Popular Post Vine Abider Posted May 11, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 6 Topic Count: 201 Topics Per Day: 0.36 Content Count: 3,429 Content Per Day: 6.22 Reputation: 2,283 Days Won: 3 Joined: 10/25/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/01/2024 Popular Post Share Posted May 11, 2023 At our weekly brothers' breakfast this morning, a bother conveyed how he was talking this week with a group of teenage boys he was coaching at a Christian academy. It was the end of the baseball season for them, and he was giving them the season's closing head coach speech. He told them, "You probably expect me to tell you that back when I was in your shoes, I was just young and stupid. But 35 years later here I am today, just old and stupid!" The point, he told them, was that when he was their age he did a lot of dumb things in his pursuit of the Lord, and that 35 years later has much changed? Nope - he still does a lot of stupid things! That is, he still carries the fallen flesh and still strays from the Lord. But wisdom has come in that he now recognizes his fallibility and propensity to stray and do dumb things, and that his only hope is to let the Lord operate in him in the midst of his stupidity! I love it - how great an insight is that!? We are basically nothing and cannot add one inch to our growth (physically or spiritually) through any trying we might do. Our only hope continues to be about just trusting in Him and not ourselves, and therefore it still remains to simply allow Him to operate in us! (and when we do those dumb things, to remember His blood covers even that . . . no condemnation . . . we get back up and say, "Lord Jesus you love me - help me once again!") 1 1 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveWire Posted May 11, 2023 Group: Removed from Forums for Breaking Terms of Service Followers: 0 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 392 Content Per Day: 1.01 Reputation: 139 Days Won: 0 Joined: 04/06/2023 Status: Offline Share Posted May 11, 2023 If Christians lived Their lives as FREE, living for Christ knowing there is No Condemnation, as they did while Sinning, they would be walking on water this Moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FJK Posted May 11, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 43 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 3,349 Content Per Day: 7.90 Reputation: 1,305 Days Won: 1 Joined: 03/01/2023 Status: Offline Share Posted May 11, 2023 It takes a long time to learn enough to know that you don't know much. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vine Abider Posted May 11, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 6 Topic Count: 201 Topics Per Day: 0.36 Content Count: 3,429 Content Per Day: 6.22 Reputation: 2,283 Days Won: 3 Joined: 10/25/2022 Status: Offline Birthday: 04/01/2024 Author Share Posted May 11, 2023 2 hours ago, FJK said: It takes a long time to learn enough to know that you don't know much. Yes . . . the brother telling that story is so humble, but also wise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. Hartono Posted May 12, 2023 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 771 Topics Per Day: 0.34 Content Count: 6,938 Content Per Day: 3.06 Reputation: 1,979 Days Won: 1 Joined: 02/15/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted May 12, 2023 The more a man knows how stupid he is the more he becomes wiser. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne222 Posted May 12, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 32 Topic Count: 476 Topics Per Day: 0.17 Content Count: 6,559 Content Per Day: 2.28 Reputation: 7,638 Days Won: 9 Joined: 06/12/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted May 12, 2023 Confessing our flaws and sins to the lord is the way we keep on the norrow road. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neighbor Posted May 12, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 953 Topics Per Day: 0.35 Content Count: 13,589 Content Per Day: 5.03 Reputation: 9,056 Days Won: 6 Joined: 12/04/2016 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/03/1885 Share Posted May 12, 2023 18 hours ago, Vine Abider said: We are basically nothing and cannot add one inch to our growth (physically or spiritually) through any trying we might do. Hi, Oh boy do I disagree with that. Go figure eh? Again there just is no we between that thought and me. "We" may not; but "I" can; both physically and spiritually. Stupidity cannot be entertained as "my" excuse for not working at learning and using what I have learned, increasing skill by the doing and doing and then doing again better than the previous times. All of that being very hard work and very necessary if I want to strive to win, physically and spiritually. I can add to my physical ability by training my muscular system and by best eating planning. I can increase my knowledge and thus my spiritual ability by reading the word of God in prayerful thought and by practicing the applications for today in what the Bible shares of the reveal of Yeshua. I can, as the alternative, without striving become lazy in utilizing my God given potential abilities or even in allowing them to become furthering degraded skillsets, and then fall into the habit of excusing myself by saying "I am stupid". But I am not stupid. I am quite aware - of my own physical and spiritual potential; that doesn't allow me the excuse of stupidity. I suggest it is not at all great speech for a team nor any adult individual to continue to claim stupidity as a justifying excuse for much of anything. For it is in direct opposition to the thought shared by another as a reminder and exhortation- "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it."