The Bible says that Jesus “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb 1:3)
Think about that. Our planet, the sun, the moon, the stars, he’s holding it all together “by the word of his power.” 🤔😮🤯
The same one who loves you enough to die for you, is in charge of the entire universe. What a comfort and encouragement!!! ✝️ 🙂 🙏🏼
#LookUp
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The Gunter Tigers wrapped up their football season with a hard fought loss to the Bearcats of Pilot Point. Friday nights just won’t be the same. But while the season is over, there are many things that future football teams as well as all of us can learn, and hopefully apply, from this year’s team. Here are just a few of the many:
Five things we can learn from the 08, Gunter Tiger Football team:
1. Class: in a day and age when showboating and flashy plays can overshadow genuine talent and effort, this group of young men and their leadership gave us an example of the way a really good team can still play with class. Our Tigers did not receive one personal foul all season. When an opposing team member was hurt, they displayed genuine concern. When they won, they congratulated the other team for their efforts. In the rare occasion when they lost, they lined up and did the same to a worthy opponent. This team was truly a class act.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:12 ESV)
2. Diligence in the face of adversity: This year’s team came into the season with the knowledge that they had lost a ton of talent and leadership from last years graduated seniors and a lot of people doubting what they could accomplish. But that did not seem phase them. If anything, it made them step up to the challenge that much more.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV)
3. Playing like a team: You didn’t have to follow this team long to realized that they knew it was not an individual effort. Many of our athletes, who had their name announced over the intercom on one side of the ball, filled a much less noticed, out of the spotlight position, with the same diligence on the opposite side of the ball. Offense, defense, special teams, whatever the role, it was filled with the same precision and intensity. I remember the week they were scheduled to face Melissa’s high powered offense, I mentioned to one of our secondary starters that Melissa may underestimate our secondary and he might get some interceptions. Skipping an opportunity to brag on himself, he very quickly informed me that it was our defensive line that was making opposing quarterbacks rush their throws and make interceptions possible. Just one example of an overall TEAM mindset.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13 ESV)
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESV)
4. Commitment to hard work: Those of us who have little ones who practiced soccer near the varsity practice field, take Kerfoot Road on our way home from work, or just happen to cruise by after a Sonic run for dinner, know that this team practiced hard, long, and often. All those fundamentals: hitting and wrapping up, drawing teams off sides with hard snap counts, the filling of every lane on special teams, etc, they don’t happen without commitment to hard work, and lots of it.
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV
5. Ability to cast and catch vision: This one is a big pat on the back for the Tiger coaching staff. You don’t have a season like what we witnessed this year without leaders who are able communicate what they are trying to accomplish, and how it needs to be accomplished. That was obviously communicated with clarity and in such a way that the players “bought in” and made the coaching staff’s vision their own. Leadership is influence and these coaches had it this season.
With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. (Psalm 78:72 ESV)
Thanks guys for a great season of football and hopefully some lessons learned.
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This morning our Men’s Bible Study looked at Isaiah ch 6 and the holiness of God. Years ago ‘The Holiness of God’ by Dr RC Sproul helped to change my life by deepening my understanding of God’s holiness. Here’s a quote from that book:
“How we understand the person and character of God the Father affects every aspect of our lives. It affects far more than what we normally call the “religious” aspects of our lives. If God is the Creator of the entire universe, then it must follow that He is the Lord of the whole universe. No part of the world is outside of His lordship. That means that no part of my life must be outside of His lordship. His holy character has something to say about economics, politics, athletics, romance—everything with which we are involved.”
Here’s a link to buy the book:
I heard a pastor say that a lady teaching his small group changed his life with a simple illustration.
She said, “Let’s assume the distance between the earth and the sun (92 million miles) was reduced to the thickness of a single sheet of paper. If that is the case, then the distance between the earth and the nearest star would be a stack of papers 70 feet high. And the diameter of the galaxy would be a stack of papers 310 miles high.” The teacher added, “The galaxy is just a speck of dust in the universe, yet Jesus holds the universe together by the word of his power.” Finally, the teacher asked her students, “Is this the kind of person you ask into your life to be your assistant?” Then the teacher said, “I dont want you to say a word just sit and think about what I just said.”
The point is that Jesus is wayyyy more important and powerful than most of us think. He’s not our assistant that we call on when we deem him necessary. He’s the Holy God of the Universe, worthy of every second of our day, all that we have, and every breath we breath.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! – Psalm 133:1
A few times over the last few years my family and I have visited and toured War Eagle Cavern in NW Arkansas. The tour guides are always well informed and love to tell about the cool history of caverns. One thing that really struck me on our most recent visit, is how the cavern has served as a shelter for so many DIFFERENT people over MANY years — the Osage Indians, civil war soldiers, moonshiners, outlaws Frank and Jesse James, a large family lived there during the Great Depression, even Hollywood movie stars and country music singer Randy Travis spent time in War Eagle Cavern when they were making a movie! Many years, many very different people — but they all had one thing in common, they needed shelter and the rocky cavern provided that. On our tour, I caught myself whistling the tune of an old hymn:
🎶Rock of ages cleft for me let me hide myself in Thee🎶
And then I was thinking, how crazy would it be if all those people, from all those different eras, moved into that cave to DWELL there at once? Natives, soldiers, moonshiners, outlaws, the family, and the famous people. There’s no way they would all move in there together! …unless it was the only shelter there was.
