Reflections, Issue Discussions, and Bible Studies for People of Sport.

For the last thirty years or so, I have been writing Bible studies, reflections, and topical discussions for people in sport. All along the way, I have made them available at no cost to people on social media. I have been very pleased to provide them for my friends and colleagues. 

Recently, I gathered all that material, 221 pages of it, into one pdf file. It is available and you are free to use it as you will in your ministry. Simply email me at lipe6956@gmail.com to request a copy.

It is titled, Reflections, Issue Discussions, and Bible Studies for People of Sport.

Reflections, Issue Discussions, and Bible Studies 

for People of Sport

Reflections with Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

Page 3 - How Would Jesus Coach? Reflections on Coaching from the Gospel of John

Page 28 - Christian Ministry in Sport - Reflections from the Psalms

Page 44 - Christian Reflections on U2 Songs & Scripture

Topical Discussions with Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

Page 65 - Christian Faith Development Devotional Series - 8 Weeks of Reading, Contemplation, and Exercises

Page 74 - Transformed Lives Sports Discussions

Page 84 - Winners - 12 discussions on characteristics of winners

Page 90 - Pursuing Our Life’s Purpose as Sportspeople

Page 95 - Coaching Wisdom from Solomon - The Proverbs Applied to Coaching

Page 112 - Eight Ways to Worship On the Field of Competition

Page 121 - Powerful Strides in Christian Living - 14 discussions and daily exercises for knowing your position.

Bible Studies with Questions for Contemplation and Discussion

Page 135 - Redemptive Relationships - An inductive study of Jesus’ relationships with individuals and groups from the Gospel of Mark.

Page 150 - A Mentor’s Advice for Team Leaders - 25 Bible Studies for Team Leaders from First and Second Timothy

Page 165 - Wisdom for a Young Head Coach - 25 Bible Studies for Coaches from First and Second Timothy

Page 180 - The Battle for Freedom – 13 Discussions for People of Sport from the book of Galatians

Page 186 - Extraordinary Living - Sport Discussions from James

Page 195 - Coaching Points - 11 Sports discussions from the book of Titus

Page 201 – God’s Team at Ephesus – An inductive study of Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians through the lens of sport teams.

Page 211 – Transformed Attitudes – Sport Discussions from Philippians

Appendix:

Page 219 - Leadership of Small Group Discussions with People of Sport​​​

Zoominar - Ministry in the NCAA Transfer Portal Era

The first in a series of Zoominars for sports chaplains and character coaches is now posted on YouTube (link below). 

My guest was Scott Brewer - Nations of Coaches Character Coach for Men's Basketball at Baylor University in Waco, Texas (USA).

The discussion contains vital insight for effective ministry in the NCAA Transfer Portal Era.

https://youtu.be/RE_P1dhAP7M?si=tfoPEUaZmQ8hFYKD

A Reflection on College Football

For twenty-seven years, I lived in the sport for eight months at a time. Sharon and I shared that life for nineteen of our fifty years of marriage. It was a constantly spinning carousel of coaches, players, and support staff. 

Each year we would build relationships, commit deeply, and serve faithfully. Each year we would lose some, graduate more, and send others on to new teams. The steady rhythm of coaches and players moving into and out of the program was both joyful and grievous. 

Hours were invested on practice sidelines, recruiting dinners each winter, long bus rides each fall, exciting victories, and soul crushing defeats on alternating Saturdays. We were in it with the team, all day, every day. Now, thirty-one years after beginning, I am an occasional visitor, more a memory than a real presence. I am well connected with a few coaches, but barely know a handful of players by name. 

The pregame meal and chapel have an air of familiarity, but I am clearly a guest. My presence on the sideline was once deeply engaging and valuable, but now I am more like a relic, mostly invisible when I am not just in the way. I find myself chatting up players from the past, also visitors now, and telling stories from ten years ago. It’s like I’m in a parallel dimension, here in reality but mostly an observer. 

I am forever grateful for my years of service in college football. The relationships built and the lessons learned have been invaluable. My relationships with countless individuals continue, but my relationship with the sport has dramatically changed. The momentary pain of the latter is easily overcome by the enduring joy of the former.

Fourth Global Congress on Sport and Christianity

 From July 31 - August 2 of 2025, Truett Seminary of Baylor University in Waco, Texas USA hosted the Fourth Global Congress on Sport and Christianity. Congress on Sport and Christianity

This was a tremendous gathering of 250+ people from all over the world and from both the sports ministry practitioner community and academia. There were over 170 presentations and panels delivered by the very diverse group of participants.

Dr. Paul Putz and his team were fantastic hosts. The keynote talks and panel discussions were outstanding. The book table featured numerous titles from many of the presenters, even yours truly.

Many of us treasure this event because it's the only time we get to see some of our colleagues and friends from around the globe. 

The event wrapped up on Saturday evening with a banquet hosted by Brian Bolt and Chad Carlson of Faith. Sport. Life. The program included a fun Q and A with a panel and the presentation of the inaugural Faith. Sport. Life. Character Award. Some old guy from the USA was the recipient. 

Mark your calendar for October of 2028, the fifth congress will be hosted in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Below, please find a few photos from the congress.

