"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:4-7 As we approach the golf course, it’s easy to get caught up in the competition, the score, or a perfect swing. Yet, the true essence of the game and life itself is rooted in an attitude of thankfulness. This brings us to the profound truth behind our quote by Paul David Tripp "The DNA of joy is thankfulness." Just as DNA carries vital information for growth, thankfulness nurtures our joy, shaping our experiences both on and off the course. In Philippians 4:4-7, we are reminded to "Rejoice in the Lord always." This isn’t just a call to celebrate during the good times but an invitation to find joy in every moment, including our time spent playing golf. When we approach the game with a heart of gratitude, we shift our focus from outcomes to experiences. Thankfulness allows us to appreciate the beauty of the course, the camaraderie with friends, and the gift of movement. Imagine standing on the tee, feeling the sun on your face and the soft grass beneath your feet. With each swing, let your thoughts be filled with gratitude. Thank God for the skills you've developed, for the time shared with friends, and even for the lessons learned from a missed putt. As we acknowledge these blessings, we cultivate a spirit of joy that transcends the scorecard. Additionally, Philippians instructs us to bring everything to God "with thanksgiving." As golfers, we encounter various challenges—whether it's a tough hole, unpredictable weather, or a performance that doesn’t meet our expectations. Instead of letting anxiety creep in, we can pray about these concerns with a thankful heart. Thanking God for the opportunity to play, for the lessons in humility, and for the peace that surpasses understanding helps us refocus. As we leave the course, let’s carry this mindset of thankfulness with us. Just like the fulfillment of a great round can carry us to our next game, a heart full of gratitude can carry us through life’s challenges, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for the joy that comes from a thankful heart. Help me to rejoice in every moment, both on and off the golf course. Teach me to approach each game with an attitude of gratitude, embracing both victories and challenges with thankfulness. May Your peace fill my heart as I play, making joy my constant companion. Amen. Let’s step onto the course with a mindset that appreciates every swing and every moment, knowing that in thankfulness, we find true joy.

“Since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 My husband describes his college golf career as four years of mental battles. He said each year presented a new mental struggle he had to fight against. He describes one struggle of standing over the ball on the tee box and having a rush of negative thoughts flood his brain. Every error he made that day flashed in his head; self-doubt and fear began before he started his swing. As a coach, he aims to help his players conquer what he felt he never could. His goal for his players is to learn how to take those thoughts captive. To take your thoughts captive is a learned skill. Satan knows our brain can be his playground if we haven’t done the work. God reminds us that to obey Christ and fight the enemy, we must be able to take captive our thoughts. How do we do this? Each person might have a different approach, but one way is to have a small prayer or Scripture memorized. Then, when your thoughts start running away, you repeat that prayer or Scripture as often as needed until the thought no longer rules your mind. It takes discipline to learn how to do this. Start practicing today so that when needed, you are ready to fight! What Scripture comes to mind that you use to take your thoughts captive? Does your thoughts often get away from you? Why is it necessary to learn this skill? James 1:12 - "Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." “Lord God, You warn us that the enemy will attack us here on earth, but You also provide us with everything we need to fight back. Let us not be lazy but take up your Word and use it as our shield as we run into battle. In Jesus name, Amen.” Written by: Chrystal Cowan Chrystal grew up with FCA as a cornerstone of her walk with the Lord. She graduated from Belmont University and was on FCA Staff in Tennessee for four years before moving to Arkansas with her husband, Colton, the golf coach at Henderson State University. They welcomed their first daughter, Collins, in June of 2023. To read more devotionals, visit FCAResources.com .

