God's Coaching #364

God's Coaching #364

Imagine being Noah’s son trying to build a boat. Intimidating, huh? Big shoes to fill? That’s probably how Marcus Jordan felt when he picked up a basketball. But on this day in 2010, Marcus, a six-foot-three-inch sophomore guard at the University of Central Florida, enjoyed perhaps the finest performance of his young college career. He scored 22 of his game-high 26 points in the second half to lead the Knights to a 68–62 comeback win over a strong Princeton team, earning UCF Holiday Classic MVP honors in the process.

Marcus, as you might have guessed, is the son of NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player ever. So what do you do when your father is a former five-time NBA MVP with six NBA championship rings and a face that is recognized across the globe? For one, you have to put up with a lot of heckling. Opposing fans taunted Marcus in virtually every road game, unfavorably comparing him with his dad whenever he missed a shot. But Marcus certainly held his own at UCF. As one of the team’s leading scorers, he helped the Knights crack the top-25 national rankings for the first time ever in December 2010. Not bad for a kid with a famous father.

What’s the Score?

Fair or not, Marcus Jordan will always be compared to his world-famous father. It’s human nature. We love to compare people to others. But King David knew better than to compare the one true God to the silly, little gods that were being worshiped in his day. In David’s lifetime, ancient Israel was surrounded by pagan nations that worshiped false gods. David knew all these other deities were nothing compared to God. That’s why he wrote in Psalm 86:8, “Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours” (NIV).

The God of the Bible cannot be compared to anything in this universe. He holds all knowledge and power. Nothing exists apart from him. No other religion or god provides true forgiveness of sins, like God did through his Son. There’s no need to compare God to other gods, because there’s no comparison!

On the Ball

List five reasons why the God of the Bible is greater than any man-made god:

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Coach’s Comment

Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours. Psalm 86:8 (NIV)