Finishing Strong...

March 21st, 2025

March Madness is one of my favorite times of the year! Every year, I fill out my tournament bracket with great anticipation, convinced that this is the year I finally prove my basketball expertise. And every year, I experience the rollercoaster of emotions that come with it. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of predicting a big upset and feeling like a seasoned sports analyst, only to have my bracket completely busted the next day, leaving me questioning all my life choices. One of my kids is convinced he has a chance to win a Nissan even though he can’t drive yet….and I hope he does, then I can drive him around in his Nissan ?.

My favorite game so far?

Drake vs. Mizzou. Not just because it was a great matchup, but because of the story behind it. Drake’s head coach, Ben McCollum, came from Northwest Missouri State where he racked up four Division II national titles before taking the reins at Drake in 2024. He brought along Bennett Stirtz, who earned All-American honors this year but didn’t get a single D-I offer out of high school.

Nobody saw him coming.

Stirtz leads the nation in minutes played, and he just carried Drake to a 67-57 victory over Mizzou in their first NCAA Tournament win since 1971. Talk about an underdog story! Unfortunately, I didn’t pick that upset, but it was only because I didn’t know about the story until after the brackets had closed.

So why am I rambling about basketball in a sermon intro email? Because that Drake-Mizzou game feels like a perfect lead-in to 1 Timothy 6:11-21. Stirtz didn’t chase the spotlight or the big offers, he pursued his opportunity under a coach who saw his potential, trusted the bigger plan, stayed humble, and kept pushing forward. That’s what Paul is urging Timothy…and us…to do: finish strong, even when it might feel like the odds are stacked against us.

This Sunday, as we wrap up our 12-part series, Blueprint for a Healthy Church, we’ll talk about what it takes to finish strong… and stay the course spiritually, no matter the challenges.

Much like a team fighting through March Madness, faith isn’t just about how you start, it’s about how you finish. The tournament isn’t won in the first round, and a strong faith isn’t built on a single moment of passion. It requires endurance, focus, and a commitment to the things that truly matter.

I hope to see you on Sunday. We are still meeting at our temporary location at The Harlow Event Space, 1525 Grand Ave., Kansas City, MO. Our services are still at 8:00, 9:15 (Full KidCity available), or 10:45 am (Full KidCity available), or you can watch the Livestream on YouTube (Like and Subscribe) or on our New Life website at 9:15 am.

Let’s make sure we don’t just start well, but that we cross the finish line with our faith intact!

Troy