Local Area FCA Blog

A Call to Share the Gospel

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 21:59:34 GMT

This is what FCA is all about...

In the verse 1 Thessalonians 2:8, it quotes “So we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

Sometimes we can feel as if we can’t progress in our faith any more, that we hit “a wall” and can’t do anything more to grow into a deeper relationship with Christ.

This verse calls us to love as Jesus does. To love one another that have this incredible desire to share both the gospel and our relationship with Christ. When we share the gospel, we are called to be delighted and happy to do so!

Our mission here at FCA Hawai’i is to do exactly this! We teach young athletes from all over to flourish in their faith and build a deeper connection with Christ and other Christ-like athletes in order to share their own story!

Dear Heavenly Father, teach me to love others as You unconditionally love me. Speak through me whenever I am able to share your story and give me strength and courage to share mine. Thank you for using me for your glory and allowing me to rely on you for strength. In Jesus’ name, amen!

The Perfect Provider

Sat, 15 Aug 2020 22:28:07 GMT

Where does your help come from?

In Psalms 121:2, the song of ascents says “my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”

As humans, we can easily fall into a trap of seeking help from the things of this world and at our fingertips, but our Father desires a relationship with Him where we’re able to confidently rely on Him for help and have trust that He has the ability to do so.

In this verse, we can be assured that God is our strength, and helper. If we ask, we shall receive. God wants to be our provider, we just have to trust Him and lay everything before Him!

Dear Heavenly Father, I lay down everything that I’m going through, for I know that you will provide and help me always. Thank you for always being there when I need you most and remind me to always trust in You. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Peace in the Midst of Chaos

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:57:24 GMT

God is the only one who can provide perfect peace...

In John 14:27, Jesus responds to Judas with “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

With current times being so uncertain and nerving, it’s hard to find peace within the chaos. It may be a financial burden, a laid off job, or a huge adjustment that may bring us a weight of anxiety.

In this verse, God reveals that He is the only one that can provide us with perfect peace; that He is not of this chaotic world. He commands us to not have troubled hearts and to not be afraid.

God knows our future and it’s in His hands, He just wants us to run to Him and trust Him with His Word. With this trust, we will find peace in God and our situation(s), knowing that He’s always in control.

Dear Father, I pray for Your perfect peace to permeate every area of my life. Thank you for always being in control, even when everything else around me seems chaotic. Please help me to trust You in every circumstance. No trial is too big for You to handle. In Jesus' name, amen!

The God Who Hears

sammy.yk.nishiyama@gmail.com (Sammy Nishiyama) — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 20:10:54 GMT

Unanswered prayers are just a closed door allowing us to walk through a much grander door in the future...

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” 1 John 5:14

“Prayer is powerful,” and, “prayer is essential to spiritual growth,” are a few of the many statements we hear as Christians. However, it can be hard to believe when you have been praying for years about the same thing and nothing has changed. I get it. That is why it is so important for Christians to share their prayer journeys, either to show God’s faithfulness through answered prayers or God’s love and comfort through their waiting season.

Here are two stories from my prayer journey — one that was answered immediately and one that took awhile to see its fruits:

Story #1:

In 2011, my mom was in the middle of a hiring process within her office. They had narrowed it down to two candidates, but both were equally great for the job. Wanting God to be the decision maker, she asked our family to sit down with each other and pray. She didn’t give us any names. She just asked us to pray and trust God would answer. As a middle school student, this made me pretty uncomfortable. I knew God answered prayers in miraculous ways. I knew He would hear my requests. But this was scary because it required for me to actually listen to His voice.

After what felt like an eternity waiting for God, the name, Joanne, popped into my head. Whoa God. This made me extremely nervous because there were only two possible names. I wrestled with God and myself for a bit. Was this actually Him or did I just make up a name so that we could move on? Finally, I gave up and hesitantly told my family about what I had heard. Immediately when I told them I heard, Joanne, my mom started to cry. This was one of the candidate’s names! I was so shocked and overwhelmed by the goodness of God. He was with us, heard our prayers, and graciously answered them!

Story #2:

My collegiate soccer career went nothing like how I had planned. I endured many injuries and struggled to get playing time. You can bet that each year, I prayed for God to heal my injuries, protect me from any other injuries, and to give me favor with my coaches. It was hard not to be discouraged when these prayers continued to go on unanswered.

It took me all the way until the end of my fifth season to really see how God was answering my prayers. While each season of difficulties and painful experiences, God was shaping me and maturing me in my faith. Looking back, I can see how my response to an injury or lack of playing time slowly became less about questioning God and more about trusting His process. I was less angry with Him and was more willing to run to Him when trials came my way.