More Reflections from the Front Lines of a Cancer Battle

 Week Seven as a Widower – August 2025

At my son’s suggestion, more like prodding, I began listening to a podcast by a man whose wife had died of cancer a few years ago. There were dozens of episodes, and I began listening at episode one. I was soon fast forwarding through the introduction and repetitive segments. I found it a little psychobabblish and heavily laden with clichés. I will still listen, but with one eye on the fast forward button.

Jason also suggested I attend the GriefShare Loss of Spouse group at our church. I registered and attended the first session on a Tuesday afternoon. I found the information solid, the facilitators friendly, but the process was very slow and tedious. When the session started late, we were off to a poor start. I was happy to engage in the group discussion that followed the video and a short break, but after the meeting wrapped up and I was asked if I would be joining the group for the thirteen weeks of meetings to follow, I made no commitments.

I’m not sure if it’s due to my normal arrogance, or if it’s true, but it seems I’m doing very well in the grief and mourning process. As I have contemplated this situation, I am inclined to think my decades of walking with people through their grief has prepared my heart and mind for this unique season of my life.

Just in the last fifteen years, I have been with three people as they took their last breaths. First, my mother-in-law in the hospital in the fall of 2015. Two years ago, it was my father. My mother and I stood over Dad in an assisted living center after six days of hospice care. Most recently, it was my bride of fifty years.

In addition to these, I have been in an out of intensive care units, and other hospital rooms with people in their final days or hours. I helped prepare memorial service details for many of their families after they died, speaking at several of the services.

I believe having walked through grief and mourning with so many people, across so many years, has prepared me to handle it well. I may be terribly deceived and standing on the threshold of an emotional crash, but I don’t think so. I told a friend once, I was joining Jesus as He is prophesied about in Isaiah 53, in being, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”

This could be a result of my approach to problem solving in general and how I deal with serious illness and crises in particular. I began grieving on January 14, the day we received the preliminary diagnosis of cancer in the emergency room. I began to deal with the worst-case scenario first. As we received more information and a clearer indication of her disease, I began dealing with the prospect of death. Having dealt with that, knowing I could handle it, I began working toward better-case outcomes. That dogged attitude and grieving process continues to the day of this writing.

New Places, New People, New Rhythms – August 2025

I was recently able to establish something of a new rhythm to my daily life, finally. It took a while, a few adjustments, and some experimentation, but I finally landed on a suitable daily agenda. As my body and mind seem unbendingly convinced six and one half hours are enough sleep for an old man, I am up very early. I get a light breakfast, watch some morning news, compose some scriptural text messages, X and Facebook posts, and then prepare for my mile and a quarter walk up the road. It gets my motor running and allows me some time for contemplation and prayer. Watching the sun rise over the city is beautiful. I move on to other things through the morning, go to the clubhouse for lunch and return to my villa. In the early afternoon I work through five sets of forty pushups each, making a weekly total of one thousand. This has me feeling stronger again.

I am taking this transition period purposefully slowly. I want to mourn well, wisely, and healthily. I am contemplating what my next season of life may include. As of today, it’s still murky water, but I expect it to clear significantly as the fall rolls into winter. I intend to have a clear picture and a game plan in January.

Attending a new church, living in a new community, being over an hour away from sixty-nine years of relationships, is a challenge. I feel very alone in my villa, especially at night. One bright spot in this season popped up when I sent a note of my disappointment to the church staff regarding some remarks made by a guest speaker. Amazingly, the senior pastor replied to my email, very diplomatically, but he did reply. We traded more emails and eventually scheduled lunch together. The chat we had was engaging, pastoral, and included potential areas of collaboration in ministry.

More Reflections from the Front Lines of a Cancer Battle

A month after Sharon’s passing - late July and early August 2025

The financial adjustments are less urgent, and a bit clearer now. Some things are still pending, but the sale of our home has closed, and the proceeds are in the bank. I am trudging through the paperwork of life insurance forms, changing car insurance and such. The process is tedious but necessary.

I have begun to schedule some travels to spend time with some seldom seen friends and colleagues around the USA. I have about one trip per month in the works through December. My son and his family continue to welcome me into their active lives, and I usually go along. Being with them is very rewarding and invigorating.

Jason is already anticipating the pain of upcoming family events that will be significantly diminished because of his mother’s absence. Sharon’s birthday in September. The first Thanksgiving and Christmas without her and her elaborate decoration of our home for each. We know these and similar events will have us revisiting the emotional part of our painful grief.

While traveling this week, at the end of an evening, I still have an internal nudge to send Sharon a, “Good night, my love. Sleep well,” text message. I quickly realize she is not available by phone and my heart sinks.

While delivering a talk at this conference, I recalled a football player from twenty-one years ago, and suddenly my heart was in my throat, my eyes were welling up, and my voice was cracking. My emotions are still raw, but I am not anxious for them to dissipate.

People with whom I talk, who don’t know about Sharon’s passing, ask how she’s doing, and I have to find a way to inform them without shocking or embarrassing them.

For years, my practice while traveling has been to send Sharon a text message as I was boarding a plane, landing at my destination, or starting a drive home with an ETA. I am still reflexively picking up my phone to send such messages, to no avail. Each such moment grieves my heart.

Six weeks as a widower – August 2025

Since Sharon’s final days in the hospital, I had a sense that even though she wanted a simple, private, graveside service for her funeral, there were dozens, if not hundreds, of people who would like to get together to honor her memory and to share their Ms. Sharon stories.

