We are proud to announce that the Indianapolis Star has asked our Pastor, A. Thomas Hill, to be a regular writer for the Religion section of our city's largest newspaper. Featured in the following link, is the article Pastor wrote during the weekend of the Indianapolis 500.

Click here to read: "Faith in God helps us finish the race." (Indy Star link).

Faith In God Helps Us Finish The Race

This weekend, thousands will come from around the world to enter the gates of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Although the official attendance is not disclosed, the stadium (including infield seating) can hold a capacity crowd of 400,000.

Imagine the roar of 400,000 spectators cheering their favored driver to victory over the roar of racing engines and lightning-fast cars; 400,000 cheer while 33 persevere. Here's the question that piqued my curiosity: How does an event that attracts so many spectators produce only a minuscule number of participants? Maybe because only a few are willing to confront the fear of the masses -- the fear of failure, the edge of danger and the weight of responsibility. The second question I pondered: What motivates the participants to step out from the pack and confront these enemies?

I would suggest the No. 1 motivator is the spectator. That's right. Whether it's the Indy 500, the Pacers or the Colts, participants aiming to win are even more stimulated by the sight and sound of those in the stands cheering them on. An empty stand produces a lonely contestant, and lonely contestants seldom win big races. As I paint this picture, I can't help but visualize Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

As we run this race, the challenges of this life cause us to confront similar fears that will either qualify us for or disqualify us from the race. Our faith in God, however, enables us to enter the race and confront the inhibitors that come to distract us from finishing strong.

I couldn't help but look in the grandstands of the same verse and witness a numberless cluster of spectators who are not only cheering us on to victory but also are giving us the strategy to win by ridding ourselves of the same sin weight that tried to slow them down. The Apostle Paul reminds us of his victory speech after completing his final lap: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

As a leader in the Christian faith, I would envision it this way: hundreds of thousands of fellow believers all lining the grandstands of heaven, cheering us on to perfect victory and reminding us that it can be done because the race has already been won. Allow me to rephrase Paul's victory statement in a grandstand cheer to us all: Keep the faith and win the race.