The Sweet 16 got off to a fun start last night as we saw Villanova knock off Michigan, Arkansas upset top-seeded Gonzaga, and Houston snag a convincing win over one-seeded Arizona. Then, of course, Duke (my favorite team) gave Coach K his 100th NCAA tournament win as they held off the nation’s #1 rated Texas Tech defense by shooting 71% from the field in the second half. One of the biggest game-changers for Duke has been sophomore point guard, Jeremy Roach. After not playing that well during the season, he was sent to the bench for the final nine games before the NCAA Tournament. However, Coach K reinserted him into the starting lineup in round one. During the last two wins, he’s combined for 30 points and has hit multiple shots at critical moments down the stretch of both games. The word to describe the way he’s been playing during this emergence on the big stage is confident. After an Allen Iverson-like crossover before knocking down a key basket last night, CBS analyst Bill Raftery made mention of Roach’s confidence. In a post-game interview, Roach talked about how he was able to “stay confident” despite his ups and downs in the season. There’s no question that players need the confidence to take big shots, overcome adversity, and go up against tough opponents. Roach has stood out, but many players have demonstrated this as well, throughout the tournament. This is also true of coaches. Tonight, we’ll see this year’s Cinderella team, St. Peter’s, take the court as they’re led by head coach Shaheen Holloway. I’ve become a huge fan of his during their first two wins over Kentucky and Murray State, and there’s no way a 15-seed can make it this far without having confidence. Coach Holloway has been awesome to listen to in interviews as he clearly exudes confidence. Following their win over Kentucky, when asked if he ever got nervous, he responded, “No…for what…it’s basketball.” After their win against Murray State, he said, “I’ve got guys from New Jersey and New York City. You think we’re scared of anything?” Confidence is such an important quality for coaches and players to embody. At the same time, they must harness it while keeping a proper humility and making sure the confidence doesn’t turn into arrogance or cockiness. Likewise, when it comes to our own lives, confidence is paramount. As followers of Jesus, we’re given supernatural Christ-centered confidence. Our confidence isn’t based on our own strength or abilities, but rather on the all-powerful, all-knowing, always faithful God of the universe. We need to ask ourselves if we’re tapping into that confidence, and if that’s what we exude when we face adversity, take big steps of faith, and go up against tough opponents. We should be confidently saying, “The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6; ESV). Because Christ lives in us, we’re redeemed, we know God’s in control, we know He loves us, and we know He has a plan for us, we ought to easily embody confidence. Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT) gives us this valuable encouragement: "So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.” Today, rather than be nervous or fearful, let’s find our confidence in the Lord and His power as we remain humble before Him. When we encounter the ups and downs of life, have the opportunity to take “big shots,” or face a formidable opponent, let’s remain confident because of Whose we are and Who is with us. Let’s live out Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV): “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him.” I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I pray my confidence wouldn’t be based on my own strength but rather based on Your power and goodness. You are with me and You love me and I pray I’d remain humble as I trust in You and remain confident because of You. It’s in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
Discussion Questions for PACKS:
What is the difference between confidence and arrogance?
What is the difference between self-confidence and Christ-centered confidence?
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