Sermon Illustrations on Focus — page 2

How To Keep Order In Your Universe

Luke 4:42

People were confused about it for centuries. They looked at the sun rising and setting every day and they reached a seemingly obvious conclusion: the earth is the center of everything and the sun revolves around the earth, right? Uh, if you just said “right,” you need to go back to third grade science. Actually, if you think the sun revolves around the earth, well, you agree with about one out of five Americans in a recent survey. You know, it's a good thing to get right - what's in the center, and what revolves around it.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “How To Keep Order In Your Universe.”

Now, it's easy to make the same mistake that ancient, and even some modern, people have made - confusing what should be the planets of our life with the sun that those planets should all be revolving around.

In our word for today from the Word of God in Luke 4 beginning in verse 42, Jesus has to make sure that the “sun” is in the middle, and everything else is revolving around it in His own life. In this case, the “sun” is the life mission that He is on. He's in Capernaum where He has spent much of the day miraculously healing people and casting out demons. Then, “at daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for Him and when they came to where He was, they tried to keep Him from leaving them. But He said, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.’ And He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

Notice those two words that decide Jesus' priorities: “I must.” Jesus knows His musts, His non-negotiables, the “sun” around which all other demands must revolve. And He is faced with a lot of people who need Him, asking Him to do a very good thing. But He says “No” based on His non-negotiable mission. He knows He must not allow anything, no matter how noble, to deter Him from what He came to do - to keep spreading His message to other towns.

And Jesus has left us a model for making the hard priority choices we all face. You may be struggling with some right now. And maybe, like Jesus, all your choices are good ones. When it's hard to sort all that out, it's time to do what Jesus did - get alone with God and let Him refocus you on what is most important from His perspective. Each new day, we need to be with the Father, making sure we are making His non-negotiables our non-negotiables.

Certainly, our relationship with Him is the ultimate “sun” around which everything else is just a “planet.” We can't make any choice that will adversely affect this anchor relationship. There are other non-negotiables God wants you to make the center of your choices - what's best for your marriage, your children, sticking to His calling - His life-mission for you, uncompromised integrity, your responsibility to show the people around you what Jesus is like. Your responsibility to spread the Jesus message.

See, life's choices are a lot less confusing when you know your non-negotiables. Then you decide based on everything else having to revolve around those non-negotiables. Actually, you have to be sure you know God's non-negotiables as you re-clarify them with Him each new day. There are just too many noble detours that you just can't afford to take. Your personal universe is in order when the sun is in the center, and then everything else is where it's supposed to be - planets taking their place around a sun that never, never moves.

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Restless Hope

Philippians 3:20

Much is offered in the symbols and images of certain ancient traditions for constructing homes and buildings. In one particular tradition, a large stake was used as a central pillar for the structure, driven into the ground by the future occupants. Their homes were built as a miniature cosmos, and believed to be founded on the center of the world.

The New Testament thrust is that our center is not here. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). While alienation is considered a part of all religions, what distinguishes the New Testament is that its writers do not wish to resolve that sense of alienation. It seems they want to know it fully and to preserve it as the very key to life in Christ.

What do you expect from your Christian life? What do you believe, wish, hope that it will deliver?

I believe that many of us look to faith for a resolution to problems, perhaps for a more successful life, or at least less difficulties or pressures than others have to face. In faith, some approaches to Christianity give the impression that being a Christian will help you to be comfortable in life, to fit in, to have a happier life.

Many perhaps have had an inkling that this was not true to real life; neither is it true in the Scriptures or church history. Jurgen Moltmann offers helpful insight: “Faith, wherever it develops into hope, causes not rest but unrest, not patience, but impatience. It does not calm the unquiet heart, but is itself this unquiet heart in man. Those who hope in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is, but begin to suffer under it, to contradict it. Peace with God means conflict with the world, for the good of the promised future stabs inexorably into the flesh of every unfulfilled present.”(1)

Our culture and our daily lives tell us constantly and continuously that “I” am the center of the world. But the Western pursuit of individualism, autonomy, and privacy, comes with a heavy price tag. By pursuing the fulfillment of lives here and now and acting as if this world, this moment, this opportunity is all there is, we sacrifice the ability to look out and beyond life; we sacrifice the ability to see past self. We live by trying to make life and the world fit our personal desires. Yet we are not the center of the world; to behave as such is to live falsely.

The New Testament is anchored in the proposition that the aim of life is altogether outside of life. To the kingdom of men and women Jesus declared the anomaly of the kingdom of God: “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). Since this world is not our home, there is a sense of alienation that must be taken into the heart of all experiences. We are hopeful, but we are restless. We are foreigners with treasures in heaven; we are resident aliens looking toward home. If this world is not the end, but a journey, then we must not treat it as if it is the sum of all things. The choices we make now with our time, our talents, and our lives have eternal consequences.

What are you living for? What do you see? What vision, whose values, what treasure drives you?

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1. Jurgen Moltmann, THEOLOGY OF HOPE (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993), 21.

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How To Find Peace and Power Through A Prioritized Life

Matthew 11:30

"On your mark, get set, GO!!" The pistol sounds and the runners spring into action. Every thought, every motion, every breath has a purpose, and every eye is fixed on the same thing-the finish line.

What a beautiful illustration of living the Christian life - a life in which your every thought and motion has a purpose and your eyes are forever fixed on the goal. But as I look back on my life, I realize there have been times when I've lost my focus and got caught running "the rat race" instead. Perhaps you have done the same thing.

People and circumstances are crying out to you saying, "Do this. Do that. Do this. Do that." You feel as if you're constantly on the run, but you're not sure you're getting anywhere.