There’s picture, I think, of the church and Christ-centered unity, in the cavern. Christians come from all sorts of differing backgrounds and walks of life. We all have our unique, personal story. We wouldn’t otherwise all be unified — but Jesus is the only shelter that there is. So we dwell in the Rock of Ages, together. And the people who are in Christ with us arent an inconvenience. They’re actually a part of the shelter. We need each other and find a measure of God’s grace in Christ through one another. And our unity serves as a witness to others that Christ is real!
Would you dwell in unity with others in the name of Jesus? Would you consider making a permanent reservation in your heart and in your schedule to encourage and share life with other people who treasure and follow Jesus Christ? Even for the ones that are different than you? Is Jesus important enough to you that other differences don’t mean as much? It is a blessed thing to dwell in unity, in the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ.
🎶Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee or dress,
Helpless, look to Thee for grace:
Foul, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Savior, or I die🎶
I once read pastor Adrian Rogers say “Man only has 3 problems… they are sin, sorrow, and death …every other problem in the wold is just a subset sin sorrow and death …the Bible is the only book on earth that has the answers to all those conditions.”
I know it probably seems like you’re looking out over a sea of problems. I’m not trying to minimize that. But maybe just take a step back and see your life through a lens of the Cross of Jesus Christ. God loves you so much! Jesus is the answer to all our problems, because on the Cross and by his resurrection, Jesus Christ has defeated sin, sorrow and death.
Makes me think of an old hymn ‘Victory In Jesus.’
Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood
There’s power in forgiveness, and bondage in bitterness, friends!
God’s Word says: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32
Forgiving others, especially when they don’t deserve it, is a godly, Christlike thing to do. It’s not easy, but by God’s grace it is possible! Many times forgiveness is a process you have to commit to and nurture for a LONG time. You gotta keep forgiving tho. It’s worth it.
Sadly, there’s not a lot of people in the forgiveness cheering section. Bitter, unforgiving people with a lot of enemies are miserable, and misery loves company. But when you seek to be a forgiver you’ve got the only one who really matters on your side, GOD.
Love y’all.
#LookUp
Father in Heaven, we need a revival and renewal that only you can bring. We need a spiritual awakening and nothing else will do. Please turn our hearts away from darkness and toward your light.
Lord Jesus, on the Cross you took the worst situation and made it work for your glory and our good. We believe you can put that same resurrection power to work in our lives and in our world right now. We don’t deserve your goodness, God. But by your loving kindness, please help us. Change our hearts and minds. Make us a people of mercy, forgiveness, compassion and truth. Teach us to love you and our neighbors the way you love us. Lord, saying we need you feels like such an understatement right now. We’re desperate for you, Lord. Because of you, we remain thankful and hopeful. We have faith in you.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. – Proverbs 24:10
Doesn’t matter how strong, intelligent, talented, or prepared you are—it’s all negated if you let FEAR take you out and you “faint” when adversity comes. It takes COURAGE to use what we have. Bill Parcells use to yell at his lineman “THIS IS WHY YOU LIFT ALL THOSE WEIGHTS.” 😂
Winston Churchill said “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities… because it is the quality which guarantees all others.”
And most important, God told Joshua “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, friends! (See 2Tim 1:7)
Rightly fear God, but fear nothing else.
#LookUp
Here’s something. Social media and news media tend to make everything issue based. The result can be ongoing division and deterioration of relationships. It’s like everyone is putting each other in file folders, labeled with issues we disagree on. I’m not saying issues don’t need to be talked about and addressed (Don’t put me in that file folder 😆). I’m saying that each of us are MORE THAN a handful of issues that we agree/disagree on. And it’s actually that “MORE THAN” part that many times makes room for us to grow toward one another on issues that we disagree on. Seems like we’ve settled into just writing people off, left and right! This can’t be good.
Here’s what I need you to know — I’m not looking for a reason to be against you. I’m trying to focus on things we have in common too. Even when I see you post something or say something I think is asinine, I’m not gonna file folder you and use that as the one brush to paint you with. I want to like you. Chances are, if we have spent time around one another, even for a short time, I have GOOD thoughts and memories of you and have even learned things from you.
I’m not all super servant-hearted for taking this approach, because it’s actually very self-serving as well. Ugly anger is exhausting. Labeling people and writing them off wears us down. Keeping a catalog of people you think are against you will either make you ticked off all the time or feeling doomed. Bitterness eats you up on the inside. Admittedly, finding things to love about others (inluding me) can sometimes be difficult 😅, but nurturing hatered is even harder. Giving thought to things you admire and enjoy about people feels good!
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not just a spineless jellyfish or a wet sandwich of a person! 😂 I have strong beliefs and convictions, especially what I believe about God. I think that is the most important thing about me. And when I need to, I will defend myself, my family, and my faith. But even if you do “come at me” or even cheap shot me, as soon as I can, I’m gonna need to begin the work of seeking God’s help to overlook the offense, or forgive you, and even forgetting about it whenever possible, asap, even if you dont ask for it. Not just for you and our relationship, but for me and my obligations to God, who has forgiven me of so much, continues to bear with me and calls me to do the same for others.
I don’t always get all this right, for sure. I’m still learning. Probably always will be. But for now I just wanna say, I don’t want to be mad at y’all 😎. I like you, even if we disagree. We can have differences, but still be MORE THAN our differences. Nothing wrong with having strong convictions, but we can’t keep labeling and filing people away and writing them off. We’re hurting ourselves and each other. As we address issues and we find ourselves in opposition, I hope I/we can remember that we still need each other, and we have a lot of things in common that need to be remembered and focused on too.
That’s it. Thanks for letting me share. God bless.
Pastor Roy Layman 