During the mid-1990s, Nebraska football dominated. I had the opportunity to interview their head football coach, Tom Osborne, for an article in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Sharing the Victory magazine. Due to his success, reporters had numerous questions about his methods and leadership style. Still, I wanted to get to the heart of the matter—his faith. I played for him during the 1970s, so I knew he was a believer, but I wasn’t aware of specifics. I asked him how often he prays and studies his Bible. Pretty simple. He said matter-of-factly, “I usually spend time early each morning to pray and read the Bible for about an hour. Then again, I will try to find time during lunch if I can.” Here was the busiest man I knew, telling me he regularly prioritized these two important spiritual disciplines. Many reporters were puzzled by Osborne’s ability to handle stress and lead a national program. Not me. His character and leadership came from his daily relationship with his Lord.

Nehemiah 10 – Reflective Change 

In his book on Nehemiah, Chuck Swindoll said, “There are some very simple—but life-changing—principles that I glean from these verses in Nehemiah 10. The first is that serious thought precedes any significant change. You never change areas of your life that have not been given serious thought. We need to schedule some quiet times in our lives, times for thinking and reflection.”  

I agree with Swindoll’s additional comments about the impact these leaders can have on their followers. “The leaders who have meant the most to me in my life are those who are authentic people. They are men and women who have thought before they acted, who have put first things first, and who have maintained their distinctiveness as Christian ladies and gentlemen. I thank God on every remembrance of them.”

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete are authentic leaders who put first things first, in their spiritual lives. They schedule time regularly with spiritual disciples.

Bible Memory Verse – “‘…Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites from all their places to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.” Nehemiah 12:27 (LSB)