You only need to be still.

You only need to be still. 

Pre Game 

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Exodus 14:14

Warm Up

The Israelites just left Egypt, following the promise that God gave them that He would deliver them from Egypt.  They have left Egypt when Pharaoh changed his heart and pursues them.  The Israelites panicked and Moses replies to them:  "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Likewise, can you think of a situation in sport when you also panicked?  Was it on match point or when you realized that your opponents is making a comeback?  In sports and life we as believers follow God and rely on His promises.  Sometimes it may feel like chaos and that we will be attacked from every side like the Israelites did.  But the amazing promise the Israelites had was that the Lord was with them and that He will fight for them.  Their only response was to be still.  

Why?  Because the Lord is with us.  Psalm 23:4 also says:  "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,  for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."    

     

Game Time

Are you in a situation where you feel overwhelmed?

How have you responded to it?

Have you been able to simply be still before the Lord?

What are the names?

What are the names?

Pre Game 

“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the Lord."

Exodus 28:29-30

Warm Up

When Aaron entered the Holy place the Lord asked him to "bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the Lord."  

The Lord desired Aaron to think of the sons of Israel when he had to make decisions and be the mediator between God and Israel.  He did not want him to make decisions based on his own desires but what God desired for His people and not only for an individual.  So the question for us today..what are the names the Lord has placed on our breastpiece of decision?  Who does the Lord desire you to think about or remember when you make decisions?  Your loved ones, family, friends, those in the ministry?  What are their names?    

     

Game Time

Who are the people's names the Lord desires you to remember before you make big decisions?   

Do you make decisions that is best for you or them?  

What are the names on your breastpiece?

Letting Go

Letting Go

Pre Game 

“Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.” 

Exodus 11:10 NIV

Warm Up

In sports and life you can measure how much someone or something has control and influence in your life by how easy or hard it is to let it go. If we think about it...the most valuable people and things to us are the hardest to let go. The least valuable things are easy to let go. Pharaoh struggled to let the Israelites go, even though God had told him clearly to do so. The Israelites were extremely valuable to him and the country's economy.  But the Lord clearly told him to let them go.

So what about you and me? Is there anything in sports and life that we hold on to very tight that we deem as important? Is there anything or anyone in our lives that the Lord has told us clearly to let go of?

Jesus told His disciples in Luke 14:33:  "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." Are you and I willing to let everything go that The Lord asks of us? He asked His disciples to give up their money, house, friends, family, things, and anything else besides God.

     

Game Time

Are we willing to let go when The Lord asks us?

Major on the Major and minor on the minor

Major on the Major and minor on the minor 

Pre Game 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40

Warm Up

Every point you play in tennis counts as one point on the score board.  But some points have significantly different consequences.  For example:  If the score is 15-15 and you win one point your only ahead 30-15.  But if you are ahead 40-30 and you win the point you win the game.  Even the final point of a tennis match called “matchpoint”, only counts as one point on the scoreboard but if you win that point, you win everything.  So as you can see there are some points that are more valuable than others.  These points we consider major but the other points are minor.  Both are important, because you cant get to the big points without winning the minor ones.  

Heres an example from a match Andy Roddick played in a few years back.  Andy lost the match but when you looked at the total points won, he actually won more total points than his opponent.  His opponent won the major points and lost several minor ones.  He wasn't intentionally focusing on not getting the minor points, his opponent was simply making sure that he took care of the major ones.  What is important is to play each point according to its context.  Major on the major and minor on the minor.    

In life we also play many points.  Some are major and some are minor.  Someone once asked Jesus what the biggest points in life were in Matthew  22:36 when the Pharisees asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus responded with a simplistic, yet difficult, answer in Matthew 22:37-40 saying, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In sports and life we need to major on the major and minor on the minor.  Sometimes in life we major on the minors and minor on the majors, but God has clearly laid out what His majors are.  How do we respond?  

