Happy Tuesday, folks! Yes, the title says Motivation Monday, but I had a busy day and actually forgot that I didn’t post week 1 of our Becoming Like Christ Spiritual Disciplines study. So, I apologize for the lateness, but pray that it is still helpful for you as we look at the idea of spiritual disciplines in our daily lives. Thanks for joining us this week and let’s dive in.
1 Timothy 4:7 says, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness…” (Italics were added for emphasis)
What comes to your mind when you hear the word discipline? I would say that most people today don’t like this word as it conjures up images of punishments like time-out or detention. However, disciplines do not always refer to punishment! Discipline can also refer to the practice of training ourselves in a specific skill. I mean, we all train ourselves or discipline ourselves in various ways. For example, an athlete will discipline themselves to training at a high level, eating high-protein foods and drinking lots of water everyday. A musician will discipline himself to hours of practicing a given instrument everyday. The satisfaction of doing anything with excellence can only come to those who put the work in.
Well, the same is true with our walk with Christ. If you want to walk in the fulness of joy promised to believers, followers of Jesus, we must learn to the value of discipline and commit to faithfully doing the things that will lead to our spiritual growth and joy in Christ. So, over the coming weeks we will unpack some key practices or disciplines that I pray will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ and others. As we begin to practice these disciplines, we will see how they will help us live out His purpose for our lives.
Just like any other discipline, spiritual disciplines require the investment of time, dedication and work. After all, none of us, after our conversion are absolutely perfect like Jesus. It takes time for us to be more and more like Christ. In fact, Colossians 3 is a great place for us to start today.
“If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)
In everything we do, we are either feeding our spirit or our flesh. Our behaviors and disciplines (or lack of) help to provide nourishment to either our spirit side or our flesh side. Whatever it is that you take in – food, television, music, exercise, etc. – will eventually show up in your life. If we consistently fill our minds with something, it will get to a point where we think about it all the time. So, the things you give your attention to and fill your minds with, do they feed the flesh, or do they feed your Spirit?
Our spirit and flesh are wiling to eat as much as we feed them. That’s why it is so important for us to be disciplined enough to know how and what to feed. Whatever we spend time thinking about, watching, talking about and so on, reveals the true conditions of our hearts. But when we discipline ourselves to reading and understanding Scripture daily, then it is more likely that we will be “setting our minds on things above…” The Spiritual Disciplines are essential to our faith in Christ! It is through these practices and disciplines that we will walk with the Lord and grow into the image and person of Jesus Christ. I pray that as we go through this study, you will look at the spiritual disciplines as nourishment for your soul as you strive to implement them in everyday practices in your daily life.
Get ready as we begin with the discipline of Bible Reading/Study next week. Thanks for reading and have a blessed week.
Hello and welcome back to another FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. I cannot believe that it is Friday already. On top of it being Friday, it is the last Friday in March… yesterday was just March 1st, right? I guess that means you are just having too much fun when the days begin to run together! Regardless of what month or week it is, the bottom line is it’s Friday and here is this weeks edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
ANOTHER RACE OR TWO
This week I got my official email from runDisney with my race bib and a few extra goodies for my 10 Miler that I will be doing this coming week. I have to officially submit my time by Sunday, April 3rd. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be doing something like this! I know there are a ton of runners out there and doing something like this is a walk in the park for y’all. That’s awesome on so many levels that runners can go and do marathons like it’s nothing. However, I am over here huffing and puffing, looking like a fish out of water just trying to survive. I think I really decided to do this to give myself a goal that I normally wouldn’t do. I hate I decided to do this at this stage in my life, but that actually makes it more of a challenge. I have two goals for myself during this run. One, is to simply just finish. If that means that Jana and Gracie have to come and drag my body to the finish line, I want to finish. Second, I want to finish under 1:50. I’m not going to lie, that is going to be a challenge for me, but that is my goal! Also, this race will be a good tune up for the 5k race that our family is doing in two weeks. Gracie wants to try and beat her time from her last 5k and Jana has shaved off a couple of minutes on her time as well. I’m not sure what will be in store after these two races, maybe a small break, maybe another race or two… I have to survive 10 miles first!
