All For GOD's Glory

Tested by Praise??

2011-03-07T15:44:00.002-05:00

We normally think of the toughest tests of our character and determination to be when we have to overcome adversity, make it through difficult times, or conquer challenges. There is no doubt that each of those times in our lives has a purpose. The Bible says that God allows such difficulties to test us and purify us. In those moments, we are stretched and challenged in extreme ways, and by facing the adversity we come out stronger, wiser, and more prepared for the next challenge of life. Like the processes of purifying silver and smelting gold, God uses tough times to test us.

Proverbs 17:3 (HCSB)
³A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the Lord is the tester of hearts.

When silver is mixed, or suspected to be mixed, with base metal, it must be subjected to such a test as the cupel to purify it. And gold also must be purified by the action of the fire. So God tries hearts. He sends afflictions which penetrate the soul, and give a man to see his state, so that he may apply to the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, to destroy what cannot stand the fire, to separate and burn up all the dross.

-Adam Clark, A Commentary and Critical Notes

However, there are other ways we are tested also.

One way is very subtle. This particular way doesn’t appear to be a test at all. It feels like a reward for a job well done. It seems like the proper adulation for our hard work or achievement. This test can be so boosting to our ego that we totally overlook the fact that it is a test.

One of the toughest tests of our character is how we respond when we receive praise and admiration heaped upon us.

Proverbs 27:21 (HCSB)
²¹A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and a man for the words of his praise.

Did you see the test in Proverbs 27:21? We are tested by the words of praise that are given to us.

Let’s be honest. We all like to be praised. We love to hear, “Good job!” or “Great work!’ or “You look amazing!” or whatever it is that causes us to puff up with pride. But too many of those words can cause us to become conceited, self-centered, and self-dependent. Too much praise and we begin to “believe our own press clippings,” as coaches like to say. We need to maintain a proper perspective on ourselves, on God, and on life. Otherwise, shortly after the lavish praise we will swell up with pride and then we will fall.

Proverbs 16:18 (HCSB)
¹⁸Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 11:2 (HCSB)
²When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 18:12 (HCSB)
¹²Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

Matthew 23:12 (HCSB)
¹²Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

If you read these verses carefully, you will notice that it is OK for honor to be given to a person who loves God. It is OK to be given an award, or for a complimentary article to be written about you, or for your team leader to acknowledge you for a job well done. The key in the midst of all of this praise is to maintain humility. When you stay humble, you can rightly respond to the praise given to you by others.

Here are a couple of practical ways to handle praise:

Say, “Thank you.” When someone compliments you, simply smile, look them in the eye, and say, “Thank you.” Receive the compliment with gratitude.
Give praise to God. With all sincerity, deflect the praise to God. He is the provider of all of your gifts, talents, and abilities. He works through you to accomplish all of the good things that you do. Simply say, “Praise God” and let it go at that.

So what do we learn from this lesson?

God allows testing to come into our lives to purify us, to test our hearts.
Sometimes the test is through difficult times.
Sometimes the test is through praise.
The way we handle ourselves in difficult times and when we receive praise can either point people toward faith in Christ or away from faith in Christ.
We show ourselves to be faithful to God when we keep a humble attitude, not prideful.
When we receive earthly praise, we should maintain a humble attitude and give praise to God.

Redefining Success

2011-02-21T13:37:00.002-05:00

For legendary UCLA Bruins basketball coach John Wooden, everything he truly needed to know about life was taught to him and his brothers by his father, Joshua Wooden, on a farm in Centerton, Indiana. “Dad reasoned that whether we were better than someone else should not be the focus because our position in relation to others was out of our control,” Wooden explains.” We could could not control another’s performance, nor could we control how we would be ranked. All we could do was our best. He wanted us to try very hard to give the best possible effort to become the best we could be and let the results take care of themselves.”

John Wooden defines success this way: “Success is peace of mind that is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming. Within this framework, each person becomes the only one who can ultimately judge his or her own success.”

As a player, Wooden was part of a national championship team at Purdue in 1932. In 29 years as a college basketball coach, he led UCLA to 10 NCAA championships. His team’s enthusiasm and hard work led to competitive greatness – although he is quick to point out that winning should never be used as the barometer of excellence or success.

“We don’t have to be superstars or win championships to reach competitive greatness,” Wooden adds. “All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort and make those around us better as we do it. It’s not about winning. It’s about learning to give all we have to give.”

Read Romans 12:11 (HCSB)
¹¹Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.

What are some ways that we can show enthusiasm in sports and in life?
In what ways has enthusiasm helped you stay on track in your pursuit of excellence?
What are some things that have at times challenged your motivation?

Read Matthew 25:14-30 (HCSB)
¹⁴“For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents;denarii to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately ¹⁶the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. ¹⁷In the same way the man with two earned two more. ¹⁸But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
¹⁹“After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’ ²¹“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’
²²“Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’ ²³“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’
²⁴“Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’
²⁶“But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, ²⁷then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money back with interest.
²⁸“‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. ²⁹For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

What are some things these “talents” represent in your life?
What kind of personality and character did the first two servants display?
How was the third servant different?

Prayer: “Lord, help me to do my best with the talents you have given me. May I never compare myself to others. And, help me to train, compete and live my life with enthusiasm. Help me to always do my best, for your glory.”

_______________________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 12, “Redefining Excellence,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Laying It On The Line

2011-02-14T14:20:00.001-05:00

Would Jesus have played football?

NFL Quarterback Jon Kitna thinks so. And he says that Jesus would have played with intensity: “Jesus would have been the most intense guy! He would have knocked people down, but then He would have helped them up and would have probably given them some Scripture along with it to encourage them.”

While some may scoff at Kitna’s assertion, he is emboldened by passages in the Bible that encourage believers in Christ to live with a paradoxical combination of singular focus and reckless abandon.

“There’s a right way and a wrong way to play the game,” Kitna says. “You just try to play it the right way – within the rules, and within the biblical confines of how you’re supposed to approach your craft. So as a quarterback, I think that’s the best way to lead.”

Perhaps that’s why Kitna has never been accused of being soft because of his faith. One of the things that he wants people to see is that he fulfills his role on the team by displaying a steadfast attitude of excellence that reflects the character of Christ. This means doing his best to be excellent during times of preparation and competition. The last thing he wants is for nonbelievers to see him as flaky and lacking in substance.

“You know, I think a lot of times as Christians we want to say, ‘Well, God will handle it,’” Kitna says. “Yeah, God does make things happen. But He also relies on us to handle what we can handle. He gives us abilities, and we have to do what our job is here on earth. And takes care of the circumstances we can’t control. He takes care of those things.”

Here are some of the verses that are important to Kitna as he lives out his faith in Christ.

Read John 12:32-36 (HCSB)
³²As for Me [says Jesus], if I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all ⌊people⌋ to Myself.” ³³He said this to signify what kind of death He was about to die. ³⁴Then the crowd replied to Him, “We have heard from the scripture that the Messiah will remain forever. So how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵Jesus answered, “The light will be with you only a little longer. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. The one who walks in darkness doesn’t know where he’s going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become sons of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them.

What does Jesus mean by saying “If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all people to Myself”?
What does being “sons of light” have to do with living a life of excellence in athletics and in other areas of your life?

Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (HCSB)
⁷… Therefore so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. ⁸Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. ⁹But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. ¹⁰So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

What are some possible explanations for the “thorn in the flesh” that the writer of 1 Corinthians (Paul) is talking about in this passage of Scripture?
Can you share a weakness that you consistently have been faced with in your pursuit of excellence?

Read 1 Peter 5:6-7 (HCSB)
⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.

Why do you think humility is required before God can “exalt you in due time”?
What are some ways that you have been humbled in your life?
Can you describe when a time when a humbling situation gave you an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with someone?

As a football player, John Kitna lays in all on the line. He says this requires spiritual accountability.

Who are some people you rely on for accountability as an athlete?
Who are some people you rely on for spiritual accountability?
How does that accountability help you give your all, as an athlete and as a person?

PRAYER: “Heavenly Father, strengthen me to do my best for you. Keep my attitude humble. Help me to overcome ‘thorns in the flesh’ in my life. Let me shine as a light for you.”

_______________________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 11, “Laying It On The Line,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Making a Mark

2011-02-09T20:52:00.001-05:00

Kay Yow was the head women’s basketball coach for the North Carolina State Wolfpack from 1975-2009. During that time, she led her teams to more than 700 victories and 20 trips to the NCAA tournament. She was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2002.

Her journey to faith in Christ began when a young lady named Lori Moore from Campus Crusade for Christ asked to come speak to Yow’s basketball team after a practice. Moore presented the gospel to the team, and one person trusted in Christ as Lord and Savior that day – Coach Kay Yow. Soon after, Yow got connected to a local Bible-teaching church, was baptized, and began living for Christ.

Yow coached the USA Women’s Basketball team to a gold medal in the 1988 Olympics, even though she had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. She battled cancer more than 20 years. She was presented with the inaugural FCA Kay Yow Heart of a Coach Award in 2008 by Fellowship of Christian Athletesfor a lifetime of living for Christ as a person and a coach. She died in January 2009.

During her career, Yow rarely kept track of her accomplishments, and she didn’t let cancer keep her from living a life that glorified God. She was determined to make every moment count. She always keyed in on the word “attitude,” believing that to be the secret to being successful.

She said, “I love to study Jesus’ attitude in all of the situations that He faced and how He responded and how He dealt with things. That’s the exciting part for me – to not just try to understand excellence in the field of sports, but in a life guided by Jesus’ example. He was an example for what it takes to have excellence. And to me, excellence is all about glorifying God.”

Two of the questions that she would ask herself were:

“What am I doing today?”
“What mark am I making today?”

She wanted to make a mark on other people’s lives, to inspire them to be their best and encourage them to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There are many verses that guided her as a person and as a coach. We can learn much from these verses.

Read Titus 2:6-8 (HCSB)
⁶In the same way, encourage the young men to be self-controlled ⁷in everything. Make yourself an example of good works with integrity and dignity in your teaching. ⁸Your message is to be sound beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be ashamed, having nothing bad to say about us.

How can a lifestyle of excellence set an example for others?
Describe a time when someone taught you about excellence by their actions.
Describe a time when you were able to teach others about excellence through your actions.

Read Proverbs 3:12 (HCSB)
¹²for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in.

Read Revelation 3:19 (HCSB)
¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent.

How important do you think good character and integrity are in leading others to excellence?
How easy or difficult is it for you to receive correction, whether it’s from a coach, a parent, an employer, or a friend?

Read Luke 6:39-40 (HCSB)
³⁹He also told them a parable: “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? ⁴⁰A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

Have you ever been under the leadership of someone who didn’t seem to know what he or she was doing?
What challenges did that scenario create?

Read Luke 6:43-45 (HCSB)
⁴³“A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. ⁴⁴For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. ⁴⁵A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.

What do we learn from the parable of the tree and its fruit?
Can you give an example of how a person speaks “from the overflow of the heart”?
In what ways can you make sure that the words you speak and your actions bring forth good and not evil?

Prayer: “Lord, help me to realize that I am making a mark on people’s lives every day. Help me to live a godly example before them. Help me to make a mark on their lives that is greater than sport. Help me to influence them for eternity.”

_______________________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 10, “Making a Mark,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes

No Pain, No Gain

2011-01-31T19:00:00.000-05:00

Chris Byrd is a former Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Although he lives in Las Vegas, NV, aka “Sin City,” he doesn’t allow the sinfulness of his city to consume him.

He says, “For me, I put Christ first. I still do the same things I’ve always done. I stay home when I’m training so I can be in church and not in some secluded place. I want to live my life like I live every day. I’m a boring guy. I don’t do anything. I don’t know what happens in Vegas. I don’t know anything about this city.”

Boxers are among the most disciplined athletes, and Byrd is certainly no exception. Even though he lives in Vegas, he has somehow managed to shield himself from the worldly distractions. His ability to stay focused has been a work in progress that dates back to his early days growing up in Flint, Michigan.

Byrd’s parents are part of his boxing team. His father is his trainer, and his mother is often seen in his corner on fight night. He began amateur boxing at the age of 10, and by the age of 23 he had racked up 275 amateur wins and had claimed three US amateur titles. As a middleweight, he won the silver medal a the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and won the gold medal at the 1992 Canada Cup.

Everything seemed perfect in his life at that time. He was married to his high-school sweetheart, and was a proud father. But the one key ingredient that he lacked was a relationship with God. When his wife began taking their daughter to church, Byrd began to take notice. Then, when his wife later gave her heart to Christ, his interest was really piqued – although not necessarily in a positive way.

He says, “She got saved and I was like, ‘Wow, what’s that? I’m not going in that direction because I don’t want to be like that.’ My brother and sister-in-law had gotten saved five years earlier, and I thought they were strange, so I didn’t want to be like that.”

As his wife and daughter continued their spiritual walk, Byrd quickly started to feel left out. Finally, he started to tag along with them and eventually had a miraculous change of heart. He says, “I went a few weeks and really wasn’t listening. But one week I listened, and God just convicted my heart so bad. I truly understood why Christ died for me. I walked that aisle [of the church, to talk with one of the pastors], and someone led me to the Lord.”

By then, Byrd was embarking on his professional boxing career, and he desired to compete in the heavyweight division. He was so convinced that this move was part of God’s plan, the prayed for supernatural intervention. He told the Lord in prayer, “If I can be a heavyweight, I will be a witness for You. I won’t forget about You. It’s going to be all about You.”

God answered his prayer, and in April 2000 he defeated Vitali Klitschko in Berlin, Germany for the WBO title. He lost that title six months later, but in December 2002 he claimed the IBF title by defeating Evander Holyfield.

But the Lord taught him a lesson in humility vs pride in a fight in September 2003. He was battling Fres Oquendo, and although he won the fight by a decision of the judges, it was very controversial. Many people thought he lost the fight. He was embarrassed, humbled, and put into his place. He said he learned the hard truth found in Proverbs 16:18.

Later, he eventually lost his IBF title. But he still found ways to use his platform as a heavyweight boxer to share God’s love with others. Even through his losses, his demeanor and strong moral character made a lasting impression on the fans and the boxing world.

Read Proverbs 16:18 (HCSB)
¹⁸Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.

What do you learn from this verse?
How would you apply this verse to your life?

Read 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 (HCSB)
²⁵Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. ²⁷Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

What does v 26 mean?
How do you think purpose works together with discipline?
Is it possible for your discipline to ultimately have little meaning? Why do you say so?

Read Romans 6:12-13 (HCSB)
¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. ¹³And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.

What are some things that challenge your physical discipline?
What methods do you use to overcome those challenges?
What are some things that challenge your spiritual discipline?

Read Luke 12:48 (HCSB)
⁴⁸… Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.

What are some things that are required of you as an athlete, and/or in every other area of responsibility that you have?
As your level of responsibility increases, how does that impact the decisions you make?

Prayer: “Lord, help me to remember that you have given me the abilities that I have. Help me to be disciplined in every area of my life. And help me to use the platform you have given me to be a witness for you every day of my life.”

_______________________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 9, “No Pain, No Gain,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Going the Distance

2011-01-24T13:54:00.001-05:00

Olympic Marathon Runner Ryan Hall grew up in Christian home, but even though his parents did his best to instill godly values into his life, Ryan admits that he was heading the wrong way spiritually. As a teenager while pursuing sports such as baseball, basketball and football, he was involved in a lifestyle that found him in the middle of the cool crowd and an increasingly active party scene.

He says, “We were young, so we weren’t into drinking and drugs, but it was heading that direction. But when I started [long distance] running, my lifestyle changed a lot. I lost a lot of those friends. So I was around a whole different group of people. That put me out of the cool group. I remember just feeling a void at that point and a little bit lonely. Socially I wasn’t fitting in anymore. I was kind of struggling with that. Jesus really became my best friend at that point. When I was feeling that void, I would go to Him for that relationship that I was looking for and that was the real beginning of my walk with Christ – and it’s been growing ever since.”

Hall excelled through the years in long-distance running. He won championships at the high school and college levels. He made the Olympic Team and finished in tenth place in the marathon at the Beijing Olympics, a remarkable accomplishment.

Throughout his career, Hall has found inspiration in a friendship with legendary runner Jim Ryun and his family. He is also a big fan of Scottish Olympian Eric Liddell, whose story was told in the film Chariots of Fire. Some of Hall’s favorite verses are listed below.

Read 2 Chronicles 16:9 (HCSB)
⁹For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His. You have been foolish in this matter. Therefore, you will have wars from now on.”

When God’s eyes fall on you, what do you think He sees in your heart?
How would finding your identity in Christ change your motives for excellence?

Read Philippians 4:12-13 (HCSB)
¹²I know both how to have a little, and I know how to have a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret ⌊of being content⌋—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. ¹³I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.

How does an attitude of contentment give strength to those striving for excellence?
How do you think verse 12 relates to the inspirational truth found in verse 13?

Read Leviticus 25:2-4 (HCSB)
²“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you enter the land I am giving you, the land will observe a Sabbath to the Lord. ³You may sow your field for six years, and you may prune your vineyard and gather its produce for six years. ⁴But there will be a Sabbath of complete rest for the land in the seventh year, a Sabbath to the Lord: you are not to sow your field or prune your vineyard.

How can this passage in Leviticus apply to both our physical and spiritual training?
When did a time of rest allow you to push forward and be successful in competition?

Read Proverbs 24:16 (HCSB)
¹⁶Though a righteous man falls seven times, he will get up, but the wicked will stumble into ruin.

Hall believes that the key to endurance is not getting emotionally down after making a mistake. How does this passage in Proverbs inspire you to never give up?
Describe a time when you stumbled or failed but chose to continue. Where did you find the courage to do so?

Hall says, “Before all of my big races, I like to watch the movie The Passion of the Christ, because that’s the amazing picture of how Christ endured so much for us. I think about His motivation and what it must have been like for Him to endure the type of pain for that long of a time. It makes me feel that what I do isn’t that big of a deal in comparison. I think about His motivation and how He was thinking about other people. Sometimes I can be a very selfish runner, so I try to think about others more when I’m running. That helps me to endure more than I could endure if I was just doing it for myself. So obviously I think about the Lord when I’m out there running. I think about Him taking that cross up to Calvary. I think about other people who I love. I think about my wife when I’m out there running. I think about the kids in Africa who we’re helping through World Vision. Thinking about doing things for others rather than making a selfish endeavor really brings so much more meaning to my running and helps me to endure through those tough times. The Bible says that Christ endured the cross for the joy set before Him. There’s a prize waiting for us at the end that we can fix our eyes on. It will allow us to endure things that we never thought we could possibly go through.”

Take a few moments to think about Hall’s words.
What do you think about what he says?

Prayer: “Lord, help me to endure. Help me to remember that you are always watching over me. Help me to stay focused on your path for my life, and even when I fall, help me to get back up and continue to walk – even run – with you!”

_______________________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 8, “Going the Distance,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Lasting Legacies

2011-01-17T14:14:00.001-05:00

NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his son Kyle have been racing cars for decades. And Richard’s father, Lee Petty, was one of the pioneers in the sport.

Richard is know as The King by his colleagues because of his accomplishments on the racetrack. In his 35-year career, he ran 1184 races and claimed a record 200 wins, seven Daytona 500 victories and seven NASCAR Cup titles, a feat that only the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. managed to equal.

Richard’s commitment to excellence is demonstrated by his straightforward and simple philosophy of life. He says, “When you get up in the morning, you ask, ‘Can I do a little better than I did yesterday?’ That’s the challenge of not just staying the same. Can we make our business a little better? Can we help somebody today who we didn’t help yesterday? It’s just life.”

Richard and Kyle Petty are big supporters of Motor Racing Outreach, which provides a weekly chapel service each Sunday morning at the site of each race, plus other chaplaincy ministries throughout the week.

Kyle Petty has wisely taken the advice found in Job 8:8-9.

Read Job 8:8-9 (HCSB)
⁸For ask the previous generation, and pay attention to what their fathers discovered, ⁹since we were ⌊born only⌋ yesterday and know nothing. Our days on earth are but a shadow.

How often do you ask for advice from others?
As you strive for excellence, what can you gain by following the admonition found in Job 8:8-9?
How has paying attention to the “previous generation” taught you valuable lessons about athletics or life in general?

Read Proverbs 13:22 (HCSB)
²²A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

What are some examples of “an inheritance” that someone could leave to his or her children and grandchildren?
What kind of inheritance or treasure (whether physical or spiritual) do you hope to leave those who follow in your footsteps?

Read Psalm 61:5-8 (HCSB)

⁵God, You have heard my vows; You have given a heritage to those who fear Your name. ⁶Add days to the king’s life; may his years span many generations.⁷May he sit enthroned before God forever; appoint faithful love and truth to guard him. ⁸Then I will continually sing of Your name, fulfilling my vows day by day.

What does David suggest are some key elements to a godly legacy?
What are some of the blessings that accompany that kind of lifestyle?
How does having the wrong focus (worrying about what others think of you) hinder your legacy?

PRAYER: “Heavenly Father, thank you for the godly example of friends and family that I have. Help me to pass along that legacy to those who come behind me by my example of faith in Jesus Christ daily.”

———————————————————————–

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 7, “Lasting Legacies,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes

"Do Not Be Afraid," says the Lord. "I Have Big Plans for You."

2010-12-27T21:42:00.001-05:00

What does God say to Joshua in the Old Testament, and Mary and the shepherds in the New Testament, and is still true for us today?

“Do not be afraid.”

And when the Lord says, “Do not be afraid,” He continues on by telling each person what are the big plans He has for them. They then have a choice to believe in Him, obey Him, and receive some incredible blessings; or, they can reject what He says to them, not believe, not obey, and miss the amazing blessings.

Let’s look at three passages, and determine:

Who is God talking to
Why God says, “Do not be afraid” to them
What big plans God has for them
How they respond to God’s Word

Joshua 1:6-9 (HCSB)
⁶“Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. ⁷Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. ⁸This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. ⁹Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Who is God talking to
Why God says, “Do not be afraid” to them
What big plans God has for them
How they respond to God’s Word

Luke 1:26-33 (HCSB)
²⁶In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And ⌊the angel⌋ came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

Who is God talking to
Why God says, “Do not be afraid” to them
What big plans God has for them
How they respond to God’s Word

Luke 2:8-20 (HCSB)
⁸In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: ¹¹Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. ¹²This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”

¹³Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!

¹⁵When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. ¹⁷After seeing ⌊them⌋, they reported the message they were told about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
¹⁹But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard, just as they had been told.

Who is God talking to
Why God says, “Do not be afraid” to them
What big plans God has for them
How they respond to God’s Word

Big Plans

Joshua was chosen by God to lead the people into the Promised Land. Mary was chosen by God to give birth to the Savior. The shepherds were chosen by God to be the first eyewitnesses of the birth of the Christ child.

Each of the people chosen by God would have no doubt experienced a crisis of belief that required them to respond with faith and obedience.

Did they pass the test?
What do you learn from them?
How can you follow their example?

Put It Into Practice

What is one thing you will do this week to apply these verses of Scripture to your life?

A Simple Prayer: “Dear God, I believe that You have big plans for me. Help me to listen to your instructions, and to not be afraid. Help me to overcome all my fears by trusting in You. Give me the strength to walk in obedience and to experience the blessings you have for me.”

Preparing for the Presence of God

2010-12-22T16:14:00.001-05:00

“Prepare the way for the Lord;

make His paths straight!

. . . and everyone will see the salvation of God.”—Luke 3:4, 6

If we are to receive the powerful presence of God, we must prepare ourselves. John the Baptist was God's messenger to help people prepare to receive the Savior of the world. John preached unwaveringly: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven at hand!” (Matt. 3:2). Those who heard John's message and prepared their lives recognized Jesus when He came, and they left all to follow Him. This was especially true of the disciples, whose hearts God Himself prepared (Matt. 16:17). Preparation must precede God's presence!

God's instruction for preparation is specific: repentance! This involves a complete change of mind, heart, will, and behavior toward Him. He is Lord, and your life must be prepared to receive Him as your Lord. Anything less is inadequate. Some were obviously unprepared to follow Jesus and missed the opportunity (Luke 9:57–62). The religious leaders of Jesus' day were largely unprepared for His arrival. They knew the Messiah was coming. They even knew where He would be born (Matt. 2:4–6). Yet when word came that the Savior had been born, they made no effort to join Him, preferring instead their religious ritual.

