Isaiah 40:30-31
I’ve read Isaiah 40:31 for years. It’s usually plastered on a coffee mug or cheesy Christian painting of a bald eagle. What’s amazing, really amazing is how much that scripture means to me now. After an unprecedented season of difficulty and the daily ebb and flow of ‘we will survive: a global pandemic, racial and political division and whatever other issues our country wishes to divide over?!’ There have been moments I’ve felt like quitting the ministry, quitting civilization, and buying a cabin in the outback of northern Canada. Anyone else? Yet,  it’s in those moments, when verses like Isaiah 40:31 go from pithy church sayings- to the living word of God. The Lord has been reminding me in moments of personal and corporate prayer about the eagle. I decided to do some research on the eagle. (By research I mean google it lol) here are some things the weary sons and daughters should know about the eagle:

• An old eagle, say 40 yrs of age will fly to the high places and find refuge. It’s in that secret place that he will remove his old feathers and painfully rip out each of its old talons. Finally, the old eagle will beat its old beak against a rock until it eventually is ripped off. Then the eagle waits- upwards of 5 months. The process is slow and leaves him vulnerable. But after some time, new feathers, talons, and a strong beak regrow. The eagle will live another 30 yrs and leave the high places like new. This should bring Ps 103:5 into focus “….your youth shall be renewed like the eagles”. Difficult seasons can be God’s painful breaking off stale old ways and routines and replacing them with something fresh and new.

• Eagles are some of the most efficient and graceful birds in the air. They’ve trained themselves to look for the wind. The moment a gust of wind blows in the eagle’s face, he will spread his wings and allow the wind to take him to unthinkable heights. This difficult season has been a training season for me personally. I’m kind of a type A put your head down and work hard and hope for the best- the eagle allows the wind to do the work- to lift him up. I’m learning to wait for the wind of the Holy Spirit a lot more in my life- to sense what He wants and what He’s doing- to do the heavy lifting.

• Eagles, for the most part, eat living things. They are less likely to eat something dead as opposed to other birds like the vulture or the raven. I’m learning in difficult seasons like this, spiritual ‘junk food’ will not get me through. I need to refine my spiritual intake. Too much TV, media, and news may be enough to get you by in some seasons…..but not this season. Let’s feast like the eagle, on the living word of God.

• Eagles have great vision and focus. An eagle can lock onto a small rabbit up to 3 miles away- nothing will distract the eagle from his mission, his prize. This season has been somewhat jarring and distracted- however, I sense God’s spirit renewing our focus and vision like the eagle. He is fixing our focus back onto His great commission, to go into all the world and make disciples. The most focused, mission-oriented people I’ve met on planet earth are the navy seals. I’ve had the privilege of spending some time with them. They’ve mastered focusing themselves on the mission at hand. Have you ever noticed the famed seal team trident pin? Of course, it’s that of an eagle holding onto an anchor to show its connection to the navy, a pistol to show its mastery of combat, and a trident to display their mastery of the sea. God is calling His Church to refocus and answer the call. Let’s go eagles!!

Have you ever ridden a New York City subway? It really is a fascinating experience. I remember traveling with my 11-year-old daughter. The subway car was packed—standing room only. My daughter and I stood as the car raced down the tracks. I was relishing this daddy-daughter moment. My “baby girl” was clinging affectionately to my arm—or so I thought. She would later tell me she just didn’t want to touch anything on those filthy subway cars. My arm was the cleanest option! Oh well, I’ll take it however I can get it.

At one of the subway stops, three grown men boarded the car. As the doors shut, the men announced, “Good afternoon, everyone!” With those words, every New Yorker has been trained: put your head down and stare at the floor because people are about to ask you for money! As everyone stared at the floor, the three men moved to the front of the car and opened, “We aren’t here to ask you for anything. We simply want to lift your spirits and bless you with a song about our Savior.” The trio immediately busted into an old familiar hymn. With each chorus, something bizarre happened. Heads started lifting, and hands started clapping. One by one, each reluctant passenger was won over by the song. Eventually, the entire subway car was thundering away in praise. Somehow, a worship service had broken out. I seriously wondered if someone was “punking” me or something.

