It doesn’t take us long to arrive at the very place where Judas Iscariot sat…..ashamed, broken, and fully aware of our sin.

And yet….we must all make a choice what to do when we sit in that place.

We can work out our own solution, as Judas did….or find salvation in the Risen Christ, as Peter did.

Unfortunately for Judas, he chose to solve it all by himself.

I often wonder what it would have looked like had Judas chosen to repent…….and until I heard a pastor reference this about Judas I had never even considered it….

But think about it…..

God’s forgiveness is for all of us…..even those of us who betray him.

After all…. Peter denied Him.

Thomas doubted Him

Joseph of Arimathea stood silent in the ruling body of religious leaders as they planned His demise and murder.

Faith is about our choice to leave religion in the dust and live out a life of faith.

Religion is MAKING OUR LIFE RIGHT WITH GOD.

FAITH is God making us right with Him.

I think this is why Paul talks about the humanity of Jesus….it is a constant reminder to us of how much we need Him.

Hebrews 2  14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil– 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.  18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Accept the gift that God has for you….

And then go give it away to someone else…

Because if they don’t feel good enough and are trying to make it right all by themselves….they are destined to failure.

But if they accept the humanity of Jesus…..their lives will never be the same.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

When I was driving out to our summer swimming gathering one afternoon, the corn in the field adjacent to our swimming pool caught my attention.  It was IMPOSSIBLE not to notice how high it had gotten.

And yet, one week earlier, and the week before that, and the week before that….it was not even in my line of sight.

It seemed that corn had grown into a noticeable field OVERNIGHT.

So it is with much of what we wait for…..and there is a reason that the Lord makes many references to the farmer in His good book.

You see….that farmer worked that field day after day and week after week without any visual clues to what was going to happen.  And yet he watered it and tended to it as if he knew.  When he did this….the farmer showed great faith.

What are the fields that the Lord has asked you to tend to?

Prepare The Fields.

Because one day, if you do, there will be a crop that will be unmistakable.

I think this is why James tells us to walk in unwavering faith.

James 1  5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

None of us totally knows what to do as we step forward in life….there are often more unknowns than we can fathom…and we do not have answers as we walk to face them.

But we must grab on to the Answer and act in great faith.

As I walked through a friend’s house one evening I saw a sign that he had hung up in the entry way.  It was so simple:

Pray Hard.  Work Hard.  Trust God.

That pretty much sums it up.  Ask the Lord to help you and work hard…..while trusting that the crop is going to arrive…….your belief that it will—-IS EVERYTHING.

Prepare The Fields.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

He stood on a hill with a rock and called out a man 3 times his size and slaughtered him in front of two armies.

And this man he killed was probably not as formidable as the lions and bears he faced as a shepherd.

What does this guy have to worry about?  He is a man’s man and ready to take on the world….

And yet—he had the same fears as all of us.

You see….if you don’t have a Test…you won’t get a Testimony.

Without a chasm of Doubt…you won’t get to show Great Faith.

Without crippling defeat…there is not an idea of what Victory truly is.

And until you are surrounded and defeated…..you do not understand what it is to be Delivered.

David knew what it was like to face a giant…….and he had to constantly battle for his very life.

Psalm 3  1 O LORD , how many are my foes!  How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me,

“God will not deliver him.”

3 But you are a shield around me, O LORD ;

you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

4 To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.

5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

6 I will not fear the tens of thousands

drawn up against me on every side.

7 Arise, O LORD!  Deliver me, O my God!

David understood what Jesus preached….Thy Kingdom Come.  They Will Be Done.  On Earth As It Is In Heaven.

Such a powerful request…..and the only request we can truly make that will bring a difference.

You see the world has so many things to offer:

• A drink
• A yoga pose
• A pill
• A therapist

But what we really need is a Savior.  What we really need is what David cried out for in Psalm 3.  You see, he didn’t just write that in his time of need……he wrote it for you to cry out this very day in 2017.

Thy Kingdom Come.  They Will Be Done.  On Earth As It Is In Heaven.

Never forget the promise of Romans 8:  For we know in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him…who have been called according to His purpose…..

