Why We Don't Play On Sundays

August 25th, 2025

Why We Don't Play On Sundays

Let’s get straight to the heart of the matter and address the big question. Is it a sin to play baseball on Sundays? Answer: No! We are not saying that it is a sin to play baseball on Sunday. Just like no one claims it is sinful to walk a certain number of steps on Sunday or perform miracles (as was accused of Jesus).

So now that this question is answered and out of the way, why do we choose not to play baseball on Sundays? After all, if it is not a sin, why should we abstain?

The answer is based on Biblical conviction. In short, our organization (and the families within it) choose not to play baseball on Sundays in order to teach our children the priority of corporate worship in the local church. It’s that simple.

Biblical Conviction

“You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)

Athletics are not inherently evil. Nor is playing a baseball game on Sunday going to send anyone to hell. However, athletics can easily become an idol in our lives, just like work, food, money, power, fame, television, or even a phone. Therefore, to train and teach our children that athletics is not an idol, we choose not to prioritize a game over God. This is a tangible demonstration to our children of where we place athletics in our lives: after God, family, and church. In fact, one might even argue it falls further down the list.

God’s first commandment to His people is: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Because of this, we must prepare our children throughout their lives to understand that nothing comes before God—including a baseball tournament.

By choosing not to play on Sundays, we are establishing a Biblical precedent for worshiping our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“You shall not make for yourselves any graven image.” (Exodus 20:4)

In Romans 1, Paul describes those whom the Lord gives over to their own wickedness. One of the descriptions is that they worship creation rather than the Creator. This has been happening in youth sports across America for decades.

We have a tangible opportunity to set an example for our children in how we prioritize youth sports. Simply resolve in your heart not to allow athletics to become a “graven image” in your life. A quick examination of where you spend your time on Sundays can reveal if athletics has become an idol.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

Taking the name of the Lord in vain is often associated with swearing or using God’s name inappropriately. But these are simply byproducts of a deeper issue. To "take the name of the Lord your God in vain" means to claim to follow Christ yet live like the world. This lowers the value of God’s name.

We take His name in vain when we claim to be Christians, yet act like non-Christians. We do this when we say we are fully devoted to Christ but prioritize worldliness over obedience to His Word.

“Do not forsake the gathering…” (Hebrews 10:25)

This is a clear instruction in Scripture, given to believers for their good. It is a command that’s both simple and concise: Do not forsake the gathering of the body of believers with whom you’ve made a covenant.

To forsake means to abandon or desert. This instruction doesn’t come with a warning of "flaming fire" for missing a church service. It’s not about legalism. Instead, it challenges the heart. It asks: When the church body gathers, where else would I rather be?

“Teach these things to your children…” (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Before God gave the Law to Moses, He gave parents a clear instruction: They must pass down the commands of the Lord to their children. This is not just through verbal teaching but in all parts of life: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

It’s of utmost importance that Christian parents train their children in the ways of the Lord. This instruction isn't limited to Sunday worship—it applies to every area of life. Corporate worship is a given, but Biblical parenting requires us to walk alongside our children with Scripture in our hearts, guiding them in everything we do.

We are only given a few short years with our children. What will we teach them to pass down to their children?

“Honor the Sabbath and keep it Holy.” (Exodus 20:8)

This is the 4th Commandment. We often remember the other nine but conveniently disregard the 4th. It’s fascinating to see how American Christianity has treated this commandment.

The Ten Commandments serve two purposes: 1) to help us see and understand the holiness of God, and 2) to show us our sinfulness.

The fact that we often disregard the 4th Commandment shouldn’t be surprising. We tend to disregard most of the others as well. But the way we have completely discarded it is puzzling. We seem to feel no remorse for breaking it.

“The Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10) is Sunday, and it is to be "honored" and "remembered." It is set apart, or "Holy." In Colossians 2 and Romans 14, Paul makes it clear that Gentiles should not be forced to observe the Jewish Sabbath rituals. By "honoring the Sabbath," we do not mean we enforce Jewish laws; instead, we focus on honoring the Lord’s Day and setting it apart from everything that might draw our attention away from God. Our conviction is to focus on worship, both in the local church and in the home.

God gives us six other days to play baseball. Is it too much to ask that we give Him one?

Common Responses:

You are being legalistic.

We have often been called “legalists” by people who claim to be Christians. But the fact is, we do not force our convictions on anyone, nor do we claim that this is a mandate for all families. Our families share a similar conviction based on Scripture, and this is what we choose to do.

Don’t judge me.

We are not judging you. Our choice to not play baseball on Sundays has everything to do with our priorities and how we position God in our lives. It’s not about judging others; it’s about teaching our children where we place God in our lives.

But we pray before our games on Sundays…

This is a common response. It’s great for Christians to pray without ceasing. Prayer should be the norm, not the exception. However, prayer before a game doesn't substitute for engaging with the local church. Taking pictures of praying before a game on Sunday to justify non-engagement with the local church can harm the witness of the Kingdom.

Someone has to be a missionary to the lost world.

The greatest form of evangelism on Sunday is to “be separate” and “remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy.” When we make it clear that corporate worship is more important to us than worldly accolades, we set the right example for the world. Being a missionary to the world starts with demonstrating that we are a new creation in Christ.

Conclusion
It might not be sinful to play a baseball game on Sunday. But is it wise for a Christian to prioritize such a secular game over the worship of their Lord and Savior? For our sake and for the teaching of our children, we have chosen to set aside worldly accolades and devote our Sundays to the Alpha and Omega.

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