“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” Amos 3:3 NLT
Are You In Agreement?
The success of the NFL’s New England Patriots over the past two decades has created a buzz over who is the more influential agent of their success, head coach Bill Belichick or quarterback Tom Brady. There can be no doubt that each have brought extraordinary talent, intellect and hard work to the overall achievements of the franchise. But one thing is certain: The accomplishments obtained, the championships won and the rings received would not have been possible if Coach Belichick and Brady did not agree on the direction of the team and where they were going.
Christian friend, in what direction is your life going? Are you in agreement with God? In all that you do and plan to do, in all your goals, is God included in your plans? By being included in your plans I mean to be a partner — He’s the senior partner and you’re the junior partner. Are you in agreement with God?
The prophet Jeremiah writes that the Lord says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). The Lord indeed has a successful plan for each of us, successful as He determines it to be.
How will you know God’s plan? First, it starts by knowing His Son, Jesus Christ, and then reading and being obedient to His Word, seeking Him in prayer, listening and being patient, very patient. And while you are waiting, continue what you are doing right where you are, right where God has placed you. Perhaps that is His plan for you, wherever that may be.
We may not like the game plan that our coach (God) has drawn up, concluding we have a better plan. “I would rather do this, I like this better, I want to do it my way and I can make more money another way.” But God wants us to trust Him and follow through with the ability and gifts He has given us to successfully achieve the goals He has set before us, goals that bring Him glory and lead others to His Son, Jesus Christ.
As the New England Patriots have suffered losses on occasion due to various situations, we too suffer defeat from time to time as we deviate from our coach’s game plan. But we never need to worry about the outcome of the game if we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ.
Are you in agreement with God?
— Loring Schultz
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
Patriots rookie TreVeyon Henderson teaches kids about the Bible at a youth football camp (Photo courtesy X/@accessthewalk).
Former Ohio State Buckeyes TreVeyon Henderson and Gee Scott Jr. are looking forward to their first NFL training camp with the New England Patriots later this month, where they will prepare to make an immediate impact on the field this fall. Yet they haven’t waited until September to make an impact in the Massachusetts community they now call home, or in the Ohio community that molded them into who they are.
Both players provided spiritual leadership for the Buckeyes’ faith-fueled national championship team and have continued to find ample opportunities to share their faith in Christ since joining the Patriots.
Scott — a tight end who signed with New England as an undrafted free agent — and three of his Patriots teammates joined community members and police officers at a Faith Night hosted by Bethel AME Church in Boston on May 30. Three weeks later, Scott and Henderson (a running back and the No. 38 overall pick) were both guest speakers at a “Revival” worship night organized by the Duxbury High School Bible Club, about an hour southeast of Boston. The players closed the night by delivering powerful testimonies of faith in Christ to a crowd of more than 400.
Their community outreach has extended outside the Boston area as well. The week after the Duxbury event, Henderson was at Storyside Church in Bellville, Ohio, where he reportedly declined an appearance fee. His reason? “My salvation is free and so am I.”
Prior to his final season at Ohio State last August, Henderson was a guest on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. He shared in the episode how he came to faith in college and why he choose to return for one more year rather than enter the 2024 NFL Draft.
“When I met Jesus, He filled me with the love that I’d been looking for in football and money and my family and women,” the three-time All-Big Ten selection said on the podcast. “He gave me the joy that I’d been searching for. … He filled me with happiness that I was looking for. What my heart was craving, what me heart needed — Jesus, He filled me with it. He gave it to me.”
Meanwhile, Scott joined the “What’s Up” podcast, part of the Sports Spectrum Podcast Network, in December. He discussed the ways his faith helps him handle the pressure and expectations that come with being a high-level athlete.
“I have a faith that all of these things that I’m going through are working together to refine me and make me a better version of myself,” he said on the podcast. “Having faith through that gives me freeing peace while I play that I’m not here to perform for man or for fans.”
The two friends and teammates reunited once again on Thursday to host a youth football camp in Mansfield, Ohio, in partnership with The Walk Foundation, an organization focused on spiritual outreach through sports.
