Monday, March 28, 2011

Life's Tough Ten 3.Fear of Failure

One of the benefits of participating in sports is that it forces you to deal with failure.  A great football quarterback completes about 60% of his passes, meaning he fails 40% of the time!  A great basketball player makes about 45% of his shots, meaning he misses 55% of the time!  A great baseball player safely hits about 30% of the time, meaning he is grounds, flies, or strikes out about 70% of the time!  Players that meet those standards of success generally make millions of dollars for playing a game they would play for so much less.  What they learn is that failure is not fatal if you refuse to give up, learn from your mistakes, and give it one more try!

Fear is one of the most paralyzing emotions in the human existence.  We can fear all kinds of things, but the fear of failure not only paralyzes us, it disqualifies us in the game of life, because failure is a real part of every human life!  The bible is clear, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV.  Fear does not come from God...guess who?  Failure in life is both normal and inevitable.  However failure can also be profitable!  God has always used failure as one of His most powerful teaching tools.  The question is are you willing to learn and do what it takes to turn your present failure, into your future success.

All the greats in the bible did just that!  Abraham did it!  Joseph did it!  David did it!  Paul did it, and so many more.  All pointing to the sinless perfect one who would come as God dressed in human flesh to show us the ultimate way of escaping the fear of failure by His victorious sacrifice for each one of us on the cross, our Savior, Jesus Christ!  Failure displays our humanity.  Trusting Christ in all of life's ups and downs is the pathway to victory as He gives you strength in your times of need!

You can score a touchdown in life by trusting Christ in tough things!  You can slam dunk by trusting God in testing times!  You can hit a home-run by trusting God in the terrifying times, when fear threatens to halt your forward progress in the race of life! You can even turn your fear of failure into the thrill of victory, by making the wise choice to trust God at ALL times!  Remember only Jesus shot 100%!  So don't fear failure.  Embrace it!  Learn from it!  Grow from it!  As I wrote as a senior in high school, "It's better to try and not succeed, than to be among those of faint of heart, who didn't have the faith and courage to try at all"

WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID YOU WILL FAIL IN LIFE?  WILL YOU FOCUS ON CHRIST?  WILL YOU TAKE A STEP OF FAITH!  

HE WILL NEVER FAIL YOU!  AS A CHRISTIAN WE KNOW IN THE END, WE WIN!!!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Courage by Charles R. Swindoll Joshua 1:9

Someone once wrote, "Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap your character. Sow your character, reap your destiny."

Standing tall when tested takes courage---constant, relentless, never-give-up courage! You can be sure that the old flesh will fight for its arousal and satisfaction. All it takes is a little rationalization---just a little. Just look the other way. Just shrug it off. Don't sweat it. And before long you have a rattlesnake in your sleeping bag.

First: Standing tall starts with the way we think. It has to do with the mind. As I've said so often, being a person of inner strength is really a mental factor. It has to do with the way we think about God, ourselves, and others. Then it grows into the way we think about business, the way we think about dating, the way we think about marriage and the family, the way we think about the system that is designed to destroy faith and bring us down to a lower standard. 

Second: Standing tall calls for strong discipline. This has to do with the will. Disciplining the eyes, the ears, the hands, the feet. Keeping moral tabs on ourselves, refusing to let down the standards. People of strength know how to turn right thinking into action---even when insistent feelings don't agree. 

Third: Standing tall limits your choice of personal friends. This has to do with relationships. What appears harmless can prove to be dangerous. Perhaps this is as important as the other two factors combined. Cultivate wrong friendships and you're a goner. This is why we are warned not to be deceived regarding the danger of wrong associations. Without realizing it, we could be playing with fire. 

Sow the wind and, for sure, you'll reap the whirlwind. Eagles may be strong birds, but when the wind velocity gets fierce enough, it takes an enormous amount of strength to survive. Only the ultrapowerful can make it through the whirlwind.




 Set your eyes on the Lord!  He will give you Courage!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Dealing With The Tough Ten 2. Change

One of the toughest things we wrestle with in this life is change!  Most of us are creatures of habit whether good or bad.  It is normally easier to get a leopard to change his spots than to convince most men and women to change.  Change makes most of us uncomfortable and uneasy.  Change has a way to take us out of our comfort zone, but change is definitely a part of every life!

