He Must Increase

Most of us carry at least one moment we wish we could take back. Maybe it was something we said in the heat of a game, a player we handled poorly, or a season when we weren't who we wanted to be at home. We know God forgives, but sometimes the memory still sits with us, and we wonder if we've disqualified ourselves from being used the way we once hoped. If that's you, this story is for you. On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter stood warming his hands by a charcoal fire in a courtyard. Three times someone recognized him as one of Jesus' followers, and three times Peter denied even knowing Him. Luke tells us that Jesus turned and looked at Peter, and Peter went out and wept bitterly. It was the lowest moment of his life. A few weeks later, after the resurrection, Peter was out fishing with some of the other disciples. They'd been at it all night and caught nothing. At daybreak, a man on the shore told them to throw their net on the other side, and suddenly it was so full they couldn't haul it in. John said, "It's the Lord!" and Peter jumped straight into the water. When they reached the shore, Jesus had breakfast waiting, cooking over a charcoal fire. John uses the same word for that fire as the one in the courtyard, and it's the only two times it appears in the New Testament. I don't think that's an accident. Jesus brought Peter back to the smell and the warmth of the place where he'd failed, not to shame him, but to heal him there. Then Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" Three denials, three chances to answer. Each time Peter said yes, Jesus gave him a job: "Feed my sheep." He didn't just forgive Peter. He handed him responsibility again. The man who had failed so publicly would go on to preach at Pentecost and lead the early church.  That's what correction looks like in the hands of Jesus. It doesn't leave us in our worst moment. It meets us there, speaks to us kindly, and sends us back out with purpose. Whatever you're carrying, Coach, you're not benched. He's still calling you back onto the field. Trust it: Trusting God through correction means believing that His goal is always restoration. When He brings up something painful, it's never to keep us down. It's to set us free, so we can serve Him with a whole heart again. Scripture to stand on: "He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'... 'Feed my sheep,' Jesus said." John 21:17 (CSB) "Because of the LORD's faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!" Lamentations 3:22–23 (CSB) "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (CSB) Challenge this week: Take the moment you've been carrying and bring it to Jesus one more time, not to relive it, but to hear what He says about it. Picture yourself on that beach with Him. Then let Him give you your next assignment. You might pray: "Jesus, You know everything, and You know I love You. Restore me, and send me back out." Overtime: Listen to "Come As You Are" by David Crowder this week. Let it play on the drive to practice or while you're getting ready in the morning, and let it remind you that you don't have to clean yourself up before coming home to Him. Covered by grace, Jenny

Every coach knows the value of film. The game moves too fast to see everything in real time, but when we slow the tape down, we catch things we'd never notice from the sideline. So this week, let's head to the film room together and break down one of the most famous correction moments in the Bible. It comes from Matthew 16, and it happens to Peter. Clip one: the highlight. Jesus asks His disciples who they think He is, and Peter nails it. "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus tells him he's blessed, that this truth came straight from the Father. If this were a game, it would be on the highlight reel. Clip two: the very next play. Jesus starts telling them that He's going to suffer, be killed, and rise again. Peter, still riding high from that last moment, pulls Jesus aside and tells Him that can never happen. He means well. He loves Jesus and can't stand the thought of losing Him. But he's trying to coach the Coach. Clip three: the correction. Jesus turns and speaks some of the strongest words He ever said to a friend. He tells Peter that he's thinking about human concerns instead of God's concerns. It's direct, and it's clear, and it had to sting. Clip four: what happens next. We tend to skip it. Peter doesn't walk away. He stays. And six days later, in the very next chapter, Jesus takes Peter up the mountain to see His glory at the Transfiguration. The correction didn't end their relationship. It strengthened it. When we break down that tape, a few things stand out. Peter's biggest correction came right after his biggest win, which is often when we're least open to hearing it. The correction was about his thinking, not his worth. And Jesus kept investing in him afterward. That's what godly correction looks like, and it's worth asking who in our lives has permission to speak to us that way. We spend our whole careers coaching others. But who coaches the coach? Who has the freedom to pull you aside and say, "I think you missed something here"? It might be a mentor, a spouse, a pastor, or a fellow coach you trust. If no one comes to mind, that's not a failure. It's just a gap worth filling. Trust it: Welcome to our second movement, Trust. Over the next four weeks we'll look at what it means to trust God through correction and to trust Him beyond ourselves. It starts here, with the humility to let someone else see our blind spots and the faith to believe God can use them to grow us. Scripture to stand on: "Jesus turned and told Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you're not thinking about God's concerns but human concerns.'" Matthew 16:23 (CSB) "Listen to counsel and receive instruction so that you may be wise later in life." Proverbs 19:20 (CSB) "Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17 (CSB) Challenge this week: Think of one person who could be that voice for you, and reach out to them. It could be as simple as asking, "Would you be willing to be honest with me if you ever see something I'm missing?" You might pray this as you think it through: "Lord, bring the right people around me, and give me an open heart to hear them." Overtime: If you don't have a mentor right now and would like one, reply to this email. I'd love to help connect you with a coach or leader who has walked this road and would count it a privilege to walk alongside you. On the same team, Jenny  P.S. Interested in using Growth Mindset as a season-long theme with your team? I'd love to help. I have resources ready for you, including options that work in public school settings. Just reply to this email.

