The World Series begins tonight with the Philadelphia Phillies taking on the Astros in Houston. There are plenty of intriguing storylines and players to root for, but one, in particular, is Phillies' first baseman, Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins has been with the Phillies since 2017 and at the time of his major league debut, the team had the worst record in Major League Baseball at 42-70. He was there when the Phillies were down and out and has been there throughout the turnaround that finds them in the World Series. Hoskins and Aaron Nola are the only members of the 96-loss team from 2017, so they can appreciate what’s happening with this team. Hoskins has had quite the individual journey of exciting moments and struggles on the baseball field. Scott Miller wrote an article documenting it on NYtimes.com with the headline, “A Phillies Veteran Perfects the Art of Getting Back Up.” He writes, “Hoskins makes an error, then he smashes a homer. He’s booed, then he’s cheered. He’s up, down, and back up again. That’s not simply encompassing his career, this season or this month. He squeezed all of that into Games 3 and 4 of the N.L. Championship Series against San Diego.” Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations, recently said, “I think Rhys Hoskins in many ways epitomizes what we are as a club because, at times, he’s had a couple of moments where he’s had miscues in the field, but he bounces back. He’s resilient. He’s tough. "And if anybody appreciates what’s going on here, he’s one of those guys because he’s been here the whole time. He’s seen what’s necessary to make this happen.” Throughout the playoffs, he’s struck out 14 times and struggled with hitting the ball, yet he also has five home runs and 11 R.B.I. Against the Braves in Game 2, Hoskins had a key error, but then in Game 3, he came up big with a three-run homer that helped them win the series. His teammates love him and trust him because he finds ways to bounce back, is resilient, and continues to come up big, even if he makes mistakes along the way. You and I are on a journey in life that's similar to baseball. We experience errors, miscues, poor decisions, mistakes, mishaps, and strikeouts. But thankfully, we don’t have to remain in our shame after a strikeout, give up after an error, or let the miscues leave us discouraged or defeated. Just like Hoskins on the baseball field has shown his ability to bounce back and has “perfected the art of getting back up,” we also can be resilient in our own lives. Life doesn’t always go how we want it to and we aren’t perfect either. But, even if we don't hit home runs on every at-bat, as followers of Jesus, we can “perfect the art of getting back up” because we rely on His perfection, strength, and grace. As a result of Jesus getting back up after the cross and the grave, we never have to stay down long. In Him and His grace, we don’t have to be defeated by sin or remain in a pattern of sin. His power enables us to keep going even after the times we miss the mark. 1 John 1:9 (AMP) explains, “If we admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just , and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness . To experience a turnaround after we stumble, we must confess our sin, repent, and receive His grace as we bounce back ready to continue on the path He has for us, “hitting some more home runs.” Today, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, let's take on the life-changing challenge that John the Baptist gives us in Matthew 3:8 (AMP): “So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance ...” I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that! PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for Your grace and for helping me get back up when I stumble. I’m thankful that because of Jesus I don’t have to be defeated by sin or filled with shame. I desire for my life to be fruitful as I continue moving forward empowered by Your strength and grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR PACKS:
1. How would you describe your journey of bouncing back after errors or strikeouts?
2. What is the hardest part for you to getting back up after a failure?
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