So to help you evaluate your life, I want to share a little test that's helped keep me headed in the right direction. I'm going to give you six symptoms of a life that's out of balance, and you can determine whether you identify a lot or a little with each one. By the end of the test, you'll have a good feel for whether or not you're on track.

Symptom #1: Busyness. People who are busy are always in a hurry. Time is their enemy because they never seem to have enough of it. Are you always running out the door, arriving just in time or a little late? Is your desk or house a mess? Is your car dirty? Is it because you just don't have time?

Don't get caught in the activity trap. Remember, it's not how much you do that's important, but whether you're accomplishing the things that are really important.

Symptom #2: Emotional Stress. Do you often feel pressure and anxiety? Do you have trouble sleeping or waking up? Are you frequently uneasy, restless, indecisive, unhappy, irritable, or worn out? Do you lack connectedness in relationships and keep conversations at a superficial level? Do you feel hopelessly overwhelmed?

Those symptoms of emotional stress are all indicators that you're doing a whole lot more than God designed you to do or that you're doing it in the wrong way. Remember, God's yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

Symptom #3: Nagging Guilt. Do you feel guilty because you're not accomplishing everything you think you should? Have you stopped liking yourself? Do you feel like you don't measure up? Nagging guilt indicates that something is wrong.

Symptom #4: Financial Problems: Are you spending money you don't have? Are you going out to eat because you're too tired to cook? Are you shopping because you want to feel better? Are you working harder and longer but still can't keep up with the bills? Have you stopped giving to God because you just can't afford it? Do you seem to have a hole in your checkbook? God may be using your financial struggles to get your attention.

Symptom #5: Prayerlessness. How is your devotional life? Have you set aside quality time for God, or are you running out the door in the morning and crawling into bed exhausted at night with hardly a thought drifting God's way? If you treated a friend or a spouse the way you treat God, how good would your relationship be? The amount of time spent with the Lord in prayer is one of the greatest indicators of where your heart is with God.

Symptom #6: Escapism Behavior. Do you sit down and mindlessly watch television for hours even if there's nothing in particular you want to watch? Do you grab something from the refrigerator, even if you're not hungry? Do you go shopping even when there's nothing you need? If you're doing any activity just to turn your mind off or get away from the pressures of life, you're practicing escapism behavior. Your life is out of balance.

So how did you do? If you're like me, you probably didn't score as well as you would have liked on that test. Keeping priorities in line isn't easy, and as I thought about those questions, I realized that even now my life isn't exactly where I would like it to be.

But be encouraged-everybody's priorities are constantly in flux. I don't know anybody who has their priorities perfectly together and everything in line. But wherever you are right now, you can determine in your heart that you're going to take a step in the right direction.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25 that "everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training." It's a process. You're not going to run a marathon the first time you put on your running shoes. But if you want to run a marathon, you have to start running.

So if your life doesn't have the balance you desire right now, let me encourage you to do two things. First, commit yourself to taking control of your time, because you can't control your priorities until you control your time.

And second, commit to giving your first and best time to God. Even if you're not a morning person, I'd encourage you to start your day with God. If you give God the first minutes, He can transform the rest of your day through His Spirit, Who will help you discern when to say yes and when to say no.

And before you know it, you'll experience the peace and power of a prioritized life.

Wounds Helped Wedgwood Victim See What Is Really Important

Five years after two bullets nearly took his life in the Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting, Kevin Galey is thankful for the new perspective his wounds gave him.

“When you're shot and laying on the ground with your blood leaving your body ... you think about what is really important,” said Galey, who today serves as Wedgwood's minister of counseling and community needs in Fort Worth, Texas. “Being down here [at the church] all the time wasn't as important as being at home with my family.”

Like many busy pastors, Galey also was a student. When he was shot, he already had three degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and was pursuing his fourth, a Ph.D. He said the drive to finish his last degree as quickly as possible waned considerably after the shooting.

“The shooting kind of relieved a lot of tension and pressure to help me refocus on what is really important in life,” Galey said.

Galey battled through surgeries and a serious infection in the months after the shooting. The health problems cost him an entire academic year in his doctoral studies. He soldiered on and was awarded his Ph.D. from Southwestern last May. Galey dedicated his doctoral dissertation to his fellow victims of the Wedgwood shooting.

“Seven kids lost their lives, and Kim Jones and Shawn Brown from Southwestern didn't get to finish a degree,” Galey said. “I knew I had to finish it, no matter how long it was going to take.”

God's provision for Galey and his family began soon after the shooting, beginning with the first encounter he had with his 6-year-old son.

“My son walked out of the building and saw me on the ground, bleeding, shot twice, and he thought I had a watermelon Jolly Rancher candy on my shirt,” Galey said. “He didn't even think it was blood or anything –- God really protected his thinking.”

Galey traveled the world talking about the shooting for more than a year after he was given medical clearance. He sees now that this hectic pace effectively kept him from having to face the emotional impact of the shooting.

“I could talk about it, but I hadn't dealt with it,” Galey said. “When I stopped traveling and had to deal with that, it was really difficult.”

Galey said the shooting and its aftermath caused him and his wife to re-examine how God wanted to use their lives.

“Ministry families are not immune from tragedy and tragic things happening to them,” Galey said. “We've had opportunities to go to Thailand and Africa and other places and talk to missionaries about surviving tough times and allowing God's grace to be enough to get you through the most difficult times of your life.”

Galey said a lesson he learned from Southwestern Professor Emeritus of New Testament J.W. MacGorman while a student at Southwestern many years ago helped get him through.

“Dr. MacGorman said in chapel one day that the thorn room is the prerequisite to the throne room,” Galey said. “Solid, good Christians are not immune from crisis –- it is the crisis that makes us better people and more attuned to what God wants us to be able to share with other people.”

