So let’s take some time to look at what scripture says about what a “Well Dressed Christian” would clothe themselves in. We find that answer in:

Colossians 3: 12-14  “Therefore as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our being, our character, will begin to change to become more “CHRIST-LIKE”. As Christians, we must see ourselves as dead to the old sins and put them aside to… DISCARD THEM LIKE OLD RAGS! The Apostle Paul states that because the believer is risen with Christ, he is to put off the old man and put on the new man.

In other words, we are stripped naked of our past sins and cleansed of them, and we put on the renewed man. The old self is confined to the “closet of the past” with  its former passions and desires, its pride and self-centeredness, and we are to put on or clothe ourselves with the new self.

As God’s chosen people we can dress up in new clothes. Each day as we awaken we can clothe ourselves with the most awesome attire. WE make a decision to put on these new clothes. Every day we can put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

The best part of this wardrobe is that it is available to all who trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We can all look and feel fabulous! However, you have to take care of your new clothes and take responsibility for how you present yourself.

The way we make that happen is to be SO FULL of these qualities that they can be seen on the outside.

How can we do this? By showing compassion to those in need, humbling ourselves daily, being kind to those who do us wrong, showing meekness by resisting the temptation to strike back, and by having patience with those who hurt or disappoint us. We are called to bear with one another by refusing to give up on each other and always forgiving each other. 

And the final thing we put on each day, like a fabulous coat… over all these virtues, we put on love, as this binds all the virtues in perfect unity — the perfect outfit that never gets old.

Jesus himself taught us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love one another.  Without love, none of the other virtues can last, or we could say: the outfit is not complete.

In conclusion, we must be “best dressed” because we are ambassadors for Christ. We represent him. All of these virtues display the character of Christ. As we put on these virtues, we will be dressing ourselves with the “character of Christ”.

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.

We often hear it said, “Let’s not forget the reason for the season.” However, let’s take it a step further and say,” Let’s celebrate the reason for the season every day.”

As we awaken each day, we can be filled with joy and gratitude as we remember the greatest gift we ever received, and His name is Jesus.

Mathew 1:21-23  She will give birth to a Son, and you will give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophets. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel (God with us.) 

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John3:16)

For all who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we can daily be filled with the Joy of our Salvation and find ways to bring joy to others. 

Think about it… Christmas is all about the joy of giving. We celebrate Christmas because of a loving Heavenly Father who so loved us that He gave the most sacrificial of all gifts. He sent His own Son in the form of a babe, who would give his life as an atonement for our sins. 

One of my favorite Christmas Carols is “Joy to the World,” and this song can be a reflection of our lives. 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let earth receive her King 

Let every heart prepare him room

Let Heaven and nature sing

Let heaven and nature sing

Let Heaven Let heaven and nature sing

Every day we can awaken to the Joy!! 

Our hearts filled with joy as we prepare our heart to make room for him daily

As we acknowledge him as our Savior our Lord and our King!! 

As we pray the way Jesus taught us to pray “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” 

We can truly celebrate Christmas every day through the joy of giving.

The real spirit of Christmas is giving, loving, caring, and serving

Every day we can share the love of Christ with our families, our friends, and whoever comes into our path each day  We can share our faith …we can generously give to the ones less fortunate than us… we can be willing to serve others as needs arrive… We can pray for and with others.

 As we pray to our Heavenly Father daily, what will develop is an ever-increasing close and loving  relationship with Him. He will lead and guide us into His perfect will.  A life that is filled with His peace and joy …the joy of our salvation   

Christmas in July …. I say, “Let’s celebrate Christmas every day.”

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

The difference is I love this outfit even more than my designer jeans. You see, the fit is perfect, because God hand-tailored this outfit just for me.

As I awaken each morning, I put on each piece one at a time. I put on compassion, I put on kindness, I put on humility, I put on gentleness, I put on patience. And as I do, I am keenly aware that I am a temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you…

And the fruit, or outward manifestation, of the Holy Spirit is this:

Galatians 6:22, 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

As I gaze in the mirror as I dress for the day, I am learning to see myself through God’s eyes. My daily prayer is that I would be a reflection of these virtues to others.

So as you awaken each day, I encourage you to put on the Divine Attire that God has hand-tailored just for you.

And let’s not forget the “Armor of God” that is found in Ephesians 6:10-11, 14-17.

Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so you can stand against the enemy’s schemes.

Ephesians 6:14-17
Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist and the breastplate of righteousness in place. And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

We as Christians are encouraged to put this on daily to protect ourselves from spiritual attacks, temptation, and negativity.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7 ESV)

On December 28, 2000, the Atlanta Thrashers were about to face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. I had signed with Atlanta as a free agent in the offseason, but I was not playing well. I was shuffled in and out of the lineup that season, and the coach told me I wouldn’t play against the Rangers that evening. However, he did want me to take warmups in case someone got injured prior to the game, although that rarely happened.

I put on my gear, laced up my skates, and took pregame warmups with my teammates at MSG. Afterwards, I started taking my equipment off when Coach pulled me aside. ‘Adam, you’re in! One of the guys was injured during warmups. Be ready to go!’ Just like that, I was back in the game.

We won convincingly that night, 4–1. I logged a ton of ice time and played really well. In fact, Coach pulled me aside after the game and told me, ‘That’s the best game I’ve ever seen you play.’ Little did I know it would be my last game.

The following night, we traveled to Long Island to take on the Islanders. I’d been experiencing severe back pain but tried to muscle through it. My back held up for a whopping three minutes before several discs ruptured during the game. I would never play hockey again.

Early in my NHL career, it felt like playing hockey was never going to end. Then suddenly, it did. Just like the eight-and-a-half-period marathon game against Pittsburgh (The Longest Game) felt like it was never going to end. But suddenly, it did too.

Our lives may feel like they’re never going to end. But one day, they will. I pray that on that day you hear the Lord tell you, ‘That’s the best game I’ve ever seen you play.’ I hope your last game is your best game.

James describes the brevity of life this way:

“You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14 NKJV)

Greg Koehler’s NHL career consisted of one shift totaling four seconds…

Listen to God’s response:

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'” (Luke 12:20 ESV)

Translation: Your four seconds are up! You should have leveraged everything you had to love God and love people. Instead, you wasted your life focusing on the unholy trinity: Me, Myself, and I. Now your soul is required of you. Time is up.

Joshua made it clear what he was going to do with his four seconds:

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

What will you do with your four seconds? Make your last game your best game.

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.