Bear and Jesus

Matthew 20: 26-27 "But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave."

This morning I was reflecting on one of my favorite leadership quotes.  It's from Paul "Bear" Bryant, legendary head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. He said "If anything goes bad, I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, then you did it. That’s all it takes to get people to win football games for you."  I love that quote and mentality.  There's a certain humility in it.  It's all about giving others the credit and glory.  Putting others on the pedestal instead of yourself.  And while Bear and Jesus were talking about completely different issues (football games and the kingdom of God) I think the point is the same.  To be the best, or to be first, requires me to put others ahead of myself.  I need to be less, and they need to be more.  How have I been doing that lately?  Am I doing a good job of highlighting and celebrating others more than myself?  How can I do better at that today? 

New Name

Revelation 2:17 "Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it"

"Jake the Snake" "Jakester" and "Kerschey" are a few of the nicknames I've had over the years.  In high school, a boss of mine started referring to me as "G-money."  This was one of my favorites.  I forget the exact reason why he called me that but I quickly became proud of the name.  I looked up to this guy and admired him.   He was a great boss and a great friend, so to have him call me a special name, meant something.  Now according to John, we as Christ followers will get a new name written on a white stone.  And this new name will be given to us by Jesus himself!  This name will contain our new, eternal identity.  What name will he give me?  What will it mean?  What will it stand for?  Will it be "faithful?"  Will it be "strong?"  How can I live today so that I am worthy of the name he gives me one day? 

Sodm, Gomorrah and McGregor

Genesis 19:13 "For we are about to destroy this city completely.  The outcry against this place is so great it has reached the lord, and he has sent us to destroy it."

At Men's Retreat in McGregor this weekend I was hit with the seriousness of sin.  Sin breaks God's heart, changes who I am, and affects everyone around me.  Like a stone thrown in a lake, sin ripples out and touches everyone I know.  I may think it's my life, and these are my choices, but my sin impacts all I know. I realized that I don't hate sin enough.  I don't take it seriously enough.  I don't do enough to root it out of my life.  God takes it seriously-so seriously he destroyed two towns because of it.  Today, how I can I attack sin in my own life?  How can I purge evil in my life and thwart temptation.  God give me the strength to do so today!

Lotsa Land and Babies

Genesis 13:15 "I am giving you all this land, as far as you can see, to your descendants as a permanent possession.  And I will give you so many descendants that, like the dust of the earth, they cannot be counted!"

God is beginning to use Abram in his master plan.  He tells him he's going to give him a ton of land and a ton of descendants.  It's up to Abram to follow through.  What has God given me?  What resources, promises and blessings has God given me and how am I using them?  Maybe it's a good idea for me to take stock of what I have and evaluate how I am using it for God.  I need to evaluate my time, my talents and my treasures.  Am I using them for God's purposes or mine? 

Today

James 4:14 "How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog -- it's here a little while, then it's gone."

I met with a friend earlier this week who spent some time in jail.  He's on a good road now and is taking steps to daily improve his life.  He told me he doesn't dwell on the past and he doesn't worry too much about the future.  He instead focuses on today and does what he can to make today the best it can be.  He realizes that "today" is all anyone really has for sure.  There are no guarantees tomorrow arrives for any of us.  So how can I make today the best day yet?  How can I use today for God's glory and advance his kingdom?  How can I make Friday November 7 a day that I'll remember forever?  How can I make sure today has a lasting impact?  Today I will live for today, right now. 
      

Praise

Isaiah 38:20 "Think of it -- the LORD has healed me! I will sing his praises with instruments every day of my life in the Temple of the LORD."

Hezekiah is practically saved from his death bed and he responds with worship. How do I respond when God has saved me, healed me, or answered my prayer?  I may not be very good at singing or playing an instrument, but I can worship him and praise him in other ways.  How can I do so today?  How can I give God the glory and honor he deserves today?                

Babel

Gen 11:4 "Then they said, 'Come let's build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky.  This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.'"

This story is simple.  The people thought the world should revolve around them, and God saw it differently.  This same story in Genesis 11 plays out over and over again today in 2014.  On the streets of New York, Paris and Cottage Grove, we attempt to realign the cosmos and redirect it's orbit so that it all spins around us.  But it never will.  It never has been and never will be about us.  In what ways this week have I been trying to realign the heavens?  How can I turn the camera away from myself and point it at God and others?