Devotion

Today is the first day of basketball practice for the 7th grade boys of Spencer. To start the year, we will teach them the importance of forming good habits. These habits are based on fundamental skills of the game. These will be the building blocks for the future. To practice dribbling without looking at the ball is practicing a good habit that will develop an important skill in ball handling. This means that players who practice this until it becomes a habit will be a part of a team who can see their teammates and work together. To watch the ball is developing a bad habit that will eventually cause team breakdown and individual vulnerability.

The church, too, needs to practice good habits based on sound fundamentals. The good habits of worship, prayer, Bible study, servanthood, discipleship, etc. are based on the fundamentals of understanding sin and grace. Reading the Bible is a good habit based on understanding law/gospel. Servanthood is a good habit based on a sound Biblical understanding of salvation based on grace vs works. Saving faith is based on knowing Christ died for my sins. This is our motivation, and the training for how we respond to this invaluable gift is in the church. No coach of a basketball team would ever expect to teach his players something once, and then have them never practice again.

William Hiskey

Director of Youth Ministries, First English Church, Spencer, IA

Updated: 10-22-02