One of my favorite times of the year is upon us – the start of the college football season. Thinking back to my football days, the beginning of preseason camp was something I looked forward to. But then 5 a.m. wakeups, three-a-days and sore muscles set in. In high school, we practiced next to a chocolate factory. Oh, how we loved the sweet smell of chocolate wafting over our field. It was both beautiful and cruel at the same time. In college, after having the team run what seemed like way too many gassers at the end of practice, usually in full pads, it was not uncommon to hear our head coach yelling, “Don’t worry about the pain men, you always faint before you die.”

The beginning of a new season is a fresh start. Last season’s natty (national championship) or the disappointing 0-11 record are of no relevance at the start of this new season. Every team starts 0-0.   

Each week during the season we would watch the game film of the game we just played, looking for what worked and what didn’t work, often with the coaching staff rewinding back to a particular play, sometimes repeatedly. “Okay, coach, how many times do we need to watch that missed assignment that led to our opponent scoring a touchdown?”  We would then watch game film of our upcoming opponent and begin preparing for that game. Focusing on the last game would not help us prepare for the next game. Learning from the last game would help us prepare for the next game, but dwelling on that game, whether we won or lost, did nothing to help us prepare. 

The same is true in the game of life and in our walk with Jesus. What we did or said, or what was done or said to us, yesterday, while it might sting for quite some time, cannot be changed. The game film can be replayed and watched over and over, but the outcome of a particular play, or the final score of the game, does not change simply because we replay the game film over and over. We can learn from it, but what happened in the past is unchangeable.

The apostle Paul gives us a good model to follow. In Philippians 3:12-14 we read these words – “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

In this passage Paul is saying that he forgets his past and presses ahead. Forgetting, and this is important, does not mean wiping his past from his memory, but instead, Paul makes a conscious decision to not allow it to absorb his attention and slow his progress. The same should be true of us. And Paul had a checkered past, one that would have been easy to let burden him. Before his conversion on the road to Damascus he did everything in his power to persecute Christians. After his conversion he was persecuted, falsely imprisoned, and beaten, as he proclaimed Christ to the world around him. 

What happened, or didn’t happen, yesterday is in the past. While yesterday might help to set your course for today and tomorrow, it should never hold you back. Yesterday is done and gone.

So, I ask you today, are you allowing your last game, or maybe even an entire season, to hold you back or are you using it to prepare you for next week’s game? Are you holding onto regrets, hurts, grudges, or feelings that need let go of? Today is a new day, a fresh start, a new season, so press on, both in life and in your relationship with Jesus!

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While the characters in this story are fictitious, the story itself is about every one of us, because… there is a little bit of Tom in all of us.

There was a young couple who went to Virginia Beach on their honeymoon. I will call them Tom and Becky. Becky had a real relationship with Jesus while Tom attended church with her but was still investigating what it meant to have faith in Jesus.

On Saturday evening as they were walking on the boardwalk, they saw a poster that indicated there would be a church service on the beach, near the fishing pier, the next morning. As it was with most church-related things, Becky was interested in going while Tom was thinking about sleeping in the next morning, but because he wanted to be a good newlywed husband, he agreed to attend with her.

The next morning, they woke up early, Becky excitedly so, Tom rather reluctantly. After breakfast they headed to 14th Street and made their way to be beach. About 75 people had already gathered, all dressed casually, many in beach attire. The service began with a small band playing several worship songs. Not music Tom had heard in church before. People were singing and dancing, several even tossing a beach ball back and forth. Tom was very surprised to see that most of the people in attendance actually looked like they were enjoying the experience. He was used to church being formal and somber.

After the worship band stopped playing, a barefooted young man stepped to the microphone and welcomed the crowd, gave a few instructions, then prayed. This prayer was different than what Tom was accustomed to. This prayer seemed like a conversation between the man and God, whereas Tom was used to prayers being formal and filled with lots of spiritual words. After the prayer, a woman in shorts and flip flops got up and gave a message on what it means to have a real relationship with Jesus, to seek after Him with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13). The sermon had personal stories and anecdotes, and Tom felt as if the preacher was talking to him, not preaching at him.

