who wants the blessing?
reading from the playbook› 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
This was the hurdler’s first and last junior high school state championship competition, and she wanted to win this race. Her family, team, and coach were there to support her—confident in her ability. She was ready to run the best race of her life. She warmed up and answered the call to check in. Somehow, though, she missed the check-in. When the official called the names of the girls who would be racing, hers was not called.
Desperate, she ran to her coach for help. The meet director informed her coach that she had been told where to go, and she didn’t show up. A miscommunication had taken place, and she was out of the race before it had even started.
Devastation flooded the athlete, the team, her family and her coach. All the hours of hard work were dashed because she did not respond correctly to the call, thereby putting her out of position for the race. The blessing of victory escaped her.
How many times have God’s blessings escaped us because we did not heed His call? How many missed
opportunities have we passed because we did not respond correctly to His call?
We are called to run the race of life, but we must obey the rules and not disqualify ourselves from the prize. Run your race to obtain the prize. —Madeline Mims, Olympic medallist, track
executing the game plan›
Do you want to answer God’s call to become His child? If so, pray a prayer like the following:
“Father, I know I have sinned against You. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, and that He rose from the dead to prove it. Now I hear Your call and accept Your offer of full forgiveness and eternal life. Help me to run the race of life by qualifying through Your Son Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Savior. I want to follow Him as Lord. Amen.”
If this is the honest expression of your heart, you have entered into a personal relationship with God! The Bible promised that “to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
We encourage you to let a pastor know of your decision and to start attending a church.
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reading from the playbook› John 3:16-18
It was a tragedy that rocked the motor racing community. On May 12, 2000, 19-year-old Adam Petty was killed during a practice run for a Grand National Race in New Hampshire. No one expects a 19-year-old to die. No 19- year-old wakes up in the morning thinking, “Today may be my last day on this earth.” Few adults do, for that matter.
But sooner or later, it happens to all of us. The Bible says we’re all “destined to die once and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Unless Jesus returns first, every one of us will one day die. None of us knows how and when our time will come. For most of us, it will be a complete surprise. And then we will face judgment. We will be called to account for our sins and failures. We will have to pay the penalty—unless we have put our faith in Christ.
Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for us. If we believe in Him and receive His forgiveness, our sins have already been paid for and we can face the judgment without fear. Jesus explained, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying” (John 11:25).
As a young man, Adam Petty had put his faith in Christ and received God’s free gift of eternal life. And though he had no idea that May 12, 2000, would be his last day here, he was ready. Are you? —Christin Ditchfield
executing the game plan›
• If you haven’t already received Christ as your Savior, shouldn’t you do so today?
• Take time right now to invite Him into your life. Confess your sins, receive His forgiveness, and enjoy the eternal gift of life.
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reading from the playbook› John 14:1-6
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) is arguably the most famous boxer ever to be crowned the heavyweight champion of the world. We marveled at his combination of finesse and power. And few of us will forget his antics outside the ring.
Ali, a deeply religious man, explained in a Reader’s Digest interview what faith is to him.
“It means a ticket to heaven. One day we’re all going to die, and God’s going to judge us, our good and bad
deeds. If the bad outweighs the good, you go to hell. If the good outweighs the bad, you go to heaven.”
While many of Ali’s jabs hit their mark, his explanation of how to get to heaven is way off.
The God of the Bible is going to judge all of us one day; that part is true. But the good that we’ve done will not wipe out our bad thoughts and deeds. We can’t possibly do enough good works to compensate for our sins. The truth is that God would declare every last one guilty and worthy of eternal punishment if it weren’t for the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the only ticket to heaven. We can’t do a thing to resolve our sin problem, except put ourselves at the mercy of God and believe that Jesus’ death KO’s the penalty of our sin. It is only because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross that we can be “made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:22).
Whether we’re “The Greatest” or just a regular Joe, that’s the way it is. —Jeff Olson
executing the game plan›
• Write out on a sheet of paper how you would explain the way a person can go to heaven.
• Are you going to heaven after you die? Why or why not?
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reading from the playbook› James 4:13-17
Life is unpredictable. It can change in a moment.
The tragic death of legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. is a harsh reminder of how life can forever
change in an instant.
Think about it. Merely seconds before his untimely death in the 2001 Daytona 500, the “Terminator” listened to his crew chief screaming in his headset that his teammate Michael Waltrip and his son Dale Jr. had first and second place locked up. What a thrilling and proud moment that must have been for him. Then Earnhardt Sr.’s black No.3 Monte Carlo slammed into turn No.3—sending him into eternity.
Without warning, life can drastically change. What is true one moment can be completely different the next. The unpredictability of life is a powerful reason we shouldn’t put off taking care of any important unfinished business.
While we may not know for sure where Dale Sr. will spend the rest of eternity, you can know about your own
eternal fate. As you read this article, if you don’t know for certain where you stand with God, talk about it with a Christian friend or pastor.
If you are a believer with some unfinished business between you and another person, take care of it. If you
have an unsaved friend with whom you haven’t shared the gospel, begin praying and thinking of how you might do that.
Don’t put important matters off any longer. Don’t assume that you have plenty of time. You never know when life will permanently change—in an instant. —Jeff Olson
executing the game plan›
• Make a list of your important unfinished business and set a goal to take care of each item on your list.
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