Learning from the Minnesota Twins

I really enjoy watching the Minnesota Twins. They are a team with a low payroll, but play their hearts out and never seem to be out of any game.

The Twins have recently encountered several injuries to some key players. This has allowed for some "No Name" players to be promoted from AAA. Nearly every guy that was just called up has immediately added to the team with a key play in the field or a clutch hit.

All of this got me thinking about the system they use to develop players. When a player is placed on the dl, they don't just walk down to the local softball game and grab somebody of the bench to play pro. Professional baseball has various levels where they take time to teach and develop the athletes. There becomes a large pyramid of potential players that dream about making it in the big leagues. When they are ready, the opportunity comes. They know what to do because of the developement program they have been a part of.

I wonder if the church could learn something from baseball. Many churches are guilty when it comes to throwing a warm body into a ministry without giving them proper coaching and time to develop their skills. Sometimes we don't even know if they should be in the outfield or infield. We stick them were we need them and not were their talent lies.

As a "manager" of the church I Pastor, I have some thinking to do, some changes to make, some people to develop!

Father’s

I love this humorous top ten list I came across. It is the Ten most commonly used phrases by dads as they are raising their kids.
10. This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me.(As kid, I’m thinking- then let’s just not do it.)
9. Don’t forget to bring back the change.
8. Get off that before you kill yourself—on second thought, go ahead.
7. I don’t know. Ask your mother.
6. Be quiet. I’m trying to watch the game.
5. Why? Because I said so, that why!
4. Shut up, before I give you something to cry about.
3. Just wait until you have kids
2. You are going. And you’re going to have fun.
1. When I was your age I walked 5 miles to and from schooleveryday-and it was uphill both ways.

A teenager asked his dad for a car and his dad said, “First, get a job, then read a passage out of the Bible every day, and cut your hair.”
After some time the boy again approached his dad and said, “I got a job; I read a passage from the Bible every day. Now, can I get a car?” The dad replied, “But you didn’t cut your hair.” To which the boy replied, “Jesus had long hair.”
The dad replied, “Son, if you read the Bible, you will know that Jesus also did a lot of walking.”

Raising kids can be challenging at times. But it is also one of the greatest privileges a person could ever experience.

How can we make the most of this awesome opportunity?

One of the greatest ways that we teach our children is by example and inspiration. Godliness is often more caught than taught. Our children will embrace the values we live far more than the values we lip.

I read the story of a farmer who had toiled over a bumper crop of grain - a badly needed crop that was going to pay off many creditors and secure the family for another year. But just a few days before it was due to be harvested a freak wind and hail storm ravaged the property, and the harvest was lost. The man stood with his little boy looking over the fields of destroyed grain. The boy expected to hear his father cursing in despair. But instead his Dad began to softly sing: “Rock of Ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.” Years later that boy, grown into manhood, said: “That was the greatest sermon I ever heard!”

God has a plan for every child. It is every parent’s privilege to help their kids discover God’s will for their lives and inspire them to pursue it successfully. Our example and inspiring words can go a long way toward that objective.

Garage Sales

Today my family is having a garage sale. WOW, Is that a lot of work.

We have spent the last couple of weeks going through every room, looking for the items that no longer fit (quit laughing), are played with (Remember Woody from Toy Story), or used. It is amazing the amount of things that you accumulate. These things that we just can't live without are now sitting on a table with a .25 cent sticker on them.

I have found that having a garage sale can be a very emotional time. There are many items that bring me back to a specific moment in my life. My first set of golf clubs, the bike that all of my kids learn to ride on, the stereo equipment that I just had to have, my ski equipment that brought years of exciting mogel runs and black diamond hills. With every thing that sells, there is a part of my past that I am reliving. A part of my life that I sometimes wish I could have back.

I also find that in having a garage sale, I realize that most of us in our society have too much stuff. The Bible is so true with it's statement that we should learn to be content with what we have. Do you and I buy things out of boardem, greed, want. There are so many things that I could have lived without. How much more could I have given to the Lord.

With all that in mind, I hope when it comes to the end of the day that there is nothing left! WOW would that make my day.

Happy Garage Saling!

