Signing Day

There's a lot of news this week in anticipation of "Signing Day" for NCAA football. Projections abound. Rumors swirl. Bright predictions about "5 star" athletes allow the experts to rank the recruiting classes. Although I am interested in the recruiting class for the Volunteers, I am also aware that predictions can be (and often are) a little unreliable. There are a lot of reasons for uncertainty. Pardon the comparison between life and football, but predicting talent is a risky business. One of my favorite examples is found in the fourth gospel. Who's the "5 star" recruit...Is it Nicodemus or the woman at the well? Sorry for the incomplete bio, but the Bible doesn't give us her name. Nicodemus has the pedigree of five star recruit. Even Jesus describes him as somewhat of an "expert". On the other hand, the woman at the well looks to have the potential to be declared "academically ineligible" on signing day. Yet, I would challenge you to find a better game time performer for Jesus in any of the gospels. What's the difference? (1) A genuine life-changing encounter with Jesus (2) Heart. Most Jesus recruits that fall short haven't given enough attention to the latter. Even a radically changed heart requires exercise to stay healthy.