5-1-2009
Let’s face it; Christ is a tough act to follow. The man was sinless, yet we as believers in Christ are called to strive for sanctification (to be Christ like). I pray daily that I will look, act, feel, say, and do all things in a Christ-like manner, yet I fall short. We all do.
As we start the second part of Ephesians, Paul really starts to focus on how much of an honor it is to be a Christian. I don’t know if we really understand what Paul is saying here, but think about it for a second, it really is an honor. Ephesians 4:1-3 says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” I love the part that says, “Live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
When we claim to be a Christian, actions should follow. We are all sinners, and we all have faults, but we still need to understand what an honor it is that Christ died on the cross for those sins and faults. As a believer, learn to embrace everyone. You aren’t going to like everything about everyone, and chances are you aren’t going to like everyone, but we are called to love. I believe we are brainwashed as kids to look for the bad in people. Try the opposite approach. It’s easy to look at someone and find faults, but as a believer we are called to find the good. Christ made each and every one of us in his image. We all possess some Christ-like features. Find those features in every one, and if you can, tell them!
We have a select baseball organization for kids, so we naturally meet a lot of great people. My wife and I were commenting about how nice one of the moms is. She is so kind and sincere that it makes you want to be nicer! After my wife and I were bragging about her to each other, I felt the need to tell her how kind she is. I believe I responded to one of her text messages by saying, “you are so kind you make Christ proud.” Her response was something along the lines of, “you just made my day… I’m starting to tear up!” I felt bad that I hadn’t told her that before. I just assumed people tell her how nice she is all of the time. Everyone I know feels the same way about her, but I learned through this situation to tell people about their Christ like qualities. You never know the impact you can have on someone’s life by simply finding the good in them, and telling them how much you appreciate it!
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 4:1-13
2. Point out the Christ-like qualities in people you know.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
An Opportunity To Share
4-30-2009
Each and every day of our lives are filled with opportunities that we either see or miss. We’ve all heard the saying, “you have to be at the right place at the right time to find success.” I disagree with this statement, as I feel you have to be the right person, at the right place, at the right time, and take action when the opportunity presents itself.
When Paul became a Christ follower, he found himself at the right place at the right time, and he was the right person that took action! Paul surrendered his old life, so that he could have life. Paul became a servant of the gospel, and the things of the world no longer mattered. As Paul writes this letter we read in Ephesians, he is in prison about to be put on trial for having faith that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. The majority of the religious leaders didn’t believe Jesus was Lord, thus they wanted Paul killed for preaching such a message. Do you have faith to preach the message of Jesus with the confidence of Paul? If Paul stopped preaching the gospel, he wouldn’t be in jail, but think about the number of lives that were saved due to the relentless perseverance to be a servant of the gospel. Paul didn’t care about the world’s views; his focus was on preaching the only view that matters!
As you go about your day, you will be amazed at how many opportunities you have to share the love of Christ. You may be speaking with another Christ follower that needs encouragement, or you may be speaking to someone that has never accepted Christ. God may be using you to lead others to him. You are at the right place at the right time, but do you see it? Are you attentive to each and every opportunity to share the gospel with others? We are called to die to self, and be made alive in Christ. God wants us to sell him! Pour into others and seize every opportunity you get to share the love of Christ!
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 3:1-13
2. Who do you know that hasn’t accepted Christ as their Savior? Without beating people over the head, share the love of Christ and what Christ had done and is doing in your life and in the lives of others.
Each and every day of our lives are filled with opportunities that we either see or miss. We’ve all heard the saying, “you have to be at the right place at the right time to find success.” I disagree with this statement, as I feel you have to be the right person, at the right place, at the right time, and take action when the opportunity presents itself.
When Paul became a Christ follower, he found himself at the right place at the right time, and he was the right person that took action! Paul surrendered his old life, so that he could have life. Paul became a servant of the gospel, and the things of the world no longer mattered. As Paul writes this letter we read in Ephesians, he is in prison about to be put on trial for having faith that Jesus Christ was the Messiah. The majority of the religious leaders didn’t believe Jesus was Lord, thus they wanted Paul killed for preaching such a message. Do you have faith to preach the message of Jesus with the confidence of Paul? If Paul stopped preaching the gospel, he wouldn’t be in jail, but think about the number of lives that were saved due to the relentless perseverance to be a servant of the gospel. Paul didn’t care about the world’s views; his focus was on preaching the only view that matters!
As you go about your day, you will be amazed at how many opportunities you have to share the love of Christ. You may be speaking with another Christ follower that needs encouragement, or you may be speaking to someone that has never accepted Christ. God may be using you to lead others to him. You are at the right place at the right time, but do you see it? Are you attentive to each and every opportunity to share the gospel with others? We are called to die to self, and be made alive in Christ. God wants us to sell him! Pour into others and seize every opportunity you get to share the love of Christ!
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 3:1-13
2. Who do you know that hasn’t accepted Christ as their Savior? Without beating people over the head, share the love of Christ and what Christ had done and is doing in your life and in the lives of others.
Unity In Christ
4-29-2009
In 2003, I had the honor to coach one of the greatest 16 year old baseball teams ever assembled. They won the Mickey Mantle World Series that year going undefeated in the tournament. Every one of those players earned college scholarships, and many of them are playing pro baseball at this point. I have a picture of that team in my home office. They are on a knee, heads bowed, giving thanks to their Lord and Savior immediately after defeating California in the championship game. It was my job to teach them, yet they taught me a ton. One of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard was a quote they taught me. “United we stand, divided we fall, all for one, one for all, Patriots!” Immediately after every game they would circle up pray, and then “break it off” by saying the quote above as a team. These boys were 16 years old at the time and they came from all over the state of Texas, and most every one of them had only one thing in common when they first met that May of 2003, a love for the game of baseball. By the end of the season they were a band of brothers in more ways than one.
Christ is the commonality every one of us has the opportunity to have in common. Put another way, we have unity in Christ. Ephesians 2:14-16 says, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” Through the death of Christ, he stopped the resentment between the Jews and the Gentiles, and we should follow this example with the growing number of groups in the world today. God never intended churches to compete with each other to save souls. Believers in Christ are the church, not the physical buildings constructed by man. We the church are called to be one in Christ and to love each other as Christ loves us. These versus clearly point out the importance of throwing out the old laws and traditions that separate us from the love of Christ, as it favored the Jews and excluded the Gentiles. Christ has destroyed these barriers and has instructed us how to live by his laws.
All of us have the opportunity to bring people together in unity or to cause fraction and resentment. Let’s do as Christ did and work in unity. As the leader of your house, make sure everyone is on the same page. If you are in a group of any type, make sure to keep accept people for who they are even though you may not agree with everything they say. Find the good in people. It’s easy to find the bad, as we are all sinners, and we are all a work in progress. Remember, “United we stand, divided we fall, all for one, one for all!”
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 2:11-22
2. What areas of your life need unity? How can you learn from the message of Christ?
In 2003, I had the honor to coach one of the greatest 16 year old baseball teams ever assembled. They won the Mickey Mantle World Series that year going undefeated in the tournament. Every one of those players earned college scholarships, and many of them are playing pro baseball at this point. I have a picture of that team in my home office. They are on a knee, heads bowed, giving thanks to their Lord and Savior immediately after defeating California in the championship game. It was my job to teach them, yet they taught me a ton. One of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard was a quote they taught me. “United we stand, divided we fall, all for one, one for all, Patriots!” Immediately after every game they would circle up pray, and then “break it off” by saying the quote above as a team. These boys were 16 years old at the time and they came from all over the state of Texas, and most every one of them had only one thing in common when they first met that May of 2003, a love for the game of baseball. By the end of the season they were a band of brothers in more ways than one.
Christ is the commonality every one of us has the opportunity to have in common. Put another way, we have unity in Christ. Ephesians 2:14-16 says, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.” Through the death of Christ, he stopped the resentment between the Jews and the Gentiles, and we should follow this example with the growing number of groups in the world today. God never intended churches to compete with each other to save souls. Believers in Christ are the church, not the physical buildings constructed by man. We the church are called to be one in Christ and to love each other as Christ loves us. These versus clearly point out the importance of throwing out the old laws and traditions that separate us from the love of Christ, as it favored the Jews and excluded the Gentiles. Christ has destroyed these barriers and has instructed us how to live by his laws.
All of us have the opportunity to bring people together in unity or to cause fraction and resentment. Let’s do as Christ did and work in unity. As the leader of your house, make sure everyone is on the same page. If you are in a group of any type, make sure to keep accept people for who they are even though you may not agree with everything they say. Find the good in people. It’s easy to find the bad, as we are all sinners, and we are all a work in progress. Remember, “United we stand, divided we fall, all for one, one for all!”
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 2:11-22
2. What areas of your life need unity? How can you learn from the message of Christ?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Salvation Repost-Ephesians 2
4-28-2009
We are diving into the book of Ephesians over the next few devotionals, and due to the fact I’ve done a devotional on Ephesians chapter 2 a while ago, I am going to repost it. This is a key devo about salvation, and I pray each and every one of you truly understand salvation, as I truly believe the majority of “Christians” don’t truly understand what it means to be “saved.”
In Ephesians 2:8-10 it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There are a few key words that need to be addressed: grace, saved, faith, mercy, and workmanship.
Grace is the underserved love and attention of God. We are born sinners into this world, and it is through grace that we are saved. In other words, grace can be described as getting something we don’t deserve. To be saved is to be delivered from death. Faith is the bridge between believing in something and wholeheartedly trusting in something. True faith is belief plus trust. Mercy is not getting what you deserve to get. Workmanship is another way of saying masterpiece.
So, let’s put Ephesians 2:8-10 another way. It is by the complete undeserving love and attention of God that we have been delivered from death because you understood that you could believe in and wholeheartedly trust God as you yourself are nothing without Him who made you, His masterpiece to do the good works of Christ!
As a Christian, you understand that Christ walked the very earth we walk today as a sinless man. He then took the sin of the world on His shoulders and died a brutal death on the cross so that we could have life and have it abundantly. We don’t deserve grace and we cannot earn grace, it is a gift from God. It is through God’s grace that we can be saved by putting our faith and trust in Him, our maker. Our job on earth is to live a sanctified (Christ like) life where people will see God’s grace through us, and they won’t ask us who is that guy, but instead will ask, who made that guy? It is through our actions that we show the love of Christ, not win the love of Christ. Salvation in Christ cannot be earned it is a gift. God doesn’t keep tally marks for good and bad behavior. To enter the gates of Heaven, you don’t earn a “C” grade or better. You can be the nicest person in the world, but you cannot earn your way into God’s kingdom.
We are all sinners and we continue to make mistakes, and it is by the love and Grace of Jesus Christ that we may ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter what your past looks like, Christ will forgive you if you simply put your faith in Him and ask Him into your heart.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians chapter 2
2. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? We are here to help answer any questions you may have. Please send in your questions as I truly believe this is the most important decision you will ever make.
3. Who do you know that may need to hear the message? Take action as that is the most important gift you can give someone!
We are diving into the book of Ephesians over the next few devotionals, and due to the fact I’ve done a devotional on Ephesians chapter 2 a while ago, I am going to repost it. This is a key devo about salvation, and I pray each and every one of you truly understand salvation, as I truly believe the majority of “Christians” don’t truly understand what it means to be “saved.”
In Ephesians 2:8-10 it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There are a few key words that need to be addressed: grace, saved, faith, mercy, and workmanship.
Grace is the underserved love and attention of God. We are born sinners into this world, and it is through grace that we are saved. In other words, grace can be described as getting something we don’t deserve. To be saved is to be delivered from death. Faith is the bridge between believing in something and wholeheartedly trusting in something. True faith is belief plus trust. Mercy is not getting what you deserve to get. Workmanship is another way of saying masterpiece.
So, let’s put Ephesians 2:8-10 another way. It is by the complete undeserving love and attention of God that we have been delivered from death because you understood that you could believe in and wholeheartedly trust God as you yourself are nothing without Him who made you, His masterpiece to do the good works of Christ!
As a Christian, you understand that Christ walked the very earth we walk today as a sinless man. He then took the sin of the world on His shoulders and died a brutal death on the cross so that we could have life and have it abundantly. We don’t deserve grace and we cannot earn grace, it is a gift from God. It is through God’s grace that we can be saved by putting our faith and trust in Him, our maker. Our job on earth is to live a sanctified (Christ like) life where people will see God’s grace through us, and they won’t ask us who is that guy, but instead will ask, who made that guy? It is through our actions that we show the love of Christ, not win the love of Christ. Salvation in Christ cannot be earned it is a gift. God doesn’t keep tally marks for good and bad behavior. To enter the gates of Heaven, you don’t earn a “C” grade or better. You can be the nicest person in the world, but you cannot earn your way into God’s kingdom.
We are all sinners and we continue to make mistakes, and it is by the love and Grace of Jesus Christ that we may ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter what your past looks like, Christ will forgive you if you simply put your faith in Him and ask Him into your heart.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians chapter 2
2. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? We are here to help answer any questions you may have. Please send in your questions as I truly believe this is the most important decision you will ever make.
3. Who do you know that may need to hear the message? Take action as that is the most important gift you can give someone!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Power
4-27-2009
It’s easy to forget just how powerful God is. During election times, the Republicans blast the Democrats, and the Democrats blast the Republicans. Both sides talk about how bad the country will be if their opponent gets elected, when the truth is God knows what he is doing. We as humans are great at panicking during difficult situations. We as CHRISTIANS have no need to panic, as we know the ultimate outcome!
God is power, and there isn’t anything as powerful as him who gives us life. If we simply call on him, we will have all of the strength we will need. If you truly believe in Jesus Christ, you have a complete assurance in his ability to deliver at all times. In Ephesians 1:18-20 it says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believer. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at this right hand in the heavenly realms.”
When you are going through some trials in your life, you may not be able to get through them on your own, but you will with the strength of Christ. The power of God is readily available for all of those who truly believe.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 1:15-23
2. If your faith seems to waiver at times, why?
It’s easy to forget just how powerful God is. During election times, the Republicans blast the Democrats, and the Democrats blast the Republicans. Both sides talk about how bad the country will be if their opponent gets elected, when the truth is God knows what he is doing. We as humans are great at panicking during difficult situations. We as CHRISTIANS have no need to panic, as we know the ultimate outcome!
God is power, and there isn’t anything as powerful as him who gives us life. If we simply call on him, we will have all of the strength we will need. If you truly believe in Jesus Christ, you have a complete assurance in his ability to deliver at all times. In Ephesians 1:18-20 it says, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believer. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at this right hand in the heavenly realms.”
When you are going through some trials in your life, you may not be able to get through them on your own, but you will with the strength of Christ. The power of God is readily available for all of those who truly believe.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 1:15-23
2. If your faith seems to waiver at times, why?
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Predestined
4-24-2009
For the next few devotionals we are going to study the book of Ephesians. Paul’s purpose of writing this book to the church in Ephesus, and to all believers is to create unity in the body of Christ. Paul was in prison at the time for preaching the gospel, thus he couldn’t visit the churches himself.
Paul begins the letter with an importance on the blessing we have to know Christ, thus we have the ability to know God. In chapter 4, Paul says, “For he chose us in him.” In other words, salvation totally depends on God. We do not deserve salvation or grace. Salvation is a gift from God, therefore we should be laced with humility in all we do, say, and think. Paul then begins to discuss “predestination”, a highly debated subject within the Christian community, that I don’t believe was ever meant to be a discussion. The word has simply been misinterpreted, and has done the exact opposite of what Paul was trying to accomplish, church unity!
