Tom Brady in 2009.
(Photo Courtesy: Keith Allison/Flickr)
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 12:12
Many As One
A few weeks ago, we saw another Super Bowl victory for the New England Patriots and their future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. And whether you love him or hate him, you have to see the value he has brought to his team since becoming the starting quarterback 18 years ago: nine Super Bowl appearances, six wins; three regular-season MVPs, four Super Bowl MVPs; Super Bowl record holder for most wins, passing yards, touchdowns; and the list goes on and on.
There is no doubting the fact that he is one of the most successful and valuable players of all time. But, do you realize that a team made up of nothing but Tom Bradys would be historically bad? The defense would be terrible. It would get destroyed on the offensive and defensive lines. It wouldn’t be able to run the ball, cover the other team’s wide receivers, and it would have the worst kicking game in the league as well. An 0-16 record, no doubt.
But that is the beauty of a team. No matter how valuable one piece is, it needs every part, every role to function in unity in order to flourish! This too is true of God’s people and His Church. It is no coincidence that Paul uses the term “body of Christ” throughout the New Testament. Many parts, many functions, many talents, all operating together as a single unit to the glory of God.
We have been given different gifts, different roles, different areas of influence in our lives, and God wants us to be who He has called us to be, where He has called us to be. I cannot be salt and light at your kids’ school, but you can! I can’t be an ambassador of Christ at your place of employment, but you can!
Let’s ask God to open our eyes to the unique talents, passions and opportunities He has given us, so that as His followers, we can confidently operate as He wants us to, in the places that He has called us to. And in doing that, we can truly be the body of Christ.
— Chris Kelty
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Fans at a game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.” — Luke 6:32-33
Few things in sports create a stronger sense of identity than putting on your team’s jersey. For Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers fans, that jersey can instantly turn a room into “us” and “them.”
Rivalry is part of what makes sports fun. We cheer for our team, celebrate victories, and maybe enjoy a little bantering back and forth. But there’s a point where competition can become division.
Jesus addressed this very human tendency in Luke 6:32-33 (above). It’s easy to be kind to someone wearing the same jersey. The real test comes when a Green Bay fan encounters a Chicago fan — or a Chicago fan encounters a Green Bay fan — in a crowded stadium, a grocery store, or somewhere else in everyday life.
Do we choose mockery and pride, or do we choose kindness and respect? In a culture that can be divided and quick to label others as the enemy, sports fans who follow Christ have an opportunity to model something different. We can enjoy the rivalry without allowing the rivalry to control how we treat people.
Romans 12:18 says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We can’t control how another person behaves, but we can control our own response. We can congratulate an opposing fan after a hard-fought game. We can show courtesy in the checkout line. We can laugh together about the rivalry without mocking the other person.
Our team jersey may tell people which team we support, but our actions should show whom we serve. Colossians 3:14 says, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Love your team. Enjoy the rivalry. Compete fiercely. But love your rival, too.
The final score will eventually be forgotten. The way we treated another person may be remembered much longer. And that’s a victory that transcends the scoreboard.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney looks on in a game against North Carolina, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Dabo Swinney heard the noise last season. After a 1-3 start, fans and media pundits questioned whether his time as the Clemson head coach had run its course.
The Tigers made the College Football Playoff the year prior but lost in the first round to Texas. That’s the only taste Clemson has had of the CFP since the 2020-21 season, when it lost to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl semifinal. That loss came on the tail end of a dominant run by Swinney-coached teams at Clemson, including going to the national championship game four times in five years (2015-16 to 2019-20) and winning it all twice.
That 2024-25 CFP loss came in the first year the tournament expanded to 12 teams. A fanbase that was used to their team being a mainstay in the four-team CFP has found little patience as the team seeks to return in the expanded format.
The Tigers finished 7-6 last season — the most losses for a Swinney-coached team since 2010 — and a loss to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl didn’t help quell the frustration. Neither did a 51-10 loss to LSU to start this 2026-27 season. But Clemson has since won two straight, including a 22-7 win over Georgia Southern and a 28-20 win over North Carolina on Saturday.
Swinney was asked about how he handles that pressure week to week when the expectations from fans are still so high. Never one to shy away from speaking about his faith, he pointed to God.
“God’s on the throne,” Swinney said in his postgame press conference Saturday. “Football don’t define me. Scoreboards don’t define me. God’s on the throne whether we win or lose. Even if I never win another game, God is still good. That’s where my peace comes from. Period, the end.”
Last year’s record could’ve looked different had Clemson been truer to its identity over the years, Swinney pointed out. With an assist from a sports information staffer, Swinney noted that Clemson has the nation’s highest winning percentage in one-score games dating back to 2011. The Tigers went 1-3 in one-score games last season, including a 46-45 home loss to Duke.
