Bulls Eye Living Intro

Greetings, friends,

I recently attended a Summer League Basketball game. It got me thinking about the time, energy, discipline, and dedication that got me into playing a sports. Playing any sport at any level in high school or Junior High is tough. But even in the midst of all that is required, people continue to play.

Students play sports for a variety of reasons. They value the reward of participation. They enjoy the benefits of competition. They like the company of their teammates. And the thrill of winning is a “rush” that’s difficult to explain.

When I watch students participate in athletics, I wonder about the amount of time they give to their sport. Then I wonder about the amount of time they give to God. Coaches require and demand their athletes to give a lot of time and energy to their sports program, and this is rarely questioned.

I encourage you to think about the time you give to God this week. Are there areas of your life that you are spending huge amounts of time in (school, sports, TV, friends, hanging out, etc.)?

While all these may be important, here are my questions:

· How about your time with God?

· Are you spending time with Him on a continual basis?

· Is He getting any of your time? Prayer? Bible reading? Studying?

These questions aren’t intended to create a “guilt trip” but to encourage you to think about and rethink your priorities. But just as sports is important and worthy of your time, so is God. Not only is God important, He’s more worthy of your time than anything else you could invest in. If you’re going to grow, you need to spend time with Him.

I write this because I care about your growth,

Chris Harkins

Youth Pastor and usedtobe athlete