Christians are commanded to obey God, as the Bible makes clear. But the motivation behind the obedience of those who are in Christ has to be clear. It's what Timothy Keller (The Reason for God, 177 & 179) discusses in this week’s quote:

Religion operates on the principle “I obey – therefore I am accepted by God.” But the operating principle of the gospel is “I am accepted by God through what Christ has done – therefore I obey.” Two people living their lives on the basis of these two different principles may sit next to each other in the church pew. They both pray, give money generously, and are loyal and faithful to their family and church, trying to live decent lives. However, they do so out of two radically different motivations, in two radically different spiritual identities, and the result is two radically different kinds of lives.    If you are avoiding sin and living morally so that God will have to bless and save you, then ironically, you may be looking to Jesus as a teacher, model, and helper but you are avoiding him as Savior. You are trusting in your own goodness rather than in Jesus for your standing with God. You are trying to save yourself by following Jesus.

Doing good things just for the sake of doing them, or in a vain attempt to earn God's favor, can never accomplish the intended desire. If you profess to know Christ, you must first ask yourself if you are concerned with obeying Him. If you aren't, then you must reexamine your profession of faith and see if you have truly acknowledged His Lordship over your life.

But if you find that you do desire to obey Christ, then you must ask why. Is it to try and repay God for His gift of salvation? Is it to try and merit enough good with God to remain saved? Is it to show others how mature in the faith you are? Is it so that you can feel good about your own standards of righteousness and integrity? None of these are Christ-honoring motivations.

Ask God to search your heart this day; to fan into flame the desire to trust and obey His sovereign wisdom, and to expose any wrongful motivations, leaving only a heart that seeks to glorify God above all. Be happy to serve Him totally, for what He has done in Christ!

The Practice of Patience
The 21st Winter Olympics are almost finished. I've been trying to keep up with the major events, and I am always amazed at how easy the athletes make their sports look. They jump, glide, twist, and turn like it’s their second-nature. And in a way it is, but only because of one very important thing: practice.

It takes an almost unimaginable amount of practice to accomplish Olympic-sized feats like throwing (and catching!) a partner while figure skating, riding a sled down an icy hill at 90mph, or pushing yourself to race 15km on skis. Do you think any of these athletes just decided to try their sport and accidently landed in the Olympics? 

And you can’t just practice when you feel like it; these athletes have to push themselves to follow their training regimen even on ‘off days.’ You can’t earn a gold medal by sleeping in.  

I have a goal as well. Not to stand on a podium at the Olympics but to be conformed to the image of Christ. My goal is holiness—and it takes practice as well. It’s what John is talking about in one of his letters: “Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous…by this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God...” [see 1 John 3:4-10] 

Let me quickly point out that I don’t practice righteousness in order to be saved, for Scripture reveals that as impossible to do. What I’m talking about here is practicing righteousness because I have already been saved. Think about the way Paul expresses it in this passage: 

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” [Titus 2:11-14]

So grace comes first, bringing salvation to God’s people. Then comes training. Because God has saved me, now I have the Spirit of Christ within me, helping me to practice holiness. Let me share what I mean with an example from my own life:

I have generally considered myself to be a fairly patient person, not quickly angered or easily annoyed. It turns out that I was quite a bit wrong.

I’m probably not the most impatient person on earth, but I’m also nowhere near as patient as I might have once imagined myself to be. Since Aaron’s birth, and now having two small children in the house, I have discovered that I reach the limit of my patience much, much sooner than I thought. Having Aaron cry, and Ethan cry at the same time, and not getting much sleep, and on and on…you get the idea.

So what does this mean? Is patience out of my reach? Are my kids to blame for my lack of patience? Am I genetically incapable of being patient?

No, it just means that I have to practice patience. Not being patient is my problem, not anyone else’s. I can blame my kids for my stress, but they aren’t responsible for the choices I make or the way I act. Anyone can claim to be patient when things are stress-free, but that isn’t real patience is it? Real patience has to be practiced, and that means I have to be put into situations where it will be tested.

Here’s how this has been working for me in the past few weeks: When I feel frustration building, I remind myself to be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” [James 1:19-20] I try to remember that patience is part of the fruit that the Holy Spirit wants to grow in my life. When I sense that I’m getting ready to snap at my kids, I remind myself that I am supposed to be picturing their heavenly Father—and He wouldn’t act like that.

Sadly, I don’t always get it right. Sometimes I think of those things, but only after I’ve let my impatience surface. Other times I can’t seem to remember any of it. But the point is that I’m trying to extend the limit of my patience—one choice, one moment at a time. If a downhill skier falls seven times in a row, they can either give up the sport or get back to the top of the hill and try again.

