Iron sharpens iron; rust against rust just crumbles.
As men of God we are to encourage each other, to hold each other accountable, but beware of your condition…and the condition of your peers. The only thing a neglected spiritual life can do is make a mess.
Filed under Bible Study, Christian Living, Christian Maturity, fitness, ministry, Preaching
IRONMANHave you ever heard of the Ironman triathlon? This past weekend my town hosted the 11th U.S. Ironman race of the year. The following, from the official Ironman website, is a description of what the competitors would encounter…
“IRONMAN Chattanooga will begin with a point to point, 2.4-mile swim in the Tennessee River with ample spectator vantage points alongside the city’s famous Riverwalk. Athletes can look forward to a fast, down-current swim. The bike will be two loops of a 56-mile course (112 miles) with scenic farmland and mountain views. The two-and-a-half loop, 26.2-mile run course will showcase beautiful downtown Chattanooga, the South Side, Riverview and the North Shore. Overall, expect a fast, rolling course.”
Originally from: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/chattanooga.aspx#ixzz3EojqNC6x
The race was a wonderful opportunity for Chattanooga to welcome athletes from all over and to spotlight our city’s beauty and hospitality.
But even more, this Ironman race was a great source of illustrations for the message I preached Sunday morning! Ha!
In a piece by Roman Mica (for Active.com), I found the “4 Rules of Ironman Training.” They were so simple and enlightening that I determined to use them in my next Sunday sermon dealing with the different races of life.
See if you don’t see a strong correlation between training for a grueling triathlon and the life of a Christian.
Rule 1 – Train Every Day
According to the author, it takes a minimum of 13 hours a week of training to compete in an Ironman. Most of the competitors, already seasoned athletes, will train every day of the week for at least 6 months, if not a year, for just this one race!
How much training do we do for the race of life? How much time do we take to prepare for the up-hill climbs, the varying terrain, and the lonely stretches when few are there to urge us on to victory? Every day we should be working out the truths of God’s Word; swimming in the pool of God’s grace; and strengthening our endurance with the breath of God’s Spirit.
Rule 2 – Don’t Fake It
“There are few things more miserable in life than spending 17 hours on an Ironman course hating every painful swim stroke, bike pedal and running step. Sure, there are amateur athletes who’ve finished without putting in the hard work, but they just spent over $500 on the entry for a day of self-inflicted pain.” – Roman Mica
There are few things more miserable than a Christian trying to be a Christian in his own strength. Don’t fake it! Be real! Let God work through you, give you the grace and strength you need, and help you to enjoy the life you’ve been given.
Rule 3 – Be Disciplined with Nutrition
Roman Mica made it clear that the human body not only needs the proper nutrition to compete at such a high level of performance, but the also the right amounts to be able to withstand prolonged stress.
Sometimes in the Christian walk/run/race of life, there are times when we are forced to run without stopping for a break. It is only through regular, disciplined intake before a trial that we will have the internal resources from which to draw strength. In other words, there will be long stretches when Bible study and prayer will be hard to come by. Store up the nutrition while you can.
Rule 4 – Avoid Injury
One of the sad realities of training for a big race like the Ironman is that injuries do occur. Yes, even before the trials of the river, the bike ride, and the run, athletes get hurt trying to prepare for the competition.
Sadly, while training in what would be considered a safe atmosphere, church people get hurt and wounded all the time. We do it to ourselves and to each other. My advice is to love, live a life of forgiveness and grace, and keep training – the prize it worth it.
This past weekend our youth went to the beautiful Ridgecrest Conference Center in Ridgecrest, North Carolina. Snow was still on the ground in the Smokey Mountains as we rolled in Friday night.
There at the conference center was a Lifeway bookstore where tons of students would take time between sessions to go shopping.
As it happened, I was standing in line, looking at an end cap stocked with Rick Warren’s new thing, The Daniel Plan, when I started some small talk with a young man in line behind me.
Me: It’s not that complicated, you know?
Student: What’s that?
