If you are asking this question, you are not alone. Hundreds of thousands of people have wrestled with the subject of human suffering. Even the most faithful followers of Jesus struggle to understand why a holy, righteous, sovereign God would allow such terrible suffering in this world. While we cannot fully understand why God allows suffering, I believe it is essential for every Christian to adopt a biblical theology of suffering. The pain of suffering will still sting, but if we have a proper theology of suffering, we’ll be able to persevere by God’s grace through difficult seasons and continue to trust in His goodness. My prayer is that through this blog, and more importantly through God’s Word, you would be comforted and reminded that the Lord is good, and His plans are perfect, even amidst our suffering. Suffering Glorifies God The Scriptures make one thing crystal clear: suffering glorifies God. The clearest evidence of this is Jesus Christ. God’s Son, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, became a man. And during His time on this earth, He suffered more than any other human has suffered. He endured a grueling death on a cross. Why would God the Father allow His Son Jesus Christ to suffer in such a way? 1 Peter 3:18 tells us that Christ suffered to pay the penalty for our sins and to reconcile us to the Father. Jesus says Himself in John 12:23 that the Son of Man would be glorified. Through Jesus’ suffering, He was glorified! While it’s hard to make sense of this in our limited human understanding, it is clear that by means of suffering God glorified His Son. In John chapters 9 and 11, we see two more examples of God being glorified through human suffering. In John 9, Jesus comes across a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked Him if it was the man’s sin or his parents’ sin that caused him to be blind (verse 2). Jesus responds in John 9:3 by saying, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” In essence, Jesus is saying that this man was allowed to suffer so that God could be glorified! Similarly, in John 11, Jesus’ friend and brother of Mary and Martha, Lazarus, becomes ill. Upon hearing this news, Jesus says in verse 4, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus makes it clear in His response to Lazarus’ illness that the purpose for his suffering was the glory of God! In both of these examples, two things happen that bring glory to God. First, God is glorified through physical and miraculous events. In John 9, the blind man is healed and given sight through Jesus. In verses 6 and 7, Jesus puts His saliva and mud on the man’s eyes and commands him to go wash at the Pool of Siloam. The end of verse 7 says that the man went home seeing. God is glorified through this miraculous healing! If the man had not been blind, Jesus could not have healed Him and received the glory for performing a miracle. In John 11, Jesus does something even more extraordinary. In verse 14, Jesus says that Lazarus was dead. The illness that afflicted him led to death. Not only did Lazarus suffer, but his loved ones also suffered his death. In verses 41–44, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead! Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days. Yet, Jesus raised him back to life. Through this miraculous, supernatural event, God is glorified! Had Lazarus not fallen ill and died, Jesus would not have been able to raise him from the dead. Once again, God uses human suffering to glorify His name. The second thing that brings glory to God in both of these examples is salvation. While physical healings are a way God displays His power, the ultimate goal of Jesus’ ministry is spiritual healing. In John 9:35–38, Jesus finds the blind man that He had healed. In this second encounter, Jesus reveals Himself to be the Messiah. In verse 38, the man says, “Lord, I believe.” This man not only received his physical sight, but also spiritual sight. He received eternal salvation through faith in Jesus! God used suffering to draw this man to salvation. How incredible! After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in John 11, verse 45 tells us that “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.” Lazarus’ suffering and death led to the salvation of many! Had Lazarus not suffered and died, those Jews would not have visited Mary, and they would not have witnessed Jesus’ miracle. It was only through Lazarus’ suffering and death that God could be glorified through salvation. These are just a few of the many examples in Scripture of how suffering is a vehicle God uses to glorify His name and bring sinners to salvation. It is important to note that God does not cause suffering. Suffering is a result of human sin. However, God, in His sovereignty, allows suffering to accomplish His eternal and perfect purposes. A Biblical Response to Suffering Charles Swindoll famously said, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to it.” While this is not a quote from Scripture, its point is relevant for the topic of suffering. How you and I respond to suffering is extremely important. Not only for ourselves, but for our witness to who Christ is. Biblically, there are three proper responses to suffering. The first biblical response to suffering is being cooperative. 