Today's Word

[Judy Harder]

       
Today's Word for Pastors...

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
Psalm 89:1

Today's Preaching Insight...

Link preaching to small groups to enhance retention

Pastor Larry Osborne of North Coast Church in Vista, CA, believes that listeners better remember the sermon content now that his church has linked its small group discussions to the topic of the past week's message. In a recent article for the SermonCentral.com newsletter, he writes: "The first thing I noticed was that once we started connecting our small group questions to the sermon, people were noticeably more attentive. I wish I could take credit for improved material, delivery or style. But I hadn't changed. What had changed was the congregation's awareness that they were going to discuss the message later in their small group. As a result, they were much more attentive.

And to my surprise, I discovered that attentiveness is contagious. When everyone else in the room is dialed in, it seems to send a subtle, perhaps subliminal, message that this is important stuff -- don't miss it. So most people work a little harder to hang in even during the slow (should I saying boring?) parts of the message.

The most obvious sign of the congregation's increased attentiveness was a marked increase in note taking. That alone had a significant impact upon the memorableness of my sermons. Educational theorists have long pointed out that we forget most of what we hear unless we also interact with the material visually, verbally or physically. In short, taking notes dramatically increases recall. And tying small groups to the sermon dramatically increases note taking." (Click here to read the full article.)]

Today's Extra...

Compassion

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement. The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night, the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength.

Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then, she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited. Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled. "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I left you with him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."  (from Cybersalt Digest)]

Preaching magazine is the premier resource for those who proclaim the Word. To begin your own subscription and get a free year of issues, go to http://magazine.preaching.com/subscribe/.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:24

Today's Preaching Insight...

Preaching God's Story, Not Ours

In the Winter 2007 issue of Fuller Seminary's Theology News & Notes, New Testament scholar Marianne Meye Thompson asks: "What would it mean to let the gospel be your guide in preaching? In order to reflect on that counsel, we must come back to the question, what is the gospel? First and foremost, the gospel is God's action, God's story, God's saving initiative toward the world which he has created. It bears repeating: the gospel is God's story.

To preach the gospel, then, means sentences in which God is the subject of active verbs. Beginning with accounts in Genesis and moving through the book of Revelation, it's easy to make quite a list of all that God does: God speaks, creates, judges, calls, sends, saves, delivers, feeds, clothes, promises, loves, shows mercy and kindness, does justice, and so on. To preach the gospel is to proclaim the accounts of the Scriptures in light of the fact that their central character is God, and that the gospel is from God and about the God who is Father, Son, and Spirit.

I am reminded of a sermon I heard on John 11, the raising of Lazarus. The story is the climactic "sign" in the Gospel of John testifying to Jesus' identity as the resurrection and the life. Jesus' sign of raising the dead bears witness to the glory of God, that is, to the power of God to give life to the dead through Jesus. The fledgling preacher told the story, leading up to the dramatic moment when Jesus calls out, "Lazarus, come forth!" This story is one that embodies the gospel in all its simplicity—the power of Jesus, the one sent by God, and his word to give life. But, apparently feeling it inadequate, the preacher added, "And now Lazarus had to make a decision." It is, of course, a ludicrous picture: a dead man deciding whether or not to obey the word of Jesus! But the turn of this sermon illustrates something pernicious in much modern preaching: it is so easy to make the most powerful of Gospel stories center on human action and not on God, to think that somehow our actions, our decisions, are the heart and center of the gospel story. To make that move is to sell out the gospel."
(Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

Dying

During an impassioned sermon on death and facing judgment, the visiting evangelist said forcefully, "every member of this church is going to die and face judgment."  Early on in the sermon he noticed a gentleman smiling on the front row.

The minister kept pushing his theme, "Every member of this church is going to die."  The guy smiled even more while everyone else in the congregation had a very somber look.  In an effort to get through to the guy, the preacher repeated it several more times forcefully, "EACH MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO DIE."