If it isn’t good….He’s not done yet…..

So wait.

Pray.

Persevere.

Even do what David did:  lie down and sleep “because the Lord sustains” you.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

At church on Sunday I began to wonder what Paul would look like if we met him in 2017……

He had an incredible education

He was a citizen of Rome

He was born into favor as a Jew

He was rich, comfortable, and respected

Not only was he “safe” around family, he was “safe” around the enemies of his family.

You see, as a citizen of Rome AND of Jewish heritage, Paul could play both sides of the fence without fear.  He could flourish in a time where execution was common and somehow be in good standing with the oppressor and the oppressed.  There would be no better place to sit in life if you wanted to live in comfort and privilege.

Imagine…..having both the republicans and the democrats appreciate you?

Imagine…..being able to worship with Muslims and Jews and Christians and Hindus?

Imagine…..being in good standing with both the people who got ripped off—-AND the guy who ripped them off?

But that’s just it isn’t it?

None of these things are truly possible and none will bring us to a place of peace…..

I think the word we might most commonly use today would be:  “Two Faced”

And we all do it…….

We try to live on both sides of the fence and we truly do…..Negotiate with the enemy.

There is no peace that will come with making a treaty with a guy who wants to exterminate you…..and that is exactly who Satan is—the enemy of our souls who wants to end us.

Paul had a radical conversion……And as I stood in worship this last weekend I began to be convicted about what his conversion might have looked like……

• It would be similar to LeBron James giving up basketball and money and becoming an inner city hero
• It would be like Donald Trump giving up the presidency, the twitter, the power, the money, and everything else—to go feed the poor
• It would be like Hillary Clinton giving $50,000,000 to kids in Africa and setting up mega church there

And what did Paul say?

Philippians 3  7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

Conversions occur when someone sees something so clearly that other things don’t have any value at all.

It isn’t that God has a plan to strip us of all we have that He might make our daily walk empty of money, free from fun, and void of comfort…..

It’s this:  When God gets a hold of us—-the other stuff looks like trash….garbage.

Let’s all cry out today and ask for conversion and transformation.

Let’s all cry out and ask Him to fill us with a love that overflows out of our countenance.

Let’s all ask Him to radically change our hearts in the places where He wants to do a mighty work.

When He does it won’t matter what lies in front of us……

because it will be nothing compared to what lies within us.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

One of the biggest lies the enemy tells us is that we can’t undo something….that we can’t turn back, or stop, or change.  He convinces us that we are trapped and without escape.

I know that I get in ruts.  And those ruts often start in good intentions…..but away from the Lord, they are sin.  And scripture is clear that even God’s elect can be deceived by the enemy.

I have often wondered how that can be…..but when I examine my own life it is clear–we are corrupted and we can be easily deceived…..this is not to say that we are “living in sin” but it is to say that we compartmentalize and while we are living right in one area—we might not be so great in another.

I think when we take a look from 12,000 feet we can see that we are right on in one area and totally off in another.

Our finances can be right but our prayer life could be off.  

We might be merciful to one sin but hateful toward another.

Me might give but not be able to forgive.

When I examine my heart….it is a mixture of good, evil, selfish, and all the other things that life has poured into me……..

What I am getting at is this:  we need God to come and do a miracle in our hearts every day.  And we need Him to do it even in our salvation.

As is always the case, God has the answer because God is the Answer.  He has fresh manna and a fresh word in every area….and sometimes in our very weaknesses He might be able to do His best work.

And this gospel, this answer, this fresh manna…..it is available in a quantity that can never run out….all we have to do is ask.

I think that is why He spoke this word through the prophet Joel….a good word for that moment….but perhaps a great word for August 12, 2017 as well.

Joel 2  12 “Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”  13 Rend your heart and not your garments.  Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

You see….you can look the whole world over and not find a better deal, a better word, a better love….than the one that the Father is offering up this very day.

So cry out to the Lord.

If you need to shed a tear….then cry.

If you need to deny your flesh….then fast.

If you have been sinful or not living out His call in an area…repent.

Or simply raise your hands in worship of the King of the universe.

He is slow to anger and abounding in love.

