Saturday, February 21, 2015

February 22, 2015

"I am come that you may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

Everyone wants to enjoy a Home Run life.

That means everyone wants success, someone, self-respect and significance.

Significance comes when you connect with God at home plate. That happens when you win dependence on God.

Spiritual growth is counter-intuitive to human development. You began your life full dependent upon your parents. But as you grew into your adolescent and young adult years your parents allowed you to become increasingly independent. However, as a Christian, God wants you to repent of your independence and become fully dependent upon Him. That is winning dependence.

Winning dependence on God and finding significance allows you to advance to first base. At first base the win is within.

First base is the character base where your dependence upon God begins to shape your character and be reflected in your conduct. Winning within results in self-respect.

Finding significance and self-respect prepares you to move to second base where you can begin learning how win with others.

You were never intended to live life alone. God created you with a need for Him but He also wired you to need others. So just as you need to learn live in relationship with God you must also learn to connect with others.

Winning dependence in God at home plate, and winning within at first base, and winning with others prepares you to move on to third base.

Third base is the success base where you learn to win results.

Having rounded the bases you can head home with greater significance.

That's the Home Run life! That's the life that wins!










February 21, 2015

"I am come that you might have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10

We have identified four felt needs everyone wants to have met. Let's integrate those into our baseball scenario.

Let's relate the need for significance with home plate since it is the most significant of all the bases. Everything in baseball begins and ends at home plate. Home plate is were a batter goes to connect with the ball. Home plate is where a runner has to cross in order to score a run. Nothing significant happens in a baseball game unless a connection happens at home plate. Game after game and season after season the connections must continue to happen.

Spiritually, everything begins when you connect with God. Nothing significant can happen until you connect with Him through faith in Christ. That spiritual faith connection must continue day after day for your life to have significance.

In baseball when you connect with the ball you run to first base. You can't score on first base but neither can you score without getting to first base. Connecting with the ball and arriving safely at first base is called a hit. It feels good to get a hit. If you get more hits than outs you will earn the respect of your manager and your team mates.

First base in our spiritual analogy is the Self-respect base. Developing a connection with God introduces His grace into your life along with His, peace and joy. Those supernatural changes alone will get you to first base in the development of your personal character.

When you get to second base in baseball you are halfway home. You can get home from second if a team mate gets a hit.

In terms of spiritual development, second base is the Someone base. Once you have connected with God and learned to respect yourself, it is time to learn to love others. Faith was never intended to be lived alone but in community with other believers. The connection you each have with God enables you to connect with each other.

Getting to third base means you are in the home stretch on the baseball diamond. It is a measure of success. Making it to third is the result of doing things right. You connected for a hit and advanced around the bases.

Spiritually, third base is the Success base. You have arrived there by developing learning to love God, love yourself and others. Those are the things God created you and called you to do! When you are successful in those crucial areas a lot of other good things happen. 

Rounding third gets you back to home plate for the score! 

In the spiritual sense, the score is finding greater significance by running the bases and playing the game God's way!

Each time you round the bases your relationships get richer and your respect grows and your results increase!

That is the Home Run life! That is the way that wins! That is what we will be studying between now and Easter!

Batter up!