Okla. Pastor Rallies Thunder Fans With David and Goliath Sermon Ahead of NBA Finals
As the Oklahoma City Thunder get ready for their first game against the Miami Heat in the NBA finals tonight, the team's fans are finding inspiration in a popular story preached by the Thunder's chaplain – the biblical account of David, the underdog, facing the giant Goliath.
"We don't need to listen to pundits in our life tell us what they think people are going to do," urged the Rev. A. Byron Coleman III, the Thunder's chaplain, in a Sunday sermon at his Fifth Street Missionary Baptist Church. "If that be the case, if we had listened to what people said about us, we should have lost in the first round, we should have lost in the second round and we should have lost in the Western Conference Finals."
Despite being branded as the underdog throughout most of their match-ups in the NBA playoffs, the Thunder have risen to the occasion and triumphed, surprising many pundits along the way. They were almost written off against the San Antonio Spurs last week in the Western Conferences Finals, but bounced back to win the series 4-2. Now, they face their biggest challenge yet Tuesday night against Lebron James and the rest of the Heat.
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The Rev. Coleman's sermon, titled "Don't Underestimate Me," touched on how David, despite the odds, brought down Goliath with a slingshot, NewsOak reported.
Reportedly telling the congregation that David, who eventually became a king, didn't see himself as an underdog, Coleman reminded the congregation about how the former sheepherder had also been underestimated.
"In your life ... with the way many people didn't think you were going to make it ... you should have lost in the first round of your life, you should have lost in the second round, you should have lost in the third round," Pastor Coleman was quoted as saying in his sermon.
Thunder's Christ-following fans are also more than excited about the final, and appreciated the pastor's message about always fighting back, even if one finds himself in the position of the underdog.
"I'm a huge sports fan," said Mary Parish, 37, "so I immediately jumped on the Thunder bandwagon." She revealed that she laughed, shouted words of praise, and identified with Pastor Coleman's NBA-inspired sermon.
Parish shared how, years ago, she felt doubt about her faith, and Pastor Coleman helped her through the rough time.
"I underestimated myself, people underestimated me, but I killed some giants," she shared. "I have taken down giants."
The first game of the NBA finals takes place in Oklahoma City and starts at 9 p.m. Eastern time on ABC.