In the same way, each time I’m faced with a situation that tests my patience, I can either give in and fail or practice patience and glorify Christ. What I did (or didn’t do) last time isn’t the issue. I can’t rest on my laurels or sulk in my failures. The question is: what will I do in this moment? In this choice?

In short, I am practicing patience. And if someday, by God’s grace, I can actually see that I have become more patient, it will only be because God has used the Holy Spirit through those hundreds of individual moments and choices to cultivate Christ’s patience in me.

Practice may not seem like that big of a deal, and it certainly isn’t the glamorous part of life, but it is necessary. And because I want to be the kind of husband, father, pastor, and person that glorifies Christ, I will keep practicing.

Time Travel Tuesday #30
Since yesterday was Aaron's 1-month birthday, I thought I'd use this week's photo to post a picture of him that Tricia took last week. I think the picture turned out great, and you can tell that the little guy sure is getting bigger by the day!    

TEAMS	WINS	LOSSES

The Louisville Cardinals followed up last week’s road win against #3 Syracuse by winning two games they were supposed to—though one wasn’t as easy as it should have been. Visiting Notre Dame took the Cards to double overtime before Louisville escaped with a 71-69 win, but things went better at DePaul with a 68-59 victory. With two more Big East wins, the Cards seem more and more likely to make the NCAA Tournament as a low seed…but they still need to win 2 or 3 of the 4 games left or they’ll probably be on the wrong side of the bubble.
Games This Week: #10 Georgetown (02/23), @ Connecticut (02/28)

The PRP Panthers kept things going strong with a 45-44 win at Central and a 76-55 win at Fairdale. That wrapped up the regular season so it’s good that they are finding ways to win at the right time of the year. Here's hoping the Ridge can make a playoff run! They start things off in the 21st District Tournament this weekend:
Games This Week: 21st District Tournament (@ Valley HS): winner of Valley / Holy Cross (02/24); winner faces Beth Haven / Fairdale winner for Championship (02/26)

Here are the current overall 2009-2010 standings for basketball:

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New York Mets Season Begins April 5 vs. Marlins
Louisville Bats Season Begins April 8 @ Toledo

The Louisville Cardinals plowed the snow off the field at Jim Patterson Stadium and welcomed Bowling Green on Friday for the first three-game series of the season. They went 3-0 over the weekend, with scores of 13-1, 5-2, and 8-7, setting a good tone for what’s to come.
Games This Week: Morehead State (02/23), three games in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge (02/26-02/28 in Florida)

PRP Panthers Season Begins in March

Here are the current overall 2010 standings for baseball:

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Many people claim they would believe in God, or believe that Jesus is His Son, if only there were given some sort of sign. But is that something they should expect? Here’s how D. A. Hagner (Matthew 1-13, Word Bible Commentary, 355) explains it in this week’s quote:

There is in principle nothing wrong with the desire for a sign from God. The request for a sign only becomes unjustified and intrinsically wrong when one is already surrounded by good and sufficient evidence one chooses not to accept.   In that case, unreceptivity and unbelief are the root problems, and it is unlikely that any sign would be sufficient to change such a person’s mind.

When Jesus walked the earth, people asked Him for signs all the time. In some cases, they actually saw Him do miraculous things: feed 5,000 with one meal, walk on water, heal the sick, cast out demons, and even raise the dead! But they still rejected Him. The issue wasn’t the sign (or lack of a sign) but a hardened heart.

If you refuse to believe in God because you are holding out for a sign, ask yourself this: is the lack of a sign your reason or your excuse for not believing? If it’s your reason, then perhaps you need to give a second look at the signs God has already provided in His creation, His Word, and most clearly, in His Son.  

But if the supposed lack of a sign is merely your excuse for not believing, then it wouldn’t matter if heaven itself opened up to you—you have already determined to rebel against God and reject His Son. In that case, your biggest issue isn’t an external sign but an internal callousness toward the grace and mercy of God.

God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. No greater sign has been (or can be) given. And there it stands for you this morning. Will you look upon Christ and reject Him once again, or will you finally see who He is and believe?

Today is Tricia’s birthday, and I wanted to not only wish her a happy birthday, but also openly and publicly thank her for her love, support, encouragement, and devotion.

There was once a time in my life when I didn’t think I would be married, but I am so very glad I was wrong. Each day I am more thankful for Tricia and more humbled that I get to share the rest of my life with such an amazing woman, wife, mother, and sister in Christ.