He changes His mind on our foolishness.

His heart is drawn to ours in ways beyond our comprehension.

And His lovingkindness is new every morning.

Thank You Lord….You, and You alone, hold the keys to eternal life.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

I recently saw a movie that deeply reminded me of a truth we all know but don’t always put at the front of our minds.

Freedom is not free.

I was blessed by the movie Dunkirk.  It was not easy to watch, but it was an incredible testimony to the love and sacrifice and honor displayed by a variety of different people covered in the movie.

Lives were lost and people willingly put themselves in harm’s way in an effort stand up to a wicked oppressor……a truly great movie based on the true story of the men and women who fought to save our world from evil.

One scene convicted me as I stood in worship at church this Sunday—a scene involving a British fighter pilot.  As he went to turn his plane around and fly back to refuel—he spotted a German bomber positioning itself to attack the people fleeing Dunkirk.  Some were in military ships but most were in commercial and private boats that were utterly helpless to defend themselves.

As the pilot sees the bomber, the movie viewer is in full view of his dilemma.  He can either defend the helpless and run out of gas….or save himself.

It takes a moment for him to make his choice.

And…….like MANY MANY soldiers—-he chooses to be hero.

Shortly before the credits roll—he is taken captive by the German army and his fate is unknown.

Heroes like this are hard to find.

In our world today, I repeatedly see people lauded as heroes when, in fact, they are not.

I do not mean this to be a condemning word but I do want to highlight the truth and say who is, and who is not, a hero.

• Tom Brady is not hero…….even though he is a fantastic competitor and quarterback.
• Tim Tebow is not a hero…..even though he is a great example that I want my kids to look up to.
• Paul Walker is not a hero….even though he was a great actor who died too young.
• Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Ronald Reagan, and numerous other politicians of either party are not heroes…..they just happen to have found political success.
• Tupac and Drake and Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney and Chance the Rapper and DJ Khaled and any other musician are not heroes….they have simply found a way to perform (depending on who’s opinion you are taking) great music that draws people to them.
• Actors are not heroes.
• Billionaires are not heroes.
• Popularity contest winners are not heroes.
• Athletes are not heroes.
• Preachers are not heroes.

Heroes expose themselves in order to help others.  They are unselfish, courageous, and unwavering in fear.  They stand up to injustice and are willing to put themselves in harm’s way in order to defend the weak or the vulnerable.

I am truly grateful for men who have fought for freedom.  When I stand out and listen to our national anthem before a football game it is an occasion when I cry and THANK GOD for our freedom—freedom to worship, freedom to work, freedom to gather on a Friday night to play a silly game called football in front of a crowd that cheers for us as if we are heroes…..

But it is in moments like these that I am most grateful for the freedom that I have been given…..given to us by men who EXPOSED themselves and paid for our freedom…….and that freedom was not free.

There is a great story in the Bible about being a hero….and it is a great story about a woman named Esther.  In the face of great danger, Esther goes before a king and begs for the lives of her people.  She does so knowing that she might herself be executed for two different things:

• she goes before a king uninvited
• she exposes herself as one of Jews

And both of these offenses were punishable by death.

At first opportunity she can’t do it…..she is simply too afraid.

But in her second opportunity, she puts her neck on the line to save her people.

In her struggle to determine if she should or should not put her life in danger and expose herself….she is encouraged by the very verse that should encourage us:

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?”

Have you been placed in a “royal position”?  

Many of us have….and though we may not look at that way–God has put us in a position of royalty.  

• Many look up to us.  
• We have places of influence that we walk into every day and people who look to us for guidance or advice.  

I have heard many times that we are not to discuss politics or religion in mixed company….and I agree.  But Jesus is not a religion……He is the man who saved us not only from the now—but from the eternity.

And we must make a decision.

We can either share Him and all He has to offer or we can hide it away.

In the spiritual realm many are imprisoned by a wicked man—just like those fought to save in World War 2.

Many are lost and hurting and searching for the answers that a believer holds.

Many have rejected the Living God and the Gospel and the opportunity to be saved….and they have no idea what awaits those who reject our loving God.

