0-16, at least we are tied for the worst team ever, but which one is the absolute worst

Over the weekend something not so amazing happened. The Cleveland Browns lost their 16^th straight game tying them with the Detroit Lions as the worst record in NFL history (For a 16 game season). While I feel bad for the Browns and their fan base. I rejoice for the fact we are no longer the only 0-16 team.

Just like we like to do as humans, we start to compare. Which team would win between the 2008 Lions and the 2017 Browns? This peaked my interest as I read articles about the teams. Who had the better people at each position? This was discussed in great detail over a couple of articles. After spending about 20 minutes of my life deeply entrenched in this debate, I came to my conclusion. We will never know and this was a waste of 20 minutes of my life.

I sat back in awe. I just wasted 20 minutes of my life on a fake debate. How much better could I have spent my time? Not exactly what I thought I would do with my time, studying about a fake game that could never take place. I turned off my phone and moved on. We tend to waste some of our lives on pointless chatter.

This happens in the church. Paul address this talk when sharing with Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:3-4, “As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work – which is by faith.”

False teachers can overtake the church and Paul wanted Timothy to stay there to stop this from happening. False teachings can ruin the church. On top of this, people devoted themselves to myths and endless genealogies. The results of this didn’t have any ability to accomplish what God intended us to accomplish. I thought the words controversial speculations was powerful. The Greek meaning of these words means without limits and idle dispute. Idle dispute can destroy churches and pointless chatter can stop all movements in God’s work and/or our lives.

Idle disputes and pointless chatter can still impact the church today. Just this week someone told me a story about a church (We will call this person Sam). Sam said they were sitting in a dentist chair getting their teeth cleaned. The person cleaning their teeth talked about how they knew some of the same people as Sam. Sam asked how they knew them and the person said church. Then this person told Sam but they didn’t see much of these people because their church had a big split over worship. For the next 40 minutes Sam (getting his teeth cleaned with no place to go) endured this person’s story about how there was this worship minister that was loved by the congregation and he was replaced by some young kid who wore flip flops on stage. The person went on to tell how this split the church and couldn’t believe the church leadership would do this. Sam mind you has attended church but never more then that. Did this person telling Sam about a church split accomplish God’s work? Did Sam learn more about the love of Jesus through this story of a church split?

We need to limit controversial speculations in our lives. Something’s in our lives are within our control, some are not. We as Christians need to focus on God’s work. We need to share love and hope with a sincere faith. We need to limit pointless chatter like the 20 minutes focusing on a game that won’t ever happen and focus on more important things. What do you need to focus more on and what pointless chatter do you need to turn away from?

Have a great day.

R-E-L-A-X

One word, powerful meaning. Aaron Rodgers the QB of the hated Green Bay Packers (jk, I am a Lions fan ;) ) was asked after a game how the team was struggling and what they were going to do. Rodgers told the media this one word R-E-L-A-X. People thought the season could be over for the Packers, but not long after Rodgers famously said this word, the Packers went on a great run.

What made a difference?

There was story told in the movie Draft Day about Joe Montana. Before leading his team down the field for the game winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, Joe picked out John Candy in the crowd and said, wow, look at that John Candy is here, that is cool (Paraphrasing). They said it calmed everyone down in the huddle and they went down the field and made history. Because it was in a movie, I am not sure if the story is true or not. I would like to believe so.

Two great quarterbacks, two unifying remarks that changed the course of the team. We have the ability to do this when we unify and not divide.

Paul shares about some people that were close but now were divided. His goal was to unite the people again…

Philippians 4:2, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.”

It seems at one point these two were close and a great help to the author Paul, yet now they are divided. Paul tries to bring them closer together again. Paul was about unity. Yes, even followers of Jesus have great divisions.

R-E-L-A-X. Rodgers said this and it calmed his team down. What if he did the opposite, what if he in that interview blamed others? How much would that have changed the season? We might not know, but everyone saw the reaction and the response of the team when it’s leader calmed everyone down.

You have a choice today, to bring people together or tear them apart.

Paul pleaded with a couple of Christians to be united, what can we do today to be united with someone we have been distant from?

Have a great day.

Against all odds (More than just the autobiography from Chuck Norris)

I love the underdog. I love teams and people that aren’t expected to do anything and they surprise the world. Kurt Warner was a minor league quarterback, a backup quarterback, at one point worked at a grocery store, but after the starting quarterback went down he stepped in and the rest is history.

Being a Michigan State, Lions, Tigers and Chris Kaman (He played for the Clippers a lot of years and then had to go to the Hornets) fan I get used to being the underdog. It builds character and courage to fight through the bad moments.

This happens outside the sports realm and into all aspects of life.

