Happiness & Humility

Happiness & Humility

Dear Champions,
 
The short excerpt is by Whit Criswell , and the Scripture is Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
 
Psychology Today magazine did a survey and asked 52,000 people, "What would it take to make you happy?"  In order of most votes were:  friends and social life, good job, love, recognition, sex, good financial situation, owning a house, being attractive, health, religion, recreation, being a parent, marriage, and for their spouse to be happy.  The interesting thing is happiness is mostly sought through external situations rather than internal ones.  Then does happiness mean having the right circumstances?
 
The wisest and wealthiest man ever was Solomon, and he said he was going to deny himself nothing in order to find happiness.  He found three dead-ends:  accumulating things, experiencing all kinds of pleasure, and achieving success.  He concluded, "All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 2:17).  The world's view of happiness is having the right circumstances, but God's idea of happiness is having the right attitude.
 
In Matthew 5, Jesus sat on a mountainside and, contrary to popular opinion, began teaching what is commonly referred to as the BE-attitudes.  And He repeatedly said, "Blessed," which means, "Happy are you."  He reminded them that happiness is not determined by what's happening around or outside of me, but rather what's happening INSIDE of me!  It's an internal attitude.
 
Jesus tells us that the first step to happiness is HUMILITY.  He's got to be kidding, right?  "Blessed are the Poor in Spirit."  What does that mean?  It means when compared to a holy and righteous God, we are filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).  It means that I don't have it all together, I am not the sum total of the universe, I am not God!"  Humble and happy go together.

Champions, have a great summer!-David Vining

Commitment

Commitment

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Dennis Rainey, and the Scripture is 1 John 4:18. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. . .
 
A powerful picture of how love casts out fear is found in the book Welcome Home, Davey. While serving aboard a gunboat in Vietnam, Dave Roever was holding a phosphorous grenade some six inches from his face when a snipers bullet ignited the explosion.  Here he describes the first time he saw his face after the explosion:
 
When I looked in that mirror, I saw a monster, not a human being . . . My soul seemed to shrivel up and collapse in on itself, to be sucked into a black hole of despair.  I was left with an indescribable and terrifying emptiness.  I was alone in the way the souls in hell must feel alone.
 
Finally he came back to the States to meet his young bride, Brenda.  Just before she arrived, he watched a wife tell another burn victim that she wanted a divorce.  Then Brenda walked in.
 
Showing not the slightest tremor of horror or shock, she bent down and kissed me on what was left of my face.  Then she looked me in my good eye, smiled, and said, Welcome home, Davey!  I love you.  To understand what that meant to me you have to know that's what she called me when we were most intimate; she would whisper Davey, over and over in my ear . . . . By using her term of endearment for me, she said, You are my husband.  You will always be my husband.  You are still my man.
 
Love is not just a feeling.  It is a commitment and a decision.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Persevere Through the Pain

Persevere Through The Pain

Dear Champions,
 
The short excerpt is from former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy in his book, Quiet Strength, and the Scripture is Hebrews 13:5 . . .God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Dungy's son, Jamie, took his life on Thursday, December 22, 2005.
 
I had counseled so many players and others throughout the years, and now it was time to follow my own advice.  These were certainly tough times, but our family couldn't quit living just because times were tough.  Lauren and I knew our only option was to trust God and let Him lead us through the pain.  Even though we didn't understand why Jamie had taken his life, our job was to persevere and continue to follow the Lord no matter what.
 
Times will get tough.  God doesn't promise that once we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior well be protected from harm and pain and stress.  But He does promise that He will be there to lean on during those times.  Jamie's death will never make sense to me, and the pain of losing him will never go away.  But in the midst of it all, I truly believe that hope is available to all of us-for joy in today and peace in the certainty that heavens glory awaits us. 
 
People sometimes ask if I went through a typical grief cycle and what I learned from having gone through it.  First, there is no typical grief cycle, and second, it's not something I went through.  I'm still grieving, as is Lauren.
 
Why do bad things happen, and why did Jamie die?  I don't know.  But I do know that God has the answers, I know He loves me, and I know He has a plan-whether it makes sense to me or not.  Rather than asking why, I'm asking what.  What can I learn from this, and what can I do for God's glory and to help others?