Me: The Daniel Plan, it’s really not that complicated. It can be summed up in two simple steps.
Student: Really, like how?
Me: First, you go and get yourself captured by a foreign nation and held captive for a while. That’s the first step, and it always makes you lose weight. Second, just eat vegetables. Pretty simple, don’t you think?
Student: (With a puzzled look) It that all it’s about? Really?
Me: Oh, I don’t know, but that’s all the Bible really tells us about Daniel’s weight-loss plan: get captured; eat veggies.
Student: Then what else did you write about?
Me: (Equally puzzled at this moment) Huh?
Student: You wrote the book…you are Rick Warren, right?
Me: What?! Heck no! Wait, do you want my autograph? Buy one of the books and I’ll sign it.
Student: You’re not Rick Warren?
Me: No, sorry, I’m not.
Student: I guess that makes more sense, then. I was wondering why you would be standing in line staring at your own books.
Do I really look like Rick Warren? Really?
Filed under fitness, Food, General Observations, Humor, places, Southern Baptist
Earlier in the year (maybe late last year) I had been having chest pain. At one point I was literally afraid I was having a heart attack. Yet, after extensive humiliation, all tests came back negative (which is actually a positive).
Well, here we go again. More chest pain – in the same place – and more tests. Friday night I went to the ER just to be safe (and to make certain people be quiet). That’s when I got the same questions, the same initial tests, and the same evil looks from self-righteous, healthy, gym-membership-owning nurses who know I need to lose weight.
However, this time was a little different from times in the past.
When my wife and I first got to the hospital, I walked up to the desk and was greeted by a not-so-sweet lady with a clip board. “What’s the reason for your visit?” she asked. “Um, well, it’s a chest pain thing,” I answered. Then, without looking up she hands me a clip board and says, “Fill this out and sign at the bottom, then take a seat.”
In a moment or two I am triaged and taken to have chest x-rays. When I got to the room for the x-ray the technician asked to see my arm band (for identification). They had not given me one.
Later, while lying in bed and hooked up to monitoring devices, a hospital rep came in to ask me a lot of personal questions. They needed to know about any medications, whether or not I had insurance, and about previous illnesses or surgeries. Among the questions were the following:
Now folks, I have had little kids come up to me, touch my belly, and ask, “Are you having a baby?” But honestly, either my wife has been secretly poisoning me with estrogen, or this woman must have though I was one ugly woman in a lesbian relationship. Why would she ask such questions? You’d think my facial hair, low voice, and Adam’s apple would be a dead giveaway!
Fortunately, the ER doctor decided not to admit me. He said they wouldn’t be able to do an arteriogram over the weekend, so I might as well go home and take nitrates until next week when I talk to a cardiologist. Who knows? I might be in bad shape, but we will have to wait.
So, after talking with the doctor, he said: “I’ll have them bring in your paperwork, then you’ll be free to go home.”
Guess what was written on the prescription?
Name: Anthony Baker Sex: Female
Should change my name to Antonia? !!
In all seriousness, I would appreciate your prayers. I still feel pain and have little energy. It would be great to find out what is wrong (as inexpensively as possible).
Filed under fitness, General Observations, Humor
Do you remember the old days? No, I’m not talking about when there were only three channels on TV, or when telephones were anything but mobile. I am not even talking about the old days when cartoons were reserved for Saturday morning, providing a distinct break between school day and weekend. I’m talking about…
…when it was forbidden for women to wear pants.
What? You don’t remember those days? Well I certainly do! I remember them very well. I even remember culottes (which is a memory I try to drown with anything short of alcohol – because I don’t want to die and go to H.E. Double Hockey Sticks).
I remember the old days when one could easily determine who was spiritual, and who wasn’t. There use to be a day when a godly man could look at a woman (without lusting, of course) and know right off the bat if she was a God-fearing, fundamentalist catch. Now it’s getting hard to judge by appearances.
