Saluki downTime June 10, 2024

James 1:5-8

 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Verse 5

Ok first of all, how many of us lack wisdom?

What areas do we lack wisdom?

Husband?

Dad?

Boss?

Business owner?

I mean come on! right. Where don't we?

It doesn’t say if we can get to a point where we don't lack wisdom in our life.

However it does say if you do you should ask God.

What should you expect after you ask God?

God gives it generously to all without finding fault. It will be given to you if you ask.

How many times do you ask God for wisdom? I mean for real? I'll start. Not enough for real.

verse 6 says but when you ask you must believe and not doubt.

1. Ask more

2. believe when you ask

3. don't doubt

Thats tough. All of those have to go together. I think sometimes we don't ask because we don't believe. We doubt what God is capable of. This isn't even asking God to do something big. We are just asking God to give us wisdom.

We should go to God for this more often.

because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. What does wind do to water?

The water cannot control what the wind does to it.

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

That person is the one who doubts. If you do not believe then you should not expect God to do anything for you. Stay focused on wisdom here. When we ask God for wisdom he will give it us.

8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

We cannot go to God and ask him and doubt. This is a double minded man and unstable.

Jeremiah 17:9

9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Someone tell me of a time when you thought you were so right. But ended up being so wrong. 

Our hearts are so hard to fight with. It usually wins. However it is deceitfully wicked. You can’t trust it. One of the most wrong sayings you know is “just go with your heart” or “trust your heart” You heart and god’s will will be in battle if you think this way. 

If you seek wisdom - use the wisdom that is provided.

So many times we think we know best but also ask. Once we ask we don't like the answer we are given. So God provides but we don't accept. Another step away.

1. seek wisdom

2. Don't doubt

3. take the advice we are given.

Saluki downTime - February 5, 2024

Competitive Greatness - Be at your best when your best is needed.

Enjoyment of a difficult challenge.

How many of you enjoy something the challenges you?

What is the most challenging moment of your life?

Without competitive greatness we won't be the best we can be.

Who do you think of when you think of competitive greatness?

Anyone remember Michael Jordan's flu game in 1998?

Anyone have a moment in your career where competitive greatness is all you had to use? You just wanted to win so bad you played through....xyz.

Do you run to challenges or run away?

What about difficult situations in life? How do you handle them?

In this room who is the most competitive? Why?

We don't have to be superstars or win championships to reach competitive greatness. All we have to do is learn to rise to every occasion, give our best effort and make those around us better as we do it. - 

John Wooden

All I ask out of my son is to sprint and be physical. Try your hardest is all. 

Read 1 Samuel 17:29-37

Don't worry about anything. David told Saul. I'll go fight this Philistine. 

1 Samuel 17:32

Ok so David, more than likely a teenager, was confident that he would be able to not only fight the philistine but also win!

What are some reasons this was a bad idea?

Ok so now why would this be possible?

Does competitive greatness mean you will win every time?

Goliath was 9 feet tall. David was not. Goliath was a philistine champion, David was a shepherd boy. Goliath's armor weighed 125 pounds. David weighed 125 pounds.

David was taught to be quick but not in a hurry. He chose a weapon to increase his chances of winning along with a weapon he was very skilled with. A sling in which he slung and hit Goliath right between the eyes.

Anyone remember what he did after he hit him with the sling?

David showed poise when rejecting Saul's armor because he wanted to be himself. He showed confidence when he said he would hit him with the sling and then chop his head off.

Where did this come from?      God.

God has demonstrated this throughout his life and in his family.

After David did this the offensive line of the Israelite army defeated the Philistines.

WE are in a battle and the enemy is trash talking God. If that doesn't tick you off, IT SHOULD! If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit has anointed you with power. You can take on giants. Think about what God has done for you in the past. It will give you confidence that He will also act in the future.

