Alphabetical
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April 30, 2007
Set:
The ultimate thrill for a baseball player is to see a ball he just hit fly over the ballpark fence for a home run. When we ask Jesus Christ into our lives, we can have that same feeling--one of exhilaration and liberation. We are free from our burdens of sin. But like the ballplayer who hits the homer, we have some "bases" to run in order to get the score.
The first base in our Christian walk is CONFESSION: a daily and initial confession of our own sins and mistakes.
The second base is SANCTIFICATION: becoming more like Jesus, loving and forgiving others as He forgave us.
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April 20, 2012
Set:
To persevere means to persist in an undertaking in spite of opposition or discouragement. The 2007 Boston Marathon was run under adverse weather conditions. The temperature was in the low 40's, and the wind blew at 30 miles per hour blowing gusts that reached up to 50. To run in those conditions takes more than training, more than carbo-loading, more than simply desiring to finish the race. That day, it took a will to persist in spite of opposition and extreme discouragement.
Hebrews 12:1 gives a command to develop perseverance. Satan is a formidable enemy. To overcome him takes more than training, more than doing the right thing, more than desiring to be good. To defeat our spiritual enemy takes perseverance. How do you develop perseverance?
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November 24, 2008
Set:
Edwin Moses glided fluidly over the track of Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. He had no idea he was being watched by someone who had no idea who he was. The power of his stride captivated the observer who was dazzled. Though the spectator didn’t know the runner, he was awed by what he saw.
The observer was playing tennis with a friend and asked, “Who is that?”
”That’s the Olympic hurdler Edwin Moses,” the friend said. “Allegedly he practices over here because Oglethorpe has the best track surface in the area.”
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September 15, 2006
Set:
The writer of the book of Hebrews makes use of athletic imagery as he encourages his Christian allies in their relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ. He begins by reminding them of those who have gone before them ("witnesses") and have successfully completed their race, and then he offers sound advice on how to win.
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