And so we must all come face to face with the same questions as Esther…..and we must all take in the very words that Mordecai gave to her as she wondered if she should expose herself……

For such a time as this……

It is 2017.  But the enemy that influenced Haman to exterminate the Jews is influencing others to go astray and be broken, lifeless, and lost.

Are you willing to expose yourself as a fool for Jesus and share Jesus with those who may not know who He is?  

It just might be the most important thing you ever do.  You won’t be doing anything close to what that pilot did…..but the eternal implications will be far greater.

Expose yourself as a follower of the King as a means to lead someone else………Be a Hero and make the decision.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

As soon as I posted The Catalyst I had a deep conviction from the Lord……

Let me reference where the He took me before I write about that conviction:

1 Corinthians 9:22-23  22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

In my previous writing I talked about a catalyst….and made reference to the movie Braveheart and the movie’s hero:  William Wallace.  He was the inspiration of armies and motivated many to stand up and fight against tyranny.

But as sure as I would honor him—I would say this with as much conviction:  The world does not need another William Wallace……the world needs YOU.

There are people out there who ONLY YOU can influence–and you see them every day.  God is reaching out to the lost—and He needs you to deliver the message to them…..and you are up to the task—–JUST AS YOU ARE.

For as many as a William Wallace might influence…there are just as many who would not be swayed by him…..they need you.

I was freed by a lesson given by a coach in FCA years ago and it brought me great freedom….and I hope that this word will give that same freedom to you…..Identify your Mission Field.  Your Mission Field is the people that God has put in your life that you are equipped to influence…..and He has put them there so that you can do just that.  Where is the freedom in that?  For me….it released me from bearing the burdens of the entire world.  You see….we do need to feed the hungry and we do need to minister to those in prison and we do need to deal with child trafficking and so on…..but Satan would love for us to become discouraged and tell ourselves that we can not even put a dent in those issues—and he is right.  But what we can put a dent in is the people who God has called us to speak to…..

Think about it…..Jesus did not fill up a stadium.  He had no conquest in military and made no movement in politics.  He had a small circle of people that He trained and went out to deal with ONE PERSON AT A TIME.  When He was tired—He retreated and rested.  When He needed solitude, He disappeared.  When the disciples said:  Go to big cities, He went and met individuals.

Yes….Jesus died on the cross and changed the world….but He did nothing more than influence people ONE HEART AT A TIME.

You can do that.

I implore you to do that.

There is a quote by Saint Francis that says:  “Preach Jesus, and if necessary use words.”  I feel convicted to say this:  USE WORDS!  They are necessary.  Yes…..love your co-worker.  Yes…..let your life be a testimony.  Yes…..love sacrificially as best you can.

But USE WORDS!

• There are people out there who are hurting that need to know that God loves them JUST AS THEY ARE.
• They need to know that Jesus is the ONLY WAY.
• They need to know that He has prepared a place for them and that He loves them and that He died on the cross for them.

So go and be a CATALYST.  

Because God asks us to do two things for Him:

1. Receive His forgiveness knowing that without it we are sunk.
2. Say YES to Him.

From there….He will do the rest.

So never underestimate the power of God working through the hearts of people…..and let that start—-WITH YOU.

Be convicted and filled.

Be grateful and delivered.

Be the first to give it away to someone else.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

John 21  ¹⁵When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” 
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” 
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 
¹⁶Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” 
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” 
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 
¹⁷The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” 
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” 
¹⁸Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 

In 4 verses Peter is forgiven, restored, and promoted to start the church of Jesus Christ.

There are many commentaries that can be written on this but I am choosing to simply say this:  Jesus wants us to receive our forgiveness—to truly believe we are forgiven and loved—and to begin to show His love to the world.  He is looking for us to be a CATALYST.

When I was growing up playing football we had a conditioning drill that was fairly common to every team I played on—from youth football all the way into college.

The drill asked everyone to meet the minimum requirement so that we could see that the team was in shape…..

