“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
What If?
The greatest athlete I ever saw play in the NFL was Bo Jackson. He was a running back who stood 6’1” and weighed 230 pounds and ran a mind-boggling 4.2 seconds in the 40-yard dash! Bo had the perfect combination of size, speed, vision, and heart. I am convinced that if his hip injury did not end his career, he would have been the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
I often thought, “What if I had Bo Jackson’s talent?” What if somehow there was a machine and Bo Jackson could live and play football through me? Wow! I would have been off-the-charts good.
Jesus Christ, the King of kings and the Lord of lord’s wants to live and play the game of life through you! If you are a Christ-follower, Jesus already does live in you. Now by faith, allow Him to live through you.
Joe Gibbs was one of the greatest coaches the NFL had ever seen. In 16 seasons, he made nine playoff appearances, won five NFC championships and collected three Super Bowl wins. He coached running backs like John Riggins and George Rogers; receivers like Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders; quarterbacks like Joe Theismann and Doug Williams; and protecting those guys was a group that came to be known as the HOGS (Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby and Mark May, just to name a few).
What made Gibbs’ teams so good? I believe it was the philosophy he built his style of play upon. He brought the attitude that his teams would have “relentless effort, meticulous attention to detail, and a strong focus on the game before them.”
Back then, football involved a fullback, running back and a few receivers. Today, we shift and motion with multiple receivers, and not many even know where a fullback would line up. Football has indeed become a complicated game.
Similarly, we often make our walk with Christ more complicated than it should be. We want to list all the “rules” we think we must keep to bring joy to the Lord, while in truth, the one main thing He desires is an intimate relationship with His children.
So as you begin your day today, bring back simplicity to your life and just spend time with Him. As James 4:8 (ESV) says, “Draw near to God” because the promise is that if we do this, He will draw near to us! It is that simple.
— Scott Nicholson, Mississippi State football chaplain
Tony Dungy (left) and Cooper Kupp. (Photo courtesy of X/@TonyDungy)
The first four months of 2026 have been good to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
In February, the 32-year-old won his second Super Bowl title when the Seahawks took down the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX. Then on Friday at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, he was presented with the 2026 Uncommon Award by legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy.
Dungy presents the Uncommon Award annually to someone who, according to the event website, isn’t “afraid to take the tough road, to follow a higher calling or set a higher standard.” Dungy’s passion for living an uncommon life and calling others to do the same came from his father, his collegiate coach at Minnesota, Cal Stoll, and Jesus’ words in the Bible passage Matthew 7:13-14.
We’re at our 13th annual Uncommon Award dinner and this year we are honoring Cooper Kupp. Cooper is a 2 time Super Bowl champ and an amazing man as well. He’s been a great leader for the Rams & the Seahawks and a true community servant. Cooper has shown that you can be at the top… pic.twitter.com/GqiQKXdzJV
The presentation of the Uncommon Award to Kupp was followed Saturday morning by the Arise with the Guys men’s event, which was attended by nearly 4,000 men. The event seeks to prepare men to create meaningful change and live an uncommon life. Recently-retired Minnesota Vikings fullback C.J. Ham was one of the speakers, and the event concluded with a Gospel presentation.
The morning centered on Kupp and Dungy as they participated in a Q&A, where they talked about football and their shared faith in Christ.
“I was made to play the game of football,” Kupp said on the stage. “Not to go do great football things or to win Super Bowls. I was made to play football to be on a stage to be able to point to Jesus, to be able to call people to Him, to be able to live a life that reflects Jesus in every way. I know that I would not be here without Him.”
Kupp was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams out of Eastern Washington in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and made an immediate splash in L.A. with 869 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. He continued to develop over the next few years, culminating in a historic 2021 campaign.
That season, he earned the NFL’s receiving “triple crown” in which he led the league in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). Kupp was named a Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro, and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and he capped the season by leading his team to a 23-20 victory in Super Bowl LVI. He was the game’s MVP.
After three more seasons with the Rams, he was released and quickly re-signed by Seattle, where he continued to be a starter. His consistency and veteran leadership proved invaluable on the team’s journey to a Super Bowl title; he caught six passes for 61 yards in the big game.
Kupp’s full Q&A was featured in this week’s “Tuesday Morning RB” on the Sports Spectrum Podcast, and when asked about his release from the Rams only to be signed by the Seahawks and win a Super Bowl, he talked about trusting God’s goodness in the uncertainty.
“God has a plan for you that isn’t always going to be in alignment with what you want for yourself,” Kupp said. “But His plan is better. I promise you, it’s better. You know, I’ve lived that out. This year was a great example.”
Later, Kupp revealed that he signs autographs with one of his favorite Bible verses, 1 Corinthians 9:25, which says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” After Kupp quoted it, he reflected on its significance to him.
“I’m working out at 7:00 in the morning. I’m here not because I’m getting ready for a game. I’m here because I’m representing Jesus on earth,” he said. “That is a mindset that is going to give you everything you need, all the motivation you need, to go out and be the best football player that you can possibly be. More than enough motivation.
“We should be the hardest workers in the world, because we’re working for an eternal prize.”
Kupp was asked about what the Lord taught him in the past year, from the low of being released to the high of winning a Super Bowl with his favorite childhood team.
“What God taught me is that He’s there,” Kupp said. “He’s there for us, and when you pursue Him, He’s going to answer the bell. He will answer the bell, I promise you. Do not leave. Just stay on the path that He has for you because He is there for you and He has a great plan for you.”
Whatever 2026-27 holds for Kupp, this year’s Uncommon Award winner will seek to continue to live the uncommon life God has called him to.
Asa was the king of Judah from 911-870 BC. He sought to do good and persevered against varied opposition for 41 years. The encouraging words from 2 Chronicles 15:7 (ESV) were spoken to Asa by the prophet Azariah: “But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” It was a reminder to Asa and us that perseverance (“take courage”) requires work.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Will Vest’s story is a story of God’s grace, but also of Will’s determination and hard work. I’ve known Will since his days in Single-A baseball and have had a front-row seat to his perseverance.
“My baseball career has seen a ton of ups and downs; it hasn’t been a straight path by any means,” Will says. “I’ve never been the biggest, strongest or fastest, so even when I was younger, I got cut from a lot of teams. I wasn’t a highly touted draft prospect coming out of college, and even in the pros I got demoted every year from 2018 through 2023. I’ve had to work through a lot of failure.”
The work that he’s put in to become a major league pitcher has required effort, sacrifice, consistency and accountability. Of eternal consequence, I’ve seen Will pursue living out his Christian life with the same effort and perseverance.
The Bible is clear that we do not work for our salvation; it is a gift that cannot be earned (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once a person has received that gift of salvation, he or she is to be invested in living out that relationship with Jesus. But that does take some effort and perseverance.
The basic meaning of the word “perseverance” in the New Testament means to “stand up under.” Christians are to work at standing up under trials and standing for Jesus.
“Without Jesus, I’m nothing. Without His love and His care and His guidance just going through my whole life — the ups and downs that I’ve been through — He’s the only Truth and the Way to help me through.”
