"Game Clock"

When I was in high school I watched as my classmates made it all the way to the state finals.  With the clock running down and them down by one touchdown, they methodically drove until they were within striking distance.  However, the clock ran out before they could get into the endzone.  The criticism that they received after the game stemmed from their lack of time management.  Feeling as if they had plenty of time, they wasted some.  But, when all was said and done, they missed the opportunity of a lifetime.  The way that the team approached the clock is the same way than many live their lives.  Many live self-absorbed pursuing instant gratification thinking that after they have had their fun, they will make better choices driven by an eternal perspective.  However, that doesn’t work. Whether you want to admit it or not, everyone of us gets closer to eternity each day.  And, the decisions that we make, the way that we live our lives, and how we approach Christ determines what happens to us when our time runs out.  We can either invest our lives in knowing and purposefully living for him. or we can waste time living selfishly.  I encourage you to take advantage of the time that you have.  God is waiting to reveal himself to you and to help you discover your destiny.  Don’t make him wait too long!

"God The Me First Responder"

Me first doesn’t seem so bad when you are four and you want all of the goodies before everyone else.  But how does it fit at 14 or 24 or 34? Me first looses it’s cuteness the older we get.  Let’s face it, we may not say it right out but we live it.  On a freeway we Me First our way all the way to work.  We Me First our way through the check out line with a full cart, even though we could let someone else go first with only one item.  We even ruin our most intimate relationships with Me First.  Are we really getting ahead and going up, or is there a better way to live?  Jesus said that the first shall be last and the last shall be first.   He was trying to tell us that contrary to Me First, putting others first is a secret to happier and more fulfilling life.  If you’re thinking, “Ya Right.” Think Again.  How different would your life be if those around you started living in a “You First” lifestyle/ Everyone in your life would be pouring into your life instead of taking out of it?  How different will your relationships be if you start responding “You First?”  I think you just might appreciate the outcome if you became to experiment with the “You First” mentality today