Monday, December 24, 2018

December 24, 2018 - Unexpected Scorers


How a player perceives himself and/or his role on the team, will determine or dictate how he performs in the game. Obviously, skill set matters, but what goes on between the ears is just as important. No, I’m not a sports psychologist… just a coach that has witnessed time and again the transformation that takes place in a player when he finds identity and purpose within his role on the team.



I remember one player that came to me in high school and had always been expected to just be a facilitator… a passer. Yet the young man had some great scoring skills as well; he could shoot the 3 and had good handles for getting to the hole. As a coach, I just had to rewire his identity… make sure he understood what we wanted and needed from him as a team… and he became an unexpected scorer for us.



That young man got so excited about his new role that I then had to start reminding him that passing is a good thing also… that he didn’t have an opening to shoot every time he touched the ball… I LOVED WATCHING HIS EXCITEMENT and he made a huge difference for our team!



The last couple of weeks I have keyed on the importance of sharing the Gospel and some practical points on how to do it… This week I want to encourage you in that role for the team… we need you to be a “scorer.” And in case you feel you are not capable of or worthy of or… fill in an excuse… lets remember what happened that first CHRISTmas.



The shepherds were a lowly lot… what was expected of them was to guard the sheep and stay to themselves; history indicates that not many folks would even talk to shepherds (including religious leaders}; so to say they weren’t big on the social scene is an understatement… they would not be expected to “score” if that meant communicating with others… they would not have been a coach’s choice… BUT GOD had a different plan.



Let’s pick up in Luke 2 following the shepherds being told about the Savior and then meeting Him in the manger…



17-18 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.



20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.



They now had new identities (angels spoke to them, and they had met God); and with this, they took on a new role for the team… had a new purpose… and became “unexpected scorers” for the kingdom!



YOU HAVE A PURPOSE! YOU HAVE A MISSION! YOU CAN AND SHOULD BE A SCORER! (Please let us know if you want to be trained further in how to carry out the mission…)

No comments: