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Mike was a great athlete. He could play almost any sport with ease. He was popular, and everyone wanted to follow his example. Mike had given his heart to Christ and had begun following God's plan, but his old friends and old ways resurfaced often. So, when he was approached recently by his friends who were going out to party and wanted him to attend, Mike had to make a choice.
When I first moved to North Carolina a number of years ago, I was blessed with a fine home. It sat on a beautiful river and was surrounded by mountains. It was idyllic in many ways, but I didn’t own it. I enjoyed its many amenities, but it wasn’t mine. And that made a big difference.
Prior to moving to Boone, I had owned my own home for many years. Renting is much different. Instead of spending a lot of time working on home improvements, as I had before, the closest thing I did to home improvement was mowing the lawn. Why? Because I wasn’t going to invest in something that was not mine. Look at any rental district, and you will see I am not alone. Rental properties are well known for the lack of care shown to them by their tenants.
With all the rain in the Chicago area this spring, I had plenty of time to watch the NFL Draft. It always intrigues me how it takes so long for teams to make their selections in each round. A team is on the clock until the final player is chosen. What a process.
What talent impresses God? No one can argue that Michael Jordan is the best basketball player ever, or that Tiger Woods is the most talented golfer in the world. But does their talent surprise God? Is Jesus amazed when Tiger sinks a fifteen-foot putt or when Jordan makes a game-winning basket? No, because He gave them these athletes their ability, so their victories are no surprise to Him. Actually, nothing surprises God. He has always known the end from the beginning in all matters.
Do you know the difference between a chicken and a pig? When it comes to a breakfast of ham and eggs, the chicken is a contributor but the pig is committed! The chicken only leaves a part of itself, while the pig has to die.
The difference between being an all-star and a benchwarmer usually has less to do with talent and more to do with the level of commitment you're willing to give to your sport. Those who succeed literally leave it all on the field because they're deeply committed to their sport and their team's success. Winners are usually found lifting weights or watching video of their opponents after the game. The rest go home to pursue meaningless activities.
I could not be more proud of my running buddy Ashley. Today, she takes a 26.2-mile victory lap around the city of Boston after months of training for the Boston Marathon. She’s worked through aches, pains, snow, wind, rain, fatigue and soreness. And now, the time has come to experience the results and rewards of the hard work.
What makes me even more proud (and quite inspired, honestly) is Ashley’s commitment to doing this wholeheartedly for the Lord. Qualifying for the Boston Marathon is an amazing achievement and can become the source of great pride for many runners. But Ashley has seized the opportunity to point all glory to the Lord and to really press in and learn from Him during the process.
I love watching football. I love watching those 300-pound linemen push their opponents down the field. The discipline they have to hold their block for 10, 15 or more yards is always very impressive. The power they show and keep throughout a play separates the good from the great.
I have known many players just like this over the years who have had the power to drive their opponents into the ground, but when it comes to other areas of their life they do not have discipline or power. They can’t help but click a mouse and go to Internet sites they don’t need to go to. They have no power to say no to others who want them to drink, do drugs or engage in sexual activities. The discipline on the field is where it stops.
This summer I was helping out a summer program with a series of outdoor trips. On one of the trips, we went whitewater rafting in the morning and then whitewater kayaking in the afternoon. Oh, and the river was a scorching 52 degrees. One of the other leaders and I wanted to go down the major rapid at the end while holding a sign in hopes of getting our picture on the display board.
Many people miss the heart of the promise in Jeremiah. Many of us forget that this promise is about God’s plans. It’s doesn’t say anything about our plans. As we develop and think about our mission and purpose on earth, we often create our own plans and then ask God to bless them. But a mission that makes a real difference, that makes the very most of our lives, comes from seeking and following God’s plans.
If we want a life-changing, earth-shattering mission—if we want real purpose in our lives—we need to empty ourselves of our ambition and our own plans for our lives. In exchange, God gives each of us a life of meaning, peace and fruitfulness.
