The Matchup: Coach VS Kidney  

Location: Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Headline: "You have to do something in your life that is honorable and not cowardly if you are to live in peace with yourself."--Larry Brown

Game Summary:

    Ask yourself a question, what would I do as a person if somebody I had met one time needed a kidney transplant to live?  That is exactly the decision Coach Tom Walter of the Wake Forest baseball team was faced with in 2011. A player he had recruited to play baseball for him, Kevin Jordan, found out he needed a kidney transplant to live. Kevin became ill his senior year in high school and was unable to play ball for Coach Walter; in fact, they had only met once before Tom decided to be tested as a donor for Kevin.  God does mighty things through us as Christians when we allow Him to and because of his obedience Tom was a match! Coach not only gave Kevin a kidney, He gave him a chance to live.

    When Tom was asked “Why donate a kidney to somebody he barely knew?”, he said “There was no way I was going to sit on the sidelines and watch this kid fight for his life when I could help”.  Tom saw a man in need and took it upon himself to bear his burden, which just so happened to require a kidney donation.  Jesus took it upon himself to bear the burdens of our sin by sacrificing Himself on the cross so that we can have a place in heaven with God; despite our sins.

    Kevin made a full recovery following the surgery.  He had lost almost 40 pounds of muscle because of his illness but as soon as the doctors gave him permission he began working out two times a day.  A year after his kidney transplant surgery, Kevin took the field to play his first inning of baseball for Coach Walter.  Kevin struck out his first three at bats and on his 4th at bat after Coach Walter talked to him and told him to relax, Kevin hit a line drive to right field for his first base hit of his college career.  Coach Walter had done a great thing for Kevin, but don’t forget about what Kevin did.  Through the worst two years of his life, Kevin remained positive. He did not give up and when he was given a second chance he made the most of it through hard work.  He battled through adversity and succeeded.  

MVP:    Coach Tom Walter, Wake Forest Baseball Team

Recap:    Have you had any instances in your life where you could have helped somebody and chose not to?  Do you think after hearing this story that you will make a different choice next time?

Practice:        Tobymac’s song: “Til the Day I Die”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWLZ_MrPplk

The Matchup:   

Juvi vs Roundball   

Location:

Hebrews 13:3

Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison , and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

Headline:

"One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than 50 preaching it."

                                    Knute Rockne

Game Summary:

To play basketball for Gainesville Tornadoes in Texas is considered a privilege. Only those who show a record of good behavior can play. The only thing is no one comes to their games. Gainesville is a juvenile correction facility in Texas for felony offenders. The rewards for their behavior is a chance to go out to play basketball against other schools, mostly private Schools.

One school they play is Vanguard College Prep School. But something unusual happened. The players for Vanguard didn’t want to play them. Why? Gainesville had no fans. The players for Vanguard didn’t feel it was right for any team to play another team without fans.

So the players pulled off something no one did before. They had half of their fans to cheer for Gainesville,

sit in their section. Half of the cheerleaders cheered for them and  make a tunnel for Gainesville to run through when they entered the court.  The excitement in rooting for Gainesville got contagious. Every time Gainesville scored, all the fans cheered for them.

The Gainesville players said they never felt like they felt during that game. To have the whole gym yelling

and screaming for them--when they never had fans before--was something they said they would never forget.

We all want someone to believe in us. We all need someone to forgive our mistakes and give us another chance. Jesus said, “what you do for the least of these you do to me” (Matthew 25:40).  It also says in Matthew 23: 11-12,“The greatest among you will be your servant. He who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Gainesville players said they can’t thank Vanguard players enough for what they did.

When it was over, who won the game.

A TV station who covered the game didn’t give the score. They said, obviously they didn’t care, so why should we.

You really need to watch the featured video of this story to experience the feeling of what happened; to feel the spirit of the story.

MVP:  All players and fans of the Gainesville Tornadoes and the Vanguard College.

Recap:  

Do you think it was hard to do this? For any team to do this, to give up praise so someone else could feel what it is like to have someone cheering for them.  How does it make you feel when someone is cheering for you?

Sports today is so much about winning. Where could you be a winner, giving someone else a chance to win …  to make someone else feel important?

Practice:

Checkout the video story for more about Juvi vs Roundball

http://www.liftable.com/cbatorski/basketball-team-refuses-play-another-team-incredible-reason/