A cold practice.....but life lessons

My Pop Warner football team had practice as usual last night. As you know, it was colder than normal for this time of year. With the temps dropping and attention spans following them.....I wanted to make sure I finished the practice off with some encouraging words about what it means to be on a Team. This was especially needed as we head into the final few games and we are 3-3 as a team. Not bad...but not great. I wanted to remind them that even though we are out of the playoffs we sill have three goals to aim for this season. We want to have fun in all we do, we want to have a winning record and we want to win the MARA Bowl.

I shared with them that no matter what they do in life that when they are in a group, team or even church....there are three aspects of being in these entities that are common...if they are to be successful. These are:

One Purpose: Every team knows what is the main purpose or vision. It is stated, it is clear and it is specifically singular.

Shared Responsibility: Every person must know and do their part or role.

Personal Devotion: Each person is committed to being their best and doing what they have to do personally so that they can do their part and fulfill their responsibility.

Very simple.....but very meaningful.

Did you know that those are the same three things that define Biblical Fellowship. The term Fellowship and Team are synonymous! Question for you as a part of this Fellowship or Team....Do you know our One Purpose as a church? Do you share in the responsibilities of achieving that purpose? Are you personally devoted to growing so that you can fulfill your role?


Today's Bible Reading Acts 19 & 20

The first part of chapter 19 seems confusing. We read about people being baptized but not receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit. Here is why.....John the Baptist had traveled to this area and preached about the One who would come... The Messiah. He told them to pray to God and ask for forgiveness and begin to live a God honoring life because the Messiah was coming. These folks heard, believed and were baptized based on John's preaching and then they used baptism as an outward sign of their commitment they had just made. However, at that time, when they showed their faith in what John was saying...Jesus had yet to be crucified, buried and risen again. They had put their faith in the One who would do all those things as John told them....it had not happened yet.

By the time Paul travels to this outback place....They had been living and honoring God the way John had told them. However, no one had told them that the Messiah had come and was killed and risen again. Once Paul told them....they were able to place their faith in the Risen Lord and just like you and I they were able to become Christ followers and have the Risen Lord live in them through the Holy Spirit...just like you and me.

Those were special times and special circumstances. Like none the world had ever seen or would ever see again. They were living in the times of Christ....before His death and of course like us...after His death and resurrection.

The Question many have is this....Can you "accept Jesus one day and then only later when a preacher lays his hands on you get the Holy Spirit?" No.....it is all at one time deal for any of us living post resurrection. When you and I ask Jesus to be our savior...we receive the Holy Spirit immediately.

So what is all the antics on TV when the Preacher is running around hitting people and they "are receiving the Holy Spirit" because he touched them? Just that....antics.