Something pricked Tom’s heart and after the service was over he asked Becky to go with him to talk to the preacher about her message. Becky was pleasantly surprised; in fact, she was hoping this would be the moment in which Tom would commit his life to Jesus. Tom only had one question for the woman – He asked, “You said we need to desire God more than anything else in life. What does that really mean?” The lady preacher gave a surprising answer. She said to Tom, “Walk down to the end of the boardwalk toward Rudee Inlet and look for an old man who spends his days sitting on the beach; he is usually shirtless and well-tanned, with long gray hair pulled back in a ponytail. Ask him that question.”

That seemed like a strange answer, but Becky and Tom grabbed some lunch and headed off to find the old man. They quickly found him, sitting on a rock near the inlet, watching the surfers. After introducing themselves, Tom said, “The beach preacher told me to find you because you would explain to me what it means to seek after God with all my heart.”

Without saying a word, the old man motioned for Tom to follow him, and they walked into the ocean, first up to their ankles, then their knees, and soon they were standing in water chest deep. Suddenly the old man pushed Tom’s head under the water and held him there. Ten, fifteen, twenty seconds went by and soon Tom was running out of oxygen. After what seemed like minutes, Tom was angry and he exploded up out of the water, yelling at the old man, “What were you doing, trying to drown me?” Again, without talking, the old man began walking back to the shoreline, motioning Tom to follow him.

Once they got to the beach, the old man sat back down on the rocks before speaking. He asked Tom, “When you were under the water, what is the one thing you desperately desired most?” Still trying to recover, Tom answered sarcastically, “Oxygen! Well, duh!” The old man looked directly at Tom and said, “When you want Jesus like you wanted oxygen, you will find Him.” With that, he turned and walked away from Tom and Becky.    

Deuteronomy 4:29 tells us this, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Proverbs 8:17 reads like this, “I love those who love me, and those who seek me will find me.”

So, today I ask you, how passionately are you seeking after God?

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So much of what we consume today is full of preservatives. These preservatives are added to food and drink to help prevent spoilage during storage, distribution, retailing, and consumption. In general, to extend shelf life. You are familiar with some of the worst additives: trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate (MSG), BHA, BHT, sodium nitrate and nitrites. Another not so good additive is Red Dye No. 3, which was banned by the FDA from use in cosmetics in 1990 due to data showing high doses caused cancer in animals, but to this day is still allowed in food. Hmm?

Studies have shown that there are more than thousands of chemicals, some of which are associated with major health harms, allowed to be added to the foods we eat. These chemicals are allowed because of an apparent loophole in the system for additives classified as “generally recognized as safe.” Under FDA guidelines, the agency does not need to preapprove any substance added to food that has “been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise exempted from definitive of a food additive.”       

Like most foods we eat, bread also contains preservatives to prolong its shelf life and to prevent spoilage. Some common bread additives are citric acid, potassium sorbate, and sorbic acid. Even with all that is added to bread, it still eventually gets moldy or hard, becoming inedible. There is another kind of bread that requires no preservatives, needs no additives, and is always fresh and delicious. That bread – the bread of God!

As the Israelites wandered in the desert, a place without food or water, God sustained them with manna, a bread-like substance tasting like honey, that fell from heaven – “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day’” (Exodus 6:34a).

Now fast forward approximately 1,500 years. You probably know the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitudes with five small barley loaves and two tiny fish (John 6:1-14). This, along with his earlier healing miracles (6:2) created quite a stir, and the next day, large crowds come looking for Jesus in Capernaum (6:22-24). The people come looking for Jesus were seeking free food. He rebukes them by drawing a clear distinction between material bread and spiritual bread, first, by pointing out that is was God, not Moses who provided the manna, and secondly, that manna was simply physical bread whereas the bread from heaven is something much different (6:25-31).

Jesus then makes the bold claims that he is that bread, which gives eternal sustenance, eternal life. Here is what we read – “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world’” (John 6:32-33).

It seems that even still, they want something physical rather than eternal – “’Sir, they said, always give us this bread ‘” (6:34). And it is here that Jesus makes his first of seven I AM statements found in John’s gospel – “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and who believes in me will never go thirsty” (6:35). It is here that Jesus explicitly declares himself to be the One sent by God, the One and only who gives eternal life, the One who offers this bread of life

And this bread, this life-sustaining bread, never goes stale, never expires. It is new every single day – “Because of the LORD’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).