By my fifth year, when playing time made absolutely no sense (I would go from not playing at all, to playing a lot, and back to barely getting any minutes), I saw how God had transformed my heart. It was not an immediate realization, but one that slowly revealed itself as I used my time to focus less on myself and more on my teammates. He gave me the heart and eyes to notice when my teammates were experiencing similar frustrations I had gone through. I was asking God to show me how I could love them rather than asking Him to make things better for myself. He gave me a deeper trust in His sovereignty — being ok with Him blessing me and also with Him withholding things from my life. While I did get a lot of playing time towards the end of the season, He did not answer my prayers in the way I thought I wanted Him to. My collegiate career was never about soccer. It was all about transforming my heart and having a deeper trust in Him!

I hope my stories are encouraging to you and that you are able to see the joys that come from the process of prayer. While I believe God desires to answer our prayers right away, I also believe He puts those prayers on hold so we are able to go through a refinement process. I have way more stories like the second one, and I am so much better off because of it. We need to remember our perspective is so limited. What we believe to be the best things for ourselves may not actually be what is best in God’s eyes. Knowing He is a sovereign Father who works everything out for our good, we can be confident that unanswered prayers are just a closed door allowing us to walk through a much grander and God-ordained door in the future!

Dear Father, thank you for the journey you have me on. I acknowledge it is challenging to be encouraged when my prayers go unanswered. However, I trust You are working everything out for my good. The end result may not be what I asked for, but you see the bigger picture. Thank you for these stories of prayer. I ask that more people would share how you are working in their life through their prayer journey. In Jesus' name, amen!

Pray For More Workers

sammy.yk.nishiyama@gmail.com (Sammy Nishiyama) — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 21:06:46 GMT

Others success increases our success.

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Luke 10:2

Being on a team is one of the most impactful experiences you can have, as you work with your teammates towards a common goal. It can also be a place where you experience some of the hardest challenges as well. Can I take a moment to be honest with you? When I was playing soccer, more often than I would care to admit, I would find myself feeling threatened by my teammates’ success. It was hard not to look outward and long for recognition.

Being on a team is tricky because you are supposed to support one another. Your teammate’s success is the team’s success. But man, it does not always feel that way. From high school all the way through college, the accomplishments other people experienced felt like one less opportunity for myself.

I know this is a very selfish way of thinking, but when you work so hard for something your entire life, it is hard not to have this mindset. I hope there are some of you that can relate to me in this way.

After reading a devotional by Lysa TerKeurst from Proverbs 31 Ministries called “ Her Success Doesn’t Threaten Mine ” (seriously go and read this—if you’re a boy, you can still get a lot out of this!), the truth spoken in Luke 10:2 finally clicked in my heart.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Right here, Jesus reminds us of all the work that is out there. With my limited vision, I can sometimes forget about all of the wonderful opportunities God has given to me. However, Jesus also reminds us that the “laborers are few”, meaning there are not enough Christians out there using their platform to build God’s kingdom. Let me just clarify one thing. There are many amazing Christians out there boldly using their platforms to spread the Gospel and they have inspired me to do the same. However, I believe there is potential and a lot of room for more Christians to rise up wherever God has placed them. Just imagine what the world would be like if every platform had Christians leading the way!

Because we are in great need for more people to rise up for God’s kingdom, we need to be “earnestly praying” for more workers. You may be wanting that starting position, but maybe God allowed someone else to have it instead. I know it is difficult to not get discouraged and become jealous, but invite God into that pain and ask how you can glorify Him in the role He has given you. As for the person who got that starting position, pray that they would come to know God or that they would boldly use their platform to honor Him through their actions and words. Pray that your opponents have strong Christians who will lead their team in a godly manner.

It is not bad to ask God to honor the desires of your heart in your sport. He wants to bless you! But it is also important to remember this life is not about you. Just because someone takes your starting position or your teammate gets a full ride to your top college, it does not mean there are less opportunities for you. God knows everything you need and His plans for you are good. It may not always align with your plans, but He sees the bigger picture.

Having an eternal perspective will help you to be more joyful when our brothers and sisters in Christ succeed because when they win, you win as well. Yes, you are not getting the recognition, scholarship, starting spot, or award like they are, but you are becoming more like Christ when you are able to be genuinely joyful for those around you.

My challenge to you is to be constantly praying for more Christians in your specific sport to rise up — that God would give them success so they can share about His glory. Do not see the success of someone else as one less opportunity. See it as a huge win for our Heavenly Father!

Dear Father, please forgive me for not always being genuinely happy for my teammates when they succeed. I’ll admit I want that success, but help me to remember it is not about me. Help me to always have an eternal perspective. I pray more Christians would have the courage to be bold in their faith within my sport. When they succeed, I succeed as well. Thank you for the success you will bring to those around me! In Jesus’ name, amen!

Treasure in Darkness

sammy.yk.nishiyama@gmail.com (Sammy Nishiyama) — Fri, 22 May 2020 04:13:04 GMT

Giving from fullness during hard times

“And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness — secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.” Isaiah 45:3 (NLT)

“Before we start, I wanted to let you know that someone from the men’s soccer team was in an accident at one of the track and field events. All we know is that he is in critical condition. I understand if you need to sit out of our alumni game right now.”

My heart dropped. Through whispers, I knew who the victim was of this awful occurrence. He was a freshman who had just transferred in the second semester. I had only met him, but the weight of uncertainty was too much to bear.

All but two of us played in that game and let me just say there have been finer moments for us as a team. We were getting owned, but an alumni game did not seem to matter in the grand scheme of things.

We finally sat down as our teammate’s father, who was one of the first responders at the accident, was about to give us heart wrenching news. Ethan Roser, who had been working at the hammer throw event, was tragically hit in the head by the hammer in a practice throw and passed away at the scene.

Tears immediately flowed from all of us. We were broken for his family, for our good friends on the men’s team, and for the life that was cut so short. The heaviness of it all was overwhelming.

Though my heart ached, I knew I needed to be there for my friends. Despite finals being two weeks away, I dropped everything when someone needed a shoulder to cry on or when we would spend time together at someone’s house.

In my efforts to love those around me, I quickly got emotionally drained and had nothing left to give because I was giving from a place that was empty. I needed to let the Father’s love fill me first before I could love those around me. Maybe you have experienced this too.

When I reached this point, all I could do was weep and sit still with God. Words were hard to come by, but I knew God understood what was going on in my heart. In that moment, He reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Rosers’ words at one of Ethan’s memorial services. While they were broken, they were not defeated. They were confident God would bring forth restoration and hope in others’ lives. How were they able to speak such things after losing their youngest son?

In today’s verse, God is speaking to the Persian King Cyrus telling him “I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness”. When we hear the word “treasure”, our minds immediately think about jewels, gold, and wealth, and success. In this context, God was referring to gold and silver that had been buried underground.

However, we can take this a step further. During dark times, treasure and blessing seem to be far off. When Ethan passed away, it was hard to see God’s goodness. But the more I sat with Him and let His truths seep into my heart, the more evident His goodness became. As a result, He slowly restored my heart and gave me a new perspective. I was able to love others well again and had a strength that undeniably came from Him.

There were many treasures that came from this darkness — a deeper understanding of how to love others, trust in His sovereignty, and a newfound appreciation for sitting still with God are some of the many blessings. God was also using this time to prepare my heart for my uncle’s passing which happened two weeks later. On a bigger scale, I witnessed friends rededicating their lives to God and having a fire to carry on Ethan’s missional mindset.

I do not want to minimize the hurt you are experiencing by telling you to find treasure within your darkness. The pain may seem like it will never go away and you may want to run away from God. I want to encourage you to keep questioning Him. Ask Him the hard questions. Your questions will not offend Him. Understanding what God is doing during these times is a slow process. He sees everything and our limited view prevents us from seeing the good He is working out in our lives.

I love the last part of today’s verse — “I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name”. Ultimately, the challenges we face gives us a closer glimpse of His character. He uses our trials to mold us into His likeness. When we come out on the other side, His glory is revealed to those around us as they are able to see the treasure He has given us. This treasure is not something physically tangible, but rather it is a spirit that has been renewed by our God of hope, peace, and love.

The things He will reveal to you during this time with Him may be some of the best life lessons you will ever learn. Be still and allow Him to recharge you. Allow Him to show you the treasures hidden in darkness. When you have been refilled with the Father’s love, go out in confidence knowing that He is right there beside you holding His hand out to give you the strength you need.

Dear Father, right now I am having a hard time seeing the treasures you have for me during this dark time. Because I do not have the eyes to see, show me what you are doing in my life. I can’t be effective for Your kingdom if I am depleted and emotionally drained. Fill me with Your love so I can share that love with others. Thank you for your sovereignty and for always being good. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God's Promise to be With us

drich@fca.org (Daniel Rich) — Sat, 16 May 2020 00:25:26 GMT

God's right here beside you....

From the beginning God walked through the Garden daily with Adam and Eve. Although the fall did happen, He has been reconnected with His beloved children through His son, Jesus. Jesus, divine and human, came to be with us. He loved us so much that he even died so we could be reconciled to our Father God. Jesus’ functioned WITH God. His sacrifice gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit so everyone in the world could experience the joy of walking WITH God.

S: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41: 10

O: What caught my eye is God’s promise of security! It is a promise of relationship regardless of what we have done, claiming you are mine, providing strength and help, and intimately holding us with His hand. God uses the word “I” four times, twice telling us who He is to us, and twice what He will do about it. It makes me begin to imagine a dad kneeling by his child. He has one hand around their shoulder, the other pointing in a direction to show the way, and out of his smile I hear Him say, “Let’s do this one together”!

This promise of relational help is much better than any financial, even physical, or intellectual help to get through hard times. For me, it took a long time to grasp that God desires to be with me. Maybe my assumptions were wrong growing up. I was convinced that God was over me—over my sin, my continued weakness, and my inability to change. I don’t like being around people who let me down, so why would God want to be in a relationship with me when I continued to let Him down?

