Many times we think about the starting lineup for an athletic team and how we as athletes work to make the cut. What about God’s starting five—not five people, but five direct commands from His Word.

Have you ever heard the saying, “Whatever you’re looking for, you’re bound to find it”? It sure rings true today. The trouble is that many people are searching in all the wrong places.

What about us? What are we looking for? Are we looking for the good things in life? Proverbs 11 teaches that if we look for good, good things are bound to happen. But if we look for bad or evil things, watch out . . . We will probably find what we’re looking for. What about when dealing with friends and others? Do we look for the good in them or for something bad to use against them?

Hockey Chat:  A few years back, the Chicago Blackhawks started a post game tradition at home.  When they won they would gather at center ice, raise their sticks, and wave to the fans as a salute to those who supported them.  It was their way of giving acknowledgement and thanks back to the those who cheered them on throughout the game.

Hockey Chat:  In the 95-96 season of the Florida Panthers, there was one thing truly amazing about the team that out scored their opposition night after night.  Not one of their goal scores were in the top five in the league.  Actually not even the top ten.  You’d have to look deep into the 20’s to find the names of the Panther players.  The reason for this was clear.  It was the reason that one person had a personal record year.  Róbert Švehla had a career high of 53 point, which 49 of those were assists…. And he was a defenseman!  That team’s passing to each other helped them pass the opposition all the way to the finals.

Tom was not a good athlete, but loved sports. He could not dunk a basketball, but was a valuable member of the program. He could not spike a volleyball, but his impact on the team was greatly appreciated. Who was Big Tom? He was a servant and worked for buildings and grounds to prepare the gym before each contest.

In Romans 12, Paul lists spiritual gifts. One gift is out front where everyone can see and hear it. The other gift is behind the scenes and often goes unappreciated. Big Tom was a student worker who took his gift very seriously and made every effort to serve the Lord as he served our teams in Oklahoma. Each year teachers were awarded for their excellence in the classroom, but Big Tom went unnoticed.

Hockey Chat:  Martin Brodeur used it as a popcorn bowl when he took his wife and children to see the movie ''The Kid'' in Montreal.  Scott Gomez brought it into an Anchorage park on a dog sled.  Petr Sykora took it to an orphanage in Prague.  Scott Niedermayer flew it by helicopter to the top of the Rocky Mountains in Cranbrook, British Columbia.  It’s been used as a flowerpot, baptismal, and champagne glass.  Yet regardless of all the uses it has seen, the Stanley Cup is still a symbol of hockey greatness and the most prestigious trophy in all of sports.

Years ago Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed that his underdog New York Jets were going to beat the powerful Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl … and wouldn’t you know … they did it! But since that time there have been many athletes and coaches who have guaranteed a win and it didn’t turn out that way. Why? Nothing on this planet is truly guaranteed. As a matter of fact, there are very few real guarantees in life. Even when you purchase something that is guaranteed, that doesn’t mean it’s going to work forever. It just means that when it breaks, the guarantor will fix or replace it.

In church recently my pastor spoke about Acts 17:26 and how each of us was made by God for a reason. It wasn’t a just coincidence that I was born 22 years ago or that I was put in Austin, Texas three months ago because my job relocated me.

Oftentimes it’s easy for us to forget the simple fact that with God everything happens for a reason.

Sometimes working so hard in my job distracts me from what God has set me on earth to do—serve others. But, the neat thing is our ministry doesn’t have to begin after our normal work hours, when school is let out or at the once a year mission trip. It’s something we should be doing constantly and enjoy doing it too!

As coaches we want to mold our players to produce a championship team. We know that if each player accepts his role, believes in our plan, and executes it, then we will be positioned to win. But if the reliever wants to start and the lead-off hitter swings for the fences with two strikes, your chances for having a great season are slim. The greatest challenges a coach faces are to properly identify roles and to consistently encourage players to believe in the coaching staff, their teammates, themselves, and their assigned roles.

In high school, a few of my football teammates shared a pre-game ritual. Before each game they would sit down in the locker room. The first guy would wrap his left wrist with a roll of tape and hand it to the second guy. The second guy would wrap both of his wrists (left first) then hand back the roll. The first guy would then finish his wrap on his right wrist, and hand back the roll again. He would then get up, move to the other side of his taping partner and toss the roll to a third guy. This guy would then put the roll in his locker until the following week . . .to do it all again. These guys swore by this ritual. Did it work? We went undefeated in the regular season, so the ritual must have worked, right? But in the playoffs, we went down in flames. What good  was it then?

Hockey Chat:  There are some guys that have used the same gear for years.  They suit up in the same old outdated stuff, work hard, practice, and skate great.  Then there are others who buy the newest and the best only to struggle when they hit the ice. Even though they have the best gear, they lack the skills and knowledge to be a great hockey player.