In my mind, there is not a more important verse in the Bible than John 1.  John 1 is where I start everything…..and, after all, John’s first three words are just like Genesis:

In…          The…          Beginning…

John 1  1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.  3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

2000 years ago an uneducated fisherman would drop everything and follow Jesus.

He then wrote the most convicting book that I have ever read—the book of John.

This is not just a far-fetched word from 2000 years ago that we can read even as a history book—

It is an example of what God wants to do with YOU.

• John constantly referred to himself as “the disciple who Jesus loved”…just like YOU.
• John discovered that “the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it”…and if you look around, so have YOU.
• John stood at the foot of the cross and had to be convicted to go even farther into his radical pursuit of Jesus…so can YOU.

John’s writings are poetic and inspiring…AND they also speak to the common man…like me…and YOU.

John 1  12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Our NUMBER ONE GOAL should be to RECEIVE HIM…and to give that to everyone else…

The world is dying.

And it is not because of COVID-19.

But there is a new hope…and His Name is Jesus.

He…and He alone…is the hope of the world.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

In one day Paul changed his entire life.

Educated.

Rich.

Popular.

Adored.

Privileged.

Entitled.

We might even say…worshipped.

But on the road into Syria, in pursuit of anyone who would follow Christ, and full of rage—Paul had the encounter of a lifetime.

Acts 9  3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

6 “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

When Jesus transforms a life, miracles happen:  

• Sinners are granted a ticket to heaven.  
• We become perfect.  
• We become children of the Father.

Given the fact that Paul went from killer to friend, it took a while for people to believe that he had changed teams.

But convince them he did.

And it wasn’t hard to see.  On the earthly level, he lost all of those things that defined him:

His education, his money, his popularity and adoration, his privilege, his entitlement…all were thrown away.

When we allow Jesus to COME INTO OUR LIVES and change our worldly pursuit to a pursuit of Him, we become miraculous world changers.

Don’t be afraid to lose something that you can’t keep to gain something that you can’t lose.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

Have you ever wondered if you have gotten so far off course that you might have actually ruined God’s will for your life?

The story of Moses should remind us all that God’s plan is God’s plan—and you responding to Him—no matter how late you might be, can not stop it.

Moses was the perfect candidate to rescue the Hebrew slaves:

• He WAS a Hebrew
• He WAS in the palace in a position of prominence
• He WAS in a position to influence the Pharaoh and to gather support and friendship of the ruling class

It was the position to rescue the slaves and to answer the cries of the Hebrews.

Until it wasn’t.

In a fit of rage, Moses murdered an Egyptian soldier and set his life on a course that could no longer carry out the very thing that he was destined to do.

And so he fled to the wilderness to live out his days and run from the very thing that he was destined to do.

Exodus 3  4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey-the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

The LORD does not call the equipped.  He equips the called.

This is not to say that God can’t use talents—He can and He does.

But He also uses weaknesses.

This is quite a concept.  But in the mind of the follower—it brings freedom.

You see–if God can’t use you in your strengths–then He will use you in your weaknesses.

If God can’t set up the perfect plan for you to walk out your calling, then He will use the imperfect plan of your life.

And if God can’t find someone WITHOUT SIN, He will send Jesus to represent the broken.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

What Will You Do With The Mantle That God Has Given You?

You might ask:  What mantle?  What would I do?  How can I possibly do anything?

Forget about the fish story…The greatest miracle in the book of Jonah is the conversion of a city of barbarians.

Jonah 3  1 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city-a visit required three days. 4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned.” 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:

“By the decree of the king and his nobles:  Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.”  10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

Jonah’s ability to speak and carry God’s message must have been something to see…To convert a city of unteachable, treacherous, evil people?

The reality is the same for all of us and we all have something to learn from this:

• Our gifts are not about us.  They are God-given and He wants us to use them for His glory.
• The gospel message is for everyone.  It is for the King and the peasant.  It is for the rule-follower and the rule-breaker.  It is for ALL.  And Jesus showed it in His ministry again and again.
• Our lives are a test.  Rick Warren says that our lives are a test, a trust, and a temporary assignment.

What has God given you?

What does He want you to do with the remainder of your days?

It is truly not HOW MANY DAYS YOU HAVE, but HOW YOU USE THEM.

This is not about piling an assignment on to your plate.

It is not about God ruining your mighty plans for what you thought this life might be.

And it is not about you being a slave to the Lord.

The reality is this:  When God gets a hold of your soul, there is no better life for you than to do just what He has called you to.  All that He might have for them is what is best for you.

Jesus hung on that cross willingly—for you.

He went before the enemy, into the pit of Hell, so that He could remove—you.

And He will stand before the Father and plead for the soul of the broken—you.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Fear Is A Liar by Zach Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5LNfj2F5qI

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Coach J

What Will You Do With The Mantle That God Has Given You?

You might ask:  What mantle?  What would I do?  How can I possibly do anything?

I am sure that many of us have those questions.

I have to think that Esther did.

The “winner” of a perverted beauty contest, Esther was the wife of the King.  The wife of the man who had gotten rid of his first wife.

Intimidated?

Undervalued?

Out of place?

I am sure that she felt all of those things.

