Be a champion

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV

After placing second the past three years, Elisha Barno, who is from Kenya but trains in New Mexico, won the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Sunday with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, 58 seconds. Race officials reported that Barno passed fellow Kenyan Boniface Kongin at mile 25 and held the lead until the end. Elisha later said, "I tried to push and I saw Boniface was very strong. Boniface put on a surge and I was right with him. I feel very happy and feel like I want to cry — to be a champion is not easy."

And while being a champion on the marathon course is certainly not easy, being a champion in our spiritual lives is even less easy. You see, if a champion is defined as a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition, you and I have a most formidable opponent, one unlike any rival we can visibly see, who is always on the prowl and looking to devour us. Paul understood this completely and so warned the church at Corinth to "be steadfast, immovable" and "always abounding in the work of the Lord" if they were to overcome the devil's attacks and make it to the finish line.  

What does it mean to be steadfast and immovable you might ask? It means to be firmly fixed in our faith, solid, firm, resolute, unyielding and incapable of being diverted from the purpose to which we have been called. In other words, it means we never ever give up my friend, no matter what comes our way or how many times we get knocked down. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that life will not always be easy and that being a lifetime follower of You will require that we stand firm in the midst of trials and trust You at all times. Help us to be champions of the faith Lord and win others to You by our example. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Champion - Beckah Shae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJHtLlk_oQs

Free from fear

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love." Romans 8:38 NLT

After Wendy Martinez, 35, was brutally killed by a random and unprovoked attack while out running on the evening of September 18 in her Washington, D.C., neighborhood, her friends and family started a campaign to increase safety awareness for runners and anyone walking alone. Doris Martinez, 38, who didn't know Martinez, said the tragedy caused her to be more aware of her surroundings and to take extra precautions when out running, such as carrying her cell phone and pepper spray. But giving into the fear is not an option for her, "I found a new beautiful path today and enjoyed every moment. I don’t want to live my life in fear and deprive myself of those miles. Our time is short, and we need to live it to the fullest.”

And you know, Doris is right. Life is indeed short and should be lived to the fullest. But in a world that seems to grow increasingly more dangerous by the day, many people, including Christians, are paralyzed by fear. They are hesitant to venture outside their neighborhoods and church walls to share Christ for fear of rejection, bodily harm, pain and a variety of other reasons. But guess what? We don't have to live that way! The Bible tells us that "nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow..."

Do you understand what that means my friend? It means that you and I don't have to be afraid of anything this world can do to us! And while we still need to take measures to be safe, we should not allow fear to keep us from doing the things God has called us to - whether that be going across town or across the ocean to share the Good News - because "not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love."

Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder that nothing can ever separate us from your love. Help us to truly grasp that truth so that we could live life to the fullest... serving You without fear however, whenever, and wherever You call us. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

You never let go - Matt Redman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM14VZVu0og

We must be the workers

"He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.'" Matthew 9:37,38

As a race director, I have learned three things to be true of organizing a running event. You need participants, you can't do anything without the help of volunteers, and the greater number of volunteers you have the greater the chances the event will be a success. Thankfully we had ample participants and volunteers at the 5th Annual Frog Hill Half/10k/5k held last weekend. And not only did we have a large group of people who freely offered to help with the race, they did it with absolute joy- knowing their actions were an opportunity to serve the community while planting seeds and sharing the love of Christ.

And if you, yourself, are not feeling the urgency to share Christ with the lost at every opportunity, consider the words of Jesus, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few." We live in a lost world my friend. A world full of unbelief, addiction, divorce, depression, and hopelessness. The number of people in our neighborhoods that need to hear about the saving grace of Jesus Christ is "great.” But because there aren’t enough people willing to go out and speak the words, people are dying in their sin every day. 

So it's not enough to simply pray that more workers would be sent then. You and I must be those "workers!" We must be the ones wiling to go out "into his fields," wherever and however He calls us, to share the good news of the Gospel. Will you do that today? 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that the missions field is ripe for harvest but more workers are needed. Give us all an urgency to go out and share the Good News with others and inspire others to do the same. May we be Your hands and feet everywhere we go. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Send me - William McDowell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ynO4qSOQoE

*The Frog Hill Half Marathon/10k/5k is presented by the Frog Fitness Group of Pulaski County, Missouri. We are a family of believers devoted to being the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. Our main mission is to win others to the foot of the Cross by using events such as this to reach out to the lost. Want to know more about us? Check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/FROGFITNESSGROUP/. 

The signs are everywhere

"You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, but you don't know how to interpret the present times." Luke 12:56

In a Runner's World article recently published, Jacob Mescheke wrote, "Witty signs can be motivational and inspirational, target one runner or many, and draw their creation from every topic imaginable. But by far, the best ones are those that make you smile, which science has shown can improve your running when you need it the most." And some of the best sign slogans they found? Be the runner your dog thinks you are. You smell really fast. Worst Parade Ever and one with the thought every runner has from time to time, Why?.

