November 1, 2021 - A One-Another-Team (What does that sound like?)

The past few weeks we have been working our way through the culture-changing rules/expectations we set for our MAD Hoops outreach… or more accurately the culture-changing rules/expectations set out in Scripture for a MAD (Make A Difference) life… 

This week’s expectation of “players”:

·         Player is expected to play under control… not just physically but also emotionally; it is expected that players try to control their tongues by avoiding the use of profane language… There is a zero-tolerance policy for the use of God’s name is vain!

-          Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

When I share this point I want to emphasize that in Scripture I have found that whenever we see something God says is best to avoid, He replaces it with what is best… the emphasis here is not what we don’t say, but more on what the verse tells us to say… things that edify… things that “impart grace to the hearers.”

So, what does it mean to “edify”? The definition of the Greek word means to build up… and metaphorically it means: the act of one who promotes another's growth in Christian wisdom, piety, happiness, holiness…

What about imparting grace? This is the idea of being a holy influence… and bringing joy and pleasure to the other…

When you listen to the soundtrack of your life, both on and off the court, are you one that tears down or one that builds up? Are you trying to make things better for your “teammates” or just trying to make things better for yourself?

I’m just telling you that in our MAD Hoops world, it has been amazing to see men on the court that weren’t complaining and pointing fingers, but instead encouraging one another… we are intended, by God, to be a one-another-team!