The subway car slowed to its next stop. The three gentlemen exited with these words: “GOD BLESS YOU!” The doors closed, the car sped away, and immediately everyone went back to staring at the floor in complete and utter silence. What just happened? Then it struck me: those men had been RESTORED in order to help RESTORE. Those three men were made new and now sought to bring renewal. Wherever you go and whatever you do, do it in such a way as to glorify God and bless the world. Those men decided to be a “thermostat” instead of a “thermometer.” They decided to set the spiritual temperature rather than simply take it. How can the world be fixed? By you being a spiritual thermostat and setting the spiritual temperature wherever you go and whatever you do. Jesus would say it this way:

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:13–14)

How can what’s broken be fixed? By you being the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” By not just making a living, but by making a difference. You have been RESTORED to God in order to be an agent of RESTORATION. When you become aware of all Jesus has done for you through the Cross, it becomes nearly impossible to simply sit on the “sidelines” and do nothing. Gratitude compels us to partner with God as agents of restoration. We push back against all that is dark and broken in the world. It’s our ultimate expression of gratitude. It’s how we say, “Thank You,” for all He’s done.

I’ll end this section with the story of Eddie Rickenbacker. Eddie seemed to be a rather odd old man. He could be seen regularly walking up and down an ocean pier with a pail full of raw shrimp. He would toss shrimp into the air over the ocean. Seagulls would gather and acrobatically scoop the delicious morsels out of the air before they could touch the ocean’s surface. With each handful of shrimp, the old man could be heard whispering, “THANK YOU. THANK YOU.”

The backstory: Eddie Rickenbacker was America’s leading fighter ace of World War I and one of its most decorated aviators. During World War II, while on a military mission over the Pacific, the aircraft carrying Rickenbacker and his companions was forced to ditch in the ocean. Rickenbacker and seven others survived the plunge and made it safely to emergency life rafts. Adrift at sea, their food rations were soon exhausted, and so were they. They needed a miracle.

Eddie led the group in a time of prayer and then decided they should all try to rest and conserve energy. As Eddie lay back on the life raft attempting to get some sleep, he felt something land on his head. It was a seagull. Eddie lay motionless, not wanting to startle the bird. The crew froze as they watched in disbelief. Eddie waited for the perfect moment to strike. Suddenly—like a bolt of lightning—Eddie snatched hold of the bird. Feathers flew into the air as Eddie and the crew used the bird for desperately needed food. They also used parts of it as bait to catch fish, helping sustain them while they remained lost at sea. Eventually, they were found, rescued, and brought home.

In the years that followed, Rickenbacker reportedly returned to the ocean with shrimp in hand, feeding the gulls as an act of remembrance and gratitude. “Thank you. Thank you.” I can’t help but think that’s how we should live. In light of the sacrifice of God’s own Son on our behalf, we should live our lives in a way that says, “Thank You. Thank You.”

“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” (2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT)

In the marketplace of ideas, I believe Christianity answers life’s biggest questions best. I pray you come to the same conclusion. I want you to win at the game of life. But in the end, you have to decide for yourself.

“And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

My dad was my first hockey coach. It was a good thing, because I wasn’t very good. I probably shouldn’t even have made the team, but when your “old man” is the coach, I guess you’ve gotta make the team. I mean, you can’t cut your kid, right? I remember asking him about those early years. He told me, “You were a terrible skater!” I thought to myself, “Thanks, Dad?!” He went on to say, “You fell down a lot … but you always got right back up.” Honestly, that’s the secret to winning in Christianity and life itself: whoever GETS UP the most wins.

Mistakes and failures are part of sports and life. The very best athletes of all time failed tremendously but learned to get back up again. Babe Ruth held the home run record (714) for decades, but did you know he also held the strikeout record as well? He struck out 1,330 times! That’s a lot of “getting up”! Ruth’s motto: “Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!” Ty Cobb holds the all-time career batting-average record at .366. If you’re doing the math, that means he failed to get a hit more than six times out of ten. That’s a lot of failure to deal with, and he’s considered one of the very best!

Michael Jordan, the “G.O.A.T.,” failed a bunch. He says it’s how he became the “Greatest of All Time.” He missed thousands of shots, lost hundreds of games, and missed game-winning shots. He failed over and over, and said that is why he succeeded. It sounds like he learned to “get up.”

It’s not only athletes who fail. All the icons in human history had a Ph.D. in getting up. Walt Disney was reportedly fired from a newspaper job after criticism of his creativity. Thomas Edison endured countless unsuccessful experiments before developing a practical incandescent light bulb. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, the very company he helped found. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by multiple publishers before finally being accepted. All of these icons went on to do amazing things, but not before learning to “get up.”

The Bible is filled with flawed men and women. The great “prophet” Homer Simpson had this revelation as he set down his Bible: “All these people are a mess … except this one guy (Jesus).” Many, if not all, of the heroes of the Christian faith had epic failures. Moses, David, Abraham—all of them sinned horribly. It’s not that they were perfect people. They were just great at getting up.

The Apostle Peter’s failure was not just epic; it was personal. On the night of the Last Supper, Jesus sat with His disciples and broke bread. That night, Jesus explained to Peter, “Tonight, you will deny Me three times before the rooster crows.” Peter vehemently denied it, and they headed off to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Soon afterward, Jesus was arrested and all the disciples scattered. Peter followed from a distance. Jesus was beaten, bloodied, and mocked as He was transported across the courtyard. Peter, warming himself by a fire, was accused of knowing Jesus:

“Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, ‘This man also was with him.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ And a little later someone else saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not.’ And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, ‘Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.’”

“But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.” (Luke 22:56–62)

See what I mean by epic and personal? Honestly, I don’t know how you recover from that one. Have you ever been there before? I know I have. Those moments in life when you ask yourself, “How could I?” or “I can’t believe I did that.” You go from a sense of overwhelming guilt to crushing shame. It’s no longer just that what you did was wrong; now you believe you’re wrong. Peter felt the crushing weight of sin and shame. He would go on to do great things for God, but not before learning to get up.

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:12)

The Apostle Paul compares our life to a fight—the fight of faith. Guilt and shame will knock you out of the game of life if you don’t fight back. Your failures don’t get to define you. Jesus does! As long as you get up and learn to fight one more round.

“Gentleman” Jim Corbett became heavyweight champion of the world on September 7, 1892, knocking out the seemingly invincible John L. Sullivan in the 21st round. That’s not a typo—they fought for 21 rounds! Today, a sanctioned championship boxing match is just 12 rounds. Corbett also fought Peter Jackson in an exhausting 61-round draw. A famous passage attributed to Corbett captures the heart of getting up:

“Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round—remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.” —Jim Corbett

The Apostle Peter decided to fight one more round. He’d go on to do amazing things! He preached on the Day of Pentecost, and about 3,000 people received his message and were baptized. He became a leading figure in the early Church and even raised a woman named Tabitha from the dead. None of that happens if he doesn’t fight one more round—if he doesn’t get up. It’s how he won in life, and how you will too. Whoever gets up the most wins!

Wayne Douglas Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of all time. No one else really comes close. He holds 57 NHL records, including the most goals (894), most assists (1,963), and most total points (2,857). If you were to wipe away all of Gretzky’s goals from the record books, he’d still have more total points than any other player. Now you know why they call him “The Great One.”

I remember my first time playing against him. It was October 30, 1991. I was playing for the Hartford Whalers as we hosted Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. The game was pretty physical. Bodies were flying all around, and the referees were just trying to keep the game from getting out of control. Too late! An all-out brawl broke out on the ice as all five skaters from each team dropped their gloves and grabbed a member of the opposition.

