Kingdom Culture Athletic Devotions: Recent Episodes
Jeremy Wentrcek
A devotional series by Coach Jeremy Wentrcek designed to help athletes and coaches build a KINGDOM ATHLETIC CULTURE.
COMMITMENT OVER CONVENIENCE
SCRIPTURE - James 5:12
But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.
DEVOTION:
Many people think that loving something means that I am committed to it. But that’s really not the case. There are alot of things that I love that I am not committed to. For example. I once worked in a small town that had a nice little convenience store called Flo’s place. It was owned by Mrs. Flo who was a sweet older lady in her 70’s. I would stop by that convenience store every morning on the way to work and get some Texas Pecan coffee. After a while Mrs. Flo figured out that I liked Texas Pecan with one cream and 2 sugars. She began to have it ready for me every morning when I drove by. I would tell you that I love Texas Pecan coffee with one cream and 2 sugars. And I loved stopping by Mrs. Flo’s convenience store in the mornings. However, after a while the Lord moved my family and I to a different job in a different town. I no longer stop by Mrs. Flo’s store in the mornings...and here’s the reason why. It’s not convenient. Though I loved the coffee and the atmosphere, it is no longer on my way to work and I am committed to my job. You see...that’s the difference between commitment and convenience. If I am committed that means whether or not I love it….or whether or not it’s convenient….I prioritize it. This is the kind of commitment that we want to develop in our lives. The kind that sticks with it in the good and the bad. That’s why we always prioritize commitment over convenience.
QUESTIONS:
- Once we commit to something, what does God want us to do?
- What things should we consider before we commit to something?
- How does a lack of commitment impact those around us?
HAVE WINNING CHARACTER
SCRIPTURE - 1 Corinthians 15:13
Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character."
DEVOTION
There once was a farmer who found an orphaned eagle chick and took it home to raise with his chickens. As the eagle grew, he took on the habits and personalities of the chickens who raised him. He would peck at the ground to eat seeds that the farmer fed the chickens, but the eagle would never fly. The eagle eventually grew into a majestic bird, but still never flew. The farmer thought it was odd that such a beautiful winged creature didn’t fly, so he called an eagle expert. The expert came and put the eagle on a fence post and said… “YOU ARE AN EAGLE! YOU ARE MAJESTIC! SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND FLY!”. The eagle hopped off the fence post and went down to peck on the ground. The next day the expert took the eagle up on the roof and said, “YOU ARE AN EAGLE! YOU ARE MAJESTIC! SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND FLY!”. The eagle once again hopped off the roof and went down to peck at the ground with the chickens. Becoming frustrated, the expert decided to get the eagle into his natural surroundings. He took the bird to a mountain top where other eagles would regularly fly. The expert placed him out on the edge of a cliff and said, “YOU ARE AN EAGLE! YOU ARE MAJESTIC! SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND FLY!”. About that time, two other eagles flew by and began to chirp at the first eagle. The eagle then looked at his own wings, spread them, jumped off the cliff, and flew with the other eagles. The moral of the story is, you become like those you surround yourself with. If you want to fly like an Eagle, don’t surround yourself with chickens. Bad company corrupts good character.
QUESTIONS:
- Do the people I surround myself with encourage me in faith and life?
- Am I the kind of person that helps others become all God created them to be?
- What action steps can I take to surround myself with Godly and positive people?
HUSTLE AND HEART SET US APART
SCRIPTURE:
Col. 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as to the Lord and not to men
DEVOTION:
Anybody can come to practice! Anyone can wear the jersey! But only a select few will hustle at all cost. Hustle and heart are very much connected! It’s the heart that drives us to hustle even when we don’t feel like it. In the movie RUDY, a young football player kept hustling even though he would likely never play a down in his college career. However, he became a legend due to the heart he demonstrated on a daily basis even though he faced athletes that were bigger, faster, and stronger. Going half speed, selling drills short, and giving up when times get hard are habits of “ordinary” people. We don’t want to be ordinary. Uncommon people are who they are because of the uncommon habits they have. They do things that no one else does. Col. 3:23 is speaking about this kind of “uncommon” individual. Today….let’s be “uncommon” people who allow our hustle and heart to set us apart.