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Humility

Humility

The following came from Jim Cymbala's book, The Life God Blesses, and the Scripture is Isaiah 66:2  . . . 'These are the ones I look on with favour: those who are humble and contrite in spirit . . .The short excerpt is a son's reflection about his late father, Pastor Howard Goss.

My dad really walked with God.  He was quite famous in his circle of churches, and everybody wanted him to speak, especially at those huge summer-camp meetings.
 
I'll never forget one big camp meeting up in Canada when I was a kid.  Every famous preacher was invited, and the crowds were tremendous.  Our family arrived a day early, and the leaders were making out the schedule for the speakers.  Meetings were held all day long, and the visiting preachers all wanted to speak during the night rallies when the crowds were largest.  The preachers actually jockeyed around hoping to get the biggest meetings for their preaching assignments.
 
Suddenly one of the leaders asked where my father was.  He was in the prime of his ministry and was highly respected by everyone.  They wanted to consult with him, but no one seemed to know where he was.  They finally heard that he was last seen in the kitchen and dining hall area, so I went with them to find him.
 
They could scarcely believe their eyes when they got to the kitchen.  There was my dad on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor with some of the other workers?
 
"Brother Goss," they said, "what are you doing here?  We're making out the preaching schedule and wanted to know your preference."
 
"Oh, brothers," my dad replied, "you've got so many good preachers here that you don't need to worry about me.  But I found out that they're short of help here in the kitchen so I thought I'd lend a hand."

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

The Greatest Treasure

The Greatest Treasure

Dear Champions,

The short excerpt is by Rick Warren, and the Scripture is Colossians 3:1-2  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
 
What is the purpose of life?  In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.  One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.

God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.  We were made by God and for God, and until we figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.  Life is a series of problems: Either we are in one now, we're just coming out of one, or we're getting ready to go into another one.  The reason for this is that God is more interested in our character than our comfort.  He is more interested in making our life holy than He is in making our life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life.  The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.  Believing that our greatest need is to be happy, safe, and fulfilled is all about us, and we believe, deep down, that were entitled to whatever we think we need.   God wants to reveal Himself as the greatest treasure the human heart could ever imagine and to draw people into a relationship with Him that utterly delights our souls.

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

Religion vs Christianity

Religion vs Christianity

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the short excerpt is 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

Religion is if I do good, then I'm accepted.  I get in to heaven!   Christianity is that because I'm accepted and already in, I do good.  In Christianity, Jesus has done it all for you. He is the sacrifice so you're completely pardoned in Him.  He is everything, which means, "It is finished," which He says on the Cross. 

 

There are a lot of ways of doing good.  The secular person says, "I'm going to live a good life.  That way I know I'm a good person and can really feel good about myself."  The religious person says, "I'm going to do good so that God will take me to heaven."  It's basically the same thing, and you're going to find it a grind.  All of  your good deeds are really about you.  You're not about the people you're helping .  You're just doing it because you need it.

 

The gospel puts a power and joy in your heart.  You're already in and accepted and loved so why are you helping people?  Because you want to be like the One who did all that in love.  Joy and gratitude result,  and you're doing it for their sake, not your sake. 

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining

 

Good & Valuable Or Sinful & Worthless

 

Good & Valuable Or Sinful & Worthless

 

Dear Champions,

 

The short excerpt is by Tim Keller, and the scripture is Ephesians 2:8-9  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

 

When we are living by the law and believe that we must earn our way to heaven, this is the mindset.   "Either I'm good and I'm valuable, or I'm sinful and I'm worthless.   If I'm living up to the expectations and obeying all of the rules and doing right, then I'm good and valuable."  Then when things go wrong we are angry toward God.  "I hate you!  How can you do this to me?  God, you owe me a better life than this!"

 

But if we're not living up to our standards when living by the law, then we feel sinful and worthless.  When things go wrong we get angry at ourselves instead of at God.  We say, "What an idiot!  How did I do this?  It's all my fault!"  We just beat ourselves up!

 

The gospel doesn't say that we are either good or valuable or sinful or worthless.  It says that we are very sinful and absolutely valuable in Christ.  Because we know that we are sinful, when bad things happen, we don't complain.  We know that it is not a punishment.  It must be because of some other broader and bigger plan. 

 

When we live under grace and not under the law, we understand and embrace that we are very sinful and absolutely valuable in Christ.

 

Champions, have a great week!-David Vining