Spring Training

Spring Training. One of my favorite times of the year. Baseball, beautiful Florida weather, tons of time spent on the beach and in the pool with my family, dinner with the family every night.... lots of good stuff going on. Also, Spring Training, in years past, has been a time where I grow considerably in my faith. When we get down here we get on a good church going routine to a great church that's Bible based and has a great kids program (something that our family is blessed to have in all 3 places we spend time). Also, we get on a good Bible study routine. Big leaguers, minor leaguers, wives, kids... everybody is catered to and there is a real sense of serving going on there. So this time is not just a Spring Training get ready for baseball type of thing. It's also a Spring Training of our walks with Jesus type of thing. Then, inevitably, we leave for the season. And what happens? Slowly but surely we lose a lot of that momentum that we gained during our time in Florida. And, every year, the same promises to keep the ball rolling during the season fizzle out. And, every year, the same regret at the end of the year for all the lost and wasted time. So, here's my question... why do we allow this to happen every stinkin' year? Before you start saying "Aw, you poor guy" stop and think if I might be relating to you too. If this doesn't pertain to you then read on or read something else. But, I bet if you're honest, you'll at least admit there have been times when you were slipping and needed a boost. I've figured out that sometimes in order to grow I have to be a good self evaluator. So... why do we let it happen? Why do we ride a spiritual roller coaster that seems to never end? Here it is.. you ready?..... WE DON'T KEEP CHRIST IN THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES!
It comes down to that age old question of what are your priorities. Here's the most common answer... "God, family, job, friends, hobbies. I'm close anyway. But, here's how I think we should amend that answer. Let's make Jesus the center of everything. Lets have Jesus be the rock of our family, lets let our God dictate how we do business, and allow His Holy Spirit to shine over our friendships. There's a great book that hits on this concept amazingly called "Lead...For God's Sake". If you are a coach please, for God's sake, read that book. Here's the deal. When we place God at the center of everything, His greatness shines in everything. We are called to be lights in a dark world. Let's get over ourselves and let God light us up from the inside out. Anybody feeling me here?

-waino

The Prayer Requests of the Apostle Paul

I just finished a short essay for a class that I am taking. The essay is on the prayer requests of the apostle Paul found in Romans 15:30-32, Ephesians 6:18-20, Colossians 4:2-4, 1 Thessalonians 5:25 and 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2. It would definitely help to read those few verses before reading the post below.

Instructions for My Prayer Life from the Prayer Requests of the Apostle Paul

The apostle Paul’s prayer requests for himself illustrate what is truly meant by praying in the name of Jesus. In each of the five verses studied, Paul’s central concern of his requests is the advancement of the gospel. He makes no request for any material provision and expresses no concerns about his own personal health despite being imprisoned at the time that he records a couple of these requests. Paul asks for deliverance from unbelievers and the wicked, but even this was because of his desire to spread the gospel without hinderance. The Christ-centered focus of this “ambassador in chains” serves as a powerful testimony of one who presses on toward the eternal goal knowing that his citizenship is not of this world.

Meditating on the prayer requests of the apostle Paul encourages and instructs me on how to truly pray in the name of Jesus. Jesus consistently prayed in accordance with the will of God. We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but we do know that if we ask in accordance with God’s will, He hears us. And although we can have confidence that the Spirit helps us in our weakness, we can also consider the heart of Paul in his specific requests for prayer. Prayer in accordance with God’s will is prayer that seeks first the glory of God. Paul’s intense focus and passion for the advancement of God’s glory challenges me to break these chains of self-centeredness and to embrace a life of complete dedication to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

All too often throughout my journey with Jesus, I have remained idle in the face of conviction. This must stop. I have grown tired of allowing my heart to be stirred while my feet remain still. This examination of the heart of the apostle Paul will change my posture before the Lord. I desire to remove my attention from myself and fix my eyes upon the advancement of God’s glory. Is my comfort and the safety of my family more important than the glory of God? My mind knows the correct answer, but my heart seems indecisive. Paul’s prayer requests demonstrate unity of heart, mind and soul. Such harmony is the trademark of true worship. My desire going forward is to pray in such a way that seeks first the kingdom of God trusting the promise that all other things will be added to me.

With peace thanks to Jesus,

Terry

Leadership Corner: Leaders are Learners

I think that every book I have ever read on leadership has emphasized the importance of being a learner. They say when you stop learning, eventually you will stop leading. Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward in their book, Launching a Leadership Revolution, said "it is a fact that most of the greatest leaders throughout history have been avid readers" (127).

For me, books have been the most important means of growth in my life as a leader. I was released by the Cardinals in 2004 and up until then my whole life was devoted to baseball. A year later I was in the ministry as a youth pastor and felt like I was way behind the curve. At that point my only responsibilities were on Wednesday night and Sunday's so I had a lot of time to read. It was during this time that I really began to see the benefits of reading and grow as a leader.

One leader said that you can tell who someone will become in five years based on the books they read and the people they hang out with. I believe him.

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church in Chicago, said that "leaders have a responsibility before God to constantly get better, and one of the most reliable ways to do so is to read. Great leaders read frequently. They read voraciously" (Axiom, 196).