After she passed, I mentioned to Jason that I had thoughts of gathering people at Saluki Stadium on the campus of Southern Illinois University, where she had made so many friends and countless memories. We discussed the possibility, I checked with her siblings, and a couple of others, and then decided to do it. Family and friends immediately offered to help make it a success.

I bounced several ideas around in my mind and eventually settled in on a very simple agenda, aiming for forty-five minutes total:

- Welcome and introductions by Mike Reis, former voice of Saluki Sports, and a trusted friend.

- Remarks from Dr. Phil Anton, a university professor with ties to cancer treatment and rehabilitation. He’s always poignant and funny.

- Memories from 1990s quarterback, Jeff Brune. In his phone’s contacts, Sharon is listed as, “Other Mom.” Such has been their relationship for decades.

- Reflections from 2000s quarterback, Joel Sambursky. We walked with Joel through his playing career, his courtship and marriage to Samantha, and through the birth of their children, two of which have battled serious medical issues.

- Lastly, I would wrap things up by saying, “thank you” a lot and sharing some details from our last days together.

SIU Athletics created a graphic, Jason added details and RSVP information to it, and we shared it widely on multiple social media platforms. We also made direct invitations to many of Sharon’s friends and family.

As the days trudged along, the number of RSVPs steadily grew and so did the excitement for the event. I was stunned by the list as I noticed people were planning to attend from Kansas City, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Chicago, Alabama, and many other places. Sharon’s network of relationships was nationwide.

The big day, Saturday August 9, arrived and to our dismay, the elevator in Saluki Stadium was broken. We pivoted to meeting in the Cook Club of the Banterra Center (basketball arena). People began arriving even before the 2:00 start time. The program went very well, and each one shared his heart very candidly. The crowd was between 150 and 200 people, standing room only. Patty Stokes, an excellent caterer, had prepared snacks just like Sharon used to make for groups we would host in our home in Carbondale. They were delicious. After the program concluded, people stayed around for refreshments, told stories, caught up with each other, cried, laughed, and hugged a lot. The room was almost empty by 4:00, the exact time I planned.

On my way to the Banterra Center, I stopped by Lipe Cemetery to visit Sharon’s burial site. I had ordered our headstone, but it would be months before it is installed. I wanted to see how things looked. When I arrived and walked to the burial location, I suddenly realized I had marked the wrong spot for the burial. Oops. Thankfully, her remains are in an urn and not in a casket with a concrete burial vault. That afternoon, I spoke with Jason and asked if he’d like to help me move the urn to the proper location. He agreed.

Sunday afternoon, August 10, Jason and I loaded up shovels, cleaning materials, cold water, and other gear for excavation in the 90 plus degree afternoon. We made the 75-minute drive, set things up, and made the emotional move of Sharon’s remains in 30 minutes. We drove home while listening to Connor James’ lengthy interview with Sharon from 2019. It was amazing to hear her voice. We both were quite emotional as we listened to our departed love. Later in the afternoon I shared a link to the interview with our closest friends and family. They loved it.

Please pray for the Fourth Global Congress on Sport and Christianity

Please pray for the 250+ men and women from around the world at the Fourth Global Congress on Sport and Christianity at Truett Seminary of Baylor University in Waco, Texas, USA.

It began on Thursday evening, July 31 and will continue through August 2. Over 170 presentations and panel discussions, plus several plenary sessions will challenge and encourage those in attendance.

https://truettseminary.baylor.edu/programs-centers/faith-sports-institute/global-congress-sport-and-christianity

There are remarkable things happening around the world at the intersection of Christian faith and sport. I will report on the event after it is concluded. Please plan to join us at the Fifth Congress in 2028. More details to follow soon.

More Reflections from the Front Lines of a Cancer Battle - Week Four as a Widower.

Week Four as a Widower.

Formerly, I had to work hard, schedule well, and plan wisely to achieve some solitude. Now, retired and widowed, solitude surrounds me, all day and all night.

I, the incurable and unapologetic extrovert, find myself alone…. a lot. In crowds, alone. At church, alone. Waking up in my bed, absolutely alone.

I am not as emotional about my loss as I was a few weeks ago. I am more emotionally numb than anything at this point. I have enough tasks to keep me busy presently, but I know after the sale of the house is closed, the banking is completed, and I return from the Congress in Texas, a lot of open space and unoccupied time awaits me. That is worrisome.

I have a number of people with whom I correspond daily. I send one set of folks battling disease scripture and prayer. Another few receive a daily prompt for devotional reading. Dozens of sports chaplains across Latin America receive a link to each day’s post of my devotional book in Spanish, which they in turn share with many others. These daily connections help me stay in the scripture, and sharing with others, even as my flesh would rather withdraw completely.

Years ago, Sharon and I joked that if she was to precede me in death, I would either die an old widower or be remarried in six months. She said, “You’d be remarried right away; you’d be helpless alone.” She may be right about the helpless part.

Reflections from the Front Lines of a Cancer Battle

My wife’s cancer battle consumed the first six months of 2025. It ultimately ended her life on earth, much too soon, and much too painfully. Throughout those months, I was alternately locked in the battle and trying to maintain an equilibrium to our lifestyle. As the weeks, appointments with doctors, treatments, emergency room visits, surgeries, and sleepless nights mounted, I became reflective and tried to make sense of what I was experiencing.

Writing reflections in the notes app of my mobile phone became a helpful way of processing all my heart and mind were experiencing. Below are a few of those reflections. They are raw, vulnerable, and gut-level honest. I certainly have a long way to go in my grieving and mourning process.

