Stay in the game. No matter what.

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

Monday night was epic. At least in my world. You see, I play co-ed softball for my church. In fact, I have been playing for 10 years and coaching for the last 8 of those. Our team is 8-0 this year. I don’t think that I have ever been 8-0 in a season before, ever. This year has been different. We keep winning. This last win was an epic come-from-behind win on Monday night. Not only did we come back to win, we did it in a crazy, abnormal kind of way. Let me explain.

We were the home team. The other team bats first and they score 5 runs in the first inning. Not good. I was starting to think this could be a long night. We only scored 1 run that inning. Second inning saw no score for either team. After the third inning, there was a small ray of hope as we edged closer. The score was 6-4 but we were still losing. The next three innings came and went. We scored nothing and they added 4 more runs. After 6 innings, they had 10 and we had 4. This does not look good at all.

So here we go. The 7th and final inning. They are up to bat. In the first six innings, we have made some major errors. If I think about it, we committed more errors in these 6 innings than we have all year-long. But being the optimist that I am, I still think there is a chance. And kudos to my team, they never gave up. So, we get the three outs before they score any runs. Now we get to bat. Down by 6 and only three outs before the game is over.

We are at the top of our lineup. I hit a double to lead off the inning. The next two batters both get on base and I score. 1 run. Our #4 hitter hits a long fly ball and both our runners tag up and score. 2 runs. Batters 5 and 6 get on base and batter number 7 hits a shot to right center. He is fast. At this point, I am coaching first base. As soon as he hits, I start waving my arms yelling at him to score. Like he needs any encouragement. =-) So his hit scores 3 more runs.

You doing the math? Game is tied! And, we only have 1 out! Batter #8 hits a blooper which is caught. Now there are 2 outs and our #9 batter steps up to the plate. Here is the funny part. He has almost no experience in playing softball. He does not even own a glove! What’s more is that he is a soccer dude. As a player and referee, he knows the game of soccer. He has only batted up 8 or 9 times this year. This is it. It comes down to him. He may not be a softball expert but he has heart. And the heart matters. He hits a routine fly ball to the right fielder. Now all he has to do is run. Run Forest Run! And boy can he run. He plays soccer! Of course he can run! He proceeded to run around the bases so fast that they didn’t even bother making a play on him at home. 1 more run.

And we win! 11-10! I am not really sure if my words are doing it justice but it was absolutely one of my favorite softball moments. It will stick in my mind for a long time.

Switching gears. We live in an evil world. Sin is blatant and rampant. I don’t really watch the news because it seems that everything is bad. Why just tonight, my wife told me that Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy broke up! What!??! What is this world coming to? Death and destruction, without putting too fine a point on it. Hell. That is what this world is coming to. And doesn’t it seem like God isn’t really doing anything? Do you ever feel like the evil is so much and the good is so little? How can I, one out of 8 billion, make a difference?

I think our world is in the 7th inning. We have one last at bat. There have been lots of mistakes but the game isn’t over yet. There is one more batter to go. He may not appear to be everything we would hope for but he has heart. And the heart matters. Here are some verses from Matthew 24

“1Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2“Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Note verse 13. You see, it is not about being the best or having all the talent. It is about staying in the game. I am glad that I stayed in Monday night’s game.

No matter what, you need to stay in the game.

You screwed up?

Your sin comes out?

You feel like throwing in the towel?

Your friends are leaving you?

Divorce?

Addictions?

Jesus says to you, “Stay in the game. I love you. I will come for you. Keep playing and stay in the game.”

So be encouraged. Stay in the game friend!!!

Is your couch comfortable?

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

Last night, my wife and I purchased our first couch. Ever.

When we got married, we used her furniture because it was nicer and cleaner than the stuff I had. At some point, we inherited a couch and love seat from the in-laws. The green couch in the basement was purchased from some friends. We have never had a new couch. So, after 15 years of marriage, we decided that we were ready to get our own couch. It looks something like this:

It was pretty cool because the whole order was 25% off. We are thrifty like that. So then I started thinking about a couch and why we have one. All you really do is sit down on it. Sure, there can be a nap or two but the primary reason for a couch is so a person has a place to sit. Sitting down. You know that feeling when you have a long day at work and you know that your favorite show is calling your name. After dinner and the dishes, after the kids go to sleep, after you pull weeds in the garden, after you check your email, after a quick, refreshing shower, you can finally sit down. Flick on the TV and enjoy your show while you sit on your nice comfy couch. Sounds pretty good, right?

