Ready:
". . . the righteous run to [the Lord] and are safe."
- Proverbs 18:10
Set:
The ultimate thrill for a baseball player is to see a ball he just hit fly over the ballpark fence for a home run. When we ask Jesus Christ into our lives, we can have that same feeling--one of exhilaration and liberation. We are free from our burdens of sin. But like the ballplayer who hits the homer, we have some "bases" to run in order to get the score.
The first base in our Christian walk is CONFESSION: a daily and initial confession of our own sins and mistakes.
The second base is SANCTIFICATION: becoming more like Jesus, loving and forgiving others as He forgave us.
Third base is PROCLAMATION: sharing and testifying to what God has done for us through His Son by telling others and letting the difference in our lives be seen in our actions.
Home plate is GLORIFICATION: the transformation that takes place when we take on the glorified body Jesus promised us.
The home-run hitter, as he runs the bases, must touch them all to score. As Christians, we don't touch all the bases to earn salvation. We are already "safe" in Jesus. However, we "run out the bases" because we want to be like Him and to bring Him glory.
Go:
1. Which base are you on right now?
2. What is the Lord teaching you about that base?
Workout:
1 Corinthians 16:13
2 Corinthians 5:7
Galatians 3:26
James 1:5-6
About the Author:
Coach Pat Street is the FCA Huddle Coach at River Valley High School in Marion, Ohio. If you'd like to receive his weekly “God’s Coaching Tip" e-mail Coach Street at coachpatstreet@timeoutsports.org. (If you have e-mailed and have not received a “tip” please e-mail again as some servers view the Coaching Tip as spam.)