I was matched up with Wayne Gretzky! We grabbed one another as fights broke out around us. I did not want to fight Wayne Gretzky for several reasons. First: IT’S WAYNE GRETZKY! Second: He wasn’t a very big guy at 6 feet tall and 185 pounds. I was about 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. It was a bad look, and I wanted no part of it.

I pushed Wayne away and attempted to find another, larger combatant. As I skated away, he once again grabbed hold of my jersey and said, “Let those other guys fight it out. You and I can just watch.” Then it hit me: OMG, I’m standing here with Wayne Gretzky – the guy I idolized as a kid. The Great One! We just started talking as chaos ensued all around us. In retrospect, I should have asked him to autograph my stick or something.

Talking with the Great One – that is the essence of prayer: simply talking to God. You don’t have to speak like Shakespeare, using an array of “thees” and “thous.” You don’t have to pretend to be a theologian or someone other than yourself. He wants to hear from you – the real you. Prayer is talking to God about what’s on your heart and mind.

PRAYER BUILDS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The Apostle Paul challenges us to “pray without ceasing.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds unreasonable to me – maybe even impossible. I remember trying to pray early in my Christian faith. Five minutes felt like five hours. I ran out of things to talk about very, very quickly. Anyone else?

Hebrews 11 in your Bible is what’s known as the “Hall of Fame of Faith.” All the giants of the faith show up: Abraham, Moses, and David. One character stands out. His name is Enoch:

“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5)

Apparently, God liked this guy Enoch so much that He simply took him straight up to heaven. No dying for Enoch. What did he do for God to be so fond of him? Let’s go back to Genesis and find out:

“Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24)

That’s it? Enoch “walked with God”? It seems a bit anticlimactic. “Walking with God” is the Bible’s poetic way of saying that Enoch did all of life with God. Everything he did and everywhere he went, Enoch maintained an awareness of the presence of God with him. Enoch learned to “pray without ceasing,” and it pleased the heart of God.

The name Enoch means “disciplined.” Discipline characterized his life. He trained himself to walk and talk with God, to pray, and out of the overflow of that discipline, his relationship with God grew. Prayer spilled over into every area of his life.

My wife, Susan, and I have been happily married for 35 years. If I were to talk to her for one hour a week – only on Sunday – or on Christmas and Easter, do you think we’d have a shot at staying married? Of course not. No communication, no relationship. It’s that simple.

For example, in the UK, the number one reason given for divorce is no longer infidelity; it’s “we fell out of love” [1]. I believe that might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. You don’t fall out of love. That would be like me reporting to training camp fat and out of shape and, when confronted by my coach, replying, “I don’t know what happened. I just fell out of shape!” I didn’t “fall out of shape.” No! I stopped doing the necessary training and disciplines required to stay in great shape. “Falling out of love” works the same way. You must discipline yourself to continually cultivate your relationship with your spouse…and with the Lord.

You will never FIND time to pray. You can LOSE time. You can WASTE time. But you will never FIND time. You can, however, MAKE time. Enoch was a disciplined man who made time to pray. His relationship with God grew and grew. He learned to walk with God, and so can we.

Michael found his way back to God and back to the pool! Coming out of retirement, he would go on to capture five gold medals and a silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Phelps rediscovered his purpose, and so can you!

In John chapter 20, the resurrected Christ appears to His bewildered disciples and says: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21–22)

“He breathed on them.” This is John’s way of pointing us all the way back to creation in Genesis, where God breathed into man the breath of life. Jesus, in dying on the cross for our sins, makes it possible for us to get the Breath of God back—the Holy Spirit! And with the Holy Spirit, we regain the power to image God. Our ability to form and fill the earth is restored. We get our purpose back.

