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Are You Playing Fantasy Sports With Faith? 8 Ways to Know

I’ve been in a fantasy football league for almost eight years.

I’ve won it twice and placed in the top three about four times. Not that I’m bragging or anything.

Alright, I’m bragging, but you didn’t really need to give me a standing ovation. Seriously folks, sit down. I know it’s quite a feat to dominate fantasy football, but I don’t like showing off.

For those of you who don’t know what fantasy football is, it’s, uh, a fantasy, uh, game online, where you, uh, pick real players and draft them on your, uh, fake fantasy team.

You know, it’s amazing how lame it sounds when you say it out loud. Men (and a handful of crazy women), relax, I’m not bashing fantasy football. I love it and will still play it for years to come, God willing.

But when it’s all said and done, I can’t get too carried away because it’s fantasy football. My team is a fake team and my players are all make believe. I might have won two virtual trophies, but that doesn’t make me a football player.

Unless I’m drafted by an NFL team and I play on Sunday afternoons, I don’t have a team.

It’s easy to see and make this distinction with sports. Unfortunately the lines are blurry when it comes to following Jesus.

It’s easy to feel like you’re doing something when you’re actually only playing make believe.

I’m not going to point any fingers, but I will say this: If you can identify with much of this list, chances are, you might be playing fantasy Christianity with Jesus.

1. If most of your Jesus insights come from others (sermons, blogs, Bible studies) as opposed to personal study, you might be playing fantasy Christianity.

2. If you don’t generously give, serve or lead at your church, but call it ‘your’ church, you might be playing fantasy church.

3. If you amen during a sermon, but do nothing about it, you might be playing fantasy Christianity.

4. If you clap when someone comes to know Jesus, but you never share Jesus, you might be playing fantasy evangelist.