“Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the Heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.” — Hebrews 3:1
Jesus is Greater
The writer of Hebrews aims to make sure we know that Jesus is greater than everything else. The question should be asked daily: “Is Jesus greater than everything in your life?” The Hebrews struggled on whether Jesus was greater than angels, prophets, Moses and even sacrifices. Those questions may not resonate with you, but what rivals Jesus in your life?
There’s no better time to ask yourself this question than right now. This is a prime time of the year for sports to rival our relationship with Jesus. It’s easy to get lost in the highs and lows of our favorite teams as they start a fresh season or compete for a playoff spot. Are your emotions moved by God’s blessings in the same way as when your team scores that go-ahead touchdown? Are you as frustrated with sin as that bad play call or strikeout? What rules your thoughts during the day? These momentary reflections are sure to illuminate our need for God’s never-ending grace.
Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said recently, “Probably the greatest accomplishment that I have had to this point is to see my three sons come to know Christ and to know him as their Lord and Savior.” This is coming from a man who has won a national championship as a coach and player. His words prove to us what is ultimately important in this lifetime.
This time of year brings Christ-followers an extraordinary opportunity to connect and disciple others using sports as a vessel. Sports provide a commonality with others who may not have felt the love of Jesus in their lives. Let’s use this time to glorify God and make disciples. Let us not forget the One who sustains our lives and never changes!
— Ryan Noelte
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
Canada's Justyn Warner crosses the finish line in the 4x100-meter relay final at the 2012 Olympics, Aug. 11, 2012. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” — 2 Corinthians 5:20
Ian and Justyn Warner represented Canada at the 2012 London Olympics as part of the 4×100-meter relay team. In preparation for the Games, they ran in track meets around the world with the Canadian Olympic team.
Coaches and managers regularly reminded them and their teammates that they not only represented themselves and their families, but they represented Canada as well. They weren’t only athletes; they were also ambassadors. When they were running in Monaco, if residents wondered what a Canadian was like, they could observe them.
Ian was an alternate at the Olympics while Justyn was on the Canadian team that qualified for the 4x100m final. They finished in third place, but were later disqualified because one of their runners unintentionally stepped on the lane line. Even with the disqualification, the Warners and their teammates represented Canada well.
Ian, his family, and a team from the church I pastor are starting a new church in Kansas City, Missouri. Once again, they will be representing another nation. Like all Christians, they are ambassadors of Jesus Christ’s Kingdom. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20a). If someone in Kansas City wonders what a representative of Christ’s Kingdom is like, they’ll need only to spend time with these church members.
As Christians, our true home is in Heaven and Jesus is our King. So when people ask, “What does a Christian who submits to Jesus as their King look like?” they can look at you. Remember: You are an ambassador; you represent another Kingdom and King.
Imagine a boy born with several disabilities in a town not too far away. Benjamin is loved by his parents and continues to be their greatest gift. He faces numerous challenges because of his cerebral palsy, which causes a curved spine, digestive issues, difficulty swallowing, and though some cases are worse than others, many people with cerebral palsy don’t speak clearly and struggle with balance.
When his parents heard the news, they wept because they knew their son would face hardship. Nevertheless, they made up their minds to find a way to help Ben live a productive, fulfilled life. During his early years, he spent a lot of time doing speech therapy and also at a children’s hospital where they put braces on his legs to help him walk. As a family, they accepted the challenge and decided they would be champions together.
Though he would never have a chance to participate in athletics, he grew up and became an equipment manager for a middle school football team. As time passes, Ben gains more confidence despite the cruel laughter of other children. His wise parents give him inner strength by teaching him to make the best of his situation. Even though he’s smaller and slower, he glows with happiness in spite of his adversity. He knows what really matters.
At times, he feels like a big monster stands in his way trying to stop him from doing anything, but he knows God has a plan for him — just as God did for David long ago, when Samuel was sent to anoint the next king. “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'” (1 Samuel 16:7).
When Jesus worked with His disciples, they worried too much about who had the best seat or the most power, but Jesus taught a better way. Jesus told Peter he needed correction because he was looking at everything backwards. Jesus explained that His definition of success is different from ours. “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first” (Matthew 19:30).
The sometimes unseen believers in the background who don’t stand on the big stage are often some of the most outstanding people in the world. Sometimes it can be easier for a person who regularly struggles to be humble and compassionate like Christ, than it is for a superstar quarterback who rarely gets injured.
Ben’s story can inspire us in many ways — from small things like his example of being on time to practice, carrying coolers and shoulder pads, and continuing to talk even when people gave him a hard time, to staying determined and keeping a good attitude through all that life throws at him. Ben has the true heart of a champion.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
A golf pro teaching a group lesson once posed the following question to his students: “When you tee off, how big is the target you are aiming for?” The students thought and gradually started sharing guesses — 30 feet, 40 feet, 50 feet and so on. Each one was trying to estimate the size of the green. After some more guesses, the instructor told them they were all wrong. The students were even more puzzled when he informed them that their target is always 4.5 inches in diameter.
