First Church of God - Little Paint

March Madness is here for all college basketball fans. Of course we here in Kentucky have our pick for the national championship set when the season starts. It begins with a K and ends with a Y. Die hard “Big Blue Nation” fans are hoping this is the year the trophy will come to Lexington. The older I get, the more I am amused at all the discussions that surround sporting events. The amount of time analyzing, speculating, and prognosticating between professional commentators and everyday arm chair coaches are enough to make a person’s ears sore. I find it interesting how so many people can determine what a group of 18-21 year olds can and should be doing on a basketball court while they sit in their La-Z-Boy recliners with the TV remote eating nachos and cheese.

As a follower of Christ I find it disturbing that some people who call themselves Christians can talk so freely about their sporting interest but are tongue-tied when it comes to sharing their faith. How could our world be changed for the cause of Christ if we talked as much about Him as we do our favorite team? What impact would we have on our communities if we spent as much time and money ministering for Christ as we do traveling, attending, and supporting our favorite team? How would our lives be different if we knew the Bible like we know statistics about our team?

The biggest tragedy in all of this is that it is temporary. Events that are here today and a memory later will be historical entries when the generation that experienced the event has passed. Does it really matter who won the 1940 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship? Maybe, if you are over eighty or a sports historian. The Apostle Paul reminds us that we should “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” At life’s end all that really matters is how we have prepared for the unseen, not what we have seen here on earth. I don’t know about you, but I think I need to be talking a whole lot more about eternity to those I know than how many shots Anthony Davis has blocked this season.

See you Sunday,
Pastor Jeff