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?