The word “predestined” has literally created divisions in churches and new denominations within the Christian community. Some argue that God “predestined” certain people to heaven or hell, while others feel that God gives us free will to accept Christ. I am giving you the shortened version of this argument to save us time, but this argument is partially created by differing interpretations of the bible. From my understanding, when looking back at the original writings, God clearly gives us free will to choose to accept Christ as our Lord and savior. “Predestined” comes into play in that before we were born, God sent his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins, and by the Grace of God we are born into the free gift of salvation if we so choose. Regardless of what side of the fence you choose to lie on, the reality is you either believe in Christ or you don’t. Let’s not waste time judging people, but instead focus on sharing the word of God and the message of salvation! Remember, no one wins an argument, and over one little word, “predestined”, churches have been split and new denominations have been formed. We don’t have to agree with what every thinks and we aren’t going to agree with what everyone thinks. The great news is we aren’t called to. God calls us to love one another, not judge one another!
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 1: 1-6
2. Do you spend more time arguing over your views or doing what Christ calls us to do, love people for who Christ made them.
For the next few devotionals we are going to study the book of Ephesians. Paul’s purpose of writing this book to the church in Ephesus, and to all believers is to create unity in the body of Christ. Paul was in prison at the time for preaching the gospel, thus he couldn’t visit the churches himself.
Paul begins the letter with an importance on the blessing we have to know Christ, thus we have the ability to know God. In chapter 4, Paul says, “For he chose us in him.” In other words, salvation totally depends on God. We do not deserve salvation or grace. Salvation is a gift from God, therefore we should be laced with humility in all we do, say, and think. Paul then begins to discuss “predestination”, a highly debated subject within the Christian community, that I don’t believe was ever meant to be a discussion. The word has simply been misinterpreted, and has done the exact opposite of what Paul was trying to accomplish, church unity!
The word “predestined” has literally created divisions in churches and new denominations within the Christian community. Some argue that God “predestined” certain people to heaven or hell, while others feel that God gives us free will to accept Christ. I am giving you the shortened version of this argument to save us time, but this argument is partially created by differing interpretations of the bible. From my understanding, when looking back at the original writings, God clearly gives us free will to choose to accept Christ as our Lord and savior. “Predestined” comes into play in that before we were born, God sent his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins, and by the Grace of God we are born into the free gift of salvation if we so choose. Regardless of what side of the fence you choose to lie on, the reality is you either believe in Christ or you don’t. Let’s not waste time judging people, but instead focus on sharing the word of God and the message of salvation! Remember, no one wins an argument, and over one little word, “predestined”, churches have been split and new denominations have been formed. We don’t have to agree with what every thinks and we aren’t going to agree with what everyone thinks. The great news is we aren’t called to. God calls us to love one another, not judge one another!
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 1: 1-6
2. Do you spend more time arguing over your views or doing what Christ calls us to do, love people for who Christ made them.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Righteousness
4-23-2009
Righteousness can be defined as morally upright; without guilt or sin. Righteousness is also noted as one of the keys to success according to the bible. I believe a key to being righteousness is to avoid negativity. Do the right things for the right reasons.
In 1 Peter 3:12 Peter says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Let’s look at some other versus where righteousness is focused upon.
“What the wicked dreads will overtake him, what the righteousness desire will be granted” (Proverbs 10:24).
“A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but the Lord condemns a crafty man” (Proverbs 12:2).
There are a lot of versus stressing the importance and need to be righteousness, but how many of us truly focus on being righteous? We are called to strive for sanctification, or to be Christ like. The question I would ask of all of us is do we focus more on being righteous, or more on worldly things?
According to the bible, if you are truly doing things the right way for the right reasons, you will be blessed. If you aren’t, then you will not be blessed. God does not bless those for doing right. He blesses those that have pure motives and are Christ honoring. Are there individuals that have a lot of worldly riches, yet they do things the wrong way for the wrong reasons? YES! Remember, that doesn’t mean they are peaceful or happy. They simply have a lot of stuff. Those of us that live a righteous life, rest our heads on our pillows at night in peace. We all make mistakes, but you can make mistakes without guilt or sin. Allow God to be your focal point, and you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams!
Application:
1. Read Psalm 58
2. Is there any part of your life that is lacking righteousness?
Righteousness can be defined as morally upright; without guilt or sin. Righteousness is also noted as one of the keys to success according to the bible. I believe a key to being righteousness is to avoid negativity. Do the right things for the right reasons.
In 1 Peter 3:12 Peter says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” Let’s look at some other versus where righteousness is focused upon.
“What the wicked dreads will overtake him, what the righteousness desire will be granted” (Proverbs 10:24).
“A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but the Lord condemns a crafty man” (Proverbs 12:2).
There are a lot of versus stressing the importance and need to be righteousness, but how many of us truly focus on being righteous? We are called to strive for sanctification, or to be Christ like. The question I would ask of all of us is do we focus more on being righteous, or more on worldly things?
According to the bible, if you are truly doing things the right way for the right reasons, you will be blessed. If you aren’t, then you will not be blessed. God does not bless those for doing right. He blesses those that have pure motives and are Christ honoring. Are there individuals that have a lot of worldly riches, yet they do things the wrong way for the wrong reasons? YES! Remember, that doesn’t mean they are peaceful or happy. They simply have a lot of stuff. Those of us that live a righteous life, rest our heads on our pillows at night in peace. We all make mistakes, but you can make mistakes without guilt or sin. Allow God to be your focal point, and you will be blessed beyond your wildest dreams!
Application:
1. Read Psalm 58
2. Is there any part of your life that is lacking righteousness?
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Game Plan
4-22-2009
For those of you that know me personally, or have heard me speak, you will often hear me say, “Have an approach.” More specifically, have a “systematic approach.” In other words have a game plan. As a former professional pitcher, I didn’t simply grab the baseball and throw it over the plate. Before every game, I did some research on the team I was pitching against, and I knew each and every hitters strengths and weaknesses. By doing my homework, I was able to formulate my game plan (approach). If I knew certain hitters liked inside fastballs, I worked them away and/or threw off speed pitches.
For those of you that don’t know anything about baseball, allow me to use shopping as an example of needing a game plan. If you are smart, you don’t simply go to the store. First, you look and see what you need, and some of you probably make a written list of what you need. The next step in the game plan is to go to the store. Once you get to the store, the store itself has a systematic approach so you can find what you are looking for as fast as possible. Certain foods are put into certain rows, and most stores even have signs to guide you from isle to isle. This may sound silly, but this systematic approach makes shopping easier.
If it makes sense to have a game plan for sports, shopping, driving, hiking, vacationing, and etcetera, doesn’t it make sense to have a systematic approach with your spiritual life? What is your game plan for personal development? Trust me, if you don’t have a game plan in place to track your personal development and spiritual progression, you are missing the catalyst to reaching your God given potential in life! I want to encourage you to stop the busyness of life and focus at least 10 minutes every day on growing YOU! If you want to be the best dad, husband, wife, son, daughter, student, boss, employee, you can be, it starts with YOU!
In Psalm 143, we hear David crying out in the midst of hopelessness and depression. He is hiding in a cave from Saul as fear had led him into hiding. Once David realizes the first step in any systematic approach is to call out to God for guidance and deliverance, David gets back on track. Think back to a situation in your life where you felt like David. It may be now? Take out the panic, lift up your prayers to God, and game plan!
I am honored that you choose to read this devotional every day, and I pray it is making an impact in your life. If any of you would like for me to do a devotional on anything specific, or something you don’t completely understand, please shoot me an email and we will do so as soon as possible. We will keep your questions and emails completely anonymous. Email me at lstout@loganstout.com.
Application:
1. Read Psalm 143
2. What areas of your life need structure (finances, spiritual journey, relationships, etc.)?
For those of you that know me personally, or have heard me speak, you will often hear me say, “Have an approach.” More specifically, have a “systematic approach.” In other words have a game plan. As a former professional pitcher, I didn’t simply grab the baseball and throw it over the plate. Before every game, I did some research on the team I was pitching against, and I knew each and every hitters strengths and weaknesses. By doing my homework, I was able to formulate my game plan (approach). If I knew certain hitters liked inside fastballs, I worked them away and/or threw off speed pitches.
For those of you that don’t know anything about baseball, allow me to use shopping as an example of needing a game plan. If you are smart, you don’t simply go to the store. First, you look and see what you need, and some of you probably make a written list of what you need. The next step in the game plan is to go to the store. Once you get to the store, the store itself has a systematic approach so you can find what you are looking for as fast as possible. Certain foods are put into certain rows, and most stores even have signs to guide you from isle to isle. This may sound silly, but this systematic approach makes shopping easier.
If it makes sense to have a game plan for sports, shopping, driving, hiking, vacationing, and etcetera, doesn’t it make sense to have a systematic approach with your spiritual life? What is your game plan for personal development? Trust me, if you don’t have a game plan in place to track your personal development and spiritual progression, you are missing the catalyst to reaching your God given potential in life! I want to encourage you to stop the busyness of life and focus at least 10 minutes every day on growing YOU! If you want to be the best dad, husband, wife, son, daughter, student, boss, employee, you can be, it starts with YOU!
In Psalm 143, we hear David crying out in the midst of hopelessness and depression. He is hiding in a cave from Saul as fear had led him into hiding. Once David realizes the first step in any systematic approach is to call out to God for guidance and deliverance, David gets back on track. Think back to a situation in your life where you felt like David. It may be now? Take out the panic, lift up your prayers to God, and game plan!
I am honored that you choose to read this devotional every day, and I pray it is making an impact in your life. If any of you would like for me to do a devotional on anything specific, or something you don’t completely understand, please shoot me an email and we will do so as soon as possible. We will keep your questions and emails completely anonymous. Email me at lstout@loganstout.com.
Application:
1. Read Psalm 143
2. What areas of your life need structure (finances, spiritual journey, relationships, etc.)?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Leadership Gauge
4-21-2009
In yesterday’s devotional, we discussed the reality that we are all “sales people” like it or not. To see that devotional, simply go to my blog page by clicking on the link at the top of the page. Today, I feel we should talk about the “leadership gauge.”
We are all leaders just like we are sales people. Are you a good or bad leader? Every single person in your life can be led in a positive or negative direction by your influence. If you want to gauge how you are doing as a leader check to see if anyone is following. If you truly want to test yourself, call someone you know and tell them to meet you somewhere at a certain time. If they are willing to do so without any questions, you are doing a great job of leading. If they start asking you a ton of questions, that MAY be a sign you need to work on your leadership skills. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but one of the greatest honors is having the ability to influence and mentor lives.
I’ve heard it said that success is not gauged by the number of successes, but by the number of successors. In other words, are you leading people to success, or do you lead so you can have success? Zig Ziglar says it best, “If you help enough other people get what they want, you will get what you want.” This is leadership! It starts with serving others. Jesus Christ came to this earth to serve, not be served. He gave us the perfect example o f leadership, and when he asked his followers to do something, they did so! When you get to the point where you can call someone and tell them to be at your house at 7 pm, and they say, “ok, I’ll see you at 7 pm,” and they don’t ask you why until they are already at your house, you are a leader!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 20: 20-28
2. Call someone you know well, and “gauge your leadership.”
In yesterday’s devotional, we discussed the reality that we are all “sales people” like it or not. To see that devotional, simply go to my blog page by clicking on the link at the top of the page. Today, I feel we should talk about the “leadership gauge.”
We are all leaders just like we are sales people. Are you a good or bad leader? Every single person in your life can be led in a positive or negative direction by your influence. If you want to gauge how you are doing as a leader check to see if anyone is following. If you truly want to test yourself, call someone you know and tell them to meet you somewhere at a certain time. If they are willing to do so without any questions, you are doing a great job of leading. If they start asking you a ton of questions, that MAY be a sign you need to work on your leadership skills. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but one of the greatest honors is having the ability to influence and mentor lives.
I’ve heard it said that success is not gauged by the number of successes, but by the number of successors. In other words, are you leading people to success, or do you lead so you can have success? Zig Ziglar says it best, “If you help enough other people get what they want, you will get what you want.” This is leadership! It starts with serving others. Jesus Christ came to this earth to serve, not be served. He gave us the perfect example o f leadership, and when he asked his followers to do something, they did so! When you get to the point where you can call someone and tell them to be at your house at 7 pm, and they say, “ok, I’ll see you at 7 pm,” and they don’t ask you why until they are already at your house, you are a leader!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 20: 20-28
2. Call someone you know well, and “gauge your leadership.”
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Salesman
4-20-2009
I’ve heard the words, “I am not a sales person” many times. Truth is we are all a sales person, but many of us haven’t come to grips with this reality. Every time you engage in a conversation with someone, you are selling yourself. If you are consistent in conduct and conversation, you won’t have a hard time selling you. If you aren’t doing things the right way for the right reasons, you will do a horrible job of selling you.
I speak at various business training events, and the most popular question I’m asked is, “if you could tell me one secret to success, what is it?” I used to laugh and think about it depending on the audience and what that particular person was trying to sell. Now, there isn’t any hesitation when I’m asked the question because the answer is the same no matter who is asking it and no matter what they do for a living. The key to success is YOU! You can have the greatest pick up lines, sales pitches, game plan, etcetera, but if your audience isn’t bought into you, then everything you say will fall on deaf ears due to a lack of credibility. On the flip side, you can have a bad “pick-up” line and change the world. Do any of these sound familiar:
“Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19)
“Let’s go over to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:22)
“My child, get up!” (Luke 8:54)
Jesus Christ wasn’t some fancy wordsmith, yet He is the most influential person to ever walk the earth. He is proof it isn’t what is said that’s most important, it’s who is saying it. If you are the person God has called you to be, you too will be able to accomplish your dreams, but God will not give you the success you desire if you aren’t prepared for it. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense to schedule time for personal development? The fact that you are reading this devotional speaks volumes as very few are willing to take the time to do this simple act. Humans would rather read insignificant emails, gossip, watch television, or some other form of time waster and income reducer than focus on personal development. If you want to be successful, it starts with YOU!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 4:18-22
2. Make time to grow daily
3. Make sure you have some form of accountability (discuss what you read each day with a friend, so you both can hold each other accountable)
I’ve heard the words, “I am not a sales person” many times. Truth is we are all a sales person, but many of us haven’t come to grips with this reality. Every time you engage in a conversation with someone, you are selling yourself. If you are consistent in conduct and conversation, you won’t have a hard time selling you. If you aren’t doing things the right way for the right reasons, you will do a horrible job of selling you.
I speak at various business training events, and the most popular question I’m asked is, “if you could tell me one secret to success, what is it?” I used to laugh and think about it depending on the audience and what that particular person was trying to sell. Now, there isn’t any hesitation when I’m asked the question because the answer is the same no matter who is asking it and no matter what they do for a living. The key to success is YOU! You can have the greatest pick up lines, sales pitches, game plan, etcetera, but if your audience isn’t bought into you, then everything you say will fall on deaf ears due to a lack of credibility. On the flip side, you can have a bad “pick-up” line and change the world. Do any of these sound familiar:
“Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19)
“Let’s go over to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:22)
“My child, get up!” (Luke 8:54)
Jesus Christ wasn’t some fancy wordsmith, yet He is the most influential person to ever walk the earth. He is proof it isn’t what is said that’s most important, it’s who is saying it. If you are the person God has called you to be, you too will be able to accomplish your dreams, but God will not give you the success you desire if you aren’t prepared for it. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense to schedule time for personal development? The fact that you are reading this devotional speaks volumes as very few are willing to take the time to do this simple act. Humans would rather read insignificant emails, gossip, watch television, or some other form of time waster and income reducer than focus on personal development. If you want to be successful, it starts with YOU!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 4:18-22
2. Make time to grow daily
3. Make sure you have some form of accountability (discuss what you read each day with a friend, so you both can hold each other accountable)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Laziness
4-17-2006
My wife and I love to laugh, especially at things that don’t make sense. For example, every morning we go to the gym and get a workout. We couldn’t help but notice the cars jockeying for the closest parking spot. Think about that, people are going to the gym to get a workout in, but don’t want to have to walk too far to get to the gym for the workout? Interesting isn’t it. Here’s the best part. There are two floors at the gym. The first floor is where the pool, sauna, steam room, kid’s area, and lockers room are. The second floor is where all of the workout and cardio equipment is. Day after day we see perfectly healthy people use the elevator to get to the second floor instead of using the stairs! Are you kidding me? I literally watched someone come out of the elevator and then walk directly to a tread mill.
