FIVE THINGS FRIDAY – DO ALL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.

Happy Friday, folks! As I sit here and write this weeks edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, it is a beautiful, brisk fall morning here on the mountain. If you are new to FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, welcome. For our FIVE THINGS FRIDAY faithful, welcome back. I haven’t been writing as much, but hopefully I will get back on track and begin sharing thoughts, adventures, travels, and all things Jesus once again. As much as I love summer, there is nothing quite like the fall of the year. Maybe in next week’s post I will share a few of my favorite pictures from around camp this fall.

In this weeks edition I want to talk a little about purpose, specifically my purpose on why I run. Before I share about that, I think it’s worth talking about our purpose as Christians. If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, you not only have a mission, but you have a purpose. Our mission as Christ-followers is to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you...” (Matthew 28:19-20a, NASB). Our purpose is to bring glory and honor and to our heavenly Father through all that we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you, do all to the glory of God.” Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Paul also encouraged Timothy, his ministry partner and protege, to remember his purpose – to glorify God and serve Jesus Christ, and in doing this, to be an example to other believers even as a young pastor. (1 Timothy 4:7-10)

I always loved running as a kid. You could almost always find me outside running around the yard, playing baseball and basketball for hours on in. In middle school I decided to try track and to my surprise, I found out I enjoyed running short distances really fast. In high school, I heard about this sport called cross country and decided to give it a try. It was a little different than track, in fact, it was a lot different. Instead of running short distances really fast, I was now running long distances at a slower pace. This took sometime to get used to as you might imagine. However, I ran cross country for three years and enjoyed it most days. Although I wasn’t the fastest runner on the team, I still averaged a time of 18 minutes for three miles. Those days are long gone and I haven’t seen that time since, but that doesn’t mean that I have enjoyed picking up running again the last few years, but this time with a purpose. Walking, running, slow or somewhat fast, every time I run, I want to bring glory and honor to God to the best that I can.

Maybe you are reading this and you are not a runner, that is okay. My purpose today is to share with you what I have learned about running as it relates to God’s Word and how that helps me keep my eyes focused on Jesus each and every day. Thanks for joining me today and I pray that this will be an encouragement to you as you run your race and fix your eyes on Jesus Christ.

I. THE STARTING LINE – GOD’S WORD.

All things have a starting line so to speak. For Christ-followers, our starting line begins with God’s Word. God’s Word is how we hear from God. His Word guides us, lights our path and reveals His plan for us. As we grow in God’s Word, we grow in the image and person of Jesus Christ for others to see. In Ephesians, Paul reminds us of our purpose, which is to grow in our faith in God. (Ephesians 3:17-19) If we are to be the “hands and feet” of Jesus to the people we are in contact with everyday, then we must be spiritually fit. We must be learning and growing in God’s Word. We must take time to read it, meditate on it and memorize it. The more we read God’s Word and memorize it, the more we are strengthening our spiritual muscles. The same is true if we want to be a better runner, we must have more effective workouts that push our body, challenges us and be consistent in our training. The more we are “training” and “growing” in God’s Word the more we are strengthening our relationship with Him and learning to persevere in our faith. Am I daily growing in God’s Word by reading and studying it, so that it is helping me to be Christ to those around me? Remember, just like a runner will spend time strengthening their legs, learning to breathe correctly and develop a good stride for running; Christ-followers are training for godliness in our spiritual race.

II. AND WE’RE OFF.

The gun sounds and we are off. The start of a cross country race is one of my favorite parts of the race. The last three years we have been watching Gracie run cross country for her school and I love the start of the race. As the runners are lined up and before the gun signals the start of the race, you can feel the excitement and tension building within the runners. But once that gun fires and the race starts, it is at that point they must rely on the training and workouts they have put in. Well, the same is true spiritually. We can know things about God’s Word, but until we read it, study it, memorize it and search it with all our hearts, we may not fully rely on it each and everyday. Reading God’s Word is exciting! After all, it is through His Word how He communicates with us. I was actually surprised how much the Bible talks about running or gives examples of running. Throughout the Bible, the word run (run, running, ran) is mentioned 65 times. Now, you may say that doesn’t sound like a lot, but if I were to tell you something 65 times, you would start to get the point that what I am trying to say is important. But one verse that sticks out to me and reminds me of my purpose is 1 Timothy 6:11, “But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.” Paul reminds us that Timothy’s life was to glorify God with his life, so should run from evil and run towards God! I love that imagery, as Christ-followers, we are to run from evil and run towards God. Imagine if you were on a hike and you came across a bear. You aren’t going to run towards the bear, but away from it (although we should never run from a bear, but just go with me) and run towards safety. We want to get as far away from the bear as fast as possible. Well, the same is true in our spiritual lives. We should be as eager to run from evil and the temptations as fast as we can and run towards the One where safety and freedom are found. Are you running from evil today and running towards God?

III. ENCOURAGEMENT ALONG THE WAY.

One other thing that I love seeing at Gracie’s cross country meets is the encouragement that the athletes receive from their coaches, parents and peers. It is a beautiful picture to see them run all over the course shouting words of encouragement and not just to their runners, but to all the runners to keep going. Sure, runners are trying to finish in a certain position to help their team win, but they are also trying to finish! It is so much fun when you see a pack of runners coming up on the finish line and they begin to sprint towards that goal of crossing the finishing line. I am a firm believer that having others cheer you on gives you the added push you need to finish strong. The writer of Hebrews knew something of this too. In Hebrews 12:1-2 he writes, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Just like the runners in a cross country meet or a half marathon or marathon, we are surrounded a cloud of witnesses, men and women of faith who’ve gone before us, who are beckoning us to run the race of faith, to throw aside sin that so easily entangles us, distractions that so easily, subtly keep us from living with all-out focus on Jesus. As Christ-followers we are running this race together! We are to encourage one another and love one another but in a way that brings glory and honor to God. We also must run our race with our heads up and eyes fixed on Jesus. No runner is looking at the ground as they run the course. They all have their heads up and eyes fixed on the finish line. The same is true for Christ-followers, no matter how difficult life will be, we must always keep our heads up and eyes fixed on Jesus as we seek to run this race. Let me encourage you today to run your race with endurance, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. But also, run as a team and run well bringing glory and honor to God. Encourage others along the way, build others up when needed, lend a word of encouragement or a word of rebuke (sometimes that is hard to accept, but it may be what we need to hear.)

