The Rock Almighty Devotional. Christian! Answer The Call.

 

Saint Mark Chapel ceiling, Marksburg Castle, Germany. Photo by Charles F. Stanley.

Daily Devotion

Understanding Your Call

Believers follow Jesus—even when they don't like where He leads. 

From Intouch Ministries

October 14, 2025

Mark 8:34-35

The title of Christian is one that is claimed by many people, but only those who have trusted Jesus as Savior can call themselves “believers.” Fewer still can consider themselves to be true “followers” of the Lord.

Are you a believer or a follower? Let’s examine the difference. Trusting in Jesus is fundamental, but doing so is the first step, not the culmination, of our faith. Our primary purpose is to take a lifelong journey following Christ, honoring Him with our actions and speech, and increasing in biblical wisdom.

A follower’s life is marked by obedience. In fact, Jesus defined true Christians as those who prove their love for Him by keeping His word (John 14:23). That doesn’t mean followers never make mistakes, but their goal is to remain faithful to the Lord’s plan whether doing so is easy or hard. Not only that, but they try to proclaim Him in times of blessing or calamity and will go—even when they don’t like where He leads.

Followers pursue the Lord because they know that the reward is a deeper relationship with Him. They are not just waiting to spend eternity with God in heaven. They realize that His kingdom is already present, something to be enjoyed here and now as they accompany Him on the righteous path He’s set before them.

Bible in One Year: Mark 3-5

US Sports Basketball: Three Elite Drills to Begin a Basketball Practice With

 

•                                                       
  
  By Grant Young
 

---

Practice is one of the most vital parts of any team's success. A basketball practice or training session is designed to help you address your players' weaknesses, improve their weaknesses, sharpen their strengths, and push them outside of their comfort zone so that you as a coach can advance and develop them into greater players. 

 

Basketball players can learn quickly, but to master the skills they must practice constantly. It is a known fact that if you practice something every day then you'll eventually get better at it over time. 

 

Through repetition, basketball drills help players improve their skills. When players practice basketball drills consistently and with the right technique, they develop muscle memory and good habits that can be useful in game situations. 

And few basketball coaches know effective drills better than Michael Fly. 

Coach Fly is in his first season with the Mizzou men’s basketball program as the team’s Director of Scouting and Analytics.

Before joining the Mizzou Tigers, Fly served as head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University from 2018 to 2022. During his tenure at FGCU, he led the Eagles to the third-most wins in a single season in the program’s history with 22 victories during the 2021-22 campaign. FGCU also set school records for non-conference wins, 3-pointers made, 3-pointers attempted, blocks per game, and total blocks in a season.

Overall, Fly recruited and developed two Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Year award winners in addition to the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year during the 2021-22 season. 

Coach Fly knows how important establishing good practice routines is for getting his players to consistently perform.  This is why he has developed drills to help players get into rhythm at the start of practice. 

In his ‘My Favorite Warmup Drills to Start Practice’ course, Coach Fly breaks down each of his favorite beginning practice drills in detail, including how to run them effectively for your own team, making actual practice that much more effective and impactful.

6 Minute Shooting

Coach Fly notes that once his team is warmed up, they almost always start practice with some sort of shooting drill. 

A favorite of his is called ‘6 Minute Shooting’, which is a simple yet effective drill that is proven to improve players’ shooting. How it works is that Coach Fly suggests setting a six-minute timer and having his players practice midrange jump shots around the elbow or the top of the key. 

A good strategy here would be to have players get in a line, have players grab their own rebounds after their shot, and then pass to the player in the front of the line, to mitigate chaos and ensure that all players are getting the same amount of shots up during those six minutes. 

After about three minutes of this drill, the players who are truly a threat to shoot and make three-pointers in a game will back up behind the three-point line while the post players are still shooting midrange shots. 

Coach Fly loves this drill primarily for the psychological benefits. With college and younger-aged players, seeing their shot go through the hoop — especially at the beginning of practice — is a great confidence boost. This is why Coach Fly refers to this 6-minute drill as a “sneaky way to get a bunch of shots up and get players feeling good,” and is a staple drill that he returns to multiple times per week to start a practice. 

Cone Shooting

Another basketball practice warmup drill that Coach Fly swears by is what he calls the ‘Cone Shooting’ drill. 

This drill will start with your players dividing into two lines at each wing. From there, the player at the front of one line (who doesn’t have a ball) is going to cut to the elbow or around the free throw line. The player in front of the other line (who is holding a basketball) will deliver a bounce or chest pass to that cutting player. From there, the player will either take a jump shot or dribble and penetrate into the paint for a layup. 

After making that initial pass, the player who did so will then cut to the middle in the same way and receive a pass from a player in the other line. In other words, each player will start the drill by being a passer then will cut and become the shooter after that. 