There's a moment in Luke 11 that I think every coach can appreciate. The disciples had been with Jesus for a while. They'd heard Him teach, watched Him heal, and seen Him handle crowds and critics. But one day, after watching Him pray, one of them came to Him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray." They didn't ask Him to teach them how to preach or perform miracles. They'd seen where His strength came from, and they wanted to learn that. What I love is that they weren't beginners. These were men who had left everything to follow Him, and they still knew they had more to learn. Jesus didn't hand them a lecture. He gave them a simple, beautiful prayer to start with, and an invitation to keep coming back. So this week, instead of a devotional, I want to hand you a few questions. Take them slowly, maybe one a day, on the drive to practice or before the house wakes up. There are no right answers here, just honest ones. When was the last time you asked God to teach you something, not just to fix something or bless something, but to teach you? We ask our players to stay coachable, and it's worth wondering whether we're still bringing that same posture to our Father. What does your prayer life look like right now, not the way you wish it looked, but the way it really is? Maybe it's rich and steady, maybe it's mostly quick prayers in the car, or maybe it's been quiet for a while. God isn't grading it. He just wants to meet you there. If someone watched how you pray, what would they learn? The disciples asked to be taught because they had watched Jesus. The people around us, our families, our staff, and our players, are watching too, and what they see us lean on in hard moments teaches them more than anything we say. What's one thing you've been trying to figure out on your own that you haven't really brought to God? It might be a decision, a relationship, a worry about a player, or something at home. Sometimes the most honest prayer we can pray is, "I don't know how to handle this. Will You teach me?" And finally, what would it look like to be a student again this season? Not the coach with all the answers, but a learner sitting at the feet of the best Teacher there is. Learn it: This wraps up our first stretch together, the Learn movement. Over these four weeks we've talked about asking, humility, and honesty, and it all comes back to this: the growing coach is still a student. Next week we'll step into Trust, but we carry this with us. We never outgrow learning from Jesus. Scripture to stand on: "He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray...'" Luke 11:1 (CSB) "Make your ways known to me, LORD; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long." Psalm 25:4–5 (CSB) "In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings." Romans 8:26 (CSB) Challenge this week: Pray the Lord's Prayer from Luke 11:2–4 slowly each day, and pause after each line to put it in your own words. Let it be a starting place, the same way Jesus meant it for His disciples. You might begin simply: "Lord, teach me to pray. I want to learn from You." Overtime: Open the Bible App (YouVersion) and search "prayer" for a short reading plan, something around five to seven days. Doing a plan with a friend or fellow coach makes it even better, since you can see each other's notes and keep each other going.  A fellow student, Jenny