Smiles & Bibles ✝️
Former Ohio State and New England Patriots rookies TreVeyon Henderson & Gee Scott Jr. held a youth football camp for the kids of Mansfield, Ohio. pic.twitter.com/FEQUbQgw7f
Both Henderson and Scott are also extremely active in sharing their faith on social media. Henderson declares that “Jesus saved my life” on both his Instagram and X accounts, while Scott describes himself as a “follower of Christ” on X and writes that, “I know who I am because I know Whose I am” on Instagram.
Henderson included a Bible verse from Acts in his Instagram post celebrating his selection by the Patriots.
While Scott was training, traveling around proclaiming the Gospel, and settling into life as a Patriot, he was also in the midst of planning another significant life event. Over the Fourth of July weekend, he proposed to his girlfriend, Olivia. Scott gave glory to God and cited Matthew 19:6 in his Instagram post celebrating the engagement.
As he gets ready to compete for a spot on New England’s roster, Scott will continue to draw strength from the Lord.
“I just believe if I have God with me, that is my strength,” he said on the “What’s Up” podcast. “I’m usually not the one that’s doing a whole bunch of pumping up because I just know the strength that God gives me is enough.”
Henderson’s place on the team may be more secure as New England’s second-round pick, and he knows he is playing for God’s glory and wants to utilize his platform as much as possible.
“I’m just going to continue to let Him guide me and work through me for His glory,” Henderson said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast. “I want to continue to decrease. When people see me, I want them to see the Lord. I want them to see His power to save, to transform. I just want to let His light shine through me.”
The Patriots begin training camp on July 23. New England’s first preseason game is against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 8, and it hosts the Las Vegas Raiders in its regular season opener on Sept. 7.
The New York Yankees' Aaron Boone, center, celebrates after hitting a solo home run in the 11th inning to beat the Boston Red Sox in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, Oct. 16, 2003. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
It’s the pinnacle of pressure, the moment when everything is on the line. No more second chances. Every play matters. Every decision carries weight. Game 7 is when legends are born and legacies are cemented. And as spectators, we’re glued to the screen on a night when sports and cinema collide.
I’ve been fortunate to be alive for some amazing Game 7s. There seems to always be a defining moment in each of them, too.
• The 1997 World Series: The Edgar Renteria walk-off base hit.
• The 2001 World Series: The Luis Gonzalez walk-off base hit.
• The 2003 MLB American League Championship Series: The Aaron Boone walk-off home run.
• The 2006 MLB National League Championship Series: The Adam Wainwright curveball to end it.
• The 2016 NBA Finals: The LeBron chase-down block.
• The 2017 2017 NHL Eastern Conference Finals: The Chris Kunitz overtime goal.
• The 2019 NBA Finals: The Kawhi Leonard game-winner.
The list goes on.
But what about the Game 7 moments in our lives? That diagnosis. That job interview or loss. That conversation that could change everything. That step of obedience when the future feels uncertain. The defining moments of our faith.
Spiritually speaking, we all face Game 7 moments — seasons where the pressure is high, the outcome unclear and the stakes feel overwhelming. It’s in those moments we’re tempted to rely on our own strength, to panic, to freeze, or to run.
Yet God calls us to a different posture: strength and courage grounded in His presence.
When Joshua stood on the edge of the Promised Land, it was his Game 7. Moses was gone. The leadership mantle was his. Ahead of him lay enemies, uncertainty and the enormous responsibility of leading God’s people into a new chapter. But God didn’t give Joshua a battle plan first. He gave him a promise: “I will be with you wherever you go” (see verse above).
That’s the secret of a Game 7 faith. It’s not about how strong we are, but how present God is.
Athletes often say that pressure doesn’t create character, it reveals it. The same is true in our spiritual lives. When the pressure is on, what’s revealed? Fear or faith? Panic or prayer?
The good news is, even when we’re weak, Jesus is strong. Even when we fumble, He is faithful. And even when the scoreboard of life looks like we’re losing, we know the ultimate victory is already won because of the cross and the empty tomb.
So whether you’re in a Game 7 moment right now, or one is on the horizon, remember this: God is not pacing nervously on the sidelines. He’s with you. He’s in you. He’s fighting for you.
