FAITH!

You may be aware that LCS is currently going through some difficult financial times. LCS has a long history filled with tremendous stories of faithful believers pulling together in times of need. There are old stories of principals and board members "passing a hat" at basketball games when the electric or gas bill couldn't be paid. As the hat was passed through the stands those who felt moved by God to donate would put cash or a check in the hat. By the time the hat had been passed through the crowd the bills had been paid. When LCS has been on the ropes God has ALWAYS sustained it. Our school is bigger than the students who attend or the teachers who teach or the donors who help sustain it. LCS is bigger than the economy--it won't be stopped because of a recession or lower enrollment or whatever. God is faithful and we have faithfully served Him through LCS.
So here is your assignment. Thinking about all that we have learned about prayer I want you to write a prayer that we can pray in this time of need for LCS. Hopefully, in a few days this blog will be filled with over 40 prayers that we can share with the LCS family. Remember to ask boldly, to be specific and to ask with proper motives.
GO CRUSADERS!!!

Coach Earl

Nebraska Basketball Chapel

It is Tuesday the 30th of December and this is the much anticipated second opportunity to correct your Bible grade over Christmas break. I have a unique opportunity today. Coach Trent (who some of you know and some of you do not know) has asked me to fill in for him today (he's out of town) and speak at the Nebraska Men's Basketball Chapel before their game today. He has sent me an outline of some of the topics they have been discussing and I am know what I am going to talk about, but I would like to offer you the opportunity to give your suggestions. If you were me and you had one shot to speak to the Christians on the Nebraska Men's basketball team what would you share with them? Remember, these guys play on a big "stage." Lots of little kids really look up to them and we all know how crazy adults can get about Husker sports. They play in a situation where winning is everything and most programs will at least "stretch" the rules to win. In your opinion, what can I, as a Christian coach, offer to these athletes?

Extra Credit Blog #1

Here is your first opportunity to correct your Bible grade. Make the most of it!
Recently, the Lord has really been convicting me to deal with the issue of contentment. I often find myself feeling discontent and frustrated with the circumstances of my life. All of you know that I believe circumstances are meaningless and that we should strive to do our best in all situations, but I am human (believe it or not) and I struggle with the very issues I teach about. In my quiet time God has led me to two key people in the Bible: Jonah the Old Testament Prophet and Paul the New Testament Author.
The first things I want you to do is read the following passages in the Bible.
Jonah 1:1-2:10; Jonah 4:4; Philippians 2:1-11; and Philippians 4:11-13
Take a look at Jonah's attitude about the assignment God had given him. How does it differ from the words Paul shares with us in Philippians? Your assignment is to blog about the differences in these two men from the Bible. What can we learn from them?

Deliver Us From Evil

In Pastor Paul's message on James 1:13-18 we are reminded that Christians fall into temptation because they fail to live carefully. We must always remember to live in such a way that temptation does not have an opportunity to have influence on our lives. Each of us needs to carefully consider the ways in which temptation might be entering our lives and do our best to eliminate them.
Pastor Paul speaks specifically about idolatry in his sermon. He emphasizes that we can idolize anything and everything. We can idolize material possessions, hobbies, sports, grades, people, etc. What is it in your life that is tempting you to idolize it? This week I want each of you to identify something in your life that you idolize or that you fear you might idolize if you are not careful. Then I want you to think of ways that you can keep yourself from idolizing whatever you have identified. I will start us with an example from my life.

For a long time I struggled with idolizing sports. For me, sports was about glorifying myself and my team. I have been fortunate in recent years to learn quite a bit about what God wants for us when it comes to sports. Understanding His perspective on sports has really helped me to keep from turning sports into a way of glorifying myself and/or my team. One thing I try to do to help me keep God's perspective on sports is to look back on a practice or game and ask myself, "Would God be proud of what we just did?" I know that He desires for us to do our very best. I know that He desires for us to be His ambassadors. When we do these things I am sure that He is proud. At times I still struggle with making sports an idol, but by the grace of God I am able to get myself back on the right track.

Remember, the idea here is to identify something in our lives that we idolize or that we fear we might begin to idolize if we are not careful. There is the assignment. Make sure you have this in by the time you go to bed Sunday November 30th, 2008.

The Positive Side of Pressure--Part 2

Pastor Paul opens up this message teaching us that God is going to make sure that difficulties come in our life so that the muscle of humility is strengthened. Humility helps us to understand priorities. For your response on the blog this time you do not need to listen to the message again. Instead, I want you to share with all of us one way in which God has taught you humility and how that has helped keep God as your number one priority. I'll start us off.
Since graduating from college in May of 2005 God has really helped me to understand His will for my life. At times I have fought Him and tried to accomplish my own goals. I have learned and I am still learning, however, that the greatest joys in life come when you humble yourself and diligently work at the tasks you are sure God has given you. How I came to teach at LCS is a long story. When you think about it the story really begins when I was in 8th grade--when I was the same age as you guys. I have learned that LCS is where God wants me, at least for now. I have also learned how much greater eternal rewards and blessings are than the money, fame and entertainment. I live a moderate life financially, at least relative to the rest of Lincoln, but Da'Nelle and I both know that we are wealthy beyond our years relative to the Kingdom of Heaven. We also know that that eternal wealth is a direct result of doing our best to humbly serve God. We are not always perfect, but we are seeking perfection. Thanks for being a part of that guys.
See you soon!

Coach Earl