Lyrics

I'm calling on the God of Jacob - Whose love endures through generations - I know that You will keep Your covenant

I'm calling on the God of Moses - The one who opened up the ocean - I need You now to do the same thing for me

O God, my God, I need You - O God, my God, I need You now - How I need You now - O Rock, O Rock of ages

I'm standing on Your faithfulness - On Your faithfulness - I'm calling on the God of Mary - Whose favor rests upon the lowly - I know with You all things are possible - I'm calling on the God of David

Who made a shepherd boy courageous - I may not face Goliath - But I've got my own giants

You heard Your children then -  You hear Your children now - You are the same God

You answered prayers back then - And You will answer now - You are the same God

You were providing then - You are providing now - You are the same God

You moved in power then - God, move in power now - You are the same God

You were a healer then - And You are a healer now - You are the same God

You were a savoir then - And You are a savoir now - You are the same God

O God, my God, I need You - O God, my God, I need You now - How I need You now, yeah

1. What are some times when you rallied those around you?

2. Have you boldly stood up for God?

3. Is your boldness increasing or decreasing?

4. If you need more boldness, how are you going to  go about attaining it?

Love - Scared and Out of My Comfort Zone

Love - Scared and Out of My Comfort Zone

Love is something that we mess up all the time. It is not a real word to most people.
Let's look at how we get it wrong. We love our pets like we love pasta. We love a movie like we love watching a sport. We love our kids like we love our spouse. How do you love your parents or your siblings?

Love is not fake. Love should be real in your life. When was the last time you told an acquaintance you loved them. Why haven't you? Are you scared to love?

I believe we are scared to truly love because we have gotten it wrong for so long.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8a (ESV) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

I had an opportunity to speak to a Head coach. I walked with her back to her locker room after a game. My goal was to thank her for allowing Jesus into her program and allowing a character coach to be a part of it. I wanted to thank her for showing Jesus to her program.

God has a different plan. I asked her to pray for me and the program I was working with. I asked her to put basketball a side for a minute and pray that Jesus would be shown at SIU. God did something I could not plan or do on my own.

This lady's head was about chest high to me. She grabbed me and embraced me. She set her head on my chest and prayed for me and SIU. She prayed for herself and her program. With tears coming down her face and mine, God's love was shown that day.

I had never felt or seen God's love in this world like I did that day. As we let go of one another, while wiping tears from our eyes, I thanked her and said, "I do not know you but I love you."

Man! That was out of my comfort zone. But I want to know and feel the love of God. That day I finally knew why I was here. I finally knew the love of God in my life and how to share it with others.

True genuine LOVE. It was a great experience for me. It doesn't matter if it was a competitor that just beat you. Love does not care.

Love has to be real. Love comes from God. Love is in your heart. Love is in Christ and through Christ.

I was scared and out of my comfort zone but I knew I loved this coach that I had never met prior to this moment.

You have to love. You have to share the love of God with others. You have to tell others you love them. It's not a choice. People need to be truly loved.

Never stop doing this little things for people. Sometimes those little things occupy the biggest part of their hearts.

That is where love comes from. From God - Inside the Heart.

Tell someone you love them today. Not your spouse, kids, or family. People in your life that you do love.

Positivology

January 20, 2023

Let's think for a minute. In a 24 hour day how many minutes are negative.

First how many minutes are there in a day? 1440 minutes in a day. Wow! Thats a lot of minutes to think about.
You sleep for around 420 minutes a night. So good! How many of those minutes are negative?
For me, I don't sleep well or that much. I would day at least 60 of those minutes a night are negative. I wake up. Toss and turn. Sometimes I even get up to use the bathroom or who knows what else happens when I am technically asleep.

Wait??? Are you telling me that even some minutes while I am sleeping are negative? - YES!!!!

Ok Let's move on.

waking up - negative thoughts and even words to yourself. Hit the snooze - negative. Wake up - negative. I mean not for everyone but in general we think negative thoughts about getting up.