Happy Birthday, sweetie!

 

Time Travel Tuesday #29
Back in November 2007, Tricia and I took a vacation to see an NFL football game in Atlanta and then swung by Gatlinburg for a few days on the way back. The whole trip was a lot of fun, and you can even read a day-by-day recap from back in '07 by clicking here. This week's picture is of Tricia doing her best King Tut impersonation on the miniature golf course...right before she beat me by one stroke!   


I also wanted to mention that this website passed 16,000 visits this week. I know that some websites get that many hits in one day, but for a simple blog about my family (and a bunch of stuff about the books I read) I think that's pretty cool. Thanks for checking things out, and I hope you keep coming back for more!

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The Louisville Cardinals basically played themselves out of the NCAA tournament with a 74-55 loss at St. John's and then made a case for getting into the dance with 66-60 win at #3 Syracuse. That is what we call inconsistency, which is why the Cards will most likely miss the field of 65. On the flip side, as one of my friends pointed out, if the Cards go to the NIT, then there will be at least one more game in Freedom Hall. So that's something, I guess.  
Games This Week: Notre Dame (2/17), @ DePaul (2/20)

The PRP Panthers didn't play against Central, as all games were cancelled due to JCPS taking a snow day. But they did get a 71-66 win in overtime against Butler and seem to be gearing up for a run at the regionals. Let's hope they finish out the regular season strong.
Games This Week: Shawnee (2/16), @ Fairdale (2/19)

Here are the current overall 2009-2010 standings for basketball:

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New York Mets Season Begins April 5 vs. Marlins
Louisville Bats Season Begins April 8 @ Toledo
Louisville Cardinals Season Begins February 19 vs. Bowling Green
PRP Panthers Season Begins in March

Here are the current overall 2010 standings for baseball:

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Lots of questions are asked about how to pray and what to pray for, but have you ever stopped to consider who can pray? See what D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Why Does God Allow War?, 25 & 32) says in this week's quote:   

There is nothing which is so utterly contrary to the whole teaching of the Bible as the assumption that anyone, and at any time, without any conditions whatsoever, may approach God in prayer.   Prayer is not meant to be the doubtful experiment that may lead to faith and belief; it is rather the expression, and the outcome, of a faith that not only believes in God, but is also prepared to trust its all to Him and to His holy will. To pray to God in order to discover whether prayer works or not is an insult to God.

Since Christ is the only Son of God, He is the only one with direct access to the Father. His perfect righteousness allows Him to approach the holy God without suffering death. Because of this unique status, Christ alone is equipped to serve as our Mediator [see 1 Timothy 2:5]. This not only applies to the salvation of His people, but applies to their prayers as well. Only those prayers made by those 'in Christ' (and therefore 'in Jesus' name') can have any Scriptural-based expectation of being heard and answered.

It's very similar to the way the Old Testament priesthood functioned. They had to stand in-between God and the people because of sin (and were required to sacrifice for their own sin before sacrificing for the sins of others). In the same way--but better--Jesus now stands as the Great High Priest between God and man, permanent in His office (since He cannot die) and perfect in His role (as sin-free priest and sin-free sacrifice). Without His mediation, we have no way to approach God for salvation or in prayer.

I will be discussing this idea (briefly) in this morning's sermon at Parkwood. We're still in our "Road to the Resurrection" series, and today's message is: From Sinai to Sunday: What the Law and Tabernacle teach us about the Empty Tomb. As always, consider yourself invited to attend (or to download the sermon later this week) and I genuinely appreciate your prayers for me as I seek to deliver God's message faithfully and clearly.

As you have undoubtedly heard by now, there was a tragic accident at the Winter Olympics yesterday and a competitor in the men’s luge event suffered a fatal injury as a result of a crash during a training run. The athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was representing the former Soviet Union republic of Georgia in the Vancouver games.

I mention this to make note of how appalled I was when the Today Show actually showed the footage of this accident. (They were far from the only ones to do so, but they happened to be what was on my TV this morning.)

It is disrespectful to the family, but beyond that, it is irresponsible journalism. The video wasn’t necessary to inform the audience of the accident. Let me demonstrate: During a training run on the luge course, a competitor was catapulted from his sled and impacted a steel pole resulting in injuries that ended his life. Even if you haven’t seen the video (and I hope you haven’t), you know from that one sentence all the basics about the accident and what happened to Nodar. You certainly don't need to watch him suffer life-ending injuries in real time video.