Each time the phrase was repeated, the man smiled more.  This really got the preacher wound up and he preached even harder.  The man still smiled.  The preacher finally walked down off the platform to stand just in front of the smiling man and shouted, "I SAID EACH MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH IS GOING TO DIE."

At the end of the service the man was smiling from ear to ear. While everyone else was looking pretty grim from the prospect of entering eternity, the man seemed quite happy.  After the service the preacher jumped down off the platform and worked through the crowd to find the man.  Pulling him aside, the preacher said, "I don't get it. Every time I said, 'Every member of this church is going to die,' you were laughing.  I want to know why you did that?"

The man looked the preacher square in the eye and said confidently, "I'm not a member of this church."  (from James Merritt)

[Judy Harder]

July 08, 2011     

Preaching Daily
     
Today's Word for Pastors...

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Acts 10:43

Today's Preaching Insight...

Teens confused about how to get to heaven

A recent LifeWay Research survey of American teens shows that most believe in heaven but have mixed views about how to get there.

According to a May 23, 2007 Baptist Press story: Results show that 69 percent of teens believe heaven exists. Also, a majority strongly agree with the traditional Christian belief in Jesus Christ's death for their sins as the reason they will go to heaven (53 percent). Yet while many teens believe they will go to heaven because of their belief in Jesus Christ, one-quarter trust in their own kindness to others (27 percent) or their religiosity (26 percent) as their means to get to heaven.

Out of the 69 percent of the teens who strongly or somewhat agree they will go to heaven because Jesus Christ died for their sins, 60 percent also agree that they will go to heaven because they are religious and 60 percent also agree they will go to heaven because they are kind to others.

That leaves approximately 28 percent of American teenagers who are trusting only in Jesus Christ as their means to get to heaven.

"This is where confusion and perhaps a bit of self-made salvation have crept in," Scott Stevens, LifeWay's director of student ministry, noted." Why would teenagers feel the need to add anything to Jesus' work on the cross? Maybe it's because so many of them are fully engulfed in a performance-based existence where they are constantly striving to earn the favor and acceptance of those around them, especially those in positions of authority. How often do these teens experience unconditional love at home, school, or even in their church?"

"The central theme of Christianity is the person and work of Jesus Christ -- His death and resurrection," said Scott McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research, adding, "It is surprising that only about half the teenagers who attended a Christian church in the last month are depending solely on the grace of Jesus Christ to get to heaven."  (Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

Grace, Salvation

David Jeremiah points out that in the 1980s, the Smith-Barney brokerage firm made a series of commercials in which distinguished actor John Houseman spoke the famous line, "We make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it!" Sometime later, based on that commercial, a Christian cartoonist showed some Pharisees arguing with Jesus about salvation. Their punch line? "We get our salvation the old-fashioned way. We earn it!"

Those commercials were a success partly because they appealed to something in fallen human nature: the desire to work and pay our own way. The Bible commends that attitude in many respects (2 Thess. 3:10), but not when it comes to salvation. The problem with earning our salvation is that we could never do enough. Committing one sin is the same as committing them all. And once a sin is committed, it's like a spoken word -- there's no getting it back. The biggest challenge facing the early church was helping Jewish believers set aside law and tradition as a way of earning approval with God.

Don't try to be saved the old-fashioned way. Receive salvation the way God offers it through Christ: as a gift of grace through faith. (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 5-29-07)

Preaching magazine is the premier resource for those who proclaim the Word. To begin your own subscription and get a free year of issues, go to http://magazine.preaching.com/subscribe/.

 

[Judy Harder]

Preaching Daily
     

Today's Word for Pastors...

This is what the LORD says-- your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.
Isaiah 48:17

Today's Preaching Insight...