This is just one example of the laziness of our world. Our spiritual walk is one area of our life that we must make a priority. It is easy to put the bible on the shelf, and it is easy to fill your mind with worldly thoughts. Laziness can be described as an unwillingness or lack of desire to work. Proverbs 10:4 reads, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” We all have the same exact amount of time each and every day. It is how we choose to spend the time we are given that leads to success or failure. If we spend the same amount of time investing in our spiritual life as we do checking emails, looking on our social networking sites, or watching television, just imagine the world we would live in! Understand the God given gift of time. We aren’t promised another second on this earth, so spend your time wisely. Refuse to be lazy, and when you set out to do something, ask yourself if what you are doing is the best use of your time.
Proverbs 19:15 reads, “Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.” When we become stagnant it becomes harder and harder to get into action. When we are getting things done on a consistent basis, you can’t stand being lazy. Action fuels action, and laziness fuels laziness.
Application:
1. Are you maximizing the God given time you have on earth?
2. Who do you know that tends to be lazy, and how can you help?
My wife and I love to laugh, especially at things that don’t make sense. For example, every morning we go to the gym and get a workout. We couldn’t help but notice the cars jockeying for the closest parking spot. Think about that, people are going to the gym to get a workout in, but don’t want to have to walk too far to get to the gym for the workout? Interesting isn’t it. Here’s the best part. There are two floors at the gym. The first floor is where the pool, sauna, steam room, kid’s area, and lockers room are. The second floor is where all of the workout and cardio equipment is. Day after day we see perfectly healthy people use the elevator to get to the second floor instead of using the stairs! Are you kidding me? I literally watched someone come out of the elevator and then walk directly to a tread mill.
This is just one example of the laziness of our world. Our spiritual walk is one area of our life that we must make a priority. It is easy to put the bible on the shelf, and it is easy to fill your mind with worldly thoughts. Laziness can be described as an unwillingness or lack of desire to work. Proverbs 10:4 reads, “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” We all have the same exact amount of time each and every day. It is how we choose to spend the time we are given that leads to success or failure. If we spend the same amount of time investing in our spiritual life as we do checking emails, looking on our social networking sites, or watching television, just imagine the world we would live in! Understand the God given gift of time. We aren’t promised another second on this earth, so spend your time wisely. Refuse to be lazy, and when you set out to do something, ask yourself if what you are doing is the best use of your time.
Proverbs 19:15 reads, “Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry.” When we become stagnant it becomes harder and harder to get into action. When we are getting things done on a consistent basis, you can’t stand being lazy. Action fuels action, and laziness fuels laziness.
Application:
1. Are you maximizing the God given time you have on earth?
2. Who do you know that tends to be lazy, and how can you help?
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Timely Prayers
4-16-2009
I bet everyone reading this devotional has at some point in time made promises to God they know they couldn’t keep. You are stuck in a horrible situation and you say something like, “God, if you will bail me out here, I promise to read my bible and go to church every day. I’ll do whatever you want me to just help.” We’ve all been there, and it’s interesting how we turn to God when we are desperate.
In my line of work, I feel as if I am a professional problem preventer. Notice I didn’t say a problem solver, but a problem preventer. If you are someone always having to solve problems, may I suggest you take a more active role and prevent problems from occurring before they get out of hand? I focus on seeking out potential problems, and doing whatever necessary so there isn’t a problem. Why don’t we do this in our prayer life?
For many, our dependence on God increases during the bad times, so we start to pray more. When life is going great, our spiritual life can tend to become stagnant, thus we aren’t praying as often. Those with a solid understanding of Christ, pray regularly no matter what’s going on in their lives. In James chapter 5: 13 is says, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” We tend to treat God like a wishing well at times. When we need something we pray for it. Instead, speak with God daily, and you will be amazed at the result.
I start my prayers with thanks. I thank God for my family, friends, health, etc. Then I lift up those in need. I pray God will bless my family, friends, Haley and I, etc. mentally, spiritually, physically, and financially. When praying for God to bless us financially, I don’t say God give me more money! Instead, I ask that God will bless us financially so we may give abundantly. If you don’t know how to pray, simply have a conversation with God, and know that He IS LISTENING! As a Christian, the most powerful connection we have with Him is through prayer. Don’t pray as a last resort, pray first before you say or do anything, and God will guide you. Remember, don’t simply talk to God about your requests, and don’t just talk to God when you need something. God is always there, and looks forward to guiding you, but you must call on him. Moreover, make sure to listen to God, and know that your answer will come on God’s time. We think we know when we need an answered prayer, but God knows when we need an answered prayer and He knows how to deliver it. Don’t just call on God, but be a great listener.
Application:
1. God speaks to us through the bible, people, events, etc, are you listening?
2. Read James 5: 13-20
3. Start a prayer journal for your prayer requests and the prayer needs of others
I bet everyone reading this devotional has at some point in time made promises to God they know they couldn’t keep. You are stuck in a horrible situation and you say something like, “God, if you will bail me out here, I promise to read my bible and go to church every day. I’ll do whatever you want me to just help.” We’ve all been there, and it’s interesting how we turn to God when we are desperate.
In my line of work, I feel as if I am a professional problem preventer. Notice I didn’t say a problem solver, but a problem preventer. If you are someone always having to solve problems, may I suggest you take a more active role and prevent problems from occurring before they get out of hand? I focus on seeking out potential problems, and doing whatever necessary so there isn’t a problem. Why don’t we do this in our prayer life?
For many, our dependence on God increases during the bad times, so we start to pray more. When life is going great, our spiritual life can tend to become stagnant, thus we aren’t praying as often. Those with a solid understanding of Christ, pray regularly no matter what’s going on in their lives. In James chapter 5: 13 is says, “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” We tend to treat God like a wishing well at times. When we need something we pray for it. Instead, speak with God daily, and you will be amazed at the result.
I start my prayers with thanks. I thank God for my family, friends, health, etc. Then I lift up those in need. I pray God will bless my family, friends, Haley and I, etc. mentally, spiritually, physically, and financially. When praying for God to bless us financially, I don’t say God give me more money! Instead, I ask that God will bless us financially so we may give abundantly. If you don’t know how to pray, simply have a conversation with God, and know that He IS LISTENING! As a Christian, the most powerful connection we have with Him is through prayer. Don’t pray as a last resort, pray first before you say or do anything, and God will guide you. Remember, don’t simply talk to God about your requests, and don’t just talk to God when you need something. God is always there, and looks forward to guiding you, but you must call on him. Moreover, make sure to listen to God, and know that your answer will come on God’s time. We think we know when we need an answered prayer, but God knows when we need an answered prayer and He knows how to deliver it. Don’t just call on God, but be a great listener.
Application:
1. God speaks to us through the bible, people, events, etc, are you listening?
2. Read James 5: 13-20
3. Start a prayer journal for your prayer requests and the prayer needs of others
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Misery Loves Misery
4-15-2009
Where there is one complainer, you will soon find another! People are incredible at grumbling over stuff that means nothing. We’ve all done it. We may have spoken about a boss we didn’t agree with, a situation we all felt could have been handled differently, or an outcome we didn’t like. The right thing to do is take responsibility for the situation that we do have control over and do our best to find the positive. Instead, we tend to sit around talking about the negative and blaming others.
In James 5: 8-9 it says, “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” Blaming others is the easy thing to do. The hard, right thing to do is take responsibility and make things better. The negative way of dealing with rough situations is destructive and sinful. The right way in dealing with negative situations creates a positive learning experience. The Lord will not allow us to shift the blame to others and get away with it in the long run.
When we speak we are to speak in truth. Avoid half-truths, lies, and omissions of the truth, if you truly want to be known as a trustworthy person. James tells us, “let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No”, no, or you will be condemned “(James 5: 12). I’ve heard it said, silence cannot be misinterpreted, so if you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say anything at all and you are safe! When you do say something make sure you are telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Application:
1. Read James 5: 7-12
2. Focus on saying nothing but positive things by thinking nothing but positive thoughts.
3. When in a negative conversation, walk away or change the subject.
Where there is one complainer, you will soon find another! People are incredible at grumbling over stuff that means nothing. We’ve all done it. We may have spoken about a boss we didn’t agree with, a situation we all felt could have been handled differently, or an outcome we didn’t like. The right thing to do is take responsibility for the situation that we do have control over and do our best to find the positive. Instead, we tend to sit around talking about the negative and blaming others.
In James 5: 8-9 it says, “You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” Blaming others is the easy thing to do. The hard, right thing to do is take responsibility and make things better. The negative way of dealing with rough situations is destructive and sinful. The right way in dealing with negative situations creates a positive learning experience. The Lord will not allow us to shift the blame to others and get away with it in the long run.
When we speak we are to speak in truth. Avoid half-truths, lies, and omissions of the truth, if you truly want to be known as a trustworthy person. James tells us, “let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No”, no, or you will be condemned “(James 5: 12). I’ve heard it said, silence cannot be misinterpreted, so if you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say anything at all and you are safe! When you do say something make sure you are telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Application:
1. Read James 5: 7-12
2. Focus on saying nothing but positive things by thinking nothing but positive thoughts.
3. When in a negative conversation, walk away or change the subject.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Living For Today
4-14-2009
We live in a world of I-phones, Blackberries, and tons of other types of scheduling devices, which ultimately leads to a life of extreme business. Before sitting down to write this devotional, I couldn’t help but notice how almost every second of my day is on a calendar. Someone could literally know where I am going to be at just about any moment! The advances in technology have enabled us to do more with the same amount of time. However, there is a downside to the fast pace world we now live in. Families rarely sit and eat dinner together, husbands and wives rarely go on dates, and friendships away from work for some seem like a distant memory.
James gives incredible advice about living for the moment. “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4: 14). Regret is one of the worst feelings in the world, so may I suggest we all start to prioritize? The typical person spends all of their left over time with the people they love the most. This isn’t done intentionally, and in most cases this is done with nothing but great intent. People are working hard to provide for their family, yet drive the very people they work so hard for away by accident.
Just as you become distant with friends, family, etc. your relationship with God becomes distant. As with any successful relationship, it takes work. We must schedule time to spend in prayer and reading God’s word each and every day, just as you schedule time for a business meeting. Here is the most important point I hope to get across: time with God is much more important than ANY business meeting! You cannot possibly love something you don’t know, and you certainly won’t know something you don’t invest time in. If you want to know Christ, invest the time to know Him, and until you do, everything you do will pale in comparison. When you know Christ, you will die to self and the world, and be born again. Once this life changing event takes place in your life, you will see the world through a completely different set of eyes. Invest in your God, your family, and the people you care about. Live a life of significance, not a life of business!
Application:
1. Read James 4: 13-17
2. Schedule time to read a devotional every day, put it on the calendar!
3. Schedule a date night every week for you and your significant other and turn the phone OFF during this time!
4. Make time for your family, friends, and loved ones even if it is only a phone call once a week.
We live in a world of I-phones, Blackberries, and tons of other types of scheduling devices, which ultimately leads to a life of extreme business. Before sitting down to write this devotional, I couldn’t help but notice how almost every second of my day is on a calendar. Someone could literally know where I am going to be at just about any moment! The advances in technology have enabled us to do more with the same amount of time. However, there is a downside to the fast pace world we now live in. Families rarely sit and eat dinner together, husbands and wives rarely go on dates, and friendships away from work for some seem like a distant memory.
James gives incredible advice about living for the moment. “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4: 14). Regret is one of the worst feelings in the world, so may I suggest we all start to prioritize? The typical person spends all of their left over time with the people they love the most. This isn’t done intentionally, and in most cases this is done with nothing but great intent. People are working hard to provide for their family, yet drive the very people they work so hard for away by accident.
Just as you become distant with friends, family, etc. your relationship with God becomes distant. As with any successful relationship, it takes work. We must schedule time to spend in prayer and reading God’s word each and every day, just as you schedule time for a business meeting. Here is the most important point I hope to get across: time with God is much more important than ANY business meeting! You cannot possibly love something you don’t know, and you certainly won’t know something you don’t invest time in. If you want to know Christ, invest the time to know Him, and until you do, everything you do will pale in comparison. When you know Christ, you will die to self and the world, and be born again. Once this life changing event takes place in your life, you will see the world through a completely different set of eyes. Invest in your God, your family, and the people you care about. Live a life of significance, not a life of business!
Application:
1. Read James 4: 13-17
2. Schedule time to read a devotional every day, put it on the calendar!
3. Schedule a date night every week for you and your significant other and turn the phone OFF during this time!
4. Make time for your family, friends, and loved ones even if it is only a phone call once a week.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Submission
4-13-2009
I love all Christ honoring days of celebration, where both active church goers and the C & E (Christmas and Easter) church goers submit themselves to Christ. The churches are packed with guests and visitors all decked out in their Easter best, yet very few truly get the message that Christ intended to send.
Yesterday was Easter, the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, and He truly is alive. My wife and I attended Watermark church this Easter, a different church than we’ve attended the past few years. This was by far the best message I’ve ever heard on an Easter Sunday, and perhaps the best message I’ve ever heard in my life outlining the absolute truth of the resurrection of Christ. The message was far from the typical Easter message of joyous celebration, beautiful Easter eggs, and nice clothes. This message was laced with bold facts about the absolute truth of the resurrection, I didn’t see a single Easter egg, and the pastor was wearing jeans and an un-tucked button down shirt! With complete humility and factual information he outlined the real reason Christ is Christ, the resurrection.
To understand prophesies that were written before Christ walked the earth, and to see everything He did and say fulfill those prophesies, cannot possibly be a coincidence. As you read this, prophesies that Christ said would take place are taking place. He walked the earth a sinless man, and carried out every prophecy that was written before he was born while he was on earth. He then died on the cross for you and for many, and on the third day he rose! Here are the facts, He said this would happen, it did, He did, yet some still haven’t devoted their lives to Christ.
As Easter came and went some truly gave thanks, broke bread, and celebrated the resurrection of Christ. Others, treated this day as another Sunday, but dressed up a little nicer and visited with family they haven’t seen in a while. Many have no clue what Good Friday and Easter are really all about. If you fall in one of the last two groups, I want to encourage you to invest the time it takes to understand Christ and all He has in store for you if you will simply submit your life to Him. I’ve been in the last two groups we are talking about. I chose to become educated about Christ, and it has changed my life!
Application:
1. Read James chapter 4: 1-12
2. Commit to diving into God’s word daily
3. If you don’t Christ, take the time to find out, it is the most important decision you will make.
I love all Christ honoring days of celebration, where both active church goers and the C & E (Christmas and Easter) church goers submit themselves to Christ. The churches are packed with guests and visitors all decked out in their Easter best, yet very few truly get the message that Christ intended to send.
Yesterday was Easter, the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, and He truly is alive. My wife and I attended Watermark church this Easter, a different church than we’ve attended the past few years. This was by far the best message I’ve ever heard on an Easter Sunday, and perhaps the best message I’ve ever heard in my life outlining the absolute truth of the resurrection of Christ. The message was far from the typical Easter message of joyous celebration, beautiful Easter eggs, and nice clothes. This message was laced with bold facts about the absolute truth of the resurrection, I didn’t see a single Easter egg, and the pastor was wearing jeans and an un-tucked button down shirt! With complete humility and factual information he outlined the real reason Christ is Christ, the resurrection.
To understand prophesies that were written before Christ walked the earth, and to see everything He did and say fulfill those prophesies, cannot possibly be a coincidence. As you read this, prophesies that Christ said would take place are taking place. He walked the earth a sinless man, and carried out every prophecy that was written before he was born while he was on earth. He then died on the cross for you and for many, and on the third day he rose! Here are the facts, He said this would happen, it did, He did, yet some still haven’t devoted their lives to Christ.
As Easter came and went some truly gave thanks, broke bread, and celebrated the resurrection of Christ. Others, treated this day as another Sunday, but dressed up a little nicer and visited with family they haven’t seen in a while. Many have no clue what Good Friday and Easter are really all about. If you fall in one of the last two groups, I want to encourage you to invest the time it takes to understand Christ and all He has in store for you if you will simply submit your life to Him. I’ve been in the last two groups we are talking about. I chose to become educated about Christ, and it has changed my life!
Application:
1. Read James chapter 4: 1-12
2. Commit to diving into God’s word daily
3. If you don’t Christ, take the time to find out, it is the most important decision you will make.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Good Friday!
4-10-2009
Good Friday is here, and Wikipedia has a great definition of the accounts, so I have simply posted their definition of Good Friday for today’s devotional. I want to encourage you to read this as it may help explain exactly what happened, and yet some people still didn’t believe!
According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the Temple Guards through the guidance of his disciple, Judas Iscariot. Judas received money for betraying Jesus and told the guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Jesus is brought to the house of Annas, who is the father-in-law of the current high priest, Caiaphas. There he is interrogated with little result, and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest, where the Sanhedrin had assembled (John 18:1-24).
Conflicting testimony against Jesus is brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answers nothing. Finally the high priest adjures Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testifies in the affirmative, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemns Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus concurs with a sentence of death (Matthew 26:57-66). Peter also denies Jesus three times during the interrogations. Jesus already knew that Peter would deny him three times. See the article Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus regarding the two trials, one at night, the other in the morning and how their timing may affect the day of Good Friday.
In the morning, the whole assembly brings Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king (Luke 23:1-2). Pilate authorizes the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own Law and execute sentencing, however the Jewish leaders reply that they are not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death (John 18:31).
Pilate questions Jesus, and tells the assembly that there is no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate refers the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questions Jesus but receives no answer; Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate tells the assembly that neither he nor Herod have found guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolves to have Jesus whipped and released (Luke 23:3-16).
It was a custom during the feast of Passover for the Romans to release one prisoner as requested by the Jews. Pilate asks the crowd who they would like to be released. Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asks for Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asks what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demand, "Crucify him" (Mark 15:6-14). Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day; she forewarns Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man" (Matthew 27:19).
Pilate has Jesus flogged, then brings him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests inform Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came (John 19:1-9).
Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declares Jesus innocent, washing his own hands in water to show he has no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot (Matthew 27:24-26). The sentence written is "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carries his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene), called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and in Latin "Calvary". There he is crucified along with two criminals (John 19:17-22).
Jesus agonizes on the cross for six hours. During his last 3 hours on the cross,from noon to 3pm, there is darkness over the whole land.[7] With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:45-54)
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus (Luke 23:50-52). Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead (Mark 15:44). A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34), and the centurion informs Pilate that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45).
Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus, wraps it in a clean linen shroud, and places it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock (Matthew 27:59-60) in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus (John 3:1) also came bringing 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and places them in the linen with the body of Jesus, according to Jewish burial customs (John 19:39-40). They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb (Matthew 27:60). Then they returned home and rested, because at sunset began Shabbat (Luke 23:54-56). On the third day, Sunday, which is now known as Easter Sunday (or Pascha), Jesus rose from the dead.
Application:
1. Look up the bible verses listed in this account. Until you truly understand the events of what took place, you will be missing a major part why you are on this earth.
2. Help someone that doesn’t understand Christianity by passing this story to them. Remember, even the people that didn’t believe in Christ admit the sky went dark!
3. Invite someone to church with you that may not have a church home. If any of you are in the Dallas area and would like to attend church on Easter Sunday with Haley and I, we would be honored to have you as our guests!
Good Friday is here, and Wikipedia has a great definition of the accounts, so I have simply posted their definition of Good Friday for today’s devotional. I want to encourage you to read this as it may help explain exactly what happened, and yet some people still didn’t believe!
According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the Temple Guards through the guidance of his disciple, Judas Iscariot. Judas received money for betraying Jesus and told the guards that whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Jesus is brought to the house of Annas, who is the father-in-law of the current high priest, Caiaphas. There he is interrogated with little result, and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest, where the Sanhedrin had assembled (John 18:1-24).
Conflicting testimony against Jesus is brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answers nothing. Finally the high priest adjures Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testifies in the affirmative, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemns Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus concurs with a sentence of death (Matthew 26:57-66). Peter also denies Jesus three times during the interrogations. Jesus already knew that Peter would deny him three times. See the article Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus regarding the two trials, one at night, the other in the morning and how their timing may affect the day of Good Friday.
In the morning, the whole assembly brings Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king (Luke 23:1-2). Pilate authorizes the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own Law and execute sentencing, however the Jewish leaders reply that they are not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death (John 18:31).
Pilate questions Jesus, and tells the assembly that there is no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate refers the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questions Jesus but receives no answer; Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate tells the assembly that neither he nor Herod have found guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolves to have Jesus whipped and released (Luke 23:3-16).
It was a custom during the feast of Passover for the Romans to release one prisoner as requested by the Jews. Pilate asks the crowd who they would like to be released. Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asks for Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asks what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demand, "Crucify him" (Mark 15:6-14). Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day; she forewarns Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man" (Matthew 27:19).
Pilate has Jesus flogged, then brings him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests inform Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came (John 19:1-9).
Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declares Jesus innocent, washing his own hands in water to show he has no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot (Matthew 27:24-26). The sentence written is "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carries his cross to the site of execution (assisted by Simon of Cyrene), called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and in Latin "Calvary". There he is crucified along with two criminals (John 19:17-22).
Jesus agonizes on the cross for six hours. During his last 3 hours on the cross,from noon to 3pm, there is darkness over the whole land.[7] With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:45-54)
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus (Luke 23:50-52). Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead (Mark 15:44). A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34), and the centurion informs Pilate that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45).
Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus, wraps it in a clean linen shroud, and places it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock (Matthew 27:59-60) in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus (John 3:1) also came bringing 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and places them in the linen with the body of Jesus, according to Jewish burial customs (John 19:39-40). They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb (Matthew 27:60). Then they returned home and rested, because at sunset began Shabbat (Luke 23:54-56). On the third day, Sunday, which is now known as Easter Sunday (or Pascha), Jesus rose from the dead.
Application:
1. Look up the bible verses listed in this account. Until you truly understand the events of what took place, you will be missing a major part why you are on this earth.
2. Help someone that doesn’t understand Christianity by passing this story to them. Remember, even the people that didn’t believe in Christ admit the sky went dark!
3. Invite someone to church with you that may not have a church home. If any of you are in the Dallas area and would like to attend church on Easter Sunday with Haley and I, we would be honored to have you as our guests!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Taming the Tongue
4-9-2009
It’s been said we remember 10% of what we hear, 50% of what we see, 70% of what we say, and 90% of what we see, hear, say, and do. I don’t know how true this is, but I would add that we typically remember just about 100% of the negative things we hear about us!
James begins chapter 3 by informing those of us that are in a leadership role, which is everyone on the earth, just how important and tough our job is as a believer in Christ. “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways” (James 2: 1-2). James is giving us clear advice that people will make attempts to shoot you down if you profess to live your life to a certain standard. Think about celebrities for a second, they can’t breathe without someone criticizing their every move. As a Christ follower, people are going to look at you more closely, and we must understand the leadership role we presume. The saying I like to keep in the back of my mind is, “you never know who is watching, so don’t let God down.” I know very strong men in their faith, yet they cuss fairly consistently. This is not the language Christ used, so we shouldn’t use it.
James does give us a little slack by reminding us that we are going to make mistakes, but one thing we must focus on are our words. The tongue is such a small part of the body, yet it has caused wars, killings, breakups, etc. James says, “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” We as human beings try and try, but we cannot seem to tame the tongue. I think we’ve all said things we regret saying, and we’ve had some moments where we’ve said the right things at the perfect time.
As you go about your life, really focus on avoiding the negative discussions we’ve all found ourselves involved in. Avoid gossip, putting others down, bragging, exaggerating, complaining, and lying. Just walk away from these conversations. God calls us to be slow to speak. In other words, think, don’t just ramble. Years of relationship building can all come crashing down by just a few small words in a moment. On the flip side, just a few small words can lead you to patching up a broken relationship, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
I am a very blunt person, and I really have to work on the taming of my tongue. I used to be the type of person that is going to tell you exactly how I feel all of the time. I’ve learned to control my speech and simply walk away at times. One of the greatest blessings in my life is coaching younger kids. Talk about learning patience! If there is one major thing I’ve learned from coaching kids on the baseball field to adults in the business world it is this, people want you to be proud of them! No one wants to disappoint. People will respond to encouraging words with a positive outlook and appreciation. If you are a dictator, they may respond for a little while, but in the end, they will abandon you. Love people not only with your actions, but with your words!
Application:
1. Read James 3:1-12
2. What areas of your life do you really need to tame your tongue?
3. Go out of your way to speak random words of kindness to people...it may be a simple
and a hello.
It’s been said we remember 10% of what we hear, 50% of what we see, 70% of what we say, and 90% of what we see, hear, say, and do. I don’t know how true this is, but I would add that we typically remember just about 100% of the negative things we hear about us!
James begins chapter 3 by informing those of us that are in a leadership role, which is everyone on the earth, just how important and tough our job is as a believer in Christ. “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways” (James 2: 1-2). James is giving us clear advice that people will make attempts to shoot you down if you profess to live your life to a certain standard. Think about celebrities for a second, they can’t breathe without someone criticizing their every move. As a Christ follower, people are going to look at you more closely, and we must understand the leadership role we presume. The saying I like to keep in the back of my mind is, “you never know who is watching, so don’t let God down.” I know very strong men in their faith, yet they cuss fairly consistently. This is not the language Christ used, so we shouldn’t use it.
James does give us a little slack by reminding us that we are going to make mistakes, but one thing we must focus on are our words. The tongue is such a small part of the body, yet it has caused wars, killings, breakups, etc. James says, “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” We as human beings try and try, but we cannot seem to tame the tongue. I think we’ve all said things we regret saying, and we’ve had some moments where we’ve said the right things at the perfect time.
As you go about your life, really focus on avoiding the negative discussions we’ve all found ourselves involved in. Avoid gossip, putting others down, bragging, exaggerating, complaining, and lying. Just walk away from these conversations. God calls us to be slow to speak. In other words, think, don’t just ramble. Years of relationship building can all come crashing down by just a few small words in a moment. On the flip side, just a few small words can lead you to patching up a broken relationship, forgiveness, and reconciliation.
I am a very blunt person, and I really have to work on the taming of my tongue. I used to be the type of person that is going to tell you exactly how I feel all of the time. I’ve learned to control my speech and simply walk away at times. One of the greatest blessings in my life is coaching younger kids. Talk about learning patience! If there is one major thing I’ve learned from coaching kids on the baseball field to adults in the business world it is this, people want you to be proud of them! No one wants to disappoint. People will respond to encouraging words with a positive outlook and appreciation. If you are a dictator, they may respond for a little while, but in the end, they will abandon you. Love people not only with your actions, but with your words!
Application:
1. Read James 3:1-12
2. What areas of your life do you really need to tame your tongue?
3. Go out of your way to speak random words of kindness to people...it may be a simple
and a hello.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Religion
4-8-2009
I had a meeting one afternoon with a friend of mine about some work related issues, and the topic of Christianity came up. I’ve known this particular person for a while now, and I knew he wasn’t brought up in a Christian home, and he isn’t a believer, but I am also not the type to beat people over the head with a bible. Little did he know, I had been praying that the conversation of salvation would come up, and that he would be open to the conversation, but I didn’t know that he would bring it up!
One of the major topics of conversation was his desire to reach the level of business success that I have been blessed to have achieved. He is new to sales, and he has the desire and drive to do big things in business, so I agreed a while back to give him advice along his journey as long as he would be coachable. As the conversation started, I asked him if he knew what I felt the most important thing in life was, and as God would have it, he made the comment, “I know you are very religious.” Here is my response:
I am not religious at all. In fact I cannot stand religion. To me religion is a bunch of people running around saying all the right things, doing the right things (at times), and they still don’t have a clue who Christ truly is. Anyone can memorize scripture, dress up on Sundays and go to church, and say the right things. I know someone who embodies these characteristics, yet she is clueless as to who Christ truly is! She is so caught up in religion that she misses the point of Christ’s death and resurrection. Do you know why most people go to the church they go to, or worship the God they worship? Their parents went to that church, or worshipped that God. They never truly studied why their parents took them to that church, or who Christ is and what Christ did. Christ literally walked this earth. He performed miracles that even non-believers admit they witnessed, but they chalked it up to magic! Christ walked this earth as a humble servant, he died, and he rose again. Everything Christ said would happen happened, and everything he predicted, has come to fruition, even as we speak. The bible is truth, and it is an account of exactly what happened before the birth of Christ, during the life of Christ, and after Christ ascended into heaven. If you were to read the bible, you would literally get chills at some points because you would realize the events Christ said would happen are literally happening over 2000 years later just as Christ said they would. So, the questions I have for you are simple: doesn’t it make sense to figure out exactly who this Jesus guy is? When Christ says there is only one way to Heaven, don’t you feel it’s important to figure out what that way is? Though I was taken to church as a kid, I still didn’t have a clue who Christ was until I overheard a friend of mine say something about “hearing God.” He was an older man, and he literally said, “God is speaking to me.” That fascinated me. I wanted God to speak to me, so what do I have to do to make that happen! I remember sitting in bed that night asking God to speak to me if He was real. I never got the immediate answer I was looking for that night. It wasn’t until I started researching Christianity before I realized God doesn’t literally speak to us. I’m not saying He can’t as He is God and He can do anything he wants, but the bible tells us, He speaks to us through the written word of God, the bible, and through various situations in life (people, events, etc.). After hearing the words, “God is speaking to me” I started researching different denominations, religions, churches, etc. I asked every question you could imagine, and through this process I learned the only way to real success, Christ. To answer your question, if you want to reach your God given potential if life, success, you need to know, understand, and accept Christ. Until you invest the time to do so, there will ALWAYS be a void in your life, and nothing will ever be enough. If you put your faith, hope, life, etc. into worldly things, you will be let down because everything of this world will disappear. Focus your trust on the eternal and you will quickly realize the things of this world don’t mean much in the way of success. If God is at the center of everything you do, you will never be let down because He will never abandon you. He may not answer you exactly when you think He should, but remember, you are on God’s time, not your time, and God never says, “Oops”! I don’t have all of the answers, I make mistakes all of the time, and I pray for forgiveness every day of life, but you must understand the difference between the worldly definition of success and the real definition of success. According to the world, you could say I am very successful. I have an amazing wife, money, house, cars, etc. The world views success in the temporal, but when you die, where does this stuff go? Success is the understanding we must die to the world and we will then truly understand what it means to be alive. There are many times in my life when I wondered why God would allow certain things to happen, but I’m quickly reminded that we aren’t called to question God, we are called to have faith in God. I want you to be successful. I want to see you alive, but I do not want to force Christianity upon you. If you would like to take this conversation further, I would be honored to help you in any way I can. I do not want to force anything on you, but since you asked, I felt it was important you know that I am not religious, I am a Christ follower.