Once, when our pastor gave us the freedom to visit another church (it was a special occasion – we were visiting family), we went to what we thought was a very conservative Independent Baptist church. I was only a young boy at the time, but I can still remember the words my daddy said as we looked down from the balcony, “Evidently, this church has gone liberal…look there…isn’t that sad?…the pastor’s wife is wearing pants.”
Seriously, I am a firm believer in modesty. And if it is your honest, heart-felt, full-of-faith conviction that a woman should only wear dresses, then hallelujah! However, I am not going to make my little girl wear a dress as she learns how to kick the you-know-what out of the first boy who tries to touch her.
How many black belts (or sashes) have you ever seen wearing a dress instead of a traditional uniform? I’ve never seen one. Oh well. I guess that may pose a problem for some that are still living in the old days.
But on a different note, a Wing Chun uniform isn’t exactly a white shirt and polyester pants, either. So, you guys (especially the one in the video with the long hair) might ought to consider what you are wearing (insert winking smiley face, which is meant to inform the reader that the last comment was in fun).
Click here to find out more about Dojo Chattanooga and Trevor Haines.
A few minutes ago, a couple of hours since the sun peeked over the mountains and began its job of drying up the dew, I stopped by A Sojourner’s Voice. There, Robin Lawrimore posted a poem about the morning. That got me to thinking. Maybe I should write one, too.
Filed under fitness, Humor, poetry, Relationships and Family, Uncategorized
“Daddy, will you dance with me?”
If you have seen the movie Courageous, then you’ll get it.
If you have not seen the movie, get it, then you’ll get it. Got it?
At 9 a.m. I was at the gym, signing us both up, and committing to work out with my 16-year-old daughter. It was hard, but worth it. She was so thrilled that I would take the time.
I just wish I could make time stand still.
Being the Dad.
Filed under fitness, Life Lessons, Relationships and Family
“How are you doing, Mr. Baker?”
What a question to ask a person lying on a hospital bed, attached to a bunch of colored wires, and aching from a harpoon in the back of his hand!
“Well, If I was doing good I wouldn’t be here, that’s for sure.”
Long story short, my wife took me to the ER because I was experiencing chest pain. The pain (a sharp, sickening feeling in my upper left chest) began to look suspiciously like a heart attack. It wasn’t, though. It’s all related to a possible ulcer, or whatever. Mostly stress.
Stress
Stress can cause a lot of problems, and pastors are subject to some of the most stress of any vocation. Bi-vocational ministers experience even more. And, because I’m lying here as the result of stress, causing my family to worry, racking up more medical bills, and wasting valuable time, I can’t help but feel guilty.
“If stress is the cause of all this,” I said to my wife, “then it makes me wonder how ‘backslidden’ I actually am?”
Now, why would I say that? Well, we’ve all been taught to “cast our burdens upon the Lord.” I’ve preached plenty of times how that “worry is a sinful” because it is “not of faith.” You see, of all people I should be an example of worry-free living. I should be able to testify to the fact that “His grace is sufficient.” But the fact is that I’m human. I do get stressed. I do worry.
Physician, Heal Thyself
It’s easy to say, “don’t worry.” It’s easy to say, “don’t get stressed.” But it’s a totally different matter when you find yourself charged with the keep of men’s souls. It is not only for myself and my family I contend, but the spiritual welfare of many, who at times, could care less.
Some have said, “Well, that’s your own fault…don’t worry about me…you live your life, and I’ll live mine.” What they don’t understand is that watching out for their lives IS my life.
For what it’s worth, if you have a pastor, keep in mind that he cares for you (or at least he should). It’s not only his job, but it’s his heart.
(NLT) Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
In conclusion…I’m doing OK, but I need to keep in mind my God is in control. Other than that, thank you, Liz (my nurse) for getting me out of that “second stick.”
Filed under Christian Living, Christian Maturity, fitness, God, ministry, Preaching
Let’s get back to the basics, shall we?
For a quick exercise in recognizing legalistic thought, may I present for your consideration two pictures?
If these items were seen being consumed by a Christian, which would result in an immediate judgment of one’s spiritual health? Why?