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How To Beat the Distraction Action

Hebrews 12:1

You can get into a pretty good debate among American sports fans over which of their sports is more exciting. You have the brains and brawn of football, or someone will say that soccer's their game, or hockey is a really bruising sport. I think my two sons would vote for basketball as the most exciting sport, and basketball action is really pretty physical. I mean, it's constantly changing, it's intense, it's unpredictable. There's this one point where it slows down a little, though, much to the relief of the players. You know if a player is fouled by someone from the other team he gets to shoot one or two free throws. Now, that's one time when nobody's bothering you. Well, there are not all these guys trying to stop you from getting your shot, and you get to shoot for an extra point or two, but there is someone trying to bother you - especially if you're the visiting team. When you're facing the basket, you are also facing all these local fans who want you to miss. So, they jump up and down, they make noise, they wave their arms, they wave signs, and they have this one sign that says “Brick, brick, brick.” So, if you're trying to score some points, you really need to concentrate.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “How to Beat the Distraction Action.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Hebrews 12:1-2. “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” This passage suggests an idea that's very common in modern athletics. You hear this word often - focus - just like that basketball player has to focus on the basket. That's what it takes to sink it, when you have a thousand nuts out there trying to get you to look somewhere else. That player has all kinds of sights and sounds trying to get his attention, but he has to tune it all out. His eye is fixed on the basket.

The Bible says here we have a race marked out for us. The Lord has set a course for your life. You have gifts to use for Him, people to influence for Him, work to get done for Him, days with which to glorify Him, and we're this runner striding towards the prize. All that matters is getting to the tape. That runner can look at the crowd, he could look at the competitors behind him, he could look down, but a champion always focuses on the goal.

As you're running your lap for Jesus each day, there's plenty of distraction. Right? It's easy to have your attention drawn to a problem person, to finances, making money, a thousand little annoyances, temptation, an overwhelming “to do” list. Maybe you're drawn to this conflict or to something you're afraid of, to your worries, and they're all yelling at you, “Look at me!”

Peter's walk on water was a perfect example. He got out of the boat and walked on water. As long as he looked at Jesus, he was on top of the storm. When he looked away, it was on top of him. You sink when you look at the storm instead of the Savior. Frankly, I'm tired of throwing away days to frustration, worry, self-pity, and panic. What's the answer? Focus. Begins when your day begins. You fill up with Jesus in the early moments, listen to worship music and Christian radio, take time listening to the Lord in His Word, refocus on Him several times a day. That's why I get a practical benefit from just giving thanks for my meals during the day. Several times during the day you're in touch with Him again.

Determine you're going to look for the Lord at work in your day, and thank Him every time you spot Him doing something. Whisper His name as you answer the phone, as you answer a letter or the door, or a question. Focus on Jesus. All the distracters will always be there, waving and shouting and screaming, but a champion knows the distractions don't have to make the difference. Make sure your eyes are stubbornly focused on the Lord over every distraction.

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Staying Focused On God In the Real World

Philippians 4:4

Every believer must live and work in the midst of a real world that isn't kind toward our Lord very often. There seems to be in our day a relentless opposition to the mention of God, and especially His Son, Jesus Christ -– our Lord.

This is not unique to our day; God's people have always had to live this way. Many of God's people not only find this offensive, but quite unnerving as well. We can become intimidated by such vocal opposition when we want to share our faith in God and His Son with others.

But each generation must find a way to live victoriously in the midst of a real opposition that wants to denounce and censure the mention of God, especially those who give a strong witness for Him. Can we find Scripture that gives us any guidance against such opposition? Yes!

A key passage which is almost self-explanatory is found in Philippians 4:4-7. Each phrase can be taken and meditated on for great profit. Notice my own way of processing these truths:

“ -- rejoice -– in the LORD –- always”

“ -- let your gentleness (graciousness) be known to all men”

“ -- the LORD –- is at hand [the LORD is near]”

“ -- be anxious for nothing”

“ -- but in everything”

“ -- by prayer and supplication”

“ -- with thanksgiving”

“ -- let your requests”

“ -- be made known”

“ -- to God”

“ -- and the peace –- of God –- which surpasses all understanding”

“ -- will guard your hearts”

“ -- and minds”

“ -- through Jesus Christ”

Each phrase is full of God's instruction to us and carries with it great directions and encouragements. But each truth must be received, appropriated and lived out in our lives. God has everything in place and ready to be experienced by us. The reason so many of God's people do not experience His peace guarding their hearts and minds is not because He can't or won't, but because we do not believe He will. Therefore, we do not receive His measureless provisions.

There is another word from our Lod which to me is very significant, and which I have experienced in my life for many years. Our God is faithful who made this promise to the disciples and, therefore, to each of us today:

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as

“ -- serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up”

“ -- to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before”

“ -- governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. But”

“ -- when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.”

“ -- For it will be given in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who”

“ -- Speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you (Matthew 10:16-20).”

What a wonderful provision of God. He Himself is with us in our world wherever we are, regardless of what we face! His presence and provision will always be sufficient, that “we may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).”

Since God has made available His perfect provision for life and happiness, let us receive and appropriate daily God's “exceedingly and great and precious promises, that through these we may be partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4).

This will not only be pleasing to God, it will greatly influence the world around us. Remember that others are indeed seeking God but don't know what that would look like in their lives. You may be God's loving provision to these who desperately need a demonstration of God's sufficiency for all men!

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A Man Focused On God

Once there were three boys playing on the snow-covered ground. Along came a man who suggested that the boys race, with the winner receiving a prize. The boys readily agreed.

The man explained the rules for the race. He would stand at the end of the field. When he gave the signal, the boys were to start to run. The boy who had the straightest footprints in the snow would be the winner.

The race started and the first boy kept looking at his feet to make sure his steps were straight. The second boy kept looking at his contestants to see what they were doing; but the third boy just ran on with his eyes firmly fixed on the man at the end of the field. The third boy was the winner, because his footsteps were straight in the snow. He had kept his eyes on the goal ahead of him.

Life is like that race. If we take our focus off Christ and begin looking down at our circumstances, we will fail. It is easy to get bogged down with the day-to-day struggles that we encounter, but we must realize that God will take care of us. We can never be the man and woman that Christ wants us to be if we lose our focus.

A focused life is a life built on faith. When we trust God to take care of the circumstances, we will be free of the worry and doubt that will throw us off track.

Quote: A man focused on God always knows the direction he is headed.

Wasting An Awful Lot of Time With Those Things

Chuck Colson tells about one prisoner he met who had been on death row for fifteen years. His name was John Irving.

John was allowed out of his cell for only one hour a day. The rest of the time he was studying to become a minister -- preparing to serve God.

Noticing that John had nothing in his cell but a few books, Colson offered to give him a TV.

“Thanks,” John said, “but no thanks. You can waste an awful lot of time with those things.”

Can you imagine wasting time on death row? Colson goes on to say, “The real evils of the entertainment industry are not the violence and profanity -- offensive though they are. No, it’s the banality: the sheer waste of time. When we turn the TV on, we turn our minds off; studies have shown that the analytical areas of the brain nearly shut down during extended TV viewing.”

An Epidemic Within the Western Church

John 4:35

An epidemic is defined as any communicable or non-communicable disease that affects a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community or region at the same time. Throughout history, our world has seen its share of epidemics -- black death, bubonic plague and malaria, just to name a few. More recently, the attention of the medical community has been turned toward epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and the West Nile Virus. Epidemics tend to come out of nowhere. Much like wolves in sheep’s clothing, they sneak in unaware and before you know it half the flock is missing.

I’m convinced that there’s an epidemic that has infected the Western church of the 21st century. I’ll simply refer to the epidemic as myopia. No, I’m not referring to the medical condition in which objects can be seen distinctly only when held very near to the eye. I’m talking about spiritual myopia -- a kind of Christianity that has become so focused on self that it no longer resembles the faith of our fathers.

The side effects of this spiritual myopia can be seen and heard all around us. Christian bookstore shelves are lined with volumes that entreat us to “live our best lives now” and “become a better you.” Much of the music that receives a substantial amount of airtime on Christian radio stations is devoid of any reference to God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Gospel or the mission of the church. Those references have been replaced with much more subjective ones that focus on me, myself and I. Songs are now intentionally written with a much more man-centered focus in the hope that they will receive playback on mainstream media outlets.

Even preachers have not been immune to this debilitating epidemic. In some circles the sermon no longer is seen as the vehicle through which men of God seek to communicate the truth of God “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). Preachers increasingly have given into the temptation to allow their congregations -- and not the Word of God -- to shape their messages. Consequently, some preachers have traded substance for style and our congregations are showing the myopic effects of the exchange.

Just recently, I experienced a striking example of this epidemic in my own community. I was driving down the road when I noticed the backside of a church sign. The sign was intended to bear a message to the church’s parishioners as they left the church parking lot. The sign simply read, “Claim your blessing today!” Immediately, I thought to myself, “What happened to the signs that used to say ‘You are now entering your mission field’?” Spiritual myopia has left us in such a stupor that the person we focus on the most as we come to and depart from God’s house is ourself.

Having identified the epidemic and its tragic side effects, we need to turn our attention towards a cure. The only cure I’m aware of is to take the focus off of ourselves and to “turn our eyes upon Jesus.” How do we begin to do that? I think we’ve got to start from the top. Pastors must stop allowing the culture and their congregants to determine their message. God’s ambassadors must faithfully deliver the message of their King once again by preaching “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Preaching the whole counsel of God might not always draw large crowds, but if it is a huge following that the pastor is seeking, he is part of the problem and not the solution.

Further, our churches need to recapture a passion for the vital ministry of prayer. Of course, we could list a number of verses that encourage us to be men and women of prayer, but just think practically for a moment. When you have spent time humbling yourself in prayer, are you more prone to think about your own desires or the desires of God? My own experience has proven that I’m never more concerned about the things of God than when I am praying. As the old song says, “The things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Finally, we must make the Father’s business our business once again. We’ve all found ourselves asking this question: “Is God really satisfied with what I’m doing right now?” There are many details of God’s will that can cause us to wonder about such things. Yet, when we attempt to fulfill the Great Commission, the questions and doubts begin to go away. The one thing Jesus commanded us to do when He ascended on high was to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). He said that we should be a people constantly committed to the work of going, baptizing and teaching. A cure for our current epidemic will surely be found as God’s people begin to turn their attention towards the fields that are “white for harvest” (John 4:35).

A Christian songwriter from yester-year apparently found the cure for our spiritual myopia. Exactly 50 years ago he penned the words to a song that we seldom sing, “Win the Lost at Any Cost.” The words of the chorus go like this:

Souls are crying, men are dying,

Won’t you lead them to the cross?

Go and find them, help to win them,

Win the lost at any cost.

Go out and win, rescue from sin,

Day’s almost done, low sinks the sun,

Souls are crying, men are dying,

Win the lost at any cost.

When we “turn our eyes upon Jesus,” surely our lives, our families and our churches will express this same manner of urgency as well. May God grant healing from our present epidemic very soon. The transformation of our lives and the salvation of the lost is depending upon it.