At some point in the past, there was a famous person who sat down. The work was complete. The task finished. To-do list? Yep, checked off every box.

All that was left was to sit down. After all, isn’t that what you do when you are done working?

So who is this famous person? And why did they sit down? As I like do in almost every post, let’s let the bible answer these questions for us.

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” NIV

These verses are some of my favorite. This is how the book of Hebrews begins. When I quote scripture in my posts I will almost always use the New International Version or NIV. For those of you who are literature fans, I have included the same three verses but from the Kings James Version, KJV. I think I like it even better than the NIV.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” KJV

There is a lot of theology in those words but this post is focused on just one of those words. Sat. Think about Jesus for a minute. He knows that his life is almost over. He has been hanging on that cross for hours now. The physical limits of the human body have been pushed way beyond their maximum levels. It is my guess that the physical pain probably does not even begin to compare to the emotional and mental strain of having to take on the sins of the entire human race upon your shoulders. But Jesus knew that this was the way. And he stuck with it.

He loved us too much to call the angels for help.

He loved us too much to rip himself from that cross.

He loved us too much to call down lighting on his executioners.

He loved us too much to give in and quit early.

The text says that “after he had provided…he sat down”. God gave Jesus a job to do. Jesus completed that job and so know he gets to sit down right next to his father.

Do you think they have couches in heaven? Who knows? I wonder if they have the Ottomans that have storage as well as being a footstool?

Let me hit this home. So what are you and I doing about what Jesus did? Are we sitting on the couch waiting for God to miraculously move in the hearts of men and women? Do we sit around waiting for the Holy Spirit to motivate us into action?

As a follower of Christ, I must share the truth with you. I am compelled. If you have not placed your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, contact me and I will show you in the Word what needs to be done. But if you are a fellow follower, than get up and get going.

P.S. I think there are couches upon which we can sit when we get to heaven. =-)

Biology and the Bible: Can they be friends?

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

I have two college degrees. Bible and Biology. Some people might think that those two topics are like oil and water, i.e. they do not mix. I wholeheartedly disagree. Not only can they go together but they even support each other. Keep reading and see if you agree with me.

Let’s start with Biology.

You and I are living things. The plants, trees, and flowers are living as well. Bugs, birds, and all other animals are living creatures. But is a rock a living thing? How does one determine what is living and what is not living? After doing some research, there are characteristics that an object must possess to be considered living. Some sources might say there are 7 things and others say 6. For my purpose here, I will adhere to this rule:

For an object to be considered living, it must demonstrate the following 6 characteristics.

Here is a list of each category and a short description:

1. Cells – Living things are composed of cells

2. Organization – Living things are organized at the molecular and cellular level

3. Metabolism – Living things use energy

4. Homeostasis – Living things maintain stable internal conditions

5. Growth – Living things grow as a result of cell division and cell enlargement

6. Reproduction – Living things have the ability to produce

There it is. The filter of questions that can be asked of literally anything. If the “thing” in question has a positive response for all 6 categories, it is living. To make this more easily understood, ask these questions of yourself.

Do I have cells? Yes.

Are those cells organized in some way? Yes.

Do I use energy? Yes.

Do I maintain a stable internal condition? Yes.

Do I grow? Yes.

Can I reproduce? Yes.

Congratulations! You are alive! As if there was any doubt! =-)

Now let’s take a look at the Bible.

Please read I Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,.” For the whole chapter, click I Peter 1.

Let me focus on two words, living hope. Hope is a great thing. In fact, you can read some of my earlier writings about Hope. But we can be born into a living hope. That seems to be better than just regular hope, right?

Let’s mash things up and see what we get.

Does my Hope have cells? Yes. I can read about my hope in every book of the Bible. I can talk to other Christ-followers. I can pray and worship.

Are those cells organized in some way? Yes. Church is organized. My Bible is organized. Even my prayers can be organized.

Do my Hope use energy? Yes. Following Christ is work but that Hope keeps me motivated!

Does my Hope maintain a stable internal condition? Yes. Regardless of what is happening outside, my hope remains stable on the inside.

Does my Hope grow? Yes. Certainly! My maturity level goes up which in turn allows my hope to increase as well.

Can my Hope reproduce? Yes. When I share my hope with others, I am, in essence, reproducing what God has done in me.

And there you have it. You have just successfully blended the Bible and Biology.

Now go and enjoy the living hope into which your were born!

Are you living in a bubble?

