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ONLINE CHURCH BULLETIN
"Playing Backwards" Philippians 3.13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan talked about this style of play after the Jazz defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game one of their first-round playoff series on Saturday. It is the immature style that each professional athlete must discard in order to be successful. He praised Jazz guard John Stockton as one of the players who consistently plays forward. He was talking about the ability of the compact veteran to hear the trash talk or catch an elbow in the face and continue to focus on the game, the task at hand. The great players consistently play in the present without permitting the opponent to cause them to lose their focus. We can learn something from the pros. When life gives you a bloody nose, it is time to clean up, stop the bleeding and get back in the game. When the officials fail to call the flagrant foul against you, you can get mad or you can get your mind back in the game. Paul played forward. 2 Corinthians 11.24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. He continued to focus on his mission, the Great Commission. Life's lashes and Satan's devices did not distract him. Dear Father, we are so grateful for the good news of Christ. Please forgive us for playing backwards. We want to be like Paul, to continue to press toward heaven. Help us to keep our focus today as we share the character and words of Christ with others. Help those who are hurting. We ask this in the name of Christ, the Beloved. Amen 1 John 5.14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. Only God can know HOW our prayers WORK but we believe HE answers. Please write me to add names to the prayer list and to report changes in status. .Let us be thankful and prayerful! |
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