Monthly Archives: September 2014

“G”

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I live in Green Bay, WI. What was the first thing that popped into your mind when you read the words Green Bay?

For many, the football team that plays here would be the first thing into their minds. For others, it might be cheese. Beer? Some might even call it home. But I think we could agree that we are the most famous for the green and gold, the Green Bay Packers.

Back in July of this year, I had an amazing opportunity. Without going into the whole story, I was asked if I would give the Invocation at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Induction Banquet!

Needless to say, my answer was yes.

My wife and I got to attend the banquet, enjoy dinner, meet some famous people and shake hands with some Packers themselves.

Big deal right? Sure, it was probably something that I will never get to do again. It was really fun! Meeting these larger-than-life people is surreal. Very tasty food also!

 

But if one is not careful, those things (Packers, banquets, fame, food etc.) can become the object of our worship. 

I believe that God created us with a built-in capacity to worship. We will worship something. The great part is that we get to choose what object, thing, or person we will worship.

Let that sink in for a minute. Click this to read a passage from God’s word.

To end this post, I want to share with you the prayer that I prayed for the Invocation. For me, reading it again is a good reminder to reevaluate what I am worshipping.

 

Thank, It is indeed an honor to be a part of Packer history so again, thank you.

We are all on a journey. Life itself is a journey. Everyday, we make stops along the way of our own journey. However, for the vast majority of those of us gathered here tonight, those stops do not include being inducted into the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame!

It is a gift to be a great football player as such are gathered here tonight. In fact, all gifts are given to us by God and God alone. Therefore, as we honor these men tonight, let us remember to recognize that all good things come from the Father above. Let us pray.

Almighty God, we magnify you tonight. For it is by your grace that we stand here today. May we honor you because of who you are.

Arrest us in our sin.

Aid us in our shortcomings.

Affirm us in our strengths.

May your blessing rest on these inductees. Let your love abound to all who are present.

Thank you for all the work and effort that has preceded this banquet and give us nourishment from our meal.

We pray all of these things in the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.

Closing thought, “What does that G stand for again?”G on helmet

Again…and again…yet again.

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When I was a kid, I fell constantly. As an athletic boy, I was ALWAYS the messiest boy out there. Whether making a sliding tackle or sliding into second base, I was repeatedly getting dirty. The tops of my knees are permanently scarred from all of the scraps. It’s not that I was clumsy or uncoordinated, but rather, I played with passion. Baseball was my best sport. I played third base. Making a diving catch was the highlight reel that played over and over in my mind…and sometimes, it really happened!

Even now, in my forties, I play softball. I feel like I played my best when I can slide. Oh, and just in case you are wondering, I always slide head first. I have more fun that way. =-) In fact, I need to wear pants (as opposed to shorts) so that when I do slide, the wounds are much less severe.

The picture is Pete Rose, not me. Pete Rose and Roy Staiger

The other kind of falling down is the kind that is not so fun. In baseball, sometimes you strike out. In soccer, sometimes the other guy gets past you. Maybe you didn’t get that promotion for which you were hoping. It might have been the harsh words you had with your spouse. Or, if things are really bad, you lose a job because of some bad choices. The gambling problem eats away your savings account. The affair you thought you never would have has become reality. You fell down. Mistakes were made and you fell down.

Now you have a choice. Get up or stay down?

If I did not have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, I would say that getting up is stupid or useless. Just get another job. Just file bankruptcy. Divorce is so common these days. Move away to another state. Yea…just stay down.

But I do have an ongoing relationship with the Almighty God and so I say get up. Yes, I fell down. But I am playing with passion right? So I am going to get up and keep going.

Whether you are down because of your own doing or something that has happened to you, make the choice and allow God’s grace to help you back up on your feet.

Here is what God’s word says about us when we fall down, “for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10. When we fall, He is right there next to us.

He will help you get up. He is ready to brush off the dust. He will give you a pat on the back. He will tell you that He loves you. He will teach you something. He will remind you that His plan for you only works if you get up.

Take it from someone who has fallen way too many times to count, getting back up is always the best choice.

 

Noah 2.0

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Hello Friends!

So my last post was…it was bad. Not that I said anything I didn’t think was true but I just didn’t say much. No substance, just fluff. My goal today is two-fold:

1. to add some substance to the fluff 

2. to challenge anyone reading to open their own Bible and begin reading

 

1. In the movie, Noah, there were errors. In the ark, there were 7 people: Noah, his wife, his oldest son and his wife, his two other sons, and the bad guy.

The bible says that there were 8 people; Noah and his three sons and their wives. See Genesis 6:18.

2. In the movie, the wife of the oldest son gives birth to twins while sailing on the ark.

The Bible, in Genesis 9:1, God says to multiply and fill the earth. There were no ark-born children.

3. The last discrepancy I want to make is about the Watchers. In the movie, these creatures were angels that came to earth to be with humans. The couldn’t show their true selves so God clothed them in rock and stone. They looked more like something you would find in a Lord of the Rings movie.

In Chapter 6 of Genesis, there is talk of the Nephilim. This can be better read giants. But they were not clothed in rock and stone.

 

There were more examples but for now, that seems like enough. On to the application.

Noah and the Ark is a literal story. It really happened. Besides being an actual event, it is also a symbol of something that is yet to come.

God wanted to destroy the world because of all the wickedness that He saw. He also saw that Noah was righteous. The Ark saved all the righteous people and destroyed the wickedness.

When Jesus arrives on the scene many, many years later, He is also an Ark. Because of the sin that all humans are born into, God wants to destroy that sin. He is holy and just so He can’t stand to look upon that sin. Jesus is the Ark so if someone is in the Ark when the flood (judgment) comes, they will be saved.

 

So by faith, you and I can be saved today. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 

I challenge you to pick up your Bible and read the Noah account. Besides being a great story, it also gives us hope that God, who is loving and just, has made a plan for us. If you find yourself wondering or questioning, ask me or someone you trust. There is help and hope for you.

 

By the way, there is plenty of room for all of us. See you on the ark!