Motivation

Posted on April 1, 2019 by jesustrek

There is a story told about a frog that fell into a pothole. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t jump high enough to get out. His friends encouraged him, but he still could not muster up the strength to escape the deep pothole. They eventually gave up and left him to his fate.

However, the next day the frog was seen hopping around as usual. His friends said, “We thought you couldn’t make it out of the pothole!”

The frog replied, “I couldn’t, but a truck came along and I had to.”

Sometimes we just need the right kind of motivation!

Perhaps the best motivation we could ever have is to remember that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for our sins!

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8

 

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Inviting God to Participate

Posted on March 29, 2019 by jesustrek

Yogi Berra

The great baseball catcher Yogi Berra was involved in a ball game in which the score was tied, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The batter from the opposing team stepped up to the batter’s box and made the sign of the cross on home plate with his bat. Berra took a moment to wipe off the plate with his glove and said to the batter, “Why don’t we let God just watch this game?”

That might be good theology when we apply it to sports, but it’s a terrible way to live out our lives. God wants to be involved in our lives, in small and big ways, and Scripture continually urges us to call on the Lord to intervene. We must never settle for having God to be a spectator!

“Pray continually.”—1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

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Patience

Posted on March 28, 2019 by jesustrek

A man’s car stalled in heavy traffic just as the light turned green. All his efforts to start the engine failed, and a chorus of honking behind him made matters worse. He finally got out of his car and walked back to the first driver and said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to get my car started. If you’ll go up there and give it a try, I’ll stay here and blow your horn for you.”

We need to be patient with others. It is a part of our God-given ability to show love to people.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is…patience…”—Galatians 5:22

 

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Safe Here

Posted on March 27, 2019 by jesustrek

Many years ago there was a coal miner in northeastern Pennsylvania whose job was to inspect the mine before the other miners came down. He would check the mine for deadly methane gas. Only after he had determined that the mine was safe would the other miners come down to begin their day’s work.

Jesus Christ has gone down into the depths of death and has announced to his followers that all is well. You can safely enter into the darkness and the unknown. It is safe because Jesus himself has checked it out. Death was not victorious over him; he was victorious over death. Jesus has overcome death, not only for himself, but for anyone who will put their trust in him.

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’

‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”—1 Corinthians 15:54-57

 

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Time Spent Searching

Posted on March 25, 2019 by jesustrek

Gretchen Rubin

In Gretchen Rubin’s book, “Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness”, she suggests that the average American spends 55 minutes looking for lost items every day. If that statistic is correct, it shows that we place some value on those things that we are looking for, and that we think that life would be much better if those things were found.

In Luke 15, the Bible teaches us the value of lost things. The shepherd looks for the lost sheep until he finds it. The woman searches for her lost coin until she locates it. There is a celebration when the lost son makes his way home to the father’s house once again.

How much time do we spend each day searching for lost people?

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”—Luke 19:10

 

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Different Temptations

Posted on March 22, 2019 by jesustrek

Years ago a doctor was preparing to go to a medical conference in Las Vegas. As he was packing his suitcase, his wife came into the room and said, “Honey, I know that there will be a lot of temptations in Las Vegas. I just hope that you don’t do anything that we can’t talk about when you get home.”

Twenty years later, the same doctor was once again preparing to attend a medical conference in Las Vegas. Once again, as he was packing his suitcase, his wife came into the room to give him some advice. She said, “Honey, I know that there will be a lot of temptations in Las Vegas. I just hope that you don’t eat anything that will upset your stomach.”

Our temptations may change over time, but we always need to be diligent about resisting them.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7

 

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Strong Faith

Posted on March 21, 2019 by jesustrek

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is the first player in the history of major league baseball to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote. Rivera is considered the greatest closer of all time. He was the relief pitcher who came on in the last inning and “closed the door” on the other team with his devastating cut fastball. Even though the opposing players knew what he was going to throw, they could rarely get a hit off of him.

Mariano Rivera is a man of deep faith. He gives God the credit for giving him the cut fastball that enabled him to be so successful for so many years. Rivera also gives glory to Jesus as his Savior.

Rivera’s faith is so strong that he even praises God in his greatest professional failure. In the 2001 World Series, he gave up the run that cost the Yankees the series, but he pointed out that if the Yankees had won, his teammate Enrique Wilson would have been on a flight that ended up crashing and killing everyone on board. Since they didn’t win, Wilson took an earlier flight. “I am glad we lost the World Series,” Rivera said, “because it means that I still have a friend.”

Let’s all strive to have the kind of faith that is thankful to God, even in our failures.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”—Romans 8:28

 

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Radical Transformation

Posted on March 19, 2019 by jesustrek

A lady who had recently accepted Jesus Christ as her savior gave her testimony about how her life had been radically changed because of her conversion. She declared, “I am so glad that I got saved! I have an uncle that I used to hate so much that I vowed I would never go to his funeral. But now I would be happy to go to his funeral at any time!”

Let’s hope she meant that in a good way!

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”—1 John 4:7-8

 

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Unusual Thanks

Posted on March 18, 2019 by jesustrek

There is an unusual monument in Enterprise, Alabama. It honors the Mexican boll weevil. In 1895, the boll weevil began to destroy the major crop of the region, cotton. In desperation to survive, the farmers had to diversify, and by 1919, the county’s peanut crop was many times what cotton had been at its height. In that year of prosperity a fountain and monument were built. The inscription reads: “In profound appreciation of the boll weevil and what it has done as the Herald of Prosperity this monument was erected by the citizens of Enterprise, Coffee County, Alabama.”

Out of a time of struggle and crisis had come new growth and success. Out of adversity had come blessing.

The next time you find yourself in a season of desperation, take hope. Perhaps God is leading you into a time of new growth, of new direction. Have faith that there is a reason for the current difficulty you are experiencing.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”—Romans 8:28

 

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Suspicious Claim

Posted on March 16, 2019 by jesustrek

A school principal received a phone call in her office early one morning. The voice said, “Thomas Bradley won’t be in school today because he is sick.” The principal was a bit suspicious of the voice, so she asked, “Who is speaking?” The voice replied, “My father.”

Some lies are more obvious than others. They are all obvious to God.

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.”—Colossians 3:9

 

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