Brett Favre Retires

Can Brett Favre Rehabilitate His Marred Reputation In Retirement?

Brett Favre has decided to hang up the cleats and retire from football. Perhaps it would have been better for his reputation had his retirement happened just a year or two earlier. The future hall of fame quarterback has taken a hit or two off the field in the past year. Favre's flirtations and inappropriate behavior with a reporter during his time with the New York Jets has made for endless gossip these past months. As the old saying goes, it only takes a moment to undo what it took years to build. Favre's all-american image has been diminished by his recent indiscretions and failures. Can his reputation be rehabilitated? Can a man regain honor and respect once he has so publicly fallen?

Christ came to save us from our sin and deliver us from the power of sin; we readily accept these two facets of the Cross of Christ. But Christ also came to deliver us from the condemnation associated with sin (Romans 8:1). Once we confess our sin and repent from it, we are never to entertain condemnation for it, not from others, Satan or even ourself. Respect and reputation with others may take time to rebuild after we stumble but our forgiveness and deliverance from condemnation are instantaneous through the Cross of Christ. The fact we can be a new person in Christ, free from sin's consequence and condemnation, gives us hope for a renewed reputation should we stumble and fall.

Because we are a new creation through the Cross of Christ, we can, in time, rebuild our reputation after we sin. In time, our reputation can be repaired so it reflects the person we are in Christ. Should Brett Favre love Christ and seek forgiveness for sin, his rehabilitation is assured. In Christ we are a new creation and in time the world will see us for the new, cleaned up person, we are in Him!

Tomorrow...Part 2 on What Happens When We Die,

James

Ricky Gervais' Atheist Sign-Off On Golden Globes

Gervais Puts An Exclamation Point On Hollywood's Delusional Night

Last night Ricky Gervais closed the Golden Globes by thanking God for making him an atheist. What a fitting end to a night of immoral banter and the usual Hollywood self-righteousness which accompanies these shows. While Hollywood continues to push its leftist social agenda the American public continues to support family oriented entertainment with their dollars. Seven of the top ten grossing films of 2010 were family oriented films and none of the top 10 were rated R. See list Here

Let's pray for Ricky to know God through Jesus Christ!

James

What Happens When We Die...Part 1

Every single last one of you reading this article today have two things in common: death and judgment. Scripture teaches that each of us will die once and then face a judgement day in which we will be called to account for how we live our life (Hebrews 9:27). Are you ready for these two certain events?

Physical death is a certainty and all of us are going to face it someday. This particular certainty is hard to deny even if we do tend to put it out of our mind most of the time. Most of us have lost loved ones and know the pain of death and the grief it brings. But death does not have to be a hopeless, fearful unknown! Nor must we grieve the passing of loved ones the way those without the hope of Christ do.

For the Christian, physical death is a passing from this life to eternal life with Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:8, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." The moment a believer in Christ leaves his or her body on earth he or she immediately enters the presence of Christ! What wonderful comfort to those left behind on earth! What amazing hope we have when someone we love experiences physical death!

If you are not a Christian, or if you are not sure you are a Christian, I encourage you to make certain you are one today! Stop and pray! Tell God you are sorry for your sins, believe Jesus died on the Cross to pay for all of your sins and rose from the dead three days later. Tell Jesus you give Him your life and receive His salvation from sin and death! Don't hesitate or wait one more day! Give your life to Jesus Christ and be certain of your relationship with God before death takes the opportunity for salvation from you. Once a person dies there is no more opportunity for forgiveness of sin and life in Christ.

More tomorrow,

James

Schedule for This Week

My uncle passed away Sunday morning so this week's writings will be a little sparse. I will make sure to post something everyday but will likely only have a couple of personal writings from me this week. Hope to see life get back to normal next week!

James

Following Christ Cost You Something

Great thoughts from Oswald Chambers today! Click Here

James

Is Your Life On Mission or Is It a Monument?

I was forwarded an email over the weekend and thought enough of it to ask the author if I could publish it here. Great stuff to ponder today!

Dear Friends and Family,

As we look this new year to reach more kids with the Gospel of Christ I truly believe we have much to learn from the history of the Church.

Church historians will tell you that a church can typically go through three life phases... Mission, Maintenance, or Monument.

1. The Mission Phase... the point at which everyone is excited about reaching out and changing the community and sharing the Good News of Christ

2. Maintenance... people begin to look around and think "we're fine right where we are". We're paying the bills... we've got more people than so and so church down the block... let's just keep this thing going. We don't need any new ideas. We're fine just where we are.

Finally, those who study Church history will tell you that if a church moves to the Maintenance phase, it is a given that is will move to the Monument phase. It may be five years down the road or a hundred years down the road but Monument phase always follows Maintenance phase.

3. The Monument Phase... best summed up by the cathedrals in Europe. They are beautiful architecturally with incredible marble, wood, stained glass, and acoustics but they sit empty on Sunday mornings... just a monument to what a group of people used to be excited about a long time ago but no longer are.

I've had the privilege, with your help, to travel the country these past two years and ask Young Life staff and volunteers where their area, club, or heart reside. Is it in Mission phase.. ready and excited to change an entire community with the love of Christ. Have they moved to Maintenance phase... thinking they are fine right where they are, paying the bills, bigger than the next area, filling a bus, in no need of growth or challenge. Or sadly have they moved to Monument phase... where their area or club is just a monument or reminder of what a group of people in the 70's used to be excited about but no longer are.

Maybe it's time for a heart test for all of us.

A Monument Club cares for it's club kids... A Mission club cares for all kids.

A Monument Club is proud of their club... A Mission club want to share their club with others.

A Monument Club talks about Christ... A Mission club becomes like Christ.

A Monument Club holds the fort... A Mission club takes the next hill and knows where it is.

A Monument Club loves their schools kids... A Mission Club loves all kids regardless of mascot.

A Monument Club plays not to lose... A Mission Club plays to win.

A Monument Club feeds their sheep... A Mission Club still looks for lost sheep.

So where are you and your church?

James

Living The Paradox

Good word from Chambers for your Saturday...Click Here

James