Name Change

In the church where my family attends, we've recently been enjoying a sermon series from the book of Daniel entitled "How to Live in Exile." In the series, senior pastor Mike Glenn notes that we live in a culture which no longer understands or accepts a Christian worldview. In a recent daily devotional linked to the series, he wrote about Daniel 1:7: "Whenever we read Bible stories we can't help but notice an important event that happens over and over again. People who have had a significant experience with God that transformed their life, more times than not they ended up with a name change. When Abram was called to leave his family and become the father of a great nation, his name was changed from Abram to Abraham. When Jacob wrestled with the angel and is blessed at the end of the battle, that blessing is signified in the change of his name from Jacob to Israel. When Simon confesses Christ on the mountain in Caesarea Philippi, his name is changed from Simon to Peter...

That is why it is significant that one of the first things that happens when Daniel and his friends are taken into exile in Babylon is that their names change. Each one of their original names has a significant connection to God. Daniel means "God judges. " But when Daniel and his friends are renamed, all the references to God are lost.

It should be interesting for us as believers to pay attention to how the world would name you. To those who would see you as the end product of evolution, you are simply the next step in the process -- a conglomeration of proteins and water and carbon. To Madison Avenue we are consumers, targets to be separated from our money. To politicians we are voter groups who have significant key issues or points of interest, or agendas.

That's why it is so significant for us to remember who we are in Jesus Christ. We are, indeed, rejected by the world but chosen and precious by Jesus (I Pet. 2:4). We must understand who we are because what we do comes directly out of who we believe ourselves to be. If you believe your life is not worth anything, then you will make choices that reflect that lack of value. If you believe that you are created in the image of God and are called according to His purposes, then your behavior will reflect that basic belief.

Many of us complain about living in a world where we are called numbers. It is more than just a rude way to be addressed by corporations. It is a basic loss of our humanity. The Gospel is good news because it restores our broken relationship to God, and in doing so restores our humanity. Today as you pray, confirm within you the name that He and He alone has given you, and that you will live in the freedom of knowing who you are. Then you simply won't respond to a world that calls you by a wrong name."

Michael Duduit, Editor

Today's Extra...

Dishonesty, Integrity

After the Enron scandal a number of schools began to talk about ethics and values, however, this year has made the ubiquity of cheating a hot topic for educators.  Duke University expelled 9 MBA students and gave out lesser punishments to 37 others in one of the largest cheating scandals in the country. The US Air Force Academy expelled 18 students for cheating. Ohio University has reported "rampant and flagrant" plagiarism by graduate students in engineering. 

Even administrators have been caught cheating. The most prominent was the resignation of a dean of admissions at MIT whose resume contained fabrications -- when she was first hired some 30 years ago. A Rutgers study of 32 universities showed 56% of MBA students admitting cheating; followed by 54% of grad students in engineering; and 45% in law. The undergraduates at those schools were even worse, with 74% of business students and 68% of students in other fields admitting to some form of cheating. Combating cheating is not only difficult, it can also prove costly -- with the loss of tuition dollars, bad publicity, and often lawsuits to defend.  (AP 5-19-07, via IvyJungle.org)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27

Today's Preaching Insight...

Putting Application in Sermons

In the June 27 edition of his Ministry Toolbox newsletter, Rick Warren suggests six guidelines for putting application into sermons:

1. Always aim for specific action
2. Model it from your own life
3. Ask penetrating questions
4. Give specific action steps
5. Give practical examples
6. Offer people hope



Speaking of that last guideline, Rick writes: People need encouragement to change. If they think something's hopeless, then they won't even try. For example, I once did a two-part series on getting out of debt. We had a woman share about how she'd gotten herself $100,000 into credit card debt. She explained how it took several years to pay off, but by applying biblical principles she and her husband were able to do it!

When she finished speaking - and I usually try to fit the testimony right in the middle of a message - I stood up and said, "You may have been discouraged thinking, 'I'm never getting out of debt.  But you can do this!  Is there anybody here who's got more than $100,000 on their credit card?  No. You just heard a story of a woman who with the power of God's Spirit and discipline, and using the biblical principle of putting God first, she got out of debt. You can do this!"