If you are unprepared, you, too, will miss the opportunity to experience Jesus. You may practice religion, but you will miss God. While others encounter the Lord personally in worship, your heart will remain unmoved. As others receive a fresh word from God, you will experience a painful silence. Religious activity can never substitute for a heart that is pure before Him. Purity comes only through repentance. Pray, as the Psalmist did, that God will examine your heart and reveal your need to repent of your sin (Ps. 139:23–24).

Source: Experiencing God Day by Day: A Devotional and Journal.

Mary Should Be Honored, But Not Worshiped

2010-12-20T21:45:00.000-05:00

The young woman chosen by the Lord to give birth to the Savior was no doubt a faith-filled, humble servant of God. But the Bible is quite clear even by her own testimony that she is not to be worshiped. Only God is to be worshiped. We worship the triune God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Let’s take a look at Luke chapter 1 to see some amazing things. As you read the chapter, ask yourself these questions:

Who is the hero of this chapter of the Bible?
What is one verse in this chapter that sums up the entire chapter?
What can we learn from the people in this chapter?

Read Luke 1:1-80 (HCSB)
¹Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, ²just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. ³It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.

⁵In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. ⁷But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

⁸When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. ¹¹An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and overcome with fear.

¹³But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. ¹⁶He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.

¹⁸“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. ²⁰Now listen! You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. ²²When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept making signs to them and remained speechless. ²³When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.

²⁴After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, ²⁵“The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.”

²⁶In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And ⌊the angel⌋ came to her and said, “Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be.

³⁰Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.

³⁴Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not been intimate with a man?”

³⁵The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”

³⁸“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

³⁹In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah ⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²Then she exclaimed with a loud cry: “You are the most blessed of women, and your child will be blessed! ⁴³How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me! ⁴⁵She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!”

⁴⁶And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, ⁴⁷and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, ⁴⁸because He has looked with favor on the humble condition of His slave. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, ⁴⁹because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy. ⁵⁰His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him. ⁵¹He has done a mighty deed with His arm; He has scattered the proud because of the thoughts of their hearts; ⁵²He has toppled the mighty from their thrones and exalted the lowly. ⁵³He has satisfied the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. ⁵⁴He has helped His servant Israel, mindful of His mercy, ⁵⁵just as He spoke to our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

⁵⁶And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.

⁵⁷Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. ⁵⁸Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.” ⁶¹Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” ⁶²So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet and wrote: HIS NAME IS JOHN. And they were all amazed.

⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue ⌊set free⌋, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea.
⁶⁶All who heard about ⌊him⌋ took ⌊it⌋ to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.

⁶⁷Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: ⁶⁸Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and provided redemption for His people. ⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, ⁷⁰just as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets in ancient times; ⁷¹salvation from our enemies and from the clutches of those who hate us. ⁷²He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered His holy covenant— ⁷³the oath that He swore to our father Abraham. He has given us the privilege, ⁷⁴since we have been rescued from our enemies’ clutches, to serve Him without fear ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness in His presence all our days. ⁷⁶And child, you will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways,⁷⁷to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. ⁷⁸Because of our God’s merciful compassion, the Dawn from on high will visit us ⁷⁹to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

⁸⁰The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD

Let’s revisit the questions we asked earlier:

Who is the hero of this chapter of the Bible? Even a casual reading of the chapter will illuminate the fact that Mary is not the hero of this story – God is! She is an important person of course, but God is the one who blesses Zechariah and Elizabeth with a baby, as well as chooses Mary to be the mother of Jesus. Many people focus the attention in this chapter on the events surrounding Mary and her words. But even her words clearly indicate the God is her Savior. She is not a perfect person; she is a faithful, humble, obedient servant of the Lord. But she was in need of salvation just like every other person except Jesus, the one who was born to be the Savior of the world, of all those who would trust in Him.
What is one verse in this chapter that sums up the entire chapter? The sentence that sums up the entire chapter of the book of Luke says, “Nothing is impossible with God.” That is what Christmas is all about. It is celebrating the birth of the Savior, the one who came to reconcile people to God. Even if a person is far, far away from God, guess what? Nothing is impossible with God. He can forgive all sin. He wants to be your Savior. That’s why He sent His Son, born of a woman, born to save us from our sins. Re-read Luke 1:37.
What can we learn from the people in this chapter? I want to leave this one for you for your personal study. Take a look at three people in this story – Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary. What do we learn from each of them about faith and obedience to God? You may need to re-read the chapter.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE: What one thing (or more) will you do to apply the truths of this Bible study to your life?

A SIMPLE PRAYER: “Lord, help me to realize that nothing is impossible with You. Because of this reality, you can do anything through me that you choose to do. Help me to believe that, and help me to follow you in faith and obedience. AMEN.”

Pushing Through

2010-12-13T17:23:00.001-05:00

Jean Driscoll was born in 1966 with a condition known as spina bifida. She grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and in those days there was not much technology or sports opportunities with people with physical challenges. Although she had wanted to fit in and be parts of sports teams as a child and teenager, she was not physically able. And then a bicycle accident during her freshman year at high school led to multiple surgeries to repair her damaged hips and related injuries. Driscoll says, “It was a really long year. I remember praying over and over again… that I would be like everybody else. I just wanted to blend in. I hated sticking out.”

None of the surgeries worked and now came the inevitable: first crutches, and then the dreaded wheelchair.

Is God Picking On Me?

“I was so made at God because I thought that He was picking on me,” Driscoll says. “First, I was born with this disability and I was constantly teased, and then I had all these painful surgeries. I’ve got foot-long scars over both hips. None of those surgeries worked, and doctors are supposed to be able to fix everything. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t fix my body. It was a really hard time.”

What are some personal challenges or physical limitations that you have dealt with?
Did you ever feel like giving up?
What was it that gave you the strength to fight through those times?

Open Doors

Driscoll had no idea that God would use the wheelchair and her disability to open doors to some incredible and unimaginable places:

First, in high school she began playing wheelchair soccer.
Then she played wheelchair ice hockey, football, soccer, tennis and basketball.
In college, at the University of Illinois, she added track and road racing to her collegiate repertoire.
Her college track and field coach challenged her to compete in marathons.
She placed second in the Chicago Marathon.
Then she competed in the 1990 Boston Marathon, where she not only won the race but she broke the world record.
She ultimately won eight (8) Boston Marathons.
She competed in the Olympics Games in 1988, 1992, 1996 & 2000, winning five gold medals, three silver medals and four bronze medals.

Why Isn’t God Mad At My Siblings?

Driscoll says that in her early years that her understanding of God was skewed by tragedy and tumult. “I always felt like I was being punished because God was a big, made God and if you did things wrong, He was going to get you,” Driscoll says. “My question was, Why is He only calling me out? Why isn’t He ever mad at my siblings?”

A New Beginning

Driscoll was invited to a Bible study and challenged to trust in Jesus Christ as her Lord & Savior. After a period of time, she surrendered her heart and life to Jesus Christ. She says, “All of those early years when I was being picked on [by her peers] and I thought that God was picking on me, I was so tired of being picked on. Then I realized that I had been picked out. I had been picked out to do things that God only created me to do. I was working so hard to blend in and be like everybody else, and He kept pulling me out and showing me that I wasn’t like everybody else. My life was not meant to blend in, but it was meant to stand out. That just blew me away — and it still does.”

Read Romans 12:12
¹²Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Why would a person need to “rejoice in hope”?
What does it mean to “be patient in affliction”?
What is the value of being “persistent in prayer”?

Mentally Tough

Driscoll says that her disability helped her to develop mental toughness.

What does mental toughness mean to you?
Do you consider yourself mentally tough?
If so, what has helped you develop that quality?

Impacting Africa

Driscoll has had the opportunity to coach wheelchair athletes from Africa in the past few years. Had she not been faced with the challenges she was faced with – and persevered! – she would not have had that opportunity.

How have you seen God open up doors of opportunity for you through your successes or difficulties?
How do you want your life to impact others athletically and spiritually?

Read John 17:4
⁴I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.

In what ways did Jesus persevere in order to bring glory to God?
What are some ways you can glorify God through your perseverance?

A Simple Prayer: “Lord, take all of me and use me for your glory. Take my abilities and my limitations. Let me do my very best, and let me point people to faith in you.”

_________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 5, “Pushing Through,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

2010-12-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

Good Habits

2010-12-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

Baseball superstar Albert Pujols has been an all-star multiple times, was the NL Rookie of the Year, has been the NL MVP multiple times, and his team (the St. Louis Cardinals) won the World Series in 2006. What are the habits that have led to his success?

Pujols knows that he was blessed with God-given ability. His friend, St. Louis Cardinals’ broadcaster Rick Horton says, “He talks a lot about the responsibility to do his best with the gifts God has given him.”

Three words that describe the good habits that Albert Pujols has developed are:

Preparation
Focus
Discipline

PREPARATION

Part of Pujols’ preparation to compete as a major league baseball player includes putting in extra hours at the field working on hitting drills, studying film, and fielding ground balls. Another part of his preparation is his off-season workout program, which includes strength training and conditioning. He prepares in the off-season so that he can be his best during the season. And he prepares each day so that he can be his best every day.

What are some ways that you prepare for competition?

Read Ephesians 6:10-18
¹⁰Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. ¹²For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. ¹³This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand.

¹⁴Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, ¹⁵and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. ¹⁸Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.

How is a solder’s preparation similar to that of a competitor?
What are some consequences of not being prepared?

FOCUS

When you are the leader of your team, as Pujols is, there are a lot of demands on your time. Media obligations, helping teammates, community events, and more. One of the remarkable traits of Albert Pujols is his ability to stay focused on the task at hand while he is training and while he is competing in each game. There are many distractions that could grab his attention, but he is able to keep his focus.

Read 1 Corinthians 15:58
⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

What are some distractions you deal with on a daily basis?
In 1 Corinthians 15:58, how does Paul encourage us to avoid distractions?
What does “knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” mean?

DISCIPLINE

Albert Pujols has never given in to the bad habits of wild drinking, partying, smoking, etc. That lifestyle is not who he is. But more than just being a wholesome person, Pujols’ good habits and discipline are rooted in his faith in Jesus Christ. He became a Christian in 1999. And his desire for others to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior motivates him to live a life of excellence and discipline. He realizes that if he leads by example, then his teammates will listen to him when he tells them that they too can be changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Read Hebrews 13:15-16
¹⁵Therefore, through Him let us continually offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of our lips that confess His name. ¹⁶Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.

In what ways are good habits a “sacrifice of praise”?
How does placing God at the top of your priority list keep you disciplined and paying attention to the right things?
How does living a Christ-honoring, disciplined life open up conversations to talk with others about your faith in Christ?

A Simple Prayer: “Lord, help me to develop the good habits of preparation, focus and discipline, so that I may live my life as a sacrifice of praise to you, and so that I can tell others how they too may have faith in Jesus Christ.”

_________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 4, “Good Habits,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Being There | Ministering to Winter Sports Athletes from Around the World

2010-12-02T15:43:00.004-05:00

Check out this article about our ministry to winter sports athletes from around the world: http://bit.ly/gJfLex.

And watch this video to hear about ministry at the Olympics and more:

2010 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Challenge: "Are We There Yet?"

2010-12-01T16:14:00.003-05:00

Our church will be collecting a special offering at our Christmas Eve Service to support international missions. We help support more than 5000 missionaries who serve with the International Mission Board. The missions offering is named for Lottie Moon, who was a missionary to China many years ago. Watch the video below to learn more about this year's offering and more:

2010 Lottie Moon Challenge "Are We There Yet?" from Rob Stevens on Vimeo.

"Are We There Yet?" Music Video by Rick Heil of SONICFLOOd

2010-12-01T16:03:00.004-05:00

Are We There Yet? from Rob Stevens on Vimeo.

Willing to Forgive

2010-11-29T19:57:00.004-05:00

"Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." Luke 6:36

We do not have the right as Christians to harbor unforgiveness.

I have heard people say on occasion, "Well, there are some things that just can't be forgiven." Like what? What is it that Jesus couldn't forgive in your life? What is it that Jesus says is beyond His ability to cleanse, heal, restore, or forgive in a person?

Take another look at your own past.

If God has forgiven you . . . He expects you to be able to forgive yourself.

If God has forgiven you . . . He expects you to extend that forgiveness to others.

- "God's Way Day by Day"

The Passionate Pursuit of Excellence

2010-11-29T16:47:00.000-05:00

Les Steckel was an NFL coach for 20 years, coaching in San Francisco, Minnesota, New England, Denver, Tennessee, Tampa Bay and Buffalo. He coached Pro Bowl players, and he coached on two teams that competed in the Super Bowl. Through the years he observed a lot and learned a lot about pursuing excellence with a passion. Here is some of what he learned.

“If you’re going to be excellent, you always have to find ways to get better,” Steckel says.

What are some areas of your life where you want to get better?
What are you doing to get better in those areas?

Steckel says that most people tend to take shortcuts and give only what is required of them and no more.

What are some examples of shortcuts people take in athletics, business, ministry and family life?
Why do you think people take shortcuts?

Read Daniel 1:1-21
¹In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it. ²The Lord handed Jehoiakim king of Judah over to him, along with some of the vessels from the house of God. Nebuchadnezzar carried them to the land of Babylon, to the house of his god, and put the vessels in the treasury of his god. ³The king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his court officials, to bring some of the Israelites from the royal family and from the nobility— ⁴young men without any physical defect, good-looking, suitable for instruction in all wisdom, knowledgeable, perceptive, and capable of serving in the king’s palace—and to teach them the Chaldean language and literature. ⁵The king assigned them daily provisions from the royal food and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end of that time they were to serve in the king’s court.

⁶Among them, from the descendants of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. ⁷The chief official gave them ⌊other⌋ names: he gave the name Belteshazzar to Daniel, Shadrach to Hananiah, Meshach to Mishael, and Abednego to Azariah.

⁸Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself. ⁹God had granted Daniel favor and compassion from the chief official, ¹⁰yet he said to Daniel, “My lord the king assigned your food and drink. I’m afraid ⌊of what would happen⌋ if he saw your faces looking thinner than those of the other young men your age. You would endanger my life with the king.”

¹¹So Daniel said to the guard whom the chief official had assigned to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹²“Please test your servants for 10 days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³Then examine our appearance and the appearance of the young men who are eating the king’s food, and deal with your servants based on what you see.” ¹⁴He agreed with them about this and tested them for 10 days.

¹⁵At the end of 10 days they looked better and healthier than all the young men who were eating the king’s food. ¹⁶So the guard continued to remove their food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables. ¹⁷God gave these four young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. Daniel also understood visions and dreams of every kind.

¹⁸At the end of the time that the king had said to present them, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹The king interviewed them, and among all of them, no one was found equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they began to serve in the king’s court. ²⁰In every matter of wisdom and understanding that the king consulted them about, he found them 10 times better than all the diviner-priests and mediums in his entire kingdom.²¹Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

How was Daniel intentional in his pursuit of excellence?
What are some temptations to go with the crowd that we face today?
What are some of the benefits of avoiding worldly living, like Daniel and his three friends did?

Steckel says that two factors that are important in pursuing excellence are discipline and integrity.

How do discipline and integrity relate to one another?
Are they both important to pursue excellence? Why or why not?

Read Philippians 3:12-21
¹²Not that I have already reached ⌊the goal⌋ or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. ¹³Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, ¹⁴I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

¹⁵Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. ¹⁶In any case, we should live up to whatever ⌊truth⌋ we have attained. ¹⁷Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.¹⁸For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, ²⁰but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

What are some things that can suppress our passionate pursuit of excellence?
What encouragement does the apostle Paul give to us in Philippians 3:12-21 to help us overcome such obstacles?
What is the ultimate prize for those who strive for godly excellence?

Here is a simple prayer: “Lord, help me to be determined to live a Christ-honoring life of excellence in everything I do. Help me to intentionally improve every day. Let me live a life of discipline, of integrity, of pursuing my best always, that I may be my best and bring glory to you. May my passion for excellence inspire others to be their best too.”

_______________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 3, “The Passionate Pursuit,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The Spirit of Excellence

2010-11-22T15:35:00.001-05:00

NFL running back Shaun Alexander has a strong faith in Jesus Christ. And that compels him to live his life and to participate in his sport with excellence. He has been on championship teams from high school to the pros. But he has also had his share of criticism, injuries and difficult times.

Through the years, the Lord has taught him a lot about living with a spirit of excellence. Alexander encourages Christians to “walk in the spirit of excellence.” He reminds us that excellence involves living our lives with the right attitude and the right actions, big and small.

Read Ephesians 4:1-3
¹Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, ²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, ³diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds ⌊us⌋.

What does the phrase “walk worthy of the calling you have received” mean?
How do we live this out in our daily lives?
What words in Ephesians 4:1-3 give us insights into how to live a life that honors the Lord?
What are some concrete examples of how a person could follow Shaun Alexander’s directive to “walk in the spirit of excellence”?

Read 1 John 5:1-15
¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. ²This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey His commands.
³For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden, ⁴because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. ⁵And who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

⁶Jesus Christ—He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷For there are three that testify: ⁸the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement. ⁹If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son. ¹⁰(The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) ¹¹And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

¹²The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

¹⁴Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.

What are some misconceptions that people often have about Christians?
What parts of 1 John 5:1-15 give you the courage to wholeheartedly pursue excellence?
What are some things for which you should confidently ask God?

Shaun Alexander says, “The best way to honor God is to be obedient. Whatever it is I’m doing, I want to be obedient. I want to pursue Him with excellence with all that I’ve got. That’s going to lead to true obedience and true love, which pleases God.”

Read Matthew 5:14-16

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

What are some ways that God has used excellence in your life as a light to attract others to Him?
What are some of the other areas in your life where excellence could have a similar effect?
How do you make sure that your life brings glory to God (and not glory to you)?

In his own words:

“When you strive for excellence, you are fulfilled in who you are, and you can have the greatest impact on the lives of others. I think the spirit of excellence helps to continue with everything we have so that we can get to the next test and pass it. Some people strive for excellence to glorify themselves or to look good in front of others. But if you have a spirit of excellence and you’re doing what God has told you to do, you can’t help but do something greater than you thought you could do and impact more people than you otherwise could have. Having a platform is one of my callings…. I’ve got friends who no one ever hears about, and all they do is pray. But they pray with a spirit of excellence. That is their calling. So their spirit of excellence launches me to go walk in my spirit of excellence. It all works together. You have to know who you are in Christ. You have to know what God has called you to do. Then you have to do that with everything in you. The spirit of excellence causes you to affect people when you don’t know that they’re watching. It’s not about putting on your Sunday best, but it’s about walking in that spirit of excellence. When people see that, they think, This Jesus must be the real deal.” - Shaun Alexander

What part of Shaun Alexander’s quote above is most significant to you?

Here is a simple prayer:

“Lord, help me to live with a spirit of excellence, shining a light that will point people to faith in Jesus Christ. AMEN.”

______________________________

Adapted from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness In All Areas Of Life, Chapter 2, “The Spirit of Excellence,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Excellence: The Big Win

2010-11-15T16:37:00.001-05:00

How do you define “excellence”?

The head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI in 2007, Tony Dungy, whose team won the Super Bowl that year, defines excellence this way: “Excellence is doing something at the very highest level it can be done using all your capabilities and everything God has given you.”

What do you think of Coach Dungy’s definition of excellence?

Read and Respond to 1 Corinthians 9:24-25

²⁴Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. ²⁵Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away.

According to these verses, what do athletes compete for?
Is it right or wrong for Christian athletes to seek to win the prize of athletic games? Why do you say so?
What does verse 25 teach us about self-control?
What does verse 25 teach us about keeping these in eternal perspective?

In terms of excellence and spiritual values, Coach Dungy says this: “If you just practice one day a week, you’re never going to be as good as if you practice every day. And that’s what it’s all about, really. It’s reading and understanding what God wants you to do and then putting it into practice. When you come up a little short and don’t quite get it, don’t give up. Continue to work at it. Say, ‘Okay, Lord, I fell a little bit short in this area. Give me another opportunity to work on it.’ The more you practice those values, the easier they become, and the better you get at them.”

Is Coach Dungy right?

As followers of Christ, we must remember that we are not just on earth to accomplish things for our own benefit. When we have success, we must not become prideful. Coach Dungy says that our purpose behind striving for excellence must always be balanced and in tune with God’s plan for our lives. We can’t just be building “bigger barns” for ourselves.

Read and Respond to Luke 12:13-21
¹³Someone from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴“Friend,” He said to him, “who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
¹⁶Then He told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. ¹⁷He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? ¹⁸I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. ¹⁹Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”’ ²⁰“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared—whose will they be?’
²¹“That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

What is the point of the story?
What lessons does the story teach us?
How can a person be rich toward God?

What are your priorities in life?

If excellence to you is only about winning or losing, then you are in danger of pride (if you win all the time) or depression (if you never win). As Coach Dungy says, “Excellence is about how you do things and doing the very best that you can. Excellence doesn’t mean you always have to win or always have to be in first place.”

Excellence for the athlete who is following Christ also means never cutting corners. Excellence includes integrity in every way. Jesus compares a person whose life is built on following Him versus one that is built on anything else.

Read Matthew 7:24-27
²⁴“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. ²⁶But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”

What do you learn from these verses?
How do these verses apply to your life today?

The “big win” is our reward in heaven, to hear the Lord say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Earthly success is fleeting. Do your very best at everything you do. Live your life with excellence. But remember you are on this earth to make a difference in people’s lives for eternity!

————————————-

Quotes are from Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness in All Areas of Life, chapter 1: “The Big Win,” produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Excellence, Part 1

2010-11-08T19:25:00.007-05:00

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing a series of blogs that I hope will encourage you in your walk with Christ. Some of the winter sports athletes and I will be using a great book produced by Fellowship of Christian Athletes entitled Excellence to explore what the Bible says about living a Christ-centered life, doing everything we do with excellence. You may order this book at the FCA Gear Store.

Here's the back cover of the book Excellence: True Champions Pursue Greatness in All Areas of Life --

"It may seem obvious how 'excellence' fits in the world of sports, but the truth is, true greatness is only achieved when bringing glory to God is the ultimate goal. Excellence is more than wins on game day - it is the result of honoring your commitments, valuing quality over quantity and going above and beyond . . . every single time. Excellence [the book] is a devotional that will help you learn how to raise your standards of performance and have an eternal perspective on your sport and your life. When you live, work and play with excellence, your win lasts forever."

Excellence for Christian athletes includes doing your best at every area of your life: athletic, personal, spiritual, more.

Read these verses and then answer the questions below.

Colossians 3:23-24 (HCSB)

²³Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord. You serve the Lord Christ.

According to these verses, how should we do everything?
What does it mean to do a task on earth "as something done for the Lord and not for men"?
What does the Lord promise to those who do everything enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men?
In everything that we do, if Jesus is truly our Lord (boss, head coach, leader), who are we serving? How should this impact EVERYTHING that we do?
As athletes, what impact does Colossians 3:23-24 have on how you train and compete?

Philippians 1:27 (HCSB)
²⁷Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ....

According to this verse, what one thing should be the focus of how you live your life?
What does it mean to "live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ"?
As athletes, what impact does Philippians 1:27 have on how you train, compete, and live every day of your life?

_________________

Bible scholar named Warren Wiersbe describes Philippians 1:27 this way in his Bible Exposition Commentary:

"The old English word conversation, of course, means walk and not talk. "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ" (nasb). The most important weapon against the enemy is not a stirring sermon or a powerful book; it is the consistent life of believers.

"The verb Paul uses is related to our word politics. He is saying, "Behave the way citizens are supposed to behave." My wife and I were visiting in London and one day decided to go to the zoo. We boarded the bus and sat back to enjoy the ride; but it was impossible to enjoy it because of the loud, coarse conversation of the passengers at the front of the bus. Unfortunately, they were Americans; and we could see the Britishers around us raising their eyebrows and shaking their heads, as though to say, "Oh, yes, they're from America!" We were embarrassed, because we knew that these people did not really represent the best of American citizens.

"Paul is suggesting that we Christians are the citizens of heaven, and while we are on earth we ought to behave like heaven's citizens. He brings this concept up again in Philippians 3:20. It would be a very meaningful expression to the people in Philippi because Philippi was a Roman colony, and its citizens were actually Roman citizens, protected by Roman law. The church of Jesus Christ is a colony of heaven on earth! And we ought to behave like the citizens of heaven.

"Am I conducting myself in a manner worthy of the Gospel?" is a good question for us to ask ourselves regularly. We should "walk ... worthy of the calling" that we have in Christ (Eph. 4:1, nasb), which means walking "worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing" (Col. 1:10). We do not behave in order to go to heaven, as though we could be saved by our good works; but we' behave because our names are already written in heaven, and our citizenship is in heaven.