Then we have to decide if we will like going to work today or not. We have to think about if we like what the day has in store for us. Most of us don't think about the positive parts of the day. We dwell on the negative side of things.

Our kids, if you have them, or our spouse, if you have one, may be negative before you even get to work.

Man - this is tough to get through.

Ok on to work. Wait skipped breakfast. Ok negative thoughts. Either eat or leave. Leave or eat. This can be negative before we even get anywhere.

On to work.

It doesn't really matter throughout your day. It doesn't matter if you have a good boss or not. It doesn't matter if you work alone or with others. It doesn't matter if lunch break is at 10 am or 2pm. It doesn't matter if you get off after 8 hours of work of have a 16 hour day.

It is so easy to get caught up in the negative.

The people you work around or with. Customers or employees can be draining.

Why? Why do we do this?

We make a choice. We make choices all day long. There is. no one forcing your day to be negative. Yes there are some circumstances you cannot control but you can control how you view them.

Back to the photo that is posted with this. Dirty waters don't stop plants from growing.

It's your choice how you accept negative thoughts and actions in your life.

I think the biblical word for this is JOY! So don't let negative words stop your progress.

JOY - a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

John 16:24 ~ Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

God is very clear. God wants to fill our lives with JOY. Its a choice.
1. Did you ask God for it?
2. Did you accept it?

I pray that you take the circumstances you are presented with and count it all JOY.

Don't let the dirty water change how you think and act.

Saluki downTime January 22, 2023

Poise 

If you had 1 million dollars but could only spend it on things that start with first letter of your last name. What would you buy? 3 things. 

Poise - graceful and elegant bearing in a person. - balance; equilibrium.

: BALANCE

especially : to hold or carry in equilibrium

carried a water jar poised on her head

: to hold supported or suspended without motion in a steady position

: to hold or carry (the head) in a particular way

: to put into readiness : BRACE

: to become drawn up into readiness

Just being yourself. Being at east in any situation. Never fighting yourself. 

Whatever you are doing to do - do it fast. 

Natural outgrowth of having the other blocks in their proper place. We don’t have either if we don’t have the others 

- Poise. 

Just being you. Does this make sense to you? 

When we have poise, we’re not acting, faking, or pretending. We are not trying to live up to others expectations.

What have you faked? 

Something simple? 

Somethings major? 

Outside influences won’t change who we are or what we try to be. 

Poise keeps true to ourselves. 

Poise characteristics, 

1. Self control 

2. Confidence. 

These are the two primary ingredients. These are two great disciplines to have. 

How many of you have self control? 

How many of you have confidence? 

How hard is it for you to have poise?

I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt so you would no longer be slaves. I have lifted the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk free with your heads held high. 

Leviticus 26:13

Who struggles with what others think of them? Be honest. 

Who is a people pleaser? Or a yes man? Want to make people happy no matter the cost. 

Who always flees from controversy. 

Biblical characters that show poise. 

1. Shepard. 

2. orphan

When God’s got you, you don’t have to trust yourself or be concerned about what anyone else thinks. 

Moses was a shepherd. Moses had a speech impediment. Moses failed 9 times with Pharoah. 

It was on the 10th time that Moses went to Pharaoh to free the Jewish people. 

Moses wasn’t intimidated and demonstrated poise that comes when we are doing God’s will. 

Moses did not waver. 

McKinley on Esther

Esther was orphaned. Esther watched the abuse  of the King. The king wanted to kill her. 

Esther had poise and courage. 

3 C’s 

1. Control 

2. Confidence. 

3. Courage

When these components are rooted in Christ, rather than self, we have a far firmer foundation upon which to achieve success. 

Group Activity 

Do you usually prepare or wing it? 

Do you usually have your emotions under control?  Under control or Lack of control. 

When it comes to your relationship with God, are you poised, or are you a poser? 

Based on these three questions, what do you need to work on?