IV. FINISH WELL!

There is a simple saying that goes: It is not how you start that matters; it is how you finish. Jesus made clear that those who endure to the end will be saved (see Matthew 24:13).

The finish line of our race is Christlikeness. He is growing us and maturing us on this racecourse to look like Jesus Christ. And of course, ultimately the finish line is out there in eternity, in heaven. I am so proud of the way that Gracie finished her last middle school race. She worked and worked all season and set a goal to finish in the top 10 and she did it. The last race came down to her and one other girl as they sprinted to the finish line and Gracie was able to use those long legs and beat her by less than a second. It was a great finish to watch, but also to hear the crowd as they were cheering both runners on (especially Jana and I). As you run your race today, whom are you encouraging along the way?

How can you end well?

V. GEAR UP AND GO GET YOUR RUN ON!

In closing, I pray that you are encouraged through today’s FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. I also would like to ask for your prayers as I have recently signed up to run my first ever half marathon! I know for some this may not be a big deal, it’s just 13.1 miles. Since I have started running more the last few years, I have dreamed of being able to run a half and full marathon one day before turning 50. That may sound like a weird goal but I have been able to complete a 5K, 10K and 10 Miler in the last 2 years. So, I told myself it was time for a new challenge and I am scared to death already thinking about it. The last three weeks I feel like I have ran more than I have my whole life,I haven’t it just just feels that way. I am super slow at the moment, but I am keeping my head up and eyes fixed on crossing that finish line in under 3 hours! The biggest challenge so far hasn’t been the running but the change of diet. Trying to be more aware of the things I am eating now is hard, especially when you are a person who loves food. But Coach Gracie is helping me to make sure I am getting my run days in, but I would still ask for your prayers. Prayers for safety as I train, prayers for strength so thatI can show others this is only through God’s power that I’m able to accomplish this feat. As much as I want to accomplish this goal, I want God to receive all the glory and honor from it, because He is the reason I run. #1Cor1013, #Col317

Thanks for joining us for another FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, have a blessed weekend and we will see you next week, Lord willing.

WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL – A PRAYER FOR 2023

Hello and welcome to 2023! I don’t know about you, but I always like it when the calendar year turns. For one, I am thankful to God that I am still here to see another year. But that also tells me that He is not done with me yet! (The same goes for you too if you are reading this!) So, the new year is all about new beginnings, fresh starts and new adventures. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do this year in my life, my families lives and the life of our church.

For 2023, my prayer and my challenge to you is Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

There are a lot of people today, who will say that “I am a Christian.” However, when you push the envelope, so to speak, you will find that what they mean is “I believe in Christ and I believe the truths of Christianity.” However, if you ask them how has this translated over into your life, more than likely a few will say that “it hasn’t really changed my life.” Being a Christian is more than about just believing a set of facts. It’s more than about attending church or being a moral person. It’s not just about believing something in an abstract way. To become a Christian means that you experience something; that it changes every area of your life.

And that’s what we see in this prayer.

Notice that Paul teaches us to pray that God will strengthen us with His power. His power is the Holy Spirit that indwells inside every believer. Christ lives in you! That is enough to be excited about, but Paul goes on. It’s not just that we believe certain things. This prayer is about much more than believing certain truths about God. It’s that we will be increasingly transformed in the very depths of our being by the one who’s taken up residence in our hearts and lives.

This year, will you DWELL on Jesus Christ and the works He is doing in your life? Will you commit to be rooted and grounded in Him and His love in 2023?

God will do far more than we think or imagine, will you surrender your life and heart to Him and His leading in your life in 2023?

FIVE THINGS FRIDAY – December 30th

Hello and welcome to the last FIVE THINGS FRIDAY of the year. I cannot believe that we are at the end of 2022, this year flew by! The year may have flown by, but thanks to you, you helped make this the most successful year for our blog COFFEE CONVERSATIONS. I am extremely grateful for your support over this year and I am already looking forward to providing you with more content and encouragement in 2023. Well, with that out of the way, it’s time for our last post for 2022. Thank you again for a wonderful year!

Earlier in the year when I first started FIVE THINGS FRIDAY, I shared some thoughts on some of the books that I had been reading. Now that the year is over,I wanted to give you a recap of my Top 5 books of 2022. Also, I am not a fast reader, so unlike some people, I cannot set a goal for reading X amount of books throughout the year. I wish I could be more like that at times, but none the less, I at least try to read a book (maybe two) once a month. Some of the problem may be that I mostly read nonfiction, so it takes me longer to process the information. I try to read fiction, but sadly, it’s harder for me to read. (I guess that means I have no imagination!) These books are in no particular order and they are outside of my daily devotion reading and Bible reading.

