I remember when I was in little league as a ten year-old.  There was one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and we were up by one run.  I was playing second base and caught a line-drive ball after an awesome diving catch and follow-on roll that brought me right back up on my feet.  (As if I planned the whole stunt.)  I was so happy and proud that I was beside myself.  I decided to start moon-walking like Michael Jackson on the dirt to make the other kids laugh.  But nobody was laughing.

They were all yelling and screaming.  I thought it was because of my amazing catch.

As it turned out, there was a kid on first base who had starting running when the ball was hit and was standing right next to me completely unclear of whether or not I had caught the line-drive or why I was moon-walking.

Half of the people were yelling and screaming at me to tag the kid out while the other half of the people there were yelling and screaming at the kid to run back to first base before the “gloved one” figured out what was going on.

I had overlooked the need to DO something after the big play!  I thought the “big play” was all I needed to accomplish.  I was certain that glory was mine and that people would be talking about the big play of the day on that Little League field in that community I grew up in known as Lakes of the Four Seasons in Crown Point, IN.

Instead, everyone would be talking about the missed opportunity for a double-play and how we lost the game because the very next batter smacked an infield home run (Can you say comedy of errors from kids?) and batted in the runner I didn’t tag out.  I didn’t finish strong.

In each of our lives, becoming a Christ-follower is the “Big Play.”

Actually following Him and growing more and more like Him and then helping others do the same is the next step to completing what He calls us to do.  All followers of Jesus are called to an intentional journey of becoming more and more like Him; to become life-long learners; to finish strong.

The Bible calls finishing strong as being a “disciple” and the essence of being a disciple is spending time with the teacher Himself.  It’s the idea of growing in the knowledge and likeness of Jesus; the Teacher.  It was one of the directives (not a suggestion) that Jesus gave us moments before He returned to the right hand of God after He overcame death.

It’s the idea that we don’t stay where we’re at in our faith journey.  It’s the idea that we’re moving in a direction that is purposeful, meaningful and intentional.  Becoming more and more like Jesus means becoming less and less like ourselves.

Becoming a follower of Christ is where it starts.  Becoming more and more like Christ is where it ends.

Finish strong.