Get in the game

Baseball captured my attention and time when I was young.  From learning to throw and catch with my dad, to playing hot box in the front yard, to all those practices followed by games at the ball diamond, these consumed my attention and time with whoever would grab a glove and a ball.  And there was so much to learn about the game and how to play it well.

I remember my first coach teaching us to slide into second base.  Learning to bend that leg under you and slide with one foot out towards the base or how to slide past the base and hook it with a had to avoid a tag; it looked so easy, but there was much more to it.

Learning what to do with the ball when hit to you — which base to throw it to depending on the situation took rep after rep so that it became second nature. There was so much those coaches passed onto me with passion, practice and loads of time.

Fortunately, I also had men and women at my church who did the same in teaching me biblical truth through classes, individual conversations, modeling, correction, and encouragement. Their time dwarfed the time those baseball coaches spent with me.  And I am the man I am today because of their insistence that the Holy Spirit wanted to do His work in me.  They patiently counseled and corrected me.  They are and were the church to me.

This morning’s message was my desire for us to be this to each other as brother and sisters in Christ.  Not putting each other down or thinking someone is being high and mighty with us but patiently loving us onward in our walk with Christ, just as my church long ago did for me.  But it takes those willing to teach and lead as well as those desiring the instruction.  What about you?  Are you ready to be “in the game”?

Pressing on…

Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor