C'Mon Coach

First of all let me say that I LOVE sports! Always have, always will. As a matter of fact C’Mon Coach is inspired by Monday Night Countdown’s C’Mon Man! You know the ESPN segment where players do things that leave you scratching your head. Well, this is kind of the same thing but it’s for coaches.
You see, growing up in church, I noticed this every now and then; but since becoming a Pastor a few years ago, I’ve really started to wonder about this. You see, I can’t seem to understand why a coach would willingly decide to schedule ball practice on a Wednesday night? I mean almost every church in our area has service/youth services on that night. This forces Christian parents to choose between taking their families to church or taking their kids to the ball field. Most families have such a crazy-busy schedules now, they can’t do both.
Having practice on Wednesday nights causes young people to struggle with the decision to either go to church or to the ball field. If they chose ball practice they feel like they’re letting their church & youth group down. If they chose church they feel like they’re letting their team and coach down. Either way, they feel guilty, and, no young person should ever be put in that position.
Don’t get me wrong coach. I really do commend you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be out there on the ball field volunteering night after night especially after a long day at work. I also appreciate your commitment to teaching our young people about discipline and teamwork but honestly, C’Mon Coach, isn’t Monday night, Tuesday night, Thursday night and Friday night enough time to do that?
My six year old son loves to play flag football but he plays for a church league that understands the importance of priorities and putting God first. I really appreciate how they schedule their practices on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights and their games on Saturday mornings so their players don’t have to miss church.
You see coach, in the game of life when the play clock finally strikes all zeros and the final whistle has been blown, people are going to spend eternity in one of two places. As a Pastor, I have a heart to see as many people as possible spend eternity with Christ. So, once again, I do LOVE sports, always have, always will, but I LOVE seeing families spending time together in God’s house even more! So……..C’Mon Coach!

By Dwayne Addison
      Pastor, City of Refuge Church
      Bristol, VA
      http://www.corbristol.org/          

What Is Your Story?

Recently, I had the opportunity to go to a NASCAR race at one of the most popular tracks on the circuit.  I did not plan on going but a new friend had an extra ticket and invited me to go at the last minute.  Excited to get to go, I hurried to get ready as the invitation came only a couple of hours before the green flag.  We made our way to the track trough the crowds and to our seats with plenty of time to spare.  My friend got all of his gear ready to enjoy the race and we made small talk.  As I looked at the nearly 160,000 people my friend said, "Look at all these people.  Everyone of them has a story.  Each one has their own problems and trials in this life.  I just wonder how many of them know Jesus?"

These words struck me.  Indeed, how many of these people knew Jesus?  Sure, I would bet that nearly all of them knew who Jesus was.  But how many really knew Him? How many had taken the time to accept the gift of salvation that He had provided to them?  I don't know the answer to those questions but it would surely be alot of them. 

You know, this is our mission here on earth, to let as many people as possible know what Jesus did for them.  It is up to us to tell someone about Jesus.  The real question is, how many of us are fulfilling this mission? We don't have to travel the nations of the world to spread the Gospel.  We can tell our friends, we can tell our neighbors.  Our very own town can be our mission field.

So, what is your story?  Do you have that personal relationship with Jesus that He desires?  If you don't, I ask you to please consider it.  Jesus paid the price for you to obtain salvation. He made the only way.  You can't earn your way there.  You can't buy your way into heaven.  Just think about it.  If you do know Jesus personally, start today going about telling others about Him.  Either way, if you know Him or if you don't why not make Jesus part of your story?

Seek Him

In Psalms 27, David tells us that he is desiring to seek the Lord. He has answered God's call to seek His face. He is wanting to draw closer to God with all of his being, with all that he has. David knows that the Lord is his everything and that without God, he is nothing. It is this desire for God that our Father above wants from all of us.

Sadly, because of our human flesh, we do not want that. We let our earthly wants and desires get between us and God. We let our everyday life get in the way. We would rather do anything than to seek the very face of God. This is not what God wants. Jesus did not come to earth, clothed in human flesh, to die a painful, humiliating death for us just to accept Him and then go off on our own like nothing ever happened.

The main purpose of Jesus dying for us was to bring mankind back into that state of communion with Him. God desires us to have a fellowship, a personal relationship with Him just as Adam had with Him in the Garden of Eden. He wants to know us as one of His children and He wants us to diligently seek Him just as David is doing in Psalms 27.

Seek God's face. Get to know Him as you never have before. Put worldly things behind you and seek first the kingdom of God. Don't let the trappings of this earthly flesh come between yourself and God.
Seek the relationship with Him that you are meant to have in the first place and God will pour out His Spirit on you, your family and your church.

I want so badly for more of God in my life.  I want His presence to lead me and guide me to fulfill His plan for me.  O Father, pour your spirit out on all those who hunger and thirst for You.  Make this your prayer as well.