Courage

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13, 14

The passage above is a phenomenal charge. So often we know what we need to do but we neglect what is important. Each of us can probably list ten things that we need to get done today alone. This week I read an article that talked about how lack of discipline can prevent accomplishing goals. One of the points made in the article is that people constantly let their lives become interrupted. To do lists take a back seat to unscheduled activities that change plans in the blink of an eye. Can you relate? I certainly can.

With so many things vying for your time this season, have you sat down to think about what is really important for you and your family this Christmas? Maybe it is spending quality time at home with your kid’s without the television on. Or maybe it is spending a morning serving together as a family. It takes courage to stick to plans and manage time efficiently and it always takes courage to say no.

As we quickly approach Christmas, our hope is that you would take the charge from 1 Corinthians and find courage to continue leading your family. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week.

-Matt

Teamwork

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9, 10

One of the amazing benefits of being around a church during Christmas time is hearing about and experiencing generous acts of service. A few weeks ago, a couple thousand Christmas gift boxes for families in need were delivered here from people in the community. Those boxes are being shipped around the world to families that can’t afford gifts. For thanksgiving, meals were dropped off to be delivered to local families in need. Imagine the excitement of receiving a Thanksgiving feast when you’re unsure of when and where your next meal is coming.

We have all been in tough situations, in which we need a helping hand. In the passage above it talks about the values of having a companion or helper. Think this week about someone that might need your support, time or help. Let us be thankful for those that have helped us and willing to lend a helping hand this Christmas.

Matt

Perseverance

“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything.” James 1:4

It is not our nature to enjoy pain. Both physical and emotional pain can be unbearable at times, so I have heard but thankfully never really experienced. Sometimes I try to put myself into the shoes of someone else, because there is no way to know what the next hour, day, or year has in store for us. I think about families in Haiti and what it must be like to lose parents, children and friends in the blink of an eye. The world we live in can change instantly. Some of you might be in the midst of trials right now. On the outside you may look fine, but deep down there is pain and suffering.

In Galatians, Paul says that someday we will “reap, if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).” It is encouraging to know that we will be rewarded for our genuine obedience. The trials that we face, both big and small, will only last a short time. In 1 Peter 1:6-7 it says, “for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith… may be found.” When we are faced with trials, our faith is what we fall back on. If anyone is going through a trial, I pray that joy in the Lord will carry them through. If now is not a time of trial, than let us search our hearts for what we have put our faith in. The question is not whether we will be tested, but rather is our faith rooted in a God strong enough to persevere and carry us when we are tested.

- Matt Simmonds

Strength

“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7

This passage is taken just before Cain kills his brother Abel. God speaks to Cain and challenges him to do better. Cain is coldhearted and consumed with jealousy and anger. At some point and in some way, we can all relate.

Every day we are faced with the battle against sin. In the verse above it states that “sin is crouching at your door.” Identifying sin and temptation in our lives is imperative in order to master it. How can we battle sin in our own lives? What if we are not strong enough?

In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul talks about putting on the full armor of God in order to “stand against the schemes of the devil.” Each piece of armor that is mentioned cannot be attained on our own. Truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, and the spirit are all pieces of the armor that God supplies. Each of these gifts prepares us for day to day battle. Alone we are weak but with God we are strong.

In any competition or battle, we must be equipped in order to succeed. This week I encourage you to read Ephesians 6:10-20 and to begin preparing yourself each day for the battles ahead. Thanks for reading this week and have a great Thanksgiving with friends and family.

-Matt

Commitment

“In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.” Titus 2:7,8

Baseball Hall of Fame Great, Willie Mays, once said, “It isn’t hard to be good from time to time in sports. What’s tough is being good every day.” This statement highlights how valuable a trustworthy, committed and skilled performer is. We can relate to this message in almost every area of our lives. For example, great parents are always looking out for the wellbeing of their children. Great employees are always prepared for the tasks of the day. Great performers are never out of shape. It is easy to set an example some of the time and much harder to continually be an example for others.

Being an example is a quality found in leader. In a book named “The Secret” by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller, an aspiring business leader named Debbie has a fascinating revelation. She says, “Not only do I win or lose credibility based on how well I embody the values, but I also set the tone and the example for my team. No one controls how well I do this except me. I guess it’s just part of being a leader.”

This week our challenge is be committed. The most influential leaders are continually setting the bar and the critics that oppose them are left speechless. We have much more control over our lives than we credit ourselves. “No one controls how well I do except me.”