Application:
1. Read James chapter 2
2. Do you have genuine faith, or is there a little religious in you?
I had a meeting one afternoon with a friend of mine about some work related issues, and the topic of Christianity came up. I’ve known this particular person for a while now, and I knew he wasn’t brought up in a Christian home, and he isn’t a believer, but I am also not the type to beat people over the head with a bible. Little did he know, I had been praying that the conversation of salvation would come up, and that he would be open to the conversation, but I didn’t know that he would bring it up!
One of the major topics of conversation was his desire to reach the level of business success that I have been blessed to have achieved. He is new to sales, and he has the desire and drive to do big things in business, so I agreed a while back to give him advice along his journey as long as he would be coachable. As the conversation started, I asked him if he knew what I felt the most important thing in life was, and as God would have it, he made the comment, “I know you are very religious.” Here is my response:
I am not religious at all. In fact I cannot stand religion. To me religion is a bunch of people running around saying all the right things, doing the right things (at times), and they still don’t have a clue who Christ truly is. Anyone can memorize scripture, dress up on Sundays and go to church, and say the right things. I know someone who embodies these characteristics, yet she is clueless as to who Christ truly is! She is so caught up in religion that she misses the point of Christ’s death and resurrection. Do you know why most people go to the church they go to, or worship the God they worship? Their parents went to that church, or worshipped that God. They never truly studied why their parents took them to that church, or who Christ is and what Christ did. Christ literally walked this earth. He performed miracles that even non-believers admit they witnessed, but they chalked it up to magic! Christ walked this earth as a humble servant, he died, and he rose again. Everything Christ said would happen happened, and everything he predicted, has come to fruition, even as we speak. The bible is truth, and it is an account of exactly what happened before the birth of Christ, during the life of Christ, and after Christ ascended into heaven. If you were to read the bible, you would literally get chills at some points because you would realize the events Christ said would happen are literally happening over 2000 years later just as Christ said they would. So, the questions I have for you are simple: doesn’t it make sense to figure out exactly who this Jesus guy is? When Christ says there is only one way to Heaven, don’t you feel it’s important to figure out what that way is? Though I was taken to church as a kid, I still didn’t have a clue who Christ was until I overheard a friend of mine say something about “hearing God.” He was an older man, and he literally said, “God is speaking to me.” That fascinated me. I wanted God to speak to me, so what do I have to do to make that happen! I remember sitting in bed that night asking God to speak to me if He was real. I never got the immediate answer I was looking for that night. It wasn’t until I started researching Christianity before I realized God doesn’t literally speak to us. I’m not saying He can’t as He is God and He can do anything he wants, but the bible tells us, He speaks to us through the written word of God, the bible, and through various situations in life (people, events, etc.). After hearing the words, “God is speaking to me” I started researching different denominations, religions, churches, etc. I asked every question you could imagine, and through this process I learned the only way to real success, Christ. To answer your question, if you want to reach your God given potential if life, success, you need to know, understand, and accept Christ. Until you invest the time to do so, there will ALWAYS be a void in your life, and nothing will ever be enough. If you put your faith, hope, life, etc. into worldly things, you will be let down because everything of this world will disappear. Focus your trust on the eternal and you will quickly realize the things of this world don’t mean much in the way of success. If God is at the center of everything you do, you will never be let down because He will never abandon you. He may not answer you exactly when you think He should, but remember, you are on God’s time, not your time, and God never says, “Oops”! I don’t have all of the answers, I make mistakes all of the time, and I pray for forgiveness every day of life, but you must understand the difference between the worldly definition of success and the real definition of success. According to the world, you could say I am very successful. I have an amazing wife, money, house, cars, etc. The world views success in the temporal, but when you die, where does this stuff go? Success is the understanding we must die to the world and we will then truly understand what it means to be alive. There are many times in my life when I wondered why God would allow certain things to happen, but I’m quickly reminded that we aren’t called to question God, we are called to have faith in God. I want you to be successful. I want to see you alive, but I do not want to force Christianity upon you. If you would like to take this conversation further, I would be honored to help you in any way I can. I do not want to force anything on you, but since you asked, I felt it was important you know that I am not religious, I am a Christ follower.
Application:
1. Read James chapter 2
2. Do you have genuine faith, or is there a little religious in you?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Listening and Doing
4-7-2009
I think we can all look back on our lives and think of times where we knew exactly what needed to be done, yet still didn’t do it. It might be something as simple as watching what you eat. We all know what we should or shouldn’t eat, but I can just about guarantee you if a cookie is put in front of me, I am going to eat it, and look for its friends!
In James 1: 19-27, we are given incredible advice on exactly how to listen and do the right thing all of the time. In chapter 19, James instructs us to be a great listener. If you want to be successful with people, be a great listener. We too often think it’s about what we say that makes a big difference, when in fact we may be speaking too much. If you are a parent, coach, boss, etc., make sure you take time to listen to everything your subordinate has to say before voicing your opinion, this way you won’t act out of anger, and the person that is communicating with you will feel you truly care and are approachable. You have probably heard the saying, “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Refuse to throw advice at those in need. Be patient with your advice and understand the impact words can have on people. On the flip side, when you feel the need to be argumentative, take the high road. If you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say it. Silence cannot be misinterpreted!
In verse 21, James refers to the salvation message we have received by saying, “the word planted in you.” In other words, as a true follower of Jesus Christ, you know right from wrong, and it is much more important to do what God says than to simply know what it says. Anyone can disobey God’s word, but very few are able to uphold the message in their day to day doings. Flee from what the world puts value on (money, power, rank, job status, material possessions) and stay focused on Christian values that Jesus himself carried out while on the earth. When you dive into God’s word on a daily basis, your words and actions will be reflected.
It is easy to forget that Jesus Christ walked this very earth that we walk today, and he never sinned. Can you imagine the words you would want to say to the people that are spitting on your face? Can you imagine the verbal abuse just about any human being would give those that mocked Jesus Christ? Jesus was tortured, yet never sinned. Not only did He not sin, but He asked His father to forgive them! May the words from our mouths be the meditations of our hearts, and may our hearts be filled with God’s truth.
Application:
1. Read James 1: 19-27
2. When is the last time you said something you wish you wouldn’t have? Do you need to ask that person or persons for forgiveness?
3. Are you investing time in God’s word daily, so you will respond in a Christ-like way at all times?
I think we can all look back on our lives and think of times where we knew exactly what needed to be done, yet still didn’t do it. It might be something as simple as watching what you eat. We all know what we should or shouldn’t eat, but I can just about guarantee you if a cookie is put in front of me, I am going to eat it, and look for its friends!
In James 1: 19-27, we are given incredible advice on exactly how to listen and do the right thing all of the time. In chapter 19, James instructs us to be a great listener. If you want to be successful with people, be a great listener. We too often think it’s about what we say that makes a big difference, when in fact we may be speaking too much. If you are a parent, coach, boss, etc., make sure you take time to listen to everything your subordinate has to say before voicing your opinion, this way you won’t act out of anger, and the person that is communicating with you will feel you truly care and are approachable. You have probably heard the saying, “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Be slow to speak and quick to listen. Refuse to throw advice at those in need. Be patient with your advice and understand the impact words can have on people. On the flip side, when you feel the need to be argumentative, take the high road. If you don’t have something positive to say, don’t say it. Silence cannot be misinterpreted!
In verse 21, James refers to the salvation message we have received by saying, “the word planted in you.” In other words, as a true follower of Jesus Christ, you know right from wrong, and it is much more important to do what God says than to simply know what it says. Anyone can disobey God’s word, but very few are able to uphold the message in their day to day doings. Flee from what the world puts value on (money, power, rank, job status, material possessions) and stay focused on Christian values that Jesus himself carried out while on the earth. When you dive into God’s word on a daily basis, your words and actions will be reflected.
It is easy to forget that Jesus Christ walked this very earth that we walk today, and he never sinned. Can you imagine the words you would want to say to the people that are spitting on your face? Can you imagine the verbal abuse just about any human being would give those that mocked Jesus Christ? Jesus was tortured, yet never sinned. Not only did He not sin, but He asked His father to forgive them! May the words from our mouths be the meditations of our hearts, and may our hearts be filled with God’s truth.
Application:
1. Read James 1: 19-27
2. When is the last time you said something you wish you wouldn’t have? Do you need to ask that person or persons for forgiveness?
3. Are you investing time in God’s word daily, so you will respond in a Christ-like way at all times?
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Perspective
4-6-2009
I just arrived home after a long day on the baseball field. I have the blessing of coaching the top ranked 11u baseball team in the world, the Dallas Patriots, and tonight they won another tournament! Last season, these boys represented our country in Puerto Rico, where they won the World Series in front of thousands of spectators. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life, and I didn't even play!
Baseball is an amazing game, but an even better platform to teach some of the most important life skills. Here's a brief run down on how today's events took place. We played three games today, and they were all back to back to back, so we didn't have any rest in between games. Our first game started at 2pm, and our last game ended around 10pm. In the first game, I witnessed grown men (the other team) fibbing with hopes they could get a call to go there way, and they were teaching their players some very dirty tactics. Moreover, they allowed all of their pitchers to throw curve balls. For the non-baseball fanatics out there, you shouldn't throw ANY type of curve ball until the age of 13 or 14 due to the harm in causes on your arm. Our boys, coaches, and parents stayed calm the entire time and we won the game.
In the second game, the coaches weren't as bad, but they certainly enjoyed begging for calls. However, they did have the tendency to yell comments to "their" players about "our" players. I guess this is there tactic for trying to get in the head of an 11 year old so they won't perform as well. Who knows. Again, our boys, parents, and coaches handled the situation with class.
In the championship game, the other team's head coach was kicked out of the game. He cussed on a regular basis, the parents weren't any better, and we even heard the parents and the coaches yelling at each other, and every one of their players threw curve balls. At the end of the championship game, each team is supposed to line up and accept trophies as each team congratulates each other for making it to the finals. Unfortunately, all we heard from the other teams coaches, was "we have a long drive home, can we hurry this up! We don't have time for this." Again, our families, kids, and coaches handled themselves with class.
After every game we play, our boys get on a knee, grab their teammates hands, and say a prayer, followed by the Lord's prayer. The tournament director approached me after the prayer and said, "coach, that is awesome." I was a little confused as to what he was referring to, and I guess he could tell, so he elaborated. "You just don't see teams pray like that after a game. I really appreciate what you do and how you do it." I said, "that's how we start the day and that is how we finish the day."
When I got home, there was a picture sitting in my inbox of the boys praying. I have posted this picture for all to see because that is what it's all about. It doesn't matter if you win or lose in the game of baseball. What does matter is that you win in the game of life. I am sure many of you reading this right now are going through some tough times in your life. May I suggest we keep things in perspective? After seeing the picture of our little boys sending a prayer up to our Lord, it put me in my place. At the end of the day, winning a tournament is such a temporal satisfaction. Sharing the Lord with others and representing who Christ IS is eternal!
Logan Stout
Application:
1. Are you doing the best you can at keeping things in perspective?
2. What temporal accomplishments are you allowing to outweigh the eternal priorities?
3. Are you doing the best you can at representing who Christ is as a believer in Christ?
4. Read James 1:9-18
Perseverence
4-2-2009
The best-selling book of all time isn’t actually a book, it is a canon, which is a collection of books, and it is the bible. I’ve also been told the bible is the most stolen book as well! Crazy isn’t it? Every answer you will ever need to know about life exists in the bible, but most of us don’t even know where to begin reading. As I began researching Christianity, I had no clue where to start, so I have to believe I’m not the only one.
Let’s be honest, there are a few books in the bible that can be a little confusing at times! It’s not that there isn’t wisdom and truth, because the entire bible is truth. The fact is some of the bible is simply hard to understand. That being said, I have decided to focus on the book of James for a little while, as we continue to grow with one another through these daily devotionals.
Understanding the context of what you are reading is as important as understanding what you are reading. I’ve often called the book of James, “The how to be a Christian” book of the bible. The actual purpose is to explain proper Christian behavior, and to expose incorrect Christian behavior. James, Jesus’ brother, was a leader in the Jerusalem church, and is the author of the book. James is all about documentation, and he is tired of people saying one thing and doing another.
James begins his letter by outlining some general characteristics of the Christian life. First and foremost, James wants all believers to understand that not only are you not immune to trials and struggles in life, but you will have them. James also tells us how to handle tough times, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1: 2-4). Wow! James is saying embrace the tough times, and find the positive in every situation. Remember in yesterday’s message we spoke about the difference between joy and happiness. James isn’t saying you are going to be happy during struggles, but consider it joy that you are struggling because something good will come of it.
Very few people have what it takes to persevere through hard times. I would submit to you that in the past decade, we have created a generation of quitters. My wife and I run a select baseball organization for kids, and I can’t believe how many parents allow their kids to quit, and usually it’s the parent’s idea! When I grew up, I played for one team, and I was LOYAL to that team. From little leagues all the way to the big leagues, it is rare to see a player stay with the same team for more than a couple of seasons. We must understand that quitting cannot be an option! If you make a commitment, fulfill it! Persevere and see your task through. Once the task is completed, evaluate the situation and decide if it is time to move on to another task. James is speaking about this exact topic in the first few chapters. Anyone can be on top of the world and happy when times are good, but only champions fight through the tough times. Some say character is built during the struggles of life, but I would submit to you that character is REVEALED during the struggles of life. It is through these struggles and the testing of your faith that develops perseverance. Embrace the tough times in a positive light, and know you are NEVER alone as God promises to be with you at all times.
If you can show me someone that has accomplished anything of significance, I can just about guarantee you they went through some tough learning experiences to get them where they are today, and if it weren’t for those learning experiences, they wouldn’t have accomplished all they’ve accomplished. Remember, there’s no such thing as a smooth mountain, if there were, there wouldn’t be a way to climb it.
Application:
1. Read James 1:1-4
2. What struggles are you going through in life, and do you need to change the way you take on those struggles? Are you finding the positive?
3. Who can you encourage during right now, that you know needs encouragement? Have them read James 1: 1-4
The best-selling book of all time isn’t actually a book, it is a canon, which is a collection of books, and it is the bible. I’ve also been told the bible is the most stolen book as well! Crazy isn’t it? Every answer you will ever need to know about life exists in the bible, but most of us don’t even know where to begin reading. As I began researching Christianity, I had no clue where to start, so I have to believe I’m not the only one.
Let’s be honest, there are a few books in the bible that can be a little confusing at times! It’s not that there isn’t wisdom and truth, because the entire bible is truth. The fact is some of the bible is simply hard to understand. That being said, I have decided to focus on the book of James for a little while, as we continue to grow with one another through these daily devotionals.
Understanding the context of what you are reading is as important as understanding what you are reading. I’ve often called the book of James, “The how to be a Christian” book of the bible. The actual purpose is to explain proper Christian behavior, and to expose incorrect Christian behavior. James, Jesus’ brother, was a leader in the Jerusalem church, and is the author of the book. James is all about documentation, and he is tired of people saying one thing and doing another.
James begins his letter by outlining some general characteristics of the Christian life. First and foremost, James wants all believers to understand that not only are you not immune to trials and struggles in life, but you will have them. James also tells us how to handle tough times, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1: 2-4). Wow! James is saying embrace the tough times, and find the positive in every situation. Remember in yesterday’s message we spoke about the difference between joy and happiness. James isn’t saying you are going to be happy during struggles, but consider it joy that you are struggling because something good will come of it.
