I was in Boone, North Carolina on Saturday to witness an epic and unbelievable college football game between my alma mater, App State, and UNC. Unfortunately, my team fell short, but it was a wonderful experience seeing a 63-61 game filled with exhilarating moments, major momentum swings, and remarkable plays. The fourth quarter alone included 62 total points as App State scored 40 and UNC 22. The 124-point total for the game was the largest combined score between UNC and an opponent in a single game. Believe it or not, it was also more points than last year’s basketball game between UNC and App State when UNC won 70-50. As amazing as the game was on the field (other than App losing), the electric atmosphere and the intense crowd added to the special day. It was so much fun to be in the sold-out, record-setting crowd of 40,168 fans in the packed 30,000-seat Kidd Brewer stadium. The crowd was dominated by the home fans wearing black and gold and the student section was outrageous and boisterous. The UNC faithful showed up as well (some of our loyal readers were there) as they cheered on the Tar Heels during UNC’s first game in Boone. They wore their light blue colors that matched the beautiful mountain sky. Among passionate fans from both teams, my eyes caught a fan who had the nerve to wear an App State hat with his Tar Heel t-shirt! Hopefully, he heard me shout, “Hey, pick a side!" I know, I know, many parents who went to UNC have kids who go to App State and since they're both state schools, there's an overlap of fandom for many people. But even so, something didn’t sit right with me when watching a guy who so blatantly chose to represent both teams in this much-anticipated matchup. How can you really root for two teams at once? Come on man, it’s egregious! Ultimately, the fans who watched this game were treated to a classic and memorable game, regardless of which side we rooted for, and admittedly, I do understand that rooting interests in a game can be complicated at times. However, as we unpack this guy who had divided loyalties and a hat that didn’t match his shirt, I want us to consider something much more serious than a double-minded fan. Every day you and I choose whether or not we’re going to follow Jesus, serve Him, obey Him, and align with His ways. It’s a daily battle to pick His side, be wholeheartedly devoted to Him and Him alone, and commit our allegiance to Him regardless of the “matchup” or situation we find ourselves in. But because He's saved us and we’ve been called by our Holy and loving God to live in a way that honors Him and demonstrates our loyalty, we must live out these encouraging words found in Joshua 24:14 (NLT): “So fear the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly…” Sometimes we're torn because we appear to love two teams! We find ourselves “rooting for our former team” or we love serving ourselves and pursuing our own desires while also claiming to love God. The reality is, we make choices all day long that reveal which side we’re on and it’s confusing and disingenuous if our “hat doesn’t match our shirt” and we’re living in a double-minded way. James 4:7-8 (NLT) challenges us to “...humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty, is divided between God and the world.” Titus 1:15-16 (NLT) puts it this way: “Everything is pure to those whose hearts are pure. But nothing is pure to those who are corrupt and unbelieving, because their minds and consciences are corrupted. Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.” Today, when we hear “Hey, pick a side," let’s choose God’s side and His team and make sure we are representing Him well as our heart, words, and actions are aligned together with Him. We need God’s help and strength to remain faithful, sincere, and genuine. Let’s drop the divided loyalties and pick His way over the world and ask Him to show us how we can make sure our “hat matches our shirt” as we love Him and love others. As Romans 12:9 (AMP) says, “Love is to be sincere and active . Hate what is evil ; hold on tightly to what is good.” I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, forgive me for being double-minded. I desire to be faithful to You and demonstrate my commitment to following Your way. Thank you for Your grace when I fall short and for drawing close to me as I draw close to You. I don’t want my loyalty to be divided, so please give me the boldness and confidence to choose You every time. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
In what ways do you find yourself dividing your loyalties?
What decision do you have in front of you that you need to pick a side and choose God's way?
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