1 Peter 4 gives us two examples of what this response looks like. In verse 1, Peter says, “Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” Summed up, Peter is telling us that if Christ was willing to suffer, then we need to have the same attitude! Later in the chapter, in verse 12, Peter says, “Dear friends, do not be surprised by the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” Peter makes it clear that we should not be surprised at our suffering! In fact, we should expect to suffer in this life. Through suffering, God is accomplishing an important work in your life. He is disciplining you (Hebrews 12:4–11) and conforming you into the image of Christ (Romans 8:28–29). Our response to suffering should be cooperation, so that God can accomplish the work He desires in us. The second biblical response to suffering is trust. Isaiah 55:9 says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Oftentimes, we are tempted to think we know what is best. Instead of trusting that the Lord knows what is truly best, we fail to trust Him and rely on our own limited thinking. Our trust in God during times of suffering should seem radical. Even if the results don’t go as we prayed they would, we should know that God is good and sovereign, and that He has a good purpose for His kingdom even in the most difficult situations. The third biblical response to suffering is submission. What do your prayers sound like when you pray for a sick person? Or when you pray for a hard season to pass? My guess is that it goes something like this: “Lord, please heal this person from their sickness.” Or, “Lord, please remove this challenging situation from my life.” These types of prayers are not submissive to God’s will, but rather place ourselves in the driver’s seat. Instead, our prayers during times of suffering should reflect Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus says in Matthew 26:39, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will.” Jesus made His petitions known to the Father. He did not want to suffer crucifixion. But He also submitted Himself fully to the Father’s will. Jesus was more concerned with submission to His Father than being comfortable. In our lives and in our prayers, we should seek to reflect the same attitude that Jesus had in the garden. Conclusion Why does God allow suffering? I believe there are a lot of good, eternal purposes that God has in human suffering. The few examples that were shared in this blog are just a few of the many ways in which God has used suffering for His perfect purposes. The greatest example of them all is the suffering of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through His suffering on the cross, Christ paid the penalty for our sin and reconciled lost sinners back to God. Salvation was made possible through suffering! In Job 42:5, after Job had suffered immensely, he says, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.” My prayer is that even while you suffer, you would conclude with Job that through suffering God is revealing to you more of Himself than He ever could in your comfort. Thanks for reading this month's blog post. If you're interested in learning more about Uncommon Sports Group or getting connected, click here .

This Easter episode explores the profound significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, its historical and theological foundations, and how believers can marvel and communicate the resurrection. We touch on the origins of the holiday, ways we can honor the Lord as we celebrate, and share scripture alongside personal reflections to deepen our understanding and faith around Easter. A new episode of the Uncommon Podcast is released every two weeks. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, right here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this episode, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast to get alerts when new episodes are released!   Do you want to join our community of Christian leaders working in the college and pro sport industry? Learn how you can get involved with USG here . ⁠⁠⁠

This past weekend, Uncommon Sports Group hosted an Impact Weekend in Dallas, TX, for twenty-nine USG Academy participants. Each of the attendees spent eight weeks walking through USG’s Academy program, which provides faith-based and professional development opportunities for participants as they pursue careers in the sport industry. The Impact Weekend experience is a required in-person opportunity that each Academy participant attends to provide them with a more hands-on development experience and a chance to build Christ-centered relationships within the college and pro sport industry. After traveling to Dallas, the weekend officially began on Friday afternoon with a welcome session and a visit to AT&T Stadium. A tour guide walked our group throughout the entire facility, including the Cowboys locker rooms, stadium suites, press box, and much more. It was very cool to see one of the most well-known spectacles in sports and to learn more about the operations of a professional sports facility. Following the tour, our group drove around the corner to an entertainment complex called Texas Live! for dinner and a panel session with Christian sport industry professionals from the Dallas metro area. The panelists included Paul Conner, Account Executive with Seminole Boosters; Dana Blount, Assistant Athletics Director of Academic Services at TCU; Angela Marin, Director of Athletics at the University of Texas at Dallas; and Luke Unverferth, Coordinator of Corporate Partnership Marketing at the Dallas Cowboys. The panel touched on a number of topics, including how they got their foot in the door in the sport industry, the importance of having a “why” for working in sports, their day-to-day responsibilities in their specific roles, how they have navigated various transitions in their careers, and how they make Jesus a priority in their lives despite a busy schedule. Following Friday’s activities, Saturday morning began with the group breaking into small groups to study the Scriptures together. Each group dove into Acts 2:42–47 to study the various disciplines evidenced by the early church. The discussion was rich and edifying for the groups! After Bible study, we loaded up into our vans and headed to Southern Methodist University (SMU) for a tour of their football facilities with Carter Stanton, the Associate Athletic Director of Creative Strategy with the Mustangs. The group was able to see the new state-of-the-art football