Detroit Lions players stand arm-in-arm, Aug. 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:18, 21
Many people are already anticipating the NFL season — even fans of losing teams that are hoping for a better year — especially with the Hall of Fame game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions on the horizon July 31. So many things can happen to derail a season before it starts because team unity is fragile. Team leaders are likely already reminding teammates to work together, positively talk about the team, and work out disagreements as quickly as possible. At the moment, most teams may have good team harmony, and the hope is they can keep the peace throughout the season so the team has a chance to be successful. A team divided cannot stand.
Arguments can cause dissension on teams, in families, in friendships, and in the workplace. We see the Bible warn about the consequences of arguing and the importance of unity. On one occasion, Paul and Barnabas argued before they started their second missionary journey. That tells us that everybody argues, but it caused a rift between two good men. Even though Paul and Barnabas continued their ministry, they stopped working together.
Perhaps Paul saw the danger of unnecessary arguments after that or maybe he saw so many arguments in churches. For whatever reason, the Holy Spirit led him to write a lot of Bible verses on the importance of Christians learning to work together in harmony. First, Paul admitted that not everyone will like us, but he encouraged us to do our best to get along with all people. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:18, 21).
As Paul continued discussing cooperation in several letters, he said unity won’t happen if we’re selfish. Paul yearned for every Christian to be unselfish like Christ and then peace would flow like a river. “Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:2-4, NLT). If we’re full of ourselves, we don’t have room for anybody else.
Paul also reminded us that words need to be chosen carefully. Sometimes we need to take a long walk before we say anything if we’re angry. He used the word “edify” to speak about building up others in the faith whenever we can and trying to avoid harming others (Ephesians 4:29, NASB). As James said in James 1:19, we need to be quicker to listen than we are to speak. And finally, we must learn to forgive. Since we all say and do the wrong thing and sometimes hurt others (whether intentional or not), forgiveness is a necessity. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).
Let’s be intentional to build others up this week, and see how God can move.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
I come from a family which very much enjoys horses. Both my parents grew up riding horses as kids, and I had some experience horse riding when I was younger as well. I’ve always believed in the principle that nature has much to teach us about God and life — after all, there are many instances where the Bible instructs to “count the stars” (Genesis 15:5) or “go to the ant” (Proverbs 6:6) in order to mature and grow as a person.
So, with that in mind, I want to share a few lessons I picked up from watching horse dressage at the Olympic Games last year:
1) What matters is heart, courage and confidence, not appearance
In dressage, presentation is very important: the horse and rider being in sync, the proper steps and sequences being completed, etc. But, at the end of the day, what sells a program isn’t just looking perfect or going through the right things at the right time. What sells a program is the heart and emotion with which it is delivered. Yes, it’s important to avoid as many deductions as possible, but ultimately, the attitude of the horse and rider and their ability to bring their passion to the arena is what sells the program.
And the same ought to be true of us in whatever we put our work, time, and energy into. Just getting stuff done or trying to be as flawless as possible isn’t what makes for a quality life — it’s the heart and the passion we put into it as well. Accomplishments fade with time, but attitude and spirit and character last forever.
2) There are givers and there are takers
Like people, some horses aren’t as cooperative and selfless and teachable. They take more from you than they give, and that can be frustrating. The goal of the rider, however, is to work with the horse to mold even the takers into something that’s as close to a giver as possible. In order to compete at the highest level, you have to channel that stubbornness into something pliable so that you get the most out of your animal in competition, and help them achieve their potential.
In the same way, our job as leaders, parents, friends and followers of Jesus is to be able to work with even the takers so that they end up wanting to give something valuable. That can be challenging and require much patience, but it is possible and worth it.
3) Transformation takes time
You can’t instantly turn a horse into an event-worthy competitor. There is a process of helping that horse learn what it means be in front of the crowds, to feel for the subtle guidance of the rider, to listen for the music transitions, to remember its steps. All of that takes a while, and it takes dedication and patience on both the part of the horse and the rider to slowly grow into that partnership that can compete for the highest prizes in the sport.
In the same way, our personal growing and transformation takes time. God doesn’t expect to turn us into a mature Christian overnight, and we shouldn’t expect that of ourselves. Learning is a process, and we need to give ourselves grace because that’s what He does.