2. MARCH MADNESS
Andy Williams sings, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” at Christmas, but I might argue that March is one of the “Most Wonderful Times of the Year.” I absolutely love March for a few reasons. I love that it is the beginning of Spring and the end of long, cold Winters. I love college basketball and the NCAA Tournament and filling out our brackets as a family. I love the longer days and warmer weather too.
BRACKET TIME!
But let me go back to March Madness for a moment. I love the bracket challenge of filling out our NCAA Tournament brackets for the men’s and women’s tournament. I also love creating bracket challenges for our students and kids to enjoy at church. This past Wednesday we did a SUPER HERO BRACKET CHALLENGE and the kids/students/leaders all voted for who was our ultimate super hero. For the record, some of the characters that I put on the bracket were not actual super heroes, but it was still fun to watch their excitement over getting to pick the winners. Overall, Snoopy was the winner of our SUPER HERO BRACKET CHALLENGE. That’s not a bad choice to be honest! But this Sunday night our students will participate in a Wii Tournament Bracket Challenge where they will face-off against each other. They will battle each other in Wii bowling and tennis. At the end of the night we will crown our first ever Wii Champion! The champion will be awarded the Golden Wii Trophy. It’s little things like this that make Student Ministry so much fun! I love that God allows me the opportunity to invest in students lives, to walk with them and disciple them. But I also love little moments like this when we have a just a moment to goof off and be silly for the glory of God.
3. EASTER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
Easter is just a few weeks away and I highly recommend the book, “The Final Days of Jesus” by Andreas Kostenberger and Justin Taylor. This is an excellent book that will give you a glimpse into themes important week in human history. The authors explore the last week of Jesus’ earthy ministry by starting with the date, March 29, AD 33. Yes, we can actually put a date to Jesus’ life to prove His existence! Throughout this book you will explore what happened in that final week through the lens of the four gospel accounts. It is also a great tool to use during your devotional time through the week of Easter. If you are interested in this book, you can find it here. Has you read through this book let me know your thoughts and how it helped you. There are a few other books that I will recommend in the coming weeks that are good resources/tools to help as you prepare for Easter.
4. BIBLE STUDY TOOLS
As a student of God’s Word, I just want to share a couple of things that have been a help for me over the years. One of the things that I love to do is write in my Bible. I know there are some of you that are cringing just reading that and I apologize. I like to write in my Bible because I like to see all the different ways that God has illuminated my mind and spoke to me at different times. But, if you are a person that does not like to write I your Bible, I pray that this will still be helpful to you.
I just want to share some of the things that I like to use that has helped with my personal study.
First, start with a good set of pens. Back in the day, I used to like using gel pens, but I found that they leaked/bled through too much. When I go back and look at some the things I wrote down now, I see how those pens have speared over time. Now, my go to pens are the Pigma Micron 01 pens. They do not spear and are great for writing. The best thing is the ink dries smoothly and lasts… at least it has for 5 years now. I like the black, blue, red and green colors that come together. I promise that you will not be disappointed in these pens. Yes, they can be a little pricey, but well worth the investment, especially when it comes to helping my study God’s Word.
Second, you need a good journal. I use two different ones. My all-time favorite journal is the Ink+Volt journals. They are beautifully designed, the paper quality is amazing and they are super sturdy and they last. My other go to journal is the Moleskin journals. I use these to keep up with my staff meetings and day to day thoughts. The one thing I like about Moleskins are the themed journals they make. I personally like my Lord of the Rings and Darth Vader Moleskins! But the important thing is that you have a personal journal that you are writing in everyday. Write down what you are learning from God’s Word, your prayers to God and answered prayers. It is always fun to go back and see how and when God answered specific prayers.
Third, always keep note cards available. I love to use note cards to write down verses that I am trying to memorize. I keep them around my office or in my bible while I am trying to memorize whatever verse I am working on.
What are some things that you use during your Bible study? Is there a specific pen or highlighter that you like to use?
