One of the sports channels has a "Play of the Day" segment near the conclusion of its broadcast each night.

Over the years I have watched some magnificent plays. There was one in which a baseball bounced off the head of an outfielder, who then caught it with his bare hand.

There was a quarterback from Nebraska who broke eight tackles en route to a 64-yard touchdown run. I have this one on tape.

But the play that stands out most in my mind comes from a high school basketball game. There were eight seconds left in the game, the team inbounding the ball was losing by one point. As the ball was put into play, one of the players of the team with the ball got down on his hands and knees and started barking like a dog. The opposing team stopped guarding the other team and focused their attention on the barking player.

The barking player's teammates then scored the winning basket as time expired.

The coach who devised that strategy was certainly creative. His scheme got the other team so distracted that they forgot what their main goal was and lost the game!

How often in life do we as Christians get distracted from our main goal, the goal of knowing and loving Jesus? What schemes of Satan have preoccupied our minds? What are the barking sights and sounds in our lives that sidetrack us from spending time with our Lord?

I was listening to a Keith Green song this morning and these words pierced my heart: "My word sits there upon your desk, but you love your books and magazines the best, you love the light of your TV, you love the world and you're avoiding me."

The apostle Paul wrote to the church of Corinth in 2 Corinthians 11:3, "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."

Let's be aware of the things in our lives that distract us from growing closer to God, may we fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.

The Rev. Dennis Mendoza is an associate pastor at International Baptist Church. Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes submissions from pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8035. Articles submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.