facility, the Gary Weber End Zone Complex. Our tour included seeing the team’s locker room, weight room, team room, and the football stadium itself. The tour wrapped up in the creative team’s office for a mock recruiting photoshoot! Our next stop after SMU was outreach with a local ministry called Mercy Street. Through the vehicle of youth sports, Mercy Street reaches out to impoverished communities in the Dallas area to connect children and families to sports and ultimately the gospel of Jesus Christ. A USG member, Garrett Sons, serves in an operations role with Mercy Street. Our group helped tidy up the facilities at Mercy Street and prayed over specific prayer requests that Garrett shared for the ministry. Afterwards, the group had some time to play sports with one another, including basketball and volleyball. Finally, Saturday wrapped up in downtown Dallas with dinner and a Mavericks game. During each Impact Weekend, the group is provided an opportunity to fellowship with one another during a social event. The Mavericks game provided a space for the group to build relationships with one another and to enjoy a professional sporting event. The weekend wrapped up on Sunday morning with a church service at Watermark Church. A part of our mission at Uncommon Sports Group is to connect Christians working in sports to community, and the best way to do that is to be connected to a local church body. Attending a local church during the weekend emphasizes the importance of the community and discipleship that the church can provide. It was a blessing to grow and serve alongside this group of future leaders in the college and professional sport industry. Our prayer is that each participant will take what they learned and apply it to their future or present careers in sports. We’re incredibly appreciative of our Clean Out For A Cause donors for their generosity and for making events like these possible. As we send these new USG members out, we’re confident that they are prepared and equipped to be Christ-centered leaders within the college and pro sport industry. If you are interested in learning more about our ministry work at Uncommon Sports Group or getting involved, please click here .

In this episode of the Uncommon Podcast, host Noah Weiss speaks with Tracy Hanson, a retired professional golfer and founder of the Tracy Hanson Initiative. Tracy shares her journey of faith, the impact of her past abuse on her life and career, and how she found healing through counseling and support. The conversation delves into the challenges of performance identity in sports, the importance of creating safe spaces for athletes, and Tracy's mission to help others navigate their struggles. Her story is one of resilience, faith, and the desire to make a difference in the lives of those facing similar challenges. A new episode of the Uncommon Podcast is released every two weeks. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, right here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this episode, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast to get alerts when new episodes are released!   Do you want to join our community of Christian leaders working in the college and pro sport industry? Learn how you can get involved with USG here . ⁠⁠⁠

Faith shows up before the result. Hebrews 11 opens with words we’ve heard before, but maybe haven’t slowed down enough to feel: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Not seen. Not proven. Not guaranteed.  Just trusted. Faith lives in the in-between. Between promise and payoff. Between calling and clarity. Between what God has said and what we can actually see. Thankfully, Hebrews 11 doesn’t give us theories, but it gives us people. Noah built an ark when the sky was still clear (Hebrews 11:7). Day after day. Board by board. Faith looked like obedience that made no sense to anyone else. Abraham packed up his life and stepped into the unknown without a detailed plan (Hebrews 11:8). Moses turned away from power and comfort because he believed God’s reward was greater than anything Egypt could offer (Hebrews 11:24–26). None of them waited until they felt ready. None of them waited until the outcome was guaranteed. They moved because they trusted God. If you work in sports, this rhythm is familiar. All of the preparation that goes without applause or the long hours without certainty of success. If you are an athlete or coach, then you are training before the scoreboard even lights up. Faith works the same way; it’s built in the quiet and the unseen. Hebrews reminds us that “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6), and often that faith looks like staying faithful in the ordinary grind. Hebrews 11 also quietly reshapes how we define success. Some of these men and women never saw the promises fulfilled in their lifetime (Hebrews 11:13). Yet Scripture still calls them faithful because seeing the outcome and gaining recognition is not as important. The Lord valued their obedience and therefore declared them faithful. Faith in action doesn’t have to be loud and flashy. It’s choosing integrity when shortcuts are available. It’s trusting God with your platform when self-promotion feels safer. It’s obeying even when it costs you influence, opportunity, or comfort. So here’s the invitation for our community: bring your faith to life in the unseen places! Take the next step of obedience, even if it feels small. Even if no one notices. Hebrews 11 reminds us that God sees faith like that and honors our trust. He delights in seeing a faith that moves before the outcome and obeys before the evidence. This is a faith that lives in action. Praise Jesus that we get to live in faith! Thanks for reading February's blog post. If you're interested in learning more about Uncommon Sports Group or getting connected, click here . If you'd like to join a spring virtual Bible Study with USG, register here .