I. DODGE CITY: WYATT EARP, BAT MASTERSON, AND THE WICKEDEST TOWN IN THE AMERICAN WEST

Written by Tom Clavin (Tombstone), the book is about Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson in the 1870’s. Clavin’s daunting research tells a great story about how Earp and Masterson came to be friends in a town that was a free-for-all of cowboys, gamblers, gunfights, prospectors and prostitution. It was the original “sin city.” The book tells the story of these two lives long before their infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona. Clavin is an excellent author, to me, because he dedicates himself to find solid research and reliable sources. That is unusual for today. Most people looking for information will simply do a quick GOOGLE search and read the top 3-5 websites that they find and believe them to be “fact.” This is what makes Clavin an award winning journalist and author. He does his homework, regardless of how daunting the task may be. Dodge City is an excellent read for anyone wanting to know more about Wyatt Earp, Bartholemew “Bat” Masterson or the Wild West. Although he isn’t really talked about a lot in the book, Doc Holliday was a friend of Wyatt Earp. Doc is better known for his role at the O.K. Corral as talked about in his book TOMBSTONE. I share that because that is one of the books on my list for 2023 is “Doc Holliday: The Life and Legend” by Gary Roberts. Maybe I will be able to share with you some of the things that I find out in this book later on.

II. THE WISDOM OF WALT: LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH

Written by Jeffrey Barnes this book is a great tool for anyone in a leadership role. The book shares how Walt Disney had a dream to build Disneyland while sitting on his favorite park bench one Saturday afternoon. Walt had a dream and stuck to it even when others around him thought it wasn’t a great idea or wouldn’t give him the financial support he needed. As you read thorough this book, you will experience Walt’s leadership and model of success. The book offers practical leadership for people of all ages and encourages you to not give up on your own dreams. The author shares his own experiences too of working for Disney for many years. He has a section at the end of each chapter entitled “The Gift Shop” where he gives you a moment to reflect on the chapter you just read. The idea is that the gift shop is the one of the last places you visit at one of the Disney Parks, so you want to take something away with you. My other takeaway from the book is how it encourages you to set goals that are attainable. Too many times I try to set goals that I don’t follow through with or never meet. I enjoy reading books on leadership and this one was enjoyable and refreshing.

III. IT’S HOW YOU PLAY THE GAME: 12 LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES OF DEAN SMITH

This book was written by Pastor David Chadwick and he provides an inside look at the influence and success that Coach Smith had on his players, his family and pretty much everyone around him. After all, being a Carolina fan and a Dean Smith fan, this book just made sense to read. Also, as a coach myself, I am always interested in learning from the experience of other coaches! The thing I loved best about this book (and that I want to take away myself) is the respect and admiration that Coach Smith had from his players and those that worked with him. He deeply cared about his players as people first, not just as an athlete. He truly cared about each and everyone of them. He treated them the same on and off the court regardless of talent or skill. He taught his players that the team comes before the individual, positive words have power and a commitment to character is essential. That last one is highly important to me. I may only coach YMCA soccer, but I still try to instill in our players that their character is one of the most important things about them. I want others to see something different about them and the way they play. There are so many great lessons found within this book, that I highly recommend it to anyone in ministry, coaching, business or in a leadership role. (This book may have been my favorite book of 2022!)

IV. GOOD GAME: CHRISTIANITY AND THE CULTURE OF SPORTS

Written by Shirl James Hoffman this book was quite possibly one of the hardest books I read in 2022. I said earlier that I do not process information fast or well and this book challenged every bit of that. At times I think I could process C.S. Lewis’ books better! Although this book isn’t an easy read, I do believe that it is well worth the time. I do not agree with everything in the book, but I like how he made me think through the culture of sports from a biblical and Christian standpoint. The thing that attracted me to this book is my love for sports and God, so obviously this was no-brainer for me to pick up. The author throughout the book unapologetically calls out the sinful nature of sports and the culture of idolatry that we as Christians have placed on it. Throughout the book, the author urges Christians to take a “hard look” at how we approach sports. Are the sports we watch and play glorifying God or self? I do agree that Christians should strive to model the character of Christ in all aspects of their life, not just in sports. This is a really well put together book and it will be a challenge to finish. However, it’s worth the challenge!

V. SIGNING THIER LIVES AWAY: THE FAME AND MISFORTUNE OF THE MEN WHO SIGNED THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Written by Denise Kierman and Joseph D’Agnese this book is a must read for anyone who loves history, but especially U.S. history. This book shares funny and entertaining stories about the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence. I wish this book was written when I was in school! I have always loved history and this book is delightful and saddening at the same time. As you read stories of what happened to these men and their families as they decided to sign their name to a document that would help change the course of history and establish our country as the greatest country ever. The other thing I enjoyed about this book is remembering all the names of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence. We all know names like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, but there are so many more names and stories to know that will help you appreciate living in a free country. I truly appreciate the sacrifice that these men made and the decisions they faced that brought them heartbreak or even death. If you enjoy history then you will absolutely love this small book. Even for me, this was an easy and entertaining read. I have already ordered the companion book, “Signing Their Rights Away: The Fame and Misfortune of the Men Who Signed The United States Constitution.” Who knows, maybe this book will make my TOP 10 list in 2023.

Well, thanks for reading FIVE THINGS FRIDAY in 2022. I have enjoyed sharing with you my random thoughts over the course of this year. I do want to leave you with a closing challenge. I have included a BOOF OF THE YEAR bracket. On this bracket you will write down your favorite book of the month (January – December) and then simply narrow it down to your favorite book of the year in 2023. Have fun, challenge yourself to read 1-2 more books in 2023 than you did this year and be sure to keep me up to date on what you’re reading.

Thank you for reading FIVE THINGS FRIDAY this year and I pray that you have a wonderful and blessed 2023! I’ll see you next year, folks!