Coaching comes with a lot of pressure to look like we have it all together. Our players need us steady, parents want us confident, administrators expect us to have answers, and somewhere along the way we learn to smile through the hard weeks and say "We're good" even when we're running on fumes. I've done it more times than I can count. Most of us don't mean to pretend. It just becomes part of the job, and after a while it can quietly slip into our walk with God too. I love the story of the rich young man in Mark 10. He runs up to Jesus, kneels in front of Him, and asks what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus walks him through the commandments, the young man answers with real sincerity that he has kept them all since he was a boy. From the outside, he had it all together. He was respectful, disciplined, successful, and eager. If he played for us, he'd be a captain. Then comes one of my favorite lines in all of Scripture. Mark tells us that Jesus looked at him and loved him . Before Jesus said one hard word, He loved him. And then , gently and honestly, He named the one thing the young man was holding onto tighter than he was holding onto God. The young man walked away sad, and we never learn how his story ends. What strikes me is that Jesus wasn't impressed by the résumé, and He wasn't put off by what was underneath it either. He saw all of it and loved him anyway. That's the same way He looks at you and me. We don't have to perform for Him or clean ourselves up before we come close. He already sees the whole picture, the good seasons and the hard ones, the parts we show and the parts we hide, and He loves us right in the middle of it. Growth doesn't begin when we finally have it together. It begins when we stop pretending we do. Learn it: Last week we talked about humility, and honesty is where humility gets practical. We can't learn what we won't admit we need. When we're honest with God about where we really are, we give Him room to meet us there and grow us from there. Scripture to stand on: "Looking at him, Jesus loved him..." Mark 10:21 (CSB) "Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23–24 (CSB) "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 (CSB) Challenge this week: Find one person you trust, like your spouse, a friend, or a fellow coach, and when they ask how you're doing, give them the real answer. And before that, give God the real answer too. You might pray something as simple as this: "Lord, You already see all of me. Help me stop pretending and let You meet me where I really am." Overtime: Grab a notebook or the notes app on your phone and write three sentences that each start with "God, if I'm honest..." Don't edit them or tidy them up. Just let them be true. Then read them back to Him as a prayer, knowing that He looks at you the same way He looked at that young man, with love. Honestly grateful for you, Jenny 

Good Morning Coach,  Picture two coaches in the same film room on the Monday after a tough loss. Coach A is running the tape, running on four hours of sleep, and still replaying the last drive. An assistant speaks up: "I think they changed their coverage in the second half." Coach A feels the sting before thinking it through. "We had the right call. We just didn't execute." It isn't meant harshly. It's just been a long weekend, and the loss is still sitting heavy. Coach B is just as tired and hurts just as much. But they pause the tape. "Show me. What did you see?" Five minutes later there's a new idea for Friday, and an assistant who feels like their voice matters. Here's the honest truth: every one of us has been Coach A. Most of us have been both coaches in the same week. The difference between them isn't talent or character. It's what's holding them up when the pressure hits. Devo: When our confidence rests on being right, questions can feel like threats, especially after a loss. When our confidence rests on something deeper, we're free to listen. That's what humility really is. It isn't thinking less of yourself. It's being secure enough that you don't have to protect yourself. Jesus shows us this beautifully. In John 13, right before He kneels to wash His disciples' feet, John tells us what Jesus knew: that the Father had given everything into His hands, that He had come from God, and that He was going back to God. Out of that security, He picked up a towel and served. He wasn't proving anything. He already knew who He was. Paul describes the same heart in Philippians 2. Jesus had every right to status, and He chose to humble Himself for us. The most confident person who ever lived was also the humblest, and that's good news for us. It means humility isn't something we have to manufacture by trying harder. It grows naturally as we rest in who God says we are. Coach, your worth isn't on the scoreboard or in having the best answer in the film room. It's settled in Christ. The more you rest there, the easier it gets to say, "Show me." Learn it: Growth starts with humility, and humility grows best in secure soil. The more deeply you know you're loved and held by God, the less you need to prove, and the more room you have to keep learning. Scripture to stand on: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves." Philippians 2:3 (CSB) "Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God." John 13:3 (CSB) "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time." 1 Peter 5:6 (CSB) Moments to notice: We all have spots where pride quietly slips in, usually when we're tired, stressed, or hurting. A few to watch for with grace: After a loss: when an honest comment feels like criticism. When someone asks "why": when the instinct is to defend before we listen. At home: when it's hard to say "you were right" to the people closest to us. Noticing is the first step, and God meets us right there with kindness, not condemnation. Challenge this week: Look for one chance to say "Show me," "Tell me more," or "You were right" to an assistant, a player, your spouse, or your kid. See what it opens up, in them and in you. Carry this prayer with you: "Jesus, settle my heart in who You say I am, so I can lead with open hands." Overtime: Pick up The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller. It's about 50 pages, easy to finish in one sitting, and a refreshing picture of gospel humility: not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. Win the Day, Jenny P.S. Interested in using Growth Mindset as a season-long theme with your team? I'd love to help. I have resources ready for you, including options that work in public school settings. Just reply to this email.