In this episode of the Uncommon Podcast, Beaver and Gabrielle Fleming share their experiences as a couple navigating the challenges of family life, professional careers in skateboarding and sustainability, and their faith journey. They discuss the importance of community, the joy of parenting, and the need for intentionality in their spiritual practices. The conversation highlights the balance between work and family, the significance of prayer, and the call to be a light in their respective industries. They also touch on the importance of sustainability and honoring God's creation while maintaining a focus on the Creator. A new episode of the Uncommon Podcast is released every two weeks. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, right here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this episode, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast to get alerts when new episodes are released!   Do you want to join our community of Christian leaders working in the college and pro sport industry? Learn how you can get involved with USG here . ⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Uncommon Podcast, host Noah Weiss interviews Bryan Engle, Senior Associate AD of Internal Affairs at Lipscomb University. Bryan shares his journey of faith, his path to athletics administration, and the importance of living with a servant heart. He discusses the challenges of balancing career growth with God's calling, the significance of prayer in high-pressure situations, and the lessons learned from overseeing a major facility project. Bryan emphasizes the value of community, trust, and effective communication in athletics, and how to integrate faith in both Christian and secular environments. A new episode of the Uncommon Podcast is released every two weeks. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, right here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this episode, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast to get alerts when new episodes are released!   Do you want to join our community of Christian leaders working in the college and pro sport industry? Learn how you can get involved with USG here . ⁠⁠⁠

Uncommon Sports Group seeks to connect, encourage, and equip Christians working throughout the college and professional sport industry. A large part of how USG seeks to accomplish this mission is through the USG Academy. For future leaders of the sports industry, USG designates multiple 8-week virtual training courses. Our Academies help participants grow in their love for God, grow in love for the people around them, and grow in a Christ-centered community in the sport industry. Aliyah Hill, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator/Athletic Academic Advisor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, was one of the graduates for the most recent Academy team (45). Below is a testimony from Aliyah about her experience throughout the USG Academy. " When I discovered the Uncommon Sports Group Academy, I was in a major season of transition. I was new in my role, had recently moved to a new state, and was deeply longing for community and accountability. Spiritually, I felt like my Christian walk had grown cold. Entering the Academy, I didn’t fully know what to expect, but over the course of the 8 weeks, God met me right where I was. Through the weekly group calls, I experienced genuine community. I truly enjoyed discussing The Purpose Driven Life and diving into scripture from the playbook together. Hearing different perspectives challenged and encouraged me, and it reminded me that I wasn’t walking alone. The one-on-one calls with our Team 45 Academy Coaches, Karlie and Alyssa, were especially impactful. I could genuinely feel how much they cared about us as people, not just participants, and how deeply they desired to see us grow spiritually. Karlie taught me that I could be honest with God about where I currently am, reassuring me that different seasons with the Lord can reveal different aspects of who He is. Alyssa encouraged me to go deeper in my study of the Word, consistently bringing historical and cultural context to scripture during group discussions and challenging me to become a better, more intentional student of the Bible. Additionally, my one-on-one call with Etornam, our cohort shepherd, was incredibly meaningful. She allowed the Holy Spirit to guide the conversation as we walked through my testimony. She prayed for me, spoke encouragement into areas where I needed it most, and reminded me that even while carrying heavy responsibility, it is okay to rest and recharge. Her words affirmed that I am doing meaningful work in my current role at UAPB. Overall, I am so thankful I completed the Academy. I have a more positive and hopeful outlook than when I started, and I am deeply grateful for the community, growth, and renewed spiritual fire I gained through this experience. "- Aliyah Hill, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator/Athletic Academic Advisor Seeing the impact that the Lord brought about from this academy, both in Aliyah's life and throughout team 45, has been such an encouragement! The best is yet to come! If you're interested in joining or learning more about the USG Academy, click here ! If you are interested in learning more about becoming a part of USG's growing community of Christian sport industry professionals, click  here !