Are either one of these items mentioned specifically in Scripture?
On what basis would the consumption of either be considered sinful?
Can we justify the consumption of one in moderation without doing the same for the other?
Both will do little immediate harm, but only one is consumed by children on Sundays. Which, then, creates the greater risk? How many Americans die each year from obesity and heart-related problems that could have been prevented by better food choices? How many children are allowed to smoke a cigar once a week? How many children are allowed to eat fast-food every day? Which will kill them first?
I am not attempting to justify or condemn either one of these items. All I want to do is make the point that we should be very careful when we judge another person based on what he/she consumes. Does the consumption of one or the other make a person more or less godly?
Keep in mind the words of the Apostle Paul as you think about this and respond for further discussion.
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any…For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. – 1 Corinthians 6:12 & 20
Filed under Do not judge, fitness, Food, General Observations, legalism, Uncategorized
“Bodily Exercise Profiteth Little”
I hope that is only a play on words, Bro. Paul! I hope that was a relative statement, Mr. Apostle; because if not, this “bodily exercise” I am doing is making me question my investment. What do you mean by “little?”
Brother Paul, did you not say in your first letter to Timothy, “…bodily exercise profiteth little…?” I believe you did. You went on to say that godliness was better because it “[was] profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” – 1 Timothy 4:8 But what I really want to know is what exactly do you mean by “little?” Are you saying it is not worth doing?
What I’m Doing Hurts
It is the first day of summer, and I am in pain all over my body. My feet hurt. My back hurts. My legs hurt. The follicles in my scalp where hair should be even hurt. Because I have taken upon myself the responsibility to beat my body into shape, the exercise that it has endured has resulted in blaring protests from my muscles.
Just the other day, in order to prove I am serious about losing weight and getting into better shape, I reluctantly agreed to play with my kids on the Wii. Not that this was anything new, but the game they chose was something I had never done before in real life, much less on a game console. They MADE me twirl hula hoops!
After a few minutes of embarrassing hip gyrations which were unscrupulously caught on a camera phone, I feel like I have a hernia. There is no glamor in explaining that the reason for you pain is a hula hoop injury. I’ve heard of tennis elbow, but never hula gut. Is it worth it? Surely there’s some profit.
What I’m Doing Costs Money
When one decides to invest his time and money into something, he usually expects some kind of return. When this person invests in a Total Gym, a new bicycle, nasty food, and hours that could have been spent sitting comfortably in front of a TV watching NCIS, he hopes the profit is more than just a “little.”
I’m Hoping to Live Longer, Too
Isn’t life valuable, Paul? Without all of this heart-strengthening, calorie-burning “little” stuff, I would probably end up looking like Jabba the Hut and die before the Braves win another World Series. Are you saying that a few more years with my family and the ministry are insignificant? Just like Bill Murray said in the movie Scrooged, “I wanna live! I wanna live!”
I Know, I Know…
I get it, Brother Paul. What you are saying is that compared to godliness, compared to keeping our spirit in shape, keeping the body in shape with exercise is not as important. But what you are NOT saying is that exercise is unimportant. Right?
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? – 1 Corinthians 6:19
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. – Romans 12:1
Because my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, it is therefore a tool dedicated for God’s use. It is not my own. It belongs to the Lord. It is my responsibility to take care of it, or risk it being out of commission when it is needed to carry His Word to those who are lost.
Exercise has its place, even a spiritual place, when we consider that staying in shape can contribute to the work of the Lord. But the real point is that this body will one day fall apart, break down, and die. The life-span of this body is very finite; but eternity is forever. There is not much profit to be had in investments that eventually return to dust; however, there is great rewards to be had when we are obedient.
The next time I’m tempted to complain about how hard it is to work out, or how embarrasing it is to get hurt while doing the twist with a virtual hoop, somebody remind me that compared to a mountain, an elephant is little. Why? Because bodily exercise may profit me little compared to some things, but a little can still be a lot.
Filed under Christian Living, fitness
Click to Order
The Recovering Legalist 