Hello Everyone,

Things that will hinder us from winning Heaven are sidelines, penalties & turnovers, and last is Time Management: Making time for God in our lives.

2000 Superbowl.
Down 16-0 in the third quarter the Tennessee Titans came back to tie the game with the Rams at 16 even.
Kurt Warner led the Rams to a touchdown and the Titans got the ball back with 1:52 left on the clock.
Time management was of the essence.
Steve “Air” McNair led the Titans on a daring drive down the field to the Rams 10 yard line with 6 seconds left on the clock.
With no timeouts, McNair attempted a quick pass to a slanting Dyson, who caught the ball in stride at the Rams’ 3.
However, the Rams defense stepped up to tackle Dyson at the 1-yardline as time expired.

If they would have had enough time for just one more play they could have reached their goal.

How are you doing with your time management?
• Are you making time for the Lord?
• Are you making time to read your playbook, the Bible?
• Are you making time for prayer?
• Are you making time to worship Him?
• How we manage our time for the Lord says a lot about our relationship with Him.
These things here in this life are but a fleeting event, yet it seems as though we take more time living our life than making our lives count for something eternal.

Run in such a way as to get the prize, we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

I have quoted this several times: Only one life, soon it will pass, only what’s done for Christ will last, only one chance to do His will, so live for Jesus all your days, it’s the only life that pays, when you recall you have but one life.

GET IN THE GAME AND GET IN IT TO WIN IT!

TOUCH DOWN!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

Not only will going out of bounds make you lose the game, but PENALTIES & TURNOVERS: Hindrances

Galatians 5:7 KJV
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Our boundaries are the Commandments of the Lord, but those who violate those boundaries/commandments will be penalized.

I have watched football games where the ball was kicked off and the receiving team caught it and ran downfield for a touchdown, only to have it called back because of a holding penalty.

They had to start over.
All of the blocking, running, and points scored were for nothing.
Someone broke a rule.

That’s like where Paul said, (1 Corinthians 9:26) “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.”

What is Paul saying here?
He is saying I am not running this race like a man who is shadow boxing.

You might work up a sweat and wear yourself out, but you are going nowhere.
It is not enough to begin strong, but we must end strong.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

How many times have you watched a game and saw it end with a turnover?
Last Saturday as the Tigers played the Terrapins, the chance of winning for the Terrapins fleeted away because of a turnover.

Although turnovers can seem fatal, they are not final.

Simon Peter had an overwhelming turnover when he denied Christ.
He lost all hope and returned back to his old profession, fishing.
He thought that he was through and he would never have another opportunity to get in the game.
Even though we may be penalized at times and may even experience a turnover, we are not out of the game.

Simon Peter got back in the game and became a great voice for the Lord and he finished strong.

As long as there is still time on the clock, we can get in the game.

Greater Things Are Still To Come!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

The first this that will hinder us from winning Heaven is SIDELINE’S: “Boundaries”

Let’s look at a football field it has boundaries.
Area of play: 120 x 53 1/3 yds.
Each end-zone is: 10 yds. deep.
Goal posts are: 18’6’’ wide.

The game must be played within the boundaries.
If you just step on the line you are considered out of bounds and the play is over. You cannot go on.
If you catch a pass, both feet must stay in bounds for it to count. There is NO lee-way in this.

God has given us boundaries in life; they are called the Commandments.

We cannot violate God’s LAW in any way and stay in bounds.

Many people today think that just because they consider themselves good people and they live good and acceptable lives according to worldly standards they have reached their goal in life.

Paul had more in the flesh than most of us, but after he saw the light, he realized he had not reached the goal God intended him to reach.

God’s LAW has been violated, diluted, and considered by many to be mere suggestions and not LAW.

There are a lot of people who will attain GREAT goals that they have set for themselves in life, but they will be left feeling void, empty, and isolated because they went out of bounds.

• What you do will not count unless you remain in bounds.
• Everything you have has been given to you by the Lord.
• Every breath of life is a gift by the grace of God.
• All of our possessions are a gift from God.
We must stay within the boundaries God has set for us.

Greater Things Are Still To Come!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

For the life of the believer, the end zone is Heaven.