A: God hasn’t only pardoned my sins, He is looking past them and promises to be in a relationship with me. It is not not just a relationship as a distant God, but as a Father who provides and protects His kids. I’m amazed by this every time I see God doing this through the Bible.

Today we can live differently. For me I’m taking the unknowns, frustrations, fears and things that are confusing and I’m handing them to God. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” 1 Peter 5:7. When I slow down and approach God with these, I often find peace calming me, confidence returns, and courage to move forward!

P: Thank you for promising to be with me, even when I don’t have much together. I want things to be different between us. I want you close to me in everything. Would you help me slow down and include you into every part of my life, especially the ones that I’ve tried to control? Would you fill me with love and courage to love and lead those closest to me, in the same way you are leading me? In Jesus’ name, amen.

Partnering With God in My Sport

sammy.yk.nishiyama@gmail.com (Sammy Nishiyama) — Fri, 15 May 2020 03:56:16 GMT

You are a Christian and you are an athlete, but....

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 (NIV)

As a Christian, you long to honor and glorify God in everything you do, but when it comes to your sport you find it challenging bringing God into that part of your life. You are a Christian and you are an athlete, but you cannot seem to merge those two very important parts of your life together.

I will be the first to admit it is hard to combine your faith and sport together. The world we live in places such a high value on individualism and to make matters more challenging, partnering with God is something that takes place in our hearts and minds. It is not something tangible--like working together on the field with your teammates to accomplish a goal. Rather, it happens in your spirit and may not immediately bear its fruits.

Partnering with God in your sport does not happen overnight. Like any other behavior, it needs to be practiced in order to become second nature. In today’s verse, Jesus teaches of the importance of being connected to the vine on a daily basis. Without being connected to Jesus, it is hard for us to bear the fruits (or values) God calls us to live out, and thus it is nearly impossible to do things with Him.

So how do we stay connected to God and partner with Him in our sport? Remember, everyone’s relationship with God is personal to them--what works for me, may not necessarily work for you. However, the following questions will give you an opportunity to reflect as you navigate your journey with Him.

Am I connected to the vine on a daily basis? Besides being in the Word everyday, it is helpful to have constant check-ins, or prayer times, with God. This can happen at any time--during your devotionals, on your drive to school or work, or right before your practice and games. In fact, I would encourage you to check in with God several times during your day because it reconnects you to the vine. During this time, thank God for everything He has given you, ask for forgiveness for anything you have done, ask Him to show you where you are not allowing Him into your life, and invite Him to walk with you during your day. When it comes to your sport, be in constant communication with Him. Ask Him to provide you with strength, to humble your pride, to bring you joy when trials occur, and to reveal what you need to surrender. For me, I needed to let go of working hard and finding success in order to gain the approval from my coaches and teammates. My constant striving exhausted me and pushed me further away from playing my sport with God.

It took a really long time to correct this mindset, but eventually I started to notice silence. It was a peace I had never experienced before and I felt complete freedom to let loose and play the game I love. My mind was focused on God, as I relied on Him to provide me strength, courage, and joy.

What am I filling my head and heart with? Everyone has their own way of getting in the right headspace for practices and games. Some people like to get amped up and others like to feel calm. I used to love listening to all types of genres before games. However in my fifth year season, I played my worship playlist specifically having Surrounded (Fight My Battles) on repeat. The song was simple and repeated its lyrics, but the message was so powerful, “This is how I fight my battles...it may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You.” As a result, these lyrics would be running through my head during my games. Even in some of our biggest games of the season, I felt at peace as my thoughts were on praising God. He felt so near to me and I knew He was right there playing beside me.

You may not realize it, but the things we put into our minds have a great impact on our heart (Philippians 4:8). While you do not have to listen to worship, really think about how the music you are listening to is affecting your thought patterns and your heart. Are the songs you are listening to uplifting or are you noticing it is bringing out a side of you that you do not like? If you already have a pregame playlist, then you can read a short devotional or Bible verse. Soak in God’s Word and allow it to deeply penetrate your heart. Knowing His truths before playing your sport will serve as a great reminder of who we are doing this for.

Who are you allowing to speak into your life? I was fortunate enough to play on a Christian team. I had coaches and teammates who prayed for me and spoke truth into my life. These people would celebrate my successes with me and would encourage me when I was struggling. While this was my collegiate experience, I understand what it is like to not have Christian teammates surrounding me as well. It can be really challenging and lonely. This alone can make it hard to partner with God in your sport.

If you know someone on your team who can hold you accountable to partnering with God, then I would encourage you to reach out to them. Get together to pray before and after practices and games. Be vulnerable and tell them the areas you struggle with in your sport. Allow them to give you advice on how you can partner with God and observe how they carry this out in their own life. If you do not know of any other believers on your team, reach out to someone outside of your team. I promise that you will experience so much growth when you have someone walking alongside you, encouraging you to walk with God on a daily basis.