Well,  the bible is clear that God does all things for a reason and most things for a season!  The only one who cannot change is God!  He is Immutable!  God does not change.  That should bring the believer comfort in times of waiting and distress.  God is true to His Word and His promises endure forever!

However unless a man or woman embraces change they can never be saved!  Unless you are willing to change from your sinful self and embrace Christ's sacrifice on the cross for you, as payment for your sin, eternal life with Him is just a pipe dream.  Change can be good and change can be bad, but take this to the bank...change is coming to your life!

Transformational change has always been the Lord's method to mature you, grow you, develop you, and ultimately conform you to the image of His Son!  You may not like it, and you may try to fight it, but in the end, if change you face comes from the Lord, you need to submit and allow His will to be worked out in your life.  His love for you will never change!  His will must be done!  Change may bring tears or change may bring cheers.  However, remember that God "works all things together for good to them that love Him".  Romans 8:28

I look forward to the ultimate change one day, when we shall be changed forever to be with the Lord!  So buckle your seats and prepare for the ride of your life with Jesus Christ!  Change is coming your way!


1 For everything there is a season,
      a time for every activity under heaven.
 2 A time to be born and a time to die.
      A time to plant and a time to harvest.
 3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
      A time to tear down and a time to build up.
 4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
      A time to grieve and a time to dance.
 5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
      A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
 6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
      A time to keep and a time to throw away.
 7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
      A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
 8 A time to love and a time to hate.
      A time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8




Romans 8:31 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

1 Corinthians 51-52  "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed"

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Life's Tough Ten 1.Interruptions

You woke up this morning like any other morning.  A big bowl of cereal and a fresh glass of orange juice gets your day off to a roaring start.  You hurry to the garage to get into your car and your cell phone's familiar ring tone goes off and you have to decide do I take it or just keep going on my day.  It's a beautiful morning and the sun is shining.  My desk is loaded and just waiting for me to tackle my tasks.

"I'll just take this one and head on my way".  It's the doctor's office and I wonder what they have to say?   "Hello this is Dr. Rosenthall, and we just got the results back from your test.  I'm sorry to say but growth on you abdomen was malignant!  We will have to do further tests but I think we've caught it early.  Please call my office in the morning and we will discuss the next steps." 

In just a split moment your whole world comes to a screeching halt!  He didn't really say what I thought he said, did he?  Not now...not me!  It can't be!  I'm going to San Diego on vacation this weekend!  What's going on?

INTERRUPTIONS!!

Life would be wonderful if it wasn't for the interruptions that come creeping into every life like a slithering snake looking for some prey.  It's at times like these that you have a serious choice to make.  Do I give God apiece of my mind that I can't afford to lose....or do I in humble submission, trust that He knows how I feel and exactly what I need?  Do I trust that "His will is perfect" and "He will never leave me or forsake me"?  Will He carry me through the storm or will I try to carry myself?

As painful as they may be, interruptions are still part of the mysterious but perfect will of God for your life.  His will must be done as painful and disrupting as it may seem to be!  Interruptions can shake you but they don't have to break you!  If God is God, He will walk with you through every interruption in your life and you can still emerge victorious despite the painful blow you've just absorbed.

So grab His Hand!  Believe His Word!  Trust His Heart!  You are His child if you know Christ personally as your Savior!  Daddy will take care of you!  The journey may be long, but you can experience joy on the journey and show a unbelieving world how great God really is, if you choose to trust God during the interruptions of life! 

Listen to this Word of encouragement by Joseph Stowell on handling the interruptions of life.  You are never alone!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Dealing With The Tough Ten

Life would be a piece of cake if we just didn't have to deal with the tough ten!  Don't even try,
  • You can't avoid them!
  • Get around them!
  • You must deal with them!

So what are the tough ten?  Get ready, here they come:
  1. Interruptions
  2. Change
  3. Fear of Failure
  4. Success
  5. A Dream Deferred
  6. Broken Relationships
  7. Letting Go
  8. Aging with Grace
  9. Trust
  10. Game Over
We will deal with each one over the next month, but all I can say is hold on to your seat.  The ride might be a little rough, but in the end, you will be ready to deal with the tough ten.  The good news is this...in the end We Win!!

Enjoy this song, and remember that the Lord is with you as you deal with the tough ten!