Central Iowa FCA, 2500 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA (2026)

09/08/2026

A fun start to a new year! 🏐📖🙏

Valley High School kicked off the school year with a little friendly competition and a game of kickball! Afterward, two student leaders shared the basics of the Bible and the Gospel, giving students an opportunity to learn more about who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

The night wrapped up in small groups and prayer. What a great way to kick off the year—having fun, growing in faith, and pointing one another to Christ!

09/08/2026

Am I Accepted?

Ready:
“For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” —Romans 14:7-8

Set:
Our fast-paced culture infuses an element of endless striving that invites us into a false narrative. The world defines our belonging by the number of wins on the scoreboard, the number of followers on a platform and wealth accumulated. Our need for belonging may stem from an unseen fear, insecurity or the desire for external validation. This cycle can lead to burnout, people-pleasing and a loss of identity.

We crave a sense of belonging, where we don't have to perform to be valued. But where can we turn to truly receive this sense of belonging?

Our sense of belonging isn't just about being part of a greater whole; it's about reminding ourselves that through Jesus, we already belong and are worthy. God designed every person with an inherent need for belonging and community. The desire to belong is not a weakness, but a strength that creates relationships, families and communities.

God made us to belong; it was His idea. From the beginning, He created us to know Him and others – and to be known. Will we find our true belonging, not in the constantly shifting world, but in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

God's motivation to fill our need to belong leads to growth, confidence and a sense of purpose, all while strengthening who we were truly created to be. The book of Psalms affirms God as the creator of our physical bodies while highlighting the intentionality of His plan for belonging and purpose.

God regarded us before we had an earthly identity! So, when you ask yourself, “Where am I looking for acceptance?” remember your deeper identity, which isn’t defined by what you do, but by who you are in Christ.

The pressure to prove ourselves is real, but the truth is even more significant: We are already accepted. Will we embrace that acceptance or keep striving and seeking something we already have?

Understanding our belonging to Christ is an extension of the work of redemption in our lives when we discover how much God loves us. In Jesus, you are already seen, known, rescued and loved.

Go:
What things do you tend to turn to for belonging?
How can you practically remind yourself that you belong to Christ?
As you pursue your God-given identity and belonging in Christ, notice how your perspective shifts. What does it look like for you to live it out daily?

Workout:
Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.
Psalm 139:16

18For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.
1 Peter 1:18-19

Overtime:
“Lord, thank You for reminding me that I have been created for a purpose and that You have planned all my days for Your glory and my joy. Still my striving and help me replace it with wonder at Your power and presence in my life. Amen.”

09/07/2026

Spirit-Controlled Response

Ready:
“No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” —Ephesians 4:29

Set:
Another play run wrong. The crowd gets louder. The team shifts nervously. The coach stirs. Pressure is beginning to snowball. Then a time out is called.

Royals pitcher Brady Singer described these moments with Salvador Perez this way, “When your head’s running a million miles an hour, for him to simplify it and make it easy for us is huge.” Perez doesn’t scream. He doesn’t lecture. He doesn’t pile more pressure onto the moment. Instead, he slows everything down with carefully chosen words.

Athletes understand pressure compounds, frustration escalates, anger accelerates and reactions intensify. Unchecked pressure starts making decisions for you. Trained experience uses calming words to interrupt the spiral before emotions take control.

Spirit-filled athletes train the same way. Paul counseled Ephesian believers, “No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” Paul’s word image for ‘building up’ pictures structural reinforcement. When pressure threatens collapse, builders rush to shore up weak points before collapse. Paul’s point isn’t merely avoiding harmful speech. In addition, Spirit-controlled words reinforce emotional and spiritual stability under pressure.

This isn't easy. Believers spend a lifetime training for these moments—learning to pause, discern the Holy Spirit’s voice and choose words that redirect pressure instead of multiplying it. Words can either inflame frustration or restore calm. God’s Word is a tourniquet for real life—not a baby aspirin. That’s why the Holy Spirit trains believers to respond, not react; to speak grace and truth that strengthen others when they need it most.

G0:
How can words either strengthen structural integrity or contribute to emotional collapse under pressure?
Describe how athletes can “choose words” instead of simply reacting emotionally?

Workout:
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
Colossians 4:6

There is one who speaks rashly, like a piercing sword; but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18

Overtime:
“My God and my Coach, train me to pause, listen and speak your truth with grace in crises. Use my words to restore calm, strengthen others and reinforce what pressure would tear apart. Amen.”