No one can reflect God’s image quite like you. You are unique. The 23 chromosomes from your dad and 23 chromosomes from your mom make up the distinct 46 chromosomes of your DNA. It’s what makes you, you. The chances of you being you are roughly 1 in 100 trillion! You are truly one of a kind, and as such, you reflect the image of God in a unique way. The Apostle Paul would say it this way: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)

The word “workmanship” is the Greek word poiēma; it’s where we get the word for poem or poetry. You are God’s poetry. His work of art. And He’s created you to do “good works,” or, in other words, for a purpose. David the psalmist will say it a bit more elegantly in Psalm 139: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:13–16)

“Knit together in your mother’s womb.” “Fearfully and wonderfully made.” You are a unique you, designed by God to play your part in God’s story. You were created for a purpose. Not only were you uniquely designed, but you’ve been uniquely placed by God for that purpose: “And HE (God) made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26–27)

In other words, God determines where you live and when you live so that people might, in some way, experience God through you. God is not far from anyone because YOU are there! Pastor Matt Chandler says it this way: “You’ve been made for the day, and the day was made for you.” I love that! For the Christian, everywhere you go and everything you do is dripping with significance and purpose. The Spirit of God in you, to reflect the image of God through you, for the glory of God and the good of the people around you. I know that’s a mouthful. The Apostle Paul will say it more succinctly: “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

The word “whatever” in the original Greek means WHATEVER! Whatever you do—raising a family, working a job, going to school, playing a sport—whatever you do, do it in a way that glorifies God and blesses people. Suddenly, everything you do becomes significant and has meaning. There is no such thing as a meaningless task because you are doing it for the glory of God and the good of others. In fact, Paul says there is a way to drink coffee that glorifies God: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

-Proverbs 3:5–6

I recently read the story of Dennis Wong. Dennis was a Division II collegiate football player. He rarely got on the field, but he loved being part of the team. After putting together an impressive string of wins, Dennis and his teammates made it all the way to the conference finals.

The evening before the big game, Coach was in his hotel room going over the next day’s game plan. He was interrupted by a frantic knock at the door. He opened it to find a somewhat distraught-looking Dennis. Coach asked, “What’s up?”

Dennis got right to the point. “Coach, you have to put me in tomorrow. Please, you’ve gotta let me play!”

After hearing the intensity in his voice, Coach promised he’d consider it.

Game time rolled around, and the starting lineup was announced. Coach decided to let Dennis play on special teams for the opening kickoff, and then he’d go back to the bench as a backup. Dennis’ team kicked off, and he streaked down the field like a man on a mission. The return man fielded the kick when, suddenly and violently, he was hit and the ball popped loose. It was Dennis, and his team recovered the fumble!

They managed a field goal and took the early lead. The plan was to put Dennis back on the bench, but after that play, Coach had no choice but to keep him in. Dennis was a force on the field and played like a man possessed. He made big play after big play. With seconds remaining in the game and the team needing one final stop, who was there to make the tackle? Dennis Wong.

Time expired, and as the buzzer sounded, the fans flooded the field. They were conference champions.

The celebration in the locker room went on for quite some time. Slowly, the euphoria died down, and the players showered and headed home. Coach noticed one player, still in full equipment, sitting alone in the corner, sobbing. It was Dennis.

Coach made his way over and asked, “What’s wrong? You just played the greatest game of your life!”

Dennis gathered himself and replied, “Coach, you remember my dad, right?”

“Of course! He always loved to come and listen to us practice.”

Dennis’ father was legally blind.

With tears streaming down his face, Dennis said, “My dad passed away last week, and this was the first time he was able to see me play.”

For the record, I don’t think that’s a true story. But if you are a Christian, it is your story.

Your heavenly Father is watching you play in the game of life. You play for an audience of One.

Stephen played for an audience of One. He was the church’s first martyr and received the first-ever standing ovation in the heavenly realms. We read about it in Acts 7.

Stephen was proclaiming the gospel to a crowd that would soon turn into a mob. The more he pleaded with them to turn to Jesus, the angrier they became. Finally, the mob picked up stones and hurled them at Stephen. With each deadly blow, life drained from his beaten body.