Inadequate and Distracted – April 2025

How can I, a man who prides himself on self-reliance, achievement, and strength, be so utterly inadequate and easily distracted? 

Walking with my wife through cancer treatments, weakness, and incapacity, has exposed many more of my personal weaknesses and character flaws. 

The added grief of losing family and friends to death compounds these matters. 

 How shall I deal with all this? I have no other recourse than to trust wholly in the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus - His power to save to the uttermost. That’s all I have. 

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Is this really my life? – early May 2025

As these days of life in and around a hospital have stretched on, I have wondered, “Is this really my life?” It seemed like I was observing someone else. 

Scenes like these, hotel room doors and hospital corridors, assure me this is my present reality and keep me grounded in the moment. 

Intimacy – mid May 2025

Intimacy at fifty weeks into a dating relationship is significantly different than intimacy after fifty years of marriage. 

The former is clumsy, hormonal, and exciting, finding ways to be together, aching to touch the other, and longing to be trusted. 

The latter is more sober, more familiar, and fully trusting, caring for an ailing spouse, preserving her dignity, and affirming commitment for life.

Reflections from a hospital room – early June 2025

Stage four metastatic peritoneal cancer is hellish. It has stripped my bride of her energy, ravaged her body, and destroyed her confidence. Despair stands outside the hospital door waiting to strangle her soul. 

Being my wife’s primary caregiver has alternately strained and strengthened our relationship. She needs me more than ever. She frustrates me because I see the consequences of momentary choices (like not eating) very clearly. 

Lifting her into and out of bed, the bathroom, a wheelchair, and more has become a well-rehearsed dance. More like an awkward, junior high, slow dance to “Nights in White Satin” than like disco or swing dancing. 

The anticipated highlight of our upcoming fiftieth wedding anniversary is chemotherapy treatment and possibly some frozen custard afterwards. 

Removing her clothes was much more fun fifty years ago than it is now. It’s still powerfully intimate, but in an infinitely more severe way. 

My natural bent toward optimism is being powerfully tested in these days. Trying to stay afloat in this waxing and waning tide of confusing medical information, twice daily dispensation of medications, nightly flushing of her pic line, sleeplessness, frustration with a painfully slow process, and the insidious whispering prospect of being widowed is squeezing my soul. 

Through all of this, I remain committed to love and to serve my wife; charging the fiery gates of hell in a gasoline suit while armed with a squirt gun. I am here for all of it. 

Reflections after one week as a widower – July 2025

From March 7 through June 27, my life was almost entirely consumed by Sharon’s battle with metastatic peritoneal carcinoma and my care for her. I immediately withdrew from most all my work, ministry, and recreational pursuits. I was granted a leave of absence (graciously with pay) by my employer, and we eventually agreed I would retire at the end of May. 

The sixteen weeks we anticipated would be given to chemotherapy treatments and recovery, along with a surgery and more recovery, turned into a swirling vortex of delays, infection, hospitalization, removal of an infected chemo port, confusion, open-heart surgery, recovery, five weeks of thrice daily antibiotic infusions, the sale of our home, a move to a neighboring state, restarting chemotherapy, precipitous weight loss, weakness, shortness of breath, fluid drainage, steadily dropping blood pressure and declining vital signs.  This torturous process finally took her life as she was lying in our bed, at home, surrounded by family. 

My role as full-time caregiver was full of frustration with the situation, occasional irritation at Sharon’s lack of appetite, disgust with my own lack of compassion, anticipation of the worst case scenario while advocating for the best case, questions about medical bills, insurance coverage, concern for family members, and communication with a broad network of family, friends, and ministry colleagues. 

Since my wife’s cancer diagnosis five and one-half months ago, I have been grieving. Firstly, I grieved the horror of the disease and its terrible effects upon my bride. Secondly, I grieved the way it was causing her to suffer in increasingly more severe ways. Ultimately, I began to grieve her impending death as we started hospice care, and then her passing three days later.

Now, grief has new dimensions as it includes loneliness, disorientation, and questions about the future. 

Occasionally, something will happen, and I will reflexively pick up my phone to send her a text message about it. As I work to understand our finances and obligations, my first instinct is to ask her for a password or a person to call. She is not here to answer. 

My daughter-in-law helped me go through her jewelry, her clothes, and accessories. We made personal gifts of some items, we gave away fifteen bags of clothing and shoes and discarded several other items. That was painful, emotional, and extremely helpful. 

My immersion into our personal finances has been tedious, pleasantly surprising, and liberating. Our situation was better than I had imagined, but more complicated than I desire going forward. I have paid off a few small balances and shredded several credit cards. I am building a new budget as a retired widower, with an eye toward some strategic travel, and the potential launch of a ministry mentoring sports ministry leaders in 2026. 

Less than Three Weeks In… - July 2025

I am making adjustments daily. I am trying to set a new daily regimen and to restore some order to my lifestyle. It took six months to wreck my sleep patterns; it may take some time to restore a healthy rhythm. I am getting a handle on finances and am about to close on the sale of our home in Carbondale. That will result in a strong boost to my savings and some measure of financial security.

I am not sure what to do with the loneliness that stalks my quiet hours. I trust my Comforter will be even more tangibly present as I mourn my wife’s departure, and as I contemplate a future in fulfilling our Lord’s purposes for my life.

My 69th birthday is rapidly approaching.

The past six months have been among the most challenging of my lifetime. My wife, Sharon's illness and its accompanying complications have made us deal with hard issues, but have also deepened our commitment to and love for each other.

I see my calling and responsibilities more clearly than ever. I remain committed to the completion of God’s purposes in my life.

I see retirement, no longer on the horizon, but as a present day reality. I see it not as a cessation from work, but as a new gear for productive engagement of God’s purposes.

Six months ago, I had no real interest in retiring. I was always prepared to travel and to serve, anywhere at any time. Sharon’s health challenges led me to understand she needs me more than I need to work. This is a responsibility in which I must not fail.

I see my son approaching fifty years of age with sheer delight in his maturity, his marriage, in his parenthood, and his personal devotion to Christ.

I see the rapid, amazing development of my beloved granddaughters. I want to be involved in as much of their lives as possible. These opportunities are too soon gone forever.

Today, less than one week into my retirement, I am a full-time caregiver for my bride of almost fifty years. I will remain so until her condition improves to allow more independence.

This season of cancer treatment, surgeries, and more will continue through the autumn months, at least. I will pop my head up again in January of 2026 to see where I may be of service to the sports ministry community in the future.

My assertion of many years, that one’s identity is not wrapped in his performance, his work, or even his ministry is about to be tested, in my own heart and mind.

Please pray for us as we navigate this turbulent season of life. Conditions change daily, but we are persevering. Thanks.

Retirement announcement

On 30 May, I will officially retire from my service as Character Coach Director for Nations of Coaches (https://nationsofcoaches.com/), a ministry to college basketball in the USA.

The health challenges my wife, Sharon, is experiencing have led to this somewhat abrupt change. At this point in our soon to be 50-years of marriage, she needs me more than I need to work.

The spring and summer months will reveal how strongly she will recover and that will determine if and when I can resume some level of ministry. She is my highest priority.

I am contemplating making myself available to sports ministry leaders for mentorship, coaching, and consulting. I will provide more details as they become available.

In the short term, I am available for chats via telephone or Zoom, if I can be of service to you. Sharon and I are moving from our home in Carbondale, Illinois to an apartment near our son’s family in Southeast Missouri.

I plan to continue to produce content via blog posts, Bible studies, video, and more. Thanks for your invaluable partnership.

Book Recommendations - History and Christian Living

 For the next several posts in this series, I will be making some book recommendations in various categories. The lists will neither be exhaustive nor full scale endorsements of everything in each one. I generally read to learn (not to be entertained) and welcome points of view from a broad perspective. 

The books mentioned will categorized this way: 

• Biographies
• Favorite authors
• Sport
• Theology
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Psychology
• Business Management
• History
• Christian Living

History - 

The Spirit of the Game: American Christianity and Big Time Sports by Dr. Paul Putz - In this book Paul Putz has done a tremendous job of chronicling how elite level sport and the Christian faith have intersected, intertwined, collided, and conflicted across more than a century. I learned things about the organization that had employed me for twenty-seven years I had never heard before. Paul's clear eyed vision of the good, the bad, and the ugly of these situations and personalities is always fair and candid. I highly recommend reading this book to anyone involved in sports ministry, particularly in the USA.

Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe - I first read this book many years ago, but failed to grasp its importance. I read it again just over a year ago with a clearer vision and an understanding that I have family mentioned in its pages. The price paid by many of our Christian forebears to remain faithful to their Lord and to personal convictions is displayed here in graphic detail. If you're willing to plow through the torture, beheading, and burning at the stake, there are inspiring stories in this volume.

Christian Living - 

The Jesus I Never Knew by Phillip Yancey - I remember reading this book in the fall of 1995 during football road trips. I would immerse myself in two chapters per trip, reading those chapters two to four times each. This greatly broadened my view of how the Church in scattered corners of the planet view the Savior. My small town, Southern Illinois, protestant view of Caucasian Jesus was challenged on every page. For that I am very grateful. 

The Grace Awakening by Charles Swindoll - I read this book in the late 1980s and it was very liberating. To that point, I was easily condemned by legalistic thoughts and teaching. This excellent, easy read brought freedom and ease to my easily condemned conscience. The writing is engaging and the grace communicated is liberating. Give this one a leisurely read.

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan - This classic book is allegory, a genre very foreign to me, and is a great investment of time and imagination. This Puritan author spins a tale of remarkable characters and fanciful locations. It's available in two different English language versions: one in the original English from the 1500s, and an updated English version (much easier to read). The former will enrich and challenge your vocabulary, the latter is more quickly read. Both versions are a rich and encouraging story of the Pilgrim's Progress.

On Living Well by Eugene Peterson - This is a collection of some of Peterson's brief and pastoral writings. It is encouraging and inspirational. I love all of his books, but this one stands out as being like a series of personal letters to the reader. 

Book Recommendations - Psychology and Business Management

 For the next several posts in this series, I will be making some book recommendations in various categories. The lists will neither be exhaustive nor full scale endorsements of everything in each one. I generally read to learn (not to be entertained) and welcome points of view from a broad perspective. 

