Something terrible happened to the Kentucky Wildcats baseball team in the spring of 2002. They held a seven-run lead over Pepperdine heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. Did they win? Nope! The Waves rallied to score eight runs against four Kentucky pitchers, capturing an 18-17 victory! It was a disaster for the Wildcats and coach Keith Madison.

Genesis 3-4 – The Fall

Genesis 3 is one of the great pivot points in Scripture. Our understanding of life on earth depends on this chapter because it explains why God’s perfect creation became a broken world. Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and sin entered the human race. From that moment on, every person has been affected by sin, and every part of creation bears its consequences.

The tragic consequences of Adam’s sin also reveal God’s grace. Chapters 1 and 2 present a perfect world, but beginning in chapter 4, we read of jealousy, anger, murder, lying, corruption, rebellion, and judgment. What happened? It is called sin. Satan sowed doubt about God’s Word, questioned God’s love, denied God’s truthfulness, and challenged God’s goodness. Those same lies continue to deceive people today.

Even in judgment, God offered hope by promising a coming Redeemer who would ultimately defeat sin and Satan. Sports are beneficial when kept in their proper perspective. Yet because of sin, athletics can become more important than seeking God’s kingdom. Whatever an athlete or coach does on the field should ultimately be done for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).