Posted on April 17, 2006 by Jere Johnson
READY:
“I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, ‘Each of you is charging his countrymen interest.’ So I called a large assembly against them.”
-Nehemiah 5:6-7
SET:
What’s worse. . . getting beat by your opponent because they’re better than you are or getting beat by your opponent because of internal strife within your own team? In my experience, the worst teams I’ve been a part of either as an athlete or a coach were the ones with the most internal problems. Preparing for your opponents is tough enough, but trying to “right the ship” from within is a totally different animal.
Filed under: Coaches, General, Nehemiah Study | 1 Comment »
Posted on March 29, 2006 by Jere Johnson
READY:
“After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.’”
-Nehemiah 4:14
SET:
A recent article in “Sharing the Victory” magazine article featured [...]
Filed under: General, Nehemiah Study | Tagged: Russ Ortiz, Sharing The Victory | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 29, 2006 by Jere Johnson
READY:
“Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked the builders.”
-Nehemiah 4:4-5
SET:
In 1966, Coach Don Haskins and his Texas Western basketball team had a job to do. He had been brought in to rebuild a struggling team, but what he actually did–become the first Division I school to have an all-African American starting lineup–was far more remarkable. So remarkable that people on his own campus were not ready for what happened. Coach Haskins recruited his team, assembled a game plan and began to execute it. However, not every one at Texas Western was on his side. . .
Filed under: Coaches, General, Nehemiah Study | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 28, 2006 by Jere Johnson
“When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. After thinking about the situation, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are oppressing your own relatives by charging them interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.” -Nehemiah 5:6-7
Filed under: Nehemiah Study | Tagged: Nehemiah | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 16, 2006 by Jere Johnson
READY:
“Beside him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs to another section, from the door of Eliashib’s house to the end of his house.”
-Nehemiah 3:21
SET:
Each year in the spring you see a collection of fathers rising early in the morning and working non-stop until dark to complete a task. No not on an all-day round of golf but on the construction of little league diamonds all over cities and small towns. You see the dads working hard on the fields their children will be playing on. Why? Because they have a vested interest in those fields. They want the very best for their children as they play.
Filed under: General, Nehemiah Study | Tagged: little league | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 14, 2006 by Jere Johnson
READY:
“When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, ‘What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?’
“I gave them this reply, ‘The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.’”
-Nehemiah 2:19-20
SET:
When I first started coaching someone told me that there was nothing new in coaching, just a lot of borrowed things. Well, the idea for today’s devotion is something borrowed from my pastor, Joel Anderson. Joel has this great ability to make God’s Word come alive. All teams, coaches and athletes make big plans for each year, but today I want us to look at the word “big” a little differently. Some goals or plans for teams are so enormous that they will need something greater than the people carrying them out in order to work. Hence, a plan so B.I.G. it Better Include God.
Filed under: Coaches, General, Nehemiah Study | Tagged: Joel Anderson | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 8, 2006 by Jere Johnson
READY:
“I was overwhelmed with fear and replied to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’
“Then the king asked me, ‘What is your request?’
“So I prayed to the God of heaven and answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.’”
-Nehemiah 2:2b-5
SET:
Coach Long was bothered by something in his program. He had worked his way through the ranks until he was second in command behind Coach Bridge. He had worked with and under Coach Bridge for some time, but this year, something was just not right. He had a decision to make. If he confronted Coach Bridge and it didn’t go well, he could be out of a job. But he knew he had to say something.
Filed under: General, Nehemiah Study | Leave a Comment »
Posted on March 3, 2006 by Jere Johnson
READY:
“They said to me, ‘The survivors in the province, who returned from the exile, are in great trouble and discrace. Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.’”
-Nehemiah 1:3
SET:
Every once in awhile you read a positive story about coaching. Maybe about a coach who goes back home to his alma mater to rebuild a program that has been struggling or destroyed completely. These coaches not only have a passion for their hometown schools, but also a plan to put the schools back on the map. It may take time to rebuild, but it will also take something else. . . prayer, and a lot of it.
Filed under: General, Nehemiah Study | Leave a Comment »