This builds hope in people. They say, "We can do that. We're not nearly as bad as that."  (Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

God's Will, Providence

In a recent edition of his Friday Evenings newsletter, Tom Barnard wrote: When Victor Frankl was arrested by the Nazis during World War II, he was stripped of everything of value he owned. His only possession when he arrived at Auschwitz was a manuscript of a book he had been working on for a very long time. To preserve it from confiscation, Frankl had sewn it into the lining of his coat. When he was searched, his manuscript was found and was taken from him. Later he wrote, "I found myself confronted with the question of whether under such circumstances my life was ultimately void of any meaning."

Apparently in an effort to keep prisoners from accumulating anything worthwhile, the Germans routinely forced prisoners to give up their clothing and in return they were issued clothing taken from other prisoners on their way to the gas chambers. In the garment of the old clothing re-issued to Frankl was a torn piece of paper—a portion of a page from a Hebrew prayer book. On it was part of the Jewish prayer—Shema Yisrael—"Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one God."

Later Frankl wrote, "How should I have interpreted such a 'coincidence' other than as a challenge to live my thoughts instead of merely putting them on paper?" From that experience Frankl concluded, "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how."

Why did God allow Frankl to be robbed of his precious manuscript? Why did God send to Frankl a prayer that been concealed by a prisoner on his way to the gas chamber? I believe God knew that what Frankl needed at that moment was prayer—not a manuscript.

Are you frustrated because an opportunity you believe God was opening to you suddenly was jerked out of your hands and replaced by something less significant and meaningful? Maybe God wants you to turn away from your personal goals and let him set the agenda for you.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:35-37

Today's Preaching Insight...

Why Do People Switch Churches?

More than 1 in 5 adults who switch to a new church move away from traditional worship, finds recent LifeWay Research. Church Switchers often choose a new church that is different in several ways from their previous one, and most end up not attending traditional services as they did formerly. 53% attended traditional style worship; of that, only 29% switched to churches with traditional services.

The most popular worship styles among switchers are blended worship (38%) and contemporary worship (33%). 46% move to a larger church while 29% go to a smaller one and 25% find one the same size as their former church. Among those who attended a church of 100 or less, 79% switch to a larger church. Among those who attended a church of more than 500, 57% moved to a smaller church. 54% change denominations when switching. 44% consider denomination an important selection factor.

Among those who have disagreements with their previous church's teachings or positions on issues, 71% change denominations. Only 4% left a previous church because they could no longer identify with that particular denomination. 87% base their selection on preaching and 90% have found preaching that meets their need for relevance, interest and clarity. 91% consider the preaching at their current church relevant while only 44% say this about their previous church. 91% say their current preacher holds their attention vs. only 37% who claim this about their previous preacher; 86% are challenged by the preaching at their new church to live and think biblically compared to only 39% who were previously so challenged. 97% attend worship at their current church; 84% contribute financially vs. 69% previously; and 64% volunteer compared to 51% before. Also, 60% attend a small group, Sunday school or discipleship class at their new church. Moreover, 74% become a member of their current church vs. 69% at their previous church.  (Church Leaders Intelligence Report, 6-27-07)

Today's Extra...

Obedience, Listening

In a recent Turning Point Daily Devotional, David Jeremiah relates this story: During the mid-twentieth century, one of the most recognizable brand icons in America was a dog sitting in front of an old-time gramophone, head cocked, listening to the sound. That iconic image, owned by the RCA Victor record company, was taken from a painting by English artist Francis Barraud. The dog, Nipper, had been owned by Barraud's brother who had recorded his voice on early phonograph records. After the brother died, Barraud inherited Nipper and the gramophone and records. Whenever the records with Nipper's master's voice were played, the dog would sit in front of the gramophone listening to his master's voice.