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Todd Stinnett is pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Morristown, Tennessee

Focus On Christ

One on One With Barb Lindquist

You probably don’t keep track of triathletes the way you follow your favorite basketball and football players. They certainly don’t get as much press as athletes in more high-profile sports.

Chuck Swirsky, the play-by-play voice of the NBA Toronto Raptors, recently talked with triathlete Barb Lindquist on Sports Spectrum Radio. We’re introducing her to you in this edition of Campus Journal not because of her high ranking, or her great talent as a swimmer/cyclist/runner, but because she is a good example for all of us. No matter where she is in life’s race, she always keeps her focus on Christ.

Swirsky: You’ve been the top women’s triathlete in the US. That’s got to make you feel pretty good about the hard work you’ve put in.

Barb: It really surprises me when people point to me and say, “She’s ranked fourth in the world” or whatever it is that week. I just kind of look around and say, “Who are you talking about?” I have so much room for improvement. It’s really exciting to be top-ranked, but I still feel that I have so much room to go.

Swirsky: What do you take away from the experience of training so hard, when it’s just you and nature? What comes into your mind?

Barb: When you’re pushed to the limit in competition and when you’re pushing yourself in training, your senses are more wide open. You’re more receptive to things. That’s when God really speaks to me. I’m out there on my limit and He just really touches me. I have great closeness with Him when I’m out training.

Swirsky: How do you know that? How do you know He’s speaking to you?

Barb: I guess maybe you need to be in that situation. But it’s because I know that it’s not my power and my strength. I’m at the end of my power and strength for sure. I know that it’s Him.

Swirsky: Barb, you’re known for being outspoken about your faith in Christ. Why?

Barb: Because I’m a Christian first, and my relationship with God is my number one priority. I can’t talk about any aspect of my life without talking about Christ.

He Likes Trains, and Buses Too

Even his mother was not surprised.

Darius McCollum, the New Yorker with the notorious habit of taking New York City subways and buses for joy rides, was arrested on Tuesday, sitting at the wheel of a stolen Trailways bus, the police said.

Over the last three decades, Mr. McCollum has accumulated about two dozen transit-related arrests, starting in 1981, when he drove the E train to the World Trade Center at the age of 15.

Mr. McCollum, now 45, was most recently arrested in 2008 after trying to pass himself off as a subway worker, the police said.

A law enforcement official said that a Trailways bus had been reported stolen from New Jersey, and various police agencies were notified of the stolen bus. The New York State Police tracked the bus to the vicinity of Archer Avenue and Merrick Boulevard in Queens, and contacted the police in the 103rd Precinct.

Police officers from the 103rd Precinct stopped the bus as it was heading north on a ramp of the Van Wyck Expressway. Mr. McCollum surrendered without incident, the police said.

Mr. McCollum’s mother, Elizabeth, 84, said that he had not spoken to her son in months. In previous interviews, Ms. McCollum said her son had Asperger’s syndrome and had a lifelong obsession with trains.

“You’re always doing a story about him,” she said from her home in Winston-Salem, N.C., noting that another reporter had also called seeking comment.

Asked for further comment, she said, “I’m never surprised.”

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/a-stolen-bus-leads-to-an-all-too-familiar-suspect/?hpw

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Train-stealing fanatic Darius McCollum arrested for 27th time - and this time, it’s a bus

BY Pete Donohue, ROCCO PARASCANDOLA and LARRY MCSHANE

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Wednesday, September 1st 2010, 4:00 AM

Mass transit menace Darius McCollum racked up his 27th arrest in three decades Tuesday by taking a Trailways coach on a cross-state joyride.

The 45-year-old transportation-obsessed oddball went from the driver’s seat to a holding cell after cops caught him with the hot wheels in Queens.

“I’ll bet they won’t leave the keys in the ignition,” McCollum told the arresting officer. “I’ll bet they’ll be more careful now.”

His mother, Elizabeth McCollum, was surprised - not that he was arrested, but by the type of vehicle. “He loves trains more than anything else - buses are his second choice,” she said from her North Carolina home. “He loves planes, too, but he hasn’t been able to get on one of those yet.”

Darius McCollum slipped aboard the empty bus in a Hoboken, N.J., maintenance facility, found a key in the ignition and headed east in rush-hour traffic.

A dispatcher checking the GPS discovered the bus cruising through Queens and notified authorities, said Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne.

It was soon spotted going northbound on the Van Wyck Expressway. McCollum, who has a form of autism, offered no resistance when police stopped him about 9:15 a.m.

He was wearing a wanna-be driver’s uniform of black pants, blue button-down shirt and brown shoes - and carrying a Koran and manuals from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, cops said.

He said he drove the bus to Kennedy Airport and claimed he was headed back to New Jersey.

“That’s where it came from - Ifigured I’d bring it back,” said McCollum as detectives walked him out of the 103rd Precinct stationhouse in Queens. “I’ll see you all incourt.”

McCollum - who once did two years in prison for the attempted theft of a 60-ton locomotive - was charged with grand larceny auto and possession of stolen property. He could face up to 15 years behind bars.

The police discounted any possible terror connection to McCollum, who was questioned by members of the NYPD intelligence unit. “He’s not considered a terrorist threat,” said Browne.

His lawyer insisted McCollum is the real victim. “He needs help,” said Stephen Jackson. “It’s imperative that the system doesn’t fail him again.”

No one was hurt and the bus was in tiptop condition. That’s how it’s been in every McCollum escapade since he commandeered an E train and drove to the World Trade Center in 1981 when he was just 15.

McCollum’s 1981 subway stunt was just the start of his transit-mania: there were an additional 25 arrests for train-related crimes before Tuesday’s bust.

McCollum recently worked as a volunteer with the Fortune Society, a group that helps ex-cons. A friend at the program said she was stunned by the arrest. “I have no idea what went through his mind,” the woman said.