5. MY CURRENT BIBLE
Currently, I am using the Schuyler Christian Standard Bible. I posted about it on my Instagram page earlier this week about how the craftsmanship is exceptional. It was a little pricey, but an investment that is well worth it! I love the green tone color and the feel of the goat skin. The print is very readable and the paper is top notch. I really enjoy that when I write in it, the ink doesn’t bleed through. As far as the version of the Bible, I really like how it reads and flows. I have always been a New King James, New American Standard and in recent years an English Standard Version type person. But the CSB is quickly becoming one of my favorite translations. I started using it at the beginning of this year on Sunday nights in youth and I don’t see me changing anytime soon. As long as you have a Bible that you are using and reading daily, that is the most important thing! It doesn’t matter if your Bible is made of goat skin, calf skin, paper or digital as long as you are reading it and obeying it. When you open your Bible, God is speaking to you! We should never miss an opportunity to hear from our Creator.
Have a blessed Friday and thanks for hanging with me today. See you next week!
Hello and Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to another FIVE THINGS FRIDAY and this has been a special week in our house hold because it is our daughters birthday week, but more on that in a moment. This week has been pretty exciting as baseball is officially back, March Madness started, the Russia/Ukraine conflict is still ongoing, gas prices are crazy, middle school soccer started and Sunday is the first day of Spring. March is just a wonderful time of the year as it brings us to Spring and even closer to Summer. So, without further ado, here is this weeks FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
1. BIRTHDAY WEEK!
On Saturday is my daughters 12th birthday and we have spent this week celebrating almost every night. This is a tradition that we started as a family for all of our birthday’s (except for mine, I get to celebrate a birthday and anniversary on the same day!) 12 years, wow! It seems like only yesterday that she was the little preschooler that was just be-bopping into her new classroom. Now, she is almost finishing her first year of middle school. But this has been a fun week celebrating and the fun isn’t over just yet. She has her birthday party planned for this weekend and it feels like she has invited everyone in the state of NC! As I am writing this, I am sitting outside cooking BBQ for her birthday party where I will be all day… It’s a great place to be too. I love the smell of BBQ cooking in the smoker and on the grill! But anyway, since I am writing about Gracie celebrating her birthday this weekend, what is one of your best/favorite memories about one of your birthday’s? Did you ever have to have a specific type of food, themed birthday parties, etc.
2. SOCCER UPDATE
If you have been following along on FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, then you know that I have probably mentioned soccer a time or two. Well, this week Gracie’s middle school team started their season. We played on Tuesday and Thursday and the girls won both games! Gracie was a little nervous on her first game, and it was obvious. She was playing stiff and a little timid. However, her second game she unleashed the beast and came to play. She was more confident, she was moving to the ball and attacking the opposing players, and simply making her presence known. I knew she was talented, but this week, I have been able to see just how much that talent is starting to develop and mature. It’s fun to be able to watch that as a parent and not her coach. (Even though I still critiqued a couple of plays after the game.)
GRANDVIEW MIDDLES SCHOOL SOCCER
Next week will be interesting as she gets to play against one of her YMCA teammates. As a coach, I am so exited to watch this game and to see those two go at each other! All those years of being teammates and friends and now for the first time they will be foes battling each other. It’s going to be fun game with bragging rights on the line! Don’t worry, I will update you on the outcome next week. 🙂
3. MARCH MADNESS IS HERE
Yes, March Madness is here! This is always one of the best times of the year because the NCAA Tournament in college basketball has started. For as long as I can remember, I have always filled out a bracket after selection Sunday. Selection Sunday is the day where the NCAA decide who is going to the NCAA Tournament and then that evening the brackets are released and made available to those who want to follow along and make their best guess as to who will win this years tournament. This has become one of Gracie’s favorite things. Even though her picks are very questionable, she looks forward to filling out her bracket and seeing if she can beat her mother and I. I love the fact that my wife could care less about basketball and more times than not she always ends up with the most overall correct picks. (But not this year because she picked Kentucky to win it and they just got embarrassed by some little school in New Jersey!)
If you follow the NCAA tournament, who did you pick it to win the championship this year?
4. WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS
Another week and we still have the Russia/Ukraine conflict going on. I know last week, Russia’s leader, Putin had threatened to make nuclear war if “the West” step in and assist Ukraine. I understand that is a loose translation of what has actually transpired but this is the point I want to make. In Matthew 24:6, Jesus says, “You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars.See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.” The idea of using Nuclear weapons would wipe out life as we know it. But, it’s just rumors because there is still much that needs to happen before Christ returns. That is why, as believers, we should be very careful to how much of the “news” that we choose to sit around and listen to. The news is fear driven especially over the last 2- years, so of course anything they say is going to be worse case scenario. They will make it seems as if we approaching a gloom and doom moment in our world and we possibly will reach that one day. But today is not that day! I cannot speak of tomorrow either because tomorrow is in God’s hands… thankfully. I can say that we will constantly hear of wars and rumors of wars until Christ comes again to redeem and restore His creation. Until that time comes, we must choose to daily walk with Christ as we strive to become more like Him everyday. I am not called to sit in front of the TV and worry over the latest news reports. I’m not saying we should avoid the news, but we should be careful to not let it dictate and control our lives.
5. A LIVING HOPE
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading kept in heaven for you.” 1 Peter 1:3-4, CSB
Peter’s goal is to encourage God’s people in their time of great stress and anxiety to not just endure the evil they are experiencing but to make every effort to find joy and confidence in the midst of them because of what God had done through Christ Jesus on their behalf in giving them a living hope by saving them from the wrath of sin. Jesus Christ is coming again with grace for His people and being assured of this guaranteed hope we have in Him we can find hope and confidence in suffering. So today, we can trust God and His plan. We may not understand it, but at the end of the day our hope is found in Him and Him alone.
Today, I am thankful for the living hope that I have in and through Jesus Christ!
Thanks for reading and have a blessed Friday! See you next week.
“Open my eyes so that may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.” Psalms 119:18, CSB
When you open up the Bible, what do you expect to find?
Well, if you’re like David, you expect “wondrous things.” And he only had a small portion of the Bible that God has given us today!
See, the reality is, there is no wasted moment reading God’s Word. Even if you read just a single verse, you are hearing from God himself. And you have the chance to “contemplate wondrous things” in His Word.
Starting today, never let a single day pass without reading at least one verse. Then read two… Three… Four… And before you know it, you will find yourself reading entire chapters.
This tiny habit will snowball and change your life. You got this! Take each day to delight yourself in God’s Word and commit to at least one verse every day.
Have a blessed Wednesday and let me know what you have been learning from God’s Word lately. Happy Wednesday!
Hello, Friday! It is really hard to believe that it is time for another FIVE THINGS FRIDAY and this has definitely been one interesting week. We will break it all down from everything to starting the week off preaching to middle school soccer. So, without further ado, here is this weeks FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
1. THE JOYS OF PREACHING
The week began having the opportunity to preach at my church. This isn’t anything new as I normally preach anywhere between 4-5 times per year. I shared last week about some of the anxieties and stresses that come with preaching. However, at the end of the day, I do get much joy from preaching. The joy comes hearing from God through the week as I prepare my sermon, reading His Word and thinking through how it applies to my life and then getting to pass that knowledge on to our congregation. My sermon was on the Parable of the Lamp in Luke 8:16-21. In this particular passage, Jesus refers the lighting of a lamp to listening and hearing God’s Word. As thought about this idea, I shared with my church three benefits to everyday life as we listen and submit to God’s Word. They are…
1. GOD’S WORD LIGHTS OUR PATH.
2. GOD’S WORD EXPOSES OUR HEARTS.
3. GOD’S WORD CONNECTS US TO CHRIST.
2. SOCCER SEASON IS HERE
I have said before that I am not a soccer fan. But, my daughter has made me a soccer fan because of her love for the game. So, for the first time since she was 5, I was actually able to sit and watch her play without being in coach mode. I got to sit and watch as a proud parent and cheer her and her teammates on. Even though the outcome wasn’t what we would have wished, they showed a strong performance for their first game. I am excited to watch her and the lady Eagles play this season and see them develop and mature as a team.
Also, we are excited to get back on the pitch with our local YMCA team, the Hickory Hot Sauce and try to defend our title from last season. It’s going to be tough, but I believe the girls have the drive and dedication to work for it. They are a goofy bunch of 11-12 year olds, but I love seeing them work so hard in practice. But more importantly, I love seeing how they support one another on and off the field. It is very rare to have a team like this and I am blessed to be able to coach them. I look forward to bringing you on the ride with us this season and letting you all know how they do. One last thing, I am excited that we are sponsored by one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, Dos Amigos! I love that we our able to get other parts of our community involved with local sports.