The Helper

Last Sunday my sermon in church was about the Holy Spirit; More specifically how the Holy Spirit is there to help us in life. I always start my day by asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide my steps and my conversation.

Here is a perfect example of how He works in my life. Last week I received an email regarding a pastors wife in Minnesota that was having surgery on her spinal cord. The surgery took place last week at the University of Minnesota Fairview Hospital. On Monday I went to visit a member of my church at this hospital. Unfortunately I forgot about visiting this pastor and his wife. (My memory isn't quite as good as it use to be) After I left Sam's* room, I went to the Men's room to wash my hands. As I was standing at the automatic hand dryer, in walks this Pastor. I was so suprised! We had a great conversation and I learned that his wife was getting out of the hospital that day. Friends, that was a divine appointment by the Holy Spirit.

As I walked outside the hospital to leave, I saw a very familiar looking couple walking in. My brain went into quick overdrive and then it occured to me who it was. This couple are Pastor's in Minnesota. I said "Hi", and asked them what they were doing there. He said, "We came to visit Joe*".

I knew Joe well, but didn't realize that he was in this hospital. Joe has gone through a major physical battle over the last several years. He is a pastor of a new church plant in Minnesota, about 25 minutes from me.

I turned around and went with this couple to visit and pray with Joe.

As I left the hospital that day, I was so amazed and appreciative for the work of the Holy Spirit in my life. He was guiding my every step.

The Holy Spirit is your partner, called along side you to help you in every area of your life.

Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” John 16:7

* Names changed for privacy.

Hats off to Dad

In my 14 years that I have been a father, I have certainly become aware of all the things my dad did that went unnoticed.

This weekend my family will venture out to the great outdoors. The kids are all excited. Swimming, fishing, campfires, smores, disc golf, and great fellowship with some of the families from church. I can almost guarantee you that my children have no idea how much work goes into camping. I know they don't, because I never recognized all the things my dad did so we could have a fun weekend.

Yesterday, when I went to pull the camper out of the backyard, I discovered a flat tire. I got the portable air compressor out and filled it up with some air. I just got back from bringing the camper to the gas station to get the tire completely full. When I got home I went to check the tire, as I paused and put my ear close to the tire I heard something that I didn't want to. I heard the hissing of a leaking tire. I think it was singing the song, "Don't Cry Outloud". Tonight I will have to jack up the camper, take off the bad tire, put on the spare and get the bad tire fixed. I will attend a two hour community prayer meeting tonight and then venture home to continue my responsibities with camping prep.

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm complaining or that I don't enjoy camping. I love getting away with my family and enjoy God's wonderful creation. I do share about the "work" of getting away to illustrate my appreciation for all that my dad did. As a family we didn't vacation a lot but the time we did I certainly enjoyed...thanks to dad.

Overcoming Failure

Two Kentucky horse racing stable owners had developed a keen rivalry. Each spring they both entered a horse in a local steeplechase. One of them thought that having a professional rider might give his horse an edge in the race, so he hired a hot-shot jockey. Well, the day of the race finally came, and as usual, their two horses were leading the race right down to the last fence. But that final fence was too much for both of the horses. Both of them fell, and both riders were thrown. But that didn’t stop the professional jockey. He remounted quickly and easily won the race.When he got back to the stable, he found the horse owner fuming with rage. He really didn’t understand his behavior, because he had won the race. So the jockey asked, “What’s the matter with you? I won the race, didn’t I?”The red-faced owner nodded, “Oh, yes, you won the race. But you won it on the wrong horse!”(From 1001 Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking, by Michael Hodgin, p. 148.)That jockey had the best of intentions. He intended to win the race. But he became distracted from the task. He made a bad decision. And, ultimately, he failed in what he was trying to do.You know, often times we wind up doing the same thing in our walk with Jesus. We start out strong. We have the best of intentions. We are excited, and we want to succeed in the faith. We have a desire to be faithful followers of our Savior. Yet, so often, we become distracted from the faith. We allow the wrong influences in our lives. We experience a challenge or a setback. We make a bad decision. We experience the spiritual failure of allowing sin into our lives, and our relationship with Jesus suffers.