His latest arrest was cheered by the folks at NYC Transit, who keep a wary eye out for their longtime tormentor.

“We ... hope he is punished to the fullest extent of the law and kept far away from anything with wheels,” said spokesman Paul Fleuranges.

Elizabeth McCollum said her son has Asperger syndrome, a form of autism characterized by obsessive behavior.

“He’s not even aware of the extent of his illness,” she said. “It’s sad, very sad.”

SOME OF THE MASS TRANSIT MISADVENTURES OF DARIUS MCCOLLUM:

Jan. 21, 1981: Arrested after driving an E train filled with passengers from 34th St. to the World Trade Center - at age 15.

Aug. 31, 1996: Nabbed after sneaking aboard a subway train - while wearing a Transit Authority vest and shirt - in a Bronx subway station.

Feb. 21, 2000: Busted after sneaking into the control tower of the 57th St. station in Manhattan.

June 11, 2004: Busted in a Long Island Rail Road yard trying to swipe a 60-ton Bombardier M-7.

Nov. 9, 2006: Surrenders for parole violations - buying an MTA badge and construction helmet.

June 15, 2008: Busted for impersonating an MTA worker at the Columbus Circle subway station.

Dec. 6, 2008: Arrested at Penn Station for impersonating a federal agent aboard a Long Island Rail Road train.

Aug. 31, 2010: Caught driving a stolen bus on the Van Wyck Expressway.

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Article: "A Stolen Bus Leads to an All-Too-Familiar Suspect"

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/01/2010-09-01_darius_busted_again.html

Avoiding Spiritual Distraction

Nehemiah 10:29

What distractions cause a person to get derailed in their spiritual life? What steps should we take to avoid potential spiritual distractions?

While driving home from work, your mobile phone buzzes, beeps or sings to let you know you have a message. The temptation is too much, and you check to see who sent the message before reading it. In that very moment, the car in front of you slows down, and you tap them in the back. The police officer and the driver you tapped are not impressed by who texted you.

National campaigns emphasize the dangers of texting and driving. Apps are available that can send reply messages to help eliminate the distraction. Driving safely requires us to minimize the distractions.

Nehemiah was well aware of the dangers of distractions. The distractions that concerned him were far greater than texting and driving. The people of Israel had allowed themselves to get sidetracked in the past for allowing spiritual distractions. They married people who worshiped idols. They built business partnerships with people who did not honor God in their practices. Nehemiah called on the people who returned to Jerusalem to commit to avoiding the potential distractions that could compromise their loyalty to God (Nehemiah 10:29). They worshiped God through their obedience.

When we think about our spiritual lives today, we must also consider the potential distractions. We may get involved in some good things, but those good things may get in the way of our full loyalty to God. These distractions may be different for each one of us based on our weakness and the area in which we are most tempted. As God reveals these potential spiritual distractions, we must be willing to take the actions needed to minimize them. Just like silencing the phone when driving, we must silence anything that calls our attention away from the commitment we have made to God.

Nehemiah called on the people of his day to declare their commitment in a public way. We can share our commitment with others as a way to solidify our resolve to remain focused on Him.

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This Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.

Are You Mad Yet?

John 15:8

In all the years of visiting people in hospitals and nursing homes as a pastor, I’ve never had a total stranger repeatedly bop me in the face with a balloon and ask me: “Are you mad yet? Why aren’t you mad? Are you mad now? Why aren’t you mad?”

I had been in the hallway of a nursing home talking, laughing and exchanging truths about God with a 100-year-old Christ follower (and grandmother of a friend), when the “balloon lady” (with severe dementia) rolled over in her wheelchair and began bopping me in the face with a little red balloon and asking me, “Are you mad yet?”

When I would say, “No ma’am” (as I held my arm out so she wouldn’t hit Mrs. Ruth), the lady would persist and ask again, “Why aren’t you mad?”

It took a couple of minutes for some of the workers to notice what was happening. As they wheeled the lady with the balloon to another part of the room, they apologized to me several times, while lovingly and patiently explaining to the resident that “the nice young man might not want to be bopped in the face with a balloon.”

I thought it was awesome Mrs. Ruth, this sweet 100-year-old Christian woman, didn’t skip a beat while all of this was going on. She just kept on talking about how good God is and what a joy it has been to serve Him.

This episode made me think about how easy and quite common it is for Christ followers to get distracted by the “balloon boppers” of the world. Many times we can get so bothered by crazy events happening around us in our wayward culture that we forget our primary purpose as believers: to glorify the Lord by making more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20; John 15:8).

A 100-year-old lady reminded me (without even knowing it) that I need to keep my focus on Jesus Christ, faithfully shine His light and keep making disciples no matter what distractions the world may “bop” me with.

Thank you, Mrs. Ruth, for this important reminder.

As the Scripture states, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen” (2 Peter 3:17-18).

Fulcrum and Fascination

Consider two intimately related questions: First, what is the center of your week, the fulcrum of your activities? And second, what captivates you? What do you spend your best resources on, your deepest emotions, the majority of your free thoughts?

These two questions are intimately connected for we need the fulcrum of our activities to captivate us. When it does not, the result is frustration. Dryness and boredom set in, as disparate activities lose cohesiveness and become just a series of things to be done.

How do we make the fulcrum captivate? To begin, we ought to recognize that what captivates us could properly be called the object of our worship. Freely giving our time, our money, our thoughts, in short, ourselves to something, this is nothing if not worship. Choosing what this something is, is a profound matter, for the danger of idolatry is always present. And we must also consider that what we worship determines the quality of and fulfillment in our worship.

Simply put, the only object of worship that assures fulfillment and avoids idolatry is God. Sadly, many of us choose otherwise. The result is emptiness, and oftentimes pain and judgment. The emptiness results because we were made to worship God, and whether we recognize it or not, we deeply yearn for meaningful, powerful, and intimate worship of God. Trying to meet this need with thrill seeking, or busyness, or success, or learning, will only leave our soul hurting.

True worship is our deepest source for joy. It is the dispenser of the balm of Gilead. It will take our hearts aflight on wings to the Father's bosom, and our thoughts astride the deepest things. Our worship, personal and corporate, can and should be the most powerful thing we do. Annie Dillard gets it right when she says, “Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainwashed tourists on a packaged tour of the absolute? Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? It is madness to wear ladies straw hats...to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us to where we can never return.”

Worship well on Sunday, and all through the week.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #16664]

Put People First

Acts 2

Our congregation is making a special effort to recalibrate our focus to be more like Jesus, who always put people first. Only his Father's will meant more to Jesus than the individual people to whom he ministered and longed to minister. I hope that we can be better at noticing when someone is missing, then go find that person and bring him or her back. As I read the Scriptures, several parts of this process are crucial.

1 COMMUNITY

We must have a relationship with each other that lets us know each

other and our needs. That means that many of our churches need to

have house-to-house meetings like the early church did (See Acts 2:

46; 20:20; cf. Romans 16:3-5; Philemon 2) in addition to our larger

church assemblies. Much of the New Testament teaching focuses on

"one another" issues. That means we must build "one another"

communities so that when someone is missing, we know it.

2 CONCERN

When some is missing or lost to us, our concern must lead us to

action. Praying for missing people is great, even crucial, but much

we must also actively search for them. (Matthew 18:12-14) Let's go

find them, visit with them, and seek to bring them home. That means

we listen to their words so we can hear the hurt in their heart,

address their concern, and seek to bring them back into life our

church family.

3 CELEBRATION

When someone comes back that has been away, has been lost from the

family, we want to celebrate their return! Each person is precious

to God and they should be to us. Their return to our family life is

a time of joy. (Luke 15:6-7, 9-10, 22-24, 32)

4 COMMITMENT

It is not just the person who returns that needs to recommit

himself or herself to the work of the Lord; it is also our need. We

want to offer encouragement and support for our returning brother

or sister to help them know they are loved, appreciated, and

needed. (Hebrews 3:12-14; 10:19-25)

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Stay Focused and Hang On

Luke 18:1

Rulon Gardner keeps defying the odds. Earlier this year he survived a plane crash in Utah. He swam for more than an hour in 44-degree water before reaching shore and then spent the night without shelter. In February 2002, he had a snowmobile accident. After falling in a Wyoming lake, Gardner was stranded for 17 hours in temperatures of 25 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. In March 2004, Gardner, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, suffered cuts and bruises after he was tossed off this motorcycle.

Perhaps Gardner’s greatest feat of defying the odds came on September 27, 2000. That’s when the “Miracle on the Mat” happened. He pocketed a gold medal after defeating the world’s greatest wrestler of all time, Russian Alexandre Karelin, at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Mind you, this Russian had never lost in international competition. He’d never even been scored on in 10 years! He pummeled opponents despite broken ribs, torn muscles and opposing coaches who would spend years designing strategies just to beat him. Karelin was considered the most intimidating athlete in Olympic history, so feared by opponents that two prior finalists essentially quit on the mat rather than keep absorbing the pounding. And, according to legend, the Russian once carried a refrigerator home from the store and up seven flights of stairs.

So no one expected the American to win. In fact, the International Olympic Committee chairman even showed up at the match in order to present the Russian his fourth gold medal - the medal he wouldn’t get.

After the historic match, reporters swarmed around Gardner, “When did you think you could beat him?” they asked.

“When did I think I could beat him? About 10 minutes ago,” Gardner replied. “I kept saying, I think I can. I think I can.’ But it wasn’t until it was over that I knew I could.”

Turns out that Gardner used a simple strategy to counter Karelin’s dreaded lifts and relentless pressure. He said he approached the match with only two things on his mind: to stay focused and hang on. And for nine excruciating minutes, that’s exactly what he did.

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #4385]

Reflections of Significance

John 7:38

English author Owen Barfield, who was a longtime friend of C.S. Lewis, once stated that somehow, what Lewis thought about everything was secretly present in what he said about anything.

No doubt Barfield did not mean that Lewis went about giving the same tired message in everything he said. On the contrary, he was paying this prolific thinker one of the greatest compliments. Namely, what Lewis said about Christ with the utmost of passion was somehow present in the way he discussed his love for long walks or medieval literature, or in the way he stated his distaste for helping with the dishes. (Lewis once acknowledged that he found it was easier to pray for his wife than to help her with the dishes!) Humor aside, it was this honest observation of his own logic, and in certain cases lack thereof, which ultimately led him to faith in Jesus Christ. And of course, what Lewis “thought about everything” was that “mere” Christianity, that is, the faith which is the center of the gospel, the truth of the person of Christ, is something that no reasonable or responsible mind can ignore.

What he thought about everything was secretly present in what he said about anything. Could something like this be said of you or me? Today it seems that such singleness of mind is a rarity. In a world where we have carefully drawn boundary lines around religious thought, around the name of Christ, it has become easier to accept the categories: Thinking about God and thinking about work are conducted from two separate frames of mind, loving God and loving your spouse are two different kinds of love. But is this true? Is this possible?

We would do well to be attentive to one of the most vocalized reasons for rejecting Christianity - the hypocrisy of Christians. And where it is not sound reasoning to reject a religion by its abuse, the thought is perhaps a legitimate expression of confusion. When what we think about God does not inform what we think about politics or child rearing, business or pleasure, how can we proclaim the eternal importance of the message? Doesn't it follow that something of eternal significance is significant enough to permeate every moment of time? It is like operating as if the underpinnings of a house have nothing to do with the shape or characteristics of any of the rooms. When the wind blows would we feel the same?