3. ANOTHER 5K RACE
Well, on Saturday, rain or shine, Gracie and I are running another 5K at our local YMCA. The Leprechaun Leap is the 5K we are running and I just pray that I will be able to keep up with my little middle schooler! She will probably leave me in the dust to be honest. I am curious what her time will be because she ran cross country in school this past fall but it was only 2 miles. Adding another mile and half is a little different, but good training and experience for her. We have this 5K and then we are signed up for another 5K in April. Lots of running in the coming weeks, but I kind of enjoy it as it helps with all the craziness that goes on in my head.
4. READING SLUMP
Every January I try to motivate myself to read more than I did the previous year. Even if it is just 1-2 books more. Well, so far for the year I am off my pace. It may have to do with the fact that I have picked up exercising and running a little bit more, but whichever, I am off my pace from last year. I wish I could be more like my wife and knock out a book per day or so it seems! But, just like with all slumps, you battle through it and keep swinging and eventually you’ll get back on track.
But, one of the books that I am currently reading is “Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential” by Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman. Our pastor is going through this book on Sunday evenings, so I am trying to read through it with them. I’m probably a little behind, but the goal is the finish line, right? So far, I have enjoyed this book and the smaller chapters it presents. The book itself is only around 150 pages and most people could probably knock that out in one day easily. After I finish the book, I will share my thoughts on it. But first, I have to buckle down and finish the book!
5. WEEKLY ENCOURAGEMENT
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. – Jude 1:3 (NIV)
Today’s Bible verse talks about contending for the faith. The idea of contending in this verse is similar to how athletes practice, train and work out to get ready for a competition. The athletes prepare, and we as Christians should prepare as well.
As Christians, we should know what we believe and why we believe it. That helps us stand firm when our faith is questioned by those around us. So today, spend some time searching. Begin to find out what you believe and why you believe it. And expect that you’ll experience good things as you do.
Well, thanks for tuning in for another FIVE THINGS FRIDAY and we will see you all back here next week. Have a great week!
Happy Monday, folks! I pray that you are all doing well this Monday and that you had an a blessed weekend. It was a little busy around our household as we celebrated Gracie’s birthday. But this is a new week and I want to share with over the coming weeks a brief study on the Spiritual Gifts.
For today’s MOTIVATION MONDAY, I had this thought as I was working on my sermon from a couple of weeks ago. I preached on the parable of the lamp in Luke 8. In this parable Jesus compares the lamp to the Word of God and that those who have heard will be light to others around them. As I thought about what that would look like in a daily life, I thought about how the purpose of the spiritual disciplines help us to achieve our goal of being made in the image of Jesus Christ. So, over the next 7 weeks, we will explore several of the spiritual disciplines and how they will help put us on the path towards spiritual growth/maturity.
My goal during this study is to help give you a biblical theology of spiritual maturity, Biblical teaching on spiritual disciplines and practical ways on how you can practice and implement them in your own life. I realize that there are a myriad of good books and teaching out there on the spiritual disciplines, so why add to it? Well, I’m just wanting to add my thoughts and personal experiences on how the spiritual disciplines have helped me grow and mature as a Christian. At the end this study, I will include a separate post on books and articles that were helpful in shaping my understanding of the spiritual disciplines.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
WEEK 1: Becoming More Like Christ Through Spiritual Disciplines
WEEK 2: Becoming More Like Christ Through Bible Reading
WEEK 3: Becoming More Like Christ Through Prayer and Fasting
WEEK 4: Becoming More Like Christ Through Worship.
WEEK 5: Becoming More Like Christ Through Evangelism
WEEK 6: Becoming More Like Christ Through Stewardship
WEEK 7: Becoming More Like Christ Through Service
Thanks for joining me today and I look forward to the next 7 weeks and how God will use this study to strengthen your relationship with Him as you strive to become more like Christ each and every day. Have a great week and we’ll see you next Monday!
