1 Corinthians 13 for Coaches

Though I can fire up my team and get them to give their all, but not care for WHO they are and WHO they will be, I might as well just run my fingernails over the chalkboard.

And if I can see what will happen on the field or court, and understand every play, and I coach them to a winning season, but have not love for my players, I am nothing.

Even if I give all of my time and strength to the team, and surrender my personal best ... all for the glory of the win, but not live to model how God loves my players and those we play against, I have gained nothing.

As as coach I must teach and model patience and kindness. To never envy those that play better or explode in jealousy over our loss and their win. To never boast or taunt when we win. Nor strut around and mock those we play against.

I am to show my team how not to be conceited and stuffed with pride; to not be rude or get a stuffed head. To not insist that we are always right and the calls must go our way; to not seek what is best only for yourself. And when the play falls apart, the call goes against you, and you or your teammate messes up; you just get up and keep going. You don't fret or hate. You don't take account of what just happened. You get up, you learn, and you keep going.

I will never celebrate the bad call or cheating that "goes our way". I will be glad, and even cheer, when our wrongs are corrected.

I will strive to coach in such a way that my players can stand up under anything. To take off the fields and courts a life that will seek the best in people, know that endurance will yield results, and that they can endure the trials of life.

Loving and seeking the best for my players will never fail. I will soon not know what to do, nor see what play is best, nor even know what to tell my team just to keep them going. Why? Because I'm weak and only have limited abilities. So I will rather rely on God. And He alone is perfect.

As a player I wanted to be cared about. To be encouraged. To improve. To get stronger. Now that I'm the coach I desire those same things for my players. Yet, I also know how much more there is than the game and soon I will be gone from their lives.

By one thing only do I want to be known. Love. That each player, parent, and coach can feel it, hear it, and experience it.

There is ability, that is good. There is hard work, that is better. And there is Love, that is the greatest.

In Memory

There are events that you hope to burn into memory.

I watched one of those moments this weekend. I was with my father-in-law when we went to pick up his mom from the nursing home with his father. Grandma doesn't remember much anymore and Grandpa lives at home alone now. It hasn't been many years since Grandpa could easily out work me stacking hay bales or Grandma would be making lemonade for us as we worked on their roof. But, not this day.

This day Grandma is sitting in a chair staring at the TV in the Alzheimers ward at the home. I don't know if she is watching or just looking. And this day I walk slowly with Grandpa as he shuffles along the hot sidewalk and then up the stairs to go visit.

Her son leans down to ask her if she wants to go with us to visit the graveyards this Memorial Day weekend. It takes a couple times for him to get Grandma to look him in the eye before she quietly says yes. As she answers, her voice sounds a lot like my daughter, her first great-grandchild. Though it is a little more timid and quiet than my daughter talks today. Grandpa scolds us a bit about going to fast and talking to much. He says that it scares her when we do that. Grandpa takes off his hat and bends down with difficulty to look her in the eye. He asks her if she recognizes him. She says yes, but also says "you look different".

Ever so slowly her son and husband get her to stand and start walking with us. It takes about twenty feet before we realize we didn't get her shoes on yet. Not a good start for walking across a hot sidewalk on a calm and sunny day. I grab a chair for her and we have Grandma sit back down so the nurse can put on her sandels for us. As we wait for the nurse to come back from her room with the sandels I get to just stand and watch.

Grandma looks over and sees Grandpas hand. He is leaning against the wall and waiting with his arm loose at his side. Shakily she reaches out and grabs his hand and pulls it to her. Holding his hand now she brings it to her lips for a gentle kiss.

I smile and look up at Grandpa. He has an amazing look on his face as he watches her and then looks to me. In his eyes and in his smile I can see true love.

Goal Number 1 is DONE!

I finished listening to the entire bible a couple of weeks ago. It just took me this long to finish writing the posts and thinking about the sections themselves.

102 days to listen to the entire bible.

Total Time ... 74 Hours 28 Minutes and 8 Seconds.