Matt

Competition

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24

Competition has been a part of our lives for years. Some of the fiercest competition might have even come from within the family we grew up in. Parents play a part in this and certainly sibling rivalry, but even if we are an only child, we grew up competing against classmates, neighborhood friends and teammates. These days competition seems to have negative connotations. Less emphasis is placed on winning and losing in children’s sports and more emphasis on the experience. None the less, competition will always be a part of our lives and it will continue to be for all time.

A good question to ask ourselves is what is the best way to compete? In competition there are rules and guidelines to follow and an end prize or goal that we aspire for. There is much to glean from the verse above, but one of those things is the way in which we should compete. In Mark 12:30 it says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” If God is truly our Lord and Savior, than we are told to love him with every part of ourselves. If we aspire to glorify God in competition than we must use every part of ourselves to do so.

As we focus on this verse let us reflect on the ways we are not bringing glory to God. Like a good runner runs with purpose and direction, we are told to live with purpose and direction. Thank God this week for his splendor and never lose sight of the direction and purpose he enriches the lives of believers with.

-Matt

Strength

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

What are the areas in your life that require the most strength? Maybe it has to do with relationships, sickness, job loss, debt, procrastination or insecurity. All of us must face times of adversity and often there is an element of fear involved. The verse above gives what John Piper calls, “The Five Pillars of Fearlessness.”Each pillar is found in Isaiah 41:10 and each are restated below.

1. God is with me

2. God is my God

3. God will strengthen me

4. God will help me

5. God will uphold me

Whether you are going through a tough time this week or not, let our challenge be to memorize Isaiah 41:10. When life throws us a curve ball it is important to have something solid, unchanging, reliable, and relevant to hold onto. The Bible, God’s word, stays the same. This verse reminds us that we are not alone. God promises to strengthen, help and uphold us. Let us never forget these promises and be encouraged this week by the strength we receive through Jesus.

Matt

Humility

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4

There is an interesting quote from Mother Teresa about humility. It says, “If we were humble, nothing would change us – neither praise nor discouragement.” Doesn’t that make you think about our varying moods and attitudes throughout even one day? So often the way we act is a direct reflection of the condition of our own self-centeredness. The moments when we are most frustrated are often the times in which we cannot see outside of our individual circumstance. When we just focus on ourselves, we lose perspective of what is really important.

In athletics we see examples of this all the time. The athletes that we hear about week in and week out that make the most absurd comments and talk the most trash. On the other hand, in athletics there are also great examples selfless acts and true sportsmanship. These stories may not make it onto SportsCenter every night, but there are some truly great examples found in sports. One example that is worth checking out is Team Hoyt (www.teamhoyt.com). Many of you may have seen their video or read their story but it’s a perfect example of Philippians 2:4. The story of a father and his tremendous love for his son will stir your heart and give a healthy perspective. Thanks for your time and have a great week.

-Matt

Endurance

“Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.” Proverbs 10:4

“Whenever you start – give it your best. The opportunities are there to be anything you want to be. But wanting to be someone isn’t enough; dreaming about it isn’t enough; thinking about it isn’t enough. You’ve got to study for it, work for it, fight for it with all your heart and soul, because nobody is going to hand it to you.” – General Colin Powel

Hard work and endurance is well known by athletes. Talent and skill will only take us so far until we are faced with adversity. Eventually we hit a point in which we have to train through an injury, spend time studying our weak points or put in an extra hour to finish the job. Without hard work and endurance we strip ourselves from fulfilling our goals and dreams. We sacrifice now in order to accomplish what we set out for. Colin Powel says that “wanting something isn’t enough,” but the actions that we take towards accomplishing our objective will be rewarded. Good parents teach their kids this principle. In order to be prepared for the future it is essential to work hard now.

In Colossians 3:23 it says, “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.” This week we encourage you to continue working hard towards your goals and to remember who we are called to work for. Take joy from working hard and remember that God is honored and pleased with our diligent hands.

Matt

Character

Character

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4

Athletes are accustomed to suffering through gruesome practices, training programs and fitness tests. Pushing through mental and physical barriers in order to reach new levels of fitness and performance is the key to improvement on the field, court or track. Athletes understand the benefits that they will receive from temporary discomfort. Good students, employees, doctors and other professionals understand the same concept. That hard work and discomfort exerted now will be well worth it when they receive excellent grades, the promotion they worked so hard for or the ability to execute an extremely challenging medical procedure.

Suffering in our lives is a hard subject to handle but there is a lesson to be learned from the verse above when it comes to personal struggles. In the English Standard Version text, the passage reads “proven character” at the end of verse four. Just like in athletics, if you have proven yourself through performance and training then your athleticism is genuine and authentic. In our lives, struggles and hardships reveal proven character. That character is genuine and authentic. This week let us reflect upon the hardships in our lives and our response. Let the verse above be a great reminder throughout this week that when we experience trials we have the opportunity to show proven character. Through character we find hope in the promises given to us in God’s word.