The books mentioned will categorized this way: 

• Biographies
• Favorite authors
• Sport
• Theology
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Psychology
• Business Management
• History
• Christian Living

Psychology - 

Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck - This book is outstanding! It makes the science and research of neuroplasticity and other very technical factor in how minds work and makes them very approachable for knuckleheads like me. In particular, her juxtaposition of "fixed mindset" and "growth mindset" is tremendously applicable to our work in sport. I highly recommend this book.

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey - This book was recommended to me by a college basketball coach. I immediately bought it to better understand his mindset and his approach to the mental side of sport. It is certainly not a Christian book and it's full of references to other religions, but it is valuable for understanding how many elite level competitors are approaching their mental approach to their sports.

Business Management - 

The Starfish and The Spider - The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations by Ori Brafman and Rod. A Beckstrom - I read this book in 2007 and it has been transformational in how I serve in organizations, many of which operate more like networks than multi-level hierarchical organizations. Several of their insights have been invaluable to my connections with and facilitation of colleagues across the USA and around the world. This is a tremendous book.

Start with Why by Simon Sinek - This book has been most helpful in the process of maintaining my focus on what is most important, "keeping the main thing the main thing," and budgeting time, money, and other resources. Iti is well written, simply illustrated with excellent diagrams, and full of practical examples of the differences between, "What, How, and Why."

Good to Great by Jim Collins - I read this at least twenty-five years ago, and some of its major points still shape my approach to making decisions about opportunities. The concepts like, "flywheel and hedgehog" are strong metaphors that stick in our minds. Like most books based on research, the author wants to tell you more about his research than you want to hear, but the results are worth the time to plow through the information.

Linchpin by Seth Godin - Seth is a blogger on business and marketing. His writing is direct and simple. It's also very applicable to us who serve in ministry. In particular, his thoughts about making yourself indispensable to your organization are very insightful. His assertion that, "Writers write. So if you want to be a writer, write something. Put it out there," (paraphrased from memory) has been a challenge that I have accepted and often challenge others to accept.

Book Recommendations: Coaching and Leadership

For the next several posts in this series, I will be making some book recommendations in various categories. The lists will neither be exhaustive nor full scale endorsements of everything in each one. I generally read to learn (not to be entertained) and welcome points of view from a broad perspective. 

The books mentioned will categorized this way: 

• Biographies
• Favorite authors
• Sport
• Theology
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Psychology
• Business Management
• History
• Christian Living

​Coaching - 

InSideOut Coaching by Joe Ehrmann - I believe this to be the best coaching book I have ever read. Joe outlines the difference between Transactional Coaches and Transformational Coaches. Further, he provides excellent models for transformational coaching, tips for shaping one's coaching, and inspiration for coaching in this manner. I highly recommend this book.

Season of Life by Jeffrey Marx - This book was my introduction to Coach Joe Ehrmann and his remarkable life story. It's an amazingly engaging read, telling Joe's story from childhood, through Syracuse University, the NFL, through the death of his brother, life in seminary, as a pastor, and eventually as a football coach with Gilman High School in Baltimore. This is a tremendous book full of inspiration and insight.

3D Coaching by Dr. Jeff Duke - This book chronicles Jeff's path through coaching at various levels of sport and how he learned to apply academic research to the practice of coaching. This is an easy read with many ideas presented for immediate application. 

Leadership - 

Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney - This excellent book is a thorough look at the leadership principles and practices of the Jesuits. The "Company of Jesus" and its founder, Ignatius Loyola are the centerpiece of the book and the model for leadership advanced on every page. This Protestant reader was thankful and frankly surprised by the simple, clear, and effective leadership lessons provided.

Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft - This book is quite practical and is informed by the author's long years of service in the Church. Of particular interest to me was the excellent outline for writing a life purpose statement. I use it myself, and I have shared it with many others. This is a good one.

Courageous Leadership by Bill Hybels - Despite the red flags just raised in your mind from Hybels' messy departure from Willow Creek, the models for development of leaders in this book are outstanding. In particular, his outline of various leadership styles and ways leaders nurture their development are very useful. 

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek - This book gathers models and examples from a wide range of societal backgrounds. The author writes with great detail and an engaging style. 

Legacy by James Kerr - This is a winner! Fifteen leadership lessons have been gathered from the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby team and its culture. This is not a "Christian" book, but its lessons are well presented the stories are told well.

Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders - Finally, this classic endures well and is as applicable as ever. This book shares timeless leadership principles drawn from the scriptures. It may be the best of the whole lot.

Book Recommendations - Sport and Theology

For the next several posts in this series, I will be making some book recommendations in various categories. The lists will neither be exhaustive nor full scale endorsements of everything in each one. I generally read to learn (not to be entertained) and welcome points of view from a broad perspective. 

The books mentioned will categorized this way: 

• Biographies
• Favorite authors
• Sport
• Theology
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Psychology
• Business Management
• History
• Christian Living

​Sport -

The Matheny Manifesto - A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life by Mike Matheny - As sport in the USA, particularly youth sport, has changed in recent years, this former MLB player and manager has expressed his views on how athletes and their parents should approach sport and life. I found this to be a refreshing and challenging read.

Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers by Thomas Krattenmaker - This author pokes Christian Sports Ministries right in the eye as he challenges many of our practices and our ethics. The trouble is, he's often correct in his observations. For people like me, this book is tremendously challenging, but also helpful. There is much the author doesn't understand, but his critical remarks can lead us to improvements in our delivery of service of Christ and His people in sport.

