"Selfless Basketball Chapel Talk

Below is the text of a recent pregame chapel talk I delivered to a men’s college basketball team. The theme was “Selflessness.”

Think about all that is celebrated in College Basketball:

• Championships

• Winning 

• Scoring

• Thunderous dunks

• Long three point shots

• Last second scores (Marcus)

• Steals

That's the stuff of good basketball. 

Let's be sure to celebrate selfless play, like we have been playing:

• Taking a charge.

• Deflecting a pass.

• Recovering loose balls.

• Help side defense.

• Tipping the ball to a teammate to rebound.

• Closing out on a shooter.

• Diving out of bounds to save the ball to a teammate.

• Making the extra pass to get a better shot.

That's the stuff of exceptional basketball. 

"This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our brothers, and not just be out for ourselves. 

My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love." 1 John 3:16- & 18 MSG

1. Christ Jesus sacrificed for us - that is how we experience real love.

2. We should sacrifice for those we love.

3. Live sacrificially, for others.

4. That's more than love talk, that's the real thing. Let's practice it.

This is the stuff of exceptional men.

Today –

• Compete sacrificially for your brothers.
• Compete selflessly, not for yourself.
• Don't just talk about love, practice real love.

This is the stuff of exceptional Saluki Basketball players.

That is worthy of our greatest celebration.