Our daily life is a reflection of what we hold most significant. I believe it was G.K. Chesterton who aptly declared that there are no partial philosophies. That is, a philosophy by its very nature cannot merely inform the parts of life we want it to. There are well-formed philosophies and there are poorly formed philosophies that either knowingly or unknowingly govern all of life. In this sense, what we think about everything is present in what we say about anything. What we think about God, how we answer the deepest questions of life and meaning, informs what we think about work, how we love our spouse, and respond to the driver that cut us off. This is a sobering thought!

In Christ we hold a promise that commands a singleness of heart and mind, and a faith that thoroughly informs all of life, for He has flooded all of life with a message of eternal significance: “Whosoever is thirsty, let him come to me and drink” (John 7:38). May our lives reflect the magnitude of this invitation and the hope and satisfaction of one with streams of living water flowing from within.

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[Original illustration at this number was added to HolwickID #5374]

NASA's Chosen Few: A Higher Calling in the Heavens

The weather was perfect on that January day in 1986 when the space shuttle, Challenger, exploded into a cloud of smoke and debris. Millions watched in horror and disbelief (via television) as expectation vanished into confusion. At this very critical stage of NASA's propulsion into the future, the space program was crippled, and in that paralyzing moment, it was as if time stood still. It would be two years before another shuttle would be launched in these United States. Since the space program began, Americans have been intrigued, amazed and inspired by the exploits of astronauts, and those who have helped to send them into space. It's no secret that the selection process used by NASA is rigorous and intense, producing an elite team of the best of the best. Little known, however, is the fact that many of these individuals associated with the space program are far more in awe of something they view more important.

Astronaut Joe Tanner monitors shuttle systems in space where the typical work day is 16 hours. He says that going to space was everything he expected it to be and more. Back on earth, Tanner and his wife Martha, apply themselves to infinitely greater tasks. "It's very important to be a part in a local church" says Tanner. Together with their two children, the Tanners attend a local Baptist church. "We realized we needed to serve as well as to attend," added Tanner. Today, he teaches the 10th & 11th grades at church, and together with his wife, he visits schools where he unashamedly confesses playing with his food in space and having a relationship with Jesus Christ.

His wife Martha proclaims, "We are living up to the potential of being who God created us to be. We are His hands. We are His only means of reaching some people."

In a nail biting event, astronauts Charles Duke, and John Young landed on the moon in April of 1977, with fuel for only 100 seconds of hover time left. "It was a blast! I had a great time," the jovial Duke exclaimed. However, life was not a laughing matter for him or his family. Duke humbly confesses that, at that time, his job was his god and that it had caused problems at home.

"I hardly knew my kids when I went to the moon. We looked the All-American family on the outside, but inside there was a lot of troubles. In 1975, Duke's wife Dottie gave her life to Jesus. Over next two years he noticed "amazing" changes in her life. One day Dottie invited him to a Bible study, and when he gave life to Jesus, she couldn't believe it.

It's been a long time since Duke spent 71 hours on the moon. Today, he and Dottie spend their time sharing their secret for a successful marriage with church groups and at marriage seminars.

"We go around the world sharing our story and our testimony about Jesus," said Duke, "If we concentrate on Jesus, he brings us together."

Astronaut Gary Ross has flown on the space shuttle 5 times, and has walked in space 4 times. "Flying in space is great, but walking in space is like having your cake and eating it too," explained Ross.

A veteran of 850 hours in space, Ross has had many memorable moments. In November of 1995, his shuttle docked with a Russian space shuttle. As they shared each other's food, including American ice cream, he was surprised to see two Christian icons on the wall above their eating area.

"I don't know how anybody could go through life and not have Christ as their Savior and not have the hope of eternal life," says Ross.

Ross believes he is responsible to help spread the gospel of Jesus. A member of the United Methodist Church, he recently volunteered with his church to help out at another church in Costa Rica. "I get involved in mission projects because it's something Christ said we should do," explained Ross.

Alexander McCool is the manager of the space shuttle projects office at the Marshall Space Center. Involved in the American rocket program since the mid 50s, he has helped send the first rocket into space, helped John Glenn become the first man in history to orbit the earth, and helped Neil Armstrong become the first man to walk on the moon.

Two years after the Challenger became a fiery grave in the Florida sky, NASA was prepared to try again. In the control room on that day, Alexander McCool warned co-worker Gene Thomas, that he was going to take his hands and pray with him just before lift off. Initially, Thomas was concerned about what people might think if he was seen holding hands with McCool. But when the time came, both Thomas and McCool laid aside all pride and sought God's favor together in prayer. The launch was a success and NASA was back in business.

Gene Thomas will never forget the saddest day in his life. He was NASA's launch director when the Challenger exploded just 73 seconds into its flight. Although an investigation cleared the space center of all responsibility for the explosion, Thomas suffered great pain at the loss of his friends on the flight. He was close to all of them. "The Lord spoke to me and said, "I'm still Lord, I'm still in control," recalls Thomas. "Without Christ in my life, I couldn't cope with it." Thomas also said that, "Without the Lord's hand in anything a Christian does, there is no future." Today he is the Deputy Center Director for NASA.

On Christmas Eve, 1968, as the Apollo 8 made history orbiting the Moon, Americans sat by their TVs and radios listening to the crew read from Genesis, Chapter 1, which describes how God created the heavens and the earth. The soul-stirring reading finished with this sign off: "God bless all of you ... all of you on the good earth."