As an 11 year old, it looked like this:  The coach would come out and say that everyone had to run the conditioning drill in 32 seconds.  The more talented kids would make it easily….but there was always a chubbier kid down the way who simply could not do it…..and we would all run due to his lack of being able to finish.  More often than not, this kid was picked on and harassed…..and I am not sure that this did anything to build up a team.

God does not do things that way…..and praying about this—He has changed my heart as a coach on this very issue.  As a coach I am looking for a player to be a CATALYST.  

In the chemical world, a catalyst “accelerates a chemical reaction without itself being changed”.  My science teachers growing up would show us this by adding some liquid mixture to another stable liquid mixture and creating some type of a “cool reaction”.  

In coaching, it is finding and picking out a kid from the other side of the coin.  It is picking out a player or players who can do things better than the others and challenging him or them to do something great.  Instead of requiring the whole team to run a conditioning drill in 32 seconds, you ask a couple of players to do it in 24.  After all, those are the players who will truly change the game….those are the players who make the plays to win the game and change the heart of a team.  In the philosophical sense, you are training up a William Wallace (Braveheart) and asking him to change the heart of your team.

And this is how it is in the Kingdom.

If God required us to meet a minimum standard, He would have had to destroy the world.  We simply do not measure up.

So He sent Jesus.

Jesus met the standard so that we could receive Him and measure up……..and then Jesus asks men to receive the Holy Spirit and purpose to change the world.

It is our job to do something fantastic and change the game.  In scripture, we have several encounters that changed history:

• God met Moses at a burning bush and asked Him to go and free the Israelites. God gave him the tools, but without Moses, the Israelites stay slaves.

• God met Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace to keep them from burning up, but without Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego everyone bows down to the image of gold.

• God met Joseph in his dreams and put the plan in action to have him lead Egypt. God again saved the people, but without Joseph the people do not get saved.

• Jesus met Peter at breakfast and forgave him for abandoning Him. God saved Peter, but without Peter the church does not get started.

• Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus. On his way to punish and kill Christians Paul becomes one.  God saved Paul, but without Paul the gospel is not brought to the gentiles.

So I have a question for you today:  Where are you man or woman of God?  Where are you?

If you say no to God He will move down the list and go find someone else to carry out His plan.

But that is not the plan.

The plan is for you to be the CATALYST.

The plan is for you to do something great that tip the scales of the game.

The plan is for you to say yes to God.

We had a quote on the back of our t-shirts years ago that said this:

Our destiny is not a certainty; it is a God-given opportunity.  Our choices will determine our legacy.

You are destined to be a CATALYST…………………..but you get to decide.  What do you choose?

In The Name Of The Father And The Son And The Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J

Matthew 13  ²⁴  Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. ²⁵ But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. ²⁶ When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. 
²⁷ “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ 
²⁸ ” ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. 
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ 
²⁹ ” ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” 

I am sometimes discouraged by the decay of the world around me—as I am sure that Jesus was.  And perhaps that is why He told the disciples this parable….because sometimes it seems that things are “breaking down” around us—that, in fact, Satan is tipping the scales on our society.  You will not get any argument from me that this is going on—-but we must play our part in taking responsibility for what we see.

You see, God is clear about the mission…..His mission and OUR mission.  He is the harvester and at the right time He will harvest the crop and burn the weeds.  Until then, it is our job to take care of the fields.

So how do we do this?  For me, I simply look at what Jesus did, read what He has written me, and pray.  And then try release what He released:

Hope

Forgiveness

Love

Generosity

Justice

Healing

Faith

Love

And in those times that we get weakened, or discouraged, by the world around us…..it is important for us to remember that:  God Is In Control.

And so we must battle.

I saw a sign that really inspired me….It said:  WARSHIP.  It is the idea of us Singing out to God, Praying, Loving, Forgiving, Giving, or doing anything where we are acting out in the Spirit of God is actually defeating the darkness that we see.  I have to believe that this is true….in fact, I have seen it be true right before my eyes.  When someone who is living in darkness comes into the light their life begins to change.

When we WORSHIP we change the scenery around us.

When we try to sort through good and evil and process the big picture….it is too big for us to fathom….but when we focus on the King and leave it in His hands—He bats 1.000.

So go release the Kingdom by doing the work of the King.

In The Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.