Topic(s): Christian Life, Youth

Scott Williams was a forward for the NBA champion Chicago Bulls for three of their title winning seasons in the early nineties. Williams made some valuable contributions to that team. In fact, during the 1993 Playoffs, the young Williams averaged 5.5 points per game and 5.8 rebounds, and became only the eighth player in NBA history to win the world championship during each of his first three seasons.      

In June of 1993, Scott Williams was a Bull through and through-he loved his team and he wanted the Bulls to triumph over every other team, but especially the Phoenix Suns. The Suns were the Bulls' opponent in the 1993 Finals. Williams' (and Michael Jordan's) Bulls did eventually win the series in six games, so Scott enjoyed celebrating the sweet victory over Phoenix.       

Fast forward ten years. Now it's 2003, and Williams has moved on with his career. Of all places, where do you think he is? You guessed it-Phoenix. As the Suns recall the 1993 Finals (only their second trip ever to the championship round), Scott Williams, now Phoenix's veteran forward says something shocking: not only does he live and play basketball in Phoenix, he now loves the Suns and wants the Suns to win! He said, "I think this is a tremendous city to play for. We have such good fans... everyone's excited about Suns basketball again... I'm very, very happy."        

Really, it's no surprise to hear Williams say such things, because in professional sports, players get traded regularly, and we understand that often players' loyalties have to be changed, or even completely reversed.      

Do people do that spiritually? They must. Jesus said that whoever is not with Him is against Him (Mt. 12:30). It's one or the other. Everyone living his life outside of the Lord's body is sending a message to the world that he is not on the Lord's side, and thus encourages others to live away from the Lord. He's telling people through his influence, "I think living my life on the devil's side is great!" He's saying "I think the devil is tremendous to work for, and I have such good friends who support me." Get the picture? He's playing and rooting for the other side.          

What that lost person needs to do is completely turn around spiritually and give his life to Jesus through obedience to His message. That 180-degree turnaround is the concept of repentance as presented clearly in passages like Luke 13:3-5 and Acts 3: 19.        

Turning a life around isn't as easy as simply trading a good forward for a rookie guard and a draft pick, because a person's soul cannot be won for the Lord with money or prestige. It can only be purchased by the blood of Christ. What can you do this week to help bring someone closer to turning his life around and playing on the Lord's team?

-Caleb Colley

 

Go Home, Dad!

Topic(s): Father, Family

"Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."  -Eph 6:4

This verse is very true today just as it was centuries ago. America's three-decade experiment with fatherlessness has failed. 23,000,000 children will be sleeping in fatherless homes tonight. The divorce rate tripled since 1960. Illegitimacy has followed a geometric progression from 10.7% in 1970 to 33% today. 40% of children in fatherless homes have not seen their fathers for more than one year. 58% have never been in their father's home. Mother-headed homes have grown from 6% in 1950 to 24% today. Single-mother families are five times more likely to be poor, ten times more likely to go to jail, and three times more likely to have children as teenagers. While only 24% of children come from fatherless homes: 85% of all children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes (Center for Disease Control). 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes (Criminal Justice and Behavior). 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes (National Principals Association Report). 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes (U.S. Dept. of Justice). 85% of all youths sitting in prisons grew up in a fatherless home (Texas Dept. of Corrections). We often dream of changing the world for the better. Dads, if you want to change the world, Go Home!

-Bill Watkins

 

If Only I Had it to Do Over

Topic(s): Father, Time

I won't beat around the bush. If I had it to do over, I would spend more time with my children. I would spend more time talking to them and listening to them. Praying with them and playing with them. Taking them to church and reading the Bible to them. Hugging them and kissing them.      

It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since they were small. Jeremy is now 32. Ashley is 29. And Jessica is 26. My where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday when Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy were such a part of our home. Days turned into weeks. Weeks to years. And years to decades.     

    Oh, I heard the warnings...

• "Kid's grow up so fast."

• "Enjoy your children while they are young."

• "They won't be with you forever."

    And I remember the verses...

• "And these words, which 1 command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:    and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children..." (Deut. 6: 6,7).

• "Train up a child in the way he should go..." (Prov. 22:6).

• "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the  nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4).              

I remember a saintly sister telling me once that the happiest time of her life was when her children were at home. I remember hearing a preacher once say, "There are special moments that only come around once in a lifetime... and if' you miss them, you just miss them." I can remember one of my girls telling her Bible class teacher, "But Daddy’s never home." If only I had listened ... if only I could roll back the clock ... if only they were small again ...if only I had stayed at home...if only...           

God's grace is sufficient. It is twenty years earlier than I imagined. He has given me the chance. How will I use the time?

-Keith Parker

“…the glory of children are their fathers”  - Prov. 17:6