Preparing for The Big Moment

Related Scripture:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” – Mark 16:15

As sports officials, we are constantly preparing (or we should be) for that big moment in the game where we must make “The Call,” a call that could determine the outcome of a game.  We spend hours watching film, reviewing case plays, and studying the rules so that hopefully when the time comes, we nail it and get “The Call” correct.  But what about when it comes to that moment where we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Those moments can come in an instant, and if we are not prepared, we’ll miss the call.  

I recently went on vacation to Rome, Italy, with my wife and some friends.  As we toured the Vatican, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica, our guide was telling stories with passion and conviction about what we were seeing.  It was quite moving.  At one point, he and I moved ahead of the others in our group, and I simply asked him, “So, I imagine you are Catholic?”  He responded, “No, I don’t believe in God.”  Needless to say, I was shocked and, quite frankly, taken off guard.  I did follow up with this question – “How can you tell these stories about Christ with such passion and conviction and not believe?”  At that point, I could sense he felt uncomfortable, and when the others in our group caught up, I dropped the conversation.  For the next hour or so of our tour, I couldn’t get our exchange out of my mind.  Our tour ended, we thanked him and went our way without me sharing anything more about Jesus Christ. Maybe, just maybe, I planted a seed, but I feel like I missed “The Call” because I wasn’t prepared in the moment. That experience has bothered me for weeks and God led me to write this devotional to encourage all my fellow FCO officials to be prepared!

Questions to Ponder:

Are you prepared to make the biggest call we as Christians must make – sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

What additional preparation do you need to take to effectively share the good news of Jesus Christ?

Tom Skinner - FCO Board Member - Snellville, GA