Paul was traveling as a prisoner to Rome. They were on a boat and things took a turn for the worst. A huge storm hit them and they were basically goners. They didn’t see the sun for three days and lost hope. They threw over cargo and almost everything including the ships tackle. Many thought they would die.

This wasn’t the case as Paul talks in Acts 27:23-25…

“Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you. So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.”

The people would be safe. There was less than a glimmer of hope, yet God took care of Paul and took care of the people. Keep up your courage. What do you need courage in? Courage goes beyond being an underdog is sports. The people on the boat lacked courage, yet God came through for them. Take courage even through the worst of times.

Some people that have amazing courage to me…

Single parents – For whatever reason, this is nearly impossible to go through.  Hailee and I were teaming up to feed Nolan, change and get Nolan back to sleep.  We both said the same thing, I couldn’t do this alone.

Those coming from poor situations – It’s hard to have nothing and to make something with your life, it takes a tremendous amount of hard work.

Those with physical or mental disabilities – the strength of what some people have to go throw everyday is beautiful.  When you see people overcoming and not being a slave to a disability and do something awesome it’s a masterpiece.

Kids of divorced families – Stats of shown that the kids of divorced families don’t usually fair as well kids with parents that don’t divorce.  If you are a child of divorced parents you can overcome and do so much with your life.

Paul was able to keep the men’s courage. If you are struggling through life right now, take courage.

Know that through much pain can come much joy. God is there for you even when you don’t feel like it. Take courage. What do you need courage in?

Stay strong, fight the good fight, do everything in your power to make things better and when you come up short, you can always rely on God and Jesus. If things are going good for you….encourage!

Help someone else out. Lift them up with your words, make this world a better place with how you treat other people. Life can get better. Take courage!

Have a great day!

Why haven’t the Lions won a Super Bowl and why did Peyton Manning have to leave?

Anybody that knows me knows I am a Lions fan through it all.

Through the good times and the bad.

It’s too bad it’s a lot of bad, but we show signs of improvement.

When people ask, why haven’t they won a Super Bowl yet, you could list numerous things.

Lack of talent, hiring awful coaches, making Matt Millen president and the list can go on and on.

Just like with Peyton Manning leaving the Colts.

Many different things that led to that happening.

Sometimes we find out things as they happen, other times we have no clue and we just guess.

Sometimes this happens in more serious situations then in a sports game.

People get wrapped into things like riots and such based off pretty pointless things.

This happened as people rioted after MSU lost a basketball game.

People were expelled for some of their actions in the riots.

Bad things can happen and people can be involved in them for the wrong reasons.

This happened to Paul in the Bible.

A group of people didn’t like Paul and the result ended up getting a group of people together and were beating him, trying to kill him.

Soldiers were called into handle the situation.

Once they were able to get through the crowd and get to Paul they arrested him and ask what was going on and why was this man being beat.

Acts 21:34…

“Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.”

Why was Paul being beat?

They couldn’t get the same answer.

Some didn’t even know why this get started and yet they were beating him.

It’s amazing how some things happen when not everyone knows why they are happening.

Ever feel like that happens in life?

People respond to things and have no clue what the full story is?

How gossip can overtake people is sad.

Bad things happen in our lives all because people react before hearing the full story.

We are people that like to be quick to react long before we listen.

How can we change for the better?

People were beating Paul without have the reason why he started to get beat.

James 1:19…

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

Lives could be changed if we did this.

Do you think you are react before you listen?

Imagine the difference we could make in this world if we just listened first.

Do you think the world and our lives would improve if we listened to the whole story?

Have a great day.

Following the Lions is not always fun

We are followers, more than we like to admit.

Very rarely are any of us trendsetters.

We follow diets, workout routines, other people, our boss’s or other leaders, famous people and people we look up too.

If we follow other people, is that a bad thing?

At what point is following some things or people a good thing or bad thing?

Jesus tells us this in John 10:27-28…

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”

Following some people might have some great effectives and privileges, other times…not so much.

I love the Lions and for pro football, follow them with my heart.

I get made fun of for being a Lions fan, but I am still a faithful follower thinking one day things will turn around.

Following Jesus is often referenced to us followers being the sheep and him the shepherd leading the way.

For following Jesus we get eternal life.

What do I get for being a Lions fan?

Grief, a headache, not looking forward to Sunday afternoon, frustration and headache come to mind.

What do I get for following Jesus?

Love, grace, compassion, forgiveness, joy and a life past the life we live right now.

I follow the Lions and it causes grief.

I follow Jesus and it causes love.

Who do you follow?

Does it make you a better person?

Does it give you eternal life?

Jesus can give you what no one else can?

It is worth being a follower?

In order to be a follower you have to be ready to give your life to gain a life?

It is the best decision I have made.

What about you?

Have a great day.