Basketball and the Basics: Dribbling (January 4th)
Prayer – Matthew 6:5 – 15
1.) We begin this series on Basketball and the Basics today by recognizing that here in Indiana basketball gets a lot of attention! Of the 30 largest arenas for High School basketball in the world how many of them are in Indiana? Did you guess 27? That’s right. Basketball is a part of our cultural story, our fabric, and our world.
Jesus was someone who took the fabric of the culture and wove the truths of the Kingdom in it. So, my prayer is that these weeks we can gain a better understanding of the basics of the Kingdom as they relate to basketball. In the weeks ahead we are going to be looking at shooting, guarding, and rebounding. I hope you stay tuned!
2.) Dribbling (bouncing a basketball) is probably the most basic thing there is to the game of basketball. To play the game you must know how to dribble. How many of you have ever dribbled a basketball? I would say most of you have at some point in your life, right? I want to talk to you about four aspects of dribbling that come from my sideline perspective. These are all pretty basic and nothing profound here. Here they are:
*Dribbling carries you from goal to goal.
*Dribbling gets better by practicing
*Dribbling done effectively is done with both hands and with different styles.
*Dribbling can be done so well that it becomes second nature
3.) Dribbling carries you from goal to goal.
We all understand this right? It is the basic skill that you need. The whole team needs to be able to dribble. You can pass from end to end but dribbling is what makes up the majority of the game. When you watch and play basketball this is the majority of what you will be seeing and doing. Dribbling.
4.) Dribbling gets better by practicing.
How often do you have to practice dribbling to get better at it? A lot. The more you practice the better you become. What are some of the things you can do to help have better ball control? A friend once told me that you could tape a piece of wood in the palm of your hands so that you learn to dribble with just your fingertips. There are other things you can do but it is simply doing it over and over again that makes you better.
5.) Dribbling done effectively is done with both hands and with different styles.
When you dribble you have a dominant style and way you dribble. To become better you have to learn to dribble with your other hand. You also need to learn to be able to dribble between your legs, around your back, while you are backwards, forwards and sideways. You need to be able to dribble while walking and dribble while you are on a fast break. You need to be able to dribble every way you can think of. You need to be able to have so many different dribbling techniques that you are hard to guard.
6.) Dribbling can be done so well that it becomes second nature. It needs to be something that you are so good at that you can concentrate on other aspects of the basketball game. You need to be able to see your teammates and the other team. You need to be able to sense where people are going, to remember what plays are coming. You need to be able to listen to the coach, watch the time and lots of other things. If you focus your energy on dribbling then you are not going to be able to be aware of the game.
There is a big difference in the games where there are beginner players and those who are more experienced in their dribbling. The more experience you have the less you even think about dribbling.
7.) Now let’s make the switch from Basketball to the Basics! What would you say is one of the basics of life and faith? It is prayer, our conversation with God. So, let’s take a few moments to look at prayer like we have of dribbling. As we do this we will weave in the words Jesus spoke about prayer and see how they fit with dribbling. I want to give you four statements that we used to talk about dribbling except we use the word prayer.
*Prayer carries you from goal to goal.
*Prayer gets better by practicing.
*Prayer done effectively is done in different ways and styles.
*Prayer can be done so well it becomes second nature
8.) Prayer carries you from goal to goal.
The goals we are talking about in life are hearts. We deeply desire in this game called life to have heart to heart communication. God’s heart with our heart, our heart with God’s heart, our heart with other human hearts.
Prayer is the foundation of your relationship with God, just like conversation with other people. Prayer is the living conversation with a living God. Just as we talk together in conversation it is the same with God.
We all have different conversations with our wives, husbands, children, parents, employers, employees, etc. Sometimes the conversation is praise, it is forgiveness, sometimes it is anger, sometimes it is help, and sometimes it is joy. The conversation is what expresses the heart. If there is no conversation there is no relationship. Without prayer there is no expression – it is basic to life.
Mathew 6:14 –15 shows us how this conversation of prayer relates to God, others and ourselves. “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
9.) Prayer gets better by practicing.
The more we pray the better we get at it. The more we talk and are in relationship with others the more confident we become. I feel like I am a better speaker than I was ten years ago. Why is this? Part of the reason is that I have practiced and practiced. The things that we do time and time again we get better at. I know some of you are pretty good golfers, at least play enough to enjoy it. How did you get to be so good, practice.
Prayer is something that you decide that you are going to practice more. Especially if you feel in some ways like you are a beginner.
We can practice by praying out-loud, praying silent, praying the Lord’s Prayer, praying at meal times, praying at bed-times, reading prayers, writing your prayers, praying while driving, praying at certain times, praying at all times.
Matthew 6:8 reminds us that God knows us and what is on our heart. We need to keep talking to the Father. “For your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
10.) Prayer done effectively is done in different ways and styles.
How many ways are there to be in conversation? It is endless, and so it is with prayer. We can learn and practice different aspects of prayer that will make our relationship with God more enriching. I have shared with you the Prayer PATH model in which we look at Praise, Apology, Thanks, and Help as aspects of prayer. I have used a model that looks at the D’s of the Lord’s Prayer (Devotion, Desire, Doxology, and Deliverance). There is the ACTS model. Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We can pray the words of the Psalms. There are lots of models. We can have prayer lists, prayer walks, prayer ministries.
We can also talk about the different postures of prayer. We can pray while kneeling, with our eyes closed, out-loud, we can write our prayers, we can read prayers, and we can sing our prayers.
Matthew 6:9 – 13 is the prayer that Jesus taught the disciples and it is one that we pray about every Sunday. Listen to these different words from The Message translation. “Our Father in heaven, reveal who you are. Set the world right; do what’ s best- as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.”
11.) Prayer can be done so well it becomes second nature.
Our conversation with God can become something so much a part of us that it is an unseen part of your life. There are times and methods of regular conversation that you have with God. Yes, you have to be intentional about it, but your life is filled with conversation with God that flows from your heart. Prayer is something that others see in you because it flows naturally and comfortably in all the aspects of your life.
Matthew 6:6 tells us where we begin and end prayer, this living conversation with God. “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
12.) Basketball and Basics! Dribbling a basketball and Prayer with God. The next time you play or watch a game think about the players who are dribbling. Then think about your prayer life. Let’s review the four aspects of dribbling. They are:
*Dribbling carries you from goal to goal.
*Dribbling gets better by practicing
*Dribbling done effectively is done with both hands and with different styles.
*Dribbling can be done so well that it becomes second nature
Let’s review the four aspects of prayer. They are:
*Prayer carries you from goal to goal.
*Prayer gets better by practicing.
*Prayer done effectively is done in different ways and styles.
*Prayer can be done so well it becomes second nature
Which of these aspects of dribbling and prayer do you need to take home with you today?
