43 "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.
44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush.
45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
What we say we believe is reinforced by our actions; and as a Christian, our actions are governed by the presence of the indwelling Christ. God changes our hearts and makes us new creations in Christ, according to 2nd Corinthians 5, and He instructs us to live a life of holiness - this is impossible in the power of the flesh, based on human effort. But, from the inside, out of a strengthened spirit, we can connect with the resources that enable us to live a life that pleases Him.
In Mark chapter 8, Jesus identifies what is important, which can aid us as we set spiritual priorities:
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Last night didn't go well for the Bronx bombers - after a thrilling victory in the American League wild-card game, the New York Yankees were shut out by the defending AL champion Cleveland Indians.
The hero of the Yankees' 8-4 victory over the Twins on Tuesday night is someone who is electrifying crowds for the men in pinstripes.
His name is Aaron Judge, and when he made his major league debut in August of last year, he stepped to the plate and hit a home run, according to a Business Insider story that says: "in early June, Judge hit a 495-foot home run — the longest since ESPN began tracking distances in 2009. The dinger set a record for exit velocity in the Statcast era, according to MLB.com, coming off his bat at 121 mph."
In the Tuesday game, according to MLB.com:
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In Mark chapter 8, Jesus identifies what is important, which can aid us as we set spiritual priorities:
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Last night didn't go well for the Bronx bombers - after a thrilling victory in the American League wild-card game, the New York Yankees were shut out by the defending AL champion Cleveland Indians.
The hero of the Yankees' 8-4 victory over the Twins on Tuesday night is someone who is electrifying crowds for the men in pinstripes.
His name is Aaron Judge, and when he made his major league debut in August of last year, he stepped to the plate and hit a home run, according to a Business Insider story that says: "in early June, Judge hit a 495-foot home run — the longest since ESPN began tracking distances in 2009. The dinger set a record for exit velocity in the Statcast era, according to MLB.com, coming off his bat at 121 mph."
In the Tuesday game, according to MLB.com:
After setting a record for Major League rookies with an AL-leading 52 homers during the regular season, Judge cracked his first career postseason home run in the fourth inning on Tuesday, a two-run shot off Jose Berrios that extended the Yankees' lead to 7-4.But, as the Business Insider story states:
A devout Christian, his character and humbleness in the face of great success stems from his faith and the supportive upbringing his parents provided him. "I'm blessed," Judge said of his adoptive mother and father. "I feel that God was the one that matched us together."Eric Metaxas, in a Breakpoint commentary from the summer, said:
It’s difficult to read a profile of the Yankees outfielder without coming across words like “humble” and “unselfish.” Former big leaguer and now baseball analyst Eduardo Perez told MLB Radio that he was impressed by Judge’s humility and kindness.
His manager, Joe Girardi, paid him the ultimate compliment when he said “He is a little bit like [Yankee legend Derek] Jeter for me . . . He has a smile all the time. He loves to play the game. You always think he is going to do the right thing on the field and off the field.”He's called a "gentle giant" by Yankees legend Reggie Jackson in the Business Insider article.
Eric says that these words, "humble" and "unselfish" "should prompt the question 'why is Judge humble and unselfish?'" He goes on:
Tipping the scales at 280 pounds, this 6'7" player is in a position to have a giant impact on the game - not only in the hits and home runs, but in the area of character. In an age when we need to point to inspiring people in our culture, Judge has a giant opportunity. I think the progression is key to look at here: what contributes to the external character traits of humility and gentleness? It seems to be what's on the inside.
We can think together about how character is expressed based on who we are on the inside. Those of us who are Christians have a new heart, we have a spirit that is shaped by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we want to have a giant impact on the people and world, we can be challenged to allow God to grow big within us. That comes through death to self and living unto the Lord.
Finally, here is a young man whose Twitter feed demonstrates his priorities. The cover of the feed is graced by the Scripture verse, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" ~ 2nd Corinthians 5:7. Our devotion to Christ and willingness to walk by faith in Him can determine what's important to us - he lists "Christian. Faith, Family, then Baseball" in that order; perhaps illustrative of His priorities. How we act, how we spend our time, can demonstrate what our priorities are.
For the answer, look no further than Judge’s Twitter feed. The first words you read are “Christian. Faith, Family, then Baseball.” Scroll down a few tweets and you will read, “Happy Easter to Everyone. He is Risen!”
The nexus between Judge’s faith and family is apparent when you read what he has to say about his parents. He says “I’m blessed.” “My parents are amazing, they’ve taught me so many lessons . . . I honestly can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me.’’He then goes on to relate the adoption story.
Tipping the scales at 280 pounds, this 6'7" player is in a position to have a giant impact on the game - not only in the hits and home runs, but in the area of character. In an age when we need to point to inspiring people in our culture, Judge has a giant opportunity. I think the progression is key to look at here: what contributes to the external character traits of humility and gentleness? It seems to be what's on the inside.
We can think together about how character is expressed based on who we are on the inside. Those of us who are Christians have a new heart, we have a spirit that is shaped by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we want to have a giant impact on the people and world, we can be challenged to allow God to grow big within us. That comes through death to self and living unto the Lord.
Finally, here is a young man whose Twitter feed demonstrates his priorities. The cover of the feed is graced by the Scripture verse, "For we walk by faith, not by sight" ~ 2nd Corinthians 5:7. Our devotion to Christ and willingness to walk by faith in Him can determine what's important to us - he lists "Christian. Faith, Family, then Baseball" in that order; perhaps illustrative of His priorities. How we act, how we spend our time, can demonstrate what our priorities are.
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