The Gospels indicate that Jesus was flogged, mocked, and spit upon. His wrists were nailed to the cross, crushing and severing nerves and producing excruciating bolts of pain in both arms. Jesus’ feet were probably fastened with one iron spike driven through both feet. This type of crucifixion greatly interfered with normal breathing, especially exhaling. Adequate exhalation required lifting the body by pushing up on the feet and flexing the elbows. This put all the weight of the body on the foot wounds which caused even more pain. Each breath became more agonizing until; finally, he cried out in a loud voice, “It is finished!”
Jeff, a young man preparing to go to college, is new in his faith in Christ. Before heading off to school, Jeff went on an FCA mission/work trip to New Orleans with his former high school’s Huddle. The trip included many of Jeff’s friends and former teammates, but the most significant person on the trip to Jeff was his younger brother, Dan. And everyone was curious to see how Jeff would live out his new faith in front of his brother.
Jo Ellen Hornish has a love-hate relationship with auto racing. She’s been a huge fan of racing since her teenage years. It’s the part where her son Sam Hornish Jr. drives in one of those cars at speeds of 180 to 200miles per hour that she’s not crazy about. “She would have much rather I become a pastor,” Hornish Jr. says. “I’m pretty sure of that. There’s never been a time where she’s said, ‘Man, I’m glad he’s a racecar driver.’ But she knows that it makes me happy.”
The 1920 Olympic sprinter, Charles Paddock, was speaking at a school one day and said to the students, “Right in this school we may have a future Olympic champ.” Afterwards, a skinny little boy came up to him and said, “I want to be a champion runner some day.” Paddock replied, “You can if you’ll make it your dream and give it your all.”
In the first three rounds of this year’s NCAA Tournament, Davidson’s Stephen Curry absolutely torched teams, averaging 34.3 points per game and leading his team to their first Regional Championship since 1969. Though Kansas defeated Curry and the tenacious Davidson team in the Elite Eight, the Wildcats will still go down as the Cinderella team of 2008.
It was only two years ago that Curry was overlooked by several other schools whose seasons ended long before Davidson’s. Curry was a scrawny, 6-1, 155-pound senior, considered too small and frail to handle the physical play of the AAC and SEC. Many major Division I coaches could not get past his physique. But one coach, Bob McKillop, looked beneath the physical appearance and saw the heart of a champion.
In cycling, riders will follow closely behind the cyclist in front of them to decrease the effects of wind resistance. This is called drafting. Drafting allows for faster speeds at an easier effort level. When drafting, you fix your eyes on the back tire of the cyclist in front of you. This requires you to have a great deal of trust in the rider in front of you to pick a straight line, keep a steady pace and to point out pot holes and debris on the street.
Watching the Super Bowl is always an exciting event, and, with the whole world looking on, this year’s game was one of the highest-rated programs in history. With that many people watching, players are really put under a microscope. Millions of people are watching their every move, and opinions can be formed about the players in the blink of an eye.
This year, something pretty special caught my eye during, and it definitely left an impression on me. Early in the fourth quarter the Colts stalled and were forced to attempt a pretty long field goal that would have added to their lead. There was a great snap, a good hold and what looked like a good kick from Matt Stover. Unfortunately for Stover and the Colts, the kick ended up just left of the upright.
Caleb, a small quiet boy who was new to his school, was invited to an FCA game night. The time came to pick teams for basketball and two of the school’s top athletes chose sides. Bryan, a great athlete, looked for people just like him. Josh was a great athlete as well, but had another plan.
Jesus chose all kinds of people—not always the biggest, best looking, and strongest—to carry out His work. One such man was Zacchaeus. The Bible tells us he was a little man, so small he had to climb a tree to see Jesus. As the Lord passed by Zacchaeus, He stopped and chose him to spend time with. Jesus did not just say He loved others; He showed it every day.
Do the implications presented in this verse grab your attention? Do you labor or stay alert in vain? Perhaps you’ve heard the statement, “Where there is smoke; there must be fire.” The unconditional love of God is the “smoke” that demands a response of obedience, especially when it comes to our daily labor.
God, in His infinite wisdom, allows us to choose between doing things our way or His way. There are painful lessons to be learned from laboring and staying awake in vain, without the residing power of God’s Spirit. God’s preference is for us to enter into that quiet place of rest and abide in Him. He commands us to cease striving and know that He is God!
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