Thanks for reading this week and may God bless your week and enrich your lives.

- Matt

Courage

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:13

When you hear the word courage, what thoughts come to mind? Maybe you think about movies like Gladiator and Braveheart which tell thrilling stories of bravery and sacrifice. Or perhaps you think about soldiers at war putting their lives in jeopardy day after day in order to preserve freedom and safety. In the verse listed above, Jesus talks about what we often call the ultimate sacrifice. Most often we use this phrase for soldiers that lose their lives at war. Jesus makes a connection between love, sacrifice and true friendship prior to the greatest act of sacrifice our world has ever seen.

Every day we have the opportunity to live courageously through selfless acts and sacrifices. Our acts of courage may never receive glory and praise from others but we can be sure that God see’s all that we do and rejoices with us in our victories. This week our challenge is to live courageously. Every day we are faced with temptation and unrighteous compromise. Remember the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us and have courage to live for him in return one day at a time.

Have a great week and feel free to share examples of acts of courage that you have taken this week!

- Matt

Integrity

“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9

Have you ever been caught red handed? It’s a horrible feeling isn’t it? You’re heart rate spikes, time stops and guilt rushes over you. Sometimes we feel as if no one in the world will ever know about the things we do in private or behind closed doors. Think for a moment about things you do daily, weekly and monthly that you hope no one will ever find out about. The verse above can be a hard one to digest. It says that we can hide nothing from God. He knows everything that we have ever done. Psalm 147:5 says, “great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” We find out from the Bible that God knows us inside and out. The remarkable part is that God still loves us more that we could ever imagine despite our brokenness.

In Romans 5:8 it says “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” God’s love for us shown through Jesus on the cross should compel us to live a life full of integrity. Trust that God will strengthen us as we live courageously this week.

-Matt

Teamwork

Teamwork

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interests of others.”

Philippians 2:3-4

How often do we think about me before thinking about others? It can be hard to stop thinking about ourselves. Your philosophy may even be to look out for number one and the rest will take care of itself. Paul challenges us to not only serve others but to think of others as more significant than ourselves.

Paul points to humility as the key that unlocks the door for us to show care and interest in others. Once we set aside our own selfishness whether that is with time, money, or attention than we are able to see beyond our own situations and how we can help others.

This is what teamwork is all about. Looking beyond our own personal gain in order to do what is best for the team. When you sit down to watch your favorite sporting event this week look for the best example of teamwork. Maybe it will be an offensive lineman sacrificing his body to protect his quarterback. Think of the great things that have been accomplished because of teamwork and think of ways that we can humble ourselves to care for others. Thanks for reading and have a great week.

-Matt

Perseverance

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

The dictionary defines perseverance as “steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.” How often are we faced with difficulties, obstacles and discouragement? Most of us would likely say every day, which is why perseverance is so important in each of our lives. Without it, students wouldn’t study longer, athletes wouldn’t train harder, and parents wouldn’t love better. Difficulties, obstacles, and discouragements are sure to come but we are encouraged to be “steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”

This passage in 1 Corinthians is an encouragement to those that believe in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Believing in Jesus and following Him is taking the narrow road. The narrow road is not an easy road, but it does lead to life. This week, reflect back on upon the verses in 1 Corinthians and Matthew and continue to persevere towards our reward.

-Matt

Gospel of John

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5

John 15:1-17 uses a vineyard to symbolize our relationship to God the Father. Jesus uses this imagery to reveal truth about our relationship to him. When you read, “apart from me you can do nothing,” how do you react? Does this statement stir up anger or confusion? No one likes to feel unimportant or worthless but what does Jesus mean when He talks about us being so useless apart from Him?

The verse above doesn’t mean that we are unable to carry on ordinary activities such as waking up on time, preparing a meal, and driving to work. Jesus is actually talking about our inability to produce anything with eternal value. No matter how hard we try on our own, we can never create something that will last forever.

Pastor Mark Lile used a great analogy in his sermon this week that relates to this concept. He asked who the richest man in the world was one hundred, two hundred, and three hundred years ago. Do you remember their names? No matter how successful we are on our own, everything we produce on earth will wither and die. Mark went on to mention the names of disciples like Peter, John, Matthew and James which were all ordinary men before they became a part of Jesus core group of followers. Jesus radically changed each of their lives so much that we still name our children after them.

