GAME PLAN FOR LIFE All sports fans know there are boundaries and rules to every game. These boundaries and rules provide an opportunity to win the game. On the gridiron, yard markers on a 100-yard field show the distance to the end zone. The field is outlined with white chalk to clearly show what s out of bounds. Ifa player chooses to take the ball, run out of bounds, and charge into the stands, a whistle will be blown and the play stops the player/team is ineligible to progress further. Failing to abide by the rules of the game leads to disqualification. These boundaries aren t set up to keep us from having fun or succeeding. It s the exact opposite. They re in place so we can win. Life has its own boundaries and rules. Some apply to work, others to lifestyle, and still others to our beliefs and actions. The Bible gives us boundaries for this game called life and if followed, we win. The Bible promises a great reward to those who finish the game. However, it also tells us that we must play this game in such a way that we do not disqualify ourselves. Choosing to ignore the rules of the game keeps us from winning and ultimately leads us to death.
WEEK ONE: LOYALTY - A PROMISE TO GOD Revelation 17:12-14 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. (NKJV) Sure, the book of Revelation offers some challenging images for interpretation, but this passage provides something a bit simpler to see. There will be people who stand with Jesus in that powerful day who are with Him. Want to be one of those? Who are those people? The text says they are the called, chosen, and faithful. These are the ones who stand with Jesus at the end of the story those who go forward with Him for all of eternity. Since we know that God s call extends to all of us and He has chosen each of us to be His children, proving that choice by dying for our sins, all that remains is our choice to be faithful. God has determined that in spite of His decision to choose us, we must decide whether or not to choose Him. Those who make that choice prove that they meet the third qualification and will find themselves on the best side when this life reaches its end. Knowing God has called us as His own, how do we remain faithful to him?
WEEK TWO: EXCELLENCE - A PROMISE TO MYSELF 2 Samuel 23:24-39 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, Heleb the son of Baanah (the Netophathite), Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash, Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan, Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all. (NKJV) Now you may be puzzled by the passage we chose for today, but amidst the unusual names on this roster of David s mighty men you can find an important principle excellence isn t defined by who you are, but by who you decide to be. If you took time to research these names, you would discover that these men came from all over Israel, some from among non- Israelite families, and a few from towns that even the best scholars can t locate. Yet behind each name is a story of greatness. These men had each distinguished themselves for their valor and self-sacrifice. Like these, you and I can choose the altitude of our lives. It doesn t matter where you ve come from. Your real story is in who you are choosing to become. What kind of story do you want your life to tell?
QUARTER ONE WEEK THREE: SELF-SACRFICE - A PROMISE TO FAMILY 1 Kings 2:1-4 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. And keep the charge of the LORD your God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, He said, You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel. (NKJV) When a man reaches the end of life, as David does in this passage, what he leaves behind becomes far more important than what he has built. For David, his son s future takes center stage, so he seeks to make one final investment in Solomon. Honestly, that s a good way to live every day. I frequently remind myself that my sons, their wives and my grandchildren are the most lasting legacy I can build. Knowing that, I want to live every day with that investment in view. Don t be so busy building for yourself that you neglect the young one building beside you. Their commitments and the lives they will build can speak volumes about who you are for decades to come. In what ways are we investing in our wife, kids and loved ones?
WEEK FOUR: LEADERSHIP - A PROMISE TO OTHERS Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. (NKJV) It s one of the most compelling paragraphs Jesus ever spoke. Sacrifice is the road to life. Laying your life down for God s eternal purpose brings life beyond your imagination. The promise proves even greater than the pain of the loss. Sacrifice is when a man is at his best. We admire those who sacrifice themselves for others, even reserving the title hero for such great ones. Dying on battlefields, policing city streets, rescuing those from burning buildings these are the greatest men of our time. A man is at his best when he is laying his life down for others. That same heroic spirit defines the man who loves his family and his God sacrificially. Every time we put the purposes of God and the needs of others ahead of our own, we find another piece of what life is really all about. So as Jesus says, chase things for yourself and you ll lose yourself. But let your life be lived for His kingdom and purpose and you ll find a life worth living. What character in a movie or life story do you most connect with when it comes to the idea of self-sacrifice?