“Obviously we screwed that up last year. That’s on me. That my job to win the close games,” he said in his press conference. “That’s a pretty big stat to lead the nation in one-score wins, but that’s how we’ve won. We’ve won close games. If you’re going to have a great season, you’ve got to win close games. Everybody’s got good players. Everybody’s got good coaches. You’re not just going to walk out there and blow everybody out. You have to win some four-quarter, down-to-the-last-play games.”
Several of his undefeated or one-loss teams could’ve had several more losses if not for winning close games. Those types of wins tend to compound and help a team build momentum, Swinney said. He feels like Saturday’s 28-20 win over UNC can be one of those wins.
“It just puts wind in your sails,” he said in his press conference. “It just creates that confidence, and you have to have that because we’ll have some more tough games along the way. We didn’t win the ACC today, but we’re 1-0, and you can’t win two until you win one. So that’s all we’ve got. We’ve just got to keep moving forward.”
"My purpose as a man is to glorify God in all that I do. To be a great husband and father. And then to use that platform of football and education to build great men."@ClemsonFB coach Dabo Swinney is our guest on a brand new Sports Spectrum podcast with @MattForte22. pic.twitter.com/Y8HG5wFUHz
After taking over as head coach mid-season in October 2008, Swinney is now in his 19th season as Clemson’s head coach. He’s 189-54 over that span and is Clemson’s all-time winningest coach. At 56 years old, he still feels like he has plenty of tread left. Last season, he made it clear that if Clemson decides to move on from him at any point, he plans to keep coaching somewhere else.
But whatever this next leg of his career looks like, he knows his peace comes from the Lord.
“I know where I came from and God has shown so much favor on my life,” he said in Saturday’s press conference. “I’d just have to be an idiot to lose my peace now because something ain’t going right. Listen, God never says, ‘Oops.’ It’s what I believe. Just keep going. Just keep going, man. Don’t ever quit. I don’t ever quit, I just keep going. I love what I do. Love who I do it with. But my peace comes from knowing that God’s on the throne. That’s where my peace comes from, and no football game can change that. So I don’t care what happens.”
Swinney has long strived to be genuine and authentic, and he makes it well known to recruits and their families that’s he’s a Christian. He lets them know his job is to coach football, but his purpose is to glorify God.
“My purpose as a man is to glorify God in all that I do,” he said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in August 2025, “to be a great husband and father, and then to use this platform of football and education to build great men, to build transformational leaders. That’s my purpose in life.”
Swinney and Clemson continue ACC play at Cal on Saturday, with kickoff set for 10:30 p.m. ET
Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven in the Stanley Cup Final, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)
“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” — Ephesians 5:15-16
The final minutes of a game are when composure matters most. You’ve got the lead, the clock is winding down, and every decision feels heavier. Push too hard and you risk a turnover. Hold too long and you let momentum slip. Managing the clock isn’t just about protecting a lead — it’s about knowing when to act, when to wait, and when to trust your teammates.
The best players are able to stay aware of the circumstances and finish strong. They make intentional choices with every shift, knowing how to control the pace and make the time they have count.
In the same way, the apostle Paul was calling attention to the importance of living with intention in Ephesians 5:15-16: “Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Life doesn’t give extra time or redo opportunities, so each moment matters. The decisions you make, the way you spend your energy, and the priorities you set shape your life. They also impact your growth, influence and legacy. Wisdom isn’t just speed or effort; it’s intentionality.
So be careful how you live and manage the clock well. Be intentional both on the ice and in your walk with God. Play the periods you’ve been given with focus. Finish strong, and make every second count.
— Sam Gonzalez, Hockey Ministries International chaplain
Even though my career didn’t revolve around social media or NIL, I was still full of myself. I graduated from Oregon thinking my little receipt would land me my dream job at ESPN, but I was wrong. I was wrapped up in softball because of my flawed identity. For years, I worked hard for college, so when it ended, I was devastated. No substance — just a gut check I wasn’t prepared for.
It took me months to land my first gig, and when I did, it was pathetic. I made $10 an hour in a warehouse that I walked to and from for a while. It was hard to fathom this new rock bottom.
When I fully surrendered to Jesus, I realized how lost I was! My identity was in softball, not my Savior. As I matured in the Lord, God revealed plans and people I wanted to hold on to, but they needed to be released so I could experience abundant life as His disciple. Softball was my god and it was worthless, like all the other idols we hold before King Jesus. The softball world wasn’t the roadmap for me, and I finally swallowed the pill I avoided for years.
As your journey with the Lord continues, ask God to search your heart to identify people and plans that may not align with His plans for you. Are you willing to let go of them? Are you trusting God’s ordained steps for you? Or do you think you can do a better job than Yahweh Himself?
— Monique Fuiava, University of Oregon women’s chaplain
