A Spark Off The Bench

A Spark off the Bench

During the last week of the 2015 regular season, some thought Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, with a play-off berth already clinched, would play Peyton Manning so he could see what Manning had left in the tank before going into the play-offs. Manning, in the throes of his eighteenth NFL campaign, had missed the previous six weeks with an injury to his foot, and the Broncos had handed the reins to Brock Osweiler. Although Manning was ready to play, Kubiak chose to stick with Osweiler and named Manning the backup, a role he played for the very first time in his Hall of Fame career.

Since New England lost earlier in the day, the number one seed was up for grabs. The Broncos struggled against a mediocre Chargers team, and despite turning the ball over five times, they were only down 13–7 when Manning entered the game in the third quarter.

The crowd rose to their feet when number eighteen took the field. There seemed to be a new energy to the offense. A few plays later, the Broncos had tied the game and went on to win 27–20 over the Chargers, finishing the season 12–4 and clinching the number one seed going into the play-offs.

Good leaders spark their teams in ways that others can’t. When Joshua took command of Israel after Moses’ death, the Israelites promised, “We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses” (Joshua 1:17). To be the leader that sparks his team, you must pay the price, pour into others, and when the opportunity presents itself, go execute.

We will obey you just as we obeyed Moses. And may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses.

Joshua 1:17