#1035. Using the NBA Finals for a Sermon Illustration.

It’s possible in all the hullabaloo about the Tony Awards you missed the fact that the NBA Finals ended last Sunday. (I didn’t watch the Tony Awards, but I feel it’s safe to assume there was some degree of hullabaloo, a word I spelled correctly on the first time. First time! I’m like the LeBron James of words no one uses!)

Your off the cuff comment should never be longer than your main comment so I need to bring this post back to the point.

And the point is that the 2011 NBA Finals were like a sports cornucopia of sermon illustrations. You should probably just go ahead and email this post to your pastor right now.

Why?

1. It’s summer.

You can preach about anything during summer. That’s an unwritten rule of church. One off sermons. Crazy musical solos from people who thought buying an instrument on a mission trip was the equivalent to being proficient at said instrument. Youth Sunday. It’s summer! The perfect time for an NBA Finals Sermon Illustration.

2. A bajillion people watched them.

Don’t trust that math, huh? How about this? The ratings were the highest they’ve had in 11 years. At one point 15% of all US homes were watching them. That’s way more than watched the world Jai Lai championships, which I assume exist and are in fact televised. People will connect with the sermon.

Maybe you’re still doubting. Maybe you’re thinking, “Oh jeez, I’m a mom of three, this is going to be one of those posts where I read the title and then immediately leave SCL and just read The Pioneer Woman.” I get that I do, but whether you’re a guy or girl, you’re in for a treat if your pastor uses one of these NBA Finals illustrations.

3 ways to preach about the NBA Finals

1. Pride comes before a fall.
Easiest. Sermon. Ever. LeBron James is being ripped apart right now for the way things went down. When he left Cleveland and joined the Miami Heat, they had a press conference/event/donnybrook that made the Royal Wedding look quiet. Then they had a pre-finals celebration celebration the day after. They danced. There was smoke. I’m sure Chad OchoCinco was there and at least one person “made it rain.” Then they lost in the finals. This sermon practically writes itself. Pride comes before a fall. Boom. Done.

2. Wait for the Lord
Did God pull for the Mavericks? Tough to say. I know Matt Chandler lives there and God loves that dude. A lot. But on the other hand, as a Boston Celtics fan I’m pretty sure that’s who he roots for. Regardless, there’s no debating that the Mavericks and team owner Mark Cuban worked on this a long time. Cuban bought the team in 2000, which using my writer’s math means he’s owned the team for like 24 years. (Or 11.) Dirk and lots of his teammates lost to Miami in the finals a few years ago and never gave up. They kept working and waiting for their chance. Kind of like in Habbakuk 2:3, which says:

For still the vision awaits its appointed time;

it hastens to the end—it will not lie.

If it seems slow, wait for it;

it will surely come; it will not delay.

See what I did there? Seamless! I might even throw in a little “If Dirk’s first move to the basket seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay and might even include a free throw.”

3. Teamwork matters.
My friend Stephen Brewster told me about a Wall Street Journal article that counted the number of times the Mavericks high fived, hugged and slapped each other on the back. Then they counted the number of times the Heat did. The difference was pretty dramatic. In the first three games, the Mavericks high fived 250 times. The Heat? Only 134. Teamwork matters. We’re all in this together. We’ve to be iron that sharpens iron. Or if you before a more relevant translation, “We got to do life together.” You might even work in a side hug reference in the sermon if you want to plug the Stuff Christians Like book. Up to you really.

Those are free. All three of them. Please let your pastor know I am completely cool with any one of those being used this Sunday. The only one I can’t endorse is the Jesus Juke. A friend sent me a tweet a pastor had written chastising Dallas fans for being happier about the victory than they were about the salvation they received from Christ on the cross. Maybe that guy just hates basketball and is mad Jai Lai gets no love. Hard to say. Hard to say.

Question:
Does your pastor ever use sports analogies?