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore, don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:33-34 I’m seeing a major roadblock, or blind spots in players. I’m going to call it “tomorrow.” Our young HS golfers are spending so much time thinking and worrying about the next level of competition (college), that they are missing the blessing of where they are today. Moms and Dads are not helping, although I see and talk with many of them who have loving motives. Thinking back to my earlier coaching days, I wasn’t helping either. I was so focused on coaching (manipulating) my juniors to improve, because of what “I” wanted to receive (notoriety as a good coach, more players to coach, $). That I was moving them past their “today.” As I’ve told countless juniors, moms, and dads too: There is nothing your child can do today to win a college tournament as a first-year student in HS. Let’s be where our feet are right now, go out and compete, learn, and most importantly ENJOY playing this special game. Who doesn’t worry about “what’s next”? Whether it’s something good or bad? I’m so thankful for Gods word. Especially these verses (Read all of Matthew 6 when you can). Jesus knows what’s in our hearts and minds. He doesn’t want us to miss being with Him today because of our worrying about tomorrow. I can only imagine the lessons He wanted to teach me, and blessings that I missed, because I was looking past what was right in front of me. Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for TODAY. Bless our readers with wisdom that comes from You. Give our coaches pure hearts to guide the young golfers You have entrusted us to help lead their golfing journey. More importantly, their following journey with Jesus. I ask these things in loving name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Sing a new song to the LORD; let the whole earth sing to the LORD. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations His wonderous works among all peoples." Psalm 96: 1-3 Today I am feeling lead to be a bit transparent with you. I am blessed through the ministry of FCA to be able to spend time with young golfers. With the overall goal of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love to see the excitement and anticipation of the kids as they get ready to play this special game. It seems like yesterday that I was in the same season of life. I struggled to finish out good rounds because of preset scoring zones. Which there is some truth to that. BUT what God is teaching me today, that I did not understand when I was younger. Is this; I wanted ALL OF THE GLORY. I wanted people to think I was a skillful player, and on top of that, I wanted them to think I was a great guy as well (how many times do you hear commentators say; For as good a player he is, he is even a better person)? There was not a single thought or expression of thanks to God in my journey. I did not realize that He blessed me with a gift. A gift for us to enjoy together, and with others. I was a complete glory hound. I am coming to realize that this incredible game of golf is hard. But it is next to impossible if you play it, to get something from it. I think the same can be said in any endeavor. God loves us too much to allow us to try to ascend to a position that He, and HE alone is meant to be. I would like to tell you that I don’t struggle with this any longer. But I can’t. This could be one of the thorns in my side to help me realize how much I need Jesus every waking hour. ALL that I have. ALL that I am is because of what the LORD has done and is doing in and for me. Thank You LORD. Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for today. Thank You for blessing our fellow golfers with gifts and talents in the game of golf to make Your glory known. Give us the courage to share Your truth with individuals that cross our paths. In Jesus’ loving name. Amen.

“The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 In golf, the first thing a player does is look for the flag. The flag before them indicates where the hole is placed on the green. When looking toward the flag, the player can navigate the course, aim their shot and make the appropriate swing. The flag also helps indicate the wind’s direction and speed. Without pins and flags set before them, players would be lost when stepping up to swing. Our faith and lives desperately need something to indicate and guide us on which way we should go. As athletes with many everyday decisions, we often find ourselves thinking, “What should I do”? Whether playing our sport or walking the halls of our school, we may wish we had a flag ahead of us telling us exactly where to go and how to go about it. But praise God, we don’t have a flag, but a Father! God has gone before us and indicates how to live in every moment. He has given us His Word to teach and help us navigate in all areas of our life. He has even given us His Son, Jesus, to show us how to do life on this earth. We can look to the life of Jesus as an indicator and see how He handled situations and directed His disciples to live. We can be confident that when we step up to the tee of life, we can look ahead to God and His direction for us and swing with pure joy in His promise that He will always be before us, showing us the way. Has there ever been a moment when you didn’t know what to do or how to handle something in life or in competition? Does it make you feel confident and secure that God is always before you and will never leave you? What can you look to God for today for guidance and direction? “God, thank You for always being before me. I trust You will indicate the right way to go and teach me the direction to a holy life. In difficult situations, show me which way to go, what to do and how to react. I am confident You will never leave me but always be before me. Amen.” Written by: Arbor Diggs Arbor is an Area Representative in Knoxville, Tenn. Arbor has written for several of FCA's devotionals, YouVersion plans, and other resources. Arbor lives in Tennessee with her husband, Adam, who also serves on staff with FCA. You can connect with Arbor at adiggs@fca.org. To read more devotionals, visit FCAResources.com .

"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 “For the sake of Christ, then,I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 As followers of Christ, we often strive to find a “comfortable place”— a safe zone where there are no worries or difficulties. But I have learned that’s not how God works. Life is more than shooting a low golf score or playing a bogey-free round, and that’s what I want you to understand. God is constantly using circumstances in our lives to shape us into the people He wants us to be. I am reminded that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). In golf, we have opportunities to either play it safe and lay up or go for it. There are times when Christ is calling us outside our safe zones and telling us to “go for it.” And when that happens, He promises to be there with us, allowing our confidence to rest on Him and not in ourselves. “Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:4-5).