LESSON 1: FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE, PART I

Ready

“... I will show you a still more excellent way. . . . So now faith, hope, and love abide these three; ...” (1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:13).

Set

Dabo Swinney stood on the field, his undefeated Clemson team just having destroyed an undefeated Alabama team to win two out of the last three national championships. What message would he convey at that moment?

“For me, personally, joy comes from focusing on Jesus other than yourself.” You don’t have to hear Dabo speak long to understand that faith defines him.

Clayton Kershaw is the best pitcher on the planet. He, too, is defined by his faith in Jesus: “The more you try to grip control of your life, the more God’s gonna untangle that from you. He’s going to make things go where you have to rely on Him.”

An ultimate truth of sports and life is that many, if not most, things we focus on are not controllable. In sports, we can’t control a subpar umpire or referee, an incompetent or hot-tempered coach, or an opponent who outmatches us or talks trash. In life, we can’t control our supervisor’s demeanor, traffic while driving to work, other applicants for a job or promotion, or a cancer diagnosis.

Some things we can control, though. Whether we choose to place our faith in Jesus is controllable. It’s also the most important decision we’ll make in life.

In 1986, Bobby Bowden, football coach of the Florida State Seminoles, stood in the locker room before his teammates and coaches after a player was shot and killed at a party. Bowden said each of us must ultimately answer for whether we place our faith in Jesus.

A graduate assistant coach at the time, Mark Richt, placed his faith in Jesus as a result of Bowden’s words. Because Bowden was defined by his faith, Richt—now the head coach at the University of Miami—trusted Jesus and is now defined by his faith.

When we choose to place our faith in Jesus, it defines our eternity. We know for certain where we’re going. It also defines our present—who we are and what matters most.

The Bible says how faith in Christ changes everything (John 3:16). It says Jesus came to ensure eternity with God for all who believe, that this is the only way to be saved (John 14:6), and how Jesus radically changes who we are, even while we’re still here on earth.

The Bible says all the stuff of earth is going away; it doesn’t last eternally. "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;” (1 Corinthians 13:13). These three things abide. Here, abide means lasting forever (for eternity).

Think about that for a minute. Faith in Christ lasts for eternity.

Of all the things to invest in during our lives, shouldn’t we invest in what lasts forever and ensures we spend eternity with God?

Go

1. Read John 3:16 and John 14:6. Why is faith in Jesus a controllable? Why is it good news that this is a controllable? Why is faith in Jesus so important?

2. How does placing our faith in Jesus change not only our eternity but also how we live our lives here on earth?