In our focus this week, we want to look at things that will hinder us from reaching the end zone.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Philippians 3:14 NIV “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

What is a goal?

A goal is something we work toward or an objective we have in our mind.
The members of a football team are concerned about moving the football into the end-zone.

Their goal is to cross the goal line and score points.

The objective or goal of each team member is to WIN.

Ask some KIDs the question: “What are your goals?”

Some may say, “My goal is to be a doctor, or lawyer, astronaut or nurse, etc.”
Another might say, “My goal is to go to college so that I can be a teacher.”
Whatever a person desires to do with their life is their goal.

The apostle Paul had goals in life. He was the son of a Pharisee.
He was born a Jew and he was raised in the Jewish faith.
He was taught by Gamail, one of the leading scholars of that day.
His credentials were the best that anyone of his day could possibly acquire.
Paul was proud of his heritage.

While a great heritage is and can be a good thing, a heritage is based on what someone else has done.
It is based on another’s goals and how they accomplished them.

Paul’s heritage carried great respect in man’s eyes, but God asked him, “Why do you persecute me?” His goals did not include a personal relationship with the Lord.

What are your goals, and do they include the LORD?

We can all say, “HEAVEN,” and that is wonderful, but what are we doing to make sure that we accomplish our goal of Heaven?

This week, I want to look at some things that will hinder us from winning or obtaining our goal, “Heaven.”

Greater Things Are Still To Come!

Pastor Phil

Hello Everyone,

Jesus explained the play. (vs. 7-13)

⁷ But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” ⁸ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

¹⁰ The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

¹¹ Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. ¹² But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” ¹³ Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

And thankfully, on the way down the mountain, Jesus took the time to explain the questions that the disciples had, making sure that the timing was right.

During a Monday night *** FOOTBALL *** game between the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants, one of the announcers observed that Walter Payton, the Bear’s running back, had accumulated over nine miles in career rushing yards. The other announcer was quick to remark, “Yeah, and that’s with someone knocking him down every 4.6 yards!”

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, he seemed to suffer every 4.6 yards, and he was quick to tell his disciples that although they couldn’t say anything now, that Jesus would suffer again, according the playbook.

It was Jesus who also told the disciples as a whole that “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33)

Are you ready?

It reminds me of one final *** FOOTBALL *** story…

“The attention of the country was focused on a high school game in McDermott, Ohio. In the final quarter, Dave Frants and Derek Dewit, the rival coaches called a timeout, conferred together, and agreed on a highly unusual play.

On one team was 17-year old Jake Porter, a mentally-challenged player. In his 3 years on the team he suited up for every practice, attended every game, but never participated in a game.

Near the end of this game his coach called him to come on the field, and the quarterback handed off the ball to him. In a brief moment of confusion Jake hesitated, then began to run.

The opposing team gave way, without looking too obvious, and Jake ran 49 yards to score a touchdown. Then something unexpected occurred. Both sides of spectators stood up in the stands and began to cheer and even cry for joy, for this young man’s crowning moment in life.

Players from both teams celebrated, with helmets raised to the sky. Both bands began to play. Jake’s mom, Liz, a single parent, ran onto the field to embrace her son. At that moment, for both schools, it became more than a game.”

Jesus knew what was going to happen in Jerusalem. The disciples did not.

We know what will happen in Jerusalem. Unlike the disciples, we have a chance to get ready.

Christ offers a spot on his team to all who will call on His name for forgiveness and searching for God’s coaching in their lives.

Christ offers a chance to be in the huddle…to study His Word…and to invite others on the “TEAM” who will be drafted.

Christ offers an opportunity to follow God’s game plan in our lives.

And Christ is more than willing through His Holy Spirit, to lead, guide and direct in order to explain the playbook.

It’s more than just a game. Through this HUDDLE, the disciples gained a new insight into their lives. Jesus told Peter, James, and John to “Arise and do not be afraid.”

Because it is promised, that those who join the team, will join in the celebration, as we crown Him Lord of all.

Ready set hick Greater Things Are Still To Come!

Pastor Phil 5

Don’t Forget our homecoming game this Sunday at 1:00 South Campus.