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The clip begins with Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) entering boxing promoter George Jergens's office. Jergens says, "Rocky, I've got a proposition I'd like to make to you."

Rocky replies, "sparring? I know you're looking for sparring partners, and I just wanna say I'm very available, you know."

"I'm sure you are."

"Absolutely. Sparring with the champ would be an honor. And you know what, Mr. Jergens? ...

In the movie Troy, Achilles (Brad Pitt) answers why he chose to be a great warrior:

"I chose nothing. I was born, and this is what I am."

Content: Rated R for graphic violence and some sexuality

The Legend of Bagger Vance is a movie about a mythical golf match, set in 1930s Savannah, Georgia, involving golf legends Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, and hometown ace Rannulph Junuh. As a teenager, Junuh (played by Matt Damon) had tremendous promise as a golfer. But after his World War I tour of duty, he is marred psychologically and loses interest in golf. Content to gamble and drink, Junuh is a recluse ...

Entertainer Garrison Keilor recalls the childhood pain of being chosen last for the baseball teams.

The captains are down to their last grudging choices: a slow kid for catcher, someone to stick out in right field where nobody hits it. They choose the last ones two at a time—"you and you"—because it makes no difference. And the remaining kids—the scrubs , the excess—they deal for us as handicaps. "If ...

Michael Servetus (1511-1553)

There was one tragic event during Calvin's tenure in Geneva which brought him not only heartache, but also condemnation. If Calvin is remembered for anything beyond his doctrine of predestination, it was his part in the trial of Michael Servetus. Servetus had been condemned to death in absentia throughout Catholic and Protestant Europe for his vehement denial of the Trinity. ...

In Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer attempts to reconcile the seemingly contradictory beliefs of God's sovereignty and man's free will:

"An ocean liner leaves New York bound for Liverpool. Its destination has been determined by proper authorities. Nothing can change it. This is at least a faint picture of sovereignty. On board the liner are scores of passengers. These are not in chains, neither are ...

The grace or love of God, whence cometh our salvation, is free in all, and free for all. To this some have answer'd, "No: it is free only for those whom God hath ordained to life; and they are but a little flock. The greater part of mankind God hath ordained to death; and it is not free for them. Them God hateth; and therefore before they were born, decreed they should die eternally. And this was ...

During his days as guest lecturer at Calvin Seminary, R. B. Kuiper once used the following illustration of God's sovereignty and human responsibility:

"I liken them to two ropes going through two holes in the ceiling and over a pulley above. If I wish to support myself by them, I must cling to them both. If I cling only to one and not the other, I go down. I read the many teachings of the Bible regarding ...

You have to celebrate your chosenness constantly. This means saying "thank you" to God for having chosen you, and "thank you" to all who remind you of your chosenness. Gratitude is the most fruitful way of deepening your consciousness that you are not an "accident," but a divine choice.

Creativity is dangerous. When you ask for creative ideas, you never know what you'll get. We asked some of our regular contributors to help us plan this issue, and one of them, John Ortberg, sent us his suggestions under the heading: "Articles you aren't likely to read in LEADERSHIP." Here's his lineup:

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-- Bill Hybels

"I'm Sick and Tired of Ministry, and I'm Not Too Crazy about People Either"

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