Twenty-two years old and a varsity basketball coach in the great state of Indiana. We were playing for the conference title in the mecca of basketball: Marion, Ind. Ok, maybe we weren't the three-peat Marion Giants of the 80's, but I was coaching the mighty Lakeview Lions in the state Christian school league. So maybe our roar wasn't that great, not even bigger than our gym — the city armory's gym where there were more dead spots than the local cemetery. But nevertheless, we were playing for the championship against Faith Christian.

It was my first year of coaching and the first year of a varsity program at the school. It was an exciting time. We were playing at home and needed to win. At the end of the third quarter, we were winning, and even late into the fourth quarter we still were leading. Still we found a way to lose by 15 points. "What happened?" I thought. "What did I do wrong as a coach?" After the game I sat my team down in our plush locker room of folding chairs and cement and asked for a show of hands to the following questions:

1. Did you want to win this game? 12 yes, 0 no
2. At half, did you think we could win? 6 yes, 6 no
3. After the third, did you think we could win? 3 yes, 9 no
4. In the fourth, did you think we could win? 1 yes, 11 no

Now I knew why we had lost. NO FAITH. Only one member of the team thought we could win, even while we were still in the game. It was there that I realized the importance of instilling faith in our young team.

Much like my team almost 20 years ago, faith in the unknown and unseen is difficult for people today. People still want to see and know what will be the outcome and result before they truly, fully believe. However, to believers in Christ it is a completely different matter. Faith is the belief that God is real and that God is good. It also is a conviction that Jesus can and a hope that He will.

I once heard an old gospel song that reads, "Prayer is the key to Heaven, but it is faith that unlocks the door." Like my team years ago, they wanted to win but lacked the faith in themselves to actually get it done. Here are some things to consider:

1. Want to conquer sin? Have faith.
2. Do you think your sin can be defeated? Have faith.
3. Same sin still defeating you? Have faith.
4. Feel like you can't change? Have faith.

God's help is near and always available to those who seek it. Let me see a show of hands ... Do you think sin can be defeated in your life with God's help? By faith, it can!