The shooter will grab their own rebound and pass it back in the line from the same place they came from, then will head to the back of the other line. 

Because this drill gives the players the freedom to work on their specific finishing moves, it allows for a lot of customization, and each player can tailor this drill to their specific skill set. 

Defensive Stations

While shooting drills are an important part of getting players ready for practice, defensive drills are also integral.

And Coach Fly’s Defensive Stations drill is a great one that should get your team in a mindset to compete and perform on the defensive end of the floor. 

This drill starts by dividing the team into three different sections (or stations), and placing them at three different hoops around the court you’re playing at. 

From there, you will have each station working on something different as it pertains to your team’s defensive philosophy. For example, one station can be focused on switched during a pick-and-roll scenario, another can be closing out on a jump shooter without fouling, and a third drill can be for anything that a coach wants to focus on in their team’s next game. 

This drill affords a ton of flexibility for coaches and creates a way for assistant coaches to get involved in practices. 

US Sports Football: Easy QB Runs to Drive Defenses Crazy and Las Vegas Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans Highlights

 

• By Ryan Eisenberger
 

---

To run the QB or not to run the QB? That is the question many coaches face. Should we risk extra hits on our most important position or not? Believing the benefits of running your QB outweigh the risks, Marcel Quarterman presents three easy QB runs to install and score more points.

Quarterman gives 5 reasons to run your QB but his first is best: more ball carriers for the defense to defend. If the defense needs to account for the threat of the QB run, more passing options and running lanes open up. Quarterman utilizes three easy runs: Inside Zone Bash, Pin and Pull, and QB Draw.

Inside Zone Bash

The offensive line blocks exactly how they would for a normal inside zone, so no matter what inside zone blocking rules you use, this play can be installed today! With the inside zone, defenses begin keying on the alignment of your RB to predict where you will run. The Bash tag helps thwart that issue.

Pin and Pull

The Pin and Pull rules are simple: first uncovered between the play side Guard or Tackle is first puller and the Center is always the second puller. Everyone else blocks down. Deciding who pulls between the Guard and Tackle depends on the DT alignment: head up or inside of the Guard means the Tackle pulls and any alignment outside the Guard means the Guard pulls.

First puller will look for the alley player (or first to show). The Center looks for the front side Linebacker. These rules make the play easy to teach and adaptable to various defensive schemes.

QB Draw

The QB Draw is easy for any team that utilizes a half slide protection scheme. The concept is to slide away from the technique closest to the A gap with the RB releasing up the middle at the backside LB (away from slide). This creates a great 6 on 6 box with the RB leading for the QB.

Quarterman suggests running this play from spread formations to open up the running lanes and make the defense account for more space. He also likes to attach simple quick routes for RPOs: Go-Out and Y-Stick.

Running the QB can be seen as risky to some. But evening up your box numbers or even getting an advantage with the threat of your QB running far outweighs this risk. All three of these concepts can easily be tagged into any spread offense. Give opposing coaches headaches and install these today!

Coach Quarterman shares the entire package in his course on CoachTube “QB Run Game and RPO’s.” Learn it all and put it into your attack.

The Rock Almighty. What Message Was Delivered From The Cross? The "Wuss" Church Is Dying. Good Riddance!

 

The Message of the Cross

What does the cross mean to you?

October 12, 2025

From Intouch Ministries 

---

John 19:15-27

Rome used the cross as a brutal method for executing criminals. But through Jesus’ sacrificial act, its message became one of hope and life for those who believe in Him.

The cross meant various things to people in the Gospels. To Pilate, it was where an innocent man died. The religious leaders saw the cross as the way to eliminate a problem—with the rabbi gone, they assumed their position and authority were safe. When Judas Iscariot heard Jesus was condemned to die, he was greatly distressed and committed suicide. (Some Bible scholars believe Judas thought his betrayal would force Jesus to declare His kingdom and then Judas would take a powerful position in it.)

In that culture, the cross represented shameful crime. Knowing the perfection of her child’s life and His identity as the Son of God, Mary knew the brutal punishment was undeserved. She also no doubt saw it as fulfillment of prophecy. (See Luke 2:34-35.)

To Jesus’ disciples, the crucifixion was the time when their beloved friend and Messiah died. Their close relationship with Jesus seemed to end.

What does the cross mean to you? Is it the place where a good man lost his life, a troublemaker was eliminated, or the Son of God died to save you?

Bible in One Year: Matthew 27-28

                             

US Sports Football: Week 5 National High School Football Rankings

 

• By Keith Grabowski

---

We are at about the halfway point and we have plenty of CoachTube high school coaches who are having tremendous seasons. 31 coaches who have courses on CoachTube have made it to the top of the rankings in the country or in the state.