Do you remember your first season? It may have been a LONG time ago… You asked everybody everything. How do you run this drill? How do you handle that parent? What do I do when my best player won't listen? Somewhere along the way the questions got quieter. Experience piled up, the playbook got thicker, and without meaning to, we started coaching from what we know instead of from what we're still learning. It happens to the best of us. It happens especially to the best of us. Devo: Solomon had just been handed the biggest job in the nation. He was young, he was following a legendary father, and the whole weight of God's people was now on his shoulders. One night at Gibeon, God appeared to him in a dream and made an offer no one else has ever gotten: "Ask. What should I give you?" (1 Kings 3:5). Think about what Solomon could have asked for: a long life, wealth, victory over his enemies, a guaranteed winning record. Instead, he admitted the truth: I'm young. I don't know how to do this. Then he asked for a listening heart. The Hebrew literally describes a heart that hears. God was so pleased with that request that He gave Solomon wisdom and poured out blessings he never asked for. Here's what gets me: Solomon's greatest moment of leadership started with admitting what he didn't know. The wisest king in history became wise by asking. No matter how many seasons you have behind you, you never outgrow that invitation. God isn't waiting for you to have it figured out. He's waiting for you to ask. Learn it: This season we're walking through four movements together: Learn, Trust, Serve, and Teach. It all starts here. Growth begins when we stay humble, honest, and ready to learn, and that's as true for the coach as it is for any player. Before you can help anyone else grow, you get to be the one still growing. Scripture to stand on: "So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil." 1 Kings 3:9 (CSB) "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God — who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly — and it will be given to him." James 1:5 (CSB) "When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom." Proverbs 11:2 (CSB) Coach's pointers: Ask before you plan. Before you write a practice plan or walk into a hard conversation, pause and ask, "Lord, what do I need to see here?" Ask one person for input. An assistant, a veteran coach, or your spouse: "What's one thing you see in me that I might be missing?" Then just listen. Say "I don't know" out loud this week. It won't cost you respect. It will show your team what a secure leader looks like. Challenge this week: If God said to you today, "Ask. What should I give you?", what would you ask for? Write it down. Be honest, even if the first answer is a win on Friday. Then sit with it and ask God to shape the request into what you really need. Close with a prayer you can carry all season: "Lord, give me a listening heart. I don't want to coach only from what I know. Teach me what You want to show me." Overtime: Try the Lectio 365 app from 24-7 Prayer. It offers a short daily guided time of Scripture and prayer, morning and evening, perfect for the drive to practice or the few minutes before the house wakes up. Win the Day, Jenny P.S. If you want to build a Growth Mindset culture on your team this season? Humility, coachability, perseverance: I have a full set of team resources, with versions that fit public school settings. Reply anytime and I'll get them to you.

You may never preach from a pulpit, but every practice, every locker room, every sideline is your platform. As public school coaches, you walk a line: you can’t preach, but you can live the Gospel. Through your character, conversations, and care, you reflect Christ. And when athletes lean in or open up? That’s your moment to point to the Source of your hope. You don’t need a microphone, you need faithfulness. Let’s talk about what it means to be Gospel-carriers in one of the most influential roles in a student’s life.  Devo: Your influence opens hearts, but the Gospel transforms them. As a coach, you are a culture creator. Every whistle, word, and decision shapes not just skill, but identity. Practice may not start off with the verse of the day, but the way you lead and love can prepare the soil of a young person’s heart for Jesus. It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about pointing them to the One who does. At FCA, we use The FOUR as a simple way to share the Gospel: God Loves You Sin Separates You Jesus Rescues You Will You Trust Jesus? Even if you can't explicitly teach this in your role, you can reflect it in your team culture. What does Gospel culture look like on a team? Belonging: You are loved here, not because you earn it, but because it’s given. Grace: Everyone makes mistakes. We own them,and we move forward together. Redemption: You always have the choice to return. To return to what matters. To return to love. When you lead with this kind of culture, your team becomes a reflection of the Gospel story even before it’s spoken out loud. And when they ask why , you’ll be ready to share the Who . Scripture Focus Romans 10:14 (CSB): “How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” 2 Corinthians 5:20 (CSB): “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” Acts 8:35 (CSB): “Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.” Coach’s Reflection The Window: Your athletes trust you. They look up to you. Like any offense, we look for the opening. God’s placed you in their lives to share hope, not just to develop skill. The Word: Philip didn’t give a lecture. He listened, opened Scripture, and pointed to Jesus. The Witness: You don’t have to preach. You just have to share. Start with your story. God does the heart work, you do the story-telling. Challenge for the Week Do you have an intentional culture within your program? Is it Gospel-centered? Have you prayed for God to transform the hearts of your players? Would you be ready if a student asked, “Coach, what do you believe?” This week, try using The FOUR to to think through your story, how would you share it with someone? Don’t assume they know. Be ready when they ask.

