博客存档 - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

I Have Served, I Will Be of Service!!!

8/31/2026

“... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

Most people quickly dismiss this verse. They either believe that they don't need to serve anyone or they assume they are serving God. Rarely do we take the time to ask the tough question, "what is the master over me?". Is it my job? My hobbies? My "passions"? My pets? My family? My money? My fitness? My insecurities? My limitation? My fear? My laziness? My phone?

Lord, help me to avoid being dismissive of those THINGS in my life that tend to control me.

Atrophy!!

8/28/2026

“Because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:3-4

If we don't use our muscles, they will atrophy. If we don't use our brain, it will slow down. If we don't test our resilience, it will remain stagnant and we will not be prepared for the next, more difficult struggle.

Lord, help me to exercise my faith, so that I am ready for the NEXT test!

Stuck!!

8/26/2026

“Yet they didn’t listen or pay attention but walked according to their own advice and according to their own stubborn, evil heart. They went backward and not forward.” Jeremiah 7:24

Life is Hard!

8/25/2026

“...we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.” Romans 5:3-4

Resilience is a skill. Resilience is a very important skill. Resilience may be the most valuable and lifechanging skill that anyone could have. Resilience is a skill and skills are learned and the only way to learn resilience is to be forced to practice resilience. In order to practice resilience, we have to go through hard stuff. In order to get really good at resilience, we have to go through a lot of hard stuff and even harder stuff. So basically, if we address the hard things in life with the perspective that these hard things have a lifechanging purpose that benefits us, it will be a good thing.

Lord, life is weird but I trust You.

Powered by ...

8/24/2026

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

A flashlight needs a battery. A lightbulb needs electricity. Even a candle needs wax and a wick. Light comes from some power source. Our light only comes from One Power source.

Lord, help me to be honest about the source of Your light in my life.

Arousal Levels!!

8/21/2026

“Even zeal is not good without knowledge, and the one who acts hastily sins.” Proverbs 19:2

As an athlete, we learn to control our arousal levels. We can't be too high and can't be too low. We need to be intense when intensity is required and we need to be calm when patience is appropriate. The bible uses the words "trust" and "wait" interchangeably. We must wait or be patient to demonstrate that we trust God. In sports, we need to trust our training, trust our coaches and trust ourselves and avoid being in a hurry, which often times doesn't end well.

Lord, in sports and life, help me to take a big deep breath and wait a beat before I react in a manner that I regret later.

REady or Not ...

8/20/2026

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:2

You have heard it many times and in different forms, "You don't have to get ready if you stay ready!"

Lord, help me to always be locked in!

Difficult or Different?!

8/19/2026

“Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

When we come across someone who bugs us, is our first response, "I don't like that person." or do we see them with the same eyes God sees them and how God sees us and respond, "That person is different than me and I wonder what makes them different?"? Curiosity is always better than judgment.

Lord, help me to be curious and to see people as being different but not difficult.

Does It REALLY Matter??!!!

8/18/2026

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9

Yes, it does REALLY matter!

Lord, help me to realize that doing good will never be a waste of time and effort.

Approval!!

8/17/2026

"Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

A driver's license is an "approval" to drive. A teaching certificate is an "approval" to teach. Honestly, neither guarantee that the person who has the license or certificate are any good. And often, they are not good. But at one point, they were deemed to meet the standard.

Lord, I am not good but I want to meet the standard that You have set so that I may be approved.