Partnering with God is a matter of the heart and mind. It takes persistence and intentionality. We have to reorient our thought patterns so our hearts may be transformed. It requires letting go of how we have been doing things and allowing God to take control over the reigns of our lives.

Do not be discouraged if it does not immediately happen. In fact, expect it to take awhile. Like any relationship, it takes time and work. When you ask God to run alongside you while you are playing your sport, you will experience everything God desires for you. You may face trials and you may experience blessings, but know that through it all, He is right there waiting for you to reach out to HIm.

Dear Father, I am sorry for not including you in every aspect of my life, especially my sport. Right now, I ask you to come alongside me. Be the loudest voice in my heart and mind, speaking truth and love. Playing my sport is not about me. You have graciously given me the gift to play the game I love. So right now with open hands, I am giving that gift back to you. May my actions, through the blessings and trials, glorify and honor you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Fri, 08 May 2020 20:33:04 GMT

Trust in the Lord with all your Heart...

SOAP Proverbs 3:5-6

Scripture: “5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” - Proverbs 3:5-6

Observation: Following last week's devotion I wanted to continue the theme of trust, especially in this time of uncertainty with the Coronavirus. There are a lot of questions that are leaving many of us fearful. Will we have an athletic season? When and where will the next paycheck come from? Will I contract this virus? It is a natural human response to worry and try to control or fix things on our own. But, we are so blessed to have a gracious and loving God who looks out for us.

As I’m writing this, the Lord has just blessed me. My summer semester starts on May 11th. With it being less than a week away, tuition has to be paid. Unfortunately, this pandemic has made it difficult for some universities to give out scholarships. I certainly cannot afford it. My coaches told our team that most players would not be receiving scholarship money during this time. The only thing I could do was give it up to God and trust He would make a way. 5 days before tuition was due, I received an email saying it was ALL going to be paid.

This scripture used to be my mother’s favorite scripture. She had it written out everywhere. If we questioned what to do next in any aspect of life, we gave it up to God. We trusted and believed that He would make a way. Time and time again, He did. By acknowledging that God is in control over it all, we open ourselves to His blessings and guidance. We serve a faithful God.

Application: The Bible is a great instruction manual. Scriptures like these can help guide you through difficult times. I encourage whoever reads this to really trust God during this pandemic. What is one thing in your life that you are having trouble trusting God with? Journal about it, pray about it, and then fully surrender it to God. Trust that He will make a way. Trust in Him more than yourself, and He will show you which path to take.

Prayer: Lord, I please ask that You show your light and wisdom in those who seek You. May You offer comfort in times like these, and above all else, may Your will be done. Amen.

The Key to Success

Wed, 06 May 2020 22:23:08 GMT

The Key to a Successful Athletic Career is...Weakness?

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

As athletes, we are all pushing ourselves past our limits in order to be better for competition. We practice, train on the side, eat well-balanced meals, spend time doing active recovery, get as much sleep as possible, and then repeat the same cycle again. All of this to be the best athlete possible. All of this to eliminate our weaknesses. So how does the Bible imply that our weakness is the key to a successful athletic career?

After 19 years of dedicating my life to soccer, I am finally able to hit the pause button and reflect on my journey as an athlete. Everything I did was an attempt to get stronger and better. And yet, throughout middle school and all the way to my senior year of college, I found myself burnt out -- questioning why I was putting myself through this ordeal.

Barely 5’4 and having a smaller frame, my greatest challenge was my physicality. I cannot recall a single season where I went without an injury. It was easy for me to lose muscle and because of this, I was constantly in pain, and stressed about my lack of strength. The most frustrating part was knowing God could fix this -- that He could easily heal me. I devoted my life to Him, tried my best to be selfless despite my desire to play, and pushed myself at every practice. So why could He not honor that hard work by relieving the pain my body was experiencing?

Today’s verse gives us a counter-cultural way of thinking as the Apostle Paul challenges our views on weakness. In this world, we do not boast about our weaknesses and we surely do not delight in difficulties. So as athletes, how do we live this out -- especially when the goal is to become stronger and better everyday?

Finally, in my fifth year of collegiate soccer (yes it took this long!) I gave up. I did not give up on the sport, I did not give up on God, but rather I gave up my need and expectation to be a perfect athlete. When Paul says to delight in our weakness, he is not telling us to be lazy and complacent. In fact, God calls us to work diligently and to steward well the gifts He has given to us. Rather, delighting in our weakness means recognizing we are imperfect...lacking (and being okay with this fact), and then surrendering ourselves to God. Living in weakness is a part of life. It is in our nature. We were born into a broken and fallen world and thus, we struggle. Working hard is essential, but constantly striving is not.

