September 26, 2022 - It may throw the whole play off...

When a player doesn’t run a play right, (i.e., goes to the wrong spot or makes the wrong cut or doesn’t set a pick or… you get the picture), it throws the whole play off...

I see a lot (and hear a lot) of debates theologically… and, to be honest, avoid them on the internet as I don’t see that forum as a place where many arguments are won, but more of a place where like-minded folks give thumbs up and opponents spew insults… and divides are dug deeper.

This week’s devo is more about encouraging or challenging us to always take a look at the starting point of our “plays” to make sure we are “running” them correctly… and to evaluate why/where we enter into the debates.

First and foremost, theological debates must start and end at GRACE! Yes, I am aware that TRUTH must be a part… but TRUTH-GRACE=BEING ARROGANT AND ARGUMENTATIVE (and neither of those are listed in the Fruit of the Spirit!)

To be honest, this week’s plan was more out of a desire to go against my weekly game plan of writing game plans and to make a theological point about why I disagree with some folks… I decided to stick to the game plan!

Make sure you begin your theological endeavors with:

I do not set aside the GRACE of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. (Galatians 2:21)

One’s theology MUST FIT into this TRUTH!

As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife. (Proverbs 26:21)

One’s approach should not be ARGUMENTATIVE and ARROGANT!

(Side note: the internet is an easy platform to type in one’s idea of TRUTH… but a difficult place to type where others see GRACE… in fact it may throw off the play!)

September 19, 2022 - Does the coach have a clue?

Coaches are often heavily scrutinized by the fans… fans that make assumptions and draw conclusions about them that are based upon single seasons or single games or even single plays… all the while not knowing/seeing the end picture the coach is vying for… and thus being more than willing to give complaints and/or advice…

When I was coaching I found myself needing to make decisions that affected long term goals for the individual players and for the team. For instance, if a player made a bad play, I had to determine if it were better for the player to stay on the floor and play through it to learn, or come out of the game because of fatigue or to receive further instruction (or maybe a bit of a chewing out… when my wife hated seeing my “coach face.”) At times I felt the whole team play through a rough stretch, while other times they needed a timeout (or a substitution of a whole new 5 players)… at times I entered an entire season knowing it would be a rough time on the scoreboard/record, but excited to build a new culture.

All of those choices potentially caused confusion in the stands… with fans wondering what I was doing… some asking why I wasn’t benching the kid that messed up… or parents angry I benched their kid… folks curious why I wasn’t calling a timeout… folks wondering why we weren’t winning more.

My point this week is that none of the scenarios I mentioned, whether I took action or allowed it to go on, diminished my authority or control as the coach. The only thing each circumstance did, was allow each player and spectator to determine if they trusted my wisdom and my character as  the coach.

I daily hear of folks debating God’s sovereignty… and what that means. I hear or read from theologians dissecting Scriptures to try to prove what they think God’s sovereignty means… preachers and counselors casting their views of sovereignty into their answers to life’s trials and tribulations…

I’m not going to try to solve all the deep theological debates here in a blog, but will offer a simple truth for us to remember as players and/or fans… God’s sovereignty is rooted in His AWARENESS (omniscience) and AUTHORITY, and is evidenced in either His ACTIVITY of His ALLOWANCE! You may wonder why He would ever allow bad things, yet, just like a coach, He knows that sometimes we get stronger/better by “playing through it,” BUT other times we may need “benched.” (Remember that ALLOWANCE and ACTIVITY (causation) are not the same thing…

I loved a line my pastor  used yesterday: “Today’s difficulties may be preparing you for tomorrow’s opportunity.” (Matt Brooks)

Even if you don’t understand the circumstances, don’t question the wisdom and character of the Coach (God)!

Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor (in coach terms, who can give advice to God)?” (Romans 11:33-34)

Definitions matter… my definition of the sovereignty of God (which I won’t debate online) is not that He is controlling… but that HE IS IN CONTROL! Therefore, I trust His decisions!

