March 1, 2015

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:57

I never went into a baseball game thinking we wouldn't win but imagine knowing that you have already won!

How would you play the game if the victory had already been secured?

I would play to have fun! 

I would play for the love of the game!

I would play to improve my skills and increase my confidence!

I would play to enjoy the fellowship with my team mates!

In other words, I would play the game for all the right reasons!

Isn't that how we should live our lives as Christians since God's Word guarantees us that He has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ?

Just as we forget baseball is a game and games are meant to be fun, we tend to forget that the Christian life is meant to be lived with joy!

Can you imagine how much impact our Christian faith would have in our weary world if Christians lived in the joy of the victory God has given us through Christ?

What could happen if we had faith like winners?

What could happen if we prayed like winners?

What could happen if we fellowshipped like winners?

What could happen if we worshipped like winners?

What could happen if we witnessed like winners?

Don't you think our faith might be more winning?

You are a winner you know!

Why not play like it today?

Why not enjoy your faith?

February 28, 2015

This is the fourth of four great goals for those who submit to God’s pattern in the Home Run life.

#1 – God loves you more than you will ever know!

“I pray that our of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

#2 – There is more to God than you will ever know!

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

#3 – God has put more into you than you will ever know!

“and know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

#4 – God has more for you than you will ever know

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Let me ask you this, “Do you think you will get more out of life if you submit to the pattern of God’s Home Run life?”

I know I have!

I’m sure you would as well.

Looking back at my years of playing baseball I believe I got everything out of my experience given the talent I had and the background I came out of. I have no regrets and many memories. I’m thankful I was given the opportunity to play at the college level.

At the end of my ministry a I pray that I will be able to say the same! If I am to have any chance of that happening it will be because I have chosen to submit to the Home Run life!

What about you?

But even if I were to execute the Home Run life perfectly by connecting with God every time I came to the plate and by touching each of the bases exactly right allowing me to experience the fullness of His love and power, even then I would only know a portion of His greatness!

My God is too great to fully know in one lifetime! That is why He has given me eternity!

One thousand years into eternity, there will still be more to be revealed to me by my God. One million years or a billion years will not be enough to fully grasp the glory of my God!

So, while it is true that God has more for me than I will ever know I will get a chance to know it because I submitted to His pattern for living as illustrated by the Home Run life!

Are you in the game?

Are you playing according to His pattern?

If not, you have no idea what you’re missing!

February 27, 2015

This morning is the third of four great goals for those who submit to God’s pattern in the Home Run life.

#1 – God loves you more than you will ever know!

“I pray that our of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

#2 – There is more to God than you will ever know!

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

#3 – God has put more into you than you will ever know!

“and know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

How do you know when you are filled with the measure of the fullness of God’s love that He has put within your spirit by His Spirit?

In baseball, the measure of the ability a player has is this, “can he hit the curve ball?”

If you can’t hit a curve ball your potential in baseball is limited to the lower levels of play.

One of the first times I faced a curve ball was in middle school when I went against Stan Frantz. Stan played for South Whitley and was one of those kids who had matured faster than most. He stood on the mound a head taller than the rest of us with well-formed muscles and the shadow of a beard. His fastball had enough speed that he really didn’t need to throw the curve ball. But he did. He tied me in knots.

Stan Frantz forced me to learn how to hit a curve ball, even though I had little success with his. He exposed a weakness and challenged to get better. Through that process he led me to discover that I had what it took to hit a curve ball.

Fast forward nine years. I was a senior in college playing baseball for Indiana Wesleyan against our rival, Taylor University. It was the bottom of the seventh. The score was tied. We had a runner on first when I came to the plate for what I knew would be my last at bat in my college career.

Guess who was on the mound? Yep, Stan Frantz! He looked exactly the same as he did in eighth grade! I knew he didn’t recognize me because I was much bigger and stronger than when I last faced him. Besides, he had no reason to remember me since I had never caused him any concern.

I worked the count to a full count, three balls and two strikes. Having two strikes on me with a man on base I knew what he would throw – the vaunted curve. And this time I was ready for it because I had learned how to keep my hands back and wait on it. I went with it off the outside of the plate, caught it on the fat part of the bat and ripped a slicing line drive down the right field line. As I rounded second base I saw my team mate cross the plate with the winning run and I looked over my left shoulder to see the right fielder just getting to the ball. Those were two very thrilling sights! But the image that is burned on my mind to this day is Stan Frantz walking dejectedly toward his dugout!

I realized at that moment that I had gotten much better and he hadn’t! But I also knew that he was the one who had forced me to improve.

Applying that story to the truth of this Scripture, God will allow life to throw you some curve balls at you to help you understand two things: where you need to get better and to discover the grace He has put in you to get stronger.

In the Home Run life, you will face curve balls at every base, not just at home plate. That is because God wants you to grow in your character, in community and in competence.

You may never know all that God has put into you, but if you submit to His pattern in the Home Run life you will know that it is more than enough!

February 26, 2015

^“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  Ephesians 3:14-20

Yesterday I talked about the truth that God loves you more than you can ever know.

Today’s truth, also found in this great portion of Scripture, THERE IS MORE TO GOD THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW!

Just as you will never know God’s love unless you live according to His pattern, neither can you get to know Him unless you are living in close connection with Him.

When I began to play baseball I didn’t know much about it nor did I know if I’d like it. The main reason I tried baseball was because I thought it might make my dad more interested in me. Also, my buddies were all trying out for little league so I decided I would give it a try.

By the way, my dad made it to just one game during my entire baseball career.