But when he looked up, he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He heard the applause of heaven and received a standing ovation from the very Son of God.

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he (Stephen), full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”

-Acts 7:54–55

The boos from the crowd were overpowered by the applause of heaven.

Immediately, I started taking inventory of my abilities. Was I the best skater? No. The best puck
handler? No. The best offensive player? No. The best defensive player? No. Panic started to set
in. I didn’t do any one thing better than everyone else. Then it hit me. I was pretty good at
everything. That would be my one thing. Who would have guessed that being above average in
every aspect of the game could carve out a 14-year NHL career? But it did. It was my one thing.
What’s your one thing?

In Matthew 22, Jesus defines our one thing. There were 613 laws in the Old Testament—365
negative commands (“Thou shalt not”) and 248 positive commands (“Thou shalt”). When asked
which commandment was the greatest, Jesus boiled it all down to one thing:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your
neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the
Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

Jesus essentially summarizes the entire Bible in one word: LOVE. Love God. Love people. That
is the Christian’s superpower. That is how we win in life.

The Apostle Paul loved the church in Philippi. He had birthed that church through tremendous
sacrifice and suffering, and he desperately wanted to see it flourish. Notice how he prays for
them: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more…” (Philippians
1:9). Isn’t that interesting? Paul doesn’t pray that their theology would abound more and more.
He doesn’t pray that their Bible reading would abound more and more. He doesn’t even pray
that their prayer life would abound more and more. He prays that their love would abound more
and more. Paul understood that if you get the love part right, everything else follows. Bible
reading, prayer, obedience, service, generosity—they all flow from a heart captivated by love for
God. Love is the one thing that impacts everything.

“Love God and do whatever you please; for the soul trained in love to God will do
nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.” — St. Augustine

Over the course of my hockey career, I was blessed to represent the United States five times. It
is difficult to describe the thrill of wearing the red, white, and blue. At seventeen years old, I was
invited to Colorado Springs to try out for the USA Under-17 National Team, a precursor to future
Olympic and international competition. The best young players from around the country were
there, and years later several of them would be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

As a young Christian, I was on my very best behavior. Not because I was particularly holy, but
because I wanted God to bless me and help me make the team. I was up early reading my
Bible. I spent extra time in prayer. I watched my language. I did all the right things. After three
grueling days of competition, the final roster was posted. Players crowded around the bulletin
board, frantically searching for their names. I still remember the rush of relief and joy when I
found mine. I made the team.

My heart overflowed with gratitude toward God. Then I did what any immature Christian might
do after God answered his prayers—I went out and got hammered drunk with my teammates.
I’m not proud of that moment, but God used it to change my life.

Around one o’clock in the morning, as we stumbled through downtown Colorado Springs, an
evangelist approached us on a street corner. “Do you know Jesus Christ?” he asked. My
teammates laughed him off and continued toward the next bar. But I couldn’t shake those
words. Do you know Jesus Christ? The question followed me. Almost instantly, a soberness
settled over me. I sat down alone on a curb, but I wasn’t alone. The presence of God was
unmistakably near.

The Lord spoke to my heart—not audibly, but clearly. He drew a line in the sand and asked,
“Adam, do you want to use Me for stuff, or do you want to love Me for Me?” That question
changed everything. In that moment, I realized I wanted the Lord more than the things He could
give me. Jesus wasn’t simply a means to an end. He was the end. Jesus went from being useful
to being beautiful.

Elisabeth Elliot tells an apocryphal story in her book These Strange Ashes. One day Jesus asks
His disciples, “Will you carry a stone for Me?” Peter picks up the smallest stone he can find and
follows Jesus. Later, Jesus tells them to sit down and take out their stones. He miraculously
turns them into bread, and Peter enjoys his small lunch.

The next day Jesus again asks, “Will you carry a stone for Me?” This time Peter finds the largest
stone he can possibly carry. He struggles beneath its weight for miles, expecting an even
greater reward. Finally, Jesus says, “Throw down your stones.” Peter eagerly waits. Nothing
happens. Jesus simply says, “Follow Me.” Confused, Peter stares at the stone and then back at
Jesus. The Lord asks, “Peter, who were you carrying the stone for?”