"It is worth remembering that the world around us knows only the Gospel that it sees in our lives.

You are writing a Gospel,

A chapter each day,

By the deeds that you do

And the words that you say.

Men read what you write,

Whether faithful or true:

Just what is the Gospel

According to you?

(source unknown)

"The Gospel" is the Good News that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Cor. 15:1-8). There is only one "Good News" of salvation; any other gospel is false (Gal. 1:6-10). The message of the Gospel is the Good News that sinners can become the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, God's Son (John 3:16). To add anything to the Gospel is to deprive it of its power. We are not saved from our sins by faith in Christ plus something else; we are saved by faith in Christ alone.

"We have some neighbors who believe a false gospel," a church member told his pastor. "Do you have some literature I can give them?"

"The pastor opened his Bible to 2 Corinthians 3:2, "You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men" (nasb). He said, "The best literature in the world is no substitute for your own life. Let them see Christ in your behavior and this will open up opportunities to share Christ's Gospel with them."

"The greatest weapon against the devil is a godly life. And a local church that practices the truth, that "behaves what it believes," is going to defeat the enemy. This is the first essential for victory in this battle."

--Bible Exposition Commentary - New Testament - The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 2.

________________

After you read Warren Wiersbe's thoughts, what new insights do you have?
How will you apply the teaching of Colossians 3:23-24 and Philippians 1:27 to your life?

Here's a simple prayer to the Lord:

"Lord, help me everyday to live my life for you. Help me to remember that I represent you at all times, and that you are always there to help me. Let me do everything with excellence, enthusiastically, as if you were right there as my coach. Help me to live my life in a way that others see that Jesus is working in my life, that they might be challenged to follow Christ as Lord and Savior. AMEN."

No Week Is Ever The Same - And Some Are More Different Than Others

2010-10-10T21:01:00.007-04:00

No week is ever the same - and some are more different than others. I'd like to share with you about my week. One thing I am confident of: the Lord has been with me all the time.

Sunday, Oct 3, AM: Hollywood - spoke at Hollywood Baptist Church (Rome, GA). I served as an intern at Hollywood for a year while I was in college, and have remained good friends with their pastor David Harper and many folks from their church family. They have sent mission teams up to Lake Placid a couple of times, and hope to do so again in the future. It was fun sharing with them about our ministry in Lake Placid and my experiences as chaplain at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. I was surprised and encouraged to see my brother-in-law and sister-in-law Rob & Maria! They recently moved from Lake Placid back to GA, and they popped in for worship at Hollywood.

Sunday, Oct 3, afternoon: Hospital - met my parents for lunch, along with Rob & Maria, and Pastor David Harper & his wife Beverly. After lunch, my parents and I went to the hospital to visit my grandfather, who had become very ill. We visited with him, prayed with him, and saw other family members there. The doctors had decided that he needed to move back to ICU.

Sunday, Oct 3, PM: Hebron - spoke at Hebron Baptist Church (Dacula, GA). I served as a youth pastor at Hebron from 1992-2001. I shared with the folks there about our ministry in Lake Placid and experiences from the Olympics. I also showed a couple of the excellent videos produced recently that tell a bit of the story. One is called "Life in the Fast Lane" and the other is "God at the Games." Afterwards, I talked to many friends that I had not seen in a while, including Pastor Larry Wynn and many of the pastors & staff of Hebron. It was good to catch up, to see what the Lord is doing in their lives. Then, I went back to the hospital to visit with my grandfather until late night.

Monday, Oct 4, AM: Hospital - to the hospital with brother Greg. My aunt and my dad had both spent the night at the hospital so they could be there in case their dad (my grandfather) needed them. We all visited with him for a while, and many friends and family came by. My brother Kyle was also there all day too. Only God in His sovereignty could have worked out the details to have me in GA on these days, to be able to spend the last few days of my grandfather's life with him.

Monday, Oct 4, lunchtime: 12Stone - headed over to 12Stone Church, where a couple of guys who were in my youth ministry are now pastors. It was great catching up with Jason Britt and Ryan Britt.

Monday, Oct 4, afternoon & evening: Hospital - Our family met with a wonderful nurse who explained my grandfather's grave condition. The doctors, nurses and entire medical team at Gwinnett Medical Center provided wonderful care for him, and had been doing everything they could to help him get better. But with every day that went by it was obvious that his body was shutting down, that nothing more could be done for him. Our family cried together and then made the right decision to allow Hospice to care for my grandfather for the rest of his days, no matter how many days were left. Later that evening, after we had visited with many family & friends who came to visit, I said goodbye to Grandaddy, and told him that I loved him, knowing that this would be the last time I would see him alive on earth. But confident that in heaven I will see him again!

Tuesday, Oct 5, morning: Shorter University - my brother Kyle drove me to meet my father-in-law Eddie. Eddie had volunteered to drive me to Rome, GA so that I could speak at chapel at my alma mater, Shorter University. Shorter was where I met Kim, and we have now been married more than 16 years! It was great to see how the school has changed, and grown, and is moving forward to be a great Christ-honoring university.

Tuesday, Oct 5, afternoon/evening/night - caught an early flight from Atlanta to Charlotte, which was my connection to return home to NY. However, there was not an earlier flight to Albany, NY so I had about 5 hours in the Charlotte airport. The good news is they have free wireless internet (Atlanta airport does not) so I was able to get lots of work done, and post a few status updates. My flight arrived in Albany on time at about midnight. Then a two-hour drive home to Lake Placid. In bed by about 3:00 AM.

Wednesday, Oct 6, morning/early afternoon: LPBC office - up at regular times to get the day going and get the kids to school. Then home to rest for an hour before heading to the office at church. It was great to see that all was in order (we have a great ministry team). I got a few things done, and talked with a few people who stopped by. I talked on the phone (thankful for Verizon-to-Verizon free calling) to my dad several times during the day, and he let me know that my grandfather was not doing well. All signs seemed to indicate that he would pass away soon. At 3:30 PM, Dad called to tell me that Grandaddy had died. My emotions included: sadness, grief, and joy. I called Kim. She told Emma Grace. I drove home to tell Grant & Andy. We hugged the kids a lot. We told them how much we (and Grandaddy) loved them. We began making plans to travel to GA.

Wednesday, Oct 6, PM: Bible Study - it was good to gather with friends for a Bible study at LPBC on Wed night. We read and discussed Matthew 8 & 9, talked a lot about Jesus' ministry to people, about healing, about heaven.

Wednesday, Oct 6, late PM: Buddy Passes & Plane Tickets - thanks to some friends of friends and friends of our family, three buddy passes on Delta airlines were made available to us to help make our immediate trip to GA affordable. And Delta is one of the few airlines that still has bereavement fares available. So we purchased two confirmed seats for our youngest children, and the buddy passes were available for Grant, Kim and me.

Thursday, Oct 7, morning/afternoon: ALB airport - When our family arrived at the Albany, NY airport, we went directly to ticketing to check-in, then directly to our gate. At the gate the plane was already boarding, and when I went to the gate attendant I learned that there were only two seats available to us for standby. In other words, someone was not going on that direct flight to Atlanta. So I sent Kim with the kids on to GA. They safely arrived in ATL right on time, met up with my parents and headed toward my parents' home. Meanwhile, I was still in Albany waiting for the next flight.

Thursday, Oct 7, evening: still in ALB airport - I was a "sure thing" for the next flight to leave for Atlanta, at 5:46 PM. That is, until another flight was cancelled and all of their passengers were re-booked onto my flight. Uh-oh. After that flight left for Atlanta, I learned that there were no more flights that day. What was I going to do? The gate attendant told me that there were no available seats for the next flight - the next morning - and that the best way for him to get me to Atlanta by Friday morning was to fly me to Detroit (!) on Thursday night, then catch an early, early flight from Detroit to Atlanta. Let's go with that plan. And we did.

Thursday, Oct 7, PM: Detroit airport - After calling Kim to tell her the news ("I'm in Detroit!" "You're where? Why?") I found a good spot to watch the MLB playoffs. I made it all the way to the last inning of the Giants vs Braves game, and then the airport turned all of their TVs off - it was midnight. Had to catch the last inning by updates on my phone.

Friday, Oct 8, all night: Detroit airport - this is the third airport I've spent the night in this year, and third in my life. The first was in Washington, DC with our mission team on the way home from Nicaragua in January. The second was on my home from the Olympics I had to spend the night in Laguardia (that one took a lot of watchfulness and prayer). For this third one, in Detroit, I think I was the only non-worker who was spending the night in the airport. Lots of people looking at me strangely. Finished up a book recommended by a friend called The Race Beat. I recommend it. I had lots of Bible-reading time, lots of good worship music on the BlackBerry, lots of prayer time. I recommend that too. Finally fell asleep for a few hours, using my computer bag as my pillow (Kim's suggestion). Kind of felt like Jacob sleeping with a rock for a pillow - better than nothing, but not exactly comfortable.

Friday, Oct 8, early AM: still at Detroit airport - when you wear contacts, and you sleep in them, and you don't have saline solution (because you didn't anticipating having to sleep in an airport), when you wake up it's hard to see clearly to get to the nearest sink. After waking up a bit, I was all set to head to ATL.

Friday, Oct 8, AM: Atlanta - the plane took me from Detroit to Atlanta wonderfully, I found my parents' car that had been left for me at the airport, and cracking the code to the automatic locks I began driving to my parents' home. On the way I had a great chat on the phone with a guy who is praying about possibly planting a church in the Adirondacks at some point in the future. God is at work here. Arrived at my parents, hugged my wife, my parents and my kids, and we all prepared to go spend the day at the funeral home.

Friday, Oct 8, afternoon and evening: Tom M. Wages Funeral Home - tons of family & friends came by to visit with us. The atmosphere at the funeral home was a mixture of sadness and joy. All were sad that my grandfather had died. It's always hard to lose someone you care about and love. But there was also joy, so much so that the small kids were playing and laughing at the funeral home. They sensed that my grandfather's passing was not the end for him, just the gateway to heaven. The joy was there because we know that Grandaddy is with the Lord for all of eternity. Based on the authority of the Scriptures, the teaching of Jesus Himself and so many other passages, and based on my grandfather's faith in Jesus Christ as Lord as Savior, we have the assurance (we don't hope so, we know so) that he is with the Lord forever. If you don't have that assurance, visit this website called The Kristo. Jesus died to save you from your sins. My grandfather put his trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior - how about you?

Saturday, Oct 9, morning/afternoon: The Funeral & Graveside Service - I had the wonderful privilege to be one of the pastors preaching my grandfather's funeral. Pastor Larry Wynn from Hebron Baptist Church spoke from John 14, and talked lot about heaven. I spoke from Revelation 19, Mathew 8 & Matthew 22, talking a lot about the marriage supper of the Lamb and how my grandfather (who loved to be around family, who loved to eat, and who was deeply committed to Christ) must surely be enjoying the fellowship and food of heaven already! And then Pastor Jeff Parmer from Ebenezer Baptist Church (Dacula, GA), the church I attended through high school (and my grandfather's home church), spoke from Genesis 48 & 49 and compared my grandfather's life to Jacob. Two songs were sung, including "Amazing Grace." At the graveside, there was a military tribute to my grandfather's passing, as well as Scirpture and a final prayer. Again, there was sadness and joy. As the Bible says, "We don't grieve as those who have no hope" because our hope is in Jesus.

Saturday, Oct 9, afternoon/evening: on Grandaddy's front porch - our family gathered for food with lots of extended family and friends. Then we sat out on the front porch at my grandparents' house. My grandmother passed away 10 years ago. She and my grandfather had been married over 59 years. After she died he never remarried. He was 90 when he died. One of the things that we always did was to sit on the front porch with them, talking and laughing, and watching the kids play. A long time ago I was one of those kids! Now as we all sat there, we realized the blessing that our grandparents were to us. I mean we all knew it, but collectively we talked about it and shared our memories together. There was a lot of joy there. One interesting thing was that late in the day our youth pastor Ryan showed up. He had previously scheduled a trip from NY to GA to speak at the church my brother Greg's family attends, Chestnut Grove Baptist Church, to say "thank you" to them for bringing a mission team to NY and to share more about what God is doing here in NY. Also, Kim's sister Maria was able to come over to spend the evening with us too. So on Saturday night we all spent the night at my parents' home.

Sunday, Oct 10, morning/afternoon: traveling home to Lake Placid - our desire was to get back to Lake Placid as early as we could. We were not able to get back in time for Sunday morning worship, but Pastor Jeff Gray preached and all of our ministry leaders led, and the Lord was glorified and His Word was proclaimed! We landed in ALB, discovered we had a flat tire, called AAA (I was wondering whether to renew my membership or not, guess that question is answered!), and then headed for home. We stopped for a bite to eat, and made it home in time for me to get to a Nicaragua Mission Trip Meeting at church, and for Grant to make it to G.Y.M. youth ministry at church.

No week is ever the same - and some are more different than others. But what a blessing to know that the Lord never leaves us or forsakes us!

Mission To Nicaragua 2011

2010-10-05T21:39:00.004-04:00

The God of our Salvation

2010-09-17T22:10:00.001-04:00

"My soul waiteth only upon God [marg: is silent unto God]; from Him cometh my salvation." (Psalm 62:1)

If salvation indeed comes from God, and is entirely His work, just as creation was, it follows, as a matter of course, that our first and highest duty is to wait on Him to do the work that pleases Him. Waiting becomes then the only way to the experience of a full salvation, the only way, truly, to know God as the God of our salvation. All the difficulties that are brought forward as keeping us back from full salvation, have their cause in this one thing: the defective knowledge and practice of waiting upon God. All that the Church and its members need for the manifestation of the mighty power of God in the world, is the return to our true place, the place that belongs to us, both in creation and redemption, the place of absolute and unceasing dependence upon God. Let us strive to see what the elements are that make up this most blessed and needful waiting upon God: it may help us to discover the reasons why this grace is so little cultivated, and to feel how infinitely desirable it is that the Church, that we ourselves, should at any price learn its blessed secret.

The deep need for this Waiting on God lies equally in the nature of man and the nature of God. God, as Creator, formed man, to be a vessel in which He could show forth His power and goodness. Man was not to have in himself a fountain of life, or strength, or happiness: the ever-living and only living One was each moment to be the Communicator to him of all that he needed. Man's glory and blessedness was not to be independent, or dependent upon himself, but dependent on a God of such infinite riches and love. Man was to have the joy of receiving every moment out of the fulness of God. This was his blessedness as an unfallen creature.

When he fell from God, he was still more absolutely dependent on Him. There was not the slightest hope of his recovery out of his state of death, but in God, His power and mercy. It is God alone who began the work of redemption; it is God alone who continues and carries it on each moment in each individual believer. Even in the regenerate man there is no power of goodness in himself: he has and can have nothing that he does not each moment receive; and Waiting on God is just as indispensable, and must be just as continuous and unbroken, as the breathing that maintains his natural life.

It is, then, because Christians do not know their relation to God of absolute poverty and helplessness, that they have no sense of the need of absolute and unceasing dependence, or the unspeakable blessedness of continual Waiting on God. But when once a believer begins to see it, and consent to it, that he by the Holy Spirit must each moment receive what God each moment works, Waiting on God becomes his brightest hope and joy. As he apprehends how God, as God, as Infinite Love, delights to impart His own nature to His child as fully as He can, how God is not weary of each moment keeping charge of his life and strength, he wonders that he ever thought otherwise of God than as a God to be waited on all the day. God unceasingly giving and working; His child unceasingly waiting and receiving: this is the blessed life.

"Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from Him cometh my salvation." First we wait on God for salvation. Then we learn that salvation is only to bring us to God, and teach us to wait on Him. Then we find what is better still, that Waiting on God is itself the highest salvation. It is the ascribing to Him the glory of being All; it is the experiencing that He is All to us.

May God teach us the blessedness of waiting on Him.

"My soul, wait thou only upon God!"

-from Waiting on God by Andrew Murray

Atonement Q & A

2010-08-28T10:18:00.004-04:00

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

2010-08-22T09:13:00.002-04:00

"The unsearchable riches of Christ." Ephesians 3:8

My Master has riches beyond the count of arithmetic, the measurement of reason, the dream of imagination, or the eloquence of words. They are unsearchable! You may look, and study, and weigh, but Jesus is a greater Saviour than you think Him to be when your thoughts are at the greatest. My Lord is more ready to pardon than you to sin, more able to forgive than you to transgress. My Master is more willing to supply your wants than you are to confess them. Never tolerate low thoughts of my Lord Jesus. When you put the crown on His head, you will only crown Him with silver when He deserves gold. My Master has riches of happiness to bestow upon you now. He can make you to lie down in green pastures, and lead you beside still waters. There is no music like the music of His pipe, when He is the Shepherd and you are the sheep, and you lie down at His feet. There is no love like His, neither earth nor heaven can match it. To know Christ and to be found in Him—oh! this is life, this is joy, this is marrow and fatness, wine on the lees well refined. My Master does not treat His servants churlishly; He gives to them as a king giveth to a king; He gives them two heavens—a heaven below in serving Him here, and a heaven above in delighting in Him for ever. His unsearchable riches will be best known in eternity. He will give you on the way to heaven all you need; your place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks, your bread shall be given you, and your waters shall be sure; but it is there, THERE, where you shall hear the song of them that triumph, the shout of them that feast, and shall have a face-to-face view of the glorious and beloved One. The unsearchable riches of Christ! This is the tune for the minstrels of earth, and the song for the harpers of heaven. Lord, teach us more and more of Jesus, and we will tell out the good news to others.

-Morning and Evening, Charles Spurgeon.

Filled With Awe

2010-08-11T10:57:00.004-04:00

A friend shared this devotion with me and I wanted to pass it along to you:

_________________________________________

After Jesus had risen from the dead and "was taken up into Heaven" (Luke 24:51), those who believed in Him "joined together constantly in prayer" (Acts 1:14), "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching" (Acts 2:42), and "ate together with glad and sincere hearts" (Acts 2:46). The first believers did naturally what we try to implement in our churches today - they prayed, studied, and fellowshipped. But they had an additional characteristic of their gathering that no amount of programming will ever be able to produce.

Acts 2:43
"Everyone was filled with awe..."

Being "filled with awe" means to have an overwhelming sense of reverent fear, wonder and amazement. This is the same meaning used by Solomon when he wrote: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10). Our understanding of God begins with a reverent fear - an amazed and holy awe - which compels us to our knees in worship.

The early believers knew they were in the midst of God's Hand and were amazed; but today we often become complacent with His wonders. We forget the miracle of, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1); the marvel of, "So God created man in His own image...male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:27), and the incredible wonder of His love: "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

These verses alone should inspire a lifetime of praise - but God has given us much more. He has given His Spirit to guide and comfort; and the entirety of His Word to reveal the fullness of His character and the grandness of His majesty. About sixty years after Jesus returned to Heaven, the Apostle John was given a vision of God's throne room in order to encourage us about the future glory we will one day see.

Revelation 4:2-8
"And there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it... A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.... Around the throne, were four living creatures.... Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'"

Understanding the wondrous glory of Heaven can make our daily trials seem much less of a burden!
Let's reflect on the miracles of God's creation, His plan of redemption through Jesus, and the true majesty of His Kingdom. We will begin to experience all God has planned for our life, and the life of our local church, when we return to a true reverence and wonder of our Lord. Our lives can be made whole and our worship complete only as we approach our Heavenly Father with hearts filled with awe.

-God's Daily Word Ministries

Ironman 2010 by Paul Buff

2010-08-09T16:14:00.004-04:00

Editor's note: Paul Buff was a member of a volunteer team that traveled about 1100 miles from Kennesaw, GA to Lake Placid, NY to serve in Ironman Lake Placid 2010 and other ministries. He wrote a poem about his experience and I'd like to share it with you.

IRONMAN 2010

Seeking Your will as each day we pray

We’re leaving tomorrow to go Your way.

Everything’s packed and ready to go

Help us to others, Your love to show

Get to the church, then our plane we’ll meet,

Head to Boston first and leave the heat.

Grab our bags and run for the bus,

Our orange shirts let all see us.

Our next flight took us on to New York,

We can’t wait to do Your work.

Met with Brothers and Sisters at Lake Placid Church,

To challenge us as Your Word we search.

On to our “home” for a week to come,

Where it sure will be “cozy” for some.

Breakfast came early, our lunches were packed,

On the road to Lake Placid our vans were packed.

Got our assignments to various places

Where we’ll meet up with many faces.

Registration, hiking, face painting, moved chairs,

Balloons, snow cones, and lead others in prayers.

Ended the day with devotions and sharing,

How all were blessed by loving and caring.

Another day to serve, You whom we praise,

Our hands to heaven, we will raise.

Our duties brought us to meet again,

Some of those we now call friend.

Shared on the beach, the Oval, and set up a meal,

Prayed for some their injuries would heal.

The work day was long ,we’re tired and hot too,

But it was great to know that others saw You.

The suns coming up and we get to begin

Serving pancakes and breakfast and Your Word again.

Our day was filled with duties to each meet a need,

But our goal is the Gospel they’ll heed.

Many came to the church to be a part of “Iron Prayer”,

And left so much different than when they came there.

Lives were touched, changed, and never the same,

As into their hearts You surely came.

Race day is here and off to our stations,

To be part of Your work to various nations.

Such an honor and thrill to be able to meet,

All these athletes as they come to compete.

Passing out water and a word of cheer,

Seeing them try harder as they leave here.

Some come by tired, hurting, others seem fine,

Their goal being just the Finish Line.

Our purpose has been to be here for them,

But mainly through us they have seen Him.

Set up the tent for awards, for winning a place,

A meal, a prize, and applause for their race.

Much skill, dedication, practice, and care,

Was what drove them on and placed them there.

Our prayer has been that somehow we’ve told,

With lives and actions on Jesus we hold.

They too, can find the greatest emotion,

Is knowing God with true devotion.

Went to training sites where they learn to fly,

Through the air on their skis from up so high.

Had supper with some of North Country’s team,

Their love makes our family “at home” it seems.

Saw places where athletes train and play,

Enjoyed Your nature for part of the day.

Went to athletes tent for volunteers service,

Awards and prizes made some people nervous.

It’s great to see how much work , effort, and love,

Can be done if we’re driven from up above.

You’ve used our talents, time, and prayers,

To show others You’re the one who cares.

Our “works” all done this time but yet,

Your marvelous blessings we cannot forget.

By Paul Buff

God-Given Goals

2010-08-02T12:40:00.002-04:00

"No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Psalm 84:11

God will not lead you into unrealistic thinking. . . .

I didn't say the Lord wouldn't challenge you to do what seems impossible to you. I said He wouldn't lead you into something that was unrealistic.

The "impossible goals" that the Lord lays before us are goals that are in keeping with the talents and abilities He has given us. They are things that we cannot achieve apart from the use of our faith. There is a dimension to these goals that is God's realm. Only He can cause all the pieces to fall into place. Only He can cause the seeds of time, effort, and skill associated with the goal to come to full fruition.

Source: "God's Way Day by Day"

Banquets and Next Year's Race

2010-07-29T16:17:00.008-04:00

The Monday after the Ironman race is always an adventure. People who aspire to race in next year's Ironman Lake Placid begin lining up at midnight or so. One group slept in an 8-person tent in line to sign up. Pretty good thinking, I guess.

Our team of volunteers helped the mass of people (1000? more?) get registered. We operated 15+ computers and assisted the Ironman staff with the registration process. To decide who was best suited for the job I said to folks from our church and from the mission teams: "If you are good at shopping online, you can do this job very well." To which one lady said, "I'm going to go home right now and start practicing!"

Next year's registration started at 9:00 AM, and was over a little after 1:00 PM. At noon EDT online registration began. By the time we were done, the race for next year was sold out. It's a very popular race.

Monday morning also is when folks view and purchase their race photos, get signed up for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii if they qualified, enjoy the Awards Banquet for lunch, and more. And, it gave our team a good opportunity to say goodbye or "see ya next year" to friends that we have met. At the Awards Banquet my friend David Hall, pastor of Oak Grove Baptist Church (MD) gave the invocation and NCM/LPBC's own Lisa Smith sang the national anthem.

After the Awards Banquet, there were a few odds and ends to be done. After that, it was time to rest for a bit. Later, our family had dinner with the team from Oak Grove.

On Tuesday, the church needed to be cleaned up a bit because another mission team was on the way. Traveling from SC, Rock Spring Baptist Church arrived just in time to attend the Volunteers Banquet and then provided the man-power to help us clean up the 1000+ chairs and 200+ tables that needed to be loaded on the tractor trailer. They were just the shot of adrenaline that we needed. We wrapped up the banquet clean-up in record time. The Lord knew what He was doing by sending them to us on Tuesday. They will be doing ministry in E-town, along hiking trails, at the Mirror Lake beach, and at Uihlein Nursing home this week.

