March 23, 2019 - Take Advantage of Time-Outs

Well here I sit in our “sequestered” spot in Alabama… trying to figure out maneuvering in this crazy time. We (Lisa, the girls, and I) were on our THEREFORE Tour and had a lot of changes on our schedule. So as I sat down to write this week’s devotion I went a bit into coach-mode in that this quarantine time is much like a time-out or half-time in a game… a time when the action has stopped and we are left with an opportunity to evaluate our game plan, prepare strategies, etc.

Obviously, this time has church/ministry leaders determining how to effectively minister… leaders of businesses figuring out how to navigate through everything… schools figuring out education over the internet… families figuring out how to spend their time… etc.

 (And by the way, although the following Scriptures were written to church leaders, every believer can benefit from this, as we all have a circle of influence…)

2 Timothy 2:14-17a       Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer…

Imagine with me a team that got in the huddle, or at half-time and spent all their time listening to people in the stands… or even taking advice from the other team… instead of paying attention to the coach… (which many are doing on the internet.)

Fortunately, the internet allows us to still reach out to folks… and even to minister; yet, the internet is also a place full of profane and idle babblings. Be careful where you are spending your time-outs… who you are listening to.

Read the Word! Go to places on the internet with solid teaching… many of your churches are sharing online… go to places like CambronInstitute.com or BoldGrace.org or MakeItClear.org are great places to find articles… podcasts… etc. (You may even find something worth reading in the archives of CoachBurden.com)

Remember that the Scriptures tell us to be diligent…