Busy. Busy. Busy. It seems like there's no escape, doesn't it? ​ Who else has felt overwhelmed by busyness? Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” ​ The Western world and college and professional athletics are busy. Anyone working in the industry knows games and events extend beyond nine-to-five, demanding unusual hours. How can we seek God's kingdom and live as Jesus calls us when our days fill with tasks: another email, game, post, sale, productive day, laundry, and more? ​ All to gain—what? ​ Our Master often withdrew to places like the Mount of Olives to connect with the Father, sometimes alone, sometimes with close friends among His disciples. This is the lifestyle to model—Jesus’ way, not the world’s, I urge you. ​ C.S. Lewis writes in The Screwtape Letters,” We can’t keep Christians from going to church.” ​ “We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.” ​ “We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior.” ​ “Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.” ​ “So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, ​ BUT steal their time, so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.” ​ “This is what I want you to do,” said the devil: ​ “Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!” ​ “How shall we do this?” his demons shouted. ​ “Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered. ​ “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow…” ​ “Keep them from spending time with their children.” ​ “As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!” ​ “Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.” ​ I cherish the still, small voice—how sacred, powerful, and lovely it is to commune continually with our Savior. Yet this awareness is so often under attack. How do we remain in these places of rest and intimacy with Jesus, even while walking out our divine callings in family, work, and community? ​ But how? ​ Here is a difficult truth: On your own, you cannot succeed at this. ​ Emphasis added to “you.” ​ But, please don’t stop reading. There’s Good News here. ​ In our carnal nature, apart from the Holy Spirit, we tend to fill our schedules with amusements or distractions, or, out of fear of stillness, we go, go, go. Our senses are trained to seek constant activity. We find fleeting happiness in "likes," comments, and approval, yet leave the true Treasure neglected. When was the last time you felt genuine joy simply at the THOUGHT of entering the Presence behind the veil? ​ There’s another category of people who the busyness of life simply happens to. I have so much empathy for people who find themselves in situations that seem impossible to be alone with God. I think of my friends with newborns who are not in control of their baby crying at one in the morning. Loved ones walking through tragedy and loss. Industry professionals who just entered the postseason saying “sayonara” to their comfortable beds at home. Possibly, game day for some is on Sunday (I’ve been there), and the one o'clock kick-off prevents you from joining in worship at your local church. Sound familiar? Of course, it’s vital to address the aspects of life that make it challenging to deeply connect with the Father and, as Hebrews chapter four says, to enter into the promised rest of God. The clothes won’t fold themselves. The bills won’t get paid without a job, ya know? But what’s even more vital is that after addressing, we move on to an even greater truth(s), listed below. Your impossibilities are God’s divine invitations. (It’s supernatural, indeed.) "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26 God is in control of your schedule. ( Yes, free will. But, isn’t genuine freedom found in submission?) "He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" Daniel 4:35 Jesus is Lord over all. (Including your two-year-old throwing a tantrum.) “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 Your life is not your own. (Nor do you want it to be.) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Galatians 2:20 You do not operate in your own strength or power, but His. (Hallelujah!) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you...” Acts 1:8 Following Jesus means surrendering all things. (Yep, all.) “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24 You can trust Him. (Don’t be afraid, dear one. You really can!) “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7 If you have, by the grace of God alone, given yourself wholly over to Him, surrendering your being to His, you are now walking in the fullness of Christ. The same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is alive in you. Can we even begin to comprehend what that means? Yes, only by His Spirit. My friend, there is not a second, an hour of the day that you spend alone. Jesus said, “Guys, it’s better for me to go.” He has given us the Helper, the blessed Holy Spirit, Third Person of the Trinity, sent from Christ Himself to enable us to walk out this Christian life not perfectly, but in Oneness with God. Christ alone is perfect, and we get to taste that perfection when we lovingly submit to Him daily. So, back to the original question. How do we break free from the bondage of busyness and enter into a life spent in the delight of His presence? You can’t be on a solo mission, but Christ in you absolutely positively can! Very good news! JESUS SAVED YOU. YOU DIDN’T SAVE YOU. JESUS SAVED YOU. This is Jesus whom we’re talking about. God Himself humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross to take on the punishment of sin for all of humanity. He was the spotless Lamb, crucified for us, that we would be blameless in the Blood before God. He made us at peace with God through the finished work of His death, burial, and resurrection. This is Jesus, who is coming back for His bride, whom He paid for. As we wait on Him to return, He is sanctifying us and teaching us how to walk with Him, talk with Him, and live fully alive IN HIM. In His mercy, He died to save you, while you were yet a sinner. Church, we can do nothing good apart from Him. His life is our life. This reality must be spiritually discerned; so help us, Holy Spirit, to realize its truth. Now that we’ve laid the foundation for dependency rather than self-reliance, let’s chat about how we can shift from being productivity-driven to presence-driven. Remember that still small voice we mentioned earlier? Yes, let’s not forget that. Psalm 90 begins with, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” This journey we call life is not a sprint. It’s a day-by-day sojourn, locking arms with, clinging to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it feels like an all-out dash to the finish line, and other days it’s a slow drip, learning to trust and surrender moment by moment. To number your day means not living in tomorrow, but accepting the daily grace that God provides for each breath you take on this planet. “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness,” says Apostle Paul to the church of Corinth. Each day upon waking, our role is to, “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship,” according to Romans 12:1. The sacrifice doesn’t get off the altar. Time and time throughout a day, I sense that still small voice, the Holy Spirit bringing me back into oneness with Him, learning to live surrendered to His will and rhythm and cadence, not my own. Here's the invitation: Come to Him broken. Come to Him, needy. Come to Him, uncertain. Come to Him happy. Come to Him, sad. Come to Him, overwhelmed. Come to Him, joyful. No matter where you are in your walk with the Lord, He’s inviting you to return to your first love and come to Him. Come to Him like a child, for such is the Kingdom of heaven. This may look like waking up earlier to spend time in prayer. Or scheduling one less call per day to open up space to seek His face before seeking that of another. It may mean cutting out TV time to unwind with the Word rather than worldly entertainment after a long day. For parents, I honor you; it could look like clinging to the feet of Jesus by mentioning His name as often as you think of Him during the day. (And reach out to your single / newly married friends to intercede for you. Everything is for a season!) Maybe before hopping onto the next work call, you shut off the computer for five minutes to simply pause and turn your affection towards Jesus. I’ve been trying to comprehend what made the early church so radical and on fire to be filled with and follow the Holy Spirit. Could it have been their long work hours? Possibly, they spent some gruesome nights in prison. Could it have been the growing church? Perhaps, every beating gave them more boldness. I don’t know...I believe it was their vision of Jesus. 1 John 1:1 says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” The early church knew Him. They saw Him, heard Him, touched Him...and therefore, proclaimed Him. We are not a different church. The Holy Spirit came for John, and the Holy Spirit is here for you. The Spirit of the living God wants all of you. Will you let Him know you? Will you let Him usher you from glory to glory? What’s it going to take for you to forsake all and follow Him? To seek Him above all else? To wage this war on distraction and walk victorious in the light of His face? I’m starting in the mirror, asking this question. What’s it going to take, Karlie? The answer is, it takes Him. It takes this frame of dust returning to dust to rely fully on the mercy and love of Christ to first come to me. Dependency is a wonderful thing. Knowing that we cannot save ourselves, nor can we remove this heart of stone for a heart of flesh in our own doing. It must be God who makes the first move. We cannot dig ourselves out of the pit. This Holy God on the throne, who is surrounded by twenty-four elders, living creatures that worship Him day and night, myriads and myriads of angels, sent His Son to us. He made the first move. Jesus is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world. In Philippians 2, we learn about the humility of Christ, who came to us. “Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” He came to us in a lowly manger, through a humble virgin. He came to us from this... “And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.” Revelation 4:3-6 That God sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. To take on the wrath of God for humanity’s sin, so that all those who declare, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in their heart that God raised him from the dead, will be saved. This is a God who is always with us, yet so set apart from us. We get to hold the mystery, the tension of both. By His Spirit, day by day, we become more and more awakened to the reality of His love, His presence, His holiness, and His majesty. It’s walking both in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. The King came to us, and He’s coming back again. In the meantime, He’s prepared a table