What does it take?

What does it take to win the Stanley Cup? According to the coach of the Redwings, after winning the first 2 out of seven games in the Stanley Cup Finals, he says that playing the game sometimes seems a bit redundant. You get out their week after week with the exact same goal of winning the game. You never feel as though you are so good that you do not have to practice. When I ask what it does it take to win the Stanley Cup finals,
1. Practice, everyday you must practice.
(In our Christian life we call this prayer and reading. Everyday you must read and pray, no matter how redundant it seems. These are the tools in which Christ has given us, and unless we use them daily, we will fail. Our marriages will fail, our church will fail, and you have just given the devil the ability to inch his way into your life and take over. The less you have of God in your life, the easier it is for the devil to come and take over. If the Redwings didn't practice everyday, do you think they would have taken home the Stanley Cup? This is the number one team in NHL and they know they must never feel they have it right. Never get to the point where you feel you have everything completely figured out. If you are trying to figure it out without prayer and reading your bible, the answers you are getting are not coming from God.)
2. You must strive to win
(What are your goals in your christian life? Some of you, right now are thinking, are we suppose to have goals? You should have goals in your christian life. Maybe it is a goal of reaching someone at work, or the person next door. Write down your vision for your church, where do you see it going, how do you see yourself getting involved in your church. If your answer is that you do not see yourself getting involved in your church, then you are not doing the first thing. I promise you, if you are praying and truly seeking God's will in your life, you will know that you must become a servant to the people. God is not going to tell you to sit on your rear and do nothing. God is first, and he is always first. If work, sports, going to the lake, your family, paying bills, is coming before God, then don't be surprised when that ton of bricks falls on your head. If your kid spends more time playing sports than they do in church, don't be surprised what becomes of their life. What you put into a life is what comes out of it. It's kind of like eating, I can feed myself with nothing but crappy food such as pizza, chocolate cake, fried chicken, gravy. It tastes good while I'm consuming it, but it makes me fat and unhealthy. If I eat baked fish, vegetables, and fruit, not only have I fulfilled my hunger but I have also made my body feel better. I have more energy, no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol. Those other foods are great, but they are slowly killing you. Start filling your life up with God and not worldly stuff. That person you witnessed to at work is going to heaven with you, that brand new motorcycle you just bought and want to ride instead of going to church or reading your bible is staying here. The bible says that we should store up heavenly treasures, not earthly ones. Strive to store up heavenly treasure.That bible verse you read today, it stays with you. God will use them in your life, and will use them to touch the lives of others.)

3. Never Give Up
4 games into the Stanley Cup Finals, Redwings has won 3, Penguins 1. The Redwings only had to win one more game to take home the cup. Game 5, Penguins win in 3 overtimes. Talk about not quitting. They kept fighting until the end. We will be in heaven forever, we only have a few numbered days on this earth to reach people. Can you imagine being able to look into the window of hell. Oh, there is that kid next door, there is that lady that sat next to me in my office for 15 years, there is my kid brother, my aunt, my uncle, my cousin, there is my son or my daughter, there is that girl who needed money on the side of the road, there is that guy who works the cash register at the store, there is my spouse, my best friend, my teacher, my boss, that poor girl that got pregnant when she was 16 and I turned my head --I didn't talk about her but I didn't help her either. Who will you see? Ask yourself this question, pretend you are looking in the window of hell, how many people do you see that you had an opportunity to witness to and didn't. I pray that when you look in that window, you don't see yourself. Never give up. God wants to use you to save someone from going to hell. Quit thinking that it is not your responsibility and that Gods will is for you to do nothing. Living a good life does not save people. If your child was drowning, would you want someone to jump in and save them or simply walk on by and hope the next person will get them out before they drown.

I know I do not do enough for Christ, I know I am not reaching every soul that I can reach. I know that I am not helping every person in need that I can help. But my goal is to allow Christ to touch as many lives as possible through me. Your body is God's, and if you are not allowing him to use you, you are not in God's will. If you think that it is you that touches the lives of others, it's not. It is God that works through you. It's your choice to live for Christ, and to win souls for Christ. It's your choice as to whether or not you feed your soul with God's word and prayer. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to become spiritually mature? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to grow your church and win souls for Christ? Are you willing to help the children, make food for funerals, help people in need, set up chairs, sweep floors, do video's, take pictures? Are you willing to be a servant for Christ? You must first have a servant's heart, before God can use you to lead. Jesus was a servant, his disciples were servants, why do you think he would expect anything different from you?