Focus on Sport In Ministry by Lowrie McCown and Valerie J. Gin - I am privileged to know these authors and to count them as friends. It was remarkable to see the genesis of these ideas, to see the development of this book as it happened, and to use it as a valued resource for my ministry in sport. I believe this is an essential read for anyone involved in any form of sports ministry.

Theology - 

Eugene Peterson's Spiritual Theology - Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places, Practice Resurrection, The Jesus Way, Eat This Book, and Tell It Slant. I began reading this series about twenty years ago, and have enjoyed each one. Peterson writes with imagination, depth, and insight. I recommend starting with Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places​.

Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortland - A friend recommended this book to me and I have recommended it widely since I first read it. This book is a balm for your soul. It will encourage you and wrap your heart in a warm blanket of comfort, assurance, and grace.

Foundations of the Christian Faith by James Montgomery Boice - This book's subtitle is, A Comprehensive and Readable Theology. It is certainly that. Boice wrote this systematic theology for college students and it is a treasure for the not or not yet seminary trained disciple of Christ. I read this in the mid-1980s and have given multiple copies to my friends as they embarked upon their seminary education.

Evangelism and The Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer - This book has been foundational to my approach to evangelism and discipleship since I first read it in the late 1980s. I have read it multiple times since. Packer's succinct writing and practical approach to this subject has been a tremendous gift to my ministry.

Book Recommendations - Biography and Favorite Authors

 For the next several posts in this series, I will be making some book recommendations in various categories. The lists will neither be exhaustive nor full scale endorsements of everything in each one. I generally read to learn (not to be entertained) and welcome points of view from a broad perspective. 

The books mentioned will categorized this way: 

• Biographies
• Favorite authors
• Sport
• Theology
• Coaching
• Leadership
• Psychology
• Business Management
• History
• ​Christian Living
  

​Biography - 

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi - This remarkably candid and occasionally painful read provides tremendous insight into the heart and mind of a high profile, elite professional tennis player.

Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono (Paul Hewson) - I have been a fan of U2's music since Joshua Tree in the 1980s. This book provides tremendous insight into the band's origins, its growth and development, its influences, and the lives of its members. This is fascinating stuff for a man with virtually no musical ability.

Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich by Mark Kriegel - This book shared a lot more of Pete's father's story than I wanted to know, but eventually chronicles the successes and failures of a uniquely accomplished basketball legend.

The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance by Tim Crothers - I read this book over twenty-five years ago and was fascinated by this coach's approach to coaching elite female soccer players. It strongly influenced how I served a women's college basketball program for twenty-eight seasons.

Curveball: How I Discovered True Fulfillment After Chasing Fortune and Fame by Bary Zito, Robert Noland - Barry Zito was a remarkably talented pitcher in Major League Baseball and this book provides an unvarnished view of the life of professional sport in the USA. Warts and all. It becomes a tremendous story of redemption and a growing life in Christ Jesus.

Favorite Authors - 

Eugene Peterson - Having received an early version of The Message in the early 1990s, I began searching for more from Peterson, and now my library is rich with his writing. He's a magical blend of pastor, theologian, and expert in ancient languages. His writing is rich with simile, metaphor, and meter.

John R.W. Stott - I began reading his books in the early 1980s and was immediately taken by his clear and direct style. Over the years, I began buying everything I could find from his pen. I was privileged to meet him in person in November of 2000.

Phillip Yancey - I greatly enjoy his writing as he tends to ask really hard questions and then carries the reader along in seeking answers. Yancey deals with thorny issues and offers genuine answers.

C. S. Lewis - Lewis' books are always challenging and insightful. From The Screwtape Letters' allegory to the more direct and candid volumes, the quotable Lewis has stretched my mind and challenged my heart.

Leonard Sweet - I iwas introduced to Sweet through Soul Tsunami in 2000, and was immediately confronted with the reality of how my "modernist' way of thinking would greatly inhibit my ability to communicate with younger "postmodern" thinkers. His writing on other subjects continues to challenge and inform my mind.

Malcolm Gladwell - I have enjoyed reading several of this gentleman's books, though we are widely different in many ways. His curious mind, depth of research, and playful writing style make his books easy reads with accessible insights. 

Effective Leadership of Volunteers

 For as long as I can remember I have volunteered in ministry efforts. First it was with my local church, then in short-term mission ministries, and for the last thirty years with ministries in sport. Across those years I have observed a few keys to effective leadership of volunteers, particularly in ministry efforts. A summary of those keys follows.

1. Give the volunteer one responsibility fitting his or her skills and gifts. Just one. If you give him or her too much, or if the responsibility is a poor fit, the volunteer will become overwhelmed, frustrated, or fail. Worse, the volunteer will simply walk away disappointed.

2. Give the volunteer clear instructions and expectations for the area of responsibility assigned. To fail in this leads to similar frustration, conflicts, and to the volunteer finding something else to do. If the instructions and expectations are too vague, the volunteer will be either too timid to serve well, or will overstep boundaries that were never clearly communicated.

3. Do not micromanage or become overly demanding of the volunteer. Give the person the responsibility and let him or her serve. To micromanage or to become demanding is perceived by the volunteer as a lack of trust and respect, and will result in withdrawal from your ministry.

4. Help the volunteer experience God's presence and pleasure in the activity. Pray with them. Thank God for them. Share exciting results with them. Acknowledge how the Lord is working in them through their selfless service.