At the Volunteer Banquet, my friend Perry Fowler, pastor of Kennesaw (GA) First Baptist Church gave the invocation and Jeff Gray from NCM/LPBC sang the national anthem.

Some of the highlights of the banquet included:

Really good food (five food stations, great desserts, coffee and more)
Deserving aid stations and other volunteer areas were recognized for their great work before, during and after the race
Local athletes were recognized and applauded
Race Director Jeff Edwards, Volunteer Captain Coordinator Kathy Pfohl and other local dignitaries spoke and expressed their thoughts on the race
Some of our NCM team won some of the giveaways as numbers were drawn from a box
Aid Station of the Year: Bike Aid Station #2 Keene (led by NCM's own John & Karen Ferrara)
Captain of the Year: Cora Clark
Captain of the Year: Derek Spain
The 2010 Ironman Lake Placid highlight video was shown

It was surprising that they gave two Captain of the Year awards this year. I was really humbled to receive one of them. Ours was truly a team effort. I feel like a coach whose team wins the championship and then he gets the award for coach of the year. Without the incredible North Country Ministries team, I would have never gotten the award. I'm humbled and grateful.

The award of Captain of the Year means that my wife Kim and I now will have the opportunity to travel to another Ironman race in North America to enjoy the race and meet wonderful people there. Perhaps we will be able to connect with a local church there too and get them connected to Ironman in their area. We have a few to choose from, so we will look at the calendar, consider our options, pray, and make a wise decision. Kim and I love to travel.

Ironman, see ya next year!

Clarifying God

2010-07-26T22:57:00.001-04:00

Ironman Sunday began early for me, doing a little last-minute organizing of tshirts that I would be giving to part of our volunteer team on Sunday. My plan was to put the 30+ shirts in my hiking backpack so I didn't have to carry around a box all day. Altogether our group was over 300 people on race day, but most already had their shirts.

Then I prayed for the NCM bike aid station crew as they left the church at 6:00 AM to head down to Keene.

I headed down to the parking lot on Wesvalley Rd, walked from there to Colden Ave, and connected with some of our Road Marshals who were ready to start serving.

On the way, a friend who works closely with our ministry and with Ironman called with a bit of an emergency - the person scheduled to sing the national anthem didn't show up! I quickly called Pastor Jeff from our church to see if he happened to be at the beach, so he could scoot to the microphone and sing. He didn't pick up his phone. (Turns out he was watching the start at a different spot on the lake.) I looked to my left and saw a family from our church, and asked them if any of them wanted to sing the national anthem. "No kidding!" I said. Callie said she would if they really needed her. They hurried to the beach, but before they got there Ironman had gone to their "back-up singer," one of their staff members. It's cool when someone is ready to use their gifts to serve even when called upon in an instant. Thanks, Callie, for being willing.

After getting the first crew of Road Marshals in place, and the bikers started screaming down the hill, I headed to church for Bible study and worship service.

We had a great Sunday school lesson on "What the Bible Says About War." It was week 3 of that lesson. I read a great article recently entitled "Did Jesus Teach Pacifism?" that pointed to some key Scriptures to discuss. I love our church family. We don't shy away from important, challenging topics. The Bible has the answers! Several members of the mission teams joined us for Bible study.

Sunday morning worship was great! We had a great crowd of people who were hungry to worship God, to encourage one another in their faith, and to dig into God's Word. LPBC church family, mission team members, and guests worshiped the Lord together. I was finishing a three-part series on "Becoming a Fully Devoted Follower of Jesus Christ." Week 1 was "Glorify God." Week 2 was "Get Connected!" This week we were seeing that the Bible tells every Christ-follower to "Go Serve." A fitting message on Ironman Sunday. You can hear audio of each message at our Sermon Podcast site.

After worship I dropped Kevin off downtown. He had been able to use his SeaDoo during the swim portion of the race, with a lifeguard on the back of his watercraft. He found out at the last minute that Ironman wanted him to use his boat in the race. I dropped him off to take care of some details with his boat. Thanks, Kevin, for serving.

Folks from churches throughout the Adirondacks and the mission teams served in four primary areas on race day:

Bike Course Aid Station
Run Course Aid Station
Road Marshals
Athletes Food Tent

These folks served alongside some volunteers who signed up online or last-minute who joined us at these sites. We had a ton of fun all day and all night - serving, encouraging, and praying for people. We started at 6:00 AM, and ended after midnight.

Thanks everyone for serving!

Earlier in the day, as I was driving to my post after church, I came upon a lady who had broken her ankle on the side of the road while cheering on her husband. In her enthusiasm to cheer for her husband, she didn't notice where she was walking. She had stepped off the road at a big drop-off. Her ankle was broken badly and she was in lots of pain. Some nice folks had stopped to help her, we put her in my truck, and I drove a short distance to the state troopers who were helping with the race. They called an ambulance. The EMT's did a great job of helping her. One state trooper and I had a chat about the Good Samaritan. I prayed with the lady who broke her ankle. I was late getting to my spot, but Nick covered for me. Thanks to all these guys for serving.

Many of the folks from our team, including me, had a chance to see people that we have gotten to know this week and/or over the years. It was wonderful to cheer on all the athletes, but even more meaningful to cheer on someone you know personally. Many of the athletes allowed (some requested!) our team members to pray with them as they came by us at the places we were serving.

Near the end of the race, at 9:30 PM, I performed a wedding on the Mirror Lake beach, at the exact spot where the Ironman race had begun. Bryan and Melissa, two Christ-followers from NYC, were both in the race. Several weeks ago they contacted me about doing their wedding after they finished the Ironman race. They both completed it (strong!) and their family and friends joined us, along with my son Andy and our friends Charlie and Cam. Charlie played guitar and Cam helped out with some logistics. The wedding really honored Christ. May God bless Bryan and Melissa as they are now joined together as husband and wife.

One funny part to the day was when I was trying to post an update via Twitter and Facebook about our day. I was trying to say that the day including Serving, Encouraging, Praying, and Glorifying God. However, the spell check on my phone changed the word "glorifying" to "clarifying" at the last minute. So my post ended with "Clarifying God."

I guess in a sense that's one thing that serving is - clarifying God.

By serving, we show people what a Christ-follower does, so then we can tell them who Jesus is and how He wants to save them.

Thanks everyone for serving!

Pancakes & IronPrayer

2010-07-24T22:43:00.003-04:00

The two biggest highlights of today were the Pancake Breakfast and the IronPrayer (aka, Ironman Prayer & Celebration Service).

Pancake Breakfast

The teams arrived early to the Finish Line at the Oval to help set up and begin cooking pancakes. After a great devotion by Pastor Todd from VA, we prayed and then got everyone ready for their jobs for the morning. People chose a job based on their spiritual gifts: those with serving gifts did the cooking, cleaning up, pouring juice, and the like; those with speaking gifts ate pancakes and talked to people all morning.

;-)

We had some wonderful conversations, catching up with athletes and their families that we see each year, as well as meeting new friends. Our team members let everyone know that we will be praying for them and serving in various ways on race day.

And the pancakes were great!

We added fresh fruit to the pancake breakfast this year, and people ate up the oranges, apples and bananas. Those who arrived early were able to pour authentic maple syrup (straight from the trees of the Adirondacks, produced by a family from our church). The fresh fruit and maple syrup complimented the pancakes wonderfully.

About 1250 people attended the Pancake Breakfast this year. Families & friends of competitors, Ironman staff & volunteers, and of course competitors joined us for this annual event. We can't wait until next year.

IronPrayer

At many Ironman races, local churches and ministries come together to host an IronPrayer service. The same is true in Lake Placid. Each year we partner with various ministries to have a top-notch program that includes great music, Ironman athletes sharing their personal stories of their faith in Christ and how that impacts them as an athlete, and a time of prayer for each of the athletes in attendance.

This year we partnered with FCA Endurance and 316 Athletic Wear to invite some excellent speakers. A huge thanks to each one of the speakers for keeping it real and talking about their authentic walk with Christ. You can tell that Jesus has really impacted these guys' lives! The theme seemed to be "live your life and run each race not for yourself, but for God's glory." Each athlete touched on that theme during their talk.

We always have a great children's program (including a bounce house!) in our church gym for the kids, and a nursery for the babies. I saw several kids after and you could tell they had a great time.

Altogether, over 300 people were in attendance at the IronPrayer service. Praise to the Lord. At the end of the service, right before the prayer time, I took a couple of minutes to explain the good news of Jesus Christ. Reading from verses in the book of Romans, I shared God's plan of salvation. Sixteen (16) people made professions of faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior! That's something to get excited about! And one young man expressed his desire to follow Christ in believer's baptism. God is on the move.

Now we are getting ready for race day. We have folks serving in lots of areas tomorrow. In the middle of the morning, we will be having Bible studies and worship for those who can navigate the road closures to make it to church.

Three words for race day: serving, encouraging, praying.

Theophanies

2010-07-23T23:41:00.008-04:00

Our teams served incredibly well again today. The Lord provided some divine moments that I'd love to share with you.

* Just as I was arriving at church for breakfast, I was informed that one of our team members was having excruciating abdominal pain. She had gone jogging early in the morning, but was now in need of medical attention. We prayed over her, asking God to heal her and to give them wisdom, and then loaded her in the car for two leaders to take her to the hospital. They called her mom to ask her to pray too. Amazingly, on the way to the hospital, the pain completely stopped! Praise God for answered prayer. She served all day long at ministry sites. What a testimony.

* The weather was rainy (again!) this morning. That put a slight damper on the sports ministry teams early on, but they were flexible and helped with other ministries until the rain stopped and they were able to get back to the ministries of playing sports with kids and teens. What a fun way to show people that God created us with these athletic abilities, and we can use them for His glory.

* The hiking team realized that many of those they were seeking to connect with got on the trails early in the morning, so when the team set up their table, the hikers were gone. And the hikers stayed gone all day. Some, however, did come down off the mountains throughout the day and our team was ready to serve them and share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

* Our banquets team showed their flexibility when a logistical problem caused a long delay in their set-up (there were no table coverings until mid-afternoon). But as they were waiting for the supplies to arrive (the table coverings needed to go on before anything else could be done to the tables!) they took that opportunity to rest up, have some great chats with new friends from Ironman staff and other volunteers, and then be ready to knock out the job when the supplies arrived. It was a big success. Glory to God.

* The sno cones, balloon animals and face painting are VERY popular this year. Our team has done a great job of helping families have a great time at the Ironman Expo by providing these ministries. We are running out of supplies! We will adjust a bit and have a great day on Saturday.

* The prayer station is being visited by many, many, many people. These athletes desire to be prayed for. We are praying that God will protect them on race day, that He will help them to do their best, that He will bless them, and that they will know of how important it is to follow Christ eternally. Only two people have said "no" when asked if they would like to be prayed for.

* One of our team members at registration was speaking with an athlete who was very frustrated after a long trip with small children in the car traveling to Lake Placid. Our team member shared a verse of Scripture with this athlete, and his mood changed dramatically. The power of the Word of God to still our hearts and give us proper focus!

* Another team member at registration was speaking with an athlete who was very, very nervous about the upcoming race. Our team member offered to pray for her, and she left with tears of joy!

* Still another team member chatted with two ladies who were waiting for their friend to complete registration. As we chatted about the bike course, the subject moved to the IronPrayer service that we are hosting on Saturday. They had already heard about it, and are looking forward to being there. Praise God. He is on the move.

These are some of the wonderful divine moments of today. Our devotion in the morning focused on letting our lights shine for Christ, and watching for ways God "showed up" during the day. In the Bible, when God "shows up" on earth, the theological term for that is "theophany." Well, through His people today, God "showed up" in a lot of ways.

There were a lot of theophanies today.

Serving at Ironman

2010-07-22T22:27:00.011-04:00

Today was a wonderful day of serving people and sharing the love of Christ with people in the North Country.

Friends from Oak Grove (MD), Sunset Rd (NC), Rolling Hills (GA), New Bethesda (VA), FCA Delmarva (DE-MD-VA), Immanuel (VA), Kennesaw (GA), Lake Placid (NY), and more (AL, GA, NY, others) are working together as part of the North Country Ministries team.

In addition to the wonderful locals we got to spend time with, we met people from around the USA and from around the world. Some of us had the chance to catch up with old friends as well as meet new ones.

Highlights:

* Starting the day with the teams: a little exercise, worshiping the Lord through music, a devotion from God's Word, and breaking into ministry teams for the day

* Helping with Ironman registration

* Assisting the captain of the medical tent with a few duties

* Hosting a North Country Ministries booth - giving away free sno cones, balloon animals and face painting; inviting people to the Saturday pancake breakfast and IronPrayer worship service; and just having a great time getting to meet people

* Playing frisbee and other sports with students at the Lake Placid beach

* Setting up tables and chairs for a banquet for 2250 people

* Meeting people in E'town and inviting them next week's backyard Bible club

* Giving water, sports drinks, and carabiners to hikers at Pitchoff and Cascade trailheads

* Working to spruce up the E'town Social Center

* Driving some international students to Plattsburgh for shopping and more

* Helping a family from our church who is moving

Personal highlights for me included getting to serve with my dad, my sons, my sister-in-law, and my wife's sister's husband's father (figure that one out!). And getting to talk with my wife and daughter tonight on the phone - they are attending a Christian retreat for a few days in Blue Mountain, PA.

Quotes from some of our team about the day:

"It's not every day you need to drive an-hour-and-a-half (one-way) to pick up sports equipment to use for ministries. But it was worth it to meet the people we met today playing disc golf and other sports."

"We walked around town three times and didn't really see anyone. Then we finally met one family, and had a wonderful visit with them. We got to pray with them and really encourage them."

"Registered over 1500 athletes!"

"One athlete said, 'Save me some pancakes on Saturday!' Then he said, 'I will see you Saturday morning [at the Pancake Breakfast] and Saturday night [at the IronPrayer service]."

"Those tables and chairs are heavy!"

"A lot of people shared their name and race number with us so that we can pray for them on race day!"

"In the morning we played with some kids at the beach, and we saw them again in the afternoon. When we asked their grandparents why they came back to the beach they said, 'They were having so much fun with you guys.'"

"It was great to encourage the athletes as they came out of the water after training for the swim. They appreciated the encouragement and thanked us for praying for them."

"The kids loved the sno cones!"

"I looked after a golden retriever for one athlete while he went through the line for registration. We do whatever we can to serve."

"We are praying for many athletes to realize how much God loves them."

"One athlete introduced me to her family and wants to join our team by serving at the Prayer Station with us. She is a believer in Christ and is racing on Sunday. She was really encouraged by our ministry's presence at the Expo area and in other ways."

Geoffrey Smith: Rock climbing and ski pioneer

2010-07-16T21:19:00.015-04:00

Geoff Smith is a good friend of mine. A great article was written about him a short time ago, and I wanted to share it with you. Here it is:

___________________________________

Adirondack Daily Enterprise

Friends and Neighbors Column: Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

Written by Yvona Fast

Geoffrey Smith: Rock climbing and ski pioneer

Geoffrey Smith’s love for the mountains, skiing and climbing began in early childhood. When Geoff was a child, his father was stationed as a limitary attaché at the American Embassy in Switzerland.

His mom remembers when he looked up at the Swiss Alps at age 4 and said, “The mountains make my heart leap.”

He learned to ski before he went to school, and was skiing in the Alps in the 1950s before the era of ski lifts. Geoff’s life spans the modern ski industry.

Geoff was very sick as a child. When he was 10 years old, the doctors thought he had an enlarged heaert. This is when they discovered he had a rare condition, transposition of the heart and blood vessels, or a “reversed heart.” Geoff had heart surgery in 1959, and was told to stay away from athletics.

For a 10 year old boy, this was just not acceptable.

“At age 10, I made a vow to God, “If you make me healthy, strong and able to participate in sports, then I will serve you after I turn 30,” Geoff said. “God was faithful and kept his part of this vow.

When Geoff was a teenager in the 1960s, his father, a pilot and base engineer, was stationed at the Plattsburgh Air Force Base. Just 15 minutes south of Plattsburgh is Poke-O-Moonshine.”

After high school, Geoff attended the small, academic Bowdoin College in Maine. When he transferred to the University of Colorado in Boulder, a large university with 20,000 students, he brought eastern mountain trail ski techniques with him to Colorado. After graduation, he moved to California for skiing and climbing with friends. He managed to climb the Note Route on El Capitan in Yosemite in a storm-lashed six days, losing 18 pounds while on the mountain.

When he returned to the Adirondacks in 1976, he spent hundreds of hours at Poke-O-Moonshine, getting to know every crack of the cliff face.

“Once I hung on a rope for 10 hours scrubbing with a wire brush to remove debris,” he recalled.

Today, there are almost 150 established routes up the precipitous cliffs. Geoff pioneered many of them, including Fastest Gun, Freedom Flight and Sailor’s Dive.

Over the years, he has been an inspiration, guide and friend to many climbers. He and the Poko boys – local climbers mentored by Geoff – applied modern climbing techniques in unique ways. Even after his heart weakened, he pioneered the route Ancient of Days in 2002.

Geoff met his wife, Terri in 1976. They skied and climbed together and married in 1982. True to his vow to God, he dropped out of climbing for a while.

Geoff’s mom was a devout believer who loved Israel and the Jewish people, and had made eight trips to the Holy Land. Geoff had traveled there with her as a teen.

The newlyweds set off for Israel, where Geoff did work in political science at Jerusalem University College (then known as the Holy Land Institute).

“Living in this anthropological museum piece was a powerful experience,” Geoff said. “The final world conflict will be fought over Jerusalem.”

Their oldest son, Timothy was born on Jerusalem’s Mt. of Olives, and their second son, Silas, was conceived while they were living there. In 1985, when Geoff’[s parents became ill, Geoff and his family returned home and settled in Lake Placid, where he taught at Northwood School.

In the 1990’s, he worked with juvenile delinquents in the challenge-based state program popularly called “Hoods in the Woods,” using his outdoor skills, camping, skiing and rock climbing with these guys.

“One of my educational techniques was reading and discussing inspirational stories, like the biography of John Newton, who wrote “Amazing Grace,” Geoff said. “I wanted to inspire the teens, just as I had found inspiration in the mountains and in the God who walks upon them.

“Many mountaineers have experienced an unseen presence accompanying them on the heights. Even Ernest Shackleton, on his desperate crossing of South Georgia Island, recounts: "It seemed to me there were four, not three of us.” (Alexander, Caroline: ‘The Endurance, Knopf,’ 1998, p.169): ‘He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth – the Lord God Almighty is his name.’ (Amos 4:13) is one of my favorite Bible verses.”

For Geoff, a return to the Adirondacks meant a return to skiing and climbing. Despite his vow to God, work and family responsibilities, the compulsion to climb perilous rock cliffs in summer and ski down steep mountain slopes in winder remained strong.

“I took my boys up Marcy when they were very young”, he said. “At six and a half, Silas was probably the youngest to have ever skied Marcy.”

Aware that he was a walking/skiing miracle, Geoff took Scripture cards with him into the mountains to meditate, leaving them on summits and ledges where they would be discovered. He was a trailblazer, pioneering extreme backcountry skiing in the Adirondack High Peaks. He first skied Marcy in 1970. He has 70 winter ascents of New York’s highest peak, and is familiar with every turn, each rock slide and every streambed on the mountain.

He is most pleased with his solo first descents of many Adirondack High Peaks: Nippletop/Bear/Den/Dial, Colvin, the west face of Haystack and several slides on the west face of Colden.

One of his most challenging solo skis was the Triple Crown – Marcy, Colden and Algonquin – in 14 hours and 29 minutes. Another challenging first descent was Leap of Faith, a gully on the west side of Mt. Colvin. On one of his later trips, on the east face of Haystack during the storm of the century in 1998, Geoff was hindered from reaching the top by an exhausting two hour arrhythmia episode from his strained heart.

His last attempt to summit Marcy in 2006, with his 16 year old daughter Joanna and his son Silas, was cut short due to another long lasting arrhythmia. But Geoff says, “God is faithful, He is with me on the heights and in the valleys, on the rock on skis, and in my vow.”

This article is based on an interview with Geoff Smith. Yvona Fast can be reached at www.wordsaremyworld.com.

No One Is Excluded

2010-07-05T23:15:00.003-04:00

"Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

God does not parcel out salvation, deliverance, or wholeness to us bit by bit. God makes salvation completely available through Jesus Christ -- and not only to specific individuals, but to all who will receive and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.

No person is excluded from the opportunity to believe and receive everlasting life. Jesus did not say that those who believe would receive a down payment on everlasting life or a promise of everlasting life that they would have to work to fulfill. They receive everlasting life, period.

"God's Way Day by Day"

To know more, CLICK HERE .

God Has Blessed America

2010-07-05T23:14:00.001-04:00

Infinite Treasury

2010-06-26T12:20:00.003-04:00

"His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue." 2 Peter 1:3

Many believers do not understand the vast riches they already possess in Jesus Christ, an infinite treasury of wisdom and knowledge and all good things. The moment you accept Him as your Savior you receive everything God is, everything God does, and everything God provides. You lack nothing. God's immearsurable, overflowing love and power are available to you by His grace for every trial, every decision, every challenge.

"God's Way Day by Day"

Faith in the Sandbox

2010-05-27T13:52:00.000-04:00

Building for Eternity

2010-05-07T12:13:00.003-04:00

BUILDING FOR ETERNITY

Luke 14:28 (HCSB)
²⁸“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

Our Lord refers not to a cost we have to count, but to a cost which He has counted. The cost was those thirty years in Nazareth, those three years of popularity, scandal and hatred, the deep unfathomable agony in Gethsemane, and the onslaught at Calvary—the pivot upon which the whole of Time and Eternity turns. Jesus Christ has counted the cost. Men are not going to laugh at Him at last and say—"This man began to build, and was not able to finish."

The conditions of discipleship laid down by Our Lord in vv. 26,27 and 33 mean that the men and women He is going to use in His mighty building enterprises are those in whom He has done everything. "If any man come to Me, and hate not..., he cannot be My disciple." Our Lord implies that the only men and women He will use in His building enterprises are those who love Him personally, passionately and devotedly beyond any of the closest ties on earth. The conditions are stern, but they are glorious.

All that we build is going to be inspected by God. Is God going to detect in His searching fire that we have built on the foundation of Jesus some enterprise of our own? These are days of tremendous enterprises, days when we are trying to work for God, and therein is the snare. Profoundly speaking, we can never work for God. Jesus takes us over for His enterprises, His building schemes entirely, and no soul has any right to claim where he shall be put.

_______________

-My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Walking With God, Like Enoch

2010-05-03T20:40:00.006-04:00

Walking with God. Impossible?

Enoch did it.

And when the LORD looked at Enoch's life, He decided that Enoch's walk was so good that Enoch needed to skip the pains of death and come on up to heaven. What was his life like? We must be able to learn some things from him.

Does Enoch have the hidden key that will unlock our understanding of walking with God?

Genesis 5:21-24 summarizes the high points of Enoch's life:

Enoch was 65 years old when he fathered Methuselah. And after the birth of Methuselah,Enoch walked with God 300 years and fathered ⌊other⌋ sons and daughters. So Enoch’s life lasted 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.

Notice that the most significant events in Enoch's life included being the father to many sons and daughters, and walking with God.

The Hebrew word translated "walk" is הָלַךְ ("halak"). What is amazing about this word is that it describes the way Enoch walked with God. You might think this word describes some special pace set by Enoch, some special series of encounters, or something like that. Amazingly, however, this is the most common word that could have been used to describe a person walking. It's the word that describes how a boat goes across a lake, the way a biker rides his bike, the way any person goes anywhere, the way someone gets from here to there. Enoch simply walked with God.

A simple, steady walk with God.

And what did God think of Enoch's walk?

Hebrews 11:5-6 says,

By faith Enoch was taken away so he did not experience death, and he was not to be found because God took him away. For prior to his removal he was approved, since he had pleased God. Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.

God was pleased with Enoch's walk.

Here are four things that we learn from Hebrews 11:5-6 about Enoch's walk with God:

1. Walking with God is pleasing God. You want to please God? Walk with Him. Simple, steady, day after day, month after month, year after year.