These coaches are sharing their philosophy, strategy, and schemes.  Take a look at some of the key concepts that have helped bring their teams to the top

Max Preps Top 25

#3 John Bosco - Head Coach Jason Negro

Developing Culture and Practice Construction

In this course, Coach Jason Negro gives you his program's base values, which are the foundation of his culture, as well as their plan for practices and in-game situations. 

#4 Westlake - Head Coach Todd Dodge

Todd Dodge has won six state championships in his career and at Westlake his teams won the 2019 and 2020 Texas 6A state championship. He shares his offensive knowledge in two courses:

Westlake Football: 3x1 and 2x2 Passing Game

Training a championship QB

#10 St Xavier, Head Coach Steve Specht and Offensive Coordinator Andrew Coverdale

Coach Specht has won 4 championships at St. X including one in 2020 and his team is no stranger to the top 25 having won a National Championship in 2007.  On top of that he has added 13x state champion offensive coordinator Andrew Coverdale to his staff.  Both has CoachTube courses:

Coach Specht: Defending a Key Receiver

Coach Coverdale: Boundary Pass Concepts 

#11 Katy, Head Coach Gary Joseph

Gary Joseph is in his eighteenth season in charge at Katy with hopes of adding to a resume that includes a 227–22 record and five state championships. His Tigers picked up their most recent state title last season, and Joseph’s teams have finished as the runner-up four other times.

His course on CoachTube: Winning Up Front: Gary Joseph & the Katy Football Staff

#18 Hamilton, Defensive Coordinator Tim Dougherty

Coach Tim Dougherty won two state championships in Illinois before “retiring” to Arizona. Now he looks to help the Huskies win another as their defensive coordinator.  He shares his pressure package in  5 and 6 Man Pressures & Transition to Multiple Fronts.

#25 Milton, Head Coach Adam Clack

Adam Clack is on a quest for his second state title. He is a big believer in analytics and presents that in his course Looking at Analytics

Tops in each State

There are also several coaches who have their teams ranked in the top 10 in their state. Here is the run-down.

Alabama

#8 Spanish Fort, Head Coach Ben Blackmon

The Outside Zone play is making an impact on every level and it’s a big part of the Spanish Fort offense.  In this comprehensive course, Coach Blackmon teach the Outside zone and Tags.

Arizona

#4 Saguaro, Head Coach Jason Mohns 

Jason Mohns has shared his entire offensive system which has helped them to 6 state championships.  If there is an area of offense you are looking to improve right now, he has something for it. Check it all out here.

Arkansas

#13 Shiloh Christian Academy, Defensive Coordinator Jacob Gill

Jacob Gill uses The 3-Safety Defense to help the Saints on their climb back to the top.  He explains the Complete System in his series.

Illinois

#5 Rochester, Head Coach Derek Leonard

Derek is no stranger to being at the top of Illinois state rankings.  Rochester has won an IHSA state championship in eight of the last 10 years. His No Huddle Offense shreds defenses and he shares the keys to implementing no-huddle in his course.

Indiana

#4 Warren Central - Head Coach, Mike Kirschner

Mike Kirschner is no stranger to being at the top of the Indiana rankings.  He won two state championships at Ben Davis. Of all the things that he does, understanding how to deal with today’s high school athlete is something he excels at and he shares his method for building a strong culture in his course Leadership and Today’s Societal Issues.

#5 Westfield, Head Coach Jake Gilbert

In addition to having his team ranked, Coach was named the Indianapolis Colts Coach of the Week on September 9th. The Shamrocks have won a state championship under his guidance. He believes that there are key metrics that matter most to winning and lays those out in his course What Wins? State that Matter Most.

#12 Ben Davis - Head Coach Jason Simmons

Ben Davis is a longtime powerhouse in Indiana and Coach Simmons has them closing in on the top ranking.  For him, Ben Davis Special Teams make a huge impact on whether they win or lose.

Kentucky

#1 Male HS, Head Coach Chris Wolfe

The Bulldogs have won two state championships in Kentucky’s largest division under Coach Wolfe and he looks to add another this season. He is an outstanding teacher of the game and shared his defensive knowledge in two courses:

Chris Wolfe- Using Hybrid LB`s at the 1st Level

Chris Wolfe - Effective Corner Blitz Package from the 4-2-5 Defense

#4 Boyle County - Head Coach Chuck Smith

Establishing and Maintaining a Culture for Success is exactly what Coach Smith has done. In 19 seasons with Boyle County, Chuck Smith compiled a record of 211-45 with six state titles in eight finals appearances, both marks ranking him among the state’s all-time best. In his course, he shares how they do it using the exact presentation that is shared with his players each year.

