January 5: Believe

Scripture Lesson: Romans 10:9-10

On this date in 2004, Tug McGraw died after a tough battle with cancer. McGraw was a relief pitcher for most of his career with the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. He was probably best known for getting the last out in the 1980 World Series for the Phillies, and for an improbable run in 1973 for the Mets in which he coined the phrase “You Gotta Believe.” That year, in the month of September, McGraw saved 10 games with an ERA of 0.57 and went 3-0. The Mets had been in last place on August 29, but inspired by McGraw’s leadership, they came back to not only win their division but to make the World Series, where they lost to the Oakland A’s. McGraw believed in his teammates when no one else did and spurred them to believe in themselves.

In today’s scripture lesson, Paul is giving us God’s answer to “You Gotta Believe.” The gospel cannot be presented more clearly than in these verses in Romans 9. If we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved! We gotta believe! God loves us very much. All we have to do to spend eternity with Him is to believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and confess with our mouths. The Mets made the World Series in 1973, the pinnacle for any baseball team. We can reach the pinnacle of our faith when we believe and confess that Jesus is Lord!

1. Where are we today…as Tug McGraw and Paul reminds us “You Gotta Believe …”?

2. Do we live our lives as evidence of our confession and belief in Jesus on a daily basis?

3. How can we help those around us to believe in Jesus?

This world so needs Jesus Christ. We may be the only Bible people see, so let them this day and every day see Jesus living in and through us! We gotta believe and we gotta live like we believe!