God's Coaching #313

God's Coaching #313

It was a classic trick play. Down 6–0 late in the third quarter of the championship game, the Driscoll Middle School Defenders of Corpus Christi, Texas, turned to their trick “Penalty Play.” They had just drawn the Wynn Seale defense offsides. The Defenders came back to the line of scrimmage and reset for the next play. Eighth-grade quarterback Jason Garza looked to the sidelines like he was confused. Then the center handed the ball over his shoulder to Jason as he walked through the puzzled defenders. The Driscoll offensive line remained crouched at the line. The defensive line stood and watched Jason with total confusion.

Jason walked about five yards untouched—then bolted. That’s when the defense finally came unfrozen. One cornerback sprinted after Jason and stayed on his heels. But he couldn’t catch the wily quarterback. Jason was gone for a 67-yard touchdown.

What’s the Score?

So was it a fair play? The snap was legal, even though it didn’t come through the center’s legs, and the touchdown stood. There’s nothing in the rules against what Driscoll did, but it was definitely deceptive.

That’s the way evil can be in our lives—sneaky and subtle. The devil is always looking for a trick play to beat us with, so we need to keep our guard up. We know we’ll face temptation, so we must be prepared on how to handle it ahead of time. What will you say when someone asks for answers on a test? What will you do when someone offers you drugs? How about when a friend asks you to lie for her? What’s your plan for telling a friend no thanks because that kind of movie, music, or video game makes God unhappy? Make your own game plan, and you won’t get caught standing around like a tackling dummy.

On the Ball

List temptations you know you’ll face sooner or later. Start with the questions above to get you started. Then write your game plan for beating each one.

Coach’s Comment

We are familiar with [Satan’s] evil schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11