Making & Telling Stories

We have died with Christ, we no longer belong to ourselves, but our lives are surrendered to and
belong to Christ - we are His, and He expects us and equips us to live for Him. 2nd Timothy 2 says:
11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

God is so faithful, and as we allow Christ to live His life through us, we can be confident that God is writing, expressing His amazing story through our lives.  And, as we have seen Him work, then we can tell others what He has done for us.  When we have seen His faithfulness, that can encourage us when we face difficulties, and we can be reminded that as we are humble and obedient, we can experience His hand upon our lives.

+++++

The Bible teaches us that God has empowered us to be faithful witnesses to Him. You might say that He is expressing His story through our lives. 1st Corinthians 1 says:
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus,
5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you,
7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ...

I just received word yesterday about yet another movie that is doing some filming in the Birmingham area.  It's called, Run the Race, described as: "Against the backdrop of high school football and track, two brothers in a small Southern town face escalating problems with two different world views, straining - but ultimately strengthening - the bonds of brotherhood."  One of the executive producers is Robby Tebow, who has a rather famous brother.  According to the IMDB page for the film, it will star Francis Fisher, Mykelti Williamson, Kevin Wayne, Rob Moran, Jaci Velasquez, and...Eddie George.  Ken Carpenter (One Generation Away) is a producer and Chris Dowling (Where Hope Grows) is director.

That production in Birmingham follows on the heels of Let There Be Light, which Kevin Sorbo was filming back in the summer. And, of course, the Birmingham natives Jon and Andy Erwin have set their films in the Birmingham area, including their latest, Woodlawn.

According to a bio on the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association website, Robby is the third child and oldest son in the family, a former regional director for FCA.  Meanwhile, what's Robby's little brother up to?  Well, Tim's playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League, and after his first game, he stuck around to do post-game interviews and sign autographs for fans, according to ABCNews.com. Tebow was notified about a man who had fallen sick in the stands. His name was Brandon Berry and was in the front row - he had "dropped to the ground as his mouth began to foam and his body convulsed in what was later determined to be a seizure."  The man then stopped shaking and went limp.

The story continues:

According to local ABC affiliate KNXV, the former NFL star turned baseball minor leaguer ran to the side of Berry, reached down, and placed a hand on the sick man as he bowed his head to say a prayer. Witnesses say seconds after he was touched by Tebow, Berry jolted up and gasped for air, coughing loudly.

Tebow stayed with the man until the EMT's arrived.  Tebow said: "You just remember what's important," adding, "Baseball's awesome it's something I'm so excited I get a chance to pursue, but what's important is lives matter, people matter. This young man, he mattered. So my first instinct was to just be with him, put my hands on him and pray for him." He went on to say: "We get caught up in so many different things, things that we're pursuing and we forget about what matters most is the people around us."

More celebrity news: actor Mark Wahlberg has recorded a video encouraging "vocations" to the priesthood.  In the video, which was shown at a conference in Boston, he said, according to the Boston Pilot: "I want you to know my support for your work to foster vocations to the priesthood, because I want my children and future generations to have good priests in their lives, just like I had." The actor says, "My Catholic faith is the anchor that supports everything I do in life. In my daily prayers, I ask for guidance, strength in my vocation as a husband and as a father."  The video has also been posted to Facebook.

The article notes that Wahlberg served as the emcee when Pope Francis came to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families.

On Fridays, I want to focus in on famous people who are taking a moment to display or talk about their faith.  I have cited three instances who recognize their faith is part of their story.  And, you know, if you believe in Christ, your personal faith is a key element in your story.  God is making and telling His story through you, and He has given you that story as a witness to His work in your life. Jesus Christ has made you and is making you who you are, and we must recognize that He is sufficient and faithful, and has given us the unique gifts and abilities to make an impact for Him.

And, in the course of our lives, as God opens up doors, we can develop a sensitivity to go and do according to the will of God.  Tim Tebow had played a baseball game and a man fell ill - his first response: to be with him and pray for him.  Interestingly enough, that has made news.  Wahlberg was asked to testify about his own personal faith.  Robby Tebow has a chance to make a movie.  So, live the Christian life faithfully each day; and if we regard each day as a gift, we can have the expectancy that there just might be an opportunity for God to add another chapter to your extraordinary life.