Very few people read and those who do normally read for entertainment, not growth. What about you? What books have you read recently? Are you reading books that stretch your thinking or do you just read books that are easy? Do you read a wide variety of books or do you just read the latest bestseller?

Wherever you are in life become a reader. Make it a priority to read at least a half an hour a day. I promise it will help you stretch and grow as a leader.

Scatter Shooting

Great Article from Peter Gammons on Hamilton Relapse: Allison Understands Hamilton's Struggles

Free Audio and Video from John Piper's Latest Conference on God, Manhood, & Ministry: Building Men for the Body of Christ.

How Jesus Chooses and Uses Our Failures

Interesting Article Titled "Can We Trust the Contemporary Worship Music Industry?"

The Top Ten Blog Posts from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF). These blogs deal with topics like depression, anger, anxiety, fear, and many more.

Leadership Corner: Charisma and Serving Others

"How can you have charisma? Be more concerned about making others feel good
about themselves than you are making them feel good about you" - Dan Reiland
(Vice President of Leadership Development, INJOY)

"In humility count others more significant than yourselves." - Philippians 2:3

Focusing on others is a very difficult thing indeed. Nonetheless, this is a necessary attribute of an effective Christian leader. Whoever it is that is under our leadership must know that we have their best interests in mind; in fact, they must feel that we consider them more significant than ourselves.

This week focus on serving those who work for you. Be intentional about making them feel significant.

George Washington Prayer

Reading some interesting books and stumbled across this tonight. It's from President George Washingtons Prayer Journal. Mostly written in his early twenties. Imagine if he was running our Country now?


O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and hast given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul. Direct my thoughts, words, and work, wash away my sins in the immaculate blood of the lamb, and purge my heart by thy holy spirit, from the dross of my natural corruption, that I may with more freedom of mind and liberty of will serve thee, the ever lasting God, in righteousness and holiness this day, and all the days of my life. Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my wanderings, &direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber, but daily frame me more &more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life bless my family, friends &kindred unite us all in praising &glorifying thee in all our works begun, continued, and ended, when we shall come to make our last account before thee blessed saviour, who hath taught us thus to pray, our Father.


George Washington 1752. Age 20

An Interceding Spirit

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27 ESV)

Augustine was a well known leader in the early church. Most of you might be familiar with his most popular work, Confessions. Growing up Augustine lived a pretty "worldly" life which led his mother to constantly pray for him. One particular prayer was for Augustine not to be able to go on a trip to Rome. She prayed, "Oh Lord, do not let him go to Rome because he will only get into further debauchery." So what was God's answer? He allowed Augustine to go to Rome. It just so happens that Rome is the place where Augustine transformed into a believer! You see, the Spirit interceded and lined up the mother's desire with the will of God. God said no to her request but yes to the desire of her heart. No wonder the next verse in Romans reads...

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 ESV)

With peace thanks to Jesus,

Terry

Scatter Shooting

50% Off of All 9Marks Books - 9Marks is a ministry led my Mark Dever - elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in DC. Excellent books on the church, biblical theology, christian living, and the gospel.

Many of us want to be mentored, but don't know how to find one. Michael Hyatt gives 5 ways to find a mentor.

How Pimps Use the Web to Sell Girls - For those of us who went to the UPI retreat and heard Jeremy Affeldt's testimony, this article will add more fuel to the fire of indignation.

Jonathan Edwards Resolutions in Categories - Jonathan Edwards is arguably the greatest theologian, philosopher, and thinker in American history. During his late teens and into his early twenties he wrote down a series of resolutions - that Matt Perman helpfully categorized - that should challenge each one of us to live and die for the glory of God.

The Leadership Corner: Defining Leadership

The art and skill of leadership has been a subject that has fascinated me for years now. Whether it is in the sports world, the business world, or the church world, I believe that leadership is extremely important.

For this reason, I want to start a series of posts called the Leadership Corner. In these posts I will draw upon the many books - and other resources - I have accumulated over the years written by leaders who have far superior knowledge and experience on the subject than myself.

If leadership guru John Maxwell is right when he says that "leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less," then I believe anyone who has influence over someone will benefit from these posts.

In their book Launching a Leadership Revolution, Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward give several helpful definitions of leadership that I think would be fitting to look at as we start this journey. Let me know which ones you think match your understanding of leadership.

James C. Hunter: "We define leadership . . . as a skill of influencing people to work enthusiastically toward goals identified as being for the common good."

Andy Stanley: "Leaders provide a mental picture of a preferred future and then ask people to follow them there."

Vance Packard: "Leadership is getting others to want to do something that you are convinced should be done."

Garry Wills: "Leadership is mobilizing others toward a goal shared by the leader and followers."

Kenneth O. Gangel: "I consider leadership to be the exercise of one's special gifts under the call of God to serve a certain group of people in achieving the goals God has given them toward the end of glorifying Christ."