WEDENSDAY DEVOTIONAL: ABIDE

This is the last week of 2022, can you believe it? This year has simply flown by, or at least it has to me. With this being the last week of the year, this will be the last WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL for 2022 as well. I pray that these small, little devotionals have been encouraging to you and that they have helped strengthen your walk with Jesus Christ. As I thought about the last devotion for the year my mind kept turning towards the word ABIDE. This word has a twofold meaning today.

First, in John 15:1-12, John records the Words that Jesus spoke. In these verses Jesus uses the word Abide/Abides ten times in the ESV (English Standard Version). often, when a word is repeated it has significance or importance. Well, that is true here! Jesus tells us to abide in Him because He is the vine and we are the branches. Just like a branch cannot survive or live once it’s cut off from the tree, neither can we when we are separated from Christ. The idea of the word abide here is active. Abiding in Christ is not a feeling or a belief, it is something that we do! For the believer, to abide in Christ daily means that we must do three things:

• Walk by faith
• Spend time daily in The Word (Bible)
• Be intentional in our actions to fight sin, engage with other believers and live in community

Second, Pastor R.C Sproul once said, “Disciples of Christ abide in His Word. Those who abide in His Word know the truth and are free.” When you look back on 2022, maybe there were moments, days or months where you didn’t abide in Christ. Maybe there were moments where you spent time daily in His Word, but not as often as you would have liked. Maybe there were moments where you “gave” in to sin, or you didn’t live in community with other believers as much as you would have liked. It’s okay because “we all fall short of the glory of God” according to Paul. But the good news is, that we don’t stay there!

So, let me challenge you in 2023 to ABIDE in and with Jesus each and every day. Let me challenge you to be intentional to spend time with Him daily in His Word. Get connected to a group of believers that will encourage you in your walk with Jesus Christ. One of the best ways to abide in Him daily is to find a Bible reading plan or a daily devotional. There are a lot of good resources available and I would be happy to help you with that. I have four different devotional books that I will be reading at different times this year (see picture below).

However, as much as reading a daily devotional is good, it simply will not and cannot replace reading and studying God’s Word. The late pastor Charles Spurgeon said, “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.” I concur with Spurgeon’s words. There are a lot of good books available to you now days, but not a one of them will direct/impact your life like the Bible.

Will you be diligent to ABIDE in His Word in 2023?

Will you challenge yourself to ABIDE daily in His presence and trust Him in 2023?

Links for the devotionals I am using in 2023:

New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp

The New City Catechism Devotional by CROSSWAY

The Runner’s Devotional by Dana Niesluchowski and Dave Veerman

Bearded Gospel Men by Jared Brock and Aaron Alford

FIVE THINGS FRIDAY – December 2nd

Hello, Friday and welcome to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. In today’s edition we are going to get “caught up” with all that has happened over the last few weeks. As I was looking back over the other posts, I realized that I have not shared anything from FIVE THINGS FRIDAY since the first of November. So much as happened in that time. So, without further ado, here is this week’s edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.

SOCCER CHAMPS!

The Kool-Aid Jammers won their soccer championship defeating the Palletown FC by a score of 3-0. It was by far one of the coldest nights I can remember. The temp that night was somewhere around 49 degrees at the start of the game. However, they persevered through the cold weather and reminded focused on finishing the season strong. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the soccer season. It is so much fun watching these young ladies go out and compete each and every week. I am really excited about spring soccer because so many of them will be playing against each other through their middle school teams and as a coach, I cannot wait to watch those games! As a fan and parent, go GRANDVIEW!

CHRISTMAS PARADE SEASON

It is officially Christmas parade season and our church had the opportunity to be a part of the City of Hickory Christmas Parade. The weird thing is that the parade was the Friday before Thanksgiving, so it didn’t quite feel like Christmas time. But being a part of the parade and seeing all the floats and people in the streets definitely brought the Christmas spirit alive! As you can tell from the picture above it was a little chilly that night. I think the “dancing dinosaur” was one of the biggest hits of the parade! Overall, it was a fun way to kick-off the holiday season and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas season!

TURKEY TROT 5K

The morning after the Hickory Christmas Parade, my family got up and participated in the Hickory YMCA’s annual Turkey Trot. And yes, as you can tell, it was super chilly that morning. Not only was it a little cold, we were all extremely tired from the night before, so our energy level wasn’t quite up to par for this race. However, Gracie knocked it out of the park and recorded her best time ever for a 5K. Jana and I stayed even with our times, although I felt a lot slower than what my official time said. We are no where near “expert runners” but I am glad that we enjoy running races together. It makes for a fun family time considering that our schedules are some what a little busy at times. We are already trying to get ready for our next race in December when we run the FROSTY 5K. Pray for us as we mentally and physically prepare for the cooler weather. Some people like running in cooler weather, they say it’s easier for them to breathe. I’m not sure if I agree with that yet or not, but I will keep you posted.

Along with running more, I have also purchased a new 21 speed bike that I have been trying to ride more. I don’t know the science behind it, but I can tell how riding a bike as helped my breathing and speed as a runner. I attempted a challenge over the week of November 20th -26th where I was supposed to ride a total of 66 miles… yeah I missed that challenge by quite a few! But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to try it again!

ANNUAL YOUTH TURKEY BOWL

Last Sunday our students competed in our Annual Youth Turkey Flag Football game. This is a tradition that is now 13 years old. It is always a fun time and I love to see our students compete against one another. The best part is they get out and play regardless of their skill level. They just enjoying being together! The High Schooler’s beat the Middle Schooler’s/College by a score of 63-42 this year. As you can tell by the score there was no defense in this game. I think one of Gracie’s highlights of the game was intercepting a pass from her dad! She still “brags” about that, but I will give her the small victory for now. 🙂 After the game we came together for a FRIEDNSGIVING meal, Turkey Bingo and devotion from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

What is something that you are thankful for today? As believers, we have so much to be thankful for, but we sometimes take the things that God has blessed us with for granted. I want to challenge myself to be grateful for the things that God has given me and my family each and every day. Sometimes, I fail at that, but I am trying to be more aware of those things that He has given me.

