A. Two big trophies at home: "B" Church City Champs and Grand City Runner-up. Both were won in 1991.

B. Played softball many years. Intramural champs 3 years in college. Played with church teams for about 40 years. Played in some losing seasons but many winning ones.

C. Softball is great fun and good recreation. I enjoyed it as a sport. There are some valuable lessons we can learn personally and as a church from the diamond.

A. Try to play the game with out them.

B. The Church has a rulebook, the Bible (John 8:31,32; John 17:17)

1. It has umpires, the leadership of the church. It is of Divine origin and fulfilled by human beings (Elders, Deacons, Preachers, I Tim. 3 and Titus 1.

A. You cannot win by quitting. Good season or bad, you have to do your very best to do your part.

B. Church must keep on working and remaining faithful (II Tim. 4:1-4; Rev. 2:10).

A. Find a good position for your players and let them play it. One season, I played 5 different positions and did not feel comfortable with this.

1. My policy with team members was to play them in one position unless injury, etc. prevailed.

B. In the Lord’s church, we need to find our niche---fill our role---and rejoice in it (Text: I Cor. 12:12-27).

A. No Major criticisms (Home on the Range). Praise helps others develop. Criticisms break morale. The players liked to play on our team because we enjoyed being together.

B. Apollos (Acts 18:24-28) (I Thes. 5:14).

A. Ten Players make a team. When you are strong at every position, you will win a lot of games.

B. Every Member of the Lord’s church is important. Christ died for all of us (II Cor. 5:14-21).

A. Whatever is your role on the team, you do not help by showing up at the park occasionally or if you are always late getting there. You may have abundant talent, but if you are not present, you cannot help the team. You need to be there on time, bringing your equipment and a willing spirit to play your best for the team.

B. Apply to the Church. Eccles. 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." That means today that our attendance and service is the best we can give.

1. Poem: The Church

I think that I shall never see, a church that’s all it ought to be, A church whose members never stray beyond the straight and narrow way. A church that has no empty pews, whose preacher never has the blues. Where elders "eld" and deacons "deek" and none are proud and all are meek. Where gossip never peddles lies, or makes complaints, or criticizes. Where members all are sweet and kind and to each other’s faults are blind. Such congregations there may be, but none of them are known to me. So let us work and pray and plan to make this church the best we can.

A. Who won all the league championships, tournament trophies and the two big ones we received? The TEAM did!!! Every player was excited. Not every player played every game, but every player contributed to a winning season. A great spirit was among us because of what we had done.

B. It was great to see the results of the effort put forth by the team each season.

C. My uniform still hangs in the closet. Old # 39 still has a place in my heart and I cannot throw it away.

D. Some day we will hang up our uniform for our Lord with the sword and shield and will be rewarded with a crown (II Tim. 4:6-8; Gal. 6:9).

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