mark flatten

Noah got drunk. Jonah ran away. Moses stuttered. Abraham was old. Lazarus was dead. Peter had a temper. David had an affair. Zaccheus was short. Martha was nervous. Paul was a murderer. Jacob was a cheater. Sarah was impatient. Elijah was depressed. Thomas was a doubter. Dear son, God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

Because of Jesus…and only because of Jesus, even death couldn’t defeat Chuck Norris. When Chuck and I studied God’s Word together, there was never a moment he was anything but curious, anxious to learn, eager to deepen in his knowledge of Christ, hungry to know the Truth and conform his life to it. There was no “action hero” present. No “world champion fighter”, there was only a friend, a fellow disciple, a person desperate to respond to the grace he found in the gospel. My favorite Chuck story happened years later when I was teaching in a remote area of Central Africa to an assembly of hundreds of young leaders in a hot room after they already had a long day. I did my best to make my case for the gospel and how everyone needed what Christ alone could provide. At one point-in the midst of an illustration I was giving I wanted to use the name of a famous person…someone that all those listening would know and relate to their fame and renown. I mentioned the biggest names I could think of in sports, movies, music, politics-and clearly no one from FIFA, the NBA, NFL, Hollywood, the Grammy’s or the halls of power had captured the fascination of those in the room. When I sat down, I asked my host what “celebrity” I could have used that would have connected with my audience. His response was - “Walker Texas Ranger”. When I told him I was “Walker’s” pastor he lost his mind and as everyone was being dismissed ran quickly back to the mic, made everyone sit down and apologized for not properly introducing me. He told the room that the speaker they just heard was not properly introduced and though they listened with respect, he wanted them to know how great a privilege it was that they would hear from me because (and he made everyone sit down to hear this announcement) I was “Walker’s” pastor. The room went crazy and they didn’t leave but wanted me to address them again. I stood up and as clearly as I could once again presented the gospel narrative with this simple introduction - “Let me tell you what Walker Texas Ranger would want you to know more than anything on earth.” I have never had such an attentive audience. My prayer is that some of those young leaders will be reunited with Carlos (“Walker’s real name) in glory one day. Chuck loved that story and was more grateful that his “fame” could make Jesus more attractive to others than anything else I could told him. I was grateful to be his friend when he lived in Dallas, and am more grateful to be His brother in Christ for eternity. #chucknorris #soladegloria

What Mentally Tough Players Don't Do: 1. Don’t pout 2. Aren’t entitled 3. Don’t complain 4. Don’t play the victim 5. Don’t cast blame 6. Don’t feel sorry for themselves 7. Don’t avoid hard conversations Mental toughness isn’t loud. It’s disciplined. It’s accountable.

Love this from Coach Jarrett. There is nothing like a coach getting to step away from the dugout just to watch their kid play. A great reminder that at the end of the day, as coaches, we just want to be proud dads in the bleachers sometimes.

Geno’s faith is public, bold, and unapologetic. The best part is that not one ounce of it is for show. One of the most faithful and devoted followers of Christ I’ve ever known.

This is just so good

Look at the infielder's fielding %'s on teams that make it to Omaha. Players. You can't make an error every other game and think you're going to play big time college baseball. Example. Good P5 shortstops make about 15 errors in a season. Elite make under 10. You have to make routine look routine.

Nick Saban asked his team a simple question: “Do we have show dogs on the team, or do we have hunting dogs?” Show dogs want to be seen. Hunting dogs want to win. The answer tells you everything about your culture. 🏆

Loving Aaron Judge more and more as the tournament goes on. One of the best answers I’ve ever heard an athlete say and probably the best thing you’ll watch today.

America's shortstop 🇺🇸

Dream On. 🇺🇸

Great coach, even better human being!

On to the next. 🇺🇸

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Diamondbacks reliever Ryan Thompson is devoted to his faith. Now, his goal is to demonstrate that by being a faithful leader in the Diamondbacks' clubhouse. "Your value as a human being is not whether or not you performed on the field," Thompson said. Thompson wants his teammates to know they're loved and valued, whether they're performing on the field or not. arizonasports.com/mlb/arizona-di…

🇺🇸 baseball white uniforms are 🔥!!

This is how you want to be remembered as a coach.

Jack Hughes went over and grabbed Tage Thompson to be applauded for their Olympic effort #LetsGoBuffalo #Sabrehood #NJDevils

This is either a very wild set of coincidences or we live in a simulation: •February 22, 1980: Miracle on Ice. •February 22, 2026: Jack Hughes scores the Olympic game-winner for Team USA—46 years later to the day. •Jack Hughes (born 1957) was one of the final cuts from the 1980 Olympic team. 46 years ago. •That same Jack Hughes played 46 NHL games. •He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies, who later became the New Jersey Devils. •Current Jack Hughes (2026 hero) plays for the New Jersey Devils.

America!