Success
The movie Jumpshot uncovers the true story of Kenny Sailors, the developer of the modern-day jump shot in basketball, and how his life was much more than the game. His “leaping one-hander” changed basketball. At the same time, he led his Wyoming Cowboys to the Collegiate National Championship in Madison Square Garden in 1943. After playing for a few years in the NBA, Kenny disappeared from the sports world, was forgotten, and never made the Naismith Hall of Fame.
The Jumpshot film (2020) details how, sixty years later, Kenny’s life successfully impacted the lives of others apart from his basketball accomplishments. Toward the end of the film, Kenny describes his view of not making the Hall of Fame; he says, “If I were to make it today, it would be nice because I’m a human being like anybody else, but I know I belong to the greatest Hall of Fame any man or woman could ever belong to.
When you know you belong to it, you don’t worry about those that are man-made. They just don’t mean that much to me. When I was growing up, basketball was just about my whole life. As I have gotten older, the Lord has shown me there are far more important things than just sports or basketball. One thing that has stood the test of time is God. He has satisfied me in a way that the Hall of Fame and success could never do. Nothing does compare with my life in Christ and the life I have had in him.”
2 Corinthians 3 – A Different View
Success is often measured by the world’s standard; more points mean you’re a winner, and fewer points make you a loser. Paul, however, had a different view of success in 2 Corinthians 3; he teaches that God’s standard is based on service to Him and ignores the worldly-minded perspective that we often see in sports. Paul acknowledged his success in ministry was not due to his own work but to Christ’s work through him (3:4). He also said, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (3:5).
The Kingdom Coach and Athlete promote the Person and work of Christ rather than themselves. They regard all human achievements apart from Christ as “rubbish” compared to knowing Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:4-9).
Bible Memory Verse – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Click HERE for the Kingdom Sports Minute on Measuring Success
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