QUESTIONS:
- Do our practices demonstrate an uncommon level of hustle and heart?
- Do our words demonstrate an uncommon level of hustle and heart?
- Do our actions toward each other demonstrate an uncommon level of hustle and heart?
WHEN WE WEAR THE WINGS WE DO GREATER THINGS
SCRIPTURE
John 14:12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
DEVOTION
In this scripture Jesus is telling his people that those who believe in him will not only do what He has done….but He will do even greater things through them. That’s a pretty staggering comment when you think about all the things Jesus did while on earth. It’s also pretty daunting if we take that all on ourselves. However, the great thing about doing greater things is…..we just have to submit, obey, and give God our best. He is perfectly capable of doing “greater things” without our involvement. It is His relational nature that makes Him want to involve us in those things.
In the world of athletics “greater things” can take many different forms. It may involve winning. At times it might involve simply competing at a level higher than a team is capable of. It may also include a team never quitting in the face of adversity. But the coolest thing about this idea is that God empowers those who believe in Him to do things they are not capable of on their own.
That’s what wearing the wings stands for. When we put on these uniforms that display Eagle wings it is symbolic of our submission to God. Wearing the wings can be such a freeing experience because it takes all the pressure off us and places it on God. We must simply give Him our best efforts and allow Him to do the greater things through us.
QUESTIONS
- What can we learn from this scripture and devotion about God?
- What can we learn from this scripture and devotion about people?
- What steps can we take to apply this devotion and scripture as a team?
PRIORITIZE EXCELLENCE
SCRIPTURE: Col. 3:23
Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men.
DEVOTION:
We have all played a game which we won….but felt unsatisfied by our efforts. Most of us have also played a game that we lost….but felt there was nothing else we could have done. For that reason, winning in and of itself is not a big enough goal! That’s why we make excellence one of our top priorities. The word of God teaches us to maximize the gifts He has given in such a way that we utilize them to full capacity. That is called COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE. We can achieve this by focusing on effort, attitude, and execution. Teams who strive for excellence will always achieve more than is expected of them.
QUESTIONS:
- Am I maximizing my potential by focusing on effort, attitude and execution every day?
- What elements of my game and life can I still improve?
- What steps can I take to improve in those areas?
DISCIPLINE BEATS TALENT
SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 1:7
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and discipline.
DEVOTION
Discipline requires training. It requires self-control. It requires placing yourself in the situation before it happens. It is not hap-hazzard. It is repetitive. It is not easy. Discipline happens when we habitually choose to do things right at the right times. Many coaches would say that if they had to choose between coaching an extremely talented team, or a team that is highly disciplined….they would choose discipline every time. Discipline is the great equalizer. Many people can remember a time in which they watched a team of lesser athletes beat a team of stronger athletes. That’s usually because the team with lesser athletes is more disciplined. Talent is great, but discipline beats talent when talent is not disciplined. You see, executing the disciplines of sport equips an athlete to rise to new levels of play. Executing spiritual disciplines empowers us to walk closer with the Lord.
QUESTIONS
- What steps can we as a team make to raise our level of discipline?
- What spiritual disciplines can I engage in to enhance my walk with the Lord?
- What people can I turn to that would help me become more disciplined in sports and in my walk with the Lord?
WIN THE REP!!!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 16:10
"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much”
DEVOTION:
In this scripture Jesus is speaking about being trusted with the little things. He is communicating the thought that He blesses us with more when we are faithful with the smaller components of faith and life. In terms of athletics…..some coaches talk about winning games. Others discuss winning the day, and that’s good! But the great ones discuss WINNING THE REP! Instead of thinking about what it takes to score more points than the other team….think about what it takes to be excellent and win the rep right in front of us. We can’t change the past, we don’t yet know the future…..but we can control what we do the next rep! It’s the smaller components of sports and life that help us build successful habits.
