Are You in the Game?

If you spend any time around me, you’ll eventually notice something: I love sports analogies, old movie lines, and the occasional sports cliché. I’ve played, coached, and followed all kinds of sports, and I’m also a movie buff, so those worlds often show up in my everyday conversations.

One term you hear a lot in sports is “benchwarmer.” That’s the player who never gets into the game. It makes me wonder: Are there people who are benchwarmers when it comes to their faith, their calling, or God’s purpose for their life?

When we come to Christ, we’re given the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and the seeds of the fruit of the Spirit. We weren’t saved to sit on the sidelines. God didn’t call us to be spectators or fans. He calls us to follow Him; to pick up our cross, not a cushion.

Church Isn’t a Theater

Church was never designed to be a comfortable place where we sit back and watch a show. No matter the size, the church is meant to be a gathering place to:

• Learn
• Serve
• Praise
• Worship
• Get equipped
• And then GO

Before Jesus ascended, He didn’t say, “You’re saved, now relax.” Instead, He gave His followers their mission:
Go. Teach. Make disciples. Baptize. Live out everything He taught.
And He promised to be with us every step of the way.

Learning From the Disciples

My goal in writing this is to help connect the dots between our lives and the lives of the disciples; those fishermen, the tax collector, the doctor, and even the one who betrayed Him. They weren’t flawless. They weren’t chosen because they already measured up.
God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

I’ve achieved a lot in my life, and I’ve also lost a lot. Life throws curveballs whether you’re a believer or not. What matters is perseverance. That’s one reason Hebrews 12:1–3 has always meant so much to me—running the race with endurance.

When I trained sales teams, I often told them:
“Anything worth having takes work. If it’s worth having, it’s worth working for.”
Same message when I coached. Same message I give my kids.

Dive Into Their Stories

I want to encourage you: over the next several weeks or months, spend time in the New Testament learning about the twelve disciples. Read about who they were. Study how Jesus:

• Spoke to them
• Taught them
• Corrected them
• Served them
• Loved them

If you want to grow as a disciple of Jesus, and learn how to disciple others. Start there. Don’t rush it. Don’t skip past the journey.

Remember when Peter was eager to be “first” among the disciples? Jesus basically told him, in today’s terms:
“Slow down. Greatness in My kingdom starts with serving. The greatest are the ones who humble themselves.”

We Make Time for What We Value

Scripture teaches that where your treasure is, your heart will follow. In other words, we invest our time, money, and talents into what we value most. I’ll be the first to admit, mine hasn’t always been invested wisely or in ways that advance God’s Kingdom.

Faith Is a Team Sport

If you’ve ever played to win, really played to win, you know it takes:

• Training
• Hard work
• Teamwork
• Discipline
• Good coaching
• Commitment
• Playing by the rules
• Early mornings and long hours
• Off‑season conditioning

Professional athletes don’t reach that level by accident. They do the work, year after year. They have a vision, a mission, and a purpose that drives them.

Success in faith is similar. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes learning from mistakes and getting back up again.

You’re Not Alone

As I write this, I pray the Spirit connects these analogies and truths to your heart. Living out your calling isn’t easy. It requires commitment and discipline. But you’re not walking alone. You’ll form brotherhood or sisterhood along the way. You’ll have mentors. And above all, you have God and your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Paul encouraged Timothy to pursue righteousness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness, to fight the good fight and hold tightly to eternal life. That same encouragement applies to you and me today.

So… Which One Are You?

Are you a benchwarmer, watching the game from the sidelines?
Or are you a player in the arena, fighting the good fight, running your race, and helping lead others into God’s Kingdom?

Do the work.
Make the time.
Push through discouragement.

Get in the game. Stay in the game. And play to win—because in Christ, we’re already on the winning side