-Paul of Tarsus Or even Satchel Paige's " Don't look back something might be gaining on you" might be a much better apt end of year speech topic, But not "I'm stupid" ( And so are you). "Coach" finished with a season ending error. And now his team of individuals can go around saying I'm stupid, when they want to be lazy. Sorry to be so contrarian, but the one hit my hot button- Offer no excuses. Never make excuse! Just do better, work at it always! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alive Posted May 12, 2023 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 22 Topic Count: 194 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 11,053 Content Per Day: 6.54 Reputation: 9,015 Days Won: 36 Joined: 09/12/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/09/1956 Share Posted May 12, 2023 Oh boy…this is an important topic for me as well. Fundamental in fact. No time now for a sermon, but it comes down to where our confidence lies. I am quite sure, if I know anything at all, that the Lord’s dealing with us over much time to lose confidence in the strength of the natural man…I can do ‘no thing’ without Him. Not some things, a few things or one thing….’nothing’. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray12614 Posted May 12, 2023 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 9 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 665 Content Per Day: 0.44 Reputation: 749 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/22/2020 Status: Offline Share Posted May 12, 2023 1 hour ago, Neighbor said: Hi, Oh boy do I disagree with that. Go figure eh? Again there just is no we between that thought and me. "We" may not; but "I" can; both physically and spiritually. Stupidity cannot be entertained as "my" excuse for not working at learning and using what I have learned, increasing skill by the doing and doing and then doing again better than the previous times. All of that being very hard work and very necessary if I want to strive to win, physically and spiritually. I can add to my physical ability by training my muscular system and by best eating planning. I can increase my knowledge and thus my spiritual ability by reading the word of God in prayerful thought and by practicing the applications for today in what the Bible shares of the reveal of Yeshua. I can, as the alternative, without striving become lazy in utilizing my God given potential abilities or even in allowing them to become furthering degraded skillsets, and then fall into the habit of excusing myself by saying "I am stupid". But I am not stupid. I am quite aware - of my own physical and spiritual potential; that doesn't allow me the excuse of stupidity. I suggest it is not at all great speech for a team nor any adult individual to continue to claim stupidity as a justifying excuse for much of anything. For it is in direct opposition to the thought shared by another as a reminder and exhortation- "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it."-Paul of Tarsus Or even Satchel Paige's " Don't look back something might be gaining on you" might be a much better apt end of year speech topic, But not "I'm stupid" ( And so are you). "Coach" finished with a season ending error. And now his team of individuals can go around saying I'm stupid, when they want to be lazy. Sorry to be so contrarian, but the one hit my hot button- Offer no excuses. Never make excuse! Just do better, work at it always! Very well said !!! Sure, we many times do stupid things . . . BUT . . . to set that stupidity up as something to be an example is frankly setting the bar well below what Jesus wants from his disciples. The more that we study and fellowship with our Lord and Savior the less 'stupid things' we do. IT is just that simple . . . so simple that even Ray can understand and press towards the high calling to become 'Christ like'. I strongly suspect that there was much more in the man's talk with those boys about true repentance, and following Jesus . . . at least I hope so . . . but on the face value of the original post . . . I agree whole heartedly with Neighbor . . . Ray . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve morrow Posted May 12, 2023 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 62 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 1,048 Content Per Day: 0.62 Reputation: 368 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/15/2019 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/07/1955 Share Posted May 12, 2023 WHAT EVERYONE CAN DO SO JESUS WILL DO JOHN 14:13 and whatsoever you shall ask in MY name --that will I do-- that THE FATHER may be glorified in THE SON 1 JOHN 5:14 and this is the confidence that we have in him --that IF we ask anything according to HIS will he heareth us-- --5:15-- and if we know that HE hear us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of HIM PSALM 66:18 IF I REGARD INIQUITY IN MY HEART --THE LORD WILL NOT HEAR ME-- IF WE ASK ANYTHING ACCORDING TO HIS WILL 1 PETER 4:1 for as much then as CHRIST hath suffered for us in the flesh --arm yourselves likewise with the same mind-- for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin --4:2-- that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh --to the lusts of men --- but to the will of GOD-- LUKE 1:37 FOR WITH GOD NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE LOVING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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