Ouch.

Who are you carrying the stone for? Do you obey God because you love Him, or because you
hope to get something from Him? Do you love God?

My wife Susan and I have been married for more than thirty-five years. We met in high school.
She was the prettiest girl in our senior class. That’s not just my opinion—I’m pretty sure it was
an established fact. After our first date, Susan told me she knew we would someday be married.
I wish she had told me that sooner. I spent most of our dating relationship terrified she was
going to dump me.

Here is a confession I’m not particularly proud of. At first, I was dating Susan because she was
beautiful. I wasn’t thinking deeply about her dreams, her calling, or even her soul. I just thought
she was beautiful. That may be enough to start a relationship, but it is certainly not enough to
sustain one. Over time, I got to know her. Friendship deepened into love. Respect grew. Shared
experiences bonded us together. That is what has sustained our marriage for more than three
decades.

My relationship with Jesus has been remarkably similar. I remember surrendering my life to
Christ at eleven years old after hearing a fiery sermon that essentially asked, “Do you want to
spend eternity in hell or eternity with Jesus?” Even as an eleven-year-old, the answer seemed
obvious. “I’ll take Jesus.” If I’m honest, I wanted fire insurance. I simply didn’t want to go to hell.
That may be an acceptable place to start, but it is a terrible place to stay.

Over the years, I cultivated a relationship with Christ. As I got to know Him, my love for Him
deepened. I discovered that Christianity is not primarily about escaping hell. It is about knowing
Jesus. Heaven is not merely a place for people who are afraid of hell. It is a place for people
who love God.

So let me ask you, what’s your one thing?

“Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7)

It seems fear and anxiety about tomorrow were problems for Paul back then and for us today.
The antidote for fear and anxiety is also the same today as it was then — prayer. When you feel
the weight of care, it becomes a warning signal to pray.

Growing up in the ’80s, the rock group Van Halen ruled the airwaves. They sold out venues
around the globe. As their fan base grew, so did their elaborate stage sets and pyrotechnic
shows. Smoke machines, lighting, and the occasional explosion made each show increasingly
dangerous. The margin for error was slim. Lead singer David Lee Roth added a clause to the
contract between the venue and the band. It became known as the “M&M Clause.” A bowl of
M&M’s had to be available backstage at all times, and all the brown M&M’s had to be removed
from the bowl, or the contract was considered null and void. The band would then receive all the
revenue. It was what they called a “trip-wire clause.”

The band knew that if there were brown M&M’s in the bowl, the venue staff had not read the
contract carefully. Therefore, they probably had not read the safety precautions carefully either
— and the band could be in danger. It was a trip-wire.

God has given you a trip-wire clause as well. When worry, fear, and anxiety begin bubbling up
in your soul, that becomes the trip-wire. It’s time to pray. Notice the sequence: as we release
our cares to God in prayer, the promise is a peace that “surpasses understanding.” The peace
of God will literally “guard” our hearts and minds from the onslaught of fear and anxiety.

GOD’S GOT TOMORROW

Tomorrow isn’t a place God wonders about. It’s a place He already is. That should be
unbelievably comforting to you. A loving and benevolent Father waits for you in tomorrow.

Allow me to illustrate. Luca Manfè was a member of my church and a friend. I performed his
wedding to his lovely wife, Catherine. By the way, the food at the reception was outstanding. It
was prepared by a “MasterChef.”

I remember the day Luca pulled me aside after church and told me he would be gone for the
next few months. He was taking another shot at becoming a contestant on MasterChef. He had
tried the previous year during Season 3 but was unsuccessful. We prayed together, and off he
went to compete.

Eventually, he returned, and I asked him how it went. He said he had signed an NDA (Non-
Disclosure Agreement) and couldn’t talk about it. The show is filmed months in advance.