Baby Steps in Gratitude

My body is worn and my eyes remain heavy from eight months of nightly interrupted sleep. Our youngest boy still wakes a couple of times during the night despite desperate prayers for his sleeping. Why no answer? Is this not a simple request? However, last night amidst the midnight wake up call I found myself praising God that we've been blessed with this restless sleeper. There's great joy to be found in the presence of a crying child for that very reason - he is present. Life is so much clearer now with these new lenses - ALL is grace.

I recently listened to a sermon in which the pastor declares that "anything God uses to bring us to His feet - that thing is good". Amen! This particular message showed me what it truly looks like to believe the promise of God that ALL things are worked for the good of those who love the Lord. Oh the peace that is found in that promise! If we'd only believe those words to be true.

Just wanted to share my baby steps toward a heart of gratitude. Be blessed, there's grace all around!

- Terry

Eucharisteo

On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19 ESV)

I just finished chapter two of Ann Voskamp's book titled, One Thousand Gifts, and I must say that her book is soaring up into my top five of all time. In chapter two, Ann discovers what she describes as the mystery of the fullest life. In a word - Eucharisteo. Eucharisteo is a greek word meaning to give thanks or to be grateful. Ann describes it as life-filling gratitude. Life-filling?

How many of us believers who have been saved still feel empty or incomplete? Could it be that some of us have never experienced the completeness of our salvation because we never turned back to fall on our faces at the feet of Jesus thanking Him? "Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if not with thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the evidence of our acceptance of whatever He gives. Thanksgiving is the manifestation of our Yes! to His grace." (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts)

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me. (Psalm 50:23 ESV) As John Piper puts it, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him". This was that first great sin in the garden. Man was discontent, unsatisfied and therefore ungrateful. The same is true of us today. We are discontent people and are therefore ungrateful. Our eyes are blind to the grace all around us because we consume ourselves with that which we are lacking rather than what's been abundantly given. May we stop this moment right where we find ourselves and turn back to give thanks for the abundance of grace thats been given to us.

I'll conclude with this challenge. I believe Ann presents it in the book, and I've been presented with it through a class on prayer that I am currently taking. May each of us begin to compose a running list of ALL the things in everyday life that we are thankful for and daily add to this list. To give an example, today I was thankful for the excitement in Asher's eyes when we pull into Chick-fil-a. "The only place we need see before we die is this place of seeing God, here and now." (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts)

With peace thanks to Jesus my Everything,

Terry

Deliverance From Fear

Admit it or not we all have fear's. Underneath anxiety is the fear that we don't have control and an outcome that is less than desirable may jump up and bite us. We believe this unknown outcome has the potential to take things from us that will strip us of comforts and we don't like to be uncomfortable. I know I don't. However I don't like sinning and I don't like being a rollercoaster of a man, where one hour I'm this and the next I'm that. I want to be congruent, I want to live a life that my kids can see a reflection of a dude who really has peace and joy. This verse struck me today as a weapon to deal with my hours where I'm lacking faith.

Psalm 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; He delivered me from all my fears."

Human Trafficking Awareness

Last weekend at the UPI retreat San Francisco Giants pitcher Jeremy Affeldt shared his testimony of how God put a burden on his heart to join forces in the fight against human trafficking.

With his talk on my mind as I went back to work on Monday, I found an excellent interview with Justin and Lindsey Holcomb on their new book Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault, as well as a CNN story on the Passion 2012 Conference where students raised more than $2 million to help fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery.

- Tyler

The 11th Commandment

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

My last post titled, Redistribution of Wealth?, was meant to awaken a specific duty that we as followers of Jesus are called to undertake. This is no one else's responsibility but our own as followers of Jesus. Now, I wanted to follow that post up with how we are to execute this duty. I believe the answer is clearly given to us in this "new commandment" that Jesus gives on His last night with the disciples. Jesus raises the bar of "loving your neighbor as you love yourself" to "love everyone as I have loved you". "And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us." (1 John 3:23 ESV)

So how do we love like Jesus? "But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:17-18 ESV) We love like Jesus by loving in deed and truth. "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:3-8 ESV) Loving like Jesus is loving others sacrificially. What are you sacrificing? What are you giving up so that others may gain? Let me be the first to admit that most of us can do more than we are currently doing. None of us will ever sacrifice as much as Jesus did by choosing to come into earth to rescue us.

And that leads to my last point. It's a choice! Taking care of those in need out of obligation or selfish ambition is not love. Taking care of those in need because you are forced to by some outside authority is not love. Love requires the freedom to choose. Jesus did not cling to His equality status with God and chose to empty Himself. Love is not forced, it chooses. May we ask our Father to transform us into servant leaders with the love of Jesus abiding in us all.

"And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2-3 ESV)

"So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV)

With peace thanks to Jesus,

Terry

Redistribution of Wealth?

"When someone steals a person's clothes, we call him a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat hanging unused in your closet belongs to those who need it; the shoes rotting in your closet to the one who has no shoes. The money which you hoard up belongs to the poor." - Basil of Caesarea

"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need."

(Acts 4:32-35 ESV)

May this challenge you as it is challenging me right now.

- Terry

Here's the kicker: "If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:3 ESV)