5. Welcome their suggestions. I cannot emphasize this enough. Many of the most profound improvements in ministry policies, procedures, and processes have come from volunteers' suggestions. This will not happen if you don't create an avenue for receiving suggestions, and it won't matter if you don't have the humility to hear from people not "on staff."

​6. Celebrate their service and express thanks for it. One size does not fit all, but finding appropriate ways to celebrate volunteers, and expressing thanks frequently is a very important part of leading volunteers well. Some are very gratified to be acknowledged from the platform, while others would far prefer a handshake and a simple, "Thank you." Receiving a handwritten card is always welcomed by volunteers.

​It has been my experience that when these keys are followed, volunteers have great, even life changing experiences with ministries. When that happens, the volunteer will continue to serve week after week, month after month, year after year.

I still volunteer with a ministry I first encountered in 1982. I spend time, money, energy, vacation days, heart, and soul engaged with other volunteers and a very small staff because all six of the aforementioned keys are experienced each time.

Observations from Walking Through the Aging, Declining, and Dying Process with Parents.

Since the summer of 2010, my family has been walking through a difficult, significant, and occasionally traumatic process. On a hot August afternoon my wife and I made a hurried trip to the emergency room where her mother was being treated. It was obvious to me her condition was quite serious and we spoke very directly about the likelihood of this being a terminal situation. By mid-November, she had begun hospice care and she soon passed while I held her hand bedside.

 

In more recent days, we observed my father’s cognitive and then physical decline across three years, and then more rapidly across a couple of months, prior to six days of hospice care in an assisted care facility. My dad passed as I was standing with my mother beside his bed.

 

Earlier this year, my father-in-law also began to decline in health and passed in mid-September. For the last five years or so, Sharon had been caring for him as he lived alone in his home. Despite numerous physical and cognitive conditions, he wanted to remain independent. Sharon managed his finances and drove him to the grocery store, doctor’s appointments, and more. Eventually, a fall and a more rapid decline required a move to the same assisted living facility in which my father passed. A couple of weeks of hospice care and being surrounded by his children preceded his eventual passing early on a Sunday morning.

 

My ninety-year-old mother made the decision to move from her home to a supportive living facility as she was lonely and knew she could not maintain her home any longer. A couple of good conversations between Mom, my two brothers, and me made the process of moving her, selling the home and its contents, a much smoother process. She is in a good apartment, has plenty of independence, is very happy and secure. This pleases all of us.

 

Across these fourteen years, I have observed a number of things about the process itself and how it has shaped us as we have walked through it. Those observations follow.

 

I believe I am far too hurried, rushed, and too easily distracted from important matters and significant moments. In the normal busyness of life as a fifty-four to sixty-eight-year-old person, it’s really easy to miss the important moments of life because I am buzzing by them in a blur. Even in my visits to my parents’ home I would be preoccupied with text messages or phone calls, when I could have been paying better attention to their questions or concerns. I am sure I would have gleaned more wisdom from my father if I had simply left my phone in the car, stayed longer, and listened more intently.

 

There is a wide variety of ways families deal with crisis and stress. Some families deal with these matters by acting if they are not real, hoping it all works out, denying the gravity of the moment. Later in this process the grim reality hits them with a profound thud and it crushes them emotionally. Other families deal directly with a crisis, look it dead in the eye, and stoically move through the process. If they respond emotionally, it’s done privately and all along the way. By the time the crisis has culminated in death, they have largely processed the grief and appear to others to be cold, emotionless, and even uncaring. None of those perceptions are true; they have simply processed the grief across weeks or months, rather than in hours or days. Neither way is better than the other. There is plenty of room for grief and mourning to be done differently.

 

One can improve his approach to these matters, even if he would rather simply avoid them. I grew up with a large extended family, including grandparents and great-grandparents in both my paternal and maternal families. Because of this I grew up in funeral homes. It was most common to be at funeral visitations with my brothers, parents, dozens of aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. I thought this was everyone’s experience until I married my wife. We were twenty-one and had welcomed our son to our young family before she ever attended a funeral. It happened to be my great-grandmother’s funeral and I was stunned by her response to what she was seeing. It was a very emotionally difficult situation for her. In the years since then, she is much better with crises, emergencies, and death, but it’s certainly still very difficult.

 

After her mother’s passing, my wife took on the role of matriarch for her entire family and she does it quite well. It certainly stresses her, but she carries the responsibility with grace and dignity. I now find myself as patriarch for our clan and feel the weight of it. It comes with being the eldest brother and the one living in closest proximity to our mother. Sharon and I are certainly better at dealing with such issues of life today than we were in our twenties. We have learned. We have grown. We have matured.

 

Embracing these situations enriches one’s soul. I think there’s a natural, human desire to avoid pain, crisis, and emotional trauma. We’re human and don’t like the pain. However, I have learned that leaning into, embracing, and dealing directly with all such matters enrich one’s soul. As painful as it was to witness the final breaths of my mother-in-law and my father, these moments were full of important connections, grieving expressions of release, and mournful emotions of profound loss. I wear theses memories like scars on my soul; reminders of pain, but memorials to rich relationships.

 

Having walked through these experiences emboldens my heart for the arrival of the next crisis. I don’t fear it, nor do I want to hasten it. I no longer see it as something to avoid as a lethal enemy, rather I see it coming as a familiar, severe acquaintance with whom to walk for a few hours, days, months, or years.