The moment we recognize our own efforts are not going to work, God’s power can be magnified. When I fully surrendered my weakness over to Him, I was able to experience peace and joy -- something I had been missing for so long. I continued to train outside of practice to get stronger, but I gave myself grace when my body ran out of fuel. I was constantly talking to God, asking Him to give me strength because I realized I could not do it on my own. While I did not experience full recovery, I was able to get through practices and games playing some of the best soccer of my life. I was no longer in my head telling myself to push through no matter how bad my body was burning. Instead, I was asking God to take over and sang worship songs in my head praising Him for the work He was doing.

So yes, weakness is key to success because it forces you to realize your limits as an athlete and allows you to partner with the King of the universe. Weakness is a reminder that it is not about us. Even if you have experienced great success in your collegiate career, imagine how much more freedom you could have going forward by acknowledging where you struggle. I wish I could sit down and talk to you about all of the wonderful things God has done through my weaknesses.

More than ever, we need this truth to seep into our hearts right now. While I only discussed how to embrace weakness within your sport, we need this mindset in every aspect of our lives. This virus has us grasping, reaching for something more. We feel helpless, anxious, and weak because we have no control. This lack of control, my friend, is the sole reason why we need to lean on God, surrender our need to be strong, and allow Him to enter those areas of weakness.

God longs for you to experience everything your sport and life has to offer, which includes the trials. I promise you embracing weakness will never disappoint because when we are able to give God full control, only then are we able to experience a strength that can only come from Him.

Dear Father, I am sorry for trying to do things in my own strength. I recognize that striving only exhausts me and burns me out from something you designed for my good. Because I am human, I know there will always be something holding me back from reaching perfection. Right now, I ask you to be my strength. I can no longer do everything on my own. I embrace my weaknesses, knowing they can be used for your good. I am tired of running away from them. While I will continue to work hard to be the best athlete I can be, I accept my limitations. They do not make me any less of an athlete. They do not define my worth. You call me worthy and that is enough. Use my weaknesses for your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The God Kind of Hope!

Tue, 05 May 2020 20:42:44 GMT

Hope dominates in a time like this...

“Now may the God of hope FILL YOU with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

When it seems like all hope is lost, especially during a time like this, it is easy for us to fall into a season of doubt and depression - including when our favorite sports get canceled due to large group gatherings. This led to my Las Vegas soccer showcase being canceled, and boy did that hit me hard. I thought to myself, “now what?”

Even though this time has got me missing a lot of things, I still have a choice. I could choose to lay low, do nothing, and just HOPE that this ends soon, or, I can use this time to strengthen my relationship with God and seek Him during this difficult time.

You see, there are two types of hope, the world kind of hope and the God kind of hope. Confidence in worldly hope is built on pessimism, fear, and unbelief, but the God kind of hope is believing what God says will come to pass! And get this, His hope will never disappoint because the love of God never fails.

Hope is joyful, confident, and EXPECTANT. Having the God kind of hope means you can be joyful when the world is sad, confident when the world is uncertain, and expectant something good is going to happen when the world is expecting something bad.

During this time, we must not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel (Colossians 1:23). In this season, we can choose to stay right where we are and let the opportunity during this time pass us by, OR we can use this time as an opportunity to grow deeper with God and just be in His Word! In this season, we have to trust that God is still in control and remember God will never leave us nor forsake us. He will be right there, beside us, during our storms. Storms donʻt last forever.

Letʻs use this time to be in the Word of God. Seek Him and spend time with Him. He is preparing us in this season for the next. He knows the plans He has for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a future and a HOPE (Jeremiah 29:11).

Let’s not forget to have the God kind of hope and trust that God is still in control. Letʻs have a confident expectation of good. It is time to get our hopes up for 2020!!

Father God, I pray for the God kind of hope to fill us with joy and peace. I pray that we choose to seek You during this time and trust that You are still in control, for You will not leave us nor forsake us, in Jesusʻ name, amen.

Isaiah 40:31 Trusting God During Cov-19

Fri, 01 May 2020 22:07:42 GMT

How Trusting God has always changed us....

Isaiah 40:31 SOAP

Reading the Bible can be overwhelming at times. I get it. We all understand the importance of being in the Word. So what is the best way for you to get started? I personally enjoy using the tool called SOAP - scripture, observation, application, and prayer. It gives me the opportunity to read the Word, reflect on it, apply it to my personal life, and then talk to God at the end.

While this is my take away on Isaiah 40:31, I want to encourage you to try out this technique on your own. Get out your journal, read this verse, and use each acronym to see what God wants you to get from it.

S: “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” - Isaiah 40:31

O: As an athlete, I’ve heard numerous times to “trust the process.” I’ve faced dozens of setbacks, failures, and injuries throughout my football career. It’s often made me question my faith. Why would God allow this to happen to me when I praise Him constantly? After overcoming a setback, with Christ, the next one appeared shortly after.

It happened once again in my sophomore season in college. After a promising freshmen year, I was eager to build on it. Unfortunately a torn labrum in my shoulder forced me to get surgery, which meant my sophomore season was over before it even started. I was crushed. How was this fair? It was a trialling time for me. However, I had this verse to cling to. We know the Lord always has a plan for us. But in the midst of a storm or setback, if we trust in the Lord, we will find new strength. We will soar high on wings like eagles. We will run and not grow weary. We will walk and not faint.

