A Life Worth Following

Last night at 10 p.m. - The weatherman reported that Friday will be hot and sunny; amazingly, they missed it because the rain clouds have been rolling in.  The Ambassadors are washed out today so this will be a day of rest.  That will probably be a blessing to the guys.

Last night, the team played a squad from Wichita and won the game 15-2.  After the game, we had one of the most memorable ministry times to date.  As the Ambassadors gathered their opponents around the pitcher’s mound and shared our story, the entire group was deeply impacted.  It was an incredible experience.  You can get complete tournament updates at www.pastimetournaments.com You will need to look for the tournament at OSU for this weekend.  This will give you a more complete schedule of the tournament.  

Allow me to take this opportunity to explain how the guys interact with their opponents after every game, win or lose.  As soon as the game is over, each Ambassador grabs a small packet that includes a bracelet, a small booklet called “Connecting with God” and a small card that tells about the book, “A Life Worth Following”.  After they hand each opponent that packet and shake their hands, they invite their opponents and the umpires to the pitcher’s mound.  Either one of our coaches or one of our players shares the story of our team.  They take a few moments to share Justin’s story.  They share about him being named Baseball Player of the Year for the State of Oklahoma.  Then they explain the following day, he was tragically killed when the tires of a semi-tractor trailer broke off striking his vehicle, killing him instantly.  After this they share about his life and accomplishments.  Then the statement is made, “Justin is in heaven, not because he was a great ball player, great student or because he went to church.  He is in heaven right now, because he knew he was incomplete without Jesus Christ.  This leads right into communicating the message of Christ with our opponents.  All this only takes between five or ten minutes, but these moments have become the most significant in each game we have played.  

So far, the Ambassadors have played 23 games.  Their record is 18-5.  They have shared Christ with over 150 opponents in a little over three weeks.  They have modeled a Christ-like attitude and character on and off the field.  They have earned the respect of their opponents on the baseball field because of their ability as ball players.  But more importantly, they are becoming spiritual mentors to everyone they play because of the way they represent Jesus Christ.  

It is incredible to see our boys really live lives that are worth following both on and off the field.  They truly are fulfilling II Corinthians 5:20.

“We are therefore, Christ’s ambassadors.  As though God were making His appeal through us, we implore you on Christ’s behalf:  Be reconciled to God.”

Let’s all try to follow their example today by living lives that are worth following.