BASKETBALL SEASON IS HERE

Well, this is a first for our family! We thought that things might slow down a bit after cross country and soccer, but then our girl ended up making the basketball team for her middle school. I was surprised seeing that she has never really played basketball. I mean, she plays at the church with the youth, but that’s about it. Needless to say, we were very proud of her and excited about this opportunity she has been given. We are two games into the season and some of the nerves are starting to go away. She works hard in practice and she is not embarrassed to ask the coaches questions if she doesn’t’ understand the specific play they are working on. She also helps encourage her teammates when she isn’t in the game, which I absolutely love about her. But another thing that she has helped me to remember is that it’s ok to fail. She has never played basketball, but she hasn’t let that stop her from trying to learn the game. Too many times when something is difficult or we don’t understand it, we get frustrated and quit.

As a believer, that is a lot like our Christian walk. There are going to be moments when we don’t understand, we may get frustrated over things, but God calls us to be faithful and walk with Him each and every day. Think about the last time you tried to share the gospel with someone else. How did it go? Did you allow your fear of the unknown to beat you instead of trusting and being faithful to the Spirit’s leading and help? God promises us in Joshua 1:9, “that the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” That is why He sent us the Spirit to guide us and to help us. What is it that you are afraid of today that you are not trusting God with? Maybe you haven’t trusted in Him because you are afraid that the things in your life will change. Well, yes, they will change. We will live to glorify God instead of self. Maybe, you haven’t been to church in a while and you’re afraid to step back into the church doors for whatever reason. Maybe the Spirit has laid it on your hear to share the gospel with a coworker or friend. Or, maybe there is something else going on in your life that you’ve been hurt too many times and you simply cannot “trust” God to help you in those moments. All I can say is that I empathize with you! We all have things that have happened to us. But I can say that all the things that have happened to me have been to bring about God’s glory and how He demonstrated His power, grace and love in each and everyone of those situations.

I look forward to sharing with you how this basketball season will go and keeping you up to date on her progress. But, I also look forward to hearing from you about how God is demonstrating His power, grace and love in your life today. Thanks for reading and we will see you next Friday.

MOTIVATION MONDAY: TURN EVERYDAY CONVERSATIONS INTO A JESUS STORY

Happy Monday, folks. I pray that you all had a wonderful weekend and you now find yourself ready to tackle yet another week. There is just something about Monday’s. I mean some people love them and some people hate them. If I’m honest, I’m kind of lean somewhere in the middle. It’s not that I don’t like Monday’s, it’s just hard to be motivated first thing on a Monday morning. So, I pray that today’s post will provide a little encouragement and motivation as you start this new week.

This past weekend left me with a lot of things to talk about when it came to sports. My Liberty Flames football team took down the Arkansas Razorbacks, UNC beat Virginia, Georgia beat up little ‘ole Tennessee, Alabama lost and sadly, the Houston Astros won the World Series. Now, I say this because if you know me, I could talk all day about sports. Most of you are probably like that too, in that you can have a long conversation about the things you really like. Maybe it’s music, art, books, movies or TV shows, but we talk a lot about the things we are passionate about.

According to a recent study, the average person has twenty-seven conversations per day and both men and women average about sixteen thousand words per day. That is a lot of words and a lot of conversations. However, when it comes to bringing up the gospel, we seem to shy away. For some, they break out in sweat, hives, sweaty palms and our tongues get tied and we find ourselves talking about everything but the gospel.

It’s almost as if the idea of injecting Jesus into our conversations causes anxiety and fear for believers and even some pastors. Too many times we try to over-complicate talking about Jesus. We are afraid of being too confrontational, argumentative or we feel like we have to be some deep theologian before we can share the gospel with others. Simply put, sharing the gospel has lost its simplicity today. But, it doesn’t have to be this way.

I want to challenge you this week to share a Jesus story with someone. What is a Jesus story? It is an opportunity for you to share a brief story about how Jesus is working in your life. You don’t have to share your testimony, although if the opportunity arises don’t let it pass. Sharing a Jesus story with someone can be as simple as encouraging someone who is going through a hard time, having issues in their life, etc. Look for ways to just turn everyday conversations into a gospel conversation or a Jesus story. Simply just be willing to be step out of your comfort zone, be obedient to the Spirit’s leading and share a Jesus story with someone this week. I promise you, it will make a huge difference for that person and strengthen your walk with Jesus as well.

After all, what do you have to lose?

Have a wonderful week and I would love to hear from you and your Jesus story moments.

MOTIVATION MONDAY: Finishing Is Better Than Starting

Happy Monday, folks. The other day I was reading through Hebrews chapters 11 – 12 and as I read it, I began to think today’s title, “Finishing is better than starting.” Now, this isn’t an original idea, in fact, it can be found in Ecclesiastes 7:8 of the New Living Translation. In thinking over what I wanted to say today, I kept coming back to this verse because it is very fitting for what we read in Hebrews 11 – 12.

But first, surrendering your life to Jesus is the greatest decision you will ever make, but that is just the beginning of your marathon life. As a Christian, our life is a race that we were created to run, but that run will not be an easy one. We will face obstacles that will cause everything in us to scream and quit. It is in those moments that we want to quit, that we push through the pain and stay focused on our goal of finishing well.