That's a beautiful image of the relationship between Jesus Christ and us. He has gone away from earth, so we can no longer hear His physical voice. But we sit in front of His Word, and kneel before Him in prayer, and listen for our Master's voice. The Bible was given to be the voice of the Lord until He returns, and prayer is how we confirm what we believe He has spoken to our hearts. How easily can you pick out the Master's voice from all others?

Listening for the Master's voice is a sign of loyalty and longing -- an indication that we are eager to hear and obey.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

Today's Preaching Insight...

I Was Mistaken

In the Spring 2007 issue of Leadership Journal, Pastor John Ortberg tells a story that preachers will understand all too well: "A good friend from the Pentecostal tradition, in which people will often stand up and speak very authoritatively to the congregation, told me a glorious story. According to my friend, a man once stood up and declared, "Thus saith the Lord: Even as I was with Abraham when he led the children of Israel through the wilderness, so I will be with you." Then he sat down.

His wife nudged him and whispered something. He quickly stood back up and said, "Thus saith the Lord: I was mistaken. It was Moses."

That story captures the mystery of preaching, illustrating both the Word part and the flesh part: "Thus saith the Lord, I was mistaken."

The very words of God coming through human instruments, which would be you and me. What an odd combination that is!

How do we prepare our souls for this task? We are very fallible people and yet we are to speak for God. Our preparation is not just getting our spiritual life "amped up" for a weekend service. It is much more a way of life: "What kind of person am I becoming so that preaching is the outflow of a certain kind of life, and it comes out of me in a way that God wants it to come out?"

This means not preparing your soul for a week of preaching, but how to prepare your soul for a life of preaching." (Click here to read the full article)

Today's Extra...

Confusion, Records

A woman meant to call a record store, but dialed the wrong number and got a private home instead. "Do you have 'Eyes of Blue' and 'A Love Supreme?'" she asked.

"Well, no," answered the puzzled homeowner. "But I have a wife and eleven children."

"Is that a record?" she inquired, puzzled in her turn.

"I don't think so," replied the man, "but it's as close as I want to get."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:1-5

Today's Preaching Insight...

Trust the Story

Storytelling expert Steven James says that one of the keys to effective stories is to trust them to do their work, without trying to explain or analyze them for the listeners. He writes: "In nearly every book on public speaking and preaching I've read I see the same advice: 'Tell 'em what you're gonna say. Say it. Then tell 'em what you said.'

That might be a good way to teach someone how to bake a casserole, but it sure stinks when it comes to telling a good story. Maybe that's why Jesus never did it. Not once. Instead, he spoke in metaphor, story, and imagery that appealed to curiosity and imagination. He didn't preach 3-point sermons, he preached 1-point sermons — and most of the time he didn't even tell people what that point was!

Jesus rarely explained his stories, in fact only once in scripture are we told specifically why Jesus told a story (Luke 18:1), and only a couple of his story explanations appear. Jesus trusted his stories to do their work in the hearts of the people listening. This leads us to one of the great paradoxes of education: the more you explain a story the less impact it has. Think about it. Haven't you heard someone use a great illustration and then spend the next 30 minutes draining all of the impact out of it? We end up diminishing rather than expanding the impact of a story by explaining to people what we think it is supposed to mean.

I'm not asking you to leave your listeners constantly confused, just trust them more to connect the dots. Jesus trusted his story to do its work in the lives of his listeners. He almost always wrapped truth up in mystery. We can do the same."

(Click here to read the full article on Steven's website.)

Today's Extra...

Preaching

A stranger entered the church in the middle of the sermon and seated himself in the back pew. After a while he began to fidget. Leaning over to a white-haired man at his side, evidently an old member of the congregation, he whispered: "How long has he been preaching?"

"Thirty or forty years, I think," the old man answered.

"I'll stay then," decided the stranger, "He must be nearly done." (Steve Shepherd)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:3

Today's Preaching Insight...