The following season, I was blessed with the opportunity to start in my first collegiate game. Had I not experienced that setback, my faith and trust in the Lord would not have been as strong. I’m glad I trusted the Lord’s process.

A: I encourage whoever reads this to lean on Christ. Trust in His timing. Trust in His love, healing power, and faithfulness. Remain hopeful that He will deliver you through any setback in your life, because He will.

P: Lord, I please ask that you continue to bless those who exalt you. May you comfort those who are experiencing setbacks in any way. We will continue to praise your name and trust you through it all. Amen.

For Such a Time as This (Part 2)

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 15:53:36 GMT

Love Equals Action

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

Last week, we discussed the context behind the phrase “for such a time as this”. I am praying God stirred something within you, as this world is in need for some change.

If you have not done so already, it is time to take action. While being inspired is key, God calls us to act on that inspiration. What good is it to talk about all of the things you want to do for others but not actually do them? This is the focal point of today’s key verse.

John understands there are a lot of people who are good at talking the talk. These people love to tell others of the good they intend to do, but have yet to carry those things out. In this verse, he emphasizes that true love spurs on action.

Jesus is the ultimate example of this. He did not just talk about love, he went out and loved others well. I could go on forever about all the ways he did this, mainly by dying on the cross, but one example perfectly displays how his love blessed and then inspired others to do the same.

In John 13 Jesus, the son of God, performs the most loving, humbling, and servant-hearted act for his disciples. He could have just told them how much he loved them. Honestly, I would have loved to hear how much Jesus loves me. But no. He took it 100 steps further and washed their feet - something only a servant would be doing at that time. Despite being the king of the world, he lowered himself amongst the people he loved and blessed them with such a beautiful gift.

This act of love serves as an example for all of us to follow. Sometimes I can think too hard about how I want to bless others. I want to be creative, original, and extra thoughtful. However, Jesus did not dwell on the ways he could love others. His love was so great he just acted on it.

I am sure you have come up with great ideas on what you can do, but if you are stuck, here are some ideas on how we can make an impact during this time with the limitations that have been placed on us:

Pray: I know this is something every Christian is telling you to do, but we cannot underestimate the power of prayer. When we all come together, earnestly praying for healing and the power of God to be seen, Jesus tells us He will answer our prayers, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them,” (Matthew 18:19-20). His answer to our prayers may bring physical healing or spiritual healing, but regardless of how He answers our prayers, just know He wants to give us everything we need.

Video calls: We are privileged enough to live in a time of technology. We have so many different ways to stay in touch with friends and family. Video calls are a great way to be intentional with one another and to love on those who are struggling. The isolation we are experiencing right now can have such a crippling effect. Quality time is so important and given our circumstances, this is one of the best ways we can accomplish that!

Workout videos: As athletes, we can motivate others to stay active and healthy during this time by creating workout videos. People are looking for things to do and staying active is great for our physical and mental health. We can include little bits of truth and encouragement within these videos. This is even a great way to share your testimony and talk about what God is doing in your life.

Social Media: Use your Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, or any other social media platform to share God’s Word and what He is doing in your life. I love seeing Instagram stories that have a verse tied to a beautiful picture. I love reading what people are taking away from it and how they are using it in their own life.

Serve your neighbors: This is a great opportunity to share the love of God by meeting the needs of those around you. Some ways you can serve your neighbors are by grocery shopping (if you are healthy of course!), cooking or baking, sewing masks, or doing yard work. These tasks will surely bless those around you.

Decorate your front yard: I have noticed more people going outside to get exercise! To encourage those who pass by your house, you could create signs that have Bible verses on them or write a positive message on your driveway with chalk. My cousins in Oregon put objects out so those passing by can play I Spy! Things like this will make the time more joyful and uplifting!

These may seem like small and simple tasks but if we all choose to do something, imagine the impact we can have for God’s kingdom! People are ready and willing to listen. They are grasping for peace and hope and are longing for things to make sense. With everything being stripped away and a circumstance that is requiring us to slow down, there is finally room for God to permeate every area of our lives.

Can you imagine what it would look like if we each decided to be bold, speak up about our faith, and love others well? Close your eyes. Picture it. Savor every beautiful aspect about it. Now act on it. What are you going to do today for God’s kingdom? You were created for such a time as this.

Dear Father, right now I cry out to you on behalf of the world. While I may be limited on what I can do, I still want to be your light and spread your love to those around me. Show me how I can help. Place a person on my heart. Give me a way of spreading your Word. I pray that your voice would be the loudest during this time. Thank you for everything you have blessed me with. I praise you for the healing you are already doing. In Jesus’ name, amen.