A couple of years ago, a basketball player came into Huddle and was visibly dejected. I asked her what's up, and she said, I wish MaxPreps didn't exist. After every game, I am reduced to a set of numbers that don't show what's really happening in my life on or off the court. The scoreboard may track stats, but a person's heart tells the real story. And winning without unity isn't a real victory. We are positioned to have influence in the lives or our athletes far beyond the field. But before a player can trust your instruction, they often need to trust your intention, and that start with seeing them, not just as athletes, but as people made in God's image. Engage the Heart Devo: Coaches do more than draw plays—they shape hearts. While training skills is essential, discipleship begins when we connect below the surface. Jesus didn’t just teach the crowds; He listened, asked questions, and shared stories that reached the heart. True transformation starts when we engage the heart, not just the behavior. Athletes are longing for someone to see them, hear them, and speak truth in love. That’s your lane. Scripture to stand on: 1 Thessalonians 2:8 – “We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 8:15 – “But the seed in the good ground—these are the ones who, having heard the word with an honest and good heart, hold on to it and by enduring, produce fruit.” Coach’s Pointers: The Surface: We all see the outside—effort, attitude, results. But athletes carry stories under the surface: fear, failure, home life, questions about faith and identity. The Strategy: Like Jesus, start with pointed questions—“How are you doing, really?” Invite conversations, not just commands. Use your story, or one of Jesus’ stories, to build connection. The Soil: God’s Word is the seed. You don’t control the soil, but you do sow. Keep planting it—through encouragement, Scripture, and the way you live. Challenge: What heart-level question could you ask one of your athletes this week? Is there a personal story or Scripture you could share to open a deeper conversation? Pray for one athlete by name and ask God for an opportunity to speak into their life this week.

I know the pace… tonight's game ends and immediately we have film to watch, texts to answer, parents to respond to (or ignore), hearts to shepherd, all before you even get through the door of your own house. It’s easy to look up and realize the season has happened to you instead of with the intention that you began with. Devo: Scripture shows us Jesus slipping away to be with the Father again and again. One of the clearest moments comes on an aching day, after He hears of the death of his cousin, John the Baptist, he then feeds the 5,000 who were following him but hadn’t prepared adequately. Afterward, he sends the disciples ahead, he dismisses the crowd, and he goes up the mountain by Himself to pray (Matthew 14:22–23). If Jesus, in grief and fatigue, chose presence over pace, then that same invitation is for us. Coaching will always try to rush you to the next drill, the next game, the next decision. Jesus says, “Come away.” Don’t let the season carry you; let the Father carry you through the season. Lead from connection, not from depletion. Scripture to stand on: “After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.” — Matthew 14:23 (CSB) “Very early in the morning… He went out to a deserted place; and there He was praying.” — Mark 1:35 (CSB) “I am the vine; you are the branches… apart from Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5 (CSB) Coaches pointers: Make an appointment with God before you make an appointment with anyone else. 15 unhurried minutes. Give yourself a post-game pause: breathe, thank Him, ask what He wants you to carry forward and what to lay down. Name a quiet place (bleachers, car, early chair) and meet Him there. Pray through your roster: one name at a time. (even/especially those that feel challenging) Challenge this week: Sometime in the next seven days, step away (no phone, no noise) and sit with the Father for fifteen minutes. Ask Him: “Where were You with me this week? What do You want to shape in me as I coach?” Close with a simple prayer you can repeat all season: “Lord, help me lead from Your presence, not just from my plans.”