Very few people have what it takes to persevere through hard times. I would submit to you that in the past decade, we have created a generation of quitters. My wife and I run a select baseball organization for kids, and I can’t believe how many parents allow their kids to quit, and usually it’s the parent’s idea! When I grew up, I played for one team, and I was LOYAL to that team. From little leagues all the way to the big leagues, it is rare to see a player stay with the same team for more than a couple of seasons. We must understand that quitting cannot be an option! If you make a commitment, fulfill it! Persevere and see your task through. Once the task is completed, evaluate the situation and decide if it is time to move on to another task. James is speaking about this exact topic in the first few chapters. Anyone can be on top of the world and happy when times are good, but only champions fight through the tough times. Some say character is built during the struggles of life, but I would submit to you that character is REVEALED during the struggles of life. It is through these struggles and the testing of your faith that develops perseverance. Embrace the tough times in a positive light, and know you are NEVER alone as God promises to be with you at all times.
If you can show me someone that has accomplished anything of significance, I can just about guarantee you they went through some tough learning experiences to get them where they are today, and if it weren’t for those learning experiences, they wouldn’t have accomplished all they’ve accomplished. Remember, there’s no such thing as a smooth mountain, if there were, there wouldn’t be a way to climb it.
Application:
1. Read James 1:1-4
2. What struggles are you going through in life, and do you need to change the way you take on those struggles? Are you finding the positive?
3. Who can you encourage during right now, that you know needs encouragement? Have them read James 1: 1-4
Joy vs. Happiness
4-1-2009
John Maxwell was quoted as saying, “People say that wisdom comes with age. I don’t believe that’s true. Sometimes age comes alone.” This is so very true. We are going to make mistakes in life, they key is to learn from them.
As we reflect on the past, I’m sure we’ve all wondered what in the world we were thinking. I know I’ve made more mistakes than I care to think about, but I learn from them, yet some people never change. A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. If you keep doing what you are doing, you are going to keep getting what you are getting. This message can apply to a lot of things. For instance, if you struggle with your finances, change your spending habits. If you don’t fit in your favorite pair of jeans, stop eating so much, start working out, or both. Change sounds so simple, yet very few are able to muster up the courage and stay focused to do so. Many of us live life in desperate need of change, an eternal change.
Time and time again, I speak with people that feel as if there is a void in their life, and time and time again, I try to help people understand there is only one way to fill the void, transformation. People turn to alcohol, drugs, violence, X-rated stuff, and more to try to fill the emptiness they feel inside, or to try to escape reality. Truth is you will always have a void if what you cling to is of this earth. In order to live life to the fullest, you must fill your soul with the Joy of knowing and accepting Christ into your life. Doesn’t it make sense that the very person that made you can complete you if you will give Him a chance?
It’s extremely important to understand the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is a result of your happenings. When your happenings are good, you are happy. When they aren’t good, you are unhappy, thus happiness is only temporary because it is a result of external/earthly factors. On the other hand, Joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within us. As long as you base life on earthly circumstances, you will always have a void in your life. When you accept Christ into your life, you will be filled with Joy at all times because God will not leave you. As we spoke about last week, God is the only constant. Everything on this earth will disappear at some point, so why put your eggs in earthly baskets? That doesn’t make sense. By putting your life in God’s hands you will live a joyous life, where you will never be alone again!
Application:
1. Read Psalm 16
2. Do you understand the difference between Joy and Happiness? Relay this message to someone else that may have a void in their life that needs to be filled with the only source of eternal fulfillment, Christ.
3. If you are a believer in Christ and feel as if something is missing, I want to encourage you to get plugged in to a bible based church where you can be in a community of like-minded people. It will take courage, but it will be worth it!
John Maxwell was quoted as saying, “People say that wisdom comes with age. I don’t believe that’s true. Sometimes age comes alone.” This is so very true. We are going to make mistakes in life, they key is to learn from them.
As we reflect on the past, I’m sure we’ve all wondered what in the world we were thinking. I know I’ve made more mistakes than I care to think about, but I learn from them, yet some people never change. A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. If you keep doing what you are doing, you are going to keep getting what you are getting. This message can apply to a lot of things. For instance, if you struggle with your finances, change your spending habits. If you don’t fit in your favorite pair of jeans, stop eating so much, start working out, or both. Change sounds so simple, yet very few are able to muster up the courage and stay focused to do so. Many of us live life in desperate need of change, an eternal change.
Time and time again, I speak with people that feel as if there is a void in their life, and time and time again, I try to help people understand there is only one way to fill the void, transformation. People turn to alcohol, drugs, violence, X-rated stuff, and more to try to fill the emptiness they feel inside, or to try to escape reality. Truth is you will always have a void if what you cling to is of this earth. In order to live life to the fullest, you must fill your soul with the Joy of knowing and accepting Christ into your life. Doesn’t it make sense that the very person that made you can complete you if you will give Him a chance?
It’s extremely important to understand the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is a result of your happenings. When your happenings are good, you are happy. When they aren’t good, you are unhappy, thus happiness is only temporary because it is a result of external/earthly factors. On the other hand, Joy is lasting because it is based on God’s presence within us. As long as you base life on earthly circumstances, you will always have a void in your life. When you accept Christ into your life, you will be filled with Joy at all times because God will not leave you. As we spoke about last week, God is the only constant. Everything on this earth will disappear at some point, so why put your eggs in earthly baskets? That doesn’t make sense. By putting your life in God’s hands you will live a joyous life, where you will never be alone again!
Application:
1. Read Psalm 16
2. Do you understand the difference between Joy and Happiness? Relay this message to someone else that may have a void in their life that needs to be filled with the only source of eternal fulfillment, Christ.
3. If you are a believer in Christ and feel as if something is missing, I want to encourage you to get plugged in to a bible based church where you can be in a community of like-minded people. It will take courage, but it will be worth it!
Generosity
3-31-2009
I had a speaking engagement today at Southern Methodist University, and little did I know there wasn’t any free parking. When I say there wasn’t any free parking, I mean that literally, you had to pay money to park! The worst part is I wasn’t early if you catch my drift, SMU has a huge campus, and I didn’t have any loose change. There were parking meters everywhere, and all I had was bills. I had no choice, I had to park the car and hope someone would be generous enough to give me some money to put into the meter. Picture this, I am standing on the sidewalk begging people for ANY change, and EVERY person happily reached into their pocket and gave me all they had! I was shocked, so shocked that I chose to write this devotional about generosity.
True generosity is giving to people expecting nothing in return. We live in such a give and take world, that very few people truly serve, love, and give unconditionally. Everyone wants to know what they can get for their generosity, which totally defeats the purpose of giving. Those students at SMU didn’t know me, and had nothing to gain for giving me their loose change, yet every one of them not only gave me their money, but they did so with a smile. I even offered to give them $5 for whatever change they had as I didn’t have any $1 bills. They gave without expectation.
I’ve always felt that everything is relative. For instance, if I were to ask you if a quarter was a lot of money, your first response would probably be “no”. Now, if I told you that quarter was the difference between me getting my car towed versus not having my car towed, wouldn’t you agree with me that a quarter is a lot of money? What if I told you the person that gave me the quarter gave me everything they had, and thus no longer had any money to buy a snack out of the vending machine? This is the type of giving Christ not only commands out of us, but did himself. Christ doesn’t call us to give what we can’t give, he calls us to give what we can. For one family, giving $20 a week could be a huge sacrifice. For others, $20 a week is an afterthought. The kingdom of God spreads through the willingness of believers to give to others.
There are four keys that Paul discussed in the church in Corinth, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. First, give cheerfully. How you give is more important than how much you give. Second, understand we are called to tithe which means give 10% to the church. Third, giving certainly lends itself to others willingness to help you in times of need, but don’t give expecting. Last, how you give should reflect your understanding and love of Christ, and that the grace he GAVE us is the ultimate gift.
Application:
1. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
2. Think of those that are in need and take action today to help them.
I had a speaking engagement today at Southern Methodist University, and little did I know there wasn’t any free parking. When I say there wasn’t any free parking, I mean that literally, you had to pay money to park! The worst part is I wasn’t early if you catch my drift, SMU has a huge campus, and I didn’t have any loose change. There were parking meters everywhere, and all I had was bills. I had no choice, I had to park the car and hope someone would be generous enough to give me some money to put into the meter. Picture this, I am standing on the sidewalk begging people for ANY change, and EVERY person happily reached into their pocket and gave me all they had! I was shocked, so shocked that I chose to write this devotional about generosity.
True generosity is giving to people expecting nothing in return. We live in such a give and take world, that very few people truly serve, love, and give unconditionally. Everyone wants to know what they can get for their generosity, which totally defeats the purpose of giving. Those students at SMU didn’t know me, and had nothing to gain for giving me their loose change, yet every one of them not only gave me their money, but they did so with a smile. I even offered to give them $5 for whatever change they had as I didn’t have any $1 bills. They gave without expectation.
I’ve always felt that everything is relative. For instance, if I were to ask you if a quarter was a lot of money, your first response would probably be “no”. Now, if I told you that quarter was the difference between me getting my car towed versus not having my car towed, wouldn’t you agree with me that a quarter is a lot of money? What if I told you the person that gave me the quarter gave me everything they had, and thus no longer had any money to buy a snack out of the vending machine? This is the type of giving Christ not only commands out of us, but did himself. Christ doesn’t call us to give what we can’t give, he calls us to give what we can. For one family, giving $20 a week could be a huge sacrifice. For others, $20 a week is an afterthought. The kingdom of God spreads through the willingness of believers to give to others.
There are four keys that Paul discussed in the church in Corinth, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15. First, give cheerfully. How you give is more important than how much you give. Second, understand we are called to tithe which means give 10% to the church. Third, giving certainly lends itself to others willingness to help you in times of need, but don’t give expecting. Last, how you give should reflect your understanding and love of Christ, and that the grace he GAVE us is the ultimate gift.
Application:
1. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
2. Think of those that are in need and take action today to help them.
Salvation
3-30-2009
My wife, Haley, and I visited another church on Sunday morning as it had come highly recommended by a couple of our friends, and we were happy we visited. The pastor at the church did an amazing job of simplifying salvation, and I will summarize in today’s devotional, as I truly believe the majority of “Christians” don’t truly understand what it means to be “saved.”
In Ephesians 2:8-10 it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There are a few key words that need to be addressed: grace, saved, faith, mercy, and workmanship.
Grace is the underserved love and attention of God. We are born sinners into this world, and it is through grace that we are saved. In other words, grace can be described as getting something we don’t deserve. To be saved is to be delivered from death. Faith is the bridge between believing in something and wholeheartedly trusting in something. True faith is belief plus trust. Mercy is not getting what you deserve to get. Workmanship is another way of saying masterpiece.
So, let’s put Ephesians 2:8-10 another way. It is by the complete undeserving love and attention of God that we have been delivered from death because you understood that you could believe in and wholeheartedly trust God as you yourself are nothing without Him who made you, His masterpiece to do the good works of Christ!
As a Christian, you understand that Christ walked the very earth we walk today as a sinless man. He then took the sin of the world on His shoulders and died a brutal death on the cross so that we could have life and have it abundantly. We don’t deserve grace and we cannot earn grace, it is a gift from God. It is through God’s grace that we can be saved by putting our faith and trust in Him, our maker. Our job on earth is to live a sanctified (Christ like) life where people will see God’s grace through us, and they won’t ask us who is that guy, but instead will ask, who made that guy? It is through our actions that we show the love of Christ, not win the love of Christ. Salvation in Christ cannot be earned it is a gift. God doesn’t keep tally marks for good and bad behavior. To enter the gates of Heaven, you don’t earn a “C” grade or better. You can be the nicest person in the world, but you cannot earn your way into God’s kingdom.
We are all sinners and we continue to make mistakes, and it is by the love and Grace of Jesus Christ that we may ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter what your past looks like, Christ will forgive you if you simply put your faith in Him and ask Him into your heart.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians chapter 2
2. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? We are here to help.
3. Who do you know that may need to hear the message? Take action as that is the most important gift you can give someone!
My wife, Haley, and I visited another church on Sunday morning as it had come highly recommended by a couple of our friends, and we were happy we visited. The pastor at the church did an amazing job of simplifying salvation, and I will summarize in today’s devotional, as I truly believe the majority of “Christians” don’t truly understand what it means to be “saved.”
In Ephesians 2:8-10 it says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God –not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” There are a few key words that need to be addressed: grace, saved, faith, mercy, and workmanship.
Grace is the underserved love and attention of God. We are born sinners into this world, and it is through grace that we are saved. In other words, grace can be described as getting something we don’t deserve. To be saved is to be delivered from death. Faith is the bridge between believing in something and wholeheartedly trusting in something. True faith is belief plus trust. Mercy is not getting what you deserve to get. Workmanship is another way of saying masterpiece.
So, let’s put Ephesians 2:8-10 another way. It is by the complete undeserving love and attention of God that we have been delivered from death because you understood that you could believe in and wholeheartedly trust God as you yourself are nothing without Him who made you, His masterpiece to do the good works of Christ!
As a Christian, you understand that Christ walked the very earth we walk today as a sinless man. He then took the sin of the world on His shoulders and died a brutal death on the cross so that we could have life and have it abundantly. We don’t deserve grace and we cannot earn grace, it is a gift from God. It is through God’s grace that we can be saved by putting our faith and trust in Him, our maker. Our job on earth is to live a sanctified (Christ like) life where people will see God’s grace through us, and they won’t ask us who is that guy, but instead will ask, who made that guy? It is through our actions that we show the love of Christ, not win the love of Christ. Salvation in Christ cannot be earned it is a gift. God doesn’t keep tally marks for good and bad behavior. To enter the gates of Heaven, you don’t earn a “C” grade or better. You can be the nicest person in the world, but you cannot earn your way into God’s kingdom.
We are all sinners and we continue to make mistakes, and it is by the love and Grace of Jesus Christ that we may ask for forgiveness and be forgiven. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord, and no matter what your past looks like, Christ will forgive you if you simply put your faith in Him and ask Him into your heart.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians chapter 2
2. Have you accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? We are here to help.
3. Who do you know that may need to hear the message? Take action as that is the most important gift you can give someone!
Forgiveness
3-27-2009
When we are wronged by someone, we usually do the exact opposite of what we are called to do. We typically lash out, seek revenge, talk negative about them, etc. I know of friends of mine that have been wronged by family, close friends, and other loved ones. Sometimes these events occur in recent history, but sometimes they occur years earlier. Regardless of when we were wronged, or by whom we were wronged, it still hurts the same way, and there should always be the same outcome: forgiveness.
In Matthew 6:14-15 it says, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. WOW! Did you read/hear that? I don’t know about you, but I am going to side with the forgiveness idea. With all of the mistakes I make on a regular basis, I know I need forgiveness from God, friends, family, and anyone else I sin against. We as human beings are sinners. They key is to genuinely ask for forgiveness when you wrong someone, and to forgive those that wrong you. Easier said than done right?
We tend to think that we must forgive those that sin against us and continue to hang out with them. Not true. There will be times in your life where you will forgive someone that has sinned against you, but you may never speak with them again. The key is to honestly forgive them. If we don’t forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness.
God calls us to, “Hate what is evil and cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9). In other words don’t hang around evil people. If they sin against you, forgive them as God forgives you, but move on! Run from negative, evil, and manipulative people. Do not allow yourself to be run over in the attempt of forgiveness. We’ve all heard the saying “forgive and forget”, and this can go another way, forgive the people that wrong you and forget about them. Do not allow other people’s problems to become your problems. We need to love them and be an example for them, but not at the expense of your health. Again, you will become who you hang around!
