7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
God has a special purpose for each of us, and as we seek to walk more closely with Jesus and fulfill His call, He brings people into our lives - people to stand with us, people who will minister to us and strengthen us, and people to whom we will minister. The ministry of Jesus is to people - people who needed - and need - a Savior. People who need to be restored to Himself and perhaps to one another. People who need to know the love of God. We can be conduits of that love to each other and to a world that desperately needs to know our Lord.
In Romans 16, Paul lists a number of people with whom he had interfaced in His ministry - many of them had provided strength for him and were faithful in the work of the Lord. He was certainly not alone in his work; God had provided him with co-laborers. He sums the chapter up with these verses:
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began
26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith--
27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
The numbers "3" and "16" will always be associated with a certain former Heisman trophy winner from Florida. For several reasons. He used to implant the Scripture reference "John 3:16" on his eyeblack. He passed for 316 yards in an NFL playoff game during his stint with the Denver Broncos. And, just an aside - he was in Montgomery on 3/16, March 16, of 2012. This year, on March 16, he was trying out for the Philadelphia Eagles for a return to the NFL.
You see, Tim Tebow loves Jesus. And, he has demonstrated the love of Christ in numerous, visible ways throughout his life, including his involvement in building a hospital in the Philippines through his foundation. He also is regarded for his media work, and has been serving as a co-host on the SEC Network and a correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America.
He loves football, and even when hired by the SEC Network, he restated his desire to be an NFL quarterback - you have to respect his determination, but I'm sure there are experts who say he should give up the quest. His tryout with the Eagles was widely panned. Well, guess what, Tebow has a contract. With Philadelphia. But wait, didn't the Eagles just acquire Tebow's former Heisman rival Sam Bradford? And, there's Tim's former Jets teammate Mark Sanchez. And former USC QB Matt Barkley. Could head coach Chip Kelly be in the mix for his former Oregon recruit Marcus Mariota? Talk about a quarterback glut.
What really struck me was that Tebow was heading into a locker room where Bradford and Barkley are professing, visible Christians. And, then I came across a piece about Mark Sanchez. Seems there has been a transformation in his life - a piece on the MMQB.com website related that his longtime trainer carried out an intervention in the struggling quarterback's life to try to give him some direction. And, this morsel is great:
I will say this, regarding some takeaways from this story:
Tim Tebow is the type of individual who elevates the people around him, and his faith is a driving force for that, I believe. He's the kind of guy who can bring character and a faith perspective into a situation. Well, imagine Tebow times 4. There's some potential here. Let's think for ourselves: perhaps you can think of a time, at just the right time, when God has brought the right person or persons into your life for a unique season. Maybe you have that person or people in your life right now - to inspire you, to hold you accountable, to provide perspective, and to be a Christian influence for you.
God is orchestrating His plan for us, and that plan will involve people. We are not placed on an island to fend for ourselves; no, we are placed in a world that needs to see Christ, and He wants to draw us into a deeper relationship with Himself. Not only are we called to love Him with all our hearts, but to love others, as well. God's purpose for us involves people - we're not called to keep our faith to ourselves!
Finally, there will no doubt be a quarterback competition on the Eagles this year. Bradford attempting to come back from injury, Barkley trying to recapture the magic from his days at Southern Cal, Sanchez trying to rehabilitate what has been a shaky career, and Tebow trying to fulfill his NFL dream. All of them with something to prove; determination is an important component. As we participate with God in His restorative process, it's important that we want to change, that we are willing to do what it takes to see the hand of God expressed through our lives.
+++++
In Romans 16, Paul lists a number of people with whom he had interfaced in His ministry - many of them had provided strength for him and were faithful in the work of the Lord. He was certainly not alone in his work; God had provided him with co-laborers. He sums the chapter up with these verses:
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began
26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith--
27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
The numbers "3" and "16" will always be associated with a certain former Heisman trophy winner from Florida. For several reasons. He used to implant the Scripture reference "John 3:16" on his eyeblack. He passed for 316 yards in an NFL playoff game during his stint with the Denver Broncos. And, just an aside - he was in Montgomery on 3/16, March 16, of 2012. This year, on March 16, he was trying out for the Philadelphia Eagles for a return to the NFL.