The first few episodes of MasterChef Season 4 didn’t go great for Luca. He struggled through
many of the early rounds, but his charisma and personality carried him through. Then, midway
through the competition, something changed. Luca began hitting his stride and finding his
groove. Eventually, he cooked his way all the way to the grand finale.

Luca rented out a local restaurant and invited close friends and family to watch the finale
together in suspense. I was nervous, and so was everyone else. Well… almost everyone. Luca
was cool as a cucumber.

The judges’ decision was in. The room fell silent as we all leaned forward to the edge of our
seats.

“And the winner of Season 4 MasterChef is… Luca Manfè!!!!”

The room erupted! We couldn’t believe it. But Luca could. He wasn’t surprised at all. He had
already lived that reality. He had already been there.

God is not wondering about your tomorrow. He is already there. He’s waiting for you. He has
EVERYTHING you need to do ALL He has called you to do. God’s got your tomorrow. Trust
Him and be faithful with today.

The painting’s original name was “Die Schachspieler,” though today it is better known as
“Checkmate.” The painting depicts a satanic-looking character playing chess against a
perplexed and defeated young man. An angel looks on with pity.

“Checkmate.” The devil wins.
I’ve had moments in my life when I felt like that young man — stuck and defeated, with no way
out and no way forward. But with Jesus, you always have another move.
Paul Morphy was a chess phenom. He learned to play by age ten and became a chess master
at the ripe old age of seventeen. He traveled the world defeating anyone who dared challenge
him. Amazingly, he retired from competitive chess at age twenty-one. As a bit of a celebrity,
Morphy was invited to the home of Reverend R.R. Harrison, along with several other Virginian
elites. Hanging on the wall in the reverend’s home was a painting that mesmerized Morphy:
“Checkmate.”
He felt a strange sense of sorrow for the young man in the painting. It provoked him. Morphy
studied the painting for several minutes. Finally, he blurted out:
“He has another move! I can win with that board!”

The stunned host obliged the chess master and recreated the painting’s chessboard. Morphy
did indeed have another move — a series of maneuvers that defeated his satanic opponent. He
won! [20]
And that is our story.
All looked lost when they placed Jesus in the tomb 2,000 years ago. But it wasn’t over. He had
another move. He rose from the grave. In doing so, He defeated death and the devil on our
behalf.
With Jesus, you always have another move.
Remember: whoever gets up the most wins in life. When the devil says, “Checkmate,” don’t
believe it. You always have another move.
“Get up.”
“Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.”
That’s how you win in life — and I want you to win.

I remember the day I was traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Philadelphia Flyers. I was
in Florida with the Canes to take on the Panthers. The morning of the game I received a call
from our head coach, Paul Maurice. He thanked me for my services and informed me I’d been
traded to Philadelphia. That day Philly was in Buffalo to play the Sabres, so I jumped on a plane
and flew to Buffalo to meet my new teammates. Here is what’s so odd about being traded:
Several of my new teammates and I had fought before! Keith Jones and I fought in Washington
(I want a rematch with him), and Rick Tocchet and I fought several times. Rick was the one that
shattered my cheek. (I DON’T want a rematch with him!) Rod Brind’Amour and I had literally
fought one another the week prior to my being traded! These guys who were formerly my
enemies had suddenly become my brothers. I used to fight with them, now I would fight for
them. We were teammates. As a Christian, you were traded from the Kingdom of Darkness to
the Kingdom of Light. You were traded from Death to Life. You play for a new team. You get
new teammates:

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one
in Christ Jesus.”
(Galatians 3:27-28 ESV)

You “put on Christ” like a jersey. You become part of His team. Notice how different each of
these people are: different ethnicities (Jew and Greek), different social classes (slave and free),
different biologies (male and female). And yet, in Christ they are one. Despite all these
differences they are ONE team, Team Jesus. We no longer fight with one another. We fight for
one another. We no longer divide over our differences. Instead, we celebrate them. We are
family. We are the Church.