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An
Outreach Publication of the Church of Christ at
Creekwood |
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Calling the Shots Roger Staubach was the quarterback of the 1971 World Champion Dallas Cowboys. However, he admitted up to that point it was a trial for him not to call his own plays. Coach Tom Landry sent in every play from the sidelines. He told Roger when to pass, when to run, and only in emergency situations could he change the play (and he had better be right!). Even though Roger considered Coach Landry to be a genius of football strategy, his pride said that he should be able to run his team. Roger later admitted, "I faced up to the issue of obedience. Once I learned to obey there was harmony, fulfillment, and victory." Harmony, fulfillment, and victory! Are these not the very things that all of us want in our lives? We want harmony in our relationships. We want fulfillment in our lives. We want to be victorious over the challenges in life. Just as Roger Staubach learned, the key is OBEDIENCE – not to a football coach, but to the Lord of lords - JESUS CHRIST. Jesus taught in word and life how to have HARMONY in our relationships. Most importantly, however, He made it possible for us to have harmony with God (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), but Jesus died on the cross as payment for our sins (Ephesians 1:7). We are reconciled to God through His Son, Jesus Christ, when we respond to His love believing in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), repenting of sin (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) in Jesus’ name (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Then one continues to live in harmony with God – being continually cleansed by the blood of Jesus – as he continues to walk in the light (1 John 1:7). Following Jesus also brings FULFILLMENT in our lives. Through Jesus we understand the purpose of life and the goal of life. The purpose is to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31), and the goal is to live eternally with Him in heaven (Revelation 21:1-4). “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10). Through Christ, we also have VICTORY – victory over self, sin, and death! “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58). The
scriptures make it clear that "it
is NOT
in man to direct his own steps“ (Jeremiah
10:23). "Calling our own plays” leads to
division, defeat, despair, and destruction (Proverbs
14:12). Only
when we learn to obey our “Coach,” the Lord Jesus
Christ, will there be harmony, fulfillment, and
victory! You
and I must face the issue of obedience. Have YOU obeyed Him? -- Rick Whittle / David A. Sargent, Minister Church of Christ at Creekwood To Subscribe to "Living Water" send a blank e-mail to:
HTML version: subscribe-livingwater@lyris.dundee.net Follow this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com Archived issues of "Living Water" can be accessed from our website at: www.creekwoodcc.org
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