And when it comes to signs, did you know that for most of recorded history the world's principal occupation was farming? And unlike in today's age, where science and technology can semi-accurately predict the weather, the farmer had to be skilled at interpreting nature's signs to predict the weather that was to come. The people of Jesus' time then understood why Jesus called them fools for not knowing, "how to interpret the present times,” or things to come. You see, Christ was preaching the message of repentance because the Kingdom of Heaven was near. The signs were all around and yet the people intentionally ignored them.

Our generation is not much different though is it? The signs that Jesus is returning soon are all around us and yet people still intentionally choose to ignore them. And by doing so, choose to forfeit the eternal salvation Christ offers all who believe. Are you one of them today my friend? 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that the signs of your return are everywhere. And while it may not be in our lifetime, we have an obligation to sound the alarm and to tell others that hell is a real place, a place where a person will spend eternity if they ignore the signs and don't choose to follow You. Help us to be bold, yet loving, and patient and kind as we reach out to the lost and compel them to come to the table. It's in you're precious name we pray Jesus. 

Happy Running!!!

Come to the table - Sidewalk Prophets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXxLwxfo0U

Measure your progress

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22,23

If you're like most runners, you like to measure your progress from time to time. And according to Lifehacker Fitness Challenge, the best way to do that is to ask yourself things like, "Did you hit your stride? Did you find ways to make running more fun? Did you find a new skill or a new strength or a favorite new trail? Did you get better at hills, did you improve your mile time, did you decide to sign up for a race?" 

And while measuring our running progress is a good thing, measuring our spiritual progress is of even greater importance. How do we do that you might wonder? We do that by asking ourselves things like, "Am I showing more spiritual fruit in my life than I did last month or last year? Can others see that I have more love, joy, peace, patience and kindness? Does my lifestyle increasingly display more goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?" And if your answers were positive, you’re definitely moving in the right direction.

So check your progress and check it often my friend. Because there is no greater indicator that you and I are becoming more like Christ and growing in our spiritual walk than when we display the same characteristics that Jesus did. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that spiritual growth can be measured by the changes in our life. Help us to be ever conscience of whether we are displaying the fruits of of the Spirit, and to what degree, so we would know if we are improving in our spiritual walk. Most of all Lord, let us never be content with where we are but constantly striving to be more like You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

More like Jesus - Passion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BhrCKhBFB4

Better together

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 CSB

When one of my close friends called to seek some advice, we talked for a while before she (knowing that I’m blessed to be a race director) exclaimed, "I'm so sorry! It's race week. You must be extremely busy getting everything planned for the weekend." And that's when I got the chance to tell her about my amazing church family, saying, "Actually I'm not that busy. My brothers and sisters at church, united in vision, totally stepped up to do the things I can't do now that I have a full time job. They have literally filled every gap and I don't know what I would do without them." 

And you know, when it comes to work, the Bible tells us that “ we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do." Did you notice that Paul didn’t say "I am his workmanship" though, but "we are his workmanship"? And that God prepared us, not just me, for good works? You see, while each one of us was indeed created to work for the Lord, we weren't designed to do it alone. We were meant to work together to do so much than we could ever do solo. 

So in the words of Rick Warren, "As you walk through life, remember that you're not supposed to do everything on your own. You need other people to walk alongside you, but you also need other people to work alongside you. As you share the burden of your work with fellow Christians, you'll find that you actually accomplish more for the glory of God." And isn't bringing glory to God the purpose of all we do my friend? 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that Christians need one another to fulfill the calling God has placed on each one of our lives. Help us to look for ways to help our brothers and sisters excel in those things God has called them to and let us not be too embarrassed or hesitant to ask for help when we need it. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Better together - Potential Worship

https://youtu.be/9KqGQbgWR14

Show it by your actions

"If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." 1 John 3:17,18

"Hey Melissa! I signed up for the Frog Hill 5k and half marathon but unfortunately am in NO shape to do it. I was wondering if registration was transferable, and if so, if you knew anyone who wanted to run and just couldn’t afford registration. I'm not seeking any kind of reimbursement, just want someone to be able to use the entry!" Is that a great attitude or what? This runner that messaged me, who was obviously unable to attend the race planned for this weekend, did not want her money back but wanted to bless someone else with it instead. And do you know what her response was when I thanked her and told her there was someone who could definitely use it? "Wahoo!" Now is that a cheerful giver or what? 

But truthfully, when it comes to giving to those in need, shouldn't all Christians have that same attitude? Shouldn't we all be looking for opportunities to show the love of Christ to others by sharing what we have? Of course! As the Bible tells us, when you and I see "a brother or sister in need", we are to have compassion on them. Thus we should not "merely say that we love each other" but "show the truth by our actions." That means giving to others anytime we have the money, time, or ability to do so. 

In the words of David Jeremiah then, let us remember that "Love is worthless unless it acts out, unless it's expressed in deed and behavior." And so let our actions show our love for the Lord and for others my friend. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that our actions and the love that is demonstrated through them have the power to lead others to the Cross. Help us to love others in the same way that You do that we might be known as people who put their love into action. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Love is action - Tauren Wells

https://youtu.be/owS7uJcdDh8