It's a curious pairing that doesn't happen very often, but this year Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day occur on the same day. For 2024, February 14th will commingle Christian themes of repentance of sin with expressions of love and this may not be as strange together as it might seem at first! If you don't know much about Ash Wednesday, it is the start to the season of Lent. It is the day that kicks off 40 days before Easter (excluding Sundays). Lent is a season characterized by three Christian disciplines that help prepare one's heart to fully celebrate the awesomeness of the resurrection of Jesus. Valentine's Day, too, is an important day. Of course, today, it has been commercialized

One of the biggest issues faced by elite footballers is the issue of identity. So much time and energy and investment — emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually — goes into the sport, that it can be difficult when our status or position in the game changes or comes to an end. In today's Lesson From Lasso, we talk about this issue of identity. AFC Richmond's Roy Kent is having an identity crisis. All he knows. All he loves. All he cares about is football — and to imagine life without football, it's overwhelming and daunting. Where ought our identity be? What do we do when our context changes and pieces and parts of our identity with it? Listen as I

There will always come a point when we need to have a tough conversation with someone. How do we have the "tough talks" and the "courageous conversations" with people? How do we enter into a place with people where we can bring our best even when they are faced with their worst? In today's Lesson From Lasso, we see AFC Richmond's Roy Kent faced with a first in his career — being benched, the end of his career on the horizon. It's a tough task that Coach Lasso is largely unsuccessful at and Kili is a little better in her approach. I share from a few places in scripture that I think can help us to have the tough conversation moments

Forgiveness. It's massive when we receive forgiveness for something we've said or something that we've done. It can be like a massive weight comes off of our proverbial shoulders. But how many times should we forgive a person? Once, twice, seven times? In today's Lesson From Lasso, we quickly examine a parable that Jesus told about a servant who failed to forgive. He failed to receive the forgiveness that he was granted after being forgiven a massive cancelation of debt. Instead he turned around and was vengeful and spiteful with others. It give some insight into why Ted Lasso is able to forgive Rebecca for what she's just confessed and come clean about. Listen to the podcast to find out

Often times we confuse a simple apology with repentance. Repentance though is a process, a journey. It involves a "re-orienting" of one's posture and position and going in the opposite (and right) direction. We see Rebecca make the long trek from her upstairs owner's office to Ted's coaching office to begin the process of apologizing and repenting. In today's Lesson From Lasso, I reference a parable that Jesus once told about two people — a tax collector and a Pharisee. You can find the story in Luke 18:9-14. this parable acts as our short lesson and illustration on the true nature of a meaningful repentance. Repentance is vital in football — we will always have those who wound and hurt