If you know of a believer in Christ that is sinning, be it against you or not, Christ gives us clear direction as to how to handle the situation in Matthew 18: 15-17. The idea behind these versus is to aid all believers into living a life of harmony. If you are holding on to something that keeps you from becoming all God wants you to be, let it go! Do not allow an event from the past to linger. Do not allow a negative comment from someone mess with your head. Allow God to give you the ability to forgive all of those that have wronged you.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 4:25-32.
2. Who do you need to forgive? What’s keeping your from doing so right now?
When we are wronged by someone, we usually do the exact opposite of what we are called to do. We typically lash out, seek revenge, talk negative about them, etc. I know of friends of mine that have been wronged by family, close friends, and other loved ones. Sometimes these events occur in recent history, but sometimes they occur years earlier. Regardless of when we were wronged, or by whom we were wronged, it still hurts the same way, and there should always be the same outcome: forgiveness.
In Matthew 6:14-15 it says, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. WOW! Did you read/hear that? I don’t know about you, but I am going to side with the forgiveness idea. With all of the mistakes I make on a regular basis, I know I need forgiveness from God, friends, family, and anyone else I sin against. We as human beings are sinners. They key is to genuinely ask for forgiveness when you wrong someone, and to forgive those that wrong you. Easier said than done right?
We tend to think that we must forgive those that sin against us and continue to hang out with them. Not true. There will be times in your life where you will forgive someone that has sinned against you, but you may never speak with them again. The key is to honestly forgive them. If we don’t forgive others, we are denying our common ground as sinners in need of God’s forgiveness.
God calls us to, “Hate what is evil and cling to what is good.” (Romans 12:9). In other words don’t hang around evil people. If they sin against you, forgive them as God forgives you, but move on! Run from negative, evil, and manipulative people. Do not allow yourself to be run over in the attempt of forgiveness. We’ve all heard the saying “forgive and forget”, and this can go another way, forgive the people that wrong you and forget about them. Do not allow other people’s problems to become your problems. We need to love them and be an example for them, but not at the expense of your health. Again, you will become who you hang around!
If you know of a believer in Christ that is sinning, be it against you or not, Christ gives us clear direction as to how to handle the situation in Matthew 18: 15-17. The idea behind these versus is to aid all believers into living a life of harmony. If you are holding on to something that keeps you from becoming all God wants you to be, let it go! Do not allow an event from the past to linger. Do not allow a negative comment from someone mess with your head. Allow God to give you the ability to forgive all of those that have wronged you.
Application:
1. Read Ephesians 4:25-32.
2. Who do you need to forgive? What’s keeping your from doing so right now?
Boldness
3-26-2009
The song you hear when going to www.loganstout.com is by a Christian band called Casting Crowns, and the first time I heard this song I was blown away. I felt convicted in a way. I want to encourage you to listen to the song all the way through, and really focus on the words. The message I receive is “Be the Body of Christ.” Christ called us to love one another, to have pure hearts, and to be Christ like. Here’s the problem, too many people have no idea who Christ really is. You cannot truly love something or someone without truly knowing them first. If you don’t truly know Christ, you cannot possibly love Him, or imitate Him.
When I was a youth minister, I recall a couple of times when people would say to me, “you just don’t seem like a youth minister.” I would of course ask the question, “What makes you say that,” knowing all along why they made the comment. “Well, you’re just…just…you have such a strong personality. When I think of a youth minister, usually I think of someone with a very nice personality and sort of passive in a way, and they are very non-confrontational. You seem so driven.” I would always sort of chuckle and then move on.
You see, the reason I chuckle when that is said, is I 100% agree. Here’s the problem I have, Christ wasn’t a typical youth minister. Christ went against the grain. He was bold, and yes, he was confrontational. Take a quick look at the first time Jesus cleared the temple in John 2: 13-17, and then again in Matthew 21:12-13. The Bible says, “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” Does that sound like someone with a weak personality? NO. Does that sound like someone that is passive? NO! If you read the words and actions of Christ, he was the toughest man alive! He had the strongest personality of anyone I’ve ever known or read about. He was bold for what was right, and literally overthrew tables in the temple when the merchants did wrong! Jesus is the most driven person to ever walk the earth, and YES HE WALKED THE EARTH. Jesus did not dodge confrontation and he certainly didn’t beat around the bush. He wasn’t concerned with disrupting others beliefs, He delivered the message of God both with His actions and His words. Does this sound passive, “My you never bear fruit again,” I think not. How about this one, “Have you never read in the Scriptures?” You get the point.
When I see believers of Christ, and yes many times they are the leaders of churches, act the way a “typical youth minister” is described, I immediately get concerned. We cannot change the world if we are weak and passive. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe in beating people over the head with the bible. I believe in standing up for what is right, and BEING THE BODY OF CHRIST, as the song on the website describes. Live how Christ lived. How do we know how Christ lived? Read the bible! You will be blown away at His boldness and fearlessness. Read the book of Matthew and pay close attention to Christs’ to the point message, and his boldness. I love Matthew 26:38, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” This is Christ speaking bluntly and directly to his disciples.
I love Christ’s drive. I want to encourage you to read Jesus last words, also known as His Great Commission In Matthew 28: 18-20. He was driven to spread the message for His entire life on earth.
My message this morning could possibly lead people the wrong way, so let me clarify. Do not try to be someone you aren’t. We are all born with different demeanors, and some of us are more passive than others. Christ is the only sinless person to ever walk the earth. Christ is patient, kind, humble, and everything he did was out of love, and this has some people confused about the demeanor of Christ. Stand up for what you believe in, and stay driven to continue to spread the word of Christ, and yes, sometimes that means you are going to have to be a little confrontational. In everything you do, do it out of love, and hopefully you don’t have to overturn tables at your church. J
Application:
1. Read as much of the “red letters” in the book of Matthew and notice how to the point Christ was when he spoke.
2. Do you truly understand the personality of Christ? If not, read about him in the book of Matthew.
The song you hear when going to www.loganstout.com is by a Christian band called Casting Crowns, and the first time I heard this song I was blown away. I felt convicted in a way. I want to encourage you to listen to the song all the way through, and really focus on the words. The message I receive is “Be the Body of Christ.” Christ called us to love one another, to have pure hearts, and to be Christ like. Here’s the problem, too many people have no idea who Christ really is. You cannot truly love something or someone without truly knowing them first. If you don’t truly know Christ, you cannot possibly love Him, or imitate Him.
When I was a youth minister, I recall a couple of times when people would say to me, “you just don’t seem like a youth minister.” I would of course ask the question, “What makes you say that,” knowing all along why they made the comment. “Well, you’re just…just…you have such a strong personality. When I think of a youth minister, usually I think of someone with a very nice personality and sort of passive in a way, and they are very non-confrontational. You seem so driven.” I would always sort of chuckle and then move on.
You see, the reason I chuckle when that is said, is I 100% agree. Here’s the problem I have, Christ wasn’t a typical youth minister. Christ went against the grain. He was bold, and yes, he was confrontational. Take a quick look at the first time Jesus cleared the temple in John 2: 13-17, and then again in Matthew 21:12-13. The Bible says, “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” Does that sound like someone with a weak personality? NO. Does that sound like someone that is passive? NO! If you read the words and actions of Christ, he was the toughest man alive! He had the strongest personality of anyone I’ve ever known or read about. He was bold for what was right, and literally overthrew tables in the temple when the merchants did wrong! Jesus is the most driven person to ever walk the earth, and YES HE WALKED THE EARTH. Jesus did not dodge confrontation and he certainly didn’t beat around the bush. He wasn’t concerned with disrupting others beliefs, He delivered the message of God both with His actions and His words. Does this sound passive, “My you never bear fruit again,” I think not. How about this one, “Have you never read in the Scriptures?” You get the point.
When I see believers of Christ, and yes many times they are the leaders of churches, act the way a “typical youth minister” is described, I immediately get concerned. We cannot change the world if we are weak and passive. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe in beating people over the head with the bible. I believe in standing up for what is right, and BEING THE BODY OF CHRIST, as the song on the website describes. Live how Christ lived. How do we know how Christ lived? Read the bible! You will be blown away at His boldness and fearlessness. Read the book of Matthew and pay close attention to Christs’ to the point message, and his boldness. I love Matthew 26:38, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” This is Christ speaking bluntly and directly to his disciples.
I love Christ’s drive. I want to encourage you to read Jesus last words, also known as His Great Commission In Matthew 28: 18-20. He was driven to spread the message for His entire life on earth.
My message this morning could possibly lead people the wrong way, so let me clarify. Do not try to be someone you aren’t. We are all born with different demeanors, and some of us are more passive than others. Christ is the only sinless person to ever walk the earth. Christ is patient, kind, humble, and everything he did was out of love, and this has some people confused about the demeanor of Christ. Stand up for what you believe in, and stay driven to continue to spread the word of Christ, and yes, sometimes that means you are going to have to be a little confrontational. In everything you do, do it out of love, and hopefully you don’t have to overturn tables at your church. J
Application:
1. Read as much of the “red letters” in the book of Matthew and notice how to the point Christ was when he spoke.
2. Do you truly understand the personality of Christ? If not, read about him in the book of Matthew.
Avoiding Negative People
3-25-2009
God has called us to love our neighbor as ourselves. I truly believe in this teaching, yet I feel we get off course on a couple of fronts. First, we are called to love not judge, yet human beings, and sometimes especially Christians, can be extremely guilty of the later. The first point I want to make is LOVE one another. In Matthew 7: 1-6 we have a perfect message from Jesus telling us not to judge one another. Romans 12, Paul informs us there is only one judge, GOD, yet we continue to look down on people.
Here’s the second point, just because we are called to love one another that doesn’t mean you are going to like everyone. Not only are you not going to like everyone, there are some people you simply shouldn’t hang out with.
As an athlete, I competed on many teams throughout my career, and I can assure you, I didn’t hang out with every player I played with. While I was playing minor league baseball, there is one teammate of mine that I absolutely couldn’t stand being around because he was extremely negative about everything. Please understand, I know he had some great qualities, and I did all I could to plant the seed of kindness and love of Christ that I could without being overbearing, but I had a hard time showing God’s love while with this teammate of mine. What did I do? I stopped hanging out with him and simply started praying for him. God calls us to reach our hand down in the well to help the lost escape. We aren’t supposed to jump down in the well with them, and anytime I was around him, I felt like I was stuck in the well!
Negativity is contagious, so run from it! I believe you will become who you hang around no matter how in tune you are with your surroundings. We are all human, thus we are all sinners. The key is to love on these individuals and help them overcome their negativity without you becoming like them. Negativity clings to negativity. Complainers love to find other complainers to hang out with. I can assure you, where there is one bad apple, you will find more right next to them. Who sucks the life out of you? Stop hanging out with them. Who fills your energy tank up? Hang out with them. I love hanging out with positive people. I feed off of their energy, thus I am more productive and I have a much better outlook on life. You cannot put a price tag on positive people!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 7: 1-6
2. What steps do you need to take to distance yourself from people that bring you down?
3. What is it exactly that they do to make you feel this way?
4. Is there a chance that they aren’t negative, but you feel insecure around them?
God has called us to love our neighbor as ourselves. I truly believe in this teaching, yet I feel we get off course on a couple of fronts. First, we are called to love not judge, yet human beings, and sometimes especially Christians, can be extremely guilty of the later. The first point I want to make is LOVE one another. In Matthew 7: 1-6 we have a perfect message from Jesus telling us not to judge one another. Romans 12, Paul informs us there is only one judge, GOD, yet we continue to look down on people.
Here’s the second point, just because we are called to love one another that doesn’t mean you are going to like everyone. Not only are you not going to like everyone, there are some people you simply shouldn’t hang out with.
As an athlete, I competed on many teams throughout my career, and I can assure you, I didn’t hang out with every player I played with. While I was playing minor league baseball, there is one teammate of mine that I absolutely couldn’t stand being around because he was extremely negative about everything. Please understand, I know he had some great qualities, and I did all I could to plant the seed of kindness and love of Christ that I could without being overbearing, but I had a hard time showing God’s love while with this teammate of mine. What did I do? I stopped hanging out with him and simply started praying for him. God calls us to reach our hand down in the well to help the lost escape. We aren’t supposed to jump down in the well with them, and anytime I was around him, I felt like I was stuck in the well!
Negativity is contagious, so run from it! I believe you will become who you hang around no matter how in tune you are with your surroundings. We are all human, thus we are all sinners. The key is to love on these individuals and help them overcome their negativity without you becoming like them. Negativity clings to negativity. Complainers love to find other complainers to hang out with. I can assure you, where there is one bad apple, you will find more right next to them. Who sucks the life out of you? Stop hanging out with them. Who fills your energy tank up? Hang out with them. I love hanging out with positive people. I feed off of their energy, thus I am more productive and I have a much better outlook on life. You cannot put a price tag on positive people!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 7: 1-6
2. What steps do you need to take to distance yourself from people that bring you down?
3. What is it exactly that they do to make you feel this way?
4. Is there a chance that they aren’t negative, but you feel insecure around them?
Solid Foundation
3-24-2009
I just arrived home from the Tom Landry leadership award dinner hosted by Dallas Baptist University where former Frisco mayor, Mike Simpson, was the recipient of the prestigious award. It was a beautiful banquet with a lot of high profile mayors, business leaders, and community pioneers. A central theme to the Tom Landry Leadership Award is servant leadership, a true honor. As Mike Simpson spoke there were a few key thoughts he had that really made an impact. First, he recognized his team. He acknowledged the city manager of Frisco and the rest of the staff, and admitted that he would not have made much of an impact if it weren’t for their help. Last, he thanked his family, the most important team! It was at this point, that I couldn’t help but get a little choked up. It’s almost as if he could recollect the long, hard journey that took place in order for him to get to the point where he was at that moment, receiving the Tom Landry Leadership Award. There was one group of people on this earth that witnessed the entire journey, his family. His wife spoke about the many times he would come home from work with a full briefcase of work to be done, but once he walked in the door, he put the briefcase down and focused on his family. Once the kids and his wife were in bed, he would stay up late at night finishing the work that needed to be completed. Mike Simpson had his priorities straight. I personally met his family tonight and noticed how all three of his kids and grandkids had come in town to share in this special time in Mike Simpson’s life. Mike Simpson is a very successful businessman who worked as hard as anyone, but he was an even better husband, father, and family man. He had his priorities straight, thus he was able to enjoy this incredible moment with a huge group of people and not by his lonesome! Mike Simpson is a living example of how one can accomplish incredible things, while at the same time keeping the most important aspects of his life his priority! One of the keys to Mike Simpson’s success was the living example he made for his family. He made time for his family, and when his senior pastor was interviewed, he made it very clear that Mike was always called upon at the church. Mike had balance in his life that very few are able to understand. He worked hard, played hard, loved hard, and prayed hard. Everything he has done he did it with excellence, passion, and in a God-honoring way.
I strongly doubt that Mike had a perfect life. In fact I know he didn’t. Mike and I have a business relationship, and I know his upbringing. He has worked very hard for what he has accomplished, and he knows he is blessed. Along the way, he had to live in seven different states and eight different counties. There were many hurdles he had to carry his family over, yet he stayed focused.