So, my reasons for getting into baseball didn’t have much to do with baseball. But once I began playing it I found out there was so much more to it than I ever imagined! I enjoyed every practice and every game I ever participated in. I loved the competition. I loved the feeling when I swung the bat and connected with the pitch! I loved the feeling when I caught the ball. I loved the comradery with teammates. I loved the challenges of the various situations during the game. I still miss playing the game.

In the same way, people often come to God for less than ideal reasons. Usually they have been running the bases the wrong way and find themselves in a mess. When they come to God they just want Him to help them out of the mess. And, once they connect with Him and begin running the bases according to His pattern, He does straighten things out.

But in the process they discover God is so much more than what they expected! The longer they play by His pattern the better He gets!

The Home Run life is a life that allows God to love you and to constantly and continually reveal His grace, His mercy, His peace, His strength, His power, His presence, His holiness, His hope and the unsearchable riches He has available in Christ Jesus. You come to realize that He is so great that through all eternity He will still be able to reveal new aspects of His nature!

Yes, there is more to God than you will ever know. But you never know that until you stop running the bases backward, connect with Him and begin living according to His pattern.

February 25, 2015

Spring training started last week at FredWes!

I put on the old ball glove and went over the ground rules for the Home Run life and we used a Hall-of-Famer, Joseph, to illustrate how it plays out.

When you play the game according to God’s pattern you have no idea how good it can get!

That’s what Paul tells the believers at Ephesus.

^“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  Ephesians 3:14-20

God loves you more than you will ever know!

Until you submit to God’s pattern you will never know His love. Even then you will need to stay connected and touch all the bases. You will never find this love if you are running the bases backward.

Home plate is where you connect with God! That connection allows you to know His love. Until you make that connection you will never know the joy of His love.

Once you have a meaningful faith connection with God you can move to first base.  First base is where His love grows in you and shapes your personal character.

Second base is where knowing God’s love and growing in His love allows you to show His love to others. I was introduced to God’s love through people who were second base people and knew how to show God’s love. Perhaps you were, too.

Third base is results base where you begin to see the harvest from sowing the seeds of His love.

When you play according to His pattern you will know His love in increasing measure.

Connect at Home Plate and know His love.

First base is where you can grow in His love.

Second base is where you show the love you know.

Third base is where you growing in love and you showing His love results in others knowing His love.

Then you head back home to connect to His love at deeper level!

The goal of the Home Run life is to live your life according to His pattern so you can experience the fullness of His great love, the fellowship of His great love and the fruit resulting from His great love!

February 24, 2015

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will."  Romans 12:1-2

There are two patterns referred to in this well-known Scripture.

The pattern of the world is mentioned but in contrast to God's pattern.

As I introduced in yesterday's message (listen to it on www.fredwes.com) baseball has a familiar and well-defined pattern as designed by its creator, Abner Doubleday. In order to score a run the batter must connect with the ball and advance around the bases in order and return to home plate.

If you hit the ball and run to across the diamond to second base, you are out!

If you hit the ball and run to first, round the base and head toward third, you are out!

If you hit the ball and run to third base, you are out!

Anything done apart from the pattern demanded by the rules of the game will result in the batter being called out.

If you are going to play baseball you must play according to the pattern prescribed by the rules.

In the same way, if you want to win with God you must play according to his pattern! To play according to God's pattern you must break from the pattern of the world.

The pattern of this world, which is the pattern programmed in the human nature is to run the bases backwards. Another name for the human nature is the “sinful nature”. This nature is sinful precisely because it rebels against God’s pattern.

In the message yesterday, using the story of Joseph, I outlined God’s pattern for spiritual development. Home plate is the connection base. It is at home plate where you connect with God by faith and discover His purpose and power for your life. Like baseball, everything begins and ends at home plate. First base is the character base. After you connect with God’s purpose and power, He will go to work on your personal character. Second base is the community base. Connecting with God at home and developing your character at first prepares you to win with others. Third base is the competency base where you win results. Rounding third base brings you back to home.

The Home Run life is the life that is connected to God and touching all the bases according to His pattern. Everyone can have this life but very few do. Only those who break free from the pattern of this world can experience the Home Run life!

Which pattern runs your life?

T

February 23, 2015

"Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody."  Romans 12:17

When the writer of Romans penned these words I think he assumed that his readers would know what evil is. Nowadays that may not be the case.

Is evil a noun or is it a verb?

There is much confusion over that these days. Is evil something that is done by you or to you or is evil something you are? Is it a dark and powerful personal force within you or is it the harmful and hurtful things you do? That confusion contributes to many of our problems in our world today.

If we are going to overcome evil, obviously we must have a clear and actual understanding of what evil is.

A study of the whole 12th chapter will give you a good concept of what evil is.

V.1 - Evil is refusing to surrender your sinful nature to Christ.

V. 2 - Evil is conforming to the "world" or the "cosmos" in your thinking and your values.
          Evil is not desiring the will of God.

V. 3 - 8 - Evil is failing or refusing to serve God with your gifts and talents.

V. 9 - 13 - Evil is self-seeking and despising others.

V. 14- 20 - Evil is being conceited, spiteful and retaliatory toward those who disagree with you.

You will either overcome evil or it will overcome you. And until you deal with the evil that controls your nature, you will be overcome by evil.

So, evil is a noun.

It is a nature that dwells in you from the time of your birth. Being born evil you are also born separated from God. And that spiritual separation from God is the essence of your evil.

But, evil is also a verb!

It is because of the evil that dwells in you, evil guides your thoughts and decisions. Evil thoughts breed evil attitudes that are expressed in evil actions.

God calls you to be delivered from evil. You can choose to allow Him to deliver you and cleanse you from evil.

Or, you can be overcome by evil. Which will  it be today?