DEVOTIONALS

Spiritual Essential: Suffering Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9 “These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold… may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7) You ever had a heavy barbell slip out of your hand? I have. Sometimes, it’s on us. Like when you loosen your grip to avoid the pressure on the callouses. Or when you neglect to wrap your thumbs. But then there are times when it’s not on us. It’

Spiritual Essential: Endurance Reading: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12) After over 30 years of fitness training, I can say this with confidence: some workouts are easier with a partner. Heavy carries, sled pushes, long runs, and grueling chipper workouts have a way of exposing our limits. There comes a point when motivation fades, energy drops, and your mind

Spiritual Essential: Sacrifice Reading: 2 Samuel 24:18-25 “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24:24) Every athlete knows there is a price for progress. Strength costs time. Endurance costs effort. Performance costs comfort. Nobody accidentally becomes fit. Every improvement requires giving something up. Early mornings replace sleeping in. Meal prep replaces convenience. Mobility replaces another night on the couch. The

Spiritual Essential: Grace Reading: Ephesians 2:1-9 Anyone who’s ever started a fitness journey usually says they want to become a better version of themselves. So, we build the plan. We train, prep meals, wake up early, push through workouts we don’t feel like doing, all chasing that future version. But if you sit down with enough people as I have, you start to notice a pattern. Before the plan, before the structure, their life was already heading somewhere. Not by cha

Spiritual Essential: Discipline Reading: Hebrews 12:4-13 Things That Challenge You, Change You According to ChatGPT, the workout “Cindy” is a classic CrossFit benchmark WOD (Workout of the Day) designed to test muscular endurance. It’s a 20-minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air squats. Simple on paper. Relentless in practice. There are more than twenty benchmark CrossFit workouts, and all of them are named after women. CrossFit f

Spiritual Essential: Purpose Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) In the gym, every rep counts. The sweat, the strain, the discipline — it’s all working toward something. Over time, the body starts to change. Definition takes shape. Strength increases. But the process doesn’t just happen by accident. It takes intention. It takes vision. Coaches call it