If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
and will forgive our sins and purify us.

1 John 1:9

Keith became the Head Baseball coach for the University of Kentucky the same year his first-born son arrived, 1979. After 25 years of coaching, he retired only to continue his love of this sport in a mission outreach capacity through SCORE International. He still loves the game of baseball and feels honored to reach out to current coaches who need a listening ear and a guiding voice of experience.

         It was disappointing to read in the paper about some professional baseball scouts who were caught giving into greed. They accepted kickbacks from signing bonuses targeting players from impoverished Latin American countries. One scout, if convicted, could face up to 20 years in prison.
          It’s easy to justify. Most professional baseball scouts do not make six figure incomes like major league managers. They don’t even come close to earning the mega bucks that most of the players they sign eventually earn.
          Professional baseball scouts, coaches,  athletes, students, executives and CEOs all face the temptation and hear a voice saying, “If you don’t cheat, your competition will, and  you will lose…”
          Or that voice from the enemy says, “You deserve a better car, better house, the first class life style…”
          The bottom line is that when you cheat, you always loose, and if you get caught cheating, you face shame and humiliation. 
          Through faith in Christ and trust in Him, we don’t have to fight the battle of temptation alone. Listen to this Great News from II Peter 1:3-4: 
          (3) His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our
                    knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. 
          (4) Through these, He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through 
                    them you may partake in this divine nature and escape the corruption in the world  
                   caused by evil desires.

          Peter tells us that God has given us everything we need for life and godliness; and we (yes,  even you and I) may participate in the divine nature and escape corruption! We have forgiveness through Christ for the mistakes we have already made (I John 1:19). We also have access to strength and power from God’s throne to escape corruption. 
          The bottom line…if we keep God on our team every hour of the day, we win.

(Keith Madison, keith@scorebaseball.org)