09/06/2026

Respond Don't React

Ready:
“A quick-tempered person acts foolishly, and one who schemes is hated.” —Proverbs 14:17

Set:
A batter steps into the box with a full count: 3–2. He expects a fastball. The moment demands a quick decision. Everything in him is ready to react. And the pitcher knows it. So he throws a change-up. It looks like a fastball—same motion, same release. For a split second, everything about the pitch says, “Swing now!”

But that first impression is a lie. The ball slows. It drops. What looked right… isn’t. If the batter swings at what he thinks he sees, he’s out in front, off balance and beaten. The pitcher didn’t overpower him, he deceived him. But elite hitters train for these moments. They track the ball just a fraction longer. They create a pause just long enough to discern the difference between what appears true and what is true. And sometimes, the most disciplined response… is not swinging at all.

Pressure doesn’t just demand action. It demands pause. Solomon warns, “A quick-tempered person acts foolishly.” The Hebrew words describe a person with “tightened nostrils”— short-breathed, tense, reactive. There’s no space to think so they jump on impulse. That’s reaction! Discernment is different. Wisdom creates a deep breath of steady calm where emotions pause so truth can surface. Short breath reacts. Deep breath discerns.

Too often, we don’t train for these moments—we simply react in them. Then we ask God to redeem our reactions instead of allowing His Spirit to prepare our responses. But athletes don’t train that way. They study, prepare and work with coaches to recognize truth in the blur of pressure.

The same is true spiritually. If you want to respond and not react, you must train beforehand. That means working with your spiritual batting coach—the Holy Spirit. He strengthens your focus. He calms your thoughts. He trains you to hear His voice. So when the moment comes, you don’t react to what appears right—you discern what is right. Train with the Spirit before the moment—so you hear His voice in the moment.

Go:
When have you reacted too quickly—and later realized that you misread the moment?
How does ‘short breath’ help you picture the difference between reacting and responding?
What are some practical ways athletes can “train the pause” with the Holy Spirit?

Workout:
A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath.
Proverbs 15:1

Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:9

Overtime:
“My God and my Coach, help me slow down enough to hear Your voice and discern Your truth. Teach me to breathe deeply, think clearly, and discern wisely through the training of your Spirit. Amen.”

09/05/2026

Strength Under Control

Ready:
“Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love…” – Ephesians 4:1-2

Set:
In sports, showing weakness is viewed as something to be avoided at all costs. How about gentleness? Is being gentle the equivalent of being weak and therefore something you as an athlete or coach should resist? Or could gentleness actually be essential for success in what matters most?

As God through His Spirit is growing us in spiritual maturity, how we live will be increasingly marked by the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Maybe we’re tempted to opt-out on gentleness, thinking that it doesn’t really have a place in competition. However, a biblical understanding of gentleness leads us to a different conclusion as we seek to compete for the Lord’s glory.

According to Ephesians 4:1-2, “to walk worthy of the calling you have received” from the Lord includes doing everything “with all humility and gentleness.” Far from being the equivalent of weakness, gentleness in the Bible is “strength under control.” It is treating others with a considerateness and sensitivity to their needs that comes out of genuine humility. There was nothing weak or wimpy about Jesus. He lived and led with a strength that we desire to emulate. It’s also helpful to recognize that Jesus called Himself “gentle” (Matthew 11:29).

How can we compete and coach with the “strength under control” we see in Jesus, especially with people we find difficult? As we’re amazed and humbled by how the Lord loves us and treats us with gentleness despite our sins and flaws, we’re able to love others despite their sins and flaws. Rather than unleashing angrily on a teammate, player or official when they act contrary to what we want, we can be both firm and gentle out of a desire to put God’s love on display.

Gentleness comes from staying focused on our ultimate goal: to live worthy of our calling, which includes making a long-term impact for Christ in the sphere of influence He’s given us. When you compete and coach with appropriate gentleness, you’re not showing weakness. You’re living out a strength that’s under control, and this will bear fruit for God’s glory.

Go:
Make a list of examples from the Bible of how Jesus demonstrates gentleness.
What would it look like for you to grow in gentleness in your setting as an athlete or coach?

Workout:
Mark 5:25-34
2 Timothy 2:22-26

Overtime:
“Lord Jesus, I praise You because all power and authority belong to You, and yet You treat us with love and gentleness. I pray that I would grow in this “strength under control” quality, especially with people I find difficult. May others experience Your love and gentleness through me. Amen.”