Apparently NBC received some complaints about this, because when Bob Costas introduced the story on the evening broadcast, he mentioned that it would not contain the video, nor would they show it again during the Olympics. A good move, and one that should have been made from the beginning.

I can’t imagine what this young man’s family is dealing with in the wake of his tragic death, which sadly serves as a poignant reminder that there truly are things more precious than gold, silver, or bronze.

Made Righteous By Christ
In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul says the following [information in brackets is added for clarity]: “For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him [Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.” [2 Corinthians 5:21]

Scripture tells us that by works “no human being will be justified in his sight” [Romans 3:20] and “if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose” [Galatians 2:21]. So the correct emphasis of 2 Corinthians 5:21 is not on the word become but the phrase in him, so it should be read like this: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” True righteousness is found only in Christ.

While the Bible has much to say about the works that stem from genuine faith, especially in James 2, it nowhere espouses a doctrine that states we are saved or made righteous by our own works. Nor does Scripture tell us that God requires our aid in accomplishing His purposes; He may (and often does) choose to use His people in powerful ways, but is under no obligation to do so and is not limited in power or scope by human involvement.

Human pride constantly tries to elevate our status and empower us to take action in resolving our own sinful condition. Yet there is nothing inherent within us that remains unstained by sin, and thus we are in need of something outside ourselves to aid us. “It is painful to pride,” writes Sinclair Ferguson, “to discover that the Christian life is not rooted in what we can do, but it what we need done to us.” [In Christ Alone, 188]

The merit of Christ’s righteousness is transferred, once and for all, to those who call on him in faith and they are declared righteous by God – not because of any righteousness of their own, but because Christ is righteous. Whenever our sinful pride tries to rear its ugly head, we should remind ourselves of the words of A. W. Pink: “To declare that God helps those who help themselves, is to repudiate one of the most precious truths taught in the Bible, and in the Bible alone: namely, that God helps those who are unable to help themselves, who have tried again and again, only to fail.” [The Sovereignty of God, 142]

Time Travel Tuesday #28
Snow! As I post this (about 5:30am) there is already at least 2-3 inches on the ground at my house, and it's still falling! If you go out today, be sure to bundle up...just like Tricia in this picture from her early days. Who knew she was Amish?  

TEAMS	WINS	LOSSES

 
Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints who defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV last night. It was the Saints' first trip to the Super Bowl in the team's 43-year history, and I'd say it ended well for them! Of course, the worst thing about the Super Bowl is that now we don't have anymore football until August..

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13) Season Completed 

The Louisville Cardinals racked up 23 commitments on National Signing Day for new head coach Charlie Strong, including Brandon Dunn, a DT from PRP! The 2010 class wasn't ranked nationally, but the goal is not to get a bunch of talented individuals as much as it is to get athletes who can fit your system and work together as a unit. I'm hoping the Cards can get things going and add a couple more wins to the total this fall. (4-8) Season Completed

PRP Panthers (3-8) Season Completed

Here are the final overall 2009 standings for football:

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The Louisville Cardinals put together two wins last week, improving to 6-4 in the Big East. They rolled past UConn 82-69 on Monday night, then followed it up with a 76-60 win over Rutgers on Saturday. Louisville is still very much a 'bubble' team, meaning they are going to need to win some more games (especially against ranked opponents) in order to secure a place in the NCAA tournament. Their record isn't bad, but early season losses to Western Carolina and Charlotte, combined with the inability to finish out games with big leads, leaves the Cards in need of some key wins for their tournament resume. Fortunately, they will get the chance to play some top 10 teams, starting this week. Unfortunately, the Ville is 1-5 on the road this year and the next two games are away. 
Games This Week: @ St. John's (2/11), @ #3 Syracuse (2/14)

The PRP Panthers notched another win, beating long-time rival Valley 75-60 on the road. The Ridge only has four regular season games left, so they need to keep playing strong in order to make some noise in the District and Regional levels.  
Games This Week: @ Central (2/9), Butler (2/12)

Here are the current overall 2009-2010 standings for basketball:

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New York Mets Season Begins April 5 vs. Marlins
Louisville Cardinals Season Begins February 19 vs. Bowling Green
PRP Panthers Season Begins in March

Here are the current overall 2010 standings for baseball:

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What does the Bible mean when it talks about a 'new birth' and, if I profess to be reborn, how can I be sure that this new birth has genuinely happened to me? A. W. Pink (The Sovereignty of God, 79) digs into that very question in this week's quote:   

The new birth is very much more than simply shedding a few tears due to a temporary remorse over sin. It is far more than changing our course of life, the leaving off or bad habits and the substituting of good ones. It is something different from the mere cherishing and practicing of noble ideals. It goes infinitely deeper than coming forward to take some popular evangelist by the hand, singing a pledge-card, or “joining the church.”   The new birth is no mere turning over a new leaf, but it is the inception and reception of a new life. It is no mere reformation but a complete transformation. In short, the new birth is a miracle, the result of the supernatural operation of God. It is radical, revolutionary, lasting.