If you want to be able to accomplish success and leave a legacy where lives are changed you must understand the importance of building a solid foundation. Truly successful people have a deep rooted foundation in Christ that carries them through the tough times, and if you can show me someone that has accomplished great things, I guarantee you they have had to jump over many hurdles to get there. There aren’t any shortcuts to success, and if your foundation is built on solid ground, you will survive the tough times. If your foundation is built on sand you will sink! Anyone can proclaim their love of Christ when everything is going perfect, but only true followers of Jesus Christ walk the walk during good and bad times. When you have a solid foundation in Christ, you are able to overcome anything, and do so with a joyous and gracious heart. Mike Simpson is the man he is today because he has a solid foundation in Christ Jesus.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 8:21-27
2. Is your house build on rock or on sand?
3. What are you doing daily to keep your foundation solid?
I just arrived home from the Tom Landry leadership award dinner hosted by Dallas Baptist University where former Frisco mayor, Mike Simpson, was the recipient of the prestigious award. It was a beautiful banquet with a lot of high profile mayors, business leaders, and community pioneers. A central theme to the Tom Landry Leadership Award is servant leadership, a true honor. As Mike Simpson spoke there were a few key thoughts he had that really made an impact. First, he recognized his team. He acknowledged the city manager of Frisco and the rest of the staff, and admitted that he would not have made much of an impact if it weren’t for their help. Last, he thanked his family, the most important team! It was at this point, that I couldn’t help but get a little choked up. It’s almost as if he could recollect the long, hard journey that took place in order for him to get to the point where he was at that moment, receiving the Tom Landry Leadership Award. There was one group of people on this earth that witnessed the entire journey, his family. His wife spoke about the many times he would come home from work with a full briefcase of work to be done, but once he walked in the door, he put the briefcase down and focused on his family. Once the kids and his wife were in bed, he would stay up late at night finishing the work that needed to be completed. Mike Simpson had his priorities straight. I personally met his family tonight and noticed how all three of his kids and grandkids had come in town to share in this special time in Mike Simpson’s life. Mike Simpson is a very successful businessman who worked as hard as anyone, but he was an even better husband, father, and family man. He had his priorities straight, thus he was able to enjoy this incredible moment with a huge group of people and not by his lonesome! Mike Simpson is a living example of how one can accomplish incredible things, while at the same time keeping the most important aspects of his life his priority! One of the keys to Mike Simpson’s success was the living example he made for his family. He made time for his family, and when his senior pastor was interviewed, he made it very clear that Mike was always called upon at the church. Mike had balance in his life that very few are able to understand. He worked hard, played hard, loved hard, and prayed hard. Everything he has done he did it with excellence, passion, and in a God-honoring way.
I strongly doubt that Mike had a perfect life. In fact I know he didn’t. Mike and I have a business relationship, and I know his upbringing. He has worked very hard for what he has accomplished, and he knows he is blessed. Along the way, he had to live in seven different states and eight different counties. There were many hurdles he had to carry his family over, yet he stayed focused.
If you want to be able to accomplish success and leave a legacy where lives are changed you must understand the importance of building a solid foundation. Truly successful people have a deep rooted foundation in Christ that carries them through the tough times, and if you can show me someone that has accomplished great things, I guarantee you they have had to jump over many hurdles to get there. There aren’t any shortcuts to success, and if your foundation is built on solid ground, you will survive the tough times. If your foundation is built on sand you will sink! Anyone can proclaim their love of Christ when everything is going perfect, but only true followers of Jesus Christ walk the walk during good and bad times. When you have a solid foundation in Christ, you are able to overcome anything, and do so with a joyous and gracious heart. Mike Simpson is the man he is today because he has a solid foundation in Christ Jesus.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 8:21-27
2. Is your house build on rock or on sand?
3. What are you doing daily to keep your foundation solid?
Time
3-23-2009
Time is such a valuable, yet underappreciated blessing that many times we don’t appreciate until it’s gone. In sports, time runs out and you either win or lose the game. For strategic purposes you can call a “time out” as if to stop time. Many of the most memorable highlights and championships took place as time ran out leaving players full of joy and others full of regret. I grew up playing basketball, and have watched a lot of NBA games. One pet peeve I have always had when watching a basketball game, or any sporting event for that matter, is how much harder the players play when time is running out. Why don’t they work as hard as they can the entire game? The off season is a time to relax, not the first quarter.
In life, we cannot call time out, so we must understand the importance of our time each and every day. As many of you probably know, I stay very busy, and people always ask me where I find the time. A great friend of mine asked me where I find the time to write these devotionals each day, and my response was very simple, “I don’t find the time, I make the time.” We all have the same exact amount of time each and every day, twenty four hours, and how you spend that time will ultimately leave you fulfilled or empty inside.
It is extremely important to understand the difference between activity and productivity. I know a lot of people that are extremely active, and as a result their family, marriage, and personal development all suffer. Those that are extremely productive are using their time wisely. Truly successful (reaching your God-given potential in life) people schedule time in their day for personal development, their family, and their marriage. I know a lot of people that have a lot of money and they are miserable. They spend all of their time making money thinking that’s going to make them happy when nothing could be further from the truth. Remember, I am blessed to be a millionaire, so I am not a broke person making these comments, I am simply saying, you will make money when you are doing things you are passionate about. The best part, is you will enjoy the money with your loved ones, if you MAKE time for them.
I run four companies, and I can promise you that I could never “find the time” to be a loving husband, work on myself, and build solid relationships with loved ones. I have to schedule the time. My wife and I have our date night every Friday night, and set aside time to read the bible and pray regularly. I put those events on the calendar the same way I do a huge business meeting. What you have to understand is those should be a priority over EVERY business meeting. We cannot put a price tag on personal development and your valued relationships. In order to work on yourself, you must spend time doing so. In order to be the best husband, father, mother, brother, son, etc. you need to be, it must be planned. Success happens by design, not by accident. Just like we cannot “find the time” to be successful, you will never “find the time” to be the best you can be at everything you do. You must make the time. My wife and I have on the schedule every morning to go to the gym and work on our physical being, so doesn’t it makes sense to schedule even more time working on our spiritual being?
Christ clearly informs us to focus on today and to live each day to the fullest. What can you do each day to enable you to be the best parent, student, child, spouse, teacher, coach, minister, person you can be? Don’t wait until time is running out to work your hardest. Don’t wait until the last second to be the best person you can be. Don’t wait until the last second to live out the passions God has put on your heart. Stop surviving and start living! Remember, there aren’t time outs, so live each day as if it were your last.
Application:
1. What time wasters do you need to get rid of in your life (TV is a good start)?
2. What do you need to be more intentional about that will lead you in the right direction towards success?
3. Read Matthew 6: 25-34
Time is such a valuable, yet underappreciated blessing that many times we don’t appreciate until it’s gone. In sports, time runs out and you either win or lose the game. For strategic purposes you can call a “time out” as if to stop time. Many of the most memorable highlights and championships took place as time ran out leaving players full of joy and others full of regret. I grew up playing basketball, and have watched a lot of NBA games. One pet peeve I have always had when watching a basketball game, or any sporting event for that matter, is how much harder the players play when time is running out. Why don’t they work as hard as they can the entire game? The off season is a time to relax, not the first quarter.
In life, we cannot call time out, so we must understand the importance of our time each and every day. As many of you probably know, I stay very busy, and people always ask me where I find the time. A great friend of mine asked me where I find the time to write these devotionals each day, and my response was very simple, “I don’t find the time, I make the time.” We all have the same exact amount of time each and every day, twenty four hours, and how you spend that time will ultimately leave you fulfilled or empty inside.
It is extremely important to understand the difference between activity and productivity. I know a lot of people that are extremely active, and as a result their family, marriage, and personal development all suffer. Those that are extremely productive are using their time wisely. Truly successful (reaching your God-given potential in life) people schedule time in their day for personal development, their family, and their marriage. I know a lot of people that have a lot of money and they are miserable. They spend all of their time making money thinking that’s going to make them happy when nothing could be further from the truth. Remember, I am blessed to be a millionaire, so I am not a broke person making these comments, I am simply saying, you will make money when you are doing things you are passionate about. The best part, is you will enjoy the money with your loved ones, if you MAKE time for them.
I run four companies, and I can promise you that I could never “find the time” to be a loving husband, work on myself, and build solid relationships with loved ones. I have to schedule the time. My wife and I have our date night every Friday night, and set aside time to read the bible and pray regularly. I put those events on the calendar the same way I do a huge business meeting. What you have to understand is those should be a priority over EVERY business meeting. We cannot put a price tag on personal development and your valued relationships. In order to work on yourself, you must spend time doing so. In order to be the best husband, father, mother, brother, son, etc. you need to be, it must be planned. Success happens by design, not by accident. Just like we cannot “find the time” to be successful, you will never “find the time” to be the best you can be at everything you do. You must make the time. My wife and I have on the schedule every morning to go to the gym and work on our physical being, so doesn’t it makes sense to schedule even more time working on our spiritual being?
Christ clearly informs us to focus on today and to live each day to the fullest. What can you do each day to enable you to be the best parent, student, child, spouse, teacher, coach, minister, person you can be? Don’t wait until time is running out to work your hardest. Don’t wait until the last second to be the best person you can be. Don’t wait until the last second to live out the passions God has put on your heart. Stop surviving and start living! Remember, there aren’t time outs, so live each day as if it were your last.
Application:
1. What time wasters do you need to get rid of in your life (TV is a good start)?
2. What do you need to be more intentional about that will lead you in the right direction towards success?
3. Read Matthew 6: 25-34
Hope
3-20-2009
We completed our last day of baseball camps today, and throughout the week, you can probably imagine all of the questions I receive from hopeful parents. Questions such as, “What would it take for my son to make one of your Dallas Patriots teams,” and, “at what age does my son really need to start focusing on baseball over some of the other sports,” are asked regularly. I love working with kids, and I really love teaming up with their parents to help each boy fulfill his dream of playing baseball at the highest level, and today was no different. We actually had to teach an 11 year old to throw with his left hand when he had been throwing right handed his entire life! I have to admit, that was a first. His dad and his coach were both amazed at the progress this 11 year old boy had made in only 3 days, which brings me to today’s topic: HOPE!
If you take a quick peak back at the two questions I mentioned earlier, you will notice both of them evolved from a “hopeful” parent. If that parent didn’t think their son had a chance to make one of our Dallas Patriots teams, they wouldn’t have even asked me about the topic. Quick background so you can understand the situation. Our camps are held at our indoor baseball facility, Premier Baseball Academy, and they are open to everyone. We have a totally separate entity, the Dallas Patriots, which is made of the best baseball players in the country. We have teams starting with 6 year olds all the way to 18 year olds, and any kid would be blessed to make one of these teams, so when working with non-Patriots players at camp, many of them HOPE they can make it one day into our program.
I believe that hope evolves from a confidence that is instilled in you. When you are confident about something, you become hopeful, and based on the improvement at our camps, non-Patriots become hopeful they can make one of our teams. When you become confident, you become hopeful. With that hope, you become motivated to work hard at something. What are you hopeful for? What is it that keeps you going?
One of my favorite versus in the bible about the subject of hope occurs in Philippians 3:13-14, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” I love Paul’s message of pressing forward. The past is the past, and we all have one! We have all made mistakes that we wish we could do over, but we can’t. To focus on something you have no control over is wasting time and energy. You cannot rewrite the past, but you do have chapters of blank pages starting you in the face. Just as Paul had a horrible past (he was a key factor in the killing of Christians when he was Saul), yet the HOPE he found in Christ Jesus, he was able to let go of the past guilt, and focus on what God had put before him. Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on the past. The grace of God gives all of us hope that we can be, do, and have more!
In the example of the 11 year old boy and his dad, we simply encouraged them to forget the past and take action on the here and now. We cannot go back years earlier and have him start throwing left handed at the start of his baseball career, but we can buy him a glove for his right hand and start pressing forward NOW! The 11 year old was struggling at the beginning, but we continued to encourage him until he believed he could do it. Why did he believe he could make the change from throwing right handed to left handed? He had hope! Hope is the same reason Victor Frankel was able to survive the Nazi prison camps. Hope is the reason people survive cancer. Hope is the reason you continue to fight during hard times. Whatever you do, never give up! Never lose Hope! As Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” If all of your hope is in anything other than Christ, you have put all of your eggs in a basket with holes. Understand this very important point: everything comes and goes on this earth, but Christ is the one constant that will never forsake you! Put all of your trust and hope in Him, and you can rest assured, you will never play the game of life alone.
Application:
1. What area(s) in your life is lacking in hope, and what steps do you need to take to regain the confidence necessary to restore hope? (relationships, job, fitness, etc.)
2. Where do you rest your hope? (Things of this world, or in Christ)
3. Read Luke 18:35-42…understanding that Hope in Christ Jesus led the blind man in Jericho to ask for sight! No matter how desperate your situation is, if you put your faith and hope in Christ, He will be there because He is there. Just call on Him!
We completed our last day of baseball camps today, and throughout the week, you can probably imagine all of the questions I receive from hopeful parents. Questions such as, “What would it take for my son to make one of your Dallas Patriots teams,” and, “at what age does my son really need to start focusing on baseball over some of the other sports,” are asked regularly. I love working with kids, and I really love teaming up with their parents to help each boy fulfill his dream of playing baseball at the highest level, and today was no different. We actually had to teach an 11 year old to throw with his left hand when he had been throwing right handed his entire life! I have to admit, that was a first. His dad and his coach were both amazed at the progress this 11 year old boy had made in only 3 days, which brings me to today’s topic: HOPE!
If you take a quick peak back at the two questions I mentioned earlier, you will notice both of them evolved from a “hopeful” parent. If that parent didn’t think their son had a chance to make one of our Dallas Patriots teams, they wouldn’t have even asked me about the topic. Quick background so you can understand the situation. Our camps are held at our indoor baseball facility, Premier Baseball Academy, and they are open to everyone. We have a totally separate entity, the Dallas Patriots, which is made of the best baseball players in the country. We have teams starting with 6 year olds all the way to 18 year olds, and any kid would be blessed to make one of these teams, so when working with non-Patriots players at camp, many of them HOPE they can make it one day into our program.
I believe that hope evolves from a confidence that is instilled in you. When you are confident about something, you become hopeful, and based on the improvement at our camps, non-Patriots become hopeful they can make one of our teams. When you become confident, you become hopeful. With that hope, you become motivated to work hard at something. What are you hopeful for? What is it that keeps you going?
One of my favorite versus in the bible about the subject of hope occurs in Philippians 3:13-14, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” I love Paul’s message of pressing forward. The past is the past, and we all have one! We have all made mistakes that we wish we could do over, but we can’t. To focus on something you have no control over is wasting time and energy. You cannot rewrite the past, but you do have chapters of blank pages starting you in the face. Just as Paul had a horrible past (he was a key factor in the killing of Christians when he was Saul), yet the HOPE he found in Christ Jesus, he was able to let go of the past guilt, and focus on what God had put before him. Learn from the past, but don’t dwell on the past. The grace of God gives all of us hope that we can be, do, and have more!
In the example of the 11 year old boy and his dad, we simply encouraged them to forget the past and take action on the here and now. We cannot go back years earlier and have him start throwing left handed at the start of his baseball career, but we can buy him a glove for his right hand and start pressing forward NOW! The 11 year old was struggling at the beginning, but we continued to encourage him until he believed he could do it. Why did he believe he could make the change from throwing right handed to left handed? He had hope! Hope is the same reason Victor Frankel was able to survive the Nazi prison camps. Hope is the reason people survive cancer. Hope is the reason you continue to fight during hard times. Whatever you do, never give up! Never lose Hope! As Paul says in Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” If all of your hope is in anything other than Christ, you have put all of your eggs in a basket with holes. Understand this very important point: everything comes and goes on this earth, but Christ is the one constant that will never forsake you! Put all of your trust and hope in Him, and you can rest assured, you will never play the game of life alone.
Application:
1. What area(s) in your life is lacking in hope, and what steps do you need to take to regain the confidence necessary to restore hope? (relationships, job, fitness, etc.)
2. Where do you rest your hope? (Things of this world, or in Christ)
3. Read Luke 18:35-42…understanding that Hope in Christ Jesus led the blind man in Jericho to ask for sight! No matter how desperate your situation is, if you put your faith and hope in Christ, He will be there because He is there. Just call on Him!
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