As I read Hebrews 11, I am reminded of so many faithful saints who endured to the end. Were they perfect? Not at all, but they were faithful even in their weakest moments. Think about it as you read that list in Hebrews 11. Abel had sibling issues. Noah loved wine a little too much. Abraham was a liar. Jacob was a deceiver. Samson, well not only did he love women but he loved himself a little too much! David, he struggled with all the above. But the one thing they possessed was endurance. It was their endurance that made their faith strong.

It is interesting that in the 40 verses in Hebrews 11, “By faith” is listed twenty-seven times. Those saints listed in Hebrews 11 passed away before Jesus came and they didn’t witness the fulfillment of the greatest promise. But, they are with Him now and they are waiting for you, cheering you on to complete your race. Many start a journey of following Jesus without a realistic expectation of the price required to finish their spiritual race. They fail to keep their eyes focused on Jesus and as a result, they get frustrated and they let that frustration destroy their passion for following after Jesus.

I will be the first to admit that my passion for following Jesus is not at the top of my list some days. There are things that I get upset and frustrated about, there are a ton of things that I fail at, but by God’s grace and mercy, He allows me to get back up and continue on. I may have scrapes, cuts and bruises from my decisions and choices, but my eyes are fixed on the healer. Finishing is better than starting, but we first have to start the race with a new birth in Jesus Christ.

We can learn a lot about endurance from those listed in Hebrews 11, but the most important thing we can learn is that it was the faith they possessed to follow after God and finish their race. Will you have the endurance to do whatever it takes to finish the race that God has set before you, so that all glory belongs to Him?

“Let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus…” FINISH YOUR RACE.

FIVE THINGS FRIDAY – October 28th

Hello Friday and welcome back to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. I missed last week’s edition due to the fact that I was getting ready for our youth lock-in last weekend. Yes, you read that right… a youth lock-in where we locked ourselves in the church with a group of students for the night, played games, ate a ton of snacks and slept on a hard floor. Oh, did I mention that we did that willingly! It was fun though and I am glad that we are able to provide our students experiences/memories like that. So, a lot of things have happened in the last two weeks, so let’s get started with this weeks FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.

I. ANOTHER CROSS COUNTRY SEASON IN THE BOOKS

Last Monday, cross country came to an end and our girl came so close to breaking into the Top 20. She finished the season ranked 23rd and what a season she had! I have been so proud of her and the way she finished this season. After a rough start with colds and sickness at the start of the season, the last three weeks she was at her best and it showed. The fact that her last three meets she finished with times of 17:52, 15:45 and 17:14 is truly remarkable and it shows how hard she worked her tail off to get to those times. As an assistant coach, I could not have asked for more from her over these last few weeks. And as a parent I am overjoyed for her and the time and dedication that she put into cross country this season. Te best part is that she is determined to be a Top 10 runner next year as an eighth grader and I truly believed that she is going to meet that goal. Another area that I have seen the benefits of her running cross country as been in her soccer game this season. Because of the workouts that they have been doing in practice, I have seen how it has made her leg stronger on the soccer field. I love seeing my girl go “beast mode” on the soccer field! Quick side note, not only did she work her tail off in cross country, but she also worked her tail off in the classroom and brought home straight A’s on her report card! That is something that this dad knows nothing about! It’s hard to believe that the next time I get to write about cross country our girl will be an 8th GRADER… I’m not quite ready for that yet. 🙂

II. SLAYING THE 5K RACE

A couple of Saturday’s ago, we ran the Hickory Trick or Trot 5K and Jana and Gracie absolutely crushed it. Gracie, of course finished ahead of me, but just barely. She beat me by 4 seconds, but she still beat me! She finished in a time of 29:57 and finished first in her age group. The remarkable thing about that feat is that this is her third 5K this year and she has finished first in her age group every time. But the most exiting part of our race was seeing all the hard work that my wife has put in to get ready for this 5K over the last ten weeks. All those days of getting up early to go walk and run, even on days that she didn’t feel like it, but still got up, got dressed and went out and put the work in paid off. Not only did she crush her time but she finished third place in her age group! There are not enough words to express of just how proud I am of her! She kept telling herself that she just didn’t want to finish last. Not only did she not finish last, she finished THIRD in her age group and received a metal for her accomplishments. I’m looking for her to take me down in our next race in November!

III. KICKBALL SEASON IN REVIEW

This fall the Hickory Crawdads hosted their third season of adult kickball and it did not disappoint. This was our third year playing as well and the season came to an end last night. There were 16 teams that signed up to participate this season and we played five games with the top six making the playoffs. We finished in 4th but lost in our first playoff game this past Thursday night. Even though it was a tough loss, it still did not take away all the fun that we had this season. I would have preferred to win it all but finishing 5th out of 16 teams is not too bad either! I am not sure what next year holds, but I am thankful to the Hickory Crawdads for offering this once again. They put a lot of work into making sure that the season is a success and I am grateful for their time and energy that they put into it. Also, it was a lot of fun to be able to play kickball with some great friends every week too.

IV. SOCCER AND FRIENDS

“THERE ARE FRIENDS, THERE IS FAMILY, AND THEN THERE ARE FRIENDS THAT BECOME FAMILY.”

On Monday evening we had a soccer game and some of our youth girls came out to show their support for Gracie and Kennedy. Soccer is always fun, but it is more fun when you have your closest friends show up to support you and cheer you on. Thankfully, we got the win since they showed up, but even if we wouldn’t have got the win, Gracie and Kennedy would have been just as excited that to see them. That is one of the things that I love to see with our students and it’s how much they care about each other. When you look at the picture above, all those smiles are genuine! They love each other, they love being silly and goofy, but most importantly, they love being there for each other, encouraging one another and helping to point others to Jesus.