Have you ever felt like a failure? Have you ever had the best intentions and couldn’t follow through on them? Have you ever let someone down that you loved very much? Have you ever eliminated yourself from ministry because you felt that your past mistakes and sin prevent you from serving the Lord?

In today’s blog we will encounter a man who had gone through some incredible emotional and spiritual battles at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus.
This disciple could have answered “yes” to all of my previous questions.

Just a little background on the main character of our story. He was a fisherman by trade. Was called, along with many others to follow Christ. His brother Andrew was the one that lead him to Jesus. He was from Galilee and Galileans had a reputation for being independent and full of energy. They were frank and transparent.
This disciple and John went into the city to prepare a place for Jesus to feast with the disciples. He was there, nearby, in the garden of Gethsemane, where he witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, and later the wrestling of the Lord in prayer. When the mob came to arrest Jesus, it was this man who cut off the ear of Malchus. In the moments that followed He was accused by a young girl of being a disciple. He denied it. He was asked a second time, and for the second time he denied being a disciple of Jesus. Later, one of the high priests servants, a relative of the man whose ear he had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the olive grove?” Again he denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Peter’s heart sank. Jesus prediction of his denial came true. The Bible tells us that Peter “wept bitterly”.

Fast forward a couple of days. Peter’s probably down in the pits of despair. His master was dead and Peters stand for Christ had been nothing short of cowardly. It’s the morning of the resurrection. Some of the ladies had gone to the tomb, found it empty. They had an encounter with two men that gleamed like lightning and said “He is not here, He has risen!” They went to the eleven disciples and told them of what had happened. Luke 24:11-12 (NIV) 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Let’s pick up the story in John 21. After Jesus had appeared a couple of times to His disciples, Peter says, “I’m going’ fishing”. “We’ll go with you” the other 6 who where there, said. Fishing is not going to well until this man yells from shore and tells them to throw out the net to the other side of the boat. They caught so many fish they couldn’t hall them all into the boat. When the disciples recognized it was Jesus, Peter jumps in the water and swims 100 yards to shore where Jesus is.

Jesus offers them breakfast. When they were finished, Jesus said something to Peter. This is the key.

John 21:15-17 (NIV) 15 When 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." 16 Again 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." 17 The 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." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.
“Do you truly love me?”
The most important question that Peter ever faced was whether he possessed a devoted love for his lord.

I find it interesting that for every time Peter denied Jesus; 3, Jesus asked him a question “Do you love me”. 3 times Peter answered, “I love you”.

Jesus was desiring to restore Peter back to fellowship with himself and back to fulfilling the purpose for Peter’s life.

What can we learn from some of the last words of Jesus?
1. We learn what Jesus thinks of people that feel like they have failed God.
When you fall, get back up. Rediscover your purpose.

Think of the Prodigal Son, Jim Baker & Billy Graham’s son, Franklin; all of them where wonderfully restored to God.

No matter how gross your past may be, Jesus stands not only ready to forgive, but also to restore. He can restore you and use you for His glory. Some of the best preachers I’ve heard have been at one time some of the worst sinners, but God washed them and restored them. Even if you are a bona fide failure, Jesus stands ready to restore you and use you for great things for His kingdom. If we are going to be restored then we must be honest about our spiritual condition. Some of you here today are not “fine” in your faith. You lack commitment to Jesus and to His Church. So the first thing you need to do is to admit that. Admit that your relationship with Christ is not what it should be and then allow Christ and His church to bring you up to the point where you need to be.

Go, part 3

Several years ago the city of Pittsburgh constructed a large, new post office at the cost of several million dollars. On the day of it’s opening, the Governor made a speech, the bands played and the people cheered. It was quite a celebration. But when the first man entered to mail a letter, to the embarrassment of the engineers, it was discovered that in the rush to meet the deadline, they had omitted the usual letter drop. Here was a costly new post office, but no place to mail a letter! It was a slight omission, but it negated the very reason for it’s existence.

That brings me to the very point of this blog: WHEN ANY CHURCH LOSES THE SPIRIT OF THE GREAT COMMISION, IT SURRENDERS THE VERY REASON FOR IT’S EXISTENCE.

Missions is not a side line! It is the LIFELINE of the church.