ARE YOU A SPECTATOR, OR ARE YOU IN THE GAME?

3/9/2019

WOW, WHAT AN INTERESTING THING TO CONTEMPLATE. IT IS A QUESTION THAT HOLDS DEEP SIGNIFICANCE IN LIFE, AND EVEN MORE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP AND WALK WITH GOD. BEING A SPECTATOR IS PRETTY EASY, BUT TRUST ME, WHEN YOU DECIDE TO SUIT UP AND GET IN THE MIX IT BRINGS A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO EVERYTHING!

GOLF IS ONE OF MY PASSIONS IN LIFE. I USED TO BE VERY GOOD AT IT. I LOVED TO PLAY, AND I PRACTICED A LOT. I PLAYED IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I EVEN WANTED TO MAKE THE GOLF TEAM AT OKLAHOMA STATE. THOSE GUYS WERE UNBELIEVABLE, AND I FOUND THAT MY DESIRE FOR COLORADO AND HOME WAY OUTWEIGHED 4 YEARS IN STILLWATER, OKLAHOMA, NOT TO MENTION JUST HOW TRULY TALENTED THE “A” TEAM WAS AT OSU. I CAME HOME TO DENVER UNIVERSITY, WITH NO GOLF TEAM AT THAT TIME, AND RELEGATED MYSELF TO PLAYING IN CGA EVENTS AND WITH OTHER FRIENDS, SOME OF WHOM HAD GONE PRO. EVEN NOW, WHEN I WATCH THE MASTERS OR THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP I GET RESTLESS. I HAVE TO TEE IT UP! ASAP!

IN MY CHRISTIAN WALK, I FOUND MYSELF AT 19 YEARS OLD STEPPING INTO MY FAITH. I WAS A COUNSELOR AND YOUTH LEADER AT LITTLETON UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, AND I WAS ALL IN. RETREATS, YOUTH NIGHTS, TEACHING, THE WHOLE DEAL. BALANCING BEING A SOPHOMORE IN COLLEGE, RUSH CHAIRMAN FOR MY FRATERNITY (KAPPA SIGMA) AND MOST OF ALL BALANCING YOUTHFUL EXPERIENCES WITH GODLY EXPERIENCES. AND IT WAS AWESOME, AND TOUGH, AND CHALLENGING. COLLEGE FRAT BOY VS. CHURCH COUNSELOR. TRYING TO GROW UP AND BALANCE THINGS.

CAREER TOOK OVER, AND I FOUND MYSELF BECOMING LESS INVOLVED. TOO BUSY TO COMMIT. I WAS GROWING MY BUSINESS AND IT WAS A BIG TASK AND TOOK UP MY TIME AND PRIORITY. GOD KIND OF SLIPPED INTO THE BACKGROUND. I WENT TO CHURCH, AND SAT IN THE PEW, AND HEARD SOME GREAT SERMONS….AND BECAME A SPECTATOR. CAN YOU RELATE? BEING A SPECTATOR REALLY TAKES VERY LITTLE EFFORT. I DO HAVE TO DRAG MYSELF OUT OF BED, BUT MOST SUNDAY’S I COULD DO THAT…...WHEN I DIDN’T SLEEP IN INSTEAD. THINGS CHANGED WHEN JULIE AND I HAD KIDS. WE WOULD RACE TO GET ORGANIZED AND JUST MANAGED TO GET THEM IN SUNDAY SCHOOL IN TIME FOR US TO MAKE IT INTO THE SANCTUARY. LISTEN TO AN AWESOME OR OK SERMON, PACK UP, AND FINALLY GET HOME TO RELAX…AHHHHH. AGAIN, CAN YOU RELATE?

WELL, THINGS HAVE CERTAINLY CHANGED FOR ME. THE KIDS ARE IN GREAT PLACES….A COLLEGE GRAD DAUGHTER IN A GREAT JOB IN DALLAS, AND A SON AT COLLEGE IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA. IM MARRIED TO AN AMAZING WIFE, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF LOVE, AND A LOT OF FUN. AND THE BEST PART IS THAT GOD HAS TOUCHED US BOTH TO GROW. GOD SPOKE TO US IN THAT QUIET VOICE AND SAID, ARE YOU GUYS READY? TIME TO SUIT UP FOR ME. I LOVE ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AND CHRISTIAN IDEALS AND PRACTICES YOU HAVE LEARNED, BUT YOU ARE NO LONGER GOING TO BE SPECTATORS. PEOPLE OUT THERE NEED ME, AND I NEED YOU TO HELP THEM. GIVE THEM HOPE, AND TRUTH, AND FREEDOM. GIVE THEM ME!

“I NEED YOU TO BE DISCIPLES” ! I CALL ALL WHO ARE MINE TO SHARE ME. I CALL ALL WHO BELIEVE IN ME TO PROCLAIM ME. I NEED YOU TO OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND BEGIN HELPING PEOPLE TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO ME AND MY KINGDOM. YOU ARE SAVED BY MY GRACE, NOW GET BUSY AND HELP ME SAVE OTHERS. BUT, BUT, YIKES, IT IS A BIG TASK…”AM I PREPARED, DO I HAVE THE ABILITY” ? AGAIN THE SOFT, QUIET VOICE. YOU HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT JIM. THE SPIRIT MY FATHER SENT TO ALL MY BELIEVERS WHEN I ASCENDED TO HEAVEN….THAT IS ALL YOU NEED. I AM ALWAYS BESIDE YOU AS WELL.

I AM LEARNING BEYOND THE PEW AND THE SERMON. I FEEL THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN MY LIFE, AND I AM ON THE FIELD, AND I AM RUNNING NOW. RUNNING WITH JESUS. DISCIPLING. NOT PERFECT, BUT WANTING TO BECOME BETTER, WANTING TO SHARE, AND MOST OF ALL WANTING TO SERVE HIM AND LET OTHER’S FIND HIS LOVE FOR THEM. OH, SO MUCH LOVE FOR ALL OF US. COULD THERE BE ANYTHING GREATER, MORE IMPORTANT, MORE SATISFYING….

YOUR CHOICE IS COMING, ESPECIALLY IF JESUS IS YOUR SAVIOR. HE WANTS MORE. ARE YOU READY TO GET IN THE GAME ? TAKE THE RISK, AND START RUNNING…..BE MORE THAN A SPECTATOR

WE PROCLAIM HIM, ADMONISHING AND TEACHING IN ALL WISDOM, SO THAT ALL MAY BE PRESENTED MATURE IN CHRIST. I LABOR FOR THIS, STRIVING WITH HIS STRENGTH THAT WORKS POWERFULLY IN ME. 1 Colossians 1:28-29

THEREFORE GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. AND REMEMBER, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE AGE. Matthew 28:19-20

TO GOD BE THE GLORY JA