for us to enjoy fellowship with God. It’s wild, it’s wonderful, and it’s available to you by the blood of Christ. Do you believe this? So here’s our response... We're back at Romans 12, which again says to prepare our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Your bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit. In 2 Chronicles, King Solomon, son of King David, built a temple for the Lord. To dedicate the temple, he prepared an altar and a sacrifice. After Solomon prayed, this happened. “As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord's house. When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” God has always desired to dwell with man. That’s not our idea, it’s God’s original design. Through Jesus Christ, God has made this happen. His glory now fills you as you present your body as a living sacrifice to Him. Psalm 5:3 says, “At each and every sunrise you will hear my voice as I prepare my sacrifice of prayer to you. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on the altar and wait for your fire to fall upon my heart.” Solomon’s Father, King David, got it. Every day, David, a man after God’s own heart, gave his life in surrender to God and waited for His presence to once again come and consume Him. He realized that this was the way of life, to wait upon the Lord and experientially be filled with His Spirit. We serve the same God of yesterday, today, and forever. We don’t have to be an Aaron or a Moses to enter into the Holy of Holies. We enter through the blood. This is worth waiting for. This is worth carving your day around to enter into His presence. This is worth pausing to thank Him and declare His goodness. The more we do this, the more we enjoy the bliss of belonging to God, being filled with His Spirit, and walking in relationship with our crucified and risen Lord. Present the altar (come before Him). Jesus is the sacrifice. He reveals Himself to us. Our worship ignites communion. His Spirit is the fire. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. The word “busy” doesn’t even belong here anymore. Focus on just this one thing, Jesus. Watch Him restructure and organize your day to be about the Father’s business and enjoy delighting in Him as He first delights in You. He is a God who speaks in the still small voice and the whirlwind. Job 28:1 says, “Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm.” Elijah on the mountain in 1 Kings did not hear God through the fire, the earthquake, or the wind, but in the whisper. We cannot constrain God to only communicating with us in our prayer closet. He’s longing to make Himself known in the worst, most chaotic moments and in the best, most peaceful moments. This is great news because, depending on the season of life or the day, you’re experiencing both. Whatever you’re walking through, cry out to Him to meet you in it. Ask Him for eyes to see and ears to hear what heaven is saying. This is the only remedy that will nourish and tend to your broken heart. He is the answer, always. I love Luke 10:38-24. “Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Karlie, Karlie. Martha, Martha. Reader, reader. You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed. Choose the good part. There is fullness of joy in His presence, and as Jesus said, that joy will not be taken away from you.  John 17:3 says,” Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” This is our purpose and the pursuit of life. To know Him! As you ask Him to help you know Him, you will come to witness this for yourself. We were made to live in the always-present communion between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This unity overflows to the relationships around us. If you desire greater oneness in your family, seek to know Him. If you hope for a better day on your job, seek to know Him. If you’re ready for five seconds of quiet in a household of children, seek to know Him. Let Him show you what is possible in Him, a God who is not restricted by our human ideas, thoughts, or limitations. Think about the impact of your life in 100 years. Generations will be changed and impacted by a person who is caught up in the love of Christ. Start afresh today and “Come to Him.” Depend on Him. Whenever He draws you, seek Him to find Him. It’s been a glorious wandering, but it’s time now to enter into the promised rest of His presence. We get to live here. By His Spirit, we need a maturing body of Christ to be on the same page and say, “Jesus, it’s all about you.” Only God can do this in us. Will you get on your knees before Him and invite Him into your life, to do this? It’s a narrow way that leads to life, and it is the only way. The Great Commission always starts at the table of fellowship with the Son. (See Mark 16) Before we “go,” we must “know.” A life burning for Jesus is rooted in the upper room. It begins and ends with His Spirit. It’s a saved, willing heart that hears the call and responds to, “Come to Me.” Prayer: Lord I surrender my schedule to you. Teach me how to abide, no matter what is happening. Open my eyes to see You. Open my ears to hear you. Reveal to me the joy of your presence. Show me your love. I'm praying Ephesians 1:15-23 over you... "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." God bless you! Thanks for reading the New Year's blog. If you're interested in learning more about Uncommon Sports Group or getting connected, click here . If you'd like to join a spring virtual Bible Study with USG, register here .

