Think About It

I have been watching sports most of my life and one thing that I have come to realize is the value of doing the little things well.  While this is true in every type of athletic competition, I believe this is especially true at the professional level.  The athletic ability at this level of competition is typically very close so often what makes the difference between winning and losing is found in doing the basics.  It baseball, the difference might be in which team commits the fewest errors.  In football, it might be which team converts the most third downs.  In basketball, the record might come down to who makes the most free throws.  There can be gaps in talent, but the difference is often the execution of the fundamentals.   As I thought about this in Christianity, I found a similar trend.  Sure, there are some churches that grow because of a dynamic preacher or an intriguing program, but the thing that often makes or breaks the church (or e...

When the early Christians were taught about the beginnings of their world, how did they come to terms with the stories of Genesis?  They couldn’t do all the scientific testing that can be done in the 21 st Century – so how did they come to accept the message of Moses in what became the first book of the Bible?  I believe the answer is found in faith.  They believed that God provided them with the truth and they built their faith on His word.  In fact, the Apostle Paul reminded them, “ All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” (II Timothy 3:16-17).  Not only did they believe that what Moses wrote was the Word of God, they accepted it as being the absolute truth. I am glad that we have some scientific and history proofs that can support the message of the Bible, but l...

Not long ago I was looking at a picture of the Fab Four and it took me back in time. In all honesty, the Beatles were not (necessarily) the voice of my teen years, but I was quite aware of their music and their influence. Being a youngster in the 1960s made you keenly aware of the boys from Liverpool. In addition to knowing their music, you were also aware of the discussions of their style. From their haircuts (or lack thereof) and their lifestyle they were the center of attention and focus of a lot of derision – especially from the older generation. Interestingly, looking back on it them now, they seem rather well groomed and well-behaved young men. As I thought back on the influences of that era I wonder if all the dissention was worth the effort. Did the influences deemed detrimental really negatively influence people or was it just a difference in tastes? Now, as I look at it from a much different perspective – being the old guy – it does bring new meaning to picking your ba...

Who has made a difference in your life?   Let me make this a little bit easier, which of the friends and family who shaped your life are no longer around you?   I would imagine that if we have lived more than a few decades, at least some of the people who influenced us the most are already gone.   Now, here comes the more intriguing part of the question:   are these people still influencing you?   Now you might be wondering if you misread that last question – but probably not.   Yes, I did ask if the people who have died are still influencing you?   If you are scratching your head and asking “How?”, let me see if I can help.   First, many of the lessons that the people who influenced you stayed with you long after they were gone.   They may have taught you a sense of righteousness or an appreciation for the Scriptures.   They may have showed you how to walk your spiritual journey or practice your Christianity.   No, they may be gone...

It was only about ten months ago that I was riding high.  My Texas Rangers had just won the World Series and we were heading into an off-season of hope and excitement.  Now that we are rounding the home stretch of the 2024 MLB season it would be stretch to believe they were going to repeat – or even make the playoffs.  I have to admit that throughout the season I have been upset and discouraged, but as we head into September, I am coming to terms with the reality of a couple of things.  First, it is tough to win a World Championship.  There is a fine line between winning and losing – whether it is a game or a title.  Yet, maybe the most important lesson is to enjoy it while you’ve got it.  Relish the success of the season, because who knows when or if it will happen again.   As I thought about the baseball season, I got to reflecting about life.  I have gotten to do some incredible things, many of which I won’t (or can’t) do again.  So, ...

Have you ever thought about why it is so important to speak the truth?  I think we would all agree that there is moral aspect to telling the truth – after all, if God cannot lie, His children shouldn’t.  Yet, while telling the truth is an act of righteousness, there is another element to it as well.  You see, people will base their actions off of what we tell them.  They will make decisions about how to interact with us based upon what we say.  They might even decide on how they will proceed with their lives by what we tell them.  So, if we lie to them, we are setting in motion a path that isn’t accurate.  Trust built on lies is apt to fail.  If someone starts out on a course based on misinformation, they are bound to end up somewhere they don’t expect to be.  Lies aren’t nice – but they can have a catastrophic influence on people who believe them.   Years ago, King David described those who can live in a relationship with God and incl...

One of the more debated issues of Christianity is the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Now, while there are some people who will avoid this topic, there are a lot of people with differing ideas about the influence the Holy Spirit can have on the lives of believers.  For some, the gift of the Holy Spirit involves something miraculous while others tend to believe the Holy Spirit’s influence comes primarily (if not exclusively) through the written Bible.  I realize that in a few words I am probably not going to change the way the world looks at the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives but I would like to point out an interesting passage of Scripture.  When Paul writes to the churches in Galatia he challenges them, “ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23).  As I read this the other day I no...