So we see that being 'born again' isn't just thinking or acting in a new way. It's not just agreeing with what your church teaches and trying to stay out of any big trouble. Instead, it is a complete and total transformation of your desires, character, and hope. The evidence of this new life is only seen over the course of time--not as perfection, but as consistent growth in the "grace of knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" [2 Peter 3:18] as we increasingly submit to His will and rest in His promises.

In other words, look back to the moment when you claim that you were reborn. From that time until now (whether it be two weeks or twenty years) is there evidence of change in your life? Not just any change, for all people experience changes in taste and goals and viewpoints, but Christ-like change. Do you believe the Gospel more fully than you once did? Do you love and forgive others the way God has loved and forgiven you? Is the fruit of the Spirit on display in your life? Are you serving God in the ministry of reconciliation? Have you turned away from habitual, heart-hardening sin? These are the marks of genuine rebirth. [see Luke 6:35-36; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Galatians 5:22-24; Ephesians 4:32; 1 John 3:4-10]

Keep in mind, of course, that your salvation isn't based primarily on these changes. They exist to give us assurance that God is at work in our lives, but as Titus 3:5 says, "He saved us." All of this evidence in our lives is there not in order to be saved, but because we already have been saved by the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the cross. When Nicodemus asks Jesus what he must do to be reborn, Jesus tells him "the wind blows where it wishes...so it is with the Spirit of God" [John 3:8], clearly telling him that no amount of human works--no matter how righteous they seem to us--can ever make us right with God. Only God can make us right with God, and He has mercifully done so through the atoning blood of His Son.

Time Travel Tuesday #27
Happy Groundhog Day! (I'm betting there's more winter.) This week's picture is one from the engagement pictures that Tricia and I had done down at Waterfront Park back in 2006. Every day I consider myself very blessed to be married to Tricia, who is an amazing wife, mother, and friend. She may not be perfect, but she's perfect for me! I love you, sweetie!   



Also, just to update everyone on a situation I mentioned last month, I have the car I wrecked back from the body shop and it looks like new! I picked it up last Friday (which means I had to give the rental truck back to Enterprise...ssssh! Don't tell Ethan!) and everything on the Focus is back in working order. The plan now is not to run into the back of any more cars. 

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The Super Bowl is this Sunday! I'm pulling for the Colts all the way. I don't hate the Saints, but they are a division rival of Tampa Bay, and I really admire the Colts franchise, so I'm hoping Indy wins Super Bowl XLIV and gets their second title in four years!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13) Season Completed 
Louisville Cardinals (4-8) Season Completed
PRP Panthers (3-8) Season Completed

Here are the final overall 2009 standings for football:

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The Louisville Cardinals lost to Seton Hall, beat Cincinnati, but then lost to #9 West Virginia, going 1-2 in the last 3 games. So not only are the Cards unable to play consistently throughout an entire game (down 13-0 at West Virginia, they rallied and led by 12 in the second half, then lost by 3) they are unable to have any consistency in the season. They are now 4-4 in the Big East, and things don't get any easier from here.
Games This Week: Connecticut (2/1), Rutgers (2/6)

The PRP Panthers followed up their loss to Ballard in the LIT with three straight wins: 76-50 at Southern, 65-45 at Doss, and 90-43 hosting Western. Unfortunately, the streak ended at three when #8 Seneca came in and beat the Panthers 71-65 on homecoming night. But the Panthers played solid against a top-tier team and as the season hits the home stretch, even a close loss like this could be something good to build on. 
Games This Week: @ Valley (2/5)

Here are the current overall 2009-2010 standings for basketball:

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New York Mets Season Begins April 5 vs. Marlins

The Louisville Cardinals made some news by being ranked #13 in the Baseball America preseason poll and #20 in the preseason Coaches' Poll. That's a good start for the Cards, and we'll see if they can live up to expectations in just a couple of weeks!
Season Begins February 19 vs. Bowling Green

PRP Panthers Season Begins in March

Here are the current overall 2010 standings for baseball:

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