In this episode of the Uncommon Podcast, hosts Karlie Flowers and On-Air Personality Tamara Brown discuss Tamara's journey in sports reporting, emphasizing the importance of faith, perseverance, and community. They explore the challenges of career transitions, the significance of spiritual growth during difficult times, and the balance between faith and works. Tamara shares her experiences finding peace in uncertainty and the lessons she learned from various job changes, ultimately encouraging listeners to trust in God's plan, remain steadfast in their faith, and rely on God. Additionally, they explore the importance of seeking God first in all aspects of life, emphasizing the power of prayer, community, and the joy found in trials. They discuss how God comforts us in our afflictions and encourages us to share that comfort with others. The conversation highlights the significance of scripture in navigating life's trials and concludes with encouragement for those in a valley season, reminding listeners of God's faithfulness and the strength found in His joy. A new episode of the Uncommon Podcast is released every two weeks. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, right here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this episode, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast to get alerts when new episodes are released!   Do you want to join our community of Christian leaders working in the college and pro sport industry? Learn how you can get involved with USG here . ⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Uncommon Podcast, host Noah Weiss interviews Troy Lydiate, the creative director of Apologetics Canada. Troy shares his journey from being adopted in Jamaica to growing up in a Christian family in Canada, and how his faith deepened through personal experiences and challenges. He discusses his transition into the field of apologetics, emphasizing the importance of making complex ideas accessible and the role of humility in ministry. Troy also reflects on the impact of apologetics on his personal faith and the lives of others, and explores his passion for Christian hip hop as a means of worship and expression. In this conversation, Troy Lydiate and Noah Weiss explore the intersection of faith and hip-hop, discussing the challenges of idolatry, the role of Christian hip-hop in spiritual expression, and the importance of community and character in the music industry. They emphasize the need for a firm foundation in Christ and the significance of the local church in nurturing faith, especially in a world that often prioritizes worldly success over spiritual growth. A new episode of the Uncommon Podcast is released every two weeks. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, right here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this episode, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast to get alerts when new episodes are released!   Do you want to join our community of Christian leaders working in the college and pro sport industry? Learn how you can get involved with USG here . ⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of the Uncommon Podcast, Karlie Flowers interviews Mariah Fredericks, a Sport Ministry and Organizational Consultant and professional soccer player in Barcelona, Spain (La Tercera Nacional). Mariah shares her journey from coaching in the U.S. to using sports as a platform for ministry.   She discusses the importance of balancing competition with holiness, the transformative power of sports ministry, and the significance of rest and reliance on the Holy Spirit. Mariah also shares inspiring stories of encounters with Jesus and the impact of sports camps in communicating the gospel. The conversation emphasizes the need for encouragement, mentorship, and the creation of safe spaces for faith discussions in the competitive world of sports. A new episode of the Uncommon Podcast is released every two weeks. You can find it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, right here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. Check out this episode, and be sure to subscribe to our podcast to get alerts when new episodes are released!   Do you want to join our community of Christian leaders working in the college and pro sport industry? Learn how you can get involved with USG here . ⁠⁠⁠