'The Secret' Is Self-Centeredness

In a recent article about the book The Secret, pastor Mel Lawrenz writes: "The Secret, you see, is all about the self—it's for the self, obsessed with the self. Newsweek offers this critique: "On an ethical level, The Secret appears deplorable. It concerns itself almost entirely with a narrow range of middle-class concerns—houses, cars, and vacations, followed by health and relationships, with the rest of humanity a very distant sixth."

Professor Robert Thompson of Syracuse University says: "The Secret promises this heaven on Earth in one fell swoop by simply desiring something, by simply wanting it. It's amazing how we really are a nation of, at best, great optimists, at worst, real suckers."

What The Secret reveals is that so many people are so desperately unhappy that they will snatch up anything offering hope—or simply offering quick and easy wealth. My question is, who will be there to pick up the pieces when they discover that they bought into a lie? And who will help the people who believe that they brought every misfortune on themselves because they sent negative thoughts and feelings out into the universe like a human radio transmitter?

How different from the message of Jesus: The first will be last, and the last will be first. Lose your life, and you will find it."

(Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

Giving, Generosity, Sacrifice

Richard J. Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary, wrote in his recent article inTheology, News & Notes: "The story is told of a missionary who, after a lifetime spent serving an island community, was called back to his home country. His dear friend, a local chief, gave him a plant as a parting gift, for which he crossed the island and back on foot. The missionary was moved and perplexed: the same plant grew nearby -- why travel so far? The chief replied, 'The journey is part of the gift.'"

Sometimes it's not so much what we give, as it is how far we're willing to go to give it. (from Steve Eutsler, Springfield, MO)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:48

Today's Preaching Insight...

Some Things You Just Can't Do

For weeks now, our office voicemail has been "out of order." If you try to call my office when I'm not sitting at my desk, the phone will ring and ring until you get tired of listening. (We can't even offer you the chance to go on hold and listen to elevator music!)

Worse yet, at the time the system crashed, there were apparently a couple of messages waiting for me. I know this because every time I look at my phone, I encounter these mocking words: "Messages & Calls." They are there, I know they're there, but I can't get to them. And when a new voicemail system is finally installed, those existing messages will disappear into the ether, never to be heard from again.

I'm sure that whoever left those lurking messages has long since preached my funeral for being so ungracious as to ignore their call. And there's nothing I can do about it.

That's the way it is in life, isn't it? There are some things that, no matter how hard you try, you can't do. I can't flap my arms and fly to the moon (though I have tried on occasion). I can't outrun a thoroughbred. And I can't do enough to deserve heaven.

How thankful I am, then, that God loved me enough to send His Son to do for me what I can never do myself. And I'm also thankful that He didn't depend on voicemail to let me know about that good news!

Today's Extra...

Illustration: Integrity, Honesty

Before Tom Lehman had the chance to prove himself on the PGA Tour, he had to enter the 1990 qualifying school (Q-school, as the pros call it) for the PGA Tour. During the high-pressure, all-or-nothing event, Lehman called a penalty stroke on himself. A stiff breeze caused Lehman's ball to move slightly after he addressed it, and the rules are clear: if the ball moves, you are penalized one stroke. The result? Lehman missed qualifying for the cut for the tour by-you guessed it-a single stroke.

If the most important thing in Lehman's life was qualifying for the tour, if his values were based on success rather than faithfulness, he might not have called the penalty stroke. But his faith in Christ, coupled with the importance of living on the basis of real values, called him to honesty. His honesty resulted in waiting another year to qualify.

"If a breach of the rules had occurred and I didn't call it on myself, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror," explained Lehman. "You're only as good as your word. And your world wouldn't be worth much if you can't even be honest with yourself."

Lehman's loss at the Q-school sent him in 1991 to what's now known as the Nationwide Tour, where he set a tour record with seven tournament wins in a single season. The confidence he gained while waiting for his dream led to his subsequent PGA Tour victories. But that isn't what made his decision best. It was the fact that it reflected his values and resulted in faithfulness.

(from Rick Ezell's One Minute Uplift newsletter; http://www.rickezell.net/)