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
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
47 comments:
The way God has taught me humility is through my sister. I am a competitive person, and it always seemed that she topped me in everything (music anything, better speller, and people seemed to naturally like her a lot). Once i noticed this, i began to search for things that i would be better in. I found somethings, but i realized i was doing this out of a prideful heart and began to resent her after a long period of time. I prayed a lot about it and started to find verses on this topic without even trying. I have learned to take pride in my sister instead of myself by bragging her up to my friends even when it is hard. Just so you know, i am not trying to sound all goody or whatever, because this is actually really, really hard.
I totally agree with you Ashley. I really have trouble with the way that my brothers are so much smarter than me(they are older)but to me that didn't matter. I have finally started to accept that they are older... I still hate it at school when every one always seems to do better than you at everything they do they don't study for the test and you do they get a 100 and you get an 80.
But I have started to realize that i was looking at the class as a hole not just looking at every person what i mean is if sally got a 100 in math and bob gets a 100 in English that doesn't make sally good at English too.
the only way i have found that you can humble Your idea of people cause it humbles people. remove people from the perfect point cause no one is. It makes me realize that i cant get upset because God made me that way and if they are smarter then so be it.
I don't know if that's exactly what we were supposed to say but whatever.
I really like how he will use things that anyone will understand to apply thngs to the Bible. I learned though that you just can't did in, you have to build yourself up to the level you want to reach. I struggle with this a lot. I just want to go for the gold. He is also teaching me to work through trials even though you might not be working through them that well. Last, when you get through a trial, expect another one and don't take all he glory for your self, God is the one who is supposed to get the glory not you.
I hope i did this right
Seppy3
Like Ashley and Heidi said, I struggle with comparing myself to others and being jealous of them. I have learned from experience that thinking about this all the time just makes everything no fun at all. I've learned to just do the best that I can for God's glory and not worry about anyone else. Like what Jesus said in John 21:22. He told Peter that he would die for His sake, and Peter turned and saw John and asked "What about him?" Jesus said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." something coach earl said during track was cool. he said it doesnt make sense to compare yourself to others, because, for example, if you compare yourself to someone who isn't a good runner, you'll think "Oh, i must be a really good runner", but if you compare yourself to Usain Bolt, you'll think, "Wow, I'm a really bad runner!" you have to compare yourself to how good you can be.
Humility is something that everyone struggles with in different ways. If you have a humble mind at the time, then humble actions should play off of that. A definition of humility is “lowliness of mind.” Sometimes I have trouble with comparing. I think that I have to be better than someone else, then I have to refocus on that no one is good at everything. Everyone has their high points and low points and it is where God has crafted a person. Sometimes I have to constantly refresh my mind in terms of humility with playing an instrument and think of how I can glorify God instead of getting side tracked in self glory and comparison to others and trying to be better than them instead of being the best I can be according to what God wants me to be and do. Some of the songs that we sing in church bother me because they use me myself and I too much. (Ex from Unashamed Love “And of MY holy life and of MY sacrifice and of MY unashamed love.”) You hardly see that in the old hymns thought. (Ex. “Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord for thee …take my will and make it thine, it shall be no longer mine.”) Our culture has told us that you have to be the best and the center of attention but you should not strive for that at all. Lastly, when we are humble, God will lift us up in his timing and purpose and will.
well kind of what seth said you cant just go for the gold you have to work for it. like for me with basketball this was my first year and i just wanted to go out there and play and not learn all the basics first. i thought i was ready but i really wasnt. now in practice i listen instead of space off because i think i already know everything and i continue to learn and reach for the gold.
i hope i did this right! :]
I liked how he compared Zacarriah's answer to Marry's. I have trouble relating to what Marry says, like, "when do I start", or "choose me!". A lot of the time I just want to go my own way and not God's way. My humility story is about my little bro Noah. He always beats me. I don't need to say more. He's way better at sports than me and that kinda bugged me for a while but I just had to focus on what I was good at like Joel said. Joel always has something extraordinary to say. I agree with him about the worship songs and the me, myself, and I. Just like Alayna said, we need to have faith and not doubt when we ask God for stuff.
ok sorry i just reread my comment and the last part didnt make sense. what i was trying to say was in practice i listen now instead of space off because i want to learn it all so i can reach for the gold!
one way God has been teaching me last summer and this year is through shooting stars basketball...I started out excited and ready to work...but wasn't expecting to work THAT hard. I tried to do it all in my own strength and that didn't turn out very well for me. In the middle of last summer I started to ask God for help (even though this is a tiny trial compared to other trial). He gave me the strength. It was hard and now is even harder than last summer. I am on a tougher team and more suicides! But i am learning that you can't focus on the hard stuff that you have to do. I have to keep my eyes up and keep looking at Jesus and knowing that He's right there beside me.