2. Enoch had a testimony because of his walk with God. Enoch's walk gave him a story he could tell others. Sometimes we glamorize the extreme testimonies (for instance, when a drug addict turns to Jesus) but minimize the powerful testimony of someone who has walked with God all of their life. Let's celebrate with all of those who are walking with Jesus!

3. It is possible to please God! Without faith it is impossible to please God, but with faith it is possible.

4. Faith leads you to believe two things about God: 1) believe God exists, and 2) believe that He rewards those who seek Him. A person who walks with God will walk with Him during good days and bad days. You know God is always there. God exists. Also, you will seek Him. This Greek word ἐκζητέω (ekzeteo) means "to crave, to investigate." A person who walks with God craves a walk with Him, knowing that He rewards those who walk with Him with blessings that are out of this world!

Let me give you five suggestions for a simple, steady, powerful, life-changing walk with God.

1. Develop a daily routine of time alone with God. Build this into your daily schedule. It is that important. Read the Bible. Pray. Think. Reflect. Respond.

2. Keep your eyes open when you pray. It is fine to pray with your eyes closed, to help you block out the world's distractions. But when you walk with God, you better keep your eyes open when you're walking down the sidewalk.

3. Learn to apply the Word of God to your life. Here's an acrostic that may help you look for ways to apply Scriptures to your life. Look for a:

Sin to confess

Promise to keep

Attitude to change

Command to obey

Example to follow

4. Pray the Word of God. Read the Bible, and turn the Scriptures into a prayer to God. When you are saying God's Word back to Him as a prayer, you know it pleases Him. And it is best for you.

5. Don't say "amen." Too often, when we say "amen" at the end of our prayers, we are saying, "God, I'll see you later." And we forget about Him until we pray again. When you walk with God, you will learn to make your life a continual prayer to God. You'll never stop talking and listening to Him.

Walk with God, like Enoch. You'll experience heaven on earth.

_________________________

This blog is an excerpt from the message Walking With God, Like Enoch. You can listen to the entire message HERE.

God's Storehouse

2010-04-22T14:21:00.004-04:00

"I am God, your God! . . . Every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills." Psalm 50:7

God meets our needs according to His resources. And what are God's resources?

My! You cannot begin to count all of God's resources. The oceans and seas are His. The continents are His. The atmosphere and all of outer space are His. All that is under the continents and all that is locked away as potential for life-giving blessing in plants and animals -- His! We cannot begin to calculate all of God's resources that are available for His use on this earth, and we haven't even begun to count the unseen resources of heaven. His resources are immeasurable, indestructible, and inexhaustible.

_____________

From "God's Way Day by Day"

What Does It Mean To Be A Follower Of Jesus Christ?

2010-04-02T13:17:00.001-04:00

CBN News: Olympic Chaplain Reaches Out To Athletes

2010-03-04T21:08:00.003-05:00

Top 21 Things I Will Remember About the Olympics

2010-03-04T21:05:00.014-05:00

1. God is at work among the winter sports athletes of the world. Athletes, chaplains, and others all met each other, encouraged each other in the faith, and are more determined than ever to expand God's kingdom by reaching winter sports athletes with the gospel.

2. God is glorified when His people honor Him, whether they win or they lose. God was glorified by Christian athletes who won medals and by those who didn't. Their attitudes, words, body language, everything, said loud and clear, "I am a follower of Jesus Christ." My encouragement to athletes is this, "You do your best. The results are up to the LORD." When they keep that perspective, it's easier to be at peace with yourself and with God, and therefore easier to honor Him.

3. Every athlete who competed in the Games should be grateful for their opportunity to be in the Olympics. Not everyone can win a medal. Most people in the world will never even make it to the Olympics as an athlete. But every Olympic athlete in Whistler or Vancouver is an Olympian, one of the best athletes in the world at their sport. The athletes can be satisfied that they did their best with their God-given talents, and the should be grateful to the LORD for those talents. Congratulations to all Olympians!

4. The Christian athletes realize they are competing for a higher prize than a gold medal. They are competing for God's glory. Their focus is on Him. Their success is not tied to their accomplishments, the weather on the day of competition, etc. They are satisfied with their relationship with God. Of course they want to do their best. But at the end of the day, it is only a game. What really matters is where their fellow competitors, coaches and everyone else are going to spend eternity.

5. It was an honor to be a pastor to the athletes and to others inside the Village. One athlete said, "When we go on tour throughout Europe and wherever, we are away from church for a long time. Here at the Olympics, it is great to have a whole team of pastors available to me all day every day!" It was our privilege to be there for the athletes, coaches, volunteers and staff.

6. God uses all sorts of people to minister to people. Our Christian chaplains were from Canada and from all over the world. Some have Olympic-level sports backgrounds. Others have never played sports. Some are great listeners, others great encouragers, others great musicians, others great communicators... you get the point. The two things we all had in common was faith in Jesus Christ and a desire for God to use us to minister to athletes, coaches, volunteers, staff and anyone else the Lord brought our way.

7. There are some great churches in Whistler that I will continue to recommend for athletes who go there to train, compete, or just play on the ski mountains. Whistler Community Church (Pastor Tim Unruh) and Church on the Mountain (Pastor Chad Chomlack) are two churches I recommend. It was great worshiping with those churches and getting to know their pastors a little bit.

8. It is possible for many nations to live together in peace, and to really hope that other countries have success. Throughout the Athletes Village were representatives from almost 80 nations. At meals, at events, in the Whistler Village, and everywhere you went you saw people with national pride, yes, but also you saw people encouraging every athlete to do his/her best. At one bobsled race, I was sitting next to the boyfriend of a German women's bobsled driver. On the other side was my friend (aka, "mate") from Australia, chaplain Matthew. Behind us were Canadians. We all cheered for all of our nations, and many, many others.

9. The host homes I stayed in were all a blessing in many ways. It was wonderful to meet my first host family and to get to know them. A Christian family, they are originally from Hong Kong but have lived in Vancouver & Whistler for many decades. I got to hear first-hand about some of the work the LORD is doing in Hong Kong and throughout China. My second host home provided the opportunity to spend time getting to know some great folks who came to Whistler on mission trips to do ministry during the Games. Some of them I knew already and now know better. Others I met for the first time. Praise God for each of them. My third host home, with chaplain Nick Osborne, gave me a chance to get to know Nick better, to meet his kids, and to rest up before my long trip back home.

10. Free refills at Starbucks. I'm not even sure if this deal works in the USA (I'm going to try it out though), but it was nice to be able to use my Starbucks gift card to enjoy a Venti bold coffee (no room for cream) and then ask for a free refill (and get it). That allowed more time for talking with friends, Skyping with my family, reading the Bible and other books, and more. Located very close to the bus station, Medals Plaza (where they did the medals ceremonies) and the grocery store, it was easy to find, in the middle of the traffic flow, and a nice place to meet.

11. The blessing of using technology to communicate with everyone in a variety of ways. There were many ways: was my daily (or more frequent) phone calls with my wife and kids, text messages to meet up with people at events and for ministry, daily blogs to let people know what was going on and how to pray, talking to my family & some kids at schools via Skype, responding to email messages, posting photos online to share my experiences that way, online videos highlighting ministries at the Games, and more. Technology at times can be a burden, but it can also be a real blessing.

12. I will never forget the sadness I felt the moment I got the tweet from the NY Times that said, "Olympic luge athlete dies in training run." This was the first communication anyone from our Multi-Faith Centre had received about the tragic accident that killed Republic of Georgia luge athlete Nodar. It set our chaplain team in motion to do some amazing ministry that day and throughout the Games. And as one of our chaplains reflected, "It was estimated that 3 billion people watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics. When they paused for a moment of silence to honor Nodar, 3 billion people observed a moment of silence. His life impacted people around the world."

13. The events I attended were lots of fun. At every event I attended, I was able to watch the event with one of my colleagues from the Multi-Faith Centre or the family/friends of one of the athletes that we know, or one of my colleagues AND the family/friends of athletes. The events themselves are great and exciting. When you are cheering for someone you know personally, that is priceless. I had the opportunity to attended cross-country skiing, biathlon, luge, skeleton and bobsled. I'm very thankful.

14. Some of my favorite quotes:

The medalist who said to me, "You don't know how much the Athletes Bible study helped us grow spiritually and come together as a team to help win this medal." Wow. Praise God. That's humbling.

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Oh, sorry." That's what every Canadian says more than a dozen times per day. If you bump into them - even on purpose - they will say "sorry" to you, like it was their fault!

The lady I had just met just moments after the dramatic 3-2 overtime hockey game, who saw my USA hat, and said to me: "How'd you like that hockey game? We CRUSHED you guys!" I looked at her and said, "I'm sorry, what? I thought it was a one-point game decided in overtime. That's crushing someone?" She just laughed.

One day, a lady in the TV lounge who was making sure only authorized people came into the room, upon learning that I was a chaplain and pastor, asked me, "And what kind of pastor are you?" I think she was asking if I was Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, etc. My response: "I'm the kind of pastor who sits on the couch and watches biathlon with athletes." She thought that was a good answer. We all chuckled then watched the biathlon race.

"Eh?" Enough said about that one.

15. Security was at an all-time high at the Games. VANOC had a budget of $1 billion for security for the Olympics. We saw RCMP, Canadian army, local police forces, recently-trained security forces, helicopters, blimps, metal detectors, and more. With all of these people in place, it is truly the LORD who is our Protector. He was watching over us the whole time, even when the tragedy occurred.

16. Some creative evangelism methods that were effective:

Pin trading - engaging people in conversation through pin trading, then giving them a high quality "More Than Gold" pin.

Listening - may not seem incredibly creative, but it is a proven effective way to be ready to share the gospel: after you listen carefully to what the person you are talking to has to say, hearing their words and their heart. And since nobody listens much to anyone, if you will take time to listen you will seem unusual/creative to the person you're listening to.

Athletes testimonies on DVD - Athletes in Action put together a DVD with a few testimonies of Christian winter sports athletes

Sports New Testaments - with athletes' testimonies before Matthew and after Revelation

Personal evangelism - every conversation is an amazing work of the creativity of God, bringing your story, their story and the Word of God together to shine a light on the gospel so they can see Christ

The book "Soul Cravings" - a good book that discusses how inside our heart we realize we need God, and how God wants to show us His love, save us, change us, give us eternal life

17. It was exciting to be at the finish line of some of the events, watching the people celebrate with those who had won the medals. And likewise to be at the Medals Ceremony. And just to watch on TV at the Opening Ceremonies to see how excited everyone was to be part of the Olympics. But in the midst of it, I couldn't help but think, what if these people were all this excited about God? And, when you think about eternity, all of these earthly accomplishments pale in comparison to eternal pursuits.

18. It was comforting to know that my family and our church family were in good hands while I was away. Family & friends helped my wife with our three kids while I was at the Games. The pastors, elders and leaders of Lake Placid Baptist Church did a wonderful job of leading and ministering to our church family. And of course, the LORD was watching over us all.

19. Worshiping with Norwegians, Austrians, Canadians, Colombians, Australians, British, Lebanese, Russians, Swiss, and other nations. The Bible tells that heaven will be filled with people from every tribe and every tongue. Can't wait to see that!

20. Reading the Book of Numbers. My personal Bible reading each day had me in the book of Numbers during the Olympics. One day, I even posted a blog called, "No Person is Just a Number" (see archives). God spoke to me through Numbers like never before.

21. Making plans for Sochi, Russia in 2014. We will see what the LORD has in store for ministry at Sochi. I've already asked Kim to start thinking about going with me. I'm going to start with Plan A: go to Sochi, sit at a coffee shop all day, attend the events that the athletes we minister to are competing in, and then connecting with athletes for Bible study and prayer wherever we can get together. If the LORD opens up the door for more than that (like serving as a chaplain again) then I will be that much more rejoicing. If the LORD has other plans for me, then I will follow HIM. But I hope HE wants me to go to Sochi!

Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement while I was at the Games. May God bless you as you follow Christ!

Closing out the Games

2010-02-28T23:51:00.004-05:00

I left Whistler today. We had our last worship service inside the Athletes Village, said our "good-byes" to people we have gotten to know in the past three weeks, and then headed down the Sea to Sky Highway from Whistler to Vancouver. We took a bus for the first hour of the trip to the town of Squamish, then jumped in chaplain Nick's Mitsubishi Delica for the second hour the rest of the way to Vancouver. We dropped Lindsay off with her friend, and then went to Nick's house.

On the ride down to Vancouver, the USA v Canada men's gold medal hockey game was on. Lindsay and Nick kept getting updates via text messages and iphone apps on the score. Canadians love hockey. The game was not quite over when we arrived to Nick's house, so we watched the overtime period. Congratulations to Canada. Now, what's such a big deal about hockey? It's not the only sport to follow.

Two of Nick's kids had a good time talking to Kim, Andy and Emma Grace via Skype. We also looked at lots of photos of my family on my computer. I'm grateful for Nick opening up his home to me for a night. This is host home #3. Tomorrow night's host home = LaGuardia aiport. My flights get me to NYC tomorrow night, then a short flight to Boston on Tues AM, then a short flight to Saranac Lake airport after that. Andy told me today that he hopes the school has a snow day on Tuesday so he can be home when I get home. That's my boy!

I posted all of my Olympic photos on my Facebook page if you'd like to see them.

The closing ceremonies were tonight. I watched them on CTV. One of the exciting parts of the closing ceremonies was to see Adam Pengilly be introduced for his newly-elected position as one of the Athlete Representatives on the International Olympic Committee. May God use Adam in that position of influence to be a light for Christ there. Well done, Adam, on a successful campaign! The LORD puts people right where HE wants them to be.

Tomorrow I will blog about my most lasting memories of the Games.

Perseverance

2010-02-28T02:14:00.007-05:00

"LORD, give me the strength to do the things You want me to do today."

Today was the first day that I felt tired when I woke up. My schedule is pretty long each day, with lots of walking, talking, praying, encouraging, etc. So I needed an extra prayer for strength as I began my day.

I enjoyed a great devotion with the mission team from GA. It was written by Dr. Tom Blackaby and shared with us by Kelly Seckinger. It was about being salt. It beautifully described our opportunity as believers to be catalysts for change in others, if we let God use us to show love and compassion to others. Another Kelly - Kelly Manire - who is on staff with the Canadian National Baptist Convention planting churches on college campuses, led in prayer. He prayed that God would use us all today to touch lives for the kingdom of God, to be salt to the people we would meet.

I felt a bit more energized after the time of devotion and prayer with the team.

My last morning at Starbucks (sigh). Before leaving, I left two copies of the book Soul Cravings for the staff that I have met over these last few weeks. I pray they will take the time to read it.

It was raining at the lower end of the Whistler Village Stroll, but as I walked up the rain turned to snow. Wet snow, however. So we jumped on the gondola (my favorite Australian chaplain - Matthew - and me) and started for the start line grandstands for the four-man bobsled race. In line we connected with some orange-poncho-ed folks from Oregon, and had a great time walking to the start with them, explaining bobsled along the way. It turns out they were believers, and that they were praying that God would connect them with Christians along their journey to the Olympics.

During the first heat, we sat beside John's mom, and he joined us for part of the race. The folks in the stands kept handing me their cameras to get a picture with him. We watched the first heat of the race from the start, then headed down to the finish area, thinking we would get a seat on the grandstands.

Not. Going. To. Happen.

We did manage to get a spot standing, with a great view of the video screen, right near the finish line. If it were not for the thousands of people in front of us we would have had a clear view of the finish line.

We were met by two other folks from our Multi-Faith Centre for the second heat, Lindsay (one of our office coordinators) and Mohammed (one of the imams). Mohammed lives in Vancouver, is originally from India, and has never seen bobsled before. It was a lot of fun to watch the race with them.

Results of the race were:

* Gold medal - USA1, driven by Steve Holcomb

* Silver medal - GER1, driven by Andre Lange

* Bronze medal - CAN1, driven by Lyndon Rush (who was beaten by 0.01 seconds - the slimmest margin possible in bobsled)

By winning the gold in four-man bobsled, the USA ended a 62-year drought. Since 1948, no USA four-man bobsled team had won a gold medal. Congratulations to "Team Night Train" - Steve Holcomb, Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler, and Curt Tomasevicz!

We walked down the ski slope one last time from the bobsled track. The lines for the gondola and buses were way too long. Then I headed back to the house to wash clothes and rest. I had been invited to come over to the USA House for the four-man bobsled victory celebration.

At about 8:30 people, I boarded #1 bus to go the USA House. It was great to hear the speeches by the athletes and coaches. All the "Night Train" team thanked their coaches and staff. They thanked Geoff Bodine for his commitment to the USA bobsled program. Geoff just humbly smiled.

It was pretty emotional at times. A few years ago, Holcomb was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease and he officially retired, but head coach Brian Shimer located a surgeon who attempted an experimental surgery that has brought healing to Holcomb's eyes. Holcomb came out of retirement and is now an Olympic champion! That's perseverance.

Also, praise God for HIS healing. He uses surgeons in amazing ways!

We had some good food and good conversations at the bobsled victory celebration. I was able to meet some of the family members of the athletes, and they were appreciative of our ministry to the athletes. And, I was able to congratulate the team and the coaches. Some of the USOC staff who I had met three weeks ago were very great to talk to. Relationships develop over time. They take perseverance.

Teresa was at the USA House, of course, being her usual cheerful self. She is always so encouraging to everyone. She did share a couple of prayer requests with me, so when you think about it pray for Teresa and the two prayer requests. Pray that she will persevere til the end of her time in Whistler, with joy and effectiveness.

Tomorrow is my last shift at the Village, and then I go down to Vancouver for the evening to spend the night with Nick, one of our chaplains. Then I fly out on Monday, on my way back home (Yay!)

Pray that God will give us a great day tomorrow, and that our time of worship at the Village (tomorrow is Sunday) will be Christ-exalting in every way!

All of the athletes will be leaving the Whistler Village tomorrow to go to the Closing Ceremonies in Vancouver. Pray for God's protection.

God's Plans

2010-02-26T23:57:00.007-05:00

The 5th grade students at Keeseville Primary School were great to talk to this morning. I had a Skype interview with them and they asked a lot of great questions about the Olympics. It was fun telling them about what has been going on from my perspective, and telling them about some of the local North Country athletes who are in the Games. Their teacher, Mrs. Melinda Preston, is a member of our church - thanks for setting that up, Melinda.

I had another Skype interview later on in the morning, where I got to share about what the LORD is doing through the chaplaincy ministry inside the Village.

A little while later, as I drank a Venti bold black coffee - with just the right amount of sugar - I began reading Soul Cravings, one of the books the More Than Gold groups are giving away to people who are interested. The first couple of chapters were pretty good. I really liked the way the author said something like this, and I'm paraphrasing: we Christians really believe that every single person has the ability to change. We believe that God can change each person's life. They are not stuck because of their pedigree, or social status, or economic status, or anything. God can change their life, and He can change their destiny. I like that.

It was time to go meet some friends and head up to the grandstands at the Start for the four-man bobsled race. I had a long conversation with a guy named Christopher from Ohio as we sat and waited for the race to start. Beside us sat some folks from Germany, behind us some fans from the USA. The folks from the USA were the family of Steve Langton, one of the guys who slides with John. They were nice enough to give me a "Team Napier" red-white-and-blue cap and t-shirt.

The weather was SNOWY! Huge flakes of snow fell from the sky. The track crew and volunteers were working extra hard to keep the bobsled track in drive-able condition.

Unfortunately for many nations, the track proved too difficult today. Out of the 25 sleds that started the race, 7 sleds crashed either on heat 1 or heat 2, ending their dreams of a medal. Our own Team Napier was one of the sleds that crashed. All of the guys who crashed were banged up, but no one sustained major injuries (praise God). We are proud of all of the teams - they are Olympians!

The bobsled team of USA1 (driven by Steve Holcombe) sits in first place right now, hoping to earn the first USA four-man gold medal in 62 years! Canada1 (driven by Lyndon Rush) is in second place, followed by Germany1 (driven by Andre Lange). It should be an exciting conclusion tomorrow. By the way, if you didn't catch the video of Lyndon Rush sharing his testimony of his faith in Christ, you can view it HERE.

After the race, I headed over to the Multi-Faith Centre, connected with the chaplains who were there (they were all glued to the nearby TV watching the Canada/Sweden curling finals, then on to the Canada/Slovakia hockey game). We did have time during commercials to talk about some of the ways we have seen God at work during the Games, and to begin to think about ministry in Sochi, Russia in four years.

When I arrived back at the host home, I talked with everyone in the house for a while. Each person has been used by God to point people to Christ. They are seeing how they are part of His plan during these Olympics. The team from GA all served as official VANOC volunteers today at the bobsled track (called the Whistler Sliding Centre officially). They have great souvenir uniforms to bring home with them.

Today in Numbers I was reading about how God had chosen the literal land for His people to live on in the Promised Land, and how He divided it out for them. It reminded me of how God has every detail of our lives planned out. We need to seek Him, listen to Him, and obey Him. He knows the plans He has for us, for tomorrow and for the future. God knows the big details and the little details. We need to walk closely to Him so we know and obey His plan.

More Than Gold - Update

2010-02-26T23:20:00.010-05:00

Teams of people from churches in Canada and from many states in the USA have joined together with several Christian ministries under the umbrella of More Than Gold to provide "Radical Hospitality" to people throughout Vancouver during the Olympics.

My friend Pastor Rick Wilburn from Tupper Lake Baptist Chapel (NY) has been blogging about his experiences. You can read his blog and see some photos HERE.

Also, here is an update of some of the ministries from More Than Gold's Janet Campbell:

I wish we could be sending you all daily updates, but things have been moving at a fast pace and it hasn’t been possible. Thanks for your prayers though!

We have had report after report of volunteers having conversations with spiritually open people - conversations that have led to people giving their lives to Jesus. Praise God! The More Than Gold pin has continued to be our most popular item to give away – most people have turned into enthusiastic pin collectors during the Olympics, as happens in all Olympic cities. Our volunteers have found it easy to start conversations by offering a free pin.

Others have prayed with people, encouraged them, and delighted them with free hot chocolate on cold mornings and evenings. People are SO appreciative of the hot drinks at the transit stations. We’ve got people in some places at 4:30 a.m. and other places til 12:30 a.m. at night. Even our B.C. premier (like a state governor) commented on the service of the volunteers - he had personally noticed it as he went around the city.

Most volunteers have come and gone, but we still have several teams here serving away. We had 2 volunteers who, in separate incidents, fell last night, leading to trips to Emergency, but nothing serious. We had 2 people last week who had to go home suddenly due to deaths in the family. Please especially hold up in prayer the family of Barbara Webb from GA (a More Than Gold volunteer) whose 8-year-old grand-daughter was killed in a car accident.

Many of you contributed to the welcome kits and care kits. Just today a load of the care kits was taken to the Union Gospel Mission, probably the best-known ministry to homeless and low-income people downtown. The people they care for are receiving the beautiful hand-knit scarves made by many of you (along with many other items in the kits)! Thank you again.

Local churches have been busy. My church had a children’s program one day and had several new-to-us families participate. Both Kevin’s church and mine are “perking locations” for More Than Gold – ie the kitchens are in use as sites for making the coffee and hot chocolate that are served at nearby transit stations. Other churches in our Association have had children’s programs, held big-screen viewing parties, taken shifts at the More Than Gold beverage stations, and more.

Kevin and I went up to Whistler last week one day and were able to briefly visit with a couple of mission team members there, plus our chaplain working within the Athletes’ Village. All had good reports of ministry opportunities and spiritual conversations. There is another group in Whistler right now – they will be working as official VANOC volunteers Friday and Saturday so please pray for them that they will “let their light shine”!

We have been blessed to have “extra-special” helpers who have been tireless in their service behind the scenes this week, last week, or both. From Texas, Georgia and Colorado: Dan & Joanne Crawford, Les and Darla Dobbins, Peggy Colbert, Beth Ann Williams, Steve Hoekstra, Jeff and Ruth Wagner. From here in Metro Vancouver: Kelly and Jeanne Manire, Gary and Carol Oaks, Marsha Davidson and others as called upon! What a great support team. Thank you all. We could NOT have done this without you!!

We are tired, but happy with all of the wonderful reports of open doors, “stretched” (in a good way!) Christians, and new believers. We have greatly enjoyed meeting the mission teams face to face after so many months of emails and calls. And we’ve enjoyed seeing our city come alive – the people on the streets and buses are excited and much more open to talking with strangers than usual.

More after the dust settles….meanwhile, send us your stories of what you have seen God doing. Thanks!

