REBOUNDING

“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women.

Now what do you say?” He said to them “If any one of you is without sin, let him throw the first stone at her.”

At this, they began to go away, until only Jesus was left with the woman. Jesus asked her, “Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and sin no more.” John 8:3-11 (condensed)

Basketball

There are two kinds of rebounds: defensive and offensive.

• Defensive rebounding ensures you get the ball back, transitioning from defense to offense.
• Offensive rebounding is like getting a second chance at a basket.

No matter how well you play defense, if you can’t get the ball back it won’t do you much good. Most coaches agree that whichever team has the most rebounds is a solid indicator of who will win the basketball game.

Rebounding is all about angles, position, and desire.

• ANGLES: A rebounder must study the angle the ball is coming off the rim or backboard. 
• POSITION: A rebounder must get good position on the court. On defense we call that “boxing out.” On offense it involves knowing how to move around your opponent so that you have a clear path to the ball.
• DESIRE: More than any other quality, a rebounder must have a desire, “hunger” to go get the ball. Many of the best rebounders were not the tallest players, but those who had a fierce desire to secure the basketball. 

Life

Second chances in life can also be influenced by angles, position, and desire

• ANGLES: Someone who wants a second chance will study what happened the first time, so that the same mistake is not made again. 
• POSITION: We must do the things to get us ready for a second chance. Many times they do not just come to us, but we have to adjust our circumstances in order for the second chance to happen. We have to “position” ourselves in case the chance happens again.
• DESIRE:  To give yourself a second chance in life’s arena, you must fiercely, and relentlessly pursue it. Then, don’t blow the opportunity again.

Are there things you’ve done in life, or things that have happened to you where you wished you could have an offensive rebound, a second chance?

• Studying harder for a test;
• not mouthing off at a family member;
• asking someone on a date;
• making a better choice?

God, through his Son, Jesus Christ, offers EVERYONE second, third, fourth (keep going) chances.  His GRACE is that gift of a second chance – a chance for us to turn, change, and live in a way that reflects being saved and loved by the Creator.  

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Here is a quick video highlighting some of the important aspects of rebounding: