Missed Field Goals

Isaiah 43:18 “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past” (NASB) As a football fan, sometimes we don’t focus on the kickers until they miss a field goal or an extra point. The best kickers have an average of 85% success in the NFL. Back in 2007 I had […]

Isaiah 43:18 “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past” (NASB)

As a football fan, sometimes we don’t focus on the kickers until they miss a field goal or an extra point. The best kickers have an average of 85% success in the NFL. Back in 2007 I had the fortune to watch Rob Bironas score 8 field goals in one game. His longest field goal was 52 yards. His record kick was 60 yards which still is an NFL record. With all of that, he still had an 85% average of success.

In the same manner, if we were to look at our success rate, if we can call it that, how good are we in our Christian walk? Are we missing the mark by 15% or are we better than the average Christian? But let’s not go into that comparison. Let’s think about you and just you. Isn’t it true that most of the time you don’t look at how good you are doing until you mess up? Isn’t it true that you could be doing a lot of things great, but the one thing holding you back is what other people see and criticize? And what’s worse, we do that to ourselves! We can have a lot of good things going for us, but we focus on the little things we do wrong. Stop doing that! You are not perfect, so, let’s stop pretending. If you focus on the things you do right, you will feel better, and you will do better.

That’s Not a Candle

Several years ago, there was story shared about a woman from Connecticut whose power had gone out during a storm. She left her house to go to a local hardware store to purchase some flashlights, but the store was closed. She returned home and found what she thought...

The Post-Christian Problem

I attended the New Day Conference in Murfreesboro, Tennessee at the end of last week with a small group from Riverchase. It was a good conference and I left encouraged about the opportunities we have to fulfill the call of Christ to make disciples. On Friday evening,...

Josiah’s Reform

In the thirty-one years of his rule, King Josiah proved to be a faithful man of God and a great king of Judah. He served God from the beginning as a young king and grew into a greater understanding of God’s will and a determination to follow that will. He made a...

You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat You’ve heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” Simply defined, it means that you should eat healthy if you want to be healthy. This phrase can trace its roots back to the early 1800’s. It came from the 1826 work The Physiology of Taste, in which...

It Is Well

Above the piano in our house is a large wood sign with the phrase, “it is well with my soul” on it. Kimberly and I purchased it during a season of our life together where we were not completely sure what the future had in store for our little family. Since then, the...

Do Over

  I messed up on recording my recent radio programs. The sound quality was so bad Mark could not run them on the air. So, I deleted them and recorded them again.   I sure wish I could do that in real life with all the other mistakes I make. Just delete them...

Don’t Believe Your Preacher

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:9 ESV) Here is the test. The “teaching of Christ” is, of course, the very word of God. So, if your...

Balloons Belong in Church

I would like to share with you an excerpt from a poem written by Ann Weems. The beginning of it describes a four-year-old child that brought with her a balloon to church one Sunday. When her Sunday school teacher saw the balloon, she mockingly said to the girl, “We...

Faith

Two important verses: So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17 ESV) 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and...

Abide in the Teachings

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. 106 I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. (Psalms 119:105-106 ESV) Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in...