Esther 3  17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

In her honor, Esther had a problem.  She was a Jew.  And the king’s right hand man, Haman, wanted to exterminate them:

Esther 3  8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom whose customs are different from those of all other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury for the men who carry out this business.”

Esher had to ACT.  But the crown that she was wearing was on her head because her predecessor had dishonored the king.

Intimidated?

Undervalued?

Out of place?

I am sure that she felt all of those things.

To go before the king could cost her her life.  He cousin, Mordecai, pleaded with her to do just that:

Esther 4  14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

And so Esther responded.  The mantle that she was given gave her the chance to save the Jews.  And save the Jews she did.  She went before the king, she called out Haman, and she pleaded for her life and the life of her people.

And her favor was rewarded.

Esther 8 7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows.

You have been given this same favor.  God has placed a mantle over your life.

He has given you an audience around you that ONLY you can speak to.

And He has placed favor on you to do just that.

As Esther prepared to go see the king, she was terrified.  She asked Mordecai to call the Jews to prayer.  And then she acted.

And that is what God has called you to do.

To ACT.

What Will You Do With The Mantle That God Has Given You?

Only you can answer that.

Seek His face.

Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth.

Read the love letter that He has sent to you in the Bible.

And ask Him to show you.  He will.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

No Longer Slaves by Zach Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDnA_coA168

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Coach J

Where would we truly be, without Jesus?

Broken.

Lost.

Without Hope.

Alone.

Full of the very sin that we sometimes strive to keep.

And yet, He doesn’t stop pursuing.

In Mark, Jesus tells Mary:  “Go find my disciples and Peter …”

And Peter.

Sometimes we don’t act like a disciple.

We deny.

We run.

We pridefully keep the very independence that kills us.

But Jesus will rise.  He rose 2000 years ago and He will rise today.

He doesn’t need us.

Yet we, you and I, are the very thing that He waits for.

He waits for us to rise up, in faith, and to be His disciples.

A disciple is a personal follower.

Think about that.

Personal

and

Follower

Mark 16  20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

We have a Savior.

We have a testimony.

We have a broken world.

We have work to do.

Go…Be A Disciple.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Survivor by Zach Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtX2dat1UVQ

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Coach J

We know that the Romans crucified thousands of people and ruled with an iron fist.  

We know that the Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires in human history.  

We know that the Roman Soldier knew how to fight, how to conquer, how to rule, and how to execute.

And execute Jesus they did.

Condemned from an unfair trial.

Beaten nearly to death.

Forced to carry the instrument that would be used to kill Him.

Exposed to a brutality that would break the strongest of men.

Jesus…hung on the cross and WILLINGLY endured it.

Even in death, Jesus preached.  And He preached to a man who was surrounded by death—perhaps even callous to it.  

To preach to a Roman Centurion was quite a feat.  Roman Centurions were in charge of 100 men.  They were chosen for size, strength, military prowess, and for leadership.  They were leaders of men who faced life and death and led others to survive, even excel, in life and death circumstances.

Mark 15   39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

As you talk to God today, remember who you are and where you stand.

Jesus was accepted and followed by many, and they were not one small strata of society.  They were wide-ranging and not confined by economics, culture, religion, nationality, gender, age, or any other human description.  His followers were diverse.

Today, we focus on Mark 15:39.

Today, we focus on the battle tested, blood thirsty warrior…..the man who was not “supposed” to be in Jesus’ ministry.

Today, we focus on the man who had probably seen thousands die…as he stood and witnessed mockery, and insults, and the death he had seen again and again and again.

But on this day…he said:  “Surely this man was the son of God.”

We can make many claims about Jesus.

But the claim I make today is this:

No man has ever been more DIVERSE in His call.

He calls the African, the woman, the child, the elite, the broken…

He calls the cowboy, the King, the servant, the diplomat…

He calls the plumber, the teacher, the administrator, the slave…

And all can answer.

Lift Your Eyes Up And Look To The Cross.

The centurion in Mark 15 looked…

And saw that what He was missing was the very thing he had never looked at…

Lift Your Eyes Up.

Answer The Call.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Bebo Norman

I Will Lift My Eyes

To The Maker

Of The Mountains I Can’t Climb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-KKy5UIUpY

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Coach J

In the middle of the night, in the face of fear, he asked his father just one more time to take his misery.  His father had asked him to do the unthinkable—and he asked to be released.

But the answer was no.

And God turned His back on the Savior and released Him into the hands of evil men.

Mark 14 35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

And so Jesus was alone.

His disciples were sleeping.  And when they awoke they would run like cowards.

Judas was counting his money.

The politicians were finding a narrative to calm the rebellion and the Religious Leaders were still trying to look good.

Betrayed

Forsaken

Forgotten

And it was the fulfillment of passover.  Astonishing. Those who would receive the blood of the lamb would be saved.  Except this time, Jesus would be the Lamb.

He Was Crucified On A Cross Of Wood

Yet He Made The Hill On Which It Stood

Do not underestimate the power of this day.  

It is the hope of the nations.

It is our hope.

Worship this day in spirit and in truth and surrender to the King of the Jews.

He…And He Alone…Is The Key To Eternal Life

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Greater Things By Mack Brock

My Life Is Built On Your Faithfulness

My Hope Is Held In Your Promises

I Take Each Step With Your Confidence

Cause I Am Yours … I Am Yours

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_JpUpAK1nw

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Coach J