Robert Horry (Photo courtesy of Twitter/@SLAMonline)
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:14
“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” — 1 Corinthians 9:19
Better Be a Winner
Above are my two favorite verses in the Bible on winning.
Robert Horry is a winner. He was never the best all-around player in the NBA, the best scorer, the best rebounder, the best vocal leader or the best defender. But he could be the best winner in our recent era.
In 16 NBA seasons, Horry was on seven world championship teams. I recently read about a current NBA player who has played nine years and never made the playoffs. The NBA takes 16 of 30 teams for the postseason each year and his three teams have never competed in the postseason.
Unbelievable.
Horry wins. With a nickname like “Big Shot Rob,” he better be a winner. He makes others better and carries seven fingers worth of rings.
Paul knew our ring/trophy was in the unseen and for the life after, because our championship platform is in Heaven. He also realized that it didn’t matter what happened to him here, as long as he took many with him. He could be imprisoned, looked down upon and ridiculed as long as others joined in the victory parade.
Paul and Horry understand a simple, key principle — on the hardwood or for Heaven’s sake: “Win as many as possible.”
— Jeff Pinkleton
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“The Lord said to him, ‘Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.’” — Exodus 4:11-12
Emma wasn’t the best player on her volleyball team. There were girls with better stats, more experience, more natural talent. Emma was a utility player — filled in wherever the team needed her, didn’t complain, just did her job. She wasn’t a star. She was just … there. But her coach saw more than that — she saw the person who could actually bring their fractured team together.
When the coach asked Emma to be the team captain, Emma actually laughed. “Coach, I barely play. Why would anyone listen to me?” The coach looked at her and said something Emma would never forget: “Because they trust you. You’re not trying to be the star. You’re trying to help the team. And that’s what we need right now.”
Emma had a choice. She could decline and stay comfortable in her role. Or she could accept an invitation she didn’t feel qualified for and trust that her coach saw something in her she couldn’t see yet. Emma chose to accept. And that decision changed everything — not just for her, but for the entire team.
This is how God works throughout Scripture. Moses had a speech impediment and a criminal record. David was the youngest son nobody took seriously. Gideon was hiding in a winepress when God called him a mighty warrior. Peter was impulsive and kept putting his foot in his mouth. Paul was persecuting Christians before Jesus got ahold of him.
None of these people were qualified by human standards, but God called them anyway. And then He did extraordinary things through them. Not because they were capable, but because He was.
That’s the pattern throughout the Bible: God calls ordinary people to extraordinary things. The only requirement is a willingness to trust the One who is enough.
Achieving the Triple Crown in Major League Baseball is a difficult feat. A player must have the highest batting average, the most home runs and the most RBIs. These achievements don’t happen very often.
There’s also a Triple Crown in horse racing. A horse must win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes in the same year. Again, a difficult achievement as the horse must win three races in a row against the best horses at three different tracks and different distances. Some of the horses in the second and third race do not compete in all the races, so they’re an unknown factor in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
In drag racing, there’s no so-called “Triple Crown.” But when a race team runs low ET (elapsed time) and top speed of the meet, and then wins the race too, it’s like a Triple Crown — a racing trinity. For the sold-out fans of drag racing, their Triple Crown is going to the races, seeing their favorite driver win, and witnessing a world record at the same race.
Most importantly, there’s an eternal Triple Crown calling all of us to listen, learn and lean on the God-based Trinity consisting of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are the epitome of stardom from eternity past while visibly wearing the gold crowns forever. They’re the Champs of the universe!
Joy, peace and hope are a good Triple Crown for us humans. Faith allows us to have a Triple Crown as we have the joy of the Lord, the peace that surpasses all understanding, and the eternal hope that drives us to serve Almighty God all our years on earth.
The Book of Ephesians gives us another Triple Crown by reminding us who we were before coming to Christ (Ephesians 2:1-3), who we are now in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6), and who we are to become — how to live in Christ considering our new life in Him (Ephesians 2:10, 4:24). We’re alive in Christ (got the new racing machine), saved by grace (made it to the racetrack), and raised up with Christ (racing down the track).
Tell me, friends, what depletes your joy? What threatens your peace? What diminishes your hope? Just remember that God’s imperishable Triple Crown is bestowed upon us through faith and trust by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Golden State Valkyries guard Veronica Burton celebrates, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
In just the franchise’s second year of existence, the Golden State Valkyries captured the WNBA title on Saturday night in San Francisco after a hard-fought, back-and-forth 68-63 victory against the Atlanta Dream in Game 7. It was the first seven-game series in WNBA Finals history.
Valkyries point guard Veronica Burton left her mark on the game from beginning to end. She hit a step-back mid-range jumper just before the shot clock expired to open the scoring, and she buried two clutch free throws with 5.1 seconds remaining to extend Golden State’s lead to five. They would be the last points of the contest.
Burton finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and a block in the winner-take-all Game 7. She also led her team with 39 minutes played as her team overcame a six-point halftime deficit.
The 5-foot-9 point guard anchored Golden State throughout their 13-game postseason run. She led the team in assists per game (3.8), tied for second in rebounds (4.9), and was third in points (9.2).