It takes 3 sessions a day at about 15 minutes a shot.

Praise God for the ESV translation and especially for the online api they created for people to use. It is an amazing resource to use and I encourage more people to do so.

You can listen to the entire bible like I was trying, 3 times a day. Or you can listen once a day and cover the entire bible in 306 days. Just jump back to Day 1 :)

Personally it has been a wonderful journey. My wife asked what all I've learned from this. And I really can't just answer that. What I've learned is far more than what I wrote on each of the days. I've learned more about the Word while listening and reading than I have ever had by just reading. I've been convicted by the Word before, but while hearing the Word that conviction was much deeper upon my soul. At times I had to just stop and morn for the things that were pressed upon my heart.

And covering the entire bible in about 100 days has really thrust upon me how connected God's message is for us. The Old Testament isn't meant to be separate from the New Testament. So often in the past I would read a few verses and think hard about them. But, by covering them all like this ... I can better see God's plan for our walk together. How to be a better husband, a better father, and a better man.

Deuteronomy 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

- mark

Day 102

As You Rise ... Zechariah 9-14

Chapter 9 in mp3
Chapter 10 in mp3
Chapter 11 in mp3
Chapter 12 in mp3
Chapter 13 in mp3
Chapter 14 in mp3

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

One way to find the truth is to look at what Satan and the world hates. They hate the humble. They hate and mock those that live in the right. They hate Christ.

So it shouldn't be any surprise that a savior coming humbly is mocked by the world. The world loves the arrogant. The world loves the proud. So the world puts them up above the rest of us.

And yet the world is still self hating. And with glee rips apart those they had lifted up and throws them broken upon the ground. Only to replace them with the next arrogant and proud man.

Christ came humbly to show us how to live. So reject the world's way and follow Christ's example.

As You Walk By The Way ... Malachi 1-4

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 4 in mp3

But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.

I love the visualization of God melting down my soul, my very being.

Through the fire of hard times, His Word, and whatever He brings into my path I see Him working at the forge. Melting me down again and again. Slowing burning off the impurities until all that is left is what is best for His design.

My sins are cast far from me. He no longer holds them against me for Christ has born the punishment. But, I don't get keep those impurities within my soul. They must be removed for we must be forged for His purpose.

So again and again you will be melted down.

Praise the LORD.

When You Lie Down ... Revelation 20-22

Chapter 20 in mp3
Chapter 21 in mp3
Chapter 22 in mp3

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”

And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!



Amen. Come, LORD Jesus, Come.

Day 101

As You Rise ... Zephaniah 1-3, Haggai 1-2

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3

They shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue.

With my tongue I prove myself a hypocrite. With my tongue I curse and hate those that are made in God's image. With my tongue all of who I am is defiled.

O to finally bridle my tongue. I yearn for the time when finally we shall do no injustice, speak no lies and our tongues are finally pure.

As You Walk By The Way ... Zechariah 1-8

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 4 in mp3
Chapter 5 in mp3
Chapter 6 in mp3
Chapter 7 in mp3
Chapter 8 in mp3

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Want to know how to control your tongue? Guess what ... you can't do it. No matter what self-help plans you go though you can not control your own tongue.

Only God can help you with that. So let God transform you.

Focus on Him alone and you will gain wisdom. For what fills your heart will flow from your mouth. Do not fill your heart with the things of the world. Fill your heart with the LORD and let Him bridle your tongue for you.

When You Lie Down ... Revelation 16-19

Chapter 16 in mp3
Chapter 17 in mp3
Chapter 18 in mp3
Chapter 19 in mp3

And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.

Evil consuming evil. I find it rather amazing that the command of "do what you want" is so self-destructive. People making moral choices based on what they feel is right is a rather short path to hatred and destruction.

Just consider Babylon ( the prostitute/women from the above verses ). Eventually those that are entirely dependent upon her will turn and utterly destroy her. To their own misery.

There is only one good thing: God. Everything outside of His will leads to destruction, self-hate, and chaos. It is easy to see this in those that walk their own path. Following God isn't about rules that keep you from doing what you want. It is about the freedom to live and to love as God made us to do.

Day 100

As You Rise ... Micah 6-7

Chapter 6 in mp3
Chapter 7 in mp3

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Isn't it easier to pay a fine than to change?

When you give a person a "price" for their sin they just look at it as the price tag. The amount that they need to collect to pay for what they desired. Want to cheat on your spouse? Well that is only a couple hundred given to the church and an I'm sorry. What to lie, covet, rage, hate? Throw up a few prayers and maybe a tithe and you can get right back to sinning.

God accepts none of that. Everything you could throw at your sins might as well be rotted filth. He only takes one thing. Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him. How is that one thing?

They all mean the same thing ... Follow the LORD with all that you are.

So if you are in sin: Stop, Turn, and Follow God.

As You Walk By The Way ... Nahum 1-3, Habakkuk 1-3

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

I find it hard at times to rejoice when I'm getting stronger. To be able to run farther than before you need to ... run farther than before. To be able to lift more weight you need to ... lift more weight. It is hard and tiring. But, to become stronger physically you need to work harder physically. And not everyone rejoices as they work hard.

But, it is a blessing of God's to be able to work hard. It is actually a blessing to live in hard times. Hard emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

So like when you keep your eyes focused down the road on the next mile you have to run. You can endure the places where you feet are striking the road.

Likewise, keep your eyes focused on the LORD. On your eternal salvation. Know that the road you are on is only there to make you the person God has designed you to be ... at the finish.

When You Lie Down ... Revelation 13-15

Chapter 13 in mp3
Chapter 14 in mp3
Chapter 15 in mp3

“Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

Blessed are those who strive in their labors at the moment. For their eternal reward is in Heaven! Blessed indeed!

So as we go about today focus on your labor. Do the best you can. For your rest will come and the reward will come. It is assured.

Day 99

As You Rise ... Obadiah, Jonah 1-4

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 4 in mp3

When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

"Do you do well to be angry?" I love this question.

We hate those that hate us. It burns in our stomachs and we pray, in a "good" way, for God to smack them down. For them to suffer as we have suffered. For them to feel the pain that we have felt. We spend so much time, and drag so much emotional baggage along, just focusing on them.

But, do we do well to be angry?

No.

As You Walk By The Way ... Micah 1-5

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 4 in mp3
Chapter 5 in mp3

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

From the weakest will come the greatest.

It is never a surprise when you see the great athlete win the game. It can only come from God when the weak destroy the strong.

We may focus on the strength and wealth men. On the things that men can do. But, know that through what you never expected ... God will work. For then it is obvious that it is His hand and not yours.

And it is within the hard times of life that you will see this.

When your bank account gets empty, the crops fail, your job is gone, you become ill ...

Looking around it will become obvious that your own hand can do nothing. When we are at our weakest ... God's hand is moving. And by His strength alone will we survive.

When You Lie Down ... Revelation 9-12

Chapter 9 in mp3
Chapter 10 in mp3
Chapter 11 in mp3
Chapter 12 in mp3

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

How much does it take to break you?

Just consider stealing. When would you break from your sin and confess to God?

When you walk away from the counter even though they gave you too much change?

When you write down too much money on your trip report for your job?

When your dad catches you taking money from his wallet?

When you kids catch you giving less to the church so you can buy something for yourself?

When you go to jail for stealing from your business' customers?

We all fall somewhere along the above path. Whether it is sexual sin, stealing, or worshiping the world; there will come a time when God's words in your heart become forceful. Listen to Him and act now. Not later. Because everything has a breaking point. Just break as soon as possible.

Day 98

As You Rise ... Amos 1-4

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 4 in mp3

For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness,
and treads on the heights of the earth — the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

As You Walk By The Way ... Amos 5-9

Chapter 5 in mp3
Chapter 6 in mp3
Chapter 7 in mp3
Chapter 8 in mp3
Chapter 9 in mp3

He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is his name.

It is strange to live in a digital age. We are planning on staying at a cabin just across the continental divide in Colorado. So I decided to make a short "fly-by" going up to the cabin using Google Earth. It was kind of cool.

I took a family picture the other day by compositing 4 pictures into one. Very very few people will be able to tell the difference. That was kind of cool.

It is also very sad.

Playing around with software isn't the same as walking on a mountain or touching a hundred year old tree. We have so many ways today to play like man is important. We can manipulate and change things to our desires. Yet if you get stuck on a mountain during a lightening storm you quickly realize just how minor of a player you are in creation. When you place your hand one a 250 year old oak you realize how young you are.

And yet Christ suffered and died for your salvation.

When You Lie Down ... Revelation 6-8

Chapter 6 in mp3
Chapter 7 in mp3
Chapter 8 in mp3

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

And Amen.

Day 97

As You Rise ... Hosea 9-14

Chapter 9 in mp3
Chapter 10 in mp3
Chapter 11 in mp3
Chapter 12 in mp3
Chapter 13 in mp3
Chapter 14 in mp3

Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all iniquity; accept what is good, and we will pay with bulls the vows of our lips.

Return. O please return to the LORD.

It is never to late. No matter how far we have fallen He still waits our return. And as we return our words can not be alone. Just an "I'm sorry" doesn't cut it alone.

We must let Him take our sins. We must accept the judgment and punishment He places upon us for our good. We must DO and ACT as we say that we will. Words without action are just makeup on a corpse. Rather come back to life and act on your faith.

As You Walk By The Way ... Joel 1-3

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.

Hypokrisis. In greek theater the actors (hypokrisis) all wore masks. The hypocrite played a part that you could recognize from the mask and costumes.

As you go about your daily walk do you wear a mask? Do you wear garments of fasting and weeping that everyone can recognize?

Or ...

Did you rend your heart and not your clothes?

It isn't the face you show the world. It is the heart you show the LORD.

When You Lie Down ... Revelation 3-5

Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 4 in mp3
Chapter 5 in mp3

“Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

We return, repent, and rend our hearts because Christ alone is our Savior. Upon Him was the judgment of our sins. There is joy in the knowledge of Christ. There will be no more weeping when with Him we will rest.

So ... weep no more. Take joy in suffering with Christ. Take joy in a creation that cries out to praise our Savior. Take joy in salvation.

Weep no more.

Day 96

As You Rise ... Daniel 11-12

Chapter 11 in mp3
Chapter 12 in mp3

I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end."

Some things are not for us. I may have a feeling about when things may happen and what may happen. But, I can never know.

Some things are only for God. So leave them to Him and don't stress it. I'm pretty sure the end times are out of our skill sets.

As You Walk By The Way ... Hosea 1-8

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3
Chapter 3 in mp3
Chapter 4 in mp3
Chapter 5 in mp3
Chapter 6 in mp3
Chapter 7 in mp3
Chapter 8 in mp3

But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.

Not by man, but by God alone.

That is the message we need to take to heart. We want to control the end times, our money, conflicts with others, our time. No matter what you think you control ... you control nothing but yourself. And rarely even that.

We look to the hands of men to deliver us. Other people's money to bail us out of debt. Soldiers and police to keep us safe. Politicians to give us answers.

The answer isn't with them. It is with Christ alone.

When You Lie Down ... Jude, Revelation 1-2

Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 1 in mp3
Chapter 2 in mp3

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

Worldly people ... devoid of the Spirit.

What a great description of scoffers. Who is the scoffer? You know him already. They are the one that knows the truth, yet denies it. People more interested in their own passions then the Truth.

I look at Proverbs for advice on how to deal with them and what to expect ...

Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.

A wise son hears his father’s instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke.

A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge is easy for a man of understanding.

A scoffer does not like to be reproved; he will not go to the wise.

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

Condemnation is ready for scoffers, and beating for the backs of fools.

When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

"Scoffer" is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.

Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.

The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.

Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.