09/04/2026

Friday Devotional: Called to Love

Choosing to love others like Jesus loves us, even when it’s hard.

Have you ever been on a team where it feels like a battle to love your teammates? Or have you ever competed against teams or players who seem impossible to love? Maybe they have a poor attitude or are unkind in how they compete. Perhaps their actions show they do not deserve your kindness and love.

Let’s be honest; we, too, can be hard to love at times. But as followers of Jesus, we know that God loves us even when we do not deserve it. As we seek to become more like Jesus, we are called to love others as He has loved us.

God's love is powerful and transforms us from the inside out.

God loves us with a sacrificial love.

As disciples of Jesus, we are commanded to love others as God has loved us. Jesus tells us in John 15:12, “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.”

The Holy Spirit ultimately empowers us to love like Jesus and to become more like Him.

When it feels like an uphill battle to love those God has placed in our path, remember how Jesus has loved you. Remember the calling on your life to become more like Jesus, and the gift that you have with the Holy Spirit to love others as Jesus has loved you. Loving others may seem challenging, but when it comes from the overflow of your walk with Jesus, it is not only possible, but life-changing.

Quarter Verse:
“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.” - John 15:12

Questions for Reflection:
How have you been loving others as Jesus has loved you? How can you show God’s love to your teammates?

Challenge:
Commit to showing God’s love to those around you this week by choosing to love others in challenging moments.

Article By Hannah Campbell, FCA Georgia Regional Director of International Advancement

09/04/2026

Holy Perspective

Ready:
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphim were standing above him; they each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies; his glory fills the whole earth.’” – Isaiah 6:1-3

Set:
Coaches and athletes sometimes refer to God as “The Big Guy” or “The Big Man Upstairs.” This may seem relatively harmless, but does it accurately reflect who God is? Does it lead us to rightly understand how we relate to Him, view ourselves, and pursue our true purpose as competitors and in life?

In the Bible, God is regularly called “Holy One.” In Isaiah alone, God is referred to as the Holy One more than 25 times. When Isaiah encounters the Lord in chapter 6, the seraphim emphasize the Lord’s holiness: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies.” To be holy is to be set apart. God is set apart from His creation, exalted above all else. Far more than just “The Big Man Upstairs,” the Lord is awesome in His complete perfection.

God’s holiness leads us to relate to Him with deep humility. Isaiah’s initial response to the Lord is, “Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips…” (Isaiah 6:5). He is immediately aware of his sin and lack of holiness. As a sinful man in the presence of the Holy One, Isaiah knows that he deserves to be punished for his sin. Instead, the Lord graciously cleanses him (v. 7).

Our sin likewise creates a barrier between us and the Holy One. But God came to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life, causing Peter in John 6:69 to say to Him, “We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus then takes the penalty for our sin in our place through His death on the cross. When we surrender in faith to Him, He graciously cleanses us of our sin. We can now be in the presence of our Holy God. This compels us to come to Him with humility rather than with a flippant or utilitarian perspective.

Knowing our holy God also motivates us to pursue holiness in how we compete and live. 1 Peter 1:15 says, “But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct.” To be holy in all we do is to embrace being set apart by the Lord for His purposes. Rather than going along with what others around us do, we desire to compete and live according to Christ’s holy character. We pursue holiness because we know and are loved by the Holy One.

Go:
How does recognizing God’s holiness change how you think about and relate to God?
What does it look like to pursue holiness as an athlete or coach?

Workout:
Isaiah 6:1-8
1 Peter 1:31-21

Overtime:
“Holy God, I worship You because You are awesome and glorious. Thank You that You welcome me into Your presence because of what Christ accomplished. Please help me to grow in holiness in every part of my life. Amen.”

09/03/2026

Waukee High School and Prairieview kicked off the school year with a combined FCA Huddle led by the Waukee student leadership team!

What a great way to start the year—coming together, growing in faith, and pointing one another toward Christ. We can’t wait to see what God does this year!

09/03/2026

Secure

Ready:
“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” – Romans 8:15

Set:
Imagine receiving an invitation to play or work for a legendary, “larger than life” coach. Because of your great admiration for this coach, being part of his or her program feels pretty intimidating. Once you join the team, you find that the coach is even more impressive in person than from afar. But you also discover that he or she is warm, approachable and wants you to thrive. You develop a relationship with this coach that is marked by both deep respect and wonderful closeness.