Medals Ceremony

2010-02-26T02:21:00.008-05:00

Up early for the morning shift at the Athletes Village alongside chaplains Nick (from North Vancouver - called "North Van") and Dr. Lawrence (from Boston, MA). Nick is a pastor in the North Van area, and Dr. Lawrence is a retired pastor who nows works part-time as a chaplain on cruise ships.

On my way in to the Multi-Faith Centre I saw some of the USA bobsled coaches and congratulated them on their bronze medal from the day before. Also, I saw the USA Nordic Combined (cross country skiing and ski jumping) team on their way to their competition. I saw Billy Demong and told him "Congratulations" for his medal earlier in the week. Little did I know he was on his way to earning a gold medal in the competition today! Congrats Billy!

An alpine skier joined us for Bible study this morning, which focused on John 6:68. Nick led a good Bible study and then we prayed for the athletes, for the volunteers, for the spectators, for the workers, and anyone else we could think to pray for.

I had a good conversation with one of the workers inside the Athletes Village today. She said her family has never really attended church, and she didn't know much about the Bible. But she said if I wanted to bring her a Bible she would check it out. I brought her a "More Than Gold" New Testament and showed her where the Gospel of John was. I explained how the New Testament is 27 short books so you don't have to necessarily read it from page 1 to the end. Pray that she will read it, and that God will draw her to Himself. Pray that for all of the people we've given Bibles to.

Ever since the tragic accident and death of Nodar, the luge athlete from the Republic of Georgia, we have had a "book of condolences" for volunteers, staff, athletes and coaches to sign. We've kept it in the Multi-Faith Centre so that everyone could have access to it, and so that people could take a private moment to pray for his family as they sign the book and write him a note. But, now that the Games are almost over, we decided to move the book inside the Athletes Cafeteria so that everyone who has not had a chance to write in it can do so conveniently. The VANOC staff moved it over today. There is quite a protocol that must be followed for something like that to be moved to a new location. Pray that the words people wrote will help to comfort Kodar's family and that God will show them His love, mercy and grace.

In the afternoon I caught up with Erin Pac's family & friends to go to the Medals Plaza for the Medals Ceremony. It was pretty exciting. I was standing near Erin's family & friends, Elana's family & friends, and Shelly Ann's family & friends. They let the family & friends get really close to the stage for great pictures. When they put the medals on the medalists, you could see the happiness on their faces and the tears of joy in their eyes. They awarded many medals for events from the past two days. Some took place in Whistler (where we are) and some in Vancouver (which they showed to us live on the big screen).

If you'd like to read an article from BP News about Erin and Elana's bronze medal performance - and what role God had in their victory - click HERE.

After the Medals Ceremony, we boarded a bus to take us to the USA House for a celebration in Erin & Elana's honor. The USA House is a house rented by the USOC to be used for these types of celebrations as well as meetings, interviews, etc that need to be done away from the Villages. Teresa McAlpin, a member of our church and USOC staff, is one of the front-desk workers at the USA House. She and the rest of the team greeted us, got us signed in, etc. It was great to see her. Teresa showed me some verses of Scripture that the Lord had laid on her heart that she had written down to be an encouragement to the Christian athletes.

We had some good food to eat at the USA House. My wife Kim would have been proud of me for trying some food that I've never eaten before. It was all delicious.

At the USA House I was able to connect with a lot of the bobsled coaches, staff, and administration. I saw some friends who are going to the four-man race tomorrow and we made plans to meet up and hike to the Start line grandstands together. It was a privilege and a blessing to be there at the house.

A couple of last thoughts. The best part about the Medals Ceremony (from an earthly perspective) is to see the celebration and joy of people being together, celebrating the accomplishments of someone else. Everybody was getting along, so many different countries, all of whom had just been hours earlier competing against each other, now were applauding those who were the winners. But it is true in saying that all who compete are winners.

From a sociological point of view, it was interesting to see how much people love music, dancing and celebrating. It makes me think that we as Christians need to think about that in worship services because there are ways to do all those things in a Christ-honoring way. That brings me to my last thought. It's going to be pretty amazing in heaven when we get to enjoy music, and dancing, and celebrating, and being rewarded, and getting to place our crowns at the feet of Jesus. That's a Medals Ceremony that you should be really looking forward to!

Women's Bobsled Finals

2010-02-25T01:28:00.011-05:00

The morning began quite early, with a 4:20 AM alarm to make sure I was ready for my Skype appointment with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes group from Little Mill Middle School in Cumming, GA. A guy who was in my youth group when I served as a youth pastor in GA, Jimmy Woodward, is a teacher and the FCA leader at this school. I had a great time telling the students and parents all about some of my experiences at the Olympics, about some of the Christian athletes, and answering the great questions they asked. The Skype call was 7:45 AM for them, which was 4:45 AM for me. But it was worth it!

The early-morning Skype call made me so tired that I went back to bed for a few hours and caught up on some sleep. Everyone in my house keeps giving me a good-natured hard time about the long hours I am out every day and night. But I guess I am just blessed with an extra amount of energy. (Dad & Mom, was I this way as a kid??) The LORD gives me the strength I need to do all that He wants me to do each day. Every conversation, prayer time, text message, etc that I spend with people here is worth it to advance the kingdom of God.

The mission team staying at the house with me told me their devotion started at 9:30 AM, so I headed upstairs at 9:27. I heard two people praying, one of them praying for my family & me specifically, and it was very encouraging. After their prayer time was over I sat down to hear the devotion only to discover they had started early and I missed the whole thing! Oh well, at least the prayers were good.

I was scheduled to Skype with students from Keeseville, NY but a big snowstorm caused their school to be cancelled. Hopefully we can do that Skype call on Friday.

An hour at Starbucks allowed me to catch up on emails and post a couple of links on Facebook highlighting other ministry going on around Whistler and Vancouver. My friend Debbie Wohler was highlighted in one article, and my friend Sid Hopkins "The Pin Man" in another. Before I left the coffee shop I ran into Amanda Moreley from the Canadian bobsled team. She was the alternate on this year's team, just missing the Olympics. She is a dynamic follower of Christ. She is the person who helped to get our Athletes Bible Study in Lake Placid connected with FCA years ago. I also got to meet her mom and sister at the coffee shop.

The weather was turning a bit rainy/snowy so I headed back to the house for a quick change into my snow pants instead of jeans, then off to meet my friends Otis Jones and Betsy Napier to watch the women's bobsled finals. Before the race began, we had some great conversations with the folks around about bobsled, Olympic chaplaincy and more. I also had a chance to pray with Erin Pac as she came up to the Start area.

I'll get right to the results. Erin and Elana slid very well today, and so did the Canadians. Overall, the Canadian bobsled teams earned the gold and silver medals, and we are so proud of Erin and Elana for earning an Olympic bronze medal!! They are going to be on The Today Show on Thursday morning if you get a chance to watch. Pray that God will give these two Christian bobsledders just the right words to say. The silver medal Canadian bobsled team includes Shelly Ann Brown, who is a devoted follower of Christ also. Pray that her opportunities through the media will allow her faith in Christ to shine brightly too!

After the race and after saying "Congratulations!" to Erin & Elana, I walked down from the sliding track with Erin's family & friends. They of course are incredibly proud of her and Elana. I tried to find Shelly Ann to say "Congratulations!" to her, but there were too many Canadians in the way!

;-)

I arrived back at the host home before 9:00 PM, which is actually pretty early for me during these Games. The ladies from the mission team had made some yummy meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and I enjoyed a tasty dinner. After watching some of the Olympic Games from the day on TV with the mission team, it was time for bed.

One other quick praise: the mission team from Hebron Baptist Church (Dacula, GA) applied a few weeks ago to be official volunteers with VANOC, and they were all accepted. They will be official volunteers at the four-man bobsled races on Friday and Saturday. Pray that the LORD will use them to be a witness for Christ with all the volunteers and spectators that they meet.

Praying for Protection and Blessing

2010-02-24T02:33:00.007-05:00

Every day is different.

Today I worked the morning shift at the Multi-Faith Centre. Our group of chaplains met for a specific time of prayer for all of the athletes in general and for the bobsledders in particular as the women's (competition) and four-man (practice) bobsleds were sliding today. Later, I dropped in on the PolyClinic to check on the staff. They thanked me again for how our team of chaplains were there to help on the day that Nodar died.

After stopping at the PolyClinic, I dropped by "The Living Room" (a nice room with large open windows, nice couches and chairs, and lots of coffee tables). The Living Room is also the place to get a cup of coffee, a muffin, or some Vitamin Water. The young lady who works behind the counter, Jessica, is always very nice to us chaplains when we stop by for a coffee and a chat.

In the afternoon, I met up with Matthew from Australia and we headed to the women's bobsled race. (On the way I stopped to chat for a couple of minutes with two of the ladies from Hebron Baptist Church who are here on a mission trip.) Matthew & I went early to the race to get a good seat at the Start in the grandstands. It's a pretty good hike up the bobsled track hill. Lots of exercise! Our seats put us in the German/American/Australian section. Next to me sat the boyfriend of German bobsled driver Cathleen Martini. She is a very good driver, but so are the Canadians and Americans. Our friends Rob and Matt from GA joined us at the Start grandstands too.

Before the race, I always take a moment to bow in prayer to the LORD, asking Him to protect the athletes, and to bless them, and to draw them to Himself. A huge praise is that earlier in the day training/practice had gone really well, and also that during the women's race no sleds crashed! Thanks be to God for answering the prayers for protection and blessing.

I saw several of my friends from Canada and America who are serving on the jury for the bobsled race. I know them from our ministry in Lake Placid at World Cup Bobsled & Skeleton races. It was good to see all of them.

Our friends Erin Pac and Elana Meyers raced well today. After 2 heats, they are in 2nd place. Pray that the LORD will be with them tomorrow during their finals, blessing them, helping them to do their best, for HIS glory. I saw Erin's boyfriend, Peter Blumert, and a lot of their family & friends at the race. Peter has been a friend of our family for years, and stays with us when he comes to Lake Placid.

After the bobsled race, we decided to avoid the lines at the gondola and the buses, and just to walk down the ski slope to get back to the Village. That seemed like a good idea. We were doing OK until we made one wrong turn, and we walked about a mile farther than we needed to. We did run into Peter and his family on the Village Stroll and Matthew, Rob & Matt got to meet them. If you'd like to see some good photos of the bobsled races by a local Lake Placid photographer Todd Bissonette, visit www.usabobsledphotos.com.

Dinner was good pizza. Then a quick look at the "Fire & Ice" ski/snowboard show, along with a live drum band and more, then off to our host home.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to Skype with two schools, one from GA and one from NY, about my experiences here. That should be fun.

Jesus Christ Superstar

2010-02-23T01:48:00.004-05:00

Up early this morning to cover the morning shift at the Village. When I was on the bus after going through the security checkpoint one of our other chaplains boarded the bus. When she saw me she said, "Now you're not on duty this morning, right? Just coming in to connect with some athletes?" I double-checked my schedule and she was right. So, I hung around for a few minutes, drank an orange juice and grabbed a muffin, said hello to the chaplains who were on duty, then headed back to the bus to go back into town.

Starbucks is my favorite spot to hang out. It's the Starbucks on Main Street in Whistler, right beside the IGA SuperMarket if you're looking for me. (Some of you will find this on GoogleEarth right now.) I ran into Darren Steele, the CEO of the United States Bobsled & Skeleton Federation, and we chatted a couple of minutes about the bobsled team and my role as a chaplain at the Games. Then I called my father on Skype, then my father-in-law, then tried to call my wife but she wasn't near the computer. Did I say how much I wish Kim was here with me??

I decided to take a walk up the Village Stroll to the Lake Placid Friendship House to see if anyone was there. On the way I bumped into Clark Moran, a youth pastor from Ontario who is one of the coordinators in our Multi-Faith Centre during the Games. He's a great part of our chaplaincy team and a lot of fun to be with. Clark and I stopped to talk to Mike Gravette (from Georgia Baptist Convention, my current "host dad") a few yards up the road, then off to the Friendship House. Saw Betsy Napier (John's mom) and the Lake Placid's own Todd Bissonette, one of our local photographers here covering the Games.

Next I headed on over to the Village to connect with our athletes. I shot some pool with John (he let me win!), then spent some time with Wynn, along with his brother, his sister, his girlfriend, and a family friend. They had a fun time, mostly playing video games in the athletes' game room. Wynn was able to bring those guys in on "day passes" that the athletes are allowed to give out. Each athlete only has a few they can give out the entire time of the Games.

Two interesting things about the Whistler Athletes Village. First, it is built on the site of the former town dump. Second, the dorms the athletes are using will be used as affordable housing for the workforce of the Whistler community after the Games are done.

We had a great chaplains meeting in the afternoon that included one of the chaplains from the Vancouver Athletes Village. We talked about a lot of items, and a had a very stimulating conversation about how God is using us, and how our ministry at these Games fits in with what the LORD has been doing, is doing, and will be doing at Olympic Games in the future. The chaplain from Vancouver was very complimentary of our ministry in Whistler. Praise God.

Our Bible study this evening was more of a special night of testimony by one of our chaplains, Kathy Kreiner-Phillips. Kathy is a Canadian gold medalist from the 1976 Olympics in downhill skiing, and she also competed for Canada in the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. She gave her testimony of faith in Christ. The room was packed with people, and lots of people asked questions. Here's a cool part of her testimony: she first started seeing her need for a personal relationship with Jesus by watching the movie "Jesus Christ Superstar" at the 1976 Olympics in Innsbrook, Austria.

On the way out of the Village I had a chance to pray with one of the athletes, meet two security guards who are very interested in joining us for Bible study starting tomorrow, and a great chat with Brad from Athletes in Action ministry. Brad serves the LORD in Europe and has a heart like mine to see God do some amazing things in the lives of winter sports athletes.

God continues to expand my vision for how HE is at work around the world. Give Him glory.

Two-Man Bobsled Finals

2010-02-22T02:19:00.005-05:00

Today was Sunday, and it started with a walk then a bus ride then a walk to the Multi-Faith Centre at the Athletes Village for a worship service with some athletes, some volunteers, and some chaplains. Good music, a good message on John 1:19-34 (where John the Baptist directs all the fame to Jesus), and the Lord's Supper. Then chatting with a couple of the athletes before they headed to breakfast.

From there, I connected with Matthew, the chaplain from Australia, and we had lunch at a very good (and very reasonably priced) Greek restaurant in Whistler. Then we met up with Lindsay - our young Canadian friend who works with us in the Multi-Faith Centre - and my friend Sid Hopkins, and the four of us headed to the bobsled track to watch the race with John's mom, Betsy, and his sister, Meg.

After a short gondola ride that lets you off near the entrance to the bobsled track, we were almost the first people in line. Lindsay needed to buy a ticket to the event but the ticket booth didn't open until 1:00 PM, which was the same time the gates opened for the event. So what did we do? Well, Lindsay, the polite Canadian was just going to wait. I, being a typical American, didn't mind asking loudly to the crowd, "Does anyone have an extra ticket!?" In about 10 seconds, Lindsay had purchased a ticket from a nearby spectator who was more than happy to sell his extra ticket. That's one big difference I've noticed between Canadians and Americans - Americans don't mind being a bit loud and taking charge; Canadians are quite a bit more laid back in an effort to not offend anyone. Maybe they inherited the "polite gene" from the British, and we Americans didn't get it passed down to us!

Before the bobsled race began, we hiked up the mile-long track to the grandstands at the Start Area. We knew these seats would become premium, so that's why we arrived there about 2 1/2 hours before the race. They were filled in a very short amount of time. Since there was so much time before the race began, Matthew and I did a little educational/comedy routine we called "Bobsled 101" and had the crowd at the start deck laughing. Leave it to an American and an Aussie.

From the bobsled track, I was able to text with Pastor Rick Wilburn from Tupper Lake, NY who was traveling today to connect with More Than Gold on a mission trip to Vancouver this week. He and a father/son mission team (the Wittemores) from Plattsburgh are serving together.

The two-man bobsled race was a good, safe race of extremely fast sleds. Our USA teams slid well. Holcombe's team was 6th, Napier's team was 10th, and Kohn's team was 12th. They all hope to do even better next weekend in the four-man competition. Congrats to the Germans, Germans, and Russians for their gold, silver, and bronze performances today.

After the race, I was able to stay at the track a little bit to watch the women's bobsled teams practicing. Our friends Erin Pac and Elana Meyers were among the teams practicing. I watched a bit of practice with Erin's boyfriend Peter, who is a good friend of our family. Peter's friend Josh came with him. We also met Elana's dad, who was also there to watch practice. The women's competition is on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Next we went back down the gondola, connected with Wynn, and headed over to the Lake Placid Frienship House here in Whistler. (You can find the Lake Placid Frienship House on Facebook.) We joined in a nice reception being held there to celebrate the Lake Placid athletes and all the athletes who are competing in the Games, and to give everyone a chance to connect. I had some great chats with several people there.

After a quick meeting with John to tell him "great job" on his race, it was time to go back to the host home. When I got back to the host home, some friends from Hebron Baptist Church (Dacula, GA) had arrived. They are here for a one-week mission trip. [Hebron is where I served as a youth pastor for 9+ years before moving to NY.] Some of the guys on the team that has come here to Whistler have joined us on mission trips in Lake Placid before. It will be good to serve with these guys for a few days.

May God Be Glorified Though His Creation, His People and His Word

2010-02-20T23:51:00.008-05:00

"In your hearts set apart Jesus as Lord. And always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. Do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

That verse is one of my life verses. This morning I began with a simple prayer, that God would be glorified today through His creation, His people and His Word. The tall, snow-capped mountains up against a beautiful, clear blue sky today displayed the glory of God. I hope that people noticed and acknowledged their Creator. He is an amazing God.

The LORD opened the door today for lots of conversations about faith, about my reason for being at the Olympics (their first reaction is always "I didn't know there were chaplains at the Olympics"), about my Canadian accent (yep, two different people heard me talking today and thought I was from here!), about my connection with the bobsled team, etc. On more than one occasion I was able to mention Lake Placid Baptist Church and our website so people can see for themselves where I am from and learn about our church and about Christ.

I had a great chat with Adam Pengilly this morning. He loves the LORD. Although he was hoping for a better finish in his skeleton race (he finished 18th in the world!) he remains steadfast in his trust in the LORD, knowing that God will work all things together for good for those who love HIM, those that are called according to HIS purpose (Romans 8:28). It's that kind of faith that causes people to ask questions about the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15) that opens up witnessing opportunities. Adam is a tremendous witness for Christ. We had a great chat about Numbers 6:22-27, the blessing that Aaron was instructed to pray over the children of Israel.

22 The LORD spoke to Moses: 23 "Tell Aaron and his sons how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 The LORD bless you and protect you;
25 the LORD make His face shine on you, and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD look with favor on you and give you peace.
27 In this way they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."

After meeting with Adam, I enjoyed a quick game of table-top shuffleboard with John Napier and then off to lunch and then to the two-man bobsled race.

Twenty-seven (27) sleds began the two-man bobsled race. There were a few crashes, but no one was hurt badly (thank you LORD for answering the prayer for safety!). All of those who crashed were disappointed though.

Pray that all of the athletes who are believers (and there are several bobsledders who are believers - praise God!) will be bold witnesses for Christ, whether they did well today or had a difficult day. May their hope in HIM lead to words of thanks to HIM in interviews and personal conversations. And may GOD be glorified tomorrow as the two-man bobsled finals take place.

I had the chance to watch the start of the bobsled race with John's mom and sister, and then they moved down to the finish line later on. I stayed behind and chatted with the others who were there. My knowledge of bobsledding (I'm constantly learning!) led into great conversations about all sorts of things - including my job in Lake Placid as the volunteer "chief of acetone control" during bobsled races, and chances to be a witness for Christ too.

It was nice to see how the volunteers at the bobsled venue handled two situations when there were bobsled crashes. In the first situation a spectator from the country that crashed was very broken emotionally. I think one of the athletes in the sled was his son. The volunteer came over and comforted him, asking if he wanted to get quickly to the finish line where his son was. It was very compassionate and caring. In another instance, the mother of one of the bobsledders was shaken up when her son crashed, and the volunteers immediately called for a shuttle to get her and her daughter down to see her son where he was, to see for herself that he was fine. Those stories won't make the headlines, but they are nice, personal touches that happen throughout the Games.

There are some friends from the Canadian National Baptist Convention who are in town for a couple of days, and I got to meet them last night. Also, a friend named Sid Hopkins from the Gwinett-Metro Baptist Association in GA (the county I grew up in!) is staying at the house with us for a couple of nights. Sid is highlighted in some of the videos and articles produced by the North American Mission Board about ministry at the Olympics. He is the master "pin-trader" (he must have a million pins!) and he uses pin-trading to witness for Christ. Here is a cool connection: my very first ministry job was as a part-part-part time children's minister at a church plant in Dacula, GA that Sid helped to get started! We go back 20 years, and it's been great to see him here.

Tomorrow is another day to set apart Jesus as Lord, letting Him set the agenda for my day, and following Him where He leads. I will be praying for my family and for our church family back in NY as they gather to worship and study His Word. I will be worshiping inside the Village with some of the athletes, volunteers and chaplains.

My prayer is that God will continue to use all of His people (people like the Christian bobsledders, people like Sid, people like us chaplains) to display hope so that we will have chances to witness for Christ, and that we would do it ALWAYS with gentleness and respect. May we share His Word - the Good News of Christ - with others.

Skeleton Finals

2010-02-20T02:27:00.005-05:00

Tonight I had the privilege of watching the second day of the skeleton races (the Finals) with my friend Matthew, a Christian chaplain from Australia, and Lindsay, one of the coordinators in our Multi-Faith Centre. We watched the women's and men's races with Adam Pengilly's fiancee, Ruth; her mum, Pat; and Chris, the man who will be the best man at their wedding this summer. We also saw Adam's parents and their friends. And, I bumped into a lot more Lake Placid friends. It was great.

The races were exciting. The crowd was huge. The cowbells were clanging. The air was crisp and clear. Congratulations to Amy Williams from Great Britain and Jon Montgomery from Canada for winning gold in skeleton! As you might imagine, it was pretty loud being in Canada with a Canadian-filled crowd when a Canadian man won the gold medal.

While we were walking and talking, Chris shared with me that he was born again in Washington, DC. It's always great to hear someone's story of how they came to faith in Christ.

Earlier in the day, Matthew and I had a great conversation in our Multi-Faith Centre with the imam who had come in for Friday prayer times. He asked us many questions, and we gave Bible-saturated answers filled with truth, faith, forgiveness, grace, authority, love and hope.

His biggest question related to how it was possible for us to follow the teachings of the prophets in the Bible since the Bible is clear that the prophets were not perfect people. The answer is that the very reason we CAN trust the Bible is because the Bible is clear that only Jesus was perfect. The Bible describes how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things when they put their trust in Him.

We believe that the Bible is the TRUTH and can be trusted to present things absolutely truthfully. Therefore the Bible doesn't gloss over the sins of any individual. Only God is the hero of the Bible. We learn from the examples in the Bible (sometime we learn what to do, sometimes what not to do), and we follow the clear teachings of Scripture. God's Word can be trusted. It will give you the answers to every question you have in life and eternity!

There were a bit of other conversations throughout the day, of course, including two great Skype calls: one with my dad in GA and one to my family in NY. Although Grant had already departed for the Adirondack Baptist Association youth ski night at Titus Mountain in Malone, NY, I did get to talk to Kim, Andy & Emma Grace. I called them from one of the lobbies where a computer company has set up a couple dozen computers with video cams so the athletes can all call their families via Skype too. I turned my laptop around so my family could see me AND see the athletes calling back to Germany, Russia, etc while we were talking. Ah, the age of modern communication does have its blessings.

Have a blessed day. Saturday the bobsled races begin. All for GOD's glory.

A Day with Athletes' Families

2010-02-19T02:47:00.005-05:00

Today I had some great fun watching Olympic events with the families of some of the athletes we have connections with in Lake Placid.

The day started with a meeting with Teresa over breakfast, encouraging her as she continues to be a light for Christ in her role here in Whistler. Her boyfriend Jeremiah (from Holyfire Ministries) had asked me to give her a high-five the next time I saw her, so I did and we captured it on a photo. I haven't seen the photo yet.

As soon as I was leaving my meeting with Teresa, I got a call from Wynn. He was excited to tell me that he was going to be racing today! (Remember, Wynn was the alternate for the US biathlon team, so he didn't know if he was going to get to race at all.) I quickly re-arranged my morning schedule and jumped on a bus to the biathlon race.

On the bus, I sat with a delightful elderly lady from Canada. We talked about life in Canada, about the beauty of creation, about the Olympics, about challenges facing young people today, about salvation, and more.