“Hands down, I think she’s the best point guard right now in the league,” Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase told The Athletic last week. “… It’s that grittiness. It’s that leadership. It is that toughness. It’s diving on the floor, getting knocked down, getting back up.”
Burton is a leader and defensive stopper on her team, and in many ways the heart and soul of it. And now, she’s carried Golden State to a title. It’s a story no one would have thought possible just a few years ago, perhaps not even her.
Burton’s WNBA career began with promise, as the Massachusetts native was drafted No. 7 overall by the Dallas Wings in 2022 after a decorated college career at Northwestern. Yet after two seasons of limited playing time and limited success in Dallas, the Wings waived her in May 2024. She eventually signed with the Connecticut Sun for the remainder of the 2024 campaign, yet again didn’t see the floor much.
Burton’s breakthrough came when Golden State picked her from Connecticut’s roster in the December 2024 expansion draft and she instantly became a critical piece of the new team. She started all 44 games in 2025 and thrived in that role, averaging 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 29.4 minutes of game action. Golden State became the first WNBA expansion team to reach the playoffs in its first year, and Burton was named the league’s Most Improved Player. She was also named to the All-Defensive second team.
Burton was again named to the All-Defensive second team in 2026 and guided the Valkyries back to the playoffs as the No. 2 overall seed with a 32-12 regular-season record. She averaged 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.6 steals.
Throughout her rise to the top of the WNBA, Burton has consistently given glory to God, both on social media and in interviews. She was found reading the Book of James after being waived by Dallas, and in a 2023 appearance on the Sports Spectrum Podcast, she explained why it’s so important to her to thank God.
“The one thing that I try and thank Him for every day is just the opportunities that He’s presented for me,” she said. “I’ve been able to experience a lot of great things, and things have worked out in my favor, and a lot of that has to do with Him and the grace that He has for me.”
Although Burton grew up in a family that emphasized faith, it was at Northwestern that God truly began to work in her heart to draw her to Himself.
“I realized that the more I centered my life around faith and my relationship with the Lord, the more steady I found myself and the more at peace I found myself,” she said on the podcast. “That’s where I saw a shift in who I was and what I really prioritized.”
“My faith is the most important thing to me,” the 26-year-old said. “Just wrapping my identity around who Christ says I am rather than a sport, a career.”
In a video later in the series, Burton shared why her daily practice of doing devotionals and spending time in God’s Word is so important.
“I wanted to know Him for myself and I wanted to have a genuine relationship for myself,” she said, “because I believe that’s the best part about Christianity is having a relationship.”
Burton praised God amid the depths of doubt and uncertainty after she was waived two years ago. Now, at last, she can praise Him as a WNBA champion.
United States skier Lindsey Vonn crashes into a gate at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’” — Ruth 1:16
Downhill skiing is one of the most dangerous events during the Winter Olympics. Lindsey Vonn could enjoy a much easier life if she chose to participate in some other activities. During her long and spectacular career, she’s thrived going down slopes at 80 mph in spite of major injuries and long periods of recovery. She’s sustained nine major injuries and five surgeries.
Besides knee injuries, a broken ankle and a serious arm injury, she’s also dealt with depression for many years. Plus, she struggled when she retired, only to return to action again and experience another injury. She’s written a book about her life and inspires many people to be patient and overcome obstacles.
The Book of Ruth is a great place to start for a look into a Biblical account of handling challenges. Ruth was a person who took a long view of happiness and didn’t expect her earthly life to go exactly the way she wanted it to. She looked to God for direction and trusted the Lord when she couldn’t see anything good happening. Orpah, Ruth’s sister-in-law, went back to her people in Moab and followed their false gods after disaster struck their family and left them all widows. Ruth, instead, chose to stay and help Naomi, her mother-in-law, despite facing potential loneliness and rejection in the midst of moving to a foreign land, not knowing if she’d ever receive any benefits for doing so.
The testimony of this young woman declares many incredible truths. Even though most people wouldn’t fault Ruth for looking out for herself, she lived unselfishly in a selfish world. She stood steadfast beside Naomi (Ruth 1:16, above). Eventually, God rewarded the sacrifice of Ruth, but she followed God’s leading while not knowing if her life may become more difficult.
In spite of Naomi — who was bitter and angry about being a widow — Ruth counted her blessings. She was thankful for the ability to go out into the field and gather grain as a beggar according to the provision described in Leviticus. The corners of fields were left unpicked for the needy. Even though Ruth didn’t know if she’d ever have a husband again as a young widow in a strange land, she did her best and kept a positive outlook. During her daily labors, it probably looked like unbelievers prospered more than her, but God had prepared a better future for her with Boaz, establishing her in the family tree of not only the great King David but eventually Jesus. She kept faithfully working while waiting to see what God had written for her story. Her life story turned out better than a movie because she trusted God when she didn’t understand what was happening.
Throughout the Scriptures, we’re urged to think more about eternity than temporary earthly pleasure. Jesus didn’t promise any of His disciples earthly wealth when we follow Him (Luke 9:23). When we actually believe in Christ, we learn to put aside personal agendas, help others and walk with Christ even if nobody else will join us. Our stories may not look like we’d hoped (often they don’t), but our faith can anchor us and keep us focused on what really matters, no matter what comes our way.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