As we move through the week, reflect on what God promises us when we abide in him and him in us. He is the only one that can impart eternal value into our lives. Praise God this week for the strength and joy he gives us through his sovereignty.

Matt

Gospel of John

John 14:6

How many ways are there to God?

This is an important question today. It is important because almost everyone claims to believe in God. It is important because almost everyone wants to establish some kind of relationship with God. It is important because people want to find a way to connect with God.

John offers us only one answer:

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

How does this relate to sports? How much faith, trust and need for a connection do we put into “our” teams and individuals and what happens when inevitably both are broken because our focus is on things of this earth rather than God? Feelings of despair, betrayal, anger and insecurity emerge.

There is only one that wipes away all those negative feelings, Jesus Christ. Athletes speak of the sacrifices they made for their careers, but let us not forget who made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He longs for a relationship from us because he is “the way and truth and the life.”

Stephen

Gospel of John

“The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

John 12:25-26 (New International Version)

We find these words in the twelfth chapter of John. The Apostle John continues to point to Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus words in this section challenge us to ask one simple question, “What do you love?" Do you love your life more than Jesus? Would you rather enjoy the pleasures of the world more than loving Jesus? These are tough questions to consider. Jesus offers us a great assurance in this section; our desire to serve Jesus over ourselves is seen by the Father and will be honored. Jesus often challenges us to consider our love for Him over our love for other things. John himself would write in 1 John that we should not love the world.

If you are like me, you realize that this is challenging. Loving God is my desire, but yet, I find the pleasures of this world so tempting. My desire for success, money, and satisfaction in this life will only leave me empty. I have experienced this first hand and can attest to the truth that the world does not satisfy. There is no greater joy in life that losing my life for sake of finding and serving Jesus Christ. For I have tasted His goodness and have found the treasure that will not be destroyed.

This is an ongoing question for each of us to consider, where does your love lie? Friends, as you read these blogs week in and week out, our goal is that it points you to Jesus. Not just the Jesus who is recorded in history, but the Jesus who gave His life for you and me. He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Savior.

I hope you know Him today.

Tim

Gospel of John

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me”

John 10:11,14

There is a very intimate relationship that is revealed here by the connection between a Shepherd and his sheep. The more we understand about a shepherd, the more we understand about God.

One of the great attributes of God is his personal love for each of us like a shepherd does for his flock. The Bible paints a picture of what it means to be a “good shepherd.” Young David explains to the king below his responsibilities as a shepherd over his father’s sheep.

In 1 Samuel 17:34-37, a new picture is painted of what being a shepherd is really all about.

“But David said to Saul, ‘Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’
Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the LORD be with you.’"

Jesus is our good shepherd. He knows each of us. He loves each of us. He gave the ultimate sacrifice for each of us.

Matt

Gospel of John

“When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’”

John 8:7

The message that Jesus teaches in chapter 8 is that we are all flawed and sinful. It is easy to pick out the sin and shortcomings of others. Jesus identifies that we must first search our own hearts for the areas in which we too come up short.

I recently moved into a home together with my wife. Just like living with anyone, we learn so much more about our spouse or roommate when living in close quarters to each other. It’s so easy to pick out flaws in one another while never self examining the issues that we each have in our own lives.

Jesus concludes his story in John 8:11 by saying “Go now and leave you life of sin.” When we realize the sin that has entangled us, Jesus commands us to change. Our challenge this week is to take some time for self examination. Once we have identified our sin, it is time to leave it. When we leave our sin behind, then we are able to run faster towards the truth and life.

- Matt

Gospel of John

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’”

John 6:35

Last week we learned that through serving others, God allows us to be filled up by Jesus himself. The verse above talks about hunger and thirst but not in the physical sense. Instead Jesus is addressing our desires.

I heard a quote a few weeks ago that really got me thinking. It roughly said, “Love, and do what you want.” It got me thinking about the freedom that God gives to believers as long as we love him. If we put God first in our lives and love him more than anything else than the decisions that we make will reflect what God truly desires. If I could choose just one rule to live by my entire life, I think it would be just that, love God first and foremost. As long as I continue to put Him first in my life I can be fully confident in the decisions that I make.

I read a book called “Just do Something” when I graduated from school and the main theme from the book was discovering the vast freedom that Jesus gives us as long as we put him first in our lives. Jesus promises to be the only one that will fulfill our needs no matter what profession we have, whether we are married, or how much money we make. What we do is less important than why we are doing it and to who’s glory we are doing it.

Our challenge this week is to focus on why we do anything and how we can start loving God first always. Thanks once again for reading this week and enjoy this challenge as we seek to grow together.

-Matt