in my life i have had many hardships like when my dogs died and my aunt jena whent mising when i was 5 but God has helped me overcome those and i have been strengthened because of it. as many of us know our parents are not going to live forever and when their day comes that they leave us and go to be with God, He will strengthen me and all of us through that. God has also taught me humility by helping me not swear although there is lots of it around me in my life. And i have been strengthened through it
CODYBOB
Ashley, Heidi, and Andrea are all on the same page as me. Last year when I was at my old school, I was on the Volleyball team. I wasnt very good at playing volleyball, well actually.. I pretty much stank... but during team devotions the day of the first game, our coach told us that its not how well you play, its your attitude. Play for the glory of God, and be happy no matter how the score comes out. That really hit me and I knew that it didnt really matter if I wasnt the best player. In all your life time, there will be people who are better at something you are, but there will be things you're better at then them. So ever sence then, I've given every second of my hardest efforts to God in glory.
The way god has made humility is my cusins that make me crazy.becuase they like to drag on my. Because they think that I'm a thing that they can climb on my.so I think that god has put them in my life so ya. Giant out.
In my life God has shown me humity through my mom. since my mom has cancer it has been really hard on me not knowing if my mom will live to see me graduate. but God has taught me to trust in him. at one time she had an inoporable tumor. so we were thinking what will life be like without a mom. but God as usual has proven me wrong. By HIS grace he performed a mirical and made it disapear. that was a really tough time for our family but he got us through it. if my family didn't know jesus i don't know where we'd be right now.
I really like the comments I have read so far... kinda makes me think. One time that I was taught humility was my first day in the weight room. I have always considered myself as pretty strong, so I figured that even though I had never worked out before I would be able go in to the gym and start lifting MORE then everyone else. The main humbling part was when we started with bench-pressing. It was the first day so no one was really pushing themselves a lot... but even so they had to take weight off for me when it was my turn! I really think that God was trying to teach my humility with this, and obviously it worked. Now I realize that I'm definitely not always going to be the strongest person around. I really hope that God will continue to teach me humility.
~~Shrimps~~
Once I tried to become friends with a person out of a prideful heart. I wanted to impress my peers and make myself feel important and "involved". At the time it seemed like an okay thing to use that person since they weren't getting hurt. But I now realize that a friendship is not about becoming popular but about being humble enough to love them for who they are. How I came to this conclusion was by watching very young children developing friendships with each other the way it is supposed to be done. Not worrying about what the crowd thinks but, by caring for each other.I was humbled and became that persons friend out of love and humility.
Following what Cody said, our parents won't live forever and when my dad died, it really made me weak, but after that I knew I was stronger in my faith.
When i was up at the lake in MN this year, i got really good at kneeboarding. I really thought that i was all that with how high i could get by jumping off of the wake- at the time i didn't notice my pride. Once i wanted to push the limit and jump as high as i could and i thought that it would be easy because i pictured myself as one of the best. So i did jump the wake with all of the force that i could do my whiplash technique and i went really high, but the worst of the worst happened. The tip of my board went strait down and my heart dropped. Everything started to go in slow motion and i wound up hitting my head on the front of the board- knocking myself out for a couple of seconds. When i woke up i couldn't move my legs or arms- i started to freak out and everything came back. My head really hurt too.
The following Sunday, my grandparents and i went to their small church- and guess what? The sermon was totally based on being humble about yourself- right then i knew that God was speaking to me and i felt very guilty about what i had done- THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES BEFORE YOU ACT- God will "GET YOU BACK"
Sorry if it's too long
The way God has taught me hunility is through my room. I am horibly at cleaning and keeping my room clean.But in our youth group we have been talking about keeping our rooms clean. Because we do not own it and our room is our practice house for when we own our own house and we know how to keep it clean.I have been praying that God will help me do this and i think i am getting a little better but not as good as i should be but i know it is going to take time.
I like this blog thingy. :) Okay a time when God taught me humility was with a couple of friends. I was so angry at them. They kept saying all of this "yucky" stuff to me. I would just deal with it and take it in. But it got to the point where i just wanted them to leave. So I said some really dumb things that honestly was NOT true. The sencond the words came out i knew it was wrong, but i didn't say anything. Then @ church we were talking about saying sorry and admittting your wrong doings. I knew exactly what i should do even though it would be hard. So on Monday i went to them and told them that i was sorry (be/ i was) and worked it out. I think it is hard to admitt your wrong doing be/ nobody likes to be wrong. But through this I learned that we will have our ups and downs but God is in control. The message on Sunday didn't happen on accident. God placed it there.
Your Sister in Christ,
Addison Stewart
JW, why do we have to type in all of those letter every time we post a comment?