     

Game Time

What are the majors you need to focus on more? 

What are the minors you might be putting too much focus on?

Valuable Moments

Valuable Moments 

Pre Game 

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:2

Warm Up

Athletes train hours and hours to prepare for extremely valuable moments in sports.  Sports are full of valuable moments.  You can sense it, especially when pressure is present.  Scoring the winning shot in the dying seconds to win the game, having match point at being ahead 7-6 in the tie-break in the third set, or scoring the try on the final move in rugby.  One of the reasons athletes make sacrifices in training is to be ready for these moments.  

In life we also make significant sacrifices for valuable moments.  Recently, as we are planning to move out of the country, we made a seven hour trip to be with friends.  One of these couples just had their very first baby.  Being there at the hospital, sharing the joy of their newborn baby made all that effort worth it.  Certain moments are extremely valuable and you don't know if you will ever have them again.  

Jesus made a significant sacrifice for us for an extremely valuable moment…on the cross.  He died for us on the cross so that we may live.  Was it worth it?  ABSOLUTELY!  He counted the joy set before Him as greater worth than the suffering (Hebrews 12:2).  He loved us so much! Measuring the pain of sacrifice verses the reward and joy that comes after that is not worth comparing.  We are saved from death and will live forever with Him because of His great sacrificial love for us.  Thank you Jesus.  

     

Game Time

What are some valuable moments in your life? 

What are some sacrifices you had to make for these valuable moments?

What are sacrifices God is calling you right now to make for valuable moments He desires to see happen?

God will never leave us nor forsake us.

God will never leave us nor forsake us. 

Pre Game 

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

Warm Up

Regardless of how crazy life, work and the world may get, we know one constant promise through it all: God will never leave us nor forsake us. He promises us that He will always be present.  The Israelites left Egypt and followed God through the leading of Moses.  God remained true to His promise by being present with them through a cloud by day and fire by night.  Exodus 13:21 says, “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.”

God gave the same promise to Joshua as he continued to lead the Israelites after Moses.  Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  

Jesus said the same to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20:   “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Over and over in the Bible we can see how God fulfills His promise to His children.  Consider all the transitions we experience in our lives - big or small.  Graduating from kindergarten, elementary school, high school and college.  Getting married, moving out of the house, getting your new job, visiting a new city or country.  Buying your first car, house, or favorite grill.  Some transitions are sad and some are joyful.  Some are big and some are small.  But one thing remain constant through all of them - God will be with us always.  Never leaving us nor forsaking us.  The Lord is before us, behind us, under us, above us and on every side.  He goes before us and prepares the way for us to walk. 

He is Immanuel, God with us. 

Game Time

What transitions are you currently going through?

Where and how do you see God during this time and why?

Don't Stop Believing

Don’t Stop Believing.

" David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."

1 Samuel 17:45

Stanislas Wawrinka is crowned as the new Australian Open Tennis Champion. This is an amazing feat to accomplish beating 3 top 10 players in the world to win the title. If you haven't followed tennis the last few years, it has been dominated by a few players such as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. These four guys have been the "tennis giants" and have won the majority of the tennis titles the lay few  years. After a while, you get a sense that these guys are invincible, unbeatable. You can see it in the attitudes of those they compete against. A small flicker of hope to win but helplessness in the air.

But there are a few that never gave up believing. Whether they had a little or a lot, they had faith. They kept working hard, improving their fitness and mental toughness, and simply never gave up. Stanislas was one of these guys. I respect him for believing he could win against these giants and not give up.

In life we also face giants that we feel and sense are invincible.  There are areas of our life that we feel we cannot overcome or have victory over. Have you lost hope against these giants?  David conquered Goliath with the strength and faith The Lord provided.  Jesus reminds us, "In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  The Lord has given us the power to overcome the giants in our life and reminds us that anything we face, he has already conquered for us.  

What are the giants in your life?

Do you believe that The Lord desires to conquer these giants in your life?