I have to admit something first and foremost, I am a college football fan, not specifically of every team or every game. But what draws me to this sport more than others, less than five percent of these college players will move onto the next level, pure passion, and heart are felt in every game. For many, most of these players, these four years will be the last organized football they see as a player.

I have been a major fan of two teams for the better part of my life, University of Oklahoma Sooners, and the University of Oregon Ducks. My dad was born in Oklahoma, and raised there for part of his life, Some of the family still lives in Enid, and other areas of that great state. And Oregon, well because I remember my Dad taking my brother and I to a game against the Iowa Hawkeyes when I was a teenager, and then when none other than Danny O’Neil, the starting quarterback for the Oregon Ducks came to our men’s breakfast and then played catch with my brother Nate and I after, both Nate and I have been sold out ever since. It’s fair to state that I’ve been following the ducks since right around 1992, and the Boomer Sooners from before that…

That led me to some let’s say, “passionate” fandom… admittedly, I’ve probably lost some friendships or seriously hindered them along the way because of my attitude and things that I would even post about other teams on Facebook in the past..

I had to realize once, when a fellow BBC graduate, I can’t remember his name, but a sermon he gave in chapel has since changed my perspective of my “fandom” of college sports (and sports in general). He began his sermon by reciting popular “jingles” and songs from specific candy commercials or to shows._ then followed it with asking people to recite a specific bible verse… it was gripping! His point, we know culture more than we know the Holy Word of God!

Now this didn’t hit me until much later, I’m sad to admit, but its message has continued to reverberate in my head until today…

‘WHAT AM I MORE EXCITED ABOUT? GOD OR SPORTS?”

Now, I want to establish early on, I am not rampaging against being a ”fan” of a sport or a team, or of specific hobbies… But I am going to be honest. It’s not about sports, esports, video games, movies, hunting fishing, etc. But rather, it’s about focus…

Jesus stated. “you cannot serve two masters…”

That’s the short and quick of it… you and I, in fact cannot serve two things at once… think about it, can you endorse a hobby and work to provide for your family at the same time? No… one has to win out, ultimately, and strategically, if I wanted to be the best hunter (which I am not.) I would need to spend much of my time in the mountains, scouting, planning, preparing… much more than I have time for in the week.. but hunting is not sin, nor are most other hobbies… nor is being a fan of sports…

Sin, simply defined, is “anything that detracts from God.” If something else takes our focus, when our focus should be God’s that is something to be aware of…

For myself, sin was football… as much as I believe God doesn’t have a problem with football, it’s an activity, but rather can I glorify God through it should be the question…