September 12, 2022 - Put The Ball In The Right Basket

This week’s game plan is a result of time spent this past Friday sharing with some high school athletes in Oregon… and the topic is one that I am sure we have covered over the years BUT a topic we need to be continually reminded of…

Let me start with asking you some questions? How many different plays are used in basketball? That is a bit of a silly question as plays are innumerable as they are the product of a coach’s imagination… We could talk about the 12, or so, basic sets that plays start from… I’ll get back to this…

As I spoke to the group Friday, I asked the question of how many known religions there are… and one of the guys immediately responded, “thousands.” I was a bit shocked as that is the first time I have received an accurate guess (according to the internet there 4000+ known religions.) I followed up with a simple question, “can they all be right?” To which I had numerous immediate responses of “Yes”…

I greatly appreciated the feedback from the athletes… appreciated their openness… appreciated their sincerity… BUT THEN had to explain that sincerity and truth are not synonyms. Being sincere has the of being genuine with how you feel or what you believe… yet that is no guarantee that what one feels or believes is true… (i.e., I explained that if one of them gave me sincere directions to go east to get back to the airport Wednesday, he may have meant well but I would be heading the complete opposite direction of where I needed to go…)

Back to the basketball plays and sets… How a team sets up has many different variables… who they are facing… are they trying to utilize speed… size… getting to the lane… bombing the three… BUT ALL MUST END AT TRYING TO GET THE BALL IN THE RIGHT BASKET!

There are 4000+ sincere groups trying to “score” with God, BUT God says there is only one way… you see if the idea doesn’t end at the right basket, we fail to score!

Any game plan for making God’s team MUST end at [by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone!] (And I also mean some plans, under the guise of Christianity, that try to make the criteria what we do for God instead of what He has done for us, are in error and fail to score…)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

(And the cool thing last Friday is that many of those guys that initially thought there were many ways to “score,” came to the realization that Jesus is the one that “scored” for them…)

LET’S PUT THE BALL IN THE RIGHT BASKET!

September 5, 2022 - Jimmy Chitwood

I often hear stories of the great players and how they respond to end-of-game situations and who will take the final shot… times when maybe a player like a Larry Bird tells the coach that he wants it… or Michael Jordan demands the ball… I think of the fictional scene (loosely based upon a true Indiana high school story) in the movie Hoosiers, of their coach drawing up a play for a player other than their star, Jimmy Chitwood… the score is tied, and the coach says, “Jimmy, they’re going to be expecting you to take the last shot; we’re gonna use you as a decoy.” He then calls a play for another kid and the team all looks frustrated, staring into the distance… the coach asks, “What’s the matter with you guys… what’s the matter?” Jimmy responds very matter-of-factly, “I’ll make it.” The coach simply says “all right. Buddy get Jimmy the ball at the top of the key…” (And in case you haven’t watched the old classic, I won’t spoil the ending…) 

Man, I get goose bumps just thinking about that great old movie… I think of times when I was fortunate enough to get to take the last shot. There is a certain mentality that goes into wanting to take it… a certain confidence. End of game situations are nerve racking… even “scary” to some

This came to mind as I was preaching yesterday and found myself in Matthew chapter 11. The Scripture records that John the Baptist had sent word from prison to confirm that Jesus was the promised One… It was near the end of John’s game and he was having a few doubts… Jesus responds by sending John’s messengers back to John with an affirmative based upon proof that Jesus was Who He claimed to be… Jesus then goes on and talks to those around Him and leads to a very famous promise He made, which is where I want to draw some encouragement and some enlightenment this week…

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Mt 11:28)

In the midst of the craziness and struggles of life, Jesus offers rest… yet I believe that rest is conditional…

In verses 29-30 Jesus continues, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Do you see the condition? It requires taking His yoke… in other words hitching up with Him… going His direction. Just as Jesus bore the weight of our sin for salvation, and we get that by trusting in Him alone for that payment… our sanctification in life, which leads to our peace/rest, is also by trusting Him and His ways… taking a yoke involves going in the same direction as what you are yoked with, and it only makes sense that it is easier when what you are yoked with is bigger, stronger, and wiser than you!

In the movie Hoosiers, the cool thing was that the other players simply knew that Jimmy was the one they could trust in that situation… and when the coach called Jimmy’s number their minds were at rest… this may sound a bit corny, but if you want rest, you have to call Jesus’ number in your life… not just for your salvation (positional – heaven instead of hell), but also for your sanctification (practical – rest instead of unrest.)