Times that humble me is when I'm on the volleyball court. I work really hard at the sport. Sometimes I feel like I'm way better then every one else around me. But when I had club tryouts I didn't do really well because I went off of my own strength and not asking God to help me. I know now that God put me there to work hard with His help and to see him well I play the sport. I'm working really hard to not see myself as better than other people and to kill the ball for Jesus!! :)
one way God has tought me humility (its kind of stupid, but it works) is throught this past year of football. All summer long i was looking forward to football season. I really wanted to be a d-linemen. and at the summer camp i was. so i thougth that would be. but it turned out that i wasn't ganna be, and i was really upset (its a stupied reason to be) but i was. so... for the first game i like didn't play at all preety much. but when coach asked me if they i could be a linebacker. I was hesitent at first, but then i thought it would be a fun expirence, so i tried it. and i like it. that just taught me that no matter what i do, God will use me for his will
God has taught me humility though stuff like D2S, Maranatha Camp, and sometimes youth group. Every year I always look forward to D2S and Maranatha Camp. I love it to see all these Christians come together not just to have fun but to learn and grow closer to God. At D2S we spend two days singing prasies with Christian rock bands, learning the trials through a teenage Christian life and how to over come them, and also talk about things in our life that we need help from other Christians with. And the same gose for Maranatha Camp. I feel so humble because I star to really think about life and God. I feel like I'm just tring to live the easy life; like I think I'm on a curise ship instead of the battle ship. And I also think about how life is really short and we will face God to be judged, and how others will be too. We could go to heaven or hell. I also think about how I can be so selfish! So self centered. I feel so stupid to think that my life is the center of every thing and everybody needs to listen to me and my command! I feel like I could fall on my knees and cry! Thank goodness that our God is a loving and forgiving God who will always give us second chances. I'm glad I can always go to these places. And God has blessed me beyond belief!
during my lifetime I have always had a desire to be the best but I have realized that God has put me where he wants me and its not about me its about Him. Sometimes I think that I cant do it then I think to myself am I thinking about me our God.What it really boils down to is who you want to follow yourself because you think you know it all our God who does know whats best for you. Being the best isnt a bad thing but it depends on your motivation.
All you guys I really liked what you wrote. This blog really made me think how I used to think I was all "smart" and now I come here and I see that I'm not "the smartest person". God showed me that your smarts don't really matter. I don't have to be smart or really talented because I want to impress people. If I show love to others and care for them I can become their friends.
Well I agree with anne and addy and all the other girls about comparing. Some volleyball teams I play on I also get kind of get thinking that I am all that. But I have learned that I am not!! This club team I am on and all of us girls are at about the same skills level. But the comparing part comes in here. I am a self-consous person and whenever I make a mistake and I compare myself to my teammates and I am hard on myself sometimes. But through this club team it is teaching me to be humble and not compare myself and ask God to help me when I make a mistake.
When I went on a missions trip in March, I was looking for a adventure a vacation, instead of learning what God has planned for me. When I got to Europe and Africa, I actually like... the more you see how lost these people are, the more you want to help them and its so difficult, but the main country we visited was Poland, and theres these like 6-10 people planted in Poland by Advant ministries and they stay there for a short term cycle(5 years). So we got to come when they were about leaving, so you got to see what these people have done in Poland and made a lot of people come to God, and they have this thing called gospel joy where polish people sing english cristian music, and these people translate what it means in there language but still only about 10 people are actually christians. So I really got an experience out of this all and God I feel like wants me to do missions, and I really want to go to India and Africa...so maybe, when I get older, but God can take this and turn it in to something great.
I like what joel said about when someone is better than us we try to do better than them so we focus on what that.
God has taught me humility by when my brother and I play sports that he is better than me at that when it does not matter who is better at what but if he or she is doing it for the glory of God.
The way God taught me humility was responsibility. I used to not do my homework much, get behind and such. And I would get punished in alot of ways for it, I didnt feel good about it but I felt like it couldnt be changed. I turned to God for an answer for this problem and he gave me the strength and knowledge to get threw life. Another way how God changes people.
God has taught me humility by helping me see different things that i might be doing wrong. for instance i would say that sumtimes i find myself comparing people to me and thats not what God wants so he helps me to relize others are better than me and it humbles me to encourage those people to keep getting better instead of me bashing them or getting motivated just to beat them so yeh i just try and do my best
Our football coach last year was Coach Kercher. He really tried to push us in conditioning. Coming off of what Petry, Korte, and Dani said, we absolutely CANNOT make it through life on our own. God made us to have free will. If we want to try to make it through life on our own, He will let us fall flat on our face and will, once again, pick us up and dust us off. God isn't way in the back going, "Well, live your life and call Me if you get in trouble." He wants to be our guide and our strength. We have to surrender to Him and "sell out" to Him. He's the Creator of the universe. So, He might just know a thing or two about our puny, insignificant life here on this planet that, once again, He created.
God used football as a training ground to show me humility. That I can't even push myself physically through life. When you've done bear-crawls for sixty yards and then your knee touches the ground and you have to run five laps around the football field, it really takes someone like God to push you through. Football isn't the only example. We need Him in all areas of life.
I have to take down my walls and barriers of my pride and let God be my guide. God wants to be the driver, not the passenger.
God taught me humility through a person, who i will not say. Well anyway this person is mean to me, they say things behind my back and they say things to me. Well i used to try to get even with them and i took it personally when they did that stuff. I learned that i shouldn't try to get even with them, no matter how much they hurt me or how annoying they get. Sometimes they annoy me so much i cant help but to say something. Now instead of being a jerk back, i try to be nice. About last week i heard they were talking mean about me behind my back. I tried to talk to them but they ignored me, but i still am trying to be nice!!!
Well I think a way God has taught me humility is by Kyler being born. I was the only kid in the family and then my brother was born and I wasn't the only one who got attention and I didn't get to do as many things because Doug was working and my mom was taking care of Kyler. So I learned to be more humble and not expect everything and expect I can do everything. It keeps me thinking of God because I pray for Kyler and thank Him for giving Kyler to us.
God taught me humility very resently. I ashamed to admit it but just before weight lifting started i was getting a little prideful of myself. Well on the day that weight lifting started I was hit with bad pain in my abdominal (i think i mispelled that) section. the doctors have some guesses but no real thought on what it might be. I just reasontly got a CT skan and we think we might know what it is soon. God taught me not to be pride of how much i could lift. i also found out that i have this defect that could keep me from playing any contact sport. please pray for me
My brothers really annoy me sometimes because they dont have to do much housework. but i still have to do a whole lot. the thing that God taught me was that i should be happy that i dont take a ton of time on my homework.
an area of humility that i am trying to grow in is being able to accept correction ecspecially from my parents. i know that a humble and correct response to people who correct me is to not argue and accept that i need to change. also i know that the Bible says that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble, and i definetly dont want to be opposed to God!
I learned humility through my first year in football for the Union Bank team. I thought i would be really good and dominate. than i got there and they put me up with the guys who have been playin for 2 to 3 years cuz of my size and i got mowed over in everything. I was terrible compared to those guys. They kicked my butt in every drill we did. It was really rough but i learned to be humble through the experiance.
My parents divorice has taught me many things.HOw to save money,helping my mom more around the house,without being told sometimes.And now i am more responsible,And i am being thankfull for that we have eachother,my bro and my mom.
PEACE OUT,HAILZ
One way God taught me humility is when Robbie moved into our house and he would always want to play b-ball and he would crush me and we wouldnt even be trying. but then i remembered that robbie is 6 years older then me and i will catch up to him sooner or later.
I like what c-leb said about football practice with MR Kercher.that taught me a lot about working myself self so hard that i felt that i felt like i couldn't go any longer, but God has humbled me by letting me know that i have to let God take over when i feel like i cant go any longer and i cant do it all by myself. That is something that is hard for me to do because i tend to think that i can do things like that all by myself. I think it is also a matter of pride that i tend to think that i can be self-sufficient sometimes. A better example of this in my life is when i detasseled. Somedays in detasseling i felt like i couldnt pick another tassel. i found out how lazy and mentally weak i really am when i had been out there for several hours picking tassels in the mud. My legs were weak, i had corn rash chaffing me in unwanted places, and i was absolutely parched from the 100 degree weather. I wanted more than anything to be done with my row and drink some water, but i thought of God and asked Him to help me when i felt like i was (in my mind) almost going through the worst torture i have ever gone through. i also used detassling as a time of prayer out in the fields when there is no one else to talk to. God also humbled me in detassling by showing me that if i He isn't constantly on my mind it is hard to be a good witness for him. I found myself all too often start to almost blend in with the non-believers as if i were one of them.
Well I must agree with all of the people who talked about comparing. I would say that comparing is right up my alley(and i am not saying that is a good thing). I compare myself to a varity of things and sometimes even the littlest things. Like the last time we blogged I compared my-self with everyone and tried to blog the most. People are so self-centered. We need to set our priorities straight. God has made me just the way He wants me to be and He made the person I am comparing myself with as well. God has taught me humility through comparing. He has shown me that I am not the best at everything. Humility is a very important thing in our walk with God. God has His special ways of doing anything He wants to do.Hope you enjoy my imput.
What a mightyGod we sever!
Your Sister in Christ, Laura
For me It's probably like putting my friends in front of everything else, because I HAVE to do something every weekend with my friends, I have to go see that movie, like all I care about is my friends, but I think I'm getting better at that because God has been really speaking to my heart lately about some stuff so I'm not as focused on my friends but I am still focused on them a lot but I really enjoy spending time with my family to.
Delete that.
the one above...
wrong one..
arent we supposed to have a blog this week????
Post a Comment