QUESTIONS:
- What are some of the smaller components of our faith that we can pay attention to that may help us advance in our walk with the Lord?
- What are some smaller components of our sport that we can focus on to help us advance?
PRACTICE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE GAME
SCRIPTURE – Philippians 4:9
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
DEVOTION
In this scripture Paul is talking to the Philippian Christians about practicing what they have been taught. He tells them that if they do this the God of peace will be with them. Paul is explaining the importance of practice. He knew that sometimes you stare a giant in the face and ask yourself…. “what do I do with this?”. The answer is….you will do what you have practiced. In the Bible we saw this take place when David stared a giant in the face. The entire army of Israel was terrified of Goliath. However, David remembered what he had practiced. He recalled how he had prepared to kill wild animals to protect his sheep. Consequently, when the heat rose, David beat the giant. Just like Daivd, we must prepare ourselves for challenging times because anyone can compete when things are easy. The key is this…..(TARGET STATEMENT) we have to practice doing hard things in hard times. If we do we will have peace and know what to do when things get tough. That’s why we always say that “PRACTICE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE GAME”!
QUESTIONS
- What hard things do we as a team need to practice in order to be successful?
- Where can I turn to find wisdom in regard to facing giants?
- As an athlete, what things can I practice in order to be successful against an athlete who is stronger than me?
BETTER TODAY THAN YESTERDAY
SCRIPTURE
Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
DEVOTION
We can see in scripture that God desires consistent growth in His people. Growth in our relationship with Him. Growth in the activities we engage in. Growth in our ability to lead others to Him. Growth in the things He calls us to. This scripture in Philippians is a great example of the growth mindset of the Lord and His disciples. Paul says that he didn’t consider himself to have “taken hold” of it. And because of this mindset, he was pressing forward to become all that God had called him to be. The amazing thing about our walk with God is, we can still come to new places in it until the day we die. Growth never has to stop. (TARGET STATEMENT) It is up to us to position ourselves (body, mind, and spirit) to continually learn from God and those He places in our lives to achieve that growth. In Kingdom Athletics we believe this to be one of our foundational principles. Much of what we do is based on this scripture and concept. We are habitually doing devotionals to grow in our walk with the Lord. We are also bent on training in season and out because of this ideal. That’s why we see signs hanging everywhere that say….BETTER TODAY THAN YESTERDAY!!!
QUESTIONS
- If one team or athlete is slightly stronger than another, but the weaker team/athlete continues to improve while the stronger team/athlete stays at the same level...what will eventually happen?
- What opportunities can I embrace within Kingdom Athletics that would help me to continue improving?
- What people has God placed in my life to help me improve and how can I learn from them?
HE + WE > me
SCRIPTURE: Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.
DEVOTION:
When you look at the area on the scoreboard right above the score, you never see the last name of a player or coach. However, you do see a reference to the team. HOME, VISITOR, EAGLES, LIONS, etc. The score has nothing to do with the accomplishments of an individual. Everyone on the team receives the points no matter who scored them or how many times any individual athlete touches the ball. Great teams do not care who scores the points! They also don’t care what role they play. They do care about making their team-mates successful. This is a Kingdom principle called servant leadership and it’s opposite from the world’s way of thinking. (TARGET STATEMENT) Popular culture tells us to promote ourselves, but Kingdom culture tells us to elevate the Lord and those around us. According to God’s way of thinking….we win when we serve! That’s why we always say “HE + WE > me”
QUESTIONS:
1.What does this scripture and devotion tell us about God?
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What does this scripture and devotion tell us about people?
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How can we actively respond to this scripture and devotion as a team?