V. SAYING GOODBYE IS TOUGH

Last week our church lost a dear member and friend. Ms. Jonie was 96 years young when she went home to be with the Lord. As we got word of her passing, it did not take long for me to remember her and the legacy that she left not only with me, but so many others in our church. One of the things that I remember most about her is her big smile that was always wearing. She could be having the worst day ever, but she would still be wearing that smile. She had one of those smiles that could just light up a room as soon as she walked in. In fact, you probably know or have known someone like that. But it wasn’t just her smile, it was her personality too that made her presence so welcoming and loving. I have very fond memories of Ms. Jonie from all of our trips that we have taken with our senior adults over the years and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to know her. My life is better because of it!

In fact, as I think back over the last 16 years, my life is better because of so many saints that I have had the privilege to know before they were called home for eternity. I have said before that ministry can be tough at times, but it can also be very rewarding. Having the opportunity to know so many wonderful people is one of those small rewards in ministry. I absolutely love working with my students every week, but I also love having the chance to spend time and get to know so many of our senior adults. To have the chance to sit and talk with them about life, their experiences and their love for Jesus is something that cannot be replaced. So many of them have been an encouragement to me and my walk with Jesus over the years and I am grateful for each and everyone of them. They remind me of why it’s important to be involved and connected with a community of believers. Life is going to be hard at times, Satan is continually tempting us and drawing us away from our first love in Jesus Christ. Our faithful senior saints have been a blessing to me and my family and that’s not something I want to take lightly. Who is someone that has been a blessing to you? Who is someone that has been a source of encouragement to you and helped you in your walk with Jesus? What was it about them that you remember the most? Saying goodbye is tough, but it is not the end for those who have trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Have you trusted in Jesus today?

Well, that’s it for this edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. Thanks for spending a few minutes with me and have a blessed weekend. See you next week for another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.

MOTIVATION MONDAY: RUN THE RACE

“Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us…”

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2, CSB

If you have been with me for any amount of time, you have probably heard me talk about (at least once) the analogy of the Christian life being described as running a race. This picture comes from the verses above in Hebrews, along with the apostle Paul using it frequently in his letters to encourage Christian’s to persevere, press on and “run” as if competing for a prize (1 Cor. 9:24-27; Gal. 2:2; Phil. 2:16, 3:13-14).

I don’t know if you consider yourself a runner or if the very thought of running makes you cringe. The idea of running doesn’t make me cringe, but I don’t consider myself to be a runner either. I guess I am more a work in progress, which is a perfect description of my Christian walk. The Christian life isn’t a sprint, let’s get there as quickly as we can. It’s more like a ultra-marathon.

In a marathon, if you tried to sprint the whole 26.2 miles, you will eventually burn out and crash. Instead, you work on pacing yourself, finding a good rhythm, keeping your eyes focused on what’s ahead. Most definitely there will be times that you will need to “press on” and dig deep when your body tells you to quit and you feel like giving up. This is where our training and endurance help us out. Well, in the Christian life, we are only able to run with endurance if we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is the one who sustains us and gives us the strength we need to continue on.

So, today, how is your race going? Are you fixing your eyes on Jesus or have you lost sight of Him? Have you focused too much on your weaknesses, stresses and anxiety and allowed them to overcome you?

If so, let me encourage you today, to forget what is behind you and press on towards the goal that Christ has called you to!

FIVE THINGS FRIDAY – October 14th

Hello, Friday and welcome back to another post of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. Today is Friday, October 14th and how excited are you that the weekend is almost here? But, before the weekend gets here, we have to unpack some of the things that happened this past week. So, without further ado, here is this weeks edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.

I. OKTOBERFEST IS BETTER WITH FRIENDS

Last Saturday after our soccer game, we went downtown Hickory to OKTOBERFEST with some of the girls on the team. I will say that I was a little disappointed with the event this year, but it was good to at least have it back after a two year hiatus. It’s all about baby steps for all of us since the pandemic, right? Anyway, the best part of going downtown was walking to Oktoberfest and watching these crazy girls interact with one another. They had a blast as they took pictures, laughed, and even walked on the train tracks. While at Oktoberfest they all got airbrushed tattoos, went through a petting zoo, held a baby goat, fed some of the animals and ate plenty of snacks and food. I seriously think that one of our girls had at least three snow cones from Pelican’s Snowballs. Although there were not any rides, we still had a lot of fun walking around and enjoying the beautiful Saturday together.

But looking back on the day, the thing that I am most thankful for is the friendship that these girls have. They have a special bond with one another and it shows. They act more like sisters at times! But as I watched them interacting with each other throughout the day, I was reminded of what Solomon said in Proverbs 18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (ESV) As I watch these “silly” girls interact with one another on and off the soccer field, I am beyond grateful that God has placed them in each others lives. In fact, we all need that one friend that “sticks closer than a brother” don’t we? Who is that person? Have you told them lately how much you appreciate them and that you are thankful to God for placing them in your life?

II. HARD WORK PAYS OFF

Michael Jordan once said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” This past week at our fifth cross country meet, Gracie did just that, she made it happen. She was finally feeling better, she worked hard during practice and she pushed herself until it hurt in her meet this week. The course we were running on is one of her least favorites, but didn’t focus on the course, but the outcome. We were so proud of her as she beasted it and finished her best time ever, a time of 15:45, good enough for 23rd out of 71. She was hurting coming towards that finish line, but she was determined, you could see it in her face as she ran those last few feet to the finish line. The best part was that as she finished the race and then saw her time, she is more determined than ever to try and beat her time at her last cross country meet next week. Even if she doesn’t, I am just so proud of her and all that she has accomplished this season.

