Listening To A Different Voice

Listening to a Different Voice

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Max Lucado, and the Scripture is in the excerpt.

I witnessed something similar to this on an airplane once. I kept hearing outbursts of laughter. The flight was turbulent and bumpy, hardly a reason for humor. But some fellow behind me was cracking up. No one else, just him. Finally I turned to see what was so funny. He was wearing headphones and apparently listening to a comedian. Because he could hear what I could not, he acted differently than I did.

The same was true with Jesus. Because he could hear what others could not, he acted differently than they did. Remember when everyone was troubled about the man born blind? Jesus wasnt. Somehow he knew that the blindness would reveal God s power (John 9:3). Remember when everyone was distraught about Lazarus s illness? Jesus wasnt. Rather than hurry to his friend s bedside, he said, This sickness will not end in death. It is for the glory of God, to bring glory to the son of God (John 11:4). It was as if Jesus could hear what no one else could. How could a relationship be more intimate? Jesus had unbroken communion with his father.

Do you suppose the Father desires the same for us? Absolutely. Paul says we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29 NRSV). Let me remind you: God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. God desires the same abiding intimacy with you that he had with his son.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

No Greater Love

No Great Love

 

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is from Bobby Bowden and is found in his book, Called To Coach.  The Scripture is in the short excerpt.

 

One of my favorite devotionals I told our team is a touching story about two children in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.  A little girl was hurt and needed a blood transfusion to save her life.  They could not find an adult with the same type of blood in her village, so they had to draw blood from her 12 year old brother.  Doctors asked the boy, Are you willing to give blood to your sister to save her life?

 

The little boy said he would do anything to save her.  As the doctor started to put a needle into the boy s arm, the little boy started to cry.  Why are you crying?, the doctor asked him.

 

Will it hurt when I die? The little boy asked.

 

The little boy really thought he was going to die by giving blood to his sister, but he loved her so much he was willing to die for her.

 

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one s life for one s friends.

 

John 10:15,18  I (Jesus) lay down my life for the sheep. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining