2013 Season Week 3 - Lions and Bears

We had a tremendous time at 4th and Inches this week. Heith Reynolds shared this week's devotion with the team and wow what a message that he had. The devotion came from 1 Samuel 17 a familar portion of scripture about David and Goliath. When most people read the story of David and Goliath they see it as a true underdog story. A lot of times we picture David as this little skinny boy who had no business try to take on a giant. The reality is that it really wasn't that way at all. David had prepared his whole life for that moment.
                                                                                      

 



Take care of the lions and bears in your life!

1 Samuel 17:33-37
³³ Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”
³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

 

As we live our lives we will have lions and bears that we will have to defeat. By defeating those lions and bears and maintaing a close relationship with God it will prepare us for life's giants. When those giants come, and they most certainly will, we will be ready. God gave David a sling shot to stun Goliath but God gave David a sword to finish him off. God will do the same for all of us. All we have to do is stay close to Him.

2013 Football Season - Week 2 - Desperation

We had a great time with the Warriors on Thursday Night. Thursday Night's devotional was on desperation. Great football teams often play with a sense of urgency and desperation. Great football players also exhibit those traits. Desperation is really a defining moment in all of our lives. It can take on all shapes and forms. In the end we all are desperate for something. It could be fame, money, happiness. It could be a job, a family, or health.



4th and Inches team sharing with the Central Warriors

Psalm 142:6 - Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.

David was in a desperate situation in his life. He needed someone to rescue him. In his desperation what did he do? He cried out for the Lord and the Lord delivered him. How will we react to the desperate moments in our lives? Will we try to rely on our own strength. Will we crack under the pressures that we face? Or like David will we cry out to the Lord? In times of desperation seek God and He will show His goodness and His compassion for us.

 

2013 Season Week 1 - The Position of Your Heart

What a great evening we had with the Central Warriors during our first 4th and Inches of the 2013 season. Our devotion for the week focused on making sure our hearts are in the right position when it comes to our relationship with God. In football it is of the utmost importance that everyone be where they are supposed to be in order to execute a play successfully. If one player is out of position then the success rate of that particular play decreases dramatically. The opposing team is looking to exploit those opportunities to gain an advantage.

The same holds true in our relationship with God. In Pslam 119 David states "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." What is he saying? He is saying that if we have relationship with God then we will know His Word. If we know His word then our hearts will be in the right position towards Him. This will help us defeat the sin issues that we struggle with in our daily lives.

Kelly sharing God's Word with the Central Warriors

Vince Lombardi once said to his great Green Bay Packer teams that they should have 3 priorities in life: 1. Relationship with God, 2. Relationship with family, 3. Green Bay Packers. Lombardi understood that everything we do in life rises and falls on the type of relationship we have with God and that in order to be successful God must not only be the first thing in our lives, but at the center of everything we do in life.

I am so blessed to be able to share God's Word with such awesome young men and can't wait for the coming weeks!

 

A New Season Begins

It was 12 years ago. Seems like it was just yesterday that we took our first cooler full of gatorade to a bunch of football players simply to share the gospel message. Little did we know that over a decade later that process would continue to flourish just like it did on that fateful night in September of 2001. When Jesus said "Go" I believe that he meant that literally. It was not a suggestion. It was our commission and our charge to wake up and realize that people weren't necessarily going to come to us to hear the Word but it was up to us to "Go" and spread the Word. As we open our 13th season of 4th and Inches tomorrow night there is a sense of anticpation and excitement about what God wants to do. It is our prayer that lives are changed this season. It is our prayer that relationships are built. It is our prayer that God fills our heart with love for him. CLEAR EYES, FULL HEARTS, CAN'T LOSE.

Week 3 - You must be born again

Week 3 with the Warrior football team was fantastic! Jeremiah Riner brought the devotional and challenged the boys with truth from God's Word. He spoke on the importance of being born again.

Jeremiah referenced John 3 and the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus where Jesus says to Nicodemus that in order to have eternal life that "you must be born again." Jeremiah challenged the team to turn from sin and turn to Jesus. 

Throughout the devotional the Warriors were locked in on what Jeremiah was saying. It is our prayer that seeds were planted and that God continues to do awesome things in this ministry. 

Good luck to the Warriors tonight as the travel to take on Sullivan Central with the hopes of improving their record to 2-0.

Week 2 - Potential

This week's 4th and Inches dealt with 'Potential.' Shawn Campbell led the devotional as the Warrior Football team listened intently.

Potential is something that could happen or that may happen. The fact is that it hasn't happended yet. We all have potential the question is wheather we will tap into it.

When God looks at us He sees potential. He sees men and women of God. He sees people who will live godly lives. He sees people of integrity.  It's up to us however to fulfill the potential.

Shawn brought a great word and the players were challenged. We were also joined tonight by Brad Carter and Jeremiah Riner who spoke words of encouragement and prayer over the players. As we keep going with this thing God has called us to it keeps getting more and more exciting. I can't wait to see what is going to take place over the next several weeks.

The Warriors have a bye this week before squaring off with Sullivan Central next Friday night.

Week 1 - The Gladiator

Kelly sharing about Jesus being the ultimate gladiator

Being with the Central Warriors yesterday was simply awesome! The guys were reponsive and very respectful as me, Shawn Campbell, and Jeremiah Riner ministered. Jeremiah opened up in a word of prayer before I came and shared about who we were and what 4th and inches is about. As I began to share I began to notice so many familiar faces on the team many of whom I have coached myself, or taught. It really made me feel at home with them.

Week 1's devotion was dealing with how Jesus is the ultimate gladiator. The premise for this devotion comes from the fact that football players are often referred to as gladitors because of the "wars" they fight on the gridiron. Jesus is however the greatest gladitor of all time because He took the field one Friday Night and defeated death, hell, and the grave. What an awesome thing!! The players were encouraged to rely on the strength of God and know that they are not alone, they have a gladiator fighting for them.

Shawn Campbell ended our devotional time with a prayer and I broke the team down with Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Afterwards we talked with several of the fellas and enjoyed plenty of laughs.

Good luck to the Warriors tonight as they open their season against Thomas Walker.