On Father’s Day 2023, while Pastor Josh was on sabbatical, Elder Colin Brown stepped in to deliver a message that wound up being one of the most memorable of the year — using America’s pastime as a launching pad for one of the Bible’s most powerful mission statements.
The sermon opens in 2 Timothy 2:1–13, a passage Paul writes to Timothy as a seasoned veteran approaching the end of his ministry. Paul sees talent and promise in this younger man, and he passes the baton with clear instruction: be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
That’s it. That’s the motto.
Colin’s challenge: Are we living the Christian life in such a way that we’d be remembered for it?
Strong in Grace — The Christian’s Mission Statement
Paul opens this section of his letter the way any good coach or mentor would — with a mission statement. “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:1)
Colin pointed out that this phrase functions like a team motto. A banner you could hang on your wall. Something to tap on before you walk out onto the field. And in baseball, that kind of motto matters — it shapes culture, it defines identity, it drives performance.
But here’s where Paul gets specific. It’s not just about being strong — it’s about staying strong. And the way you do that is by passing the faith forward.
Pass It On: The Veteran and the Rookie
In verse 2, Paul tells Timothy: “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
This is the veteran-rookie dynamic. Veterans know their time is coming to a close. Their knees aren’t what they used to be. Their eyes aren’t what they used to be. They’re not as fast, not as strong — so they pour everything they have left into the next generation.
“Paul was a seasoned veteran. He knew his time was coming to an end, and he sees talent and promise in Timothy. And he encourages Timothy to take everything he’s learned and entrust it to others.”
— Colin Brown
This pattern is littered throughout 2 Timothy. Paul is passing the baton. The question for us is: Who are we pouring into? And who poured into us?
Play By the Rules: The Athlete Analogy
Paul doesn’t stop with the mentor-mentee dynamic. He gives two more illustrations — the soldier and the athlete. Colin admits he’d rather talk about sports than war, so he leans into the baseball analogies.
“Athletes have to compete according to the rules in order to get the trophy. … The hard-working farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.”
— 2 Timothy 2:5–6
It’s practical wisdom. Keep your eye on the ball. Do the work. Play by the rules.
But then Paul makes it personal. Verses 8–13 shift from illustration to confession:
“Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect.”
— 2 Timothy 2:8–10
Paul is in chains. He’s been treated like a criminal for the sake of the gospel. And yet — God’s word cannot be chained. The mission continues. The message goes forward.
Ricky Henderson and the Life You Say You Love
This is where the sermon gets unforgettable. Colin pulls in the story of Ricky Henderson — the Oakland A’s legend who holds the all-time stolen base record (1,406), including an 80% success rate when he did attempt to steal.
Ricky grew up near the Oakland Coliseum, was born on Christmas Day in the backseat of an Oldsmobile, threw left-handed but batted right-handed. There were a dozen things about him that should have been hindrances — but they became assets.
One stat that stands out: Ricky Henderson had more lead-off home runs than any leadoff hitter in history. When asked why he turned triples into home runs, he essentially said: Ricky can’t score from first base. Why hit a triple when you can just end it right there?
He understood the game. He lived it. He loved it.
“Men must really live the life they say they love.”
— Commentary on 2 Timothy, quoted in sermon
Colin challenges the congregation: If Ricky Henderson said he loved baseball but didn’t play the way he played it, you’d question whether he really meant it. So what about us? If we say we love the Christian life — are we living it?
Even When We’re Faithless, He Remains Faithful
The sermon closes with one of the most sobering and comforting truths in all of Scripture — verse 13:
“If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
— 2 Timothy 2:11–13
Colin admits this verse gives him both comfort and fear. Comfort — because God is faithful to His mission, His word, and His character. Fear — because God cannot treat the faithless and the faithful the same. He cannot disown Himself.
The question isn’t whether God will remain faithful. He will. The question is whether we’re living the life we say we love — even when it’s hard, even when we’re misunderstood, even when we’re in chains.
So What?
Colin ends with an invitation: Imagine someone looking back at your life and saying, “That person really lived the life they said they loved.”
Not perfect people. Not polished people. People who were a little awkward, maybe even a little shy — but who were unmistakably committed to Christ. People who others could point to and say, “I went to Grace Bible Church and those people actually lived it.”
Our mission statement isn’t complicated. It was given to us 2,000 years ago and it hasn’t changed:
Be strong in the grace.
Let’s live it. Let’s pass it on. Let’s be the kind of team that plays the game to win — not by our own strength, but by the grace of Jesus Christ.
Scripture References
- 2 Timothy 2:1–2 — The passing of the faith to reliable teachers
- 2 Timothy 2:3–6 — The soldier, the athlete, and the farmer
- 2 Timothy 2:8–10 — Paul’s suffering and the unshackled gospel
- 2 Timothy 2:11–13 — The trustworthy saying: faithful even when we’re faithless