For Such a Time as This (Part 1)

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 01:27:06 GMT

For Such a Time as This (Part 1)

“Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:13-14

We are in unprecedented times. There is no question this event will go down in our history books. As we are a month into being quarantined, we find it challenging to not look to our past freedom. Boredom, anxiety, stress, fear, and loneliness are some of the many emotions stirring crazily within us.

If you are an athlete, you are longing to get back to your sport. You have made many sacrifices, but a sacrifice you never thought you would have to make is giving it up for an unknown length of time. Seasons were canceled, athletic careers were cut short, and potential careers are uncertain. So how do we make the most out of this time? How can we take our competitive spirits and channel it in a positive way?

“For such a time as this” is a popular saying. People use it in motivational speeches or in times of prosperity and favor. However, if we were to look at the context of this verse we would see that Mordecai is using it to reprimand Esther on her self-indulgent ways of living. She had accumulated a lot of wealth in a short time span and was starting to forget who had blessed her in abundance. This phrase was used as a reminder of the sacrifices she needed to make for her people, even if it cost her everything.

Mordecai’s reminder lights a fire within Esther as she asks him to gather all of the Jews in Susa to fast with her for three days. During this time of prayer, I am sure she asks for God’s grace and protection to be shown upon her for when she goes to make her requests before the king. This was a significant act as it was illegal to approach the king unless summoned. The only exception was for the king to extend the gold scepter to her and spare her life (Esther 4:11). Esther knew her actions could lead to death, but she also knew God had placed her in the palace for such a time as this.

With boldness and a humble heart, Esther went before the king to petition for her people. God honored her courage by granting her favor. She was able to approach the king several times without being summoned and eventually requested that he protect her people. By God’s grace, the king granted her request and her people were saved.

It is easy to look at this and think, well this is all good, but Esther was an important person who was given a big platform to make a difference. I’m, however, just a normal person who does not have a position of great influence.

I totally get it. I have thought this many times, especially when looking at other big time athletes and the big following they have.

But this is where the comparison trap gets us and smothers us from stepping out in faith. Yes, a professional or famous collegiate athlete will reach more people because of the platform God has given them. However, it is not about how many you reach. It is about sharing God’s heart with others. The people around you are the people God has placed in your life for a reason. Even if it means blessing one person, that is worth it to Him.

Think about it as a chain effect. Your one act could bless one person, that one person is inspired to bless another person, and that person could go on to bless many! It all started because you decided sitting silent was not good enough. This is the power of God.

I truly believe God is doing something new. He did not cause the virus to happen, but He is allowing it to continue for a reason. Maybe He is trying to hit the reset button in order to get our attention as we have become so distracted by everything this world has to offer. Or maybe He is trying to get us to reorient the way we do things on every scale.

Regardless, it is not our job to understand everything God is doing. One of the best lessons I have learned is that sometimes God withholds knowledge from us because it can be too much to bear or we need to go through a process before we are ready for an answer.

While we need to be wise and follow the rules, the phrase “for such a time as this” could not be more applicable. No matter what your situation is, God is calling you out of your comfort zone so His name can be lifted up.

We do not know how long this is going to last - it could end tomorrow or it could last a couple more months. But when this is all over, are you going to be able to say you have spent your time well? Whose voice are we going to allow to be the loudest? This is such a perfect time to spread truth into peoples’ hopelessness. This is the perfect time to stand firm in your faith and declare what you believe.

So what are you going to do in such a time as this? I am challenging you today to pray and ask God to guide you, give you courage, and provide you with ways in which you can bless others!

Dear Father, please forgive me for sitting still and letting this time pass by. This time is challenging and confusing, but I pray that you would show me how I can use it well. I want to make a difference for your kingdom. While you may not give me a platform as big as Esther’s, please give me the same boldness you gave her. If it means impacting just one person’s life, then it is all worth it. I am ready, Lord. Use me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Coach Darren Hernandez's Story

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 00:52:17 GMT

What God can do in the toughest of men!

On a hot June afternoon my phone rang. It was Coach Darren Hernandez! He was on the way to summer workouts with his Kapolei Hurricanes for the 20th summer.

That day I was on the radio –– it was the first public announcement that FCA was being reinvigorated! It was only 10 minutes into the broadcast of The Goodlife radio with Danny Yamashiro, when Coach called me. He said, "I'm not sure what you're doing with FCA yet, but I know we need to work together! How can I be a part of it?"

That was almost a year ago, and we are now friends and brothers seeking God, growing coaches huddle min istries that happen once a month, and are sharing Jesus with those He brings into our lives. Below is Coach Hernandez's story captured by The Goodlife radio show. Danny and Susan Maurer did a wonderful job honoring God's story, Coach's story, and Jesus' ability to transform all of us, even in our sports!

Please pray for all of the coaches throughout Hawaii who are loving and leading their players to become champions in life and are helping their players grow deeper in their relationships with God! Click on the link below to listen to the interview.

Radio Interview

Much Aloha and Respect,

Daniel Rich

Hawaii State Director