You see, Tim Tebow loves Jesus. And, he has demonstrated the love of Christ in numerous, visible ways throughout his life, including his involvement in building a hospital in the Philippines through his foundation. He also is regarded for his media work, and has been serving as a co-host on the SEC Network and a correspondent for ABC's Good Morning America.
He loves football, and even when hired by the SEC Network, he restated his desire to be an NFL quarterback - you have to respect his determination, but I'm sure there are experts who say he should give up the quest. His tryout with the Eagles was widely panned. Well, guess what, Tebow has a contract. With Philadelphia. But wait, didn't the Eagles just acquire Tebow's former Heisman rival Sam Bradford? And, there's Tim's former Jets teammate Mark Sanchez. And former USC QB Matt Barkley. Could head coach Chip Kelly be in the mix for his former Oregon recruit Marcus Mariota? Talk about a quarterback glut.
What really struck me was that Tebow was heading into a locker room where Bradford and Barkley are professing, visible Christians. And, then I came across a piece about Mark Sanchez. Seems there has been a transformation in his life - a piece on the MMQB.com website related that his longtime trainer carried out an intervention in the struggling quarterback's life to try to give him some direction. And, this morsel is great:
But there is also a serious side to Sanchez, who credits a renewed reliance on his spirituality for giving him perspective and direction. He began attending services led by Miles McPherson, a former NFL player who is now the pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego. Sanchez and his mother spoke daily about faith. In March, at the suggestion of former Jets teammate D’Brickashaw Ferguson, he attended the Pro Athletes Outreach conference for Christian athletes.
“When you lose what you love, you see what this whole thing is really about,” Sanchez says. “There’s more to life than football. And it’s hard to see that when you’re playing and things aren’t going right and you are trying so hard and preparing so hard, and it just doesn’t work. That’s a tough feeling. People ask, ‘What’s it like getting back?’ It was such a long road, but it was a ton of rehab, a ton of working out, a ton of family time, and a ton of prayer.”This is from the I Am Second website about Mr. Bradford:
“The minute you start to think that you’re first and your plans matter more than God`s is the minute your life starts to go the wrong way.” Oklahoma University’s starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, gets nervous every time he hits the field, always recanting plans and plays in his head, but never forgetting that he works with a team and that God is always with him.This is from the I Am Second website, about Mr. Barkley:
For now, however, the junior at the University of Southern California has a platform in which the spotlight is shining on his every move, including his faith in Christ. A faith that has been keeping him at the school in the wake of a coaching change, NCAA sanctions against the school, and the temptations of the NFL. A growing faith that is making a difference at his school and in the lives of others.I don't know what the significance of having 4 quarterbacks with a spiritual component in the locker room in the offseason at Philadelphia might be. But, it's an intriguing possibility. Wouldn't it be great to hear some of the conversation when or if those 4 get together?
I will say this, regarding some takeaways from this story:
Tim Tebow is the type of individual who elevates the people around him, and his faith is a driving force for that, I believe. He's the kind of guy who can bring character and a faith perspective into a situation. Well, imagine Tebow times 4. There's some potential here. Let's think for ourselves: perhaps you can think of a time, at just the right time, when God has brought the right person or persons into your life for a unique season. Maybe you have that person or people in your life right now - to inspire you, to hold you accountable, to provide perspective, and to be a Christian influence for you.
God is orchestrating His plan for us, and that plan will involve people. We are not placed on an island to fend for ourselves; no, we are placed in a world that needs to see Christ, and He wants to draw us into a deeper relationship with Himself. Not only are we called to love Him with all our hearts, but to love others, as well. God's purpose for us involves people - we're not called to keep our faith to ourselves!
Finally, there will no doubt be a quarterback competition on the Eagles this year. Bradford attempting to come back from injury, Barkley trying to recapture the magic from his days at Southern Cal, Sanchez trying to rehabilitate what has been a shaky career, and Tebow trying to fulfill his NFL dream. All of them with something to prove; determination is an important component. As we participate with God in His restorative process, it's important that we want to change, that we are willing to do what it takes to see the hand of God expressed through our lives.
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