Empowered: Nate McMullan
Oct 24, 2023
Our Empowered campaign is geared to highlight volunteers in the Pacific Northwest FCA who are living out FCA's win to make disciples that make disciples. This is Nathan who is from SW Washington.
My name is Nathan McMullan, most people call me Nate or in the case of my students, they call me Mr. McMullan. I am an elementary PE teacher, and this is my second year serving with FCA as a huddle leader for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders at my school. We run a weekly huddle after school called the “Game Changers” because the game of life changes when you let Jesus into your heart.
My favorite part about serving with FCA is all of it! Praise the Lord, I love being able to share my faith with my students. Of all the classes I teach each week, the FCA huddle is by far my favorite! We listen to praise music, play a sport or game, and then break into small groups for our Bible study. I also love how versatile FCA is. There are so many ways to serve–Huddles, camps, 5K’s, character coaching, tournaments, leagues, and it’s all amazing. Another part about serving with FCA that I like is how they equip their volunteers with great training, resources, and support.
Making disciples through FCA has strengthened my walk with Christ in so many ways. Serving with FCA has sparked my fire for serving the Lord. It has made me more diligent in my morning prayer time, daily Bible reading, community group involvement, and weekly meditative prayer sessions. Not to mention, my wife and I love the CTO “Coaches TimeOut” weekends. FCA has strengthened our marriage and us as parents to our two children.
I see God working in the hearts of coaches and athletes around me as well. I am part of a men’s weekly Bible study with coaches from our area that are all doing outstanding things for God’s Kingdom. In our time, we pray, study the Bible, and encourage each other in our own disciple making. As for athletes, I see my students and former students hungry to get more involved in FCA outside of school by attending camps. I also get fired up hearing from the parents of my students that their prayer life and Bible reading has increased since joining our Huddle.
If someone was thinking about serving with FCA, I would give them an overwhelming YES! Saying yes to Jesus and saying yes to FCA are two of the greatest decisions you can EVER make in your life! It was for me! I love everything about FCA.
Recent Articles
"The FCA 7on7 team was everything right with sports."
Alyssa Root - Longview, WA
Discover what it means to have a Greater Purpose in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Lord, you are my portion and my cup of blessing; you hold my future. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. I will bless the Lord who counsels me—even at night when my thoughts trouble me. I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.” Psalm 16:5-11 CSB
God moved big this year at our Fellowship of Christian Athlete Multi-sport camp in Nampa, ID. Coaches and athletes were engaged, equipped and empowered to be disciples that make disciples.
READY 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.”
“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 CSB
12 “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. John 15:12-15 CSB
Every good athlete knows that to succeed in their sport, they must spend ample time training and building endurance so that when game day arrives, they’re ready to show up and show out. The same thing is required of every Christian. We build endurance when we suffer well in the midst of trials and choose obedience in the face of temptation. And after we’ve built endurance, our faith strengthens and our enjoyment of God increases. Suffer Well There’s no question: if you’re a follower of Jesus, you will encounter trials, loss and pain on your journey. In fact, the Bible goes so far as to say that we shouldn’t be surprised when we face these things: “Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you, as if something unusual were happening to you. Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of Christ.” The second half of that verse is difficult for most of us to grasp. How does one manage to rejoice in the midst of suffering? Romans 12:12 reminds us to fixate on hope , be patient in the pain, and to pray like our lives depend on it when hard times hit. And the apostle Paul says that loss and suffering pale in comparison to knowing Christ –that gaining Him is better than gaining anything else. Here’s the best part: as we suffer well, endurance isn’t the only thing that’s produced in us. Endurance leads to character , which results in hope (which will never disappoint us) according to Romans 5:3-5 . Still not sure what this means? Consider picking up a book like this or this , or spending time with someone in your local Christian community who has embraced loss or difficulty with grace, joy and endurance. Learn from them! Choose Obedience In John 14:23 , Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” The surest path to enjoying God fully is obeying Him completely. The commands found in Scripture are not given to us to punish or imprison us. Obedience actually leads to life, and–according to the above verse–the love of God! But make no mistake: obedience both requires and leads to greater endurance . James 4:7 says, “Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Resist is an active verb–it gives a sense of effort, sweat, and strength . And we are given this promise in our pursuit of obedience: “God is faithful; he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to bear it.” As you resist temptation and seek to endure in obedience, remember that God will never abandon you or leave you without a way out of sin. Consider it Joy The difficulties of the Christian life are given to us so that we might endure and become like Jesus . In fact, we should : “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 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.” Our suffering and obedience aren’t for nothing! We can “consider it joy” because the endurance that we’re building ultimately leads to maturity in Christ . In short, we become better versions of ourselves as we endure. But just like athletic endurance, spiritual endurance isn’t achieved overnight. It takes countless hours, weeks, and even years of training. Thankfully, you don’t have to train alone. Come join us at FCA as we seek Jesus and build endurance together!
Our culture is growth-obsessed. Every self-help book, social media influencer, and advertisement promises that if you just grow your wealth, your wardrobe, your experiences, your belongings or your physique, then you’ll be satisfied. You can be your best self… if you focus on growing yourself. But the kind of growth Jesus calls us to is altogether different . In 2 Peter 3 , the apostle Peter warns his readers that as the day of Jesus’ return draws nearer, there will be people who scoff at God and follow their own desires instead of His. He reminds the Church to be ready for the day when Christ comes back, and to live holy and blameless lives until He does. The chapter ends with this encouragement: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” What does this kind of growth look like? Time in God’s Word If you want to get to know someone, you have to spend lots of time with them. The same is true of God. If we want to grow in knowledge of Jesus, we need to spend time with Him . Thankfully, He’s revealed Himself to us in His Word, the Bible. It’s often referred to as God’s love letter for us–given so that we might know and understand Him and His story of redemption. Not sure where to start? Try one of the following: Download the YouVersion Bible App , an easily accessible resource for the content of the Bible in countless versions and languages as well as reading plans and Scripture studies Connect with someone who has a rich, personal knowledge of God’s Word and God Himself. Ask that person to meet with you and help you grow Start small: 5 minutes a day in the book of Psalms, James, or John is a great way to get yourself comfortable with and excited about spending time with God Abide in Jesus The mark of a true believer who is growing spiritually is the presence of what the Bible calls the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). But this fruit can only be seen as a result of abiding in Jesus. He says this in John 15 : “Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” What does it mean to abide in Jesus ? 19th century theologian J.C. Ryle explains , “To abide in Christ means to keep up a habit of constant close communion with Him–to be always leaning on Him, resting on Him, pouring out our hearts to Him, and using Him as our Fountain of life and strength, as our chief Companion and best Friend.” Are you friends with Jesus? Do you look forward to talking to him, spend time thinking about him, and trust him to meet your needs? Spend some time this week asking yourself what it might look like to abide in Jesus, and if you’re living in a manner worthy of Him . Lasting Growth The only kind of growth that offers true satisfaction is Godly growth: that of the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Athletic, financial, and status growth will offer temporary happiness, but the work that God began in you is so much more fulfilling than anything the world can offer–and He will bring that work to completion. One growing pain at a time. Here at FCA, we are committed to growing together. Come join us !
Contact Info
7405 SW Tech Center Dr. Suite 140 Portland, OR 97223 USA