most, and the death of fear is certain.” - Mark Twain
“The hope of good people ends in celebration.” Proverbs 10:28
“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.” - Adolphe Adams
“There is no fear in love. Perfect love drives out fear.” 1 John 4:8
“I’ve experienced many terrible things in my life, a few of which actually happened.” - Mark Twain
“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.” Proverbs 14:8
“Everything can be taken from us but one thing, to choose one’s attitude in any circumstance.” - Viktor Frankl
“In everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to the Lord.” Philippians 4:6-7
“We pause to listen to the beat of your Presence in all things.” - John Philip Newell
“Do not fret.” Psalm 37:8
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” - St. Augustine
“We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
“Success in the sport is, above all else, about enduring suffering.” - Chris McCormack
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.” Psalm 1:1
“The enemy is fear. We think it is hate, but it is fear.” - Gandhi
“The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions.” Proverbs 28:1
“Courage isn’t the absence of fear. Courage is the absence of self.” - Erwin McManus
“Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Mark 5:36
“It’s lack of faith that leads people to be afraid of meeting challenges, and I believed in myself.” - Mohammad Ali
“Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.” Mark 5:36
“What if instead of fears, we called them stories That’s what fear really is, a story that we tell ourselves. It’s a kind of unintentional storytelling that we all are born knowing how to do.” - Karen Thompson Walker
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7
“Fear only has the power we give it. Hope works the same way.” - Bob Goff
“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Saying yes to one thing is saying no to something else.” - Andy Stanley
“Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.” Matthew 6:33
“Culture beats scheme every time.” - Chip Kelly
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9
“Everything is practice.” - Pele
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
“Understanding what not to do is sometimes just as important as what you can do.” - Bill Belichick
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
“Hurry is a form of violence practiced on time. Time is sacred.” - Eugene Peterson
“Whatever you do, do well.” Ecclesiastes 9:10
“Anyone can see the adversity in a difficult situation, but it takes a stronger person to see the opportunity.” - Drew Brees
“Without fuel, the fire goes out.” Proverbs 26:20
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.” - Abraham Lincoln
If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!” Proverbs 20:13
“Days are a finite resource. It’s best to protect the ones you have.” - Catherine Lacey
“If you care for your orchard, you’ll enjoy its fruit.” Proverbs 27:18
“Half an hours meditation is essential each day, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.” - Francis De Sales
“I run in the path of your commands, for you have broadened my understanding.” Psalm 119:32
“Boundaries define us. They define what is me and what is not me. A boundary shows me where I end and someone else begins, leading me to a sense of ownership.” - Henry Cloud
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
“You can’t have a better tomorrow if you’re always thinking about yesterday.” - Mike Krzyzewski
“Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” Proverbs 10:17
“The only character flaws that can really destroy us are the ones we don’t admit.” Tim Keller
“Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.” Proverbs 4:26
“Sometimes you have to forget what’s gone, appreciate what remains, and look forward to what’s coming next.” - Unknown
“A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool.” Proverbs 17:10
“To say that God turns away from the sinful is like saying the sun hides from the blind.” - St Anthony the Great
“Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” Proverbs 13:24
“Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain.” - Bob Dylan
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” Proverbs 12:1
“When written in Chinese, the word crisis is composed of two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” - John F. Kennedy
“When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.” Proverbs 10:25
“If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” - Fred Devito
“Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32
“Failure is success in progress.” - Alfred North Whitehead
“In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6
“Hope is the power of being cheerful in circumstances that we know to be desperate.” - GK Chesterton
“Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” Proverbs 12:16
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is lethal.” - Paulo Coelho
“Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:11
“You will find that it is necessary to let things go, simply for the reason that they are heavy.” - C. Joybell
Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense. Proverbs 12:11
Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” - Jerry Rice
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. Lamentations 3:25
“You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” - Michael Jordan
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared. Proverbs 3:25-26
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” Teddy Roosevelt
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23
”The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses–behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” - Muhammad Ali
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. James 1:4
“You can be comfortable or courageous, but you cannot be both.” - Brene Brown
Trust in the Lord with all... Proverbs 3:5
“If you aren’t going all in, why go at all?” - Joe Namath
Slack habits and sloppy work are as bad as vandalism. Proverbs 18:9
“I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.” - Frederick Douglass
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3
“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.” - Bruce Lee
A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring has nothing to harvest in the fall. Proverbs 20:4
“People almost never do what they think that they should do. But they always do what they feel they must do.” - Dusan Djukich
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12
“I have written so many books on God, but after all that, what do I really know? I think, in the end, God is the person you’re talking to, the one right in front of you.” - Leon Dufour
They have eyes but do not see... Jeremiah 5:21
“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.” - Henry David Thoreau
Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22
“Well done is better than well said.” - Benjamin Franklin
“Wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy.” Proverbs 27:6
“I desperately want to be coached.” - Aaron Rodgers
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
“It’s not about you, once you get to this level. It’s not about how many millions you make or how big your house is or the cars you got. It’s about at the end of the day, what are you going to do to help your fellow man? Period. What are you going to do to give back and make a difference in somebody else’s life?” - Bo Jackson
“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” Proverbs 10:12
“The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better I’d made my teammates play.” - Bill Russell
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“Hard work and togetherness. They go hand in hand. You need the hard work because it’s such a tough atmosphere…to win week in and week out. You need togetherness because you don’t always win, and you gotta hang tough together.” - Tony Dungy
