by Elizabeth Caro

Randy Shepherd comes to a stop just outside the three-point line. The score is tied. He aims the basketball carefully and takes the shot. Nothing but net! The fans leap to their feet and cheer.

But Randy’s not an NBA player. He’s the co-founder of a Christian basketball ministry called Crossfire. And he’s just led his team to victory over the Atlantic Coast Conference all-stars.

A talented basketball player, Randy uses his ball-handling skills to introduce people to Jesus Christ. In the past 12 years, he’s seen more than 5,000 kids accept Christ or recommit their lives at Crossfire basketball camps. He’s shared the gospel with visitors at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. And his team has challenged basketball teams in more than 30 countries.

Whether he’s playing competitively in the U.S. or wowing an audience with ball-spinning tricks in Romania, Randy is sold out for God.

In the Game

As a young boy, Randy had no idea God would use his love of basketball to tell people about Jesus.

"I wasn’t a great jumper or particularly quick," he says. "But I was told there would be a place for me on the high school team if I could handle the ball."

Randy practiced ball-handling drills on the kitchen floor until there was a puddle of sweat on the floor beneath him. While other kids watched TV or goofed off, Randy shot 100 free throws in a row.

If he missed one, he started over.

But as a young person, something besides basketball became more important to him. One summer at basketball camp, he was in his dorm when sirens began to wail. Randy and some other boys ran out and discovered a boy had drowned in the pool. As Randy stood outside the chain-link fence, he wondered if that boy had gone to heaven or hell.

After that, Randy became an evangelist. His spiritual hero was Paul because he saved many lives by spreading God’s truth.

"I was a little apostle Paul as a kid," Randy says.

Super Hero

Randy went from being an awkward kid practicing basketball in his kitchen, to being a respected evangelist and ballplayer by following these five steps to becoming a true hero:

1. Commit your life to Christ. A hero leads people, and a true hero leads people to Christ. But you can’t point the way to God unless you know Him yourself. In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

2. Follow the Head Coach. If you’ve already followed step one, you have the most awesome Head Coach in the world. But just like any other coach, God can’t make the plays for you. He watches every move from the sidelines, cheering you on. He can see things down the court that you can’t. And unlike a human coach, God knows what will happen. That’s why it’s so important to consult the Head Coach on the next major play.

3. Be loyal to your team. Would you take the ball and throw it to a player on the other team? Spending all your time with people who are not on God’s team is like playing for the opponent. You have a responsibility to witness to others, but to be a hero, you need to be loyal to your team. God doesn’t work alone. He has a great lineup of assistant coaches—fellow Christians.

4. Work out and know the game plan. Randy has memorized many Scriptures. When he’s faced with a temptation, he recalls one of those verses. Remembering God’s Word helps him have victory. Reading your Bible, praying and memorizing Scripture give your "spiritual man" a workout. Is your "spiritual man" healthy, or does he need some exercise?

5. Score! Philippians 4:13 says you can do everything through Christ Jesus, who gives you strength. All you need to do is call on God’s name, and He will lead you to a three-point, nothing-but-net shot. Whether you’re playing your best on the court or overcoming bullies at school, God is with you.

If you follow these five steps, God will honor your efforts. And the Bible says you’ll be rewarded in Heaven. Make sure you’re open when God passes you the ball.

As a young boy from Asheville, North Carolina, Randy never imagined that God would take him all over the world to share about Him. Randy listened to God’s call on his life and obeyed. You can, too!

	Q: Why did the dog lay on its back with its feet sticking in the air? A: It was trying to trip birds. Amy S., 11, Illinois Clubhouse Jr. Click here to subscribe