Maine

#6 Marshwood, Head Coach Alex Rotsko

Coach Rotsko believes that success is a choice that you make and it drives your actions.  That Belief has led to 16 state championships over his career. He has been selected “Coach of the Year” by The National Football Foundation, the National Federation of High School Coaches Association, twice by the Maine Football Coaches Association, twice by the Campbell Conference, and twice by USA Today. His course Championship Football: Success is a Choice shares his philosophy on building a program.

Maryland 

#2 Archbishop Spalding, Head Coach Kyle Schmidt

A former University of Maryland GA, Coach Schmidt has Spalding clicking on all cylinders.  His understanding of winning the critical situations in the game is reflected in his course Situational Football: Game Planning, Prep.

#7 Wise, Offensive Coordinator - Steve Rapp

Wise has won four state championships and runs a high-powered offense.  Offensive coordinator Steve Rapp uses one-word tempo as part of their attack.  He shares his strategy in his course One Word Tempo Plays and Offensive Game Planning

Mississippi

#10 Madison-Ridgeland Academy, Head Coach Herbert Davis and WR Coach John Weaver

MRA has been featured in recent years on ESPN and Head Coach Herbert Davis and the Patriots have won two consecutive state championships. Coach shares their strategies in his course Calling the Perfect Play.  Also, WR Coach John Weaver shares what he does with his units in his four courses:

WR Blocking Progression Circuit: Block Party

WR Catching Drills: Freeze Frame

Maximizing Kickoff Returns with Gap Scheme Principles

Simple One Word Quick Game/RPO Playcalls

Ohio

#2 St. Edward

Coach Tom Lombardo has the Eagles ranked as a top 50 team nationally and #2 in Ohio.  He’s won two state championships at St. Edward. He likes to utilize his personnel in the best way possible and his course Power Read with Variations and Play Actions from Multiple Sets demonstrates that philosophy.

#3 Medina - Larry Laird

Head Coach Larry Laird has changed the Bee’s fortunes with his Empty Offense.  It’s taken the program from average to one of the tops in the state in just a few seasons.  It’s a system he believes in and knows how to execute and he shares why in his course The Advantages and Reasons to Run an Empty Offense

Oklahoma

#2 Jenks - Head Coach Keith Riggs

Oklahoma powerhouse is now led by long time assistant Keith Riggs and the Trojans haven’t skipped a beat.  Coach Riggs and his team look to add another trophy to the already full case this season.  He shared LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE in his CoachTube Course.

South Dakota

#16 Riggs - Steve Steele

After coaching at the college level, Steve Steele has made a huge impact on the Riggs program winning two state championships. Steele's program set a state record for yards and points scored, averaging nearly 60 points per game. He builds his culture on a philosophy of Winning Comes Last which he shares in his course.

Texas

#3 Duncanville - Head Coach Reginald Samples

During his distinguished 33 years coaching career, Coach Samples has received numerous awards and recognitions. The most prestigious of those came in 2019 when USA Today named him its ALL-USA Football Coach of the Year. He is closing in on his 300th win this season and he attributes Duncanville’s success to their off-season program.  He presents it in his course Duncanville strength and conditioning.

#4 Carthage - Head Coach Scott Surrat

Coach Surrat has won 7 state championships and has Carthage in the hunt for another in 2021.He shares multiple aspects of their offense in  Prepared to Protect Carthage Multiple Pass Protections  and Isolated Slant, All Go, and Keeper

#7 Aledo - Head Coach Tim Buchanan and Assistant Coach Doug Wheeler

Coach Buchanan wants to add state title to the five which they have already won.  Along with assistant coach Doug Wheeler take you through the run game teaching progression that powers the Bearcat attack.  Aledo Run Game Teaching Progression

Wisconsin 

#4 Muskego - Head Coach Ken Krause

Coach Krause led Muskego to the school's first-ever State Championship in 2018 and they repeated in 2019. In 2020 the Warriors went 9-0 and finished the season ranked Number 1 in the state by WISSPORTS and the AP.  The Warriors currently have a 37 game winning streak which is the longest in the state of Wisconsin and 7th longest in the nation for 11 man football.   In the last three seasons, the Warriors have been ranked as one of the top ten teams in the midwest.  At the end of the 2019 football season, the Muskego Warriors finished ranked 23rd in the nation by USA Today. Coach Krause shares a career full of insight in Thoughts & Reflections on Building A Championship Football Program 

We are excited about the success these coaches and programs are having.  We hope you share your successful philosophies, strategies, and schemes on CoachTube in the future as well.

US Sports Partner Spotlight: Sportsline

SportsLine Picks: Get Baseball Projections Now! Graded Picks for Every Game
https://tinyurl.com/SportslineBBPicks

US Sports Radio affiliate partner
http://www.USSportsRadio.net