“A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30
“It’s not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” - Arthur Ashe
“Love others as you love yourself.” Mark 12:31
“One player’s selfish attitude can poison a locker room and make it hard, if not impossible, to establish teamwork.” - Dean Smith
“Many who are first will be last.” Mark 10:31
“We know that every moment is a moment of grace, every hour an offering; not to share them would mean to betray them. Our lives no longer belong to us alone; they belong to all those who need us desperately.” - Elie Wiesel
“The Lord will fight for you while you keep still.” Exodus 14:14
“The busy person is a lazy person.” - Eugene Peterson
“Appetite is an incentive to work; hunger makes you work all the harder.” Proverbs 16:26
“It is the set of the sails, not the direction of the wind, that determines which way we will go.” - Jim Rohn
“Nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” - Mark Twain
“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:14
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” - Robert Anthony
“And lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” - Derek Jeter
“Watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get.” Ephesians 5:16
“If tomorrow wasn’t promised, what would you give for today?” - Ray Lewis
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Proverbs 13:4
“Action expresses priorities.” - Mahatma Gandhi
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches; but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know God.” Jeremiah 9:23-24
“It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters.” - Evander Holyfield
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
“Safe is good for sidewalks and swimming pools, but life requires risk to get anywhere meaningful.” Simon Sinek
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23
“The privilege to work is a gift. The power to work is a blessing. The love of work is success.” - David McKay
“Whoever heeds life-giving correction will be at home among the wise.” Proverbs 15:31
“Asking someone to hold you accountable is a sneaky way of not taking responsibility for your life. Instead, be responsible, and recruit honest friends.” Adrian Koehler
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
“I was not the fastest player but I was determined to be the best player I could be on the field.” - Jerry Rice
“Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.” Proverbs 14:26
“Pain is the rent we pay for being human, it seems; but suffering is usually optional.” - Richard Rohr
“An anxious heart weighs a man down.” Proverbs 12:25
“Sport, like life, is about continuous improvement. Trust the process.” - David Allway
“For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them.” Proverbs 1:32
“You can be whoever you want to be, you just have to want it bad enough.” - Sparky Anderson
“When pride come, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2
“The default mode of the sinful human race is entitlement, the belief that this gift or experience that God places in my path is rightfully mine. I am owed.” - John Ortberg
“Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.” Proverbs 3:9
“The mistake we so often make is thinking that God’s interest and care for us waxes and wanes according to our spiritual temperature.” - Eugene Peterson
“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22
“If you raise the level of positivity, then your brain performs significantly better.” - Shawn Acher
“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.” Proverbs 14:8
“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” - George Patton
“The simple believe in anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.” Proverbs 14:15
“Doctors and scientists said breaking the four-minute mile was impossible, that one would die in the attempt. Thus, when I got back up from the track after collapsing at the finish line, I figured I was dead.” - Roger Bannister
“The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” Proverbs 12:24
“Most talented players don’t always succeed. Some don’t even make the team. It’s more what’s inside.” - Brett Favre
“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Proverbs 13:4
“Success isn’t owned. It’s leased, and rent is due every day.” - JJ Watt
“Give careful thought to the paths for your feet, and be steadfast in all your ways.” Proverbs 4:26
“Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential.” - Liane Cardes
“A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.” Proverbs 28:19
“Don’t try to be better than the other guy. Just try to be better than you were the day before. That’s all you have to do.” - Sam Wyche
“Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” Proverbs 4:25
“Self-discipline is the ability to do the important thing rather than the urgent thing.” - Unknown
“Do not despise the day of small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10
“It’s the job that’s never started that takes the longest to finish.” - JRR Tolkien
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
“You find that you have peace of mind when you know that it was a 100% effort that you gave, win or lose.” - Gordie Howe
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
“Wise people think before they act; fools don’t–and even brag about their foolishness.” Proverbs 13:16
“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” - Yogi Berra
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18
“Burnout is more often caused by a purpose deficiency than a vitamin deficiency. Remember your why.” - Jon Gordon
“Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.” Proverbs 11:28
“Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” - Dan Gable
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Proverbs 16:3
“Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat him as he could be, and he will become what he should be.” - Jimmy Johnson
“Start with God–the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.” Proverbs 1:7 (MSG)
“I’m a part of a team, and I’m no better or any worse than any single player on this team. That’s the approach I’ve always had and will continue to have. It’s not about me. It’s never been all about me. If it had, this would have been a really lonely journey.” - Mia Hamm
“Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.” Proverbs 16:32
“Sports creates a bond between contemporaries that lasts a lifetime. It also give your life structure, discipline, and a genuine, sincere, pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide.” - Bob Cousy
"Those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord." Proverbs 8:35
“Number one is just to gain a passion for running. To love the morning, to love the trail, to love the pace on the track. And if some kid gets really good at it, that’s cool, too.” - Pat Tyson
“Abide in me, as I also abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember, all things are possible for those who believe.” - Gail Devers
“Though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them.” Psalm 62:10
“The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.” - Mohammad Ali
“When God approves of your life, even your enemies will end up shaking your hand.” Proverbs 16:7 (MSG)
“I don’t have to show anything to anyone. There is nothing to prove.” - Cristiano Ronaldo
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” 1 John 4:16
“Behold the one beholding you and smiling.” - Anthony De Mello
“I have loved you with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3
“Life is not a matter of creating a special name for ourselves, but of uncovering the name we have always had.” - Richard Rohr