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

Bubbles! What a great summertime activity to do with the kids. Even adults can enjoy a good bubble-making session.

I think I mentioned in one of those previous posts that while I was on the boat, I didn’t have my cell phone turned on. It got shut off while in port at Galveston and was not turned on again until back in that same port a week later.

I felt liked I lived in a bubble for that week. And it was terrific!

Only when you can go on a cruise for yourself do you understand the culture that is created on the ship. There are so many things happening almost all the time.

Rock climbing…did that.
Pizza at midnight. Totally there.
Dodgeball happened twice.
Live shows…every night.
Three separate comedy acts.
An ice rink!?!? Yep.
And list goes on…

I was in a bubble for a week. That bubble was popped when, in Houston, our flight home got cancelled. Reality hit pretty hard at that moment. And then, finally, we arrived home, an entire day later. It took a week to get back into our “normal” lives and routines.

It has been great back at home but I still wouldn’t mind going back to “bubble life.”

As a followers of Christ, our lives are in God’s hands. His will and purpose is fleshed out in our daily walk with Him.

But we, as humans, can choose to not live out God’s will in our lives. We can choose to go another way. This is where the great Bubble-Maker comes on the scene.

Listen to some of these Bubble stories:

Go on, have one more drink. One more won’t kill you.
Have you heard what Sally said? Well, I shouldn’t say anything thing…
Pornography is okay because it is only a picture, not an affair.
Are you going to really believe what your Pastor just said? Seems pretty judgmental.
You have not read your Bible in a few days? No big deal, God will give you grace.

You can probably add your own Bubble story to this list.

The devil, since the dawn of creation, has been weaving Bubble stories to distract men and women from the truth. He gets us to start questioning our faith, the Bible, even God’s existence. When this happens, our lives become bubbles. In other words, we stop living in reality and start living in fantasy.

Satan is a liar. Today, as you are reading this, can you identify any lies he has been whispering to you? It does not take real long for me to see what lies he tells me. But these bubbles can easily be popped!

In Acts 17, Paul is in Athens. Verse 16 says, “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.” The people were living in a Bubble. Their city was full of idols. They even had one named “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD”. Bubbles everywhere!

Paul begins to explain the gospel. He starts teaching about Jesus. God’s truth is flowing out of Paul. There were bubbles popping in people’s’ minds. Verse 28 gives us a massive bubble popping truth, “For in him we live and move and have our being.”

Can I caution you today? STOP living in a bubble! Let God and His Word pop the bubbles in your life. It is in Christ that we have life. We are not living until we live in Christ. If you recognize a lie heading your way, pop that sucker! Pull out God’s word (which is likened to a sword) and start slashing through the bubbles that the enemy is blowing at you.

Jesus sums it up like this, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

Living in a bubble will cost you more than you want to spend, take you further than you want to go, and eventually will destroy you.

So let today be a bubble-popping day in Christ!

Play ball!

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Tim Sorbo

I have played tee-ball, baseball, and softball for almost my entire life. I missed a couple of summers when I was in my twenties but I am still swinging the bat and running the bases on my church softball team. See a previous post:

Again…and again…yet again.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of performing a wedding ceremony on a baseball field. We were in left field and not on the actual dirt part though. This post was inspired by the sermon I gave at that wedding.

In baseball, you need a glove, a bat, and a ball to play the game. These are essential.

These items represent different parts of the game.

The glove represents defense. The glove I use is over 20 years old. If it could speak, it might tell of the countless times that it saved me from certain disaster. =-)

The bat represents offense. Bats are as different and varied as the players who use them. The common denominator is that we all need a bat if we are going to hit the ball.

The ball represents the game. It is the game. Everything revolves around the ball. Without it, you cannot play baseball.

As a follower of Christ, the glove, bat, and ball can represent three aspects of following Jesus.

The glove represents defense. 2 Samuel 22 starts out with these verses, “David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior from violent people you save me.”

God is the ultimate defense when are faced with troubles and trials.

The bat represents offense. 2 Corinthians 10 explains the offense, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

God gives us what we need to be victorious as we follow Him.

And finally, the ball. The ball is everything. Nothing can or will happen without it. The ball represents Jesus.

Here is what Colossians 1 says, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

Jesus is everything. No point in living unless life is lived in Jesus.

So whether you are watching some Major League Baseball, playing co-ed softball on a church team, following Christ or living for yourself, let me remind you of one thing:

Keep your eye on the ball!

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