July 29, 2013 - It's Time To Lace 'em Up and Get It On!

Can you imagine playing a game and pretending the opponent isn’t even there? I can picture the huddles during timeouts:

Coach: “Your guy is stealing the ball from you every time!”

Player: “Coach, there is not even anyone guarding me… “

Coach: “Son, I see him taking it from you; protect the ball!”

Player: “I don’t see him..”

Coach: “Open your eyes!!!!!!”

Church, can I play the role of coach this week? “Open your eyes!”

This week our group that travelled on the ROCK’em Road Trip was reminded of some very real truths that unfortunately we tend to ignore in the church.

We have an enemy who intends to do us harm! (John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8)

We have an enemy who schemes to take advantage of us! (2 Corinthians 2:11)

We have an enemy that lies to us! (John 8:44)

It is time to start living as though the enemy is real… we need to stop listening to his lies… we need to start standing on truth… we need to memorize Scripture…

We need to put on the armor of God and get in the game! Our opponent has stolen from us too many times due to our ignoring him!

Read/Study Ephesians 6:10-20 this week!!! It’s time to lace ‘em up and get it on!

July 22, 2013 - Manifest Destiny (The Chosen One)

We are in the midst of one of our ROCK’em Road Trips; presently in St Louis, MO (we had one stop in Indiana.) The trip is going great and we have already seen responses to the Gospel, taught some hoops, etc. Our theme is “The Gateway to the West (Go west, young man).” It revolves around the sentiment of going west in order to fulfill our Manifest Destiny – our providential leading to expand… to take over the continent… No room to get into all the history or to debate if this was truly a providential decree from God; but I can tell you beyond any shadow of a doubt that we are providentially directed to expand His kingdom!

If you read His Word it is very clear that He has decreed that we should carry the Gospel locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. (See Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15) Missions are our Manifest Destiny!

And you know what? When I preach/teach on this no one seems to argue this with me. Everyone in the churches seems to agree that we should be doing this… but hold on…

It is your Manifest Destiny that you should be a carrier of the Gospel! (And I mean it in the singular tense.)

Who is going to take the ball to the hole?

Who is going to step up to the plate and take a swing?

Who is going to Cowboy up?

Who is going to take the bull by the horns?

God is looking for players that want the ball.

God is looking for players to answer to the call.

He has chosen you (believer) to be His mouthpiece in sharing His truth. (See 2 Corinthians 5:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 2:4)

You are God’s “Chosen One” to be used in reaching your world for Christ! (See Ephesians 2:10 – it is a reminder that God has even laid out the “plays” for you to “run”.)

These ROCK’em Road Trips are designed to push these young men into being missions-minded.

These ROCK’em Road Trips are designed to push the young men into understanding a personal responsibility in God’s game plan.

These weekly devotions are designed to push you into being missions-minded.

These weekly devotions are designed to push you into understanding a personal responsibility in God’s game plan.