HELLO FRIDAY! Welcome back to another FIVE THINGS FRIDAY and boy, has it been a long week! It has at least been a busier week than usual, what about you, how has your week been? Also, if this is your first time reading FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, welcome! FIVE THINGS FRIDAY is a collections of the things that I am interested in, learning or just casual writings about the things from the past week. I use FIVE THINGS FRIDAY as a way to help reduce the anxiety and stress that I struggle with on a regular basis. Thanks for reading and without further ado, here we go.
POST RACE BLUES AND ANOTHER 5K
This week has been a hard week to find consistent motivation. I didn’t have a problem of finding that brick wall that I couldn’t seem to recover from. Some of the lack of motivation may be caused by the runDisney crash from last weekend. I wonder if there is a thing called “runners high” where you just crash after the race. It’s the high from all the training and the race itself and then BOOM, the race has come and gone. So, what do you do when you have the post race blues? Well, you go and sign-up for another race or two… or three! That’s right, we have signed up to run a couple of more races in the coming weeks. My daughter and I are running our local YMCA 5K and then as a family, we are signed up to run a 5K in April that helps support a local camp.
Then, there is another runDisney race that I went and signed up for while my wife has been at a conference. I signed up for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler virtual race! That’s right, you read that…a 10 MILER!!! Yup, I’m going to die but it should be fun training for this since I have until April 3 to complete it. The next few weeks should be very exciting and challenging and I look forward to keeping you all up to date on these crazy adventures. This will by far be one of the biggest physical challenges I have faced in my life. The thought of actually scares me, but I thankful for my girls who will be there to support me, coach me and cheer me on as I strive to complete this challenge.
2. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
I am still trying to finish the podcast series, “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.” I am on episode six and although I may not agree 100% with the approach, I have come to appreciate this podcast. It’s a good reminder of how fast we can truly fall when we allow our eyes and hearts to become focused on anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ. I will never understand all that went on under Pastor Driscoll’s ministry at Mars Hill, but it is a great reminder to all us on just how much we need accountability in our lives from other godly believers. I cannot say enough of just how thankful I am for the men that God has placed in my life to help keep me accountable. Their investment in my life can and will never be repaid! I am also thankful that God has allowed me to surround myself with older and younger men. I could go on and on about this, but my point is that we need others in our lives that are willing to walk with us, to get their hands dirty at times, to clean us up and help bring us back to a right relationship with Jesus. Ministry is one of the toughest things a person could do, but it is also one of the most rewarding things. If any of you are reading this, know today that I am eternally grateful for each and everyone of you.
Who are you investing your life in today? Who are you walking with and encouraging today? We are not meant to walk this life alone, we all need community and friends that will help us grow in the person and image of Jesus Christ.
3. SOCCER SEASON IS HERE
I never thought I would be one to be excited for soccer, especially a full season of it. But, this soccer season has a different “feel” to it with my daughter making her middle school soccer team. I am so excited to go and watch her play! I have been able to watch her a little bit at the end of practice when I go to pick her up and it is so much fun to just sit and watch. I can just enjoy seeing her play and not worry about going into “coach” mode. (We will leave that for her local YMCA team, the Hickory Hot Sauce.) Another reason I am excited is that another one of girls made her middle school team as well and it will be so much fun to see them play against each other for the first time ever. They have been on the same soccer team for a few years, so seeing them face off against each other is going to be fun. (I may cry a little because I am just so proud of them!) I will go ahead and warn you, there will be multiple posts about her games throughout this season. It was funny to hear her talk about her getting her uniform the other day. Since she is in sixth grade, they get last dibs on uniforms. Eighth graders go first, then seventh graders, and so on. So, the uniform she got stuck with is an adult large. She is going to look like a hot air balloon running around the soccer field with that big of a jersey on. Also, she didn’t get her “number” which is understandable when you have last dibs. She got stuck with football lineman’s number (31). However, she is excited and a little nervous to begin play next week. I know from a parent/coach position, she is going to be just fine once the nerves settle. The girl loves the game and she has a natural talent for it. I cannot wait to bring you along on this journey with her.