So, you see, the bread of God doesn’t have or need any added preservatives. It is fresh every day! Let it be all you need today and every day.

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Are there people you can be with that bring you joy simply by being in their presence? Are there places you can go that bring you peace and calm simply by being there? There are people in my life, my wife being at the top of that list, who by their very presence are satisfying. We can be sitting at home watching tv, enjoying a quiet evening on our back patio, or chilling at the beach, and just by being near her, my soul is at rest. It is being in her presence that first and foremost calms my soul. It is then in that presence that I get to witness, or be a recipient of, her good works. 

And being in the vicinity of the ocean is our happy place, and often as we walk through the dunes, just hearing, smelling, and seeing the surf and sand, we say to each other, “feel the crap flying off yet?” It is not doing something at the beach that brings us peace and calm. Those come solely by being at the beach.

The word satisfaction comes from two Latin words – satis (enough) and facere (to make, do, perform). Its origin (satis-facere) means simply to do enough. Satisfaction, being satisfied, is not completely dependent upon feelings or attitudes. There are other factors at play. Satisfaction is sometimes found in doing enough. Other times, however, to do enough is found in the being rather than in the doing. Wow, think about those last few sentences for a minute.

Now let me ask this – are you satisfied in God? Isn’t it true that our delight is sometimes based solely upon whether or not God has done what we asked, when we asked it. Yes, God is a good, good Father who meets our every need, but He is not some sort of bellhop, standing by, at our beck and call, always willing to do whatever we ask. Notice that I began this paragraph asking if you are satisfied in God rather than satisfied with God. I believe in focuses on who God is (being, presence) while with points to God’s marvelous deeds (doing). Both God’s proximity and deeds bring joy and satisfaction, but it is in that presence that we then find His power. Not vice versa.

In order to find lasting peace and joy no matter what life throws our way, our satis-facere must come from simply being in God’s presence. That satisfaction is rooted in who God is, not in what He does. We find these words in Psalm 16:11 – “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Elsewhere, still in the psalms – “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Be careful here. The focus of this verse is on us delighting and not in God giving. Taking delight in Yahweh means that we find our satisfaction in Him. If we truly do that (delight in the LORD), our desires will begin to parallel His desires, and those parallel desires of our heart will not go unfulfilled.

Keeping in the psalms, we are told that there is nothing better than being in the presence of God. Psalm 84:10 begins this way – “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.”

Ask God for a faith that is grounded in, rooted in, His presence. Your satis-facere is found in that presence. It is truly enough. Let me end with lyrics from the worship song “I Love Your Presence” – “In the glory of your presence, I find rest for my soul. In the depths of your love, I find peace makes me whole.”

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Have you ever thought about what your legacy will be? After all the kind words said at your funeral, what will it be weeks, months, even years later that people say about you? How will history remember you? Before you discount those questions, let me just say, every one of us will leave a legacy, maybe not on a national or worldwide scale, but to those who know us, we will leave some sort of legacy.

This week college football begins its 155th season. It cannot come soon enough for me! The game today looks nothing like it did back in 1869 when the College of New Jersey (now Princeton) Tigers and Rutgers Queensmen played the first intercollegiate game. You do not need to be a fan or historian of college football to know the name Knute Rockne. The Rock was a legendary football coach at Notre Dame from 1918-1930. He is considered one of the greatest college football coaches of all-time. His Fighting Irish teams won 88% of their games, and Rockne’s winning percentage is second all time, behind only Larry Kehres who coached 27 years at Mount Union (Ohio).

One of Rockne’s star players was George Gipp, nicknamed “The Gipper” In 1920, three weeks after his last intercollegiate football game (ND was 9-0 that season), Gipp died of complications from strep throat and pneumonia.

As the Gipper lay dying in the hospital, Coach Rockne visited his friend, and according to Rockne, the young man said this – “I’ve got to go, Rock. It’s all right. I’m not afraid. Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they’ve got and win just one for the Gipper. I don’t know where I’ll be then, Rock. But I’ll know about it, and I’ll be happy.” Historians doubt Rockne’s version of Gipp’s last words are true, but it makes for a good story, and a famous halftime speech.