On the way into the race, I met some guys who were volunteers for the event. They were excited to learn that I was a chaplain during the Games because they are part of a Christian ministry in British Columbia.

I got to the biathlon race in time to see the end of the women's race, and to see the men's race. I met and spent time talking with Wynn's family (from Minnesota) and his girlfriend. Wynn did great, and everyone was very proud of him.

Sara competed in the women's race, and she had an outstanding race! I had the chance to meet her parents, and also to spend quite a bit of time talking with her boyfriend Zach Hall. I know Zach from the Athletes Bible Study in Lake Placid. He is a world-class biathlete himself, and he graciously explained the rules and strategy of biathlon to me. I really learned a lot.

At the end of the biathlon race, I ran back to the bus and traveled back into town. I jumped off the bus, worked my way quickly through the village, grabbed a bite to eat to go from Starbucks, and met up with Adam Pengilly's fiancee, Ruth, along with both of their families & some of their close friends to watch the skeleton race. I saw lots of Lake Placid friends at the race, and everyone cheered all of the athletes on. The racing was very exciting. The women's race was first, and then the men's. All of the athletes are competing well and giving it their all. After the first two heats of the men's race, Adam is in 20th. Tomorrow will be heats 3 & 4.

During the race I met some new friends with Athletes in Action ministry. It was good meeting Tim, Danny & Mike.

In summary, today was a great day to be with the families and friends of the athletes. The common bond of Lake Placid helps us to feel close. The common bond of Christ makes us feel even closer!

Telling the Story of How Great God Is

2010-02-18T01:05:00.003-05:00

Today I had the morning shift at the Athletes Village. Each day I either have the morning shift (8:00 AM - 3:00 PM) or the afternoon shift (2:00-9:00 PM). Even when I'm not "on duty" I try to head over to the Athletes Village for an hour or two to connect with some of the athletes.

It's a blessing to realize that six athletes with connections to our Athletes Bible Study in Lake Placid have made it to the Olympics this year: Adam Pengilly (skeleton), Elana Meyers (bobsled), Erin Pac (bobsled), John Napier (bobsled), Sara Studebaker (biathlon), and Wynn Roberts (biathlon).

We are proud of all of these athletes, not just for their athletic accomplishments but also their faith in God. Be praying that God will work in each of their lives during the Games.

Since I had the morning shift at the Athletes Village, I was able to connect with many people there. And then I had the chance to go to the Men's Doubles Luge race tonight with Kevin Sigsby and Janet Campbell from More Than Gold. It was a great race.

A friend of mine, Steve Sellers, is another one of the chaplains at the Whistler Athletes Village. He is the pastor of an SBC church in Canmore, Alberta and the chaplain at the National Sports Center in Calgary. He is a world-class cross-country skier. He even coached the cross-country team from Costa Rica in the last Olympics (yep, Costa Rica!). Anyway, if you'd like to check out Steve's perspective on the ministry during the Games, check out his blog: http://stevesolympicblog.blogspot.com/.

Lastly, Adam Miller from the North American Mission Board wrote a nice article about the ministry in Whistler. Here's a link to it: "The Light is Bright in Whistler."

And, I guess you saw the video below... "God at the Games."

More Than Gold update

2010-02-18T00:53:00.002-05:00

In addition to the ministry that I am part of, there are other Christian ministries going on in Vancouver and Whistler. Here's a recent update from one of the "More Than Gold" leaders Janet Campbell:

This is a very brief update on what is going on here. We are in the middle of “week one” with 25 Baptist teams (plus some individuals) in addition to those of the other denominations and organizations. We have had some glitches and problems, but overall things are going very well and we are hearing story after story of the fruit of your prayers…. we have heard of several people who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour as a result of the witness of volunteers at the transit stations!

Often the More Than Gold pin has been the conversation-starter. People are very appreciative of the free hot drinks and there have been great conversations and relationships forged. Some of our volunteers are helping out at performing arts concerts and some are doing “as you go” ministry – literally walking around downtown talking with people, giving and collecting pins, and so on. The volunteers are excited and God is opening doors for them.

Please continue to pray for this. Also pray for safe and un-delayed travel to and from Vancouver for mission teams, and for their health and stamina.

Thank you SO much for your prayers for both of us. We definitely could not do this without God’s grace and strength. We have been blessed with many excellent helpers this past week – they have come specifically to assist us as we coordinate logistics and orientations for all of the teams.

Video: God at the Games

2010-02-18T00:44:00.001-05:00

Encouragement

2010-02-17T01:33:00.003-05:00

OK, let's get to some of today's highlights:

I met with a young lady from our church named Teresa this morning. Teresa says "hi" to everyone back in Lake Placid! She works for the USOC (United States Olympic Committee), and although we have both been here for 10 days, today is the first day our schedules allowed us to see each other. She is doing well in her role of helping to support the USA athletes, their families, media, coaches, etc.

Later on in the morning I met with Tim Ellsworth from BP Sports. He's writing articles on many of the Olympic athletes who are followers of Christ. Check out his articles at www.bpsports.net. We had a great chat, and then he talked with some of the mission teams who are here in Whistler doing ministry during the Games.

At about lunchtime I headed over to the Athletes Village for some important work: SHOPPING!! I got some great Olympic souvenirs for my family. I can't wait to see their faces when I get back home to deliver them. I love my family and wish they were here with me. That's probably about the only thing that could make this experience even better.

In the afternoon I spent some time with John Napier. We watched some luge on TV, chatted a bit, and played some pool. I almost beat him in 2 out of 3 in pool, but I scratched going for the eight-ball on the last game! We had a good time hanging out as always. It's great to hear about all that the Lord is doing in his life.

A worker in the village who is a Christian and who is from a country in South America stopped by the Multi-Faith Centre today. He just needed a place to be quiet and pray. The folks like him who have come from other nations to work during the Olympics are living in crowded conditions, with no peace and quiet, and are working very long hours (like the volunteers!). I prayed with him, then left him alone to spend some quiet time with the Lord.

For dinner, I ate in "heaven" -- the athlete's cafeteria. I call it "heaven" because compared to the volunteer cafeteria it seems like heaven. Maybe in heaven we will be able to eat all that we want, whatever we want, and never have to worry about gaining weight! I had dinner with Erin Pac and some of the other US athletes. A cool thing that Erin and her teammates do is intentionally sit with athletes from different nations every meal to get to know them and to be an encouragement to them. Tonight we talked with an athlete from Croatia who is in her first Olympics.

During Bible study tonight we discussed Philippians 4:5-9. It was another great Bible study.

Racing | Walking | Riding

2010-02-16T02:23:00.004-05:00

Walking is a great form of transportation. Buses compliment walking. Or maybe walking compliments buses. Here's how we got from our host home to the venue to watch the Cross Country Ski Race this morning.

10 minutes - walk from host home to bus stop on Main St in downtown Whistler Village
5 minutes - wait on #10 bus to take us to the Athletes Village
10 minutes - ride bus to Athletes Village
10 minutes - go through security checkpoints at Athletes Village
5 minutes - walk from last security checkpoint to Multi-Faith Centre
10 minutes - check-in at Multi-Faith Centre, make sure everything is fine, realize that we need to meet our other friend who is going with us at a bus stop back in town
5 minutes - walk back to security checkpoints
10 minutes - go back out through security
10 minutes - take the #10 bus back to Main St in downtown Whistler Village
5 minutes - take the shuttle bus from Main St to other bus area, near gondolas (as instructed by our bus driver)
10 minutes - walk from gondola bus area to parking Lot #5, where we met our friend and caught the bus to the Cross Country Ski Complex
30 minutes - bus ride to Cross Country Ski Complex
15 minutes - walking/running to the Cross Country Ski Race

TOTAL TIME = 135 minutes (2 hours, 15 minutes) from the time we left our house until we arrived at the Cross Country Ski Complex.

It's not easy getting around during the Olympics. But that's part of the fun - big crowds, switching buses, lots of walking, talking to people on the bus rides, etc. And just to give a comparison: on a normal day in Whistler you could drive from our host home to the Cross Country Ski Complex in less than 30 minutes.

There is a funny part of our adventure today. The Lot #5 is only a 5-minute walk from our host home. Had we realized at the start of the day that we were going to that Lot, we could have eliminated 85 minutes of walking and riding! Next time we will consult the bus route map!

The cross country ski race was exciting. Great enthusiasm from the fans, everyone getting along wonderfully, kids sliding down hills of snow (not even realizing the Olympics were going on). It was the Ladies 15k race and then the Men's. Two of our chaplains have competed at the highest level (World Cup for one of them, Olympics for the other) so they really appreciated getting to see the race in person. I was just thinking about how tired I was from 135 minutes of bus riding and walking! A guy they call "Q," the youth pastor of Bethany Baptist Church (McDonough, GA) was able to join us. We all had a great time. Maybe you saw us on TV? We were at the 7k mark of the race.

After the race, we went back to work inside the Village. We had a great time chatting with the chaplains from the other faiths that we are sharing worship space with in the Multi-Faith Centre, and then chatting with the gentleman who will be the head chaplain for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. I met some college students from the University of South Carolina (go SEC!) who are at the Olympics as part of an internship. Throughout the afternoon and evening, many people came in to sign the book of condolences that will be sent to Nodar's family. Late in the evening, two athletes came by just checking out the Multi-Faith Centre. They said they'd like to come back another time to join us for Bible study.

During the early evening, one of the other chaplains (Steve) and I spent some time in prayer, asking God to move in powerful ways in the hearts and lives of athletes, meeting their needs, drawing them to Himself, helping them to do their best, protecting them, and letting the Christian athletes' faith in Christ shine brightly.

Bible study tonight was on Galatians 6:2, about helping to carry each other's burdens. We ended by praying for Sara as she gets ready for her biathlon race tomorrow.

I caught up with the mission team from GA at the host home tonight. When I asked them, "How was your day?" the first thing they said was,"We walked forever!" Sounds like every day at the Olympics!

Connecting

2010-02-15T01:39:00.009-05:00

This morning, our worship service at the Athletes Village included people from Canada, Australia, Great Britain, the USA, Norway, and two volunteers (I'm not sure what nations they were from). There was great music, the Lord's Supper, prayer time (including prayers of comfort for the friends and family of Nodar), and a great sermon from Joshua 1:9 by our chaplain from Norway. God spoke in powerful ways.

After morning worship it was great to hang out with my friend Adam. He loves Christ and it's always encouraging to spend some time with him. He is a skeleton athlete from Great Britain. Yesterday my friends John, Erin and Elana (USA bobsled) arrived and we spent some time talking and catching up. It's been a while since I've seen a lot of these guys, and it's great to see and hear how God has been at work in their lives.

Tonight, we worshiped at an ecumenical worship service in Whistler Village, at the Canada House. They opened up the Canada House for three local Whistler churches - Church on the Mountain, Our Lady of the Mountains, and the Whistler Village Church. Also, folks the Norwegian Church who are in town for the Olympics were there, as well as several of us from the USA. And, the chaplain for the Austrian team led one of the prayers. It was a very Christ-exalting worship service. There were prayers, songs, and a sermon by Chad - the pastor of Church on the Mountain - about "Connecting" (from John 17:20-23). There was a great time of greeting/fellowship/passing-the-peace/connecting right in the middle of the service.

In the middle of the day, I was (finally!) able to locate the Lake Placid Friendship House (you can find it on Facebook) inside the downtown Whistler Village. I kept asking everyone where it was but no one seemed to know. It was great to find it and connect with some Lake Placid friends. I look forward to checking in there from time-to-time to see everyone. I'm having a great time promoting Lake Placid while I've been here.

During the day I was able to talk to my beautiful wife Kim several times! Thanks to the LORD for cell phones and free mobile-to-mobile. Here's a funny story: the first time I was on the phone with Kim to tell her "Happy Valentine's Day" I was standing in the entry way to our Multi-Faith Centre. Just as I said, "Hey baby, happy Valentine's Day!" a 60-something sweet little lady walked in to the Multi-Faith Centre. She thought I was talking to her (she didn't notice my cell phone, I guess) and said "Thank you" to me! All of our chaplains were rolling with laughter in the floor. One chaplain said that it was the highlight of the Olympics for him so far.

Also during the day, some guys from Atlanta (Chip, Matt & Adam) and I spent some time shooting a video downtown. And, my friend Jeff Wagner came up from Vancouver and we spent some time at Starbucks and around the village.

I've enjoyed spending time with friends from the Georgia Baptist Convention and meeting new friends from Bethany Baptist Church (McDonough, GA) who are in town doing some encouraging ministries around town. We are all staying in a big house together.

The competitions at the venues went well today. Keep praying for the athletes, that they will do their best, be safe, have great attitudes no matter if they win or lose, and that God will draw people to Himself.

I have posted a few pictures of my time in Whistler on my Facebook page, if you'd like to see them. And, make sure to check out the videos about Lyndon Rush and Elana Meyers on my Facbook page.

Aaron's Blessing

2010-02-14T03:03:00.006-05:00

Two times today the same Scripture was given to me. Once was when I was reading the Bible early this morning out on the deck that overlooks the athletes transport area, where we pray for the athletes as they leave each morning to go to their training and competitions. The other time was when one of our chaplains shared it with our group during morning Bible study. It was Numbers 6:24-26.

Aaron's blessing to the Israelites is what I am praying for everyone involved in the Winter Olympics. I am also praying this for my family. And I am praying this for our church family.

Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

24 "The Lord bless you
and keep you;

25 the Lord make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

26 the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace."'

Re-read the prayer a couple of times, or more. Focus on each word. Pray it. Claim it as a promise for your life. Let God bless you so that you can be a blessing to others.

No Person Is Just a Number

2010-02-13T02:02:00.005-05:00

Today began with walking to the bus stop in the main village of Whistler to catch the #10 bus which takes us volunteers to the Olympic Village, a few kilometers away. Praying as I was walking, I prayed for my family, the day of ministry ahead, and other things. When I arrived at the Olympic Village I grabbed a cup of coffee and read from the Scriptures. I read a couple of chapters from the book of Numbers.

It is tempting to read through Numbers and not notice the names of people throughout the book. If you're American you probably have a hard time pronouncing many of them (I know I do). It's tempting to scan through the pages and think, "OK, that's important for someone, but not sure how those verses apply to me."

Let me suggest one way they apply to you.

God knew the name of each one of those people. They were not a number to him. They were a person who had worth. They were a person with a soul. They were a person who knew how to love and to be loved. And He loved them so much that He invited them to follow Him and to be their God.

God knows your name.

God loves you with an everlasting love. God sent His Son Jesus to die a cruel death upon a cross to pay the penalty for your sin. Jesus rose from the dead to prove that He is God, and that He can give us eternal life. He offers salvation to those who will trust in Him for salvation.

Do you believe this? It's true.

Today at the Olympics there was a terrible tragedy. A luge athlete named Nodar Kumaritashvili died in an accident on a training run at the luge track in Whistler. The accident occurred only a few hours before the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.

First of all, won't you join me in prayer for Nodar's family, friends, teammates, coaches, and all of those affected by this tragedy?

Second, won't you join me in praying for each of the athletes who are competing in this year's Winter Olympics? God loves each one of them, and He wants to be their Savior and Lord.

Third, won't you join me in praying for us chaplains as we minister, and listen, and pray, and share, and love, and show mercy during the rest of these Olympics?

No person is just a number to God. He knows each person by name.

Let's Celebrate & Let's Pray

2010-02-12T01:44:00.012-05:00

LET'S CELEBRATE

* I met with two men today who are pastors in Whistler. Praise God for how the Lord is using Pastors Tim and Chad and their churches to reach all kinds of people for Christ. May God use them to not only share the gospel with their village but also for years to come to be part of what God is doing to draw winter sports athletes from all over the world to faith in Jesus, and to encourage Christian athletes to courageously follow Christ.

* Praise! The nightly Bible study inside the Olympic Village at Whistler continues to grow.

* We continue to have great "God-chats" with volunteers, staff, athletes, coaches and people we meet inside and outside the Village.

* The Opening Ceremonies are on Friday night. Congratulations to all of the Olympians!

LET'S PRAY

If you haven't started praying yet for God's will and work to be done during the Winter Olympics, don't feel condemned - just start praying today.

* Pray for snow!

* This 2-minute video will help you to know some of the ways to pray.

Read the related article here: "Baptist to be Olympic Chaplain"

Putting GOD First

2010-02-11T02:28:00.006-05:00

God is drawing people to Himself. The growing excitement of the upcoming Opening Ceremonies and the first few days of competitions are causing people to think about what are the most important things. And commandment #1 (found in Exodus 20) could be stated simply "Put God first." God deserves to be #1 in our lives because it is His rightful place AND it is best for us!

Athletes continue to arrive in the Village. They are settling into their routines for each day: exercise, training, meals, rest, visiting with family & friends, media obligations, etc. Today was a 2-hour media day inside the village so you should be able to find many stories about the Whistler Village online now.

Here are a couple of them:

"Whistler Village Serves Up Free Burgers and Wii"
"Inter-faith chaplaincy plays role at Games"

Our Multi-Faith Centre continues to provide rooms for people of any religion to practice their faith. Here's one way to think about the value of the Multi-Faith Centre: inside the Village are many athletes, coaches and others who would like to go to church, synagague, mosque, or temple, but they either can't get there or don't know where to go. The Multi-Faith Centre provides several rooms so that multiple groups could be worshiping, praying, etc at the same time. Sort of like going down a street in your town and there being a Catholic church, an interdenominational Christian church, a Jewish synagogue, a mosque, a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple all on the same street. That's the idea.

We Christian chaplains continue to connect with people God brings our way as we go throughout the Village each day. Some are friends who we have known for years and it's great to see them here and to be a spiritual encouragement to them. Others are new friends that we are just meeting. Even riding on the multiple buses each day to get from Point A to Point B - or grabbing a cup of coffee - provides opportunities to talk with people, to hear their stories, and to share the good news of Christ with them. Our Bible studies continue to grow. Keep praying.

A big prayer request would be for snowy, colder weather. It's pretty mild and today was a bit rainy. Vancouver and Whistler could use some snow. The weather is in the LORD's hands. Let's call on His name.

Thanks for continuing to pray. I appreciate the comments you leave on Facebook or on this blog page.

Putting GOD first...

Deeply Committed to Christ

2010-02-10T02:33:00.004-05:00

Q: What do you call it when sports chaplains from Norway, Austria, Canada, Russia, Australia, and the United States are all together in one room?

A: It's either a corny joke or it must be the Olympics!

;-)

The men and women I am serving with as chaplains are deeply committed to Christ. They have strong faith in Jesus, are grounded in the Bible, and have lives that have been transformed by the gospel. They have a desire to minister to athletes, volunteers, coaches... everyone. It is quite encouraging to realize how God is at work through sports ministry all over the world. It is quite a privilege from the Lord to be here in Whistler serving as a chaplain during the Games.

Continue to pray for the athletes. One athlete received news that his grandfather - who has been gravely ill - passed away yesterday. Many athletes are battling injuries. Some are battling the flu. All are trying to stay focused on the task at hand - their competitions - with lots of distractions all around. The Christian athletes are seeking to be a witness for Christ through everything they do and say.

Pray for God to draw people to Himself.

Continue to pray for all those who are participating in the activities surrounding the Games: bus drivers, volunteers, security, food staff, cleaning staff, officials, spectators, venue staff, and media, just to name a few. Pray for God to impact lives and to reveal Himself as the one who died to redeem us all, and who offers salvation to all who will put their trust in Him.

A few final thoughts and prayer requests from today:

I was excited to hear from one of the chaplains what the Lord is doing in Norway through sports ministry and outreach. I want to hear more and to learn from him.

Pray that the Lord will guide our steps in the Village each day, that we chaplains will be exactly where the Lord wants us to be at all times, ready to minister in His name.

Every day brings new conversations, new challenges, new opportunities. Pray that in our hearts we believers will set apart Jesus as Lord, and that we will be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks us to give a reason for the hope that we have, and that we will do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).

Eight (8) Blessings of Today

2010-02-09T02:03:00.006-05:00

#8 - Meeting a worker at Starbucks in Whistler Village who is a believer in Christ, who is just in town for the Olympics (they need extra staff during the Games), and who is looking for a church to attend while she is in town. I was able to recommend two to her: Whistler Community Church and The Church on the Mountain.

#7 - Walking around the Olympic Village with my new friend, Pastor Matthew, a chaplain from Australia, as we introduced ourselves and our chaplaincy ministry to several nations. Word is beginning to get out about the ministry. God is drawing people to Himself.

#6 - Venti Starbucks dark roast coffee.

#5 - Listening to some great Christ-honoring Christian rock music on my headphones while riding the bus from the Village (the downtown Whistler Village) to the Olympic Village (a few kilometers away). Newsboys and some other great artists always pump me up.

#4 - Getting a surprise phone call from a US Athlete who made the Olympic biathlon team. He made the team and I didn't even know it. He attends our church and Bible study when he is in Lake Placid. Great job, Wynn! It was great to see him, to have dinner together, and to attend Bible study together tonight. Also, here's a cool "it's a small world" God-connection too: one of the chaplains from Austria (Joerg) recently met a pastor from the USA who told him that one of the US biathlon athletes who is a Christian is dating his neice, and that the US athlete knows me. Yep, it's Wynn. And I just met the chaplain from Austria three days ago.

#3 - A good start to our nightly Bible studies. A few chaplains and a couple of athletes were in attendance, but many of the athletes who we know are believers still haven't arrived in Whistler yet. Charis (pronounced "chair-iss") led a great discussion on John 11:1-16. A great talk about how God's love compels Him to do things in His timing not in ours, and how He always knows what is best and when to do it. And, to discuss how we die to self and walk with Him in the light because of our LOVE for HIM (not to earn His favor, not to earn earthly rewards, etc).

#2 - A great chat with my host family tonight, about wood stoves, about how they are caring for the wife's aging mother (her mum is 99 years old!), about ministry to athletes, showing them the "Life In The Fast Lane" video (see previous blogs), about faith in Christ, and more. They are a blessing to me.

#1 - Getting to talk to my beautiful wife and kids AND to see them via Skype today. It was good to see them. I wish they were here with me!

Super Sunday

2010-02-08T01:48:00.006-05:00

Sunday began with a good breakfast of apple pooridge, Chinese tea, orange slices, coffee, hard-boiled egg and water with my host family. Then we walked about a half hour to church. This walk helped me get my bearings about how Whistler is laid out. Worshiping at Whistler Community Church was great. It was my first time worshiping at a Mennonite Brethren church. The church currently meets at a school gym for worship services. The worship team led songs very familiar to me (although they sang them in Canadian English!) and Pastor Tim preached a great sermon from Matthew 5:43-48. I look forward to connecting with Pastor Tim later on so we can fellowship and encourage each other. You know, both of us are pastors in resort areas with great ski mountains, bobsled tracks, etc, so we have a lot in common.

One blessing at church was meeting a few other folks who are serving in various areas during the Games. Some were local to Whistler and some were from out of town like me. Another blessing was to hear that their church is mobilizing people to pray during the Games.

In the afternoon, as many chaplains as humanly possible and our backpacks plus a bit of other luggage (one of our chaplains from Austria has been waiting for the airline to bring his lost luggage up) piled into a small van/SUV and headed to Vancouver, a 2 hour drive.

To my American friends: apparently no one informed our team leader of chaplains - a Canadian - that the Super Bowl was being played on Sunday afternoon, February 7. Our meeting began at the same time as the Super Bowl. In all fairness - he did apologize to us for the schedulig conflict!

Our meeting was great, getting to connect with all of the Christian chaplains who are serving at the two different Athletes Villages. This is the only time we will all be together, and the only time those of us serving at Whistler will meet those serving at the Vancouver Village.

Chaplains are here from Canada, Australia, Russia, Norway, Austria, Great Britain, and the USA, serving as part of the Multi-Faith Centre. We are also hearing that some other nations - Germany, for instance - are bringing chaplains with them, concentrating on ministry to their teams. As we sat around at dinner, we were sharing with each other about athletes we know who are on fire for Christ. It was powerful and encouraging to hear that many of these chaplains know a handful of winter sports athletes from various nations who are believers in Jesus. One guy remarked, "It sounds like there's a mini-revival going on among the winter sports athletes." Hmmm. That's what we are praying for!

Thanks for praying!

PS. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for winning the Super Bowl. I am a proud alumni of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary! I hear it was an exciting game to watch.