This imaginary scenario offers a glimpse of a very real invitation: the opportunity to know God and be part of His team. We see in the Bible that God is Most High, the great King over all the earth. He is worthy of our deepest awe and respect. But there is more to who God is. Jesus says that we can also know God as our Father. When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus responds, “Whenever you pray, say, ‘Father, your name be honored as holy…’” (Luke 11:2).

Through His sacrificial death for our sins and victorious resurrection, Jesus enables us to be adopted into God’s family and know God as our Father. We are given the Spirit when we respond in faith to Christ. According to Romans 8:15, the Spirit affirms that, despite what our sin deserves, we no longer need to be fearful of God. Instead, we call Him “Abba, Father.”

Abba, the Aramaic word for Father, carries the sense of a close family relationship. To know God as “Abba, Father” gives us such security. We are secure in knowing that God the Father has made us a full and eternal member of His family. We are secure in knowing our Father always welcomes us when we come to Him with whatever is on our mind or taking place in our life. And we are secure in knowing our Father cares deeply for us as His dearly loved children.

Through Christ, God invites you into a relationship that is marked by both deep respect of Him as the Most High and wonderful closeness with Him as Your Father. As You are filled with awe of God and also completely secure in Him, you can live and compete for His glory.

Go:
How does the invitation to know God as “Abba, Father” help you understand who He is?
What impact does the security of being a dearly loved child of the Father have on how you compete or coach?

Workout:
12So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “ Abba , Father! ” 16The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and coheirs with Christ —if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8:12-17

1See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children —and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. 2Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 3And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.
1 John 3:1-3

Overtime:
“Father, thank You that You love me and You’ve adopted me into Your family. Thank You that You desire for me to experience a close relationship with You. I pray that I would live and compete out of the security of being Your dearly loved child. Amen.”

09/02/2026

Winning at Self-Control

Ready:
“Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. So I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” – 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Set:
“Do as I say but not as I do” is not an effective leadership strategy, whether as an athlete or coach. Yet we sometimes default to this strategy. We encourage our teammates or players to keep their emotions in check, but then we lose it when someone makes a mistake or a game official misses a call. We talk about the importance of taking care of ourselves, but then we make repeated choices that undermine our own physical, emotional and spiritual health. These are issues of self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23 records the fruit of the Spirit—qualities that characterize us as God, through His Spirit, grows us in spiritual maturity. Self-control is the final quality listed. Most of us struggle with self-control in at least some areas. How can we make progress in this quality that is so crucial to competing and living for Christ’s honor? Utilizing a sports metaphor, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 addresses how we “run to win.” Here are three dimensions of growth in self-control:

1. Recognize what’s at stake. When it comes to the life for which God created you, self-control plays an essential role in determining whether you receive the prize (v. 24) or you’re disqualified (v. 27). You will only experience the fullness of all God desires to do in and through you—as a competitor and in other areas—as you exercise self-control.

2. Do a personal “self-control assessment.” Take an honest look at the various areas of your life. Where is self-control lacking? Is it with your anger, your words or even the way you express yourself nonverbally? Do you struggle with self-control with certain appetites, such as eating, consumption of social media or sexual desires expressed in sinful ways? Ask God to reveal to you where you’re “running aimlessly” and undermining His good design for you.

3. Follow Jesus’ example of exercising self-control for the benefit of others. Consider how Jesus disciplined His body and brought it under strict control (v. 27) so that He could fulfill His mission. He resisted every temptation to sin. He did not retaliate when He was subjected to false accusations, cruel suffering and an undeserved ex*****on on a cross. In all things, Jesus exercised self-control for our benefit: so that we can experience salvation and life in Him.

Self-control brings significant rewards to you and to those around you! As you grow in this quality through the Spirit’s work, you will “run to win” for the Lord’s honor.

Go:
In what areas of your life do you need to respond to the Spirit’s work to grow you in self-control?

How does Jesus’ example encourage and inspire you toward greater self-control?

Workout:
Galatians 5:16-26
1 Thessalonians 5:5-11

Overtime:
“Lord Jesus, I praise You because Your self-control brought salvation and life to me. I pray that through Your Spirit’s enabling, I grow in self-control in all areas so that I compete and live for Your honor. Amen.”

Central Iowa FCA

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