But, I am also proud of my wife as she prepares for her 5K this weekend. For 8 weeks she has been getting up early Monday – Friday and walking and running. Between my wife and daughter, I am excited to see how well they are going to do this weekend. They may leave me in the dust and I quite alright with that. I have enjoyed seeing their progress and how far they have come and I cannot wait to see them run on Saturday.

Ready for the Trick or Trot 5K

III. GARMIN WATCH vs. APPLE WATCH

Recently, my Apple watch of 6 years recently “bit the dust” and left me frantically trying to figure out what to do. I wondered since my face plate just popped off if maybe I could get it repaired, but since it’s an out of date/discontinued watch, Apple wasn’t able to repair it. This was devastating news as I really enjoyed my Apple watch. It was very useful for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one was to help me keep track of my exercise and running sessions. However, I have several friends that use Garmin watches for their running and training, so I checked with them about the pros and cons of possibly getting one. Well, after much investigating, reading up on all the different Garmin watches, and looking at the pros and cons between Garmin and Apple… I decided to try the Garmin watch. After a month and a half I am extremely happy with my decision. I went with the lower end Garmin Forerunner watch and it seems to do everything I need it for. I do miss being able to play/connect my music through my watch, but that’s a minor issue. I really enjoy how it keeps track of your workouts/runs/walks and gives you a recovery time after each exercise. I like how I can load my information into Strava and get a deeper analysis of all my workouts. It’s very technical… a little too technical for what I need it for at times. Also, I have noticed that my anxiety has gone down some since I got rid of my Apple watch, surprisingly. Over all, I have not missed my Apple watch and I really thought I would being such an Apple type person. Gracie had to wear my watch during her last meet and she loved it too, so much so that she has asked for one for Christmas. (We will see, she better finish in the top 10 at her last meet and then I’ll think about it! ) But seriously, if you want to consider a Garmin watch for yourself, you will not be disappointed.

IV. PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH

October is pastor appreciation month and I could not let this month pass without recognizing some of my favorite pastors. This list could actually be quite long, but I will stick to the few that have made a difference in my life. These are in no particular order, but first I am thankful for my pastor, Pastor Scott Frady. It has been a joy being able to serve/work with you for 16 years! I am thankful for your leadership, your advice, your wittiness and dry humor and I am thankful for the many times you let me just drop in and distract you from your duties and talk about baseball for hours on in. I don’t take a minute for granite and I blessed to be able to serve our church with you! I am also thankful for my youth pastor, Pastor Paul Weakland. Even though that may have been what seems like many moons ago, God used you to put me where I am today. The impact that you have had on my life isn’t taken lightly and I appreciate all you have done for me. Not only did you teach me how to love on students and care for them, but you showed me how to love and care for students. You showed me that ministry is messy and hard, but is so worth it at the same time. I am grateful that you gave me the opportunity to learn from you and to emulate you.

I am also grateful for two of my dearest friends, Pastors Kyle Lloyd and Dustin Lovelace. You guys have been my rocks, my go to’s and my partners in crime for a while now. I have enjoyed every minute, every conversation, every camp, every retreat that we have been a part of. I love seeing your hearts to serve God, I love seeing you serve your students and churches with passion and grace. God has definitely blessed us with the opportunity to work together and that is something that I do not take lightly. I absolutely love hearing you guys preach and share the Word of God with your students. I also love seeing you interact with your kiddos and loving your families. I know I don’t tell you guys often, but y’all are an inspiration to me and I am so thankful for your friendship!

Is there a pastor that God has used to have an impact on your life? Be sure to tell your current pastor(s) how much you appreciate them. I promise you that they do not hear it enough! Like I said earlier, ministry is messy, it’s difficult and at times extremely hard. But it is also hard on our wives and families. Too many times the people we are called to lead are the ones that we end up neglecting because we are leading and working with the sheep that God has entrusted with us. I know for certain that I could not do what I do without my wife. She is my biggest supporter, my biggest critic, my voice of reason and my number one fan! She makes doing ministry fun and I am so thankful for her and all that she does. I am also thankful for my daughter and all her support and help too. She loves going over to the offie and spending time there. I am thankful for her heart for others and how much compassion she has towards others… something that I know is a God thing and that she got from her mother!

V. ROOTED

Last Sunday, we finished a series entitled, ROOTED and I used the illustration of an apple tree throughout the series. The idea was that as believers, we are to be rooted in Christ. We are to let our roots go down in Him in hopes that we will become more like Him. I concluded with cutting into an apple and pulling out the seeds. There are roughly between 5-8 seeds in an apple. Well, if each apple produced just 5 seeds, that means in a lifetime that tree would produce roughly 37, 500 seeds. That’s a lot of seeds! But that is also a lot of seeds that could become trees that could produce more apples. I used this to share with them that if they just planted one seed (shared the Gospel) for every year until they turned 50, look at how many seeds they will plant.

12 years old, you could plant 38 seeds.

13 years old, you could plant 37 seeds.

14 years old, you could plant 36 seeds.

15 years old, you could plant 35 seeds.

The point is that just telling one person per year – planting one seed each year – you could make a big difference. How many seeds are you planting right now? See, when our lives are built on Jesus as our foundation, and our spiritual roots go down deep into Him, our faith will grow strong and tall in the truth and knowledge of Jesus Christ. As a follower of Christ, we want to tell others about who Jesus can be for them because of who He is to us and what He has done for us.

Who is someone that you need to share the Good News of the Gospel with today? We are simply planting seeds, we don’t do the saving, that God’s work, He just wants us to be faithful to plant the seeds.

Well, that is all for this week of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. I pray that you have a blessed weekend and we will see you next week, Lord willing for another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.