The Handoff

Football season is in full swing.  Sounds of joy and frustration can be heard in High School stadiums on Friday nights,  College venues on Saturdays, and across the NFL on Sunday, Monday and Thursday.  

One thing that most successful teams have in common is a positive turnover ratio.  In other words, they recover more fumbles and make more interceptions than their opponents.  Teams that can successfully transfer the ball on offense from a center, to a quarterback, and then to a running back or receiver, can move the ball and ultimately score.  These are the teams with winning records.  

The Church of God in California/Nevada must work hard to make sure that we don’t “muff the handoff” to the next generation.  One of the most tragic passages of Scripture is found in Judges 2:7-12a :

"7) So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. 8) Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. 9) And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. 10) When all that generation 

had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.11) Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals; 12) and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt;"

We are now ministering to at least four generations simultaneously.  The like precious faith that we cherish must be intentionally transmitted to subsequent generations.  It will not happen by accident.  We want succeeding generations to know and embrace the faith of their forefathers.  They may package it and communicate it differently, but it will still be the authentic faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).  This issue must shape our youth and discipleship and ministerial training ministries.  It must inform and impact our conversations, mentoring and decision making processes.  Let us approach this challenge with confidence and make sure we don’t fumble the ball.  California/Nevada Church of God is a winning team!