April 30, 2018 - Beyond Obligations

I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the Global Impact Celebration at Wills Valley Community Church (AL) this past weekend… it was a great time of fellowship with many missionaries… and a great time of challenge to each of us in attendance…

One of my main points was very basic… (I stole it from the blog of my dear friend Roy Mason of Global Evangelism)… we need to move Beyond Obligation to Opportunity!

I will explain it via a way it plays out when I run clinics. When we have shooting competition, there is a standing rule that losers do push-ups… yet any kids that have trained with me before know that I will remind the winners that the losers are getting stronger… and that leads to winners doing “want-to” push-ups… they are not an obligation but instead an opportunity.

I had someone tell me recently tell me that a passionate player was one that went to all the practices; I responded that was not at how I would describe a passionate player… in fact that is expected of every player that is on the team… each is obligated to it! The passionate player arrives early, stays late, sneaks into gyms, finds outdoor courts, etc.… that player can turn his driveway into a coliseum! That player looks for opportunities….

IN the church we are big on teaching about obligation… we will even put percentages on it. Yet, I believe the mature believer lives life looking for opportunities to serve God through serving others… and is not keeping a ledger…

I brought up in my message the 2000 hit from Tim McGraw “Just To See You Smile.” In the song it talks of a guy that is so taken by the girl that he would do anything just to see her smile…

     Just to see you smile

     I’d do anything, that you wanted me to

     When all is said and done

     I’d never count the cost, it’s worth all that’s lost

     Just to see you smile

Unfortunately, I feel most of us live our lives singing to God:

     Just to keep you happy

     I’ll give 10%... and one day a week… and may even listen to Christian radio…

I personally want to go beyond just trying to satisfy my obligations to actually pleasing God… putting a smile on His face! Check out how Paul describes gifts that serve… Philippians 4:18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.

I shared this quote in the message yesterday: “Our lives are defined by opportunities ---- even the ones we miss!”

April 23, 2018 - Changing Lineups

Just a quick reminder this week of the reality of life and the expectation of how we should handle it…

Life, like sport, is uncertain. There are no guarantees because there are so many moving parts. There is an old phrase (idiom) that states, “the laid plans of mice and men oft go astray.” This is used typically when things don’t go the way we have planned, despite preparations for success. (And the adverse can be true as well, at times things go better than expected…)

One example of that recently is the Cleveland Cavaliers… they are currently in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the Indiana Pacers; and last night they had, I think I heard, their 33^rd starting lineup of the season. Their team has been ravaged by injuries, trades, etc.

Yet there is a simple rule in sport… Next Man Up. In other words, each guy needs to stay ready for whatever the day may bring… circumstances do not change the expectations… no excuses… just take care of today’s business!

With the uncertainty of life, let me remind us that circumstances do not change the expectation of our purpose and plan to GO MAD (Make A Difference) in our world.

It is not wrong to make plans, but ultimately, we simply need to take care of today!

Matthew 6:34 Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things, Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Note: it doesn’t say not to plan any for tomorrow… just that worrying about those plans is a waste of time and energy since there is no certainty about what will transpire… the lineup might change.

April 16, 2018 - Stay Hungry My Friends!

Peinao: Greek

1.       to hunger, be hungry

a.       to suffer want

b.       to be needy

2.       metaph. to crave ardently, to seek with eager desire

We have just gone through March Madness and now the NBA Finals are upon us… over and over the word “hungry” is used. It is used to describe players and teams that are playing with a sense of urgency; those that show great determination… Obviously everyone wants to win, but there comes a time when circumstances create an added desire or drive.

When we see athletes with this mindset we acknowledge their “hunger” and may even state that they have “the eye of the tiger” … ready to pounce!

And the reality is, the greats in any sport are the guys that never seem to lose that hunger…

“I’ve got a theory that if you give 100% all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end.” – Larry Bird

“Talent is never enough. With few exceptions the best players are the hardest workers.” – Magic Johnson

(Yes, I went old school with these old champions… but there is a reason they had such a great rivalry… their mutual “hunger.”)

So, bottom line tonight is this… what are you hungry for? I mean truly hungry for… not just what you want or would like… but instead what you are going after with the eye of the tiger…

Jesus said this in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

The word “satisfied” is the Greek, Chortazo. It means to fill or satisfy the desire…

I want you to be satisfied in life… and for the believer that happens through our seeking righteousness.

Proverbs 16:26 states: A worker’s appetite works for him, for his hunger urges him on.

Stay hungry my friends!

April 9, 2018 - Fly Fishing Guide

So last week we keyed on Christ “putting in the work” on our behalf for salvation… and then it only becomes reasonable for us to “do work” ---- or as my basketball team chanted to break huddles. “Do Worth Work!” (Honor the Lord in all we do…)

I said at the end of last week’s devotion that I would share from the teaching the pastor did at the Eater service we attended... he encouraged us in what happens after we are “on the team.” He made a strong point about the fact that saved through faith and changed through surrender. (I would define surrender as “walking by or in faith… or walking in the Spirit.” Basically he reminded us that the resurrection power of Easter purchased salvation and empowers sanctification (being set apart in our daily lives.)

But what does it actually mean to “walk in the Spirit” or to “walk by faith”?

He told a story of when he was a boy and his dad took him fly fishing. His dad hired a guide for their journey so they could get the most out of it… Basically they let the guide drive the vehicle, take them to the spots they would fish, show them how to fish, and even pick the flies that he knew would simulate what was hatching at the time…

What they didn’t do was hire the guide and tell him to sit in the back seat. They didn’t just turn to him in emergency situations or times when they were lost. They didn’t hear his instruction and then tell him what they thought would be best. I think you get the picture…

The reality for believers, those that have been saved by grace through faith, is that we then received a “guide” and a “guide book.” I preached this weekend about Jesus and His Word being the “light” (the truth we need for life.) The Bible says, “walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” (Ephesians 5:16) It also says that “the just or righteous man shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

Bottom line is that each of us need to take more heed of the Word and allow the Spirit to guide our lives… to have say so on where we go, what we do, and even direct in what we “fish” with.

Surrender simply means walking in faith… which means walking in trust that what God says is the right way every time. Maybe we need to sing “Jesus take the wheel” and little more….

April 2, 2018 - Christ Put In The Work!

Yesterday as we sat through our Easter service I heard not only a great, clear message of hope in the finished work of Christ in getting “on the team”, but also some great teaching on what we do with that hope once we are “suited up.”

The message was spot on in reminding us that the work for “getting on the team” was done in full by Jesus! What a great time of year as we celebrate the work of the cross and the work of the resurrection! I truly hope that every believer reading this is rejoicing in the assurance that “by grace through faith” we have been saved!!! (And if you ae reading this and not a believer, please know that the work was done for you! Jesus loves you! You can “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved!”)

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

My plan is to share next week some of the teachings we heard concerning what happens after we have placed our faith in Christ… and a hint is that it involves fly fishing and a guide…)

In honor of Easter I want to simply share one of my favorite choruses:

He paid a debt He did not owe

I owed a debt I could not pay

I needed someone to wash my sins away

And now I sing a brand-new song

Amazing grace the whole day long

Christ Jesus paid a debt

That I could never pay