4. UNC vs DUKE RIVALRY
This Saturday marks the end of an era for Duke basketball. Coach K as he is known for, will be coaching his very last game at home and against their rival, North Carolina. This is a dream match up regardless of which team you are pulling for. Trust me, I cannot stand Duke, never have, never will. In fact, if you know me, I may pull the New York Yankees before I would ever root for THAT school. But, I am excited to watch this game because it will be one to remember. Yes, Duke will probably crush Caroline (they beat them by 20 in the first meeting), but I am actually excited for Coach K. I may not like his team, but he has been a staple there for the majority of my life. I have never known another coach other than Coach K. He has gone on to become one of the most successful coaches of all-time. It was always fun to watch his players play with so much passion, especially in the Carolina/Duke games. Those were some great battles. I may not like Duke, but I have always respected Coach K. He always got the best out of his players. They may not have been the most talented, but he has a way of taking a mediocre player and making him a Duke legend. Now, don’t get me wrong, just because this is his last game at Cameron Indoor, that doesn’t mean that I will be rooting for him. I hope he loses his last game at home and by a large margin actually. I know that want happen, but we can dream, right? I am sad that we never got to see a Carolina/Duke National Championship game between Dean Smith and Coach K. That would have been a fun game to watch… as long as Carolina won. Whatever the outcome, I wish Coach K all the best and thanks for all you did for college basketball. You were a great ambassador for the sport. Have fun in retirement, Coach.
5. PREACHING WITH ANXIETY
“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” Psalms 94:19
I am preaching this weekend and as much as I am looking forward to it, it always seems to heighten my anxiety level. I know that sounds weird, especially coming from a pastor, but anxiety is something that I have struggled with for years. It’s not something that we openly share, but I am thankful for a wife that has been there for me through thick and thin of those attacks. They’re not fun, they hurt and they completely shut down my body, but I have come to fight through them the best I can. Then on the weeks I have to preach my anxiety is through the roof, so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy having the opportunity to share God’s Word with my church, but I don’t enjoy the added anxiety it brings. What I mean by that is that in my anxiety, I struggle with insecurities and fears. In those moments, I find myself letting satan win the battle and allowing those insecurities and anxieties to fuel my thoughts for a whole week. It makes for a long days, sleepless nights, lots of stress eating, loss of energy and one extremely long week. If you are a person that deals with anxiety or depression, my heart goes out to you as I empathize with you and what you struggle with. It is amazing how powerful our anxieties and insecurities can quickly lead to a lack of motivation in our day to day life. Maybe, one day I will share a post on how to deal with anxiety and anxiety attacks. For now, one of the ways that I “deal” with those symptoms is by immersing myself into coaching my daughters local soccer team, working out and simply just trying to get away. Lastly, as much as I may struggle with those things, I know that they do not define me as a person, pastor, husband and father. I know that I am made in the image of God, and that I am His child. I’m so thankful that I have Him to run to in moments like this. God is faithful and I am so thankful that I have Him to run to in moments like this.
Well, thanks for reading and I pray that you have a blessed Friday! See ya next week.
Happy Wednesday and welcome to the MIDWEEK DEVOTIONAL. This midweek devotional is designed to encourage you and help you as begin that climb over the middle of the week. I know for myself, when it gets to Wednesday there are times that I already find myself having a lack of motivation, looking for ways to find more energy and time. When that happens, I too often start to let it affect my daily devotions and time with God. So, I want to try to share a short midweek devotion and encouragement with you each Wednesday to help with get you through the “hump day” blues. (Okay, you probably don’t have the “hump day” blues, but it just sounded catchy!)
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15-16
Imagine if your country’s capital city laid in ruins for over 100 years. How would that feel?
Would you feel secure?
Would you feel proud?
Would you feel confident?
Not even close. You’d feel exactly the opposite. However, if your capital was rebuilt and re-established, everything would change.
In, Nehemiah 6:15, that’s exactly what happened for Israel. But here’s what struck me most, so don’t miss it!
What was broken for over 100 years was restored in just 52 days. That’s 36,500+ days of destruction, embarrassment, and fear turned around in 0.001% of that time!
On a grand scale, Nehemiah 6:15 shows us what happens when a leader (Nehemiah) takes action on a God-given vision and God’s people (Israelites) join in.
What if we reverse engineer this panoramic view and apply it to our lives?
Has God called you to something that you’ve been putting off? Or maybe it seems so big that you delay taking action because you don’t feel ready yet?
Have a wonderful Wednesday and thanks for reading!
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