The Ultimate Scoring Drive

A football scoring drive quite possibly has more parallels to life and faith than any other earthly activity, game, experience, profession or endeavor.

For all of us, life on the field of play blends successfully executed plays with mistakes and hard hits that knock us to the turf. We have injuries, tough breaks and calls that go against us. We have times of progress and times of being tackled for a loss… times of success and times of failure… times of celebration and times of great disappointment.

All men will go through this life with a series of battles between the kickoff and the clock reaching zero. We will be kicked around, knocked down, and bloodied up a bit in the fight with the enemy. Life is difficult, both for the Christian and non-Christian. It’s not one huge victory after another. We will have major triumphs along the way. But more often it’s an inching forward as we win one small battle and then prepare for the next one. Inch by inch, play by play, we doggedly move ahead – a small success followed by a setback, and then another small victory.

We all need first downs where the past is left behind and a fresh start begins anew. We all need times to huddle with teammates and be encouraged and challenged before facing the opposition again.

In spite of the hits and struggles, many football players play the sport with great passion and joy. A good running back knows he’s going to get hit hard, and yet he wants to play. He still wants to carry the ball. He just loves playing the game. Similarly, when we are playing the game of life as it was intended to be played, the hard hits still come at us - but they don’t steal our life’s passions and joy.

How about you? Are you advancing the ball during your drive down the field of life? Are you continuing to play with passion and love for the game? Is your game plan solid enough to lead you to real victory?. . . .

. . . You may or may not have been raised with a strong Christian influence. You may or may not be a church-goer. You may or may not be a Christian. And if you are a Christian, you may have a stagnant faith or a vibrant faith. Yet, because you have chosen to slow down enough to open this book, you’re different than most men. You have come into the stadium and are taking time to examine your life.

Most men lead unexamined lives. The majority of men don’t take the time and effort to really determine what is at the heart of this drive down the field called life. We focus on our short-term circumstances, not knowing where we need to run to reach true victory. We are inclined to play the game on our own, hoping our own sheer will is enough to get us somewhere good. Men are generally not keenly aware of who and what is out to stop them from victory, and who would like to help them.

Because you have chosen to come into this stadium where the Followers play, it is likely God has been working on you. It’s quite possible that you are in one of three camps:

1) You may be way up in the bleachers with little faith. You sense God trying to get your attention, either gently nudging you or shouting at you through some major life event to come down with Him and His team.

2) You may be down on the sidelines with God’s team holding some faith, and God is calling you to a stronger faith and more action on the field.

3) You may already be playing for the Followers with a vibrant faith. You want to make sure that you and those you love finish the game passionately and victoriously.

Regardless of why you have paused long enough to crack open this book, you have come to the right place. Good things happen in this stadium.