In 1928, Notre Dame had one of Rockne’s worst teams, finishing the season 5-4. On November 10, after a scoreless first half against an undefeated Army team, Rockne, in trying to salvage the season, made that famous halftime speech. In the second half, the Fighting Irish rallied to upset the Black Knights 12-6. Since that day, “Win One for the Gipper” has been infused into the lexicon of American society.  

Tragically, the ever-popular Rockne died in a plane crash on March 31, 1931. His untimely death sparked a national outcry. Newspapers all across the country carried the story and his funeral was the first to be broadcast live on network radio. Because of Rockne’s popularity and the outrage over his death, the crash was investigated with a thoroughness that would become the criterion by which all future aviation accidents would be investigated, triggering sweeping changes to airline safety, something anyone who flies today greatly appreciates.     

How we live life makes a difference in our lifetime and in the lifetimes of those after us. Psalm 145:4 says this – “One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.” And in Proverbs 3:35 we find – “The wise will inherit honor, but fools get disgrace.”

While it is true that most likely your death or my death will not be broadcast live, or because of our death sweeping changes will be made that impact future generations, it is true that each one of you reading this post has the opportunity to touch, impact, and change the lives of those you come in contact with. And that is of no less significance than the legacy left behind by the rich and famous.

So, what will be your legacy? It is never too late to begin to create one that enriches those you love and those who come after you. 

(I took this picture of Rockne’s statue outside Notre Dame’s football stadium when visiting their campus in 2012.)

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Think of a time when you said yes when you really wanted to say no. Or maybe you said “no” to someone or something when the best thing to do would have been “yes.” After a long week at work, you want to come home and prop your feet up. But a neighbor invites you to a cookout. You really want to chill at home, but they’ve asked you several times before and you turned them down. You don’t want to send the wrong message, so you say yes when you really want to say no. Your coworkers frequently gossip about the new hire. You know what they are saying is both mean and not true. But, to stay popular in the office, you remain quiet. Instead of saying “yes” to squelching the gossip, you say no(thing).   

We regularly push back against doing or saying certain things because we don’t particularly like the probable outcome. It is also true that we sometimes push back on what God is asking us to do because we do not like what that outcome might be. The story of Jonah is one such instance. God asked Jonah to visit the wicked Ninevites, who were a constant threat to the Jews. The opening two verses found in the Old Testament book of Jonah read like this – “The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittal saying, ‘Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me’” (Jonah 1:1-2).

Jonah despised the Ninevites and did not want to go. He really wanted them destroyed (4:2). If Jonah visited them and they repented of their wicked ways, what if merciful God showed favor to the Ninevites. So, instead of heading to Nineveh as the LORD asked, Jonah headed in the opposite direction, to Tarshish – “But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD” (1:3). Jonah said no when he really should have yes.

You know the story. On the way to Tarshish, Jonah’s boat encountered a great storm, one that his shipmates blamed on him (vv.1:4-15). Jonah got tossed overboard and was swallowed up by a great fish – “And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights” (1:16-17).

While in the belly of this great fish, Jonah has a change of heart. He agrees to go to Nineveh (Chapter 2). The fish vomits him up. Jonah says yes (probably reluctantly) when he likely really wanted to say no once again. Chapter 3 of the book of Jonah tells us that the Ninevites did repent, causing God to hold back the calamity which he had declared he would bring on them. This displeased Jonah. Chapter 4 is God rebuking Jonah for his disobedience displeasure.

Even though Jonah did eventually say yes to God, he did so with a reluctant heart. God is not interested in hard reluctant hearts. He is wanting us to have soft obedient hearts; a desire to not just say “yes,” but a yes that comes from our longing to serve and obey. Not simply yes out of duty or obligation. Sometimes God desires us to say “no” to what the our selfish desires say, or world says to us, which by default is saying “yes” to Him.

Say yes to God and leave the results up to Him. What are you right now saying no to that you should be saying yes to? What do you need to say yes to even if no is easier?   

Note from Dave: Last year I wrote about Jonah using a slightly different backdrop. In that writing I also answered why I believe this “fish story” to be true and not simply allegory or myth. Click here to read that post.    

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