First Day at the Village

2010-02-07T01:54:00.007-05:00

On Friday evening, my flight arrived in Vancouver, a bit late but not too much. My friend Kevin picked me up at the airport, he in his red St. Louis Cardinals hat and me in my NY Yankees hat. Kevin drove me through Vancouver on the way to my Friday night host home. The drive went through some of the streets of the downtown areas, and people were out and about, just like most cities of the world on a Friday night. A city full of people who need to know the hope of salvation found only in Jesus Christ.

My host family on Friday night was a wonderful family who live in North Vancouver, which is separated by an inlet from Vancouver. This wonderful Christian family includes dad, mom, six daughters and one son. They hosted me and a doctor from GA on Friday night. The doctor is also in town to help out at the Whistler Village; he on the medical team. We had pancakes for breakfast, served with pure Canadian maple syrup. During the Olympics, this family will be hosting a team of folks from a church in GA one week and a team from MS the next, both of which are partnering with More Than Gold provide "Radical Hospitality" during the Olympics.

I had a chance to talk with Kim, Emma Grace and Maria (Kim's sister) on the phone today. It was wonderful to talk with them!

After breakfast, I was driven to the building where I picked up my accredidation/credentials. There I also connected with three other chaplains - one from Canada, one from Australia, and one from Austria - and we headed up to Whistler, about a 2-hour drive on the "Sea to Sky" highway. The skies were clear, so we had beautiful views along the winding road. When we arrived in Whistler, we met my host family for the next week, a delightful couple (the Lam's). We had a quick bite to eat, and then we chaplains went to the Whistler Olympic Village to begin serving.

We went through the proper security/screening procedures, and then directly to the building that includes the rooms set aside for spiritual purposes, the "Multi-Faith Centre." Written into the International Olympic Committee's charter is that each Olympics will determine how to provide religious services for the five major religions of the world - Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. So I am here as one of the chaplains to represent Christ and to be His ambassador. We toured the village, met various other volunteers and staff, ate dinner, followed by a time of Bible study and prayer. Some of the nations have begun arriving. The opening ceremonies are less than a week away.

Tomorrow I am worshiping with the Lams at their church, then off to Vancouver to meet up with all of the other chaplains (from both the Vancouver Olympic Village and the Whistler Olympic Village) for a big orientation/training meeting.

Thanks for praying!

On the Road to the Olympics

2010-02-05T05:42:00.004-05:00

Today I am leaving for a three-week (plus a couple of days) trip to the Vancouver Olympics to serve as a chaplain at the Whistler Village. My flights today go from Saranac Lake to Boston to Dallas to Vancouver. May this day of travel be a blessed day indeed, and may I have many opportunities to make God famous. Here are some of my prayer requests related to ministry to the Olympics:

* Safety for everyone (athletes, spectators, coaches, officials, volunteers, mission teams, everyone)

* For Christians to display the love of Christ in everything we do and everything we say

* For the good news of Jesus to be shared with people from all over the world

* For people to be receptive to the gospel

* For local churches in Vancouver and Whistler to be blessed and to be a blessing to athletes and others (starting now, and for years to come!)

* For God to keep watch over my family while I am away

* For God to bless our church family while I am away

Here are some stories in various media about my oppportunity to serve as a chaplain at the Olympics.

"Local Pastors to Help Out at the Olympics" -- http://bit.ly/7OsPyR
"Derek Spain ministers to Winter Sports Athletes" -- http://bit.ly/97M9qW
"Life in the Fast Lane" -- see video in yesterday's blog

I will keep you updated via Facebook and Twitter on how I see God at work each day, and how you can pray. Thanks for praying!

Life in the Fast Lane

2010-02-04T15:26:00.004-05:00

North Country Ministries FAQ's

2010-01-30T14:47:00.002-05:00

“Why are you volunteering at this event?”
We get asked this question at just about every event at which we serve. The short answer is this: Jesus Christ came on this earth as a servant, and we want to serve people as well. Jesus showed love, compassion, hope and joy in all that He did, and we want to do that as well. Jesus has changed our lives, giving us eternal life and abundant life, and we want other people to know Him. To put it simply: we love God, we love people, and we love sports. Go to this link to learn more about having a personal relationship with Jesus: www.thekristo.com.

“Why are you guys having such a great time?”
Our ministry volunteers are often found serving with smiles on their faces and with great attitudes. Like everyone else, our ministry volunteers have tough days, tragedies in life, problems big and small, and other issues, not to mention the challenges they face while serving at events. The difference between our volunteers and many people is this: we have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and He has changed our lives! As the Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, old things are passed away, behold all things become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) In other words, knowing Jesus personally will so radically change your life that even on your bad days you can still smile, knowing that He has your life under control. Your old self can become brand new in Christ.

“How can I know that I am going to heaven?”
This question is the most important question a person will ever ask here on earth. The answer is found in Jesus Christ. It is not found in being religious, doing good things, or even just believing facts about God or Jesus. The answer is found in having a personal relationship with Jesus. You can begin a relationship with Jesus right now. Click HERE to find out how.

“Can the Bible help me with this situation I am going through?”
The Bible has answers to deal with every issue you face in life. No problem or decision is too big or too small for God. If you would like to know what the Bible says about a particular situation you are facing, click on this link: www.biblegateway.com.

“How can I be part of the North Country Ministries team?”
You can serve with us through North Country Ministries at any of our events, whether you are an individual or part of a mission team, whether you live in the Adirondacks or anywhere else in the world. You can even serve with us whether you belong to a church or not. To get involved, send us an email or call us to get signed up.

“What kind of training does NCM provide?”
Before all of our ministry events, we provide a time of training. We want you to be prepared for what you will be doing, to learn from those who have served at previous events, and to be able to ask any pertinent questions. The training is usually the day before the event, although sometimes the training comes on the day of the event. There is also more extensive training that NCM provides at various workshops throughout the year. Contact us for more information on these.

How can we do similar ministry events in our area?”
If you served with us at NCM (or even if you didn’t), you can impact your community in similar ways. We would love to help you share Christ’s love wherever you live. If you live in New York, Derek Spain is the contact person who can help you to develop similar ministries through your church or association in your area, so contact him directly at 518-523-2008 or dgspain@msn.com. He is the resort evangelism strategist for the Baptist Convention of New York, serving in the Evangelism Division.

If you live in another state, then he can help to get in touch with the right people to organize, equip and train you to lead these types of ministry events. We can even provide you with training materials, ideas and other helpful information. There is a wonderful national organization known as the Association of Resort & Leisure Ministers to that can help. We are part of this group. Their website is www.arlm.org.

Nicaragua Mission Trip - January 2010

2010-01-19T22:13:00.002-05:00

In January 2010, a team of 22 people from 7 different churches in 3 different states traveled to Masaya, Nicaragua to partner with the Primero Iglesia Bautista (PIB) Emanuel of Masaya on various ministry and evangelism projects. We built homes, shared the gospel with people in their homes, ministered to teens and children, and were part of an amazing Youth Crusade. God really moved.

Altogether, there were 206 people who made professions of faith in Jesus Christ! And another 83 people rededicated their lives to Jesus Christ publicly.

On our church Prayer Blog, we posted reports of each day's events. Click here to go the first report, then find the others in the Jan 2010 archives on the Prayer Blog.

One of our team members put together a video to introduce our team members and show a glimpse of our ministries. Click here to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StyiQjiwLh0. Another video will be coming soon to give an even better picture of our ministry there.

We praise God for His salvation, for our brothers & sisters in Christ in Nicaragua, and for how God is at work around the world. While we were in Nicaragua, we heard about the earthquake in Haiti, but we didn't realize how devastating it was until we returned to the states. The earthquake shows how important it is to tell every person you meet that they need to be prepared to step into eternity, and the only way to heaven is by trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!

Four Things That I Learned From Luke 4:14-15 That I Am Praying For Every Community

2010-01-07T00:09:00.008-05:00

The other day I was reading Luke 4, and verses 14 and 15 really jumped out at me in cool ways. They talk about Jesus returning to the Galilee region, not too long after He was victorious over the temptations of the devil.

Luke 4:14-15 (HCSB) 14 Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread throughout the entire vicinity. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, being acclaimed by everyone.

Here are four things that I learned from that Scripture that I am praying for every community. I am praying this for every community that God brings to mind: Lake Placid; communities throughout the Adirondacks; Masaya, Nicaragua; Whistler, British Columbia; Jerusalem, Israel; many, many more.

1. I am praying that the power of the Holy Spirit will be displayed. Notice the first part of verse 14. Jesus was definitely filled with (controlled by) the Holy Spirit. One of the ways you see the Holy Spirit displayed in Luke 4 is by Jesus overcoming EVERY temptation the devil throws at Him. What if every believer realized that in Christ and because of Christ they can overcome EVERY temptation the devil throws at them? Also, you see the power of the Holy Spirit at work in Jesus' understanding of who He was, and what the Bible says about Him. He then obeyed God and ministered to people through the power of the Holy Spirit. Oh God, let your Holy Spirit be on display in every community!

2. I am praying that the news about Jesus will spread everywhere. Notice the second part of verse 14. You know, when the Holy Spirit begins empowering people to overcome temptations and to minister to others in His power, that good news will spread. And Jesus will become famous. What if that happened in your community? What if you were at the check-out line and you overheard two people you've never met talking about the amazing things Jesus was doing in your community? Believe that it can happen!

3. I am praying that the Bible will be taught to those who will listen. Look at the first part of verse 15. Jesus taught in the synagogues. The people there came expecting to hear the Bible read. As I see it, there are many people all around us who are interested in spiritual things, and they would love to study the Bible. Let's teach it to them. They are hungry for spiritual truth. Let's hold Bible studies not just at churches but also in coffee shops, restaurants, homes, ice skating rinks, wherever people will come to them. I am praying this will happen more and more.

4. I am praying that Jesus will be glorified. In the HCSB version of the Bible, it says in verse 15 that Jesus was acclaimed by the people. The word translated "acclaimed" can also be translated "glorified." Now, some people soonafter they glorified decided that they wanted to change their minds about who He was. But verse 15 is clear (and so are the verses that follow) that there were many who glorified Him. Even though many people reject Jesus as the Messiah, I am praying that God will break through their cold hearts and that they will see who Jesus really is - the one who came to save us from our sins!

If you'd like to hear the audio version of this message, click here: http://www.lpbaptist.org/4thingsilearnedfromluke4.mp3

What Is Your Evangelism Style?

2009-12-30T20:41:00.009-05:00

THE HOPE THAT YOU HAVE
God calls every believer in Christ to tell others the good news that Jesus came to save people from their sin.

One of my favorite verses in all the Bible is 1 Peter 3:15: "In your hearts set apart Jesus as Lord. And always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Notice three quick things about this verse.

1. You must have it settled in your heart that Jesus is Lord. He is not only Lord over all, but for you to be saved He must be Lord of your life. And if He is your Lord, then He is your boss. If He is your Lord, then that means you have been forgiven & set free from your sin - you have been saved - you are born again!

2. If you truly know Jesus as Lord, you will display hope, and people will notice it. They will ask you about this hope. And you will have an opportunity to witness for Christ.

3. The way you witness for Christ must be with gentleness and respect. Too many people witness for Christ with arguments and/or condemnation. That is not gentleness or respect.

SIX EVANGELISM STYLES
In the course of your lifetime, you will probably be a witness for Christ in all of the ways listed below. But some will come more naturally than others, based on how God has wired you. And some will need to be utilized depending on who you are talking to about Christ. These are not in any order, but here are six evangelism styles:

Confrontational - Those who use a confrontational style of evangelism are very bold witnesses for Christ. The apostle Peter was this kind of witness when he preached in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

Intellectual - Those who witness intellectually always study and give an appopriate response using facts, logic, reason, and Scripture. In modern-day times, apologists include Lee Strobel, Ravi Zacharias, and Josh McDowell, among others. In the Bible you see the apostle Paul giving a defense of the faith many times.

Testimonial - When you give your testimony, you are sharing with others how Jesus has changed your life. You are telling how He has forgiven you, changed you, given you peace & joy, guaranteed you a home in heaven, and so much more! The blind man who was healed at the pool of Siloam went and told others that Jesus had given him sight. Later when he realized that it was Jesus who had healed him, he confessed Jesus as Lord!

Conversational - For some people, engaging people in conversations is as natural as breathing. They see opportunities everyone to talk to people about God. This is the way Jesus was when He used everyday events and objects (birds, mountains, fields, flowers, banquets) to talk to people about the kingdom of God.

Invitational - At times the best thing we can do is to invite someone to come with us to see for themselves what Jesus is doing, and what He says. The woman at the well did this when she invited her entire town of Samaria to "come and see" this man she had met, the one who knew everything about her yet showed her love and compassion just the same. Some people will respond wonderfully if you invite them to attend a Christian concert or Bible study or worship service. Keep inviting!

Service - Jesus said that the greatest among His followers would be the one who was the servant of all. Jesus served people by meeting real needs, thereby displaying the love and compassion of God. There are simple, everyday ways you can serve others. At times there are great opportunities to serve people in big ways. Whenever you serve others, give all the glory to God!

CONCLUSION
As we consider these various evangelism styles, we should be encouraged. We should be encouraged that God can use us to lead people to Jesus. We should be encouraged that the salvation of others is not totally dependent on our persuasive words or techniques. We should be encouraged that God's Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of people, drawing them to Christ. Our job is to be faithful in every situation, sharing Christ in one (or more!) of the ways explained above, and leaving the results to God. And don't forget to pray for the people that God gives you the privilege of witnessing to. Pray is a powerful weapon.

May God bless you as you witness to others about Christ. To Him be the glory!

A Twenty-Dollar Blessing

2009-12-15T13:32:00.003-05:00

How can you be a blessing to others, and possibly open up opportunities for the gospel to go forward? Check out this true story. It happened in Lake Placid, NY in fall 2009 and was passed along to me. The "man" in the story is an athlete who is deeply devoted to Christ. Here is the first-hand account:

A Twenty-Dollar Blessing

October 7, 2009 a man walks into the store.

“Do you have any gift cards?” The man asked pleasantly and yet skeptical. “Yeah, all these right here are our gift cards.” I replied, trying to hide the slight tone of annoyance in my voice as I pointed to all the gift cards right in front of him. Little did I know, I was about to be a part of an awesome blessing.

“If you could put twenty dollars on this and I will also get a Grande Americano, too, please,” the man said pleasantly, while handing me the gift card. “Okay," I replied. "Would you like a card holder for it?” “Naw, I’m good. But if you could just use this card for the next people coming in until it runs out.”

I looked at him puzzled and assumed the people coming in next were relatives. However, when the next couple came in, that was not what occurred.

“Two Grande coffees please,” the older man said. “Okay, you’re all set.” I said back. The man looked at me curiously, then glanced at his wife, confused about the situation he looked back at me shaking his head saying, “What?”

“You’re all set,” I said smiling. “That gentleman over there got your coffees.” They both looked at each other, glanced at the guy who paid for their coffees and said, “We don’t know that guy.”

My mouth kind of dropped because I thought I gave the wrong people the free drinks. I looked back at the man who gave the card and he was shaking his head as if I did it right. After the couple received their coffee, I then asked if he wanted the card back and he repeated, “No, just keep using it until it’s gone.”

I finally realized that he was buying these strangers coffee.

“I know it’s weird but someone did it for me once and now I am just passing on the blessing.” The man said as he picked up his drink and started heading towards to condiment bar.

The first couple that received the blessing went up to the man who was at the condiment bar and said, “Thank you”. His reply was, “You're welcome, have a great day and God bless.” My heart sank because of my previous attitude towards this nice man and he was giving God glory amidst it all. Needless to say some repenting was done for my ‘stinking thinking.’

I had a blast draining the card for each individual. It was a blessing for me to watch the surprise sweep across their faces when I said they were all set and hadn’t even taken any money out of their wallets. A few costumers were suspicious that someone else would do something so nice, for no reason, for nothing in return, and for a complete stranger.

It didn’t stop there either. This simple act of kindness opened a door for me to witness to my co-worker about God. We talked about how hard it is for people to receive something free such as a simple cup of coffee or as big as Jesus Christ who died and suffered for us. We talked about Jesus and His return and how the world is showing many signs that it is going to be soon; and it is better to be prepared than to be left in wonder about where we will go for eternity. We talked about how God isn’t religious but people make Him some sort of traditional religious act, instead of a relationship; which results in people being unable to differentiate truth from imagination.

A simple twenty dollars that the man gave not only blessed a few people with a free cup of coffee but an opportunity to win a soul for Christ.

Only twenty dollars.

____________________

True story written by: Ellysia Blinn

How Leaders Think

2009-12-07T21:29:00.015-05:00

A few years ago I heard an audio message entitled "How Leaders Think" by John Maxwell, noted speaker/author/pastor whose specialty is leadership. I've thought of that message often.
Recently I shared with the athletes at the Athletes Bible Study in Lake Placid a series of Bible studies with the same title. What follows is a summary of our Bible studies. I hope they help you to think like Christ, to think like a leader, to be a great leader for Christ.

1. Leaders think BIG. When the armies of Israel looked at the giant Goliath they saw a man too huge to defeat. When the young boy David looked through the eyes of faith and confidence in himself and in God, David saw a giant who was too big to miss. David knew what it was to Believe In God. That's thinking BIG.

2. Leaders think about other people. One of my favorite John Maxwell quotes is, "He who thinketh he leadeth and no one followeth - he is just taking a walk." If no one is following you, then you are not leading. And leaders think about those who follow them. Just like the Good Samaritan, leaders take their time, resources and energy to help others, sometimes risking their own safety and security to help others.

3. Leaders have focused thinking. With the Egyptian army behind him, a raging Red Sea in front of him, and a complaining group of followers all around him, Moses focused on what he knew God called him to do: stand in obedience and see the salvation of the Lord. The result? All of the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry land, and their enemy perished in the sea. The ability to stay focused in the midst of tremendous distractions is an important quality of a leader.

4. Leaders think creatively. When you notice the diversity and creativity in God's creation, you should be amazed. Whether you're looking through a telescope or a microscope, God's creativity is jaw-dropping. The colors, the shapes, the systems, the list could go on and on. When we studied this lesson, we had fun. And Christian leaders should unleash the creativity within them (that God put there) to find wonderful solutions to complex problems and to bring more beauty to the world.

5. Leaders have realistic thinking. Like Jesus said, if you're going to build a tower you better make sure you count the cost of building. Because if you don't, when you are half finished, people willl come by and ridicule you. And if you're going to war, you better make sure you can defeat the enemy even if you are outnumbered. A Christian leader acts on faith, yes, but he also is connected to reality. Leaders think realistically.

6. Leaders think strategically. Gideon was the runt of the runt litter, leadership wise. He was the smallest of the smallest clan of the people of Israel. Yet when God called him to lead the people to overcome their enemy, the Midianites, Gideon devised a plan (given to him by the Lord) that included torches, clay jars and shofars. The result was that their enemy was shocked, turned on each other, some fled, and the rest lay dead. God's plan for Gideon and the army was strategic. And it was incredibly successful.

7. Leaders think success is possible. They really believe. Their faith inspires others. They look at the mountains and really believe they can be moved. They look at obstacles and believe they can be overcome. They look at Jesus and walk on the water, just like Peter did. Leaders always see the glass as half-full. Because it is.

8. Leaders have reflective thinking. The Psalms are filled with words to reflect on, to memorize, to meditate on. Leaders follow the examples of the Psalmists and reflect on God, on His Word, and on the events of life. Jesus Himself took time early in the morning to get alone with God and pray. Leaders know the discipline of silence, solitude and reflective thinking. This is where some of the most amazing ideas come from - ask any inventor.

9. Leaders question popular thinking. The way is wide that leads to destruction and there are many that find it. The way is narrow that leads to life and there are few that find it. Leaders notice which way the crowd is going, and don't just go along. Christian leaders realize that the way of Christ may be hard, but it is always the right way to go. It's the only way that leads to life.

10. Leaders think with others. Christian leaders know that there is wisdom with a group of counselors, and they surround themselves with godly friends. They know that "iron sharpens iron," and so they seek to strengthen themselves by surrounding themselves with sharp thinkers. They don't presume to have all of the answers. They bounce ideas off of godly people - friends, mentors, pastors, others.

11. Leaders think unselfishly. They know that God put them on the planet to help others. They think about how their life can make a difference in the lives of others. They know what Jesus meant when He said, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Leaders are willing to serve others, to help them succeed, to help everyone do their best. Without neglecting their own responsibilities to be their best, leaders find ways to unselfishly help others.

12. Leaders think bottom line. The bottom line means "success." For a Christian leader, success means having a pure heart, seeking first the kingdom of God, making the one goal of their life to be pursuing the prize God has set before them - eternal life. Therefore they are seeking their entire life to be successful in God's eyes. Everything they do is for the glory of God, to expand God's kingdom, to show their love for Him.

A Tender Plant

2009-12-04T14:33:00.002-05:00

He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground.—Isaiah 53:2

The coming of Jesus was like a tender plant in the midst of a parched ground. Parched ground offers little hope for survival; it is dry and too hardened to allow most plants to penetrate its crust. Yet Jesus was prophesied as a tender plant that would break through the hostile soil and overcome the dry and lifeless environment in order to bring life.

When Jesus was born, His people were hardened to God's Word. There is no written record of God's having spoken to His people for four hundred years. The religious leaders of Jesus' day had studied and memorized the Scriptures, but the words were lifeless to them. So hostile had they become to the truth that when God's Son came to them, they killed Him. Nevertheless, despite the enmity of the people, Jesus brought life to all who believed in Him.

Jesus is capable of bringing life to any person, society, or culture no matter how hardened or hostile they have become to the gospel. Even the most calloused sinner will discover that Jesus knows how to penetrate the heart and bring life where there was only bitterness. The work of Jesus in a person's life may seem fragile at first, but like the mustard seed, it will eventually grow into something strong.

As you pray for someone you care about, don't be discouraged if this person has not responded to Jesus. Just as a tender plant finds a way to grow in a hard and unreceptive environment, so the love of Jesus has the ability to emerge in a life that seems completely unresponsive.

(From Experiencing God Day by Day: A Devotional and Journal)

All For GOD's Glory

Tested by Praise??

Redefining Success

Laying It On The Line

Making a Mark

No Pain, No Gain

Going the Distance

Lasting Legacies

"Do Not Be Afraid," says the Lord. "I Have Big Plans for You."

Preparing for the Presence of God

Mary Should Be Honored, But Not Worshiped

Pushing Through

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

Good Habits

Being There | Ministering to Winter Sports Athletes from Around the World

2010 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering Challenge: "Are We There Yet?"

"Are We There Yet?" Music Video by Rick Heil of SONICFLOOd

Willing to Forgive

The Passionate Pursuit of Excellence

The Spirit of Excellence

Excellence: The Big Win

Excellence, Part 1

No Week Is Ever The Same - And Some Are More Different Than Others

Mission To Nicaragua 2011

The God of our Salvation

Atonement Q & A

The Unsearchable Riches of Christ

Filled With Awe

Ironman 2010 by Paul Buff

God-Given Goals

Banquets and Next Year's Race

Clarifying God

Pancakes & IronPrayer

Theophanies

Serving at Ironman

Geoffrey Smith: Rock climbing and ski pioneer

No One Is Excluded

God Has Blessed America

Infinite Treasury

Faith in the Sandbox

Building for Eternity

BUILDING FOR ETERNITY

Luke 14:28 (HCSB) 28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

Walking With God, Like Enoch

God's Storehouse

What Does It Mean To Be A Follower Of Jesus Christ?

CBN News: Olympic Chaplain Reaches Out To Athletes

Top 21 Things I Will Remember About the Olympics

Closing out the Games

Perseverance

God's Plans

More Than Gold - Update

Medals Ceremony

Women's Bobsled Finals

Praying for Protection and Blessing

Jesus Christ Superstar

Two-Man Bobsled Finals

May God Be Glorified Though His Creation, His People and His Word

Skeleton Finals

A Day with Athletes' Families

Telling the Story of How Great God Is

More Than Gold update

Video: God at the Games

Encouragement

Racing | Walking | Riding

Connecting

Aaron's Blessing

No Person Is Just a Number

Let's Celebrate & Let's Pray

Putting GOD First

Deeply Committed to Christ

Eight (8) Blessings of Today

Super Sunday

First Day at the Village

On the Road to the Olympics

Life in the Fast Lane

North Country Ministries FAQ's

Nicaragua Mission Trip - January 2010

Four Things That I Learned From Luke 4:14-15 That I Am Praying For Every Community

What Is Your Evangelism Style?

Luke 14:28 (HCSB)
²⁸“For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?