On any tee shot, the target is always the cup, which seems impossible, as that implies a goal of a hole-in-one … even when the pin is 300-500-plus yards away! Having anticipated the students’ disbelief, the instructor chuckled as he began to explain that the intent was to change their mindset. If golfers aim for the green and miss, they could end up in a bunker, the rough or even a water hazard. If they aim for the pin and miss, they’re on the green which, practically speaking, is right where they want to be.
In Scripture, we’re given a command that is seemingly even more impossible: Be like Christ. Imperfect, sinful humans are commanded to be like the perfect Son of God. Why would God ask us to do something we inherently can’t do?
Like the golf lesson, the believer is challenged to change their mindset. In his letter to the church in Philippi, the apostle Paul writes, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5, NASB). The subsequent verses go on to describe how Christ acted in humility — giving up His right to glory and power as the Son of God to be fully man and becoming a servant. He was obedient to the Father when He took on the punishment we deserved. That same humility and obedience are what we need to fulfill Paul’s charge to the Philippian church.
In the Book of Isaiah, we read that “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment” (Isaiah 64:6, NASB). To put it in golfing terms: When we try to “live right” in our own strength, it’s like a shot aimed at the green that ends up in a hazard! Conversely, when we aim at the pin — Christ Himself — even our misses land on the green.
Make it a daily prayer to humble yourself, submit to God’s will, and seek to serve rather than be served. While we’re still prone to error, the Holy Spirit gives us the power to do extraordinary things we could have never dreamed of on our own. It’s like landing on a soft, lush green in prime position to sink a putt.
Bills safety Damar Hamlin gets baptized by team chaplain Len Vanden Bos (right) and teammate Christian Benford. (Photo courtesy Len Vanden Bos)
The night of Jan. 2, 2023, changed Damar Hamlin’s life forever. A little more than three years later, the Buffalo Bills safety experienced another life-changing moment — in a very different way — when he decided to get baptized.
On Jan. 9, surrounded by family and members of the Bills organization, Hamlin was baptized by team chaplain Len Vanden Bos and teammate Christian Benford. It was a step Hamlin had been considering for more than a year and one he didn’t want to rush.
“It was important for it to be the right time,” Hamlin told Sports Spectrum last week at Super Bowl Media Row. “I wanted my family to be able to make it up to Buffalo to be there. I don’t want to say that I’m a completely new person, but my sense of direction and purpose and alignment with who I feel like I’m supposed to be has been on point. It brings me peace.”
For many, Hamlin’s name remains tied to the cardiac arrest he suffered during a “Monday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2023. The game was suspended as medical personnel worked to revive him on the field, and what followed was an outpouring of prayer that stretched far beyond football.
When he looks back on his life, he can see how God was forming him to endure that experience and use it to point people toward Him.
“My faith was very strong — always,” he said. “I always had an internal connection to the Lord. It feels like my faith before wasn’t built up for everything. It truly feels like every experience that I live, everything that I’ve been through as a kid growing up, it was moments to prepare me for what God was going to bless me with.
“I feel like all the work I was doing, God truly just hand-picked me and said, ‘I’m going to choose you for this.'”
Hamlin believes the experience positioned him to witness something larger than football. It allowed him “to be at the center of so much love, so much prayer, bringing people together,” and it also brought a bigger spotlight to his foundation, the Chasing M’s Foundation. Designed to support youth and community initiatives such as toy drives, educational scholarships and promoting health safety, the foundation expanded its mission after Hamlin’s cardiac arrest to include automated external defibrillator distribution and CPR training.
“I have people who were never believers — ever — dropping to their knees and talking to God and finding God through caring for me,” he said. “That’s a blessed position to be in.”
Hamlin remained in the hospital for almost two weeks following the incident, and there were questions about whether it was safe for him to return to football, if his body even got strong enough for him to be able to. It was a trying time and a season that left him with a new perspective.
“To have that perspective, to know that God chose me for a higher purpose — even beyond the game — it truly makes me feel like a chosen one,” he said.
Hamlin said his faith journey has remained active since that night in Cincinnati. He grew up in a Christian home and later attended a Catholic high school, where he studied the Catholic faith closely. That experience led him to focus even more on his personal relationship with God.
“That’s why I always feel like I’ve been tied to the Lord — even before,” he said. “I really learned the most through the phase of injury I had this season. I tore my pec, like, Week 7 or 8 and I was down for a few weeks.”
But recently, his relationship with both Benford and Vanden Bos has helped him grow even deeper.
“Len truly has just been pushing me and helping me grow within my faith,” Hamlin said. “We meet once a week and continue to grow.”
Following the cardiac arrest, Hamlin returned to the field and played in five games during the 2023 season, then started 14 games in 2024. He was limited to only five in 2025 but described this season as the happiest and most focused he’s felt in his life.
The time away from the field proved formative. He said he felt like he learned more about himself and his faith through that injury than anything else he’s experienced.
“That process really taught me so much about myself,” Hamlin said. “I didn’t have the season I wanted, I had the season I needed. I slowed myself down. I got right with God. I had to listen. I had to sit myself down and listen. The isolation away from the team gave me time. I truly think this period of time that I missed this season will prolong my career for however long that I want to play.
“And it ultimately led to me getting baptized. It was exactly what I needed, so I’m not looking back.”
