To say there is some gamesmanship at the racetrack is an understatement. No one goes out for practice and runs full tilt; they always keep something in reserve for when it matters. I remember a recent practice session where a driver turned a quick lap. After talking with one of the team members I learned that there was more where that came from. 

“Wait until we tweak it and put stickers on, we’ll post a number they all can shoot at.”

They did; fast lap of the day in the last practice session with no time for the others to do much but scratch their heads and wonder, what’s in there? 

Although there are places in life that holding your cards close to your vest is an expected part of the deal, for us to reflect the character of God we need to be a little more transparent. People should be able to watch our actions and hear our words and know that we follow a moral standard that is set by God. Being a closet Christian doesn’t honor God’s charge to us to “go and make disciples”

Life and racing can be a pressure cooker, the heat is turned up and our true character is revealed. Like a carrot, egg or coffee bean, some of us wilt under pressure, some of us harden, but there are some that rise to the occasion and change the environment around them. When placed in boiling water a carrot gets soft, an egg hardens but a coffee bean changes the water and emits a pleasing aroma.

As Christians our presence should emulate the coffee bean, we should change the environment, not let the environment change us. Our character should reflect the love, grace and mercy God offers those who need guidance and direction. We should be in the hope business. Our perspective, attitude, and actions should change the situation for the better.

Do people wonder if we are truly committed to what is best for them? Do they have questions about what we have in our heart? Sometimes we hide things we don’t want others to see. We hide our true selves. We act differently depending on the situation and location. On certain days of the week, we are fine upstanding members of the church community; on other days you would never know we graced the doors of a church. We leave others wondering what’s in there. We create doubt.

James 3:9-11; With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

It is important that we, as followers of Christ, are genuine, what you see is what you get. Some call it transparent; our motives should be clear to all. As James writes, we should not praise God in one moment and curse man in the next. Our character should be the same as God’s.

Lack of consistency is a problem we all face; when we change our behavior depending on the situation, we cause people to wonder who we really are. I remember an old saying, if being a Christian was a crime, would our life show enough evidence to be convicted? I hope so. 

Now there are some indications as to our character that we can find in each of our lives. One is priority, what things do we put a priority on. The greatest pressure packed situation I can think of, the crucifixion. There Christ was, nailed to a cross, dying between two thieves. Beaten insulted, stripped of His dignity, he hung there innocent. Where were His thoughts? What was he thinking.  

Luke 23:34; NLT; Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

Luke 23:39-43; NLT; One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The words of Christ reflect His character, His love, grace and mercy. Even in the most pressure packed, stressful situation we can imagine, He changed the environment; “Father forgive them…” “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

And it affected those around Him;

Luke 23:47; NLT; When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”

Think about the people you know; how many of them are genuine? We can put the people we know into two groups, those we can trust and those we can’t. Let’s face it, there are some people we know that when they tell us something we wonder if it is true or not. 

There are people we can count on; when they give us their word and make a commitment, we can plan on them doing everything in their power to fulfill it. These are the people that we can depend on. These are the people we spend our time with. 

As Christians we should lead people to God. We should live a life that honors God. We should follow God’s lead wherever it brings us, putting our trust and faith in Him. People should not wonder what our true character is.

When others see us as two faced, one time we do this another time we do that, we create doubt. When they doubt us, they doubt God; they decide they don’t need Him. We do a great disservice to our Lord when we confuse people with our words and actions.

We need to think about the example we set. The character our actions reveal. Is it consistent with what we claim to be? Are the things we say and do honoring to God? Not just in certain places at certain times, but everywhere, all the time.

Let us make a commitment to one another to work on being a more genuine reflection of the character of Christ, every moment of everyday, let others see Jesus in us.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.

Have you ever driven a car with a tire that is out of balance? You know it, the thing is bouncing down the road. The steering wheel vibrates in your hand. It feels like the whole car is going to fall apart at the seams.

When setting up a racecar we look for balance, keeping the car stable and drivable while at the same time going fast. You can drive a car that is out of balance, but not very fast. Achieving balance gives us the best opportunity to win. 

How do we get there? We practice, take measurements, make changes and try them out. We then repeat the steps again until the desired balance is achieved. Sometimes it is hard to attain so we build some adjustability into the car so that changes can be made during the race to keep it as balanced as possible. 

We can apply the same thought process to life. You see many of us live our lives out of balance. We try things that lead us to places that are not good for us. The circumstances and results of our actions create difficulties for us. We struggle to put things right. Sometimes we just choose to live in the chaos that has become life. That is not the way God wants it to be, He didn’t create us to live our lives out of balance. He provided a way for us to put things right; Jesus Christ.

Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” He challenged us to search Him out and find out who He truly is. We need to recognize Him and understand what he has to offer to us.

Sometimes we recognize who Christ is, but we think we’ll be alright without him. We can make it on our own. We’ll try it and see how we do. The only certainty is that at some point in our life we will need Him.

One part of the Easter Story is about Peter and his denial of knowing Christ. Peter claimed he would defend Christ even if it meant death, but when asked if he was with Christ, he said “NO”.  He soon found himself broken; shattered, knowing he had given up something he couldn’t live without, his relationship with Christ. Why is it that this relationship is so critical to our lives?

Without a relationship with Jesus our lives are out of balance. No matter how much we try. No matter what we do. No matter how successful we are. No matter how much we own. Nothing matters if we sacrifice our relationship with Jesus to get it.

One of the falsehoods of life is thinking that we can do enough good things to get to Heaven. That is not true. A relationship with Jesus is the only way. Our life will never be right until we have that. When we recognize who Jesus is and what He did on the cross for us it is time for us to reconcile and put things right.

Ephesians 2:8-10, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We need to go before God, acknowledge Him as God and request forgiveness for the sins in our life. Then and only then will things be right. That is the way God created us and that is the way God intended it to be. No other way will work.

Peter thought he had it all figured out. He did until someone asked him if he was really committed to follow Christ. That’s when he lost it. He broke down and learned life’s most critical lesson; it is Christ and Christ alone. 

He confirmed he needed Christ the night he went out fishing. After he denied Christ he went back to doing all he knew how to do, fish. Guess what happened? He didn’t catch any fish. Surprised? We shouldn’t be, when he agreed to follow Jesus, Jesus told him, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Peter didn’t get it yet, but he would. John’s Gospel tells it to us this way.

John 21; Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

After breakfast, Jesus restored Peter and forgave him. Peter’s life was now right. His sins were paid for by the death and resurrection of Christ. He would no longer be a fisherman, but a fisher of men. 

Let me ask this, is your life right with God? Are you justified by Christ’s death and resurrection? Jesus came so we could have life and have it abundantly.

John 14:6; I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.

Put things right, put your life into balance; reconcile your life with the one payment that matters, the blood of Jesus Christ.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.

Luke 24:1-8, On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: `The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ “Then they remembered his words.

Why do we look for the living among the dead? A good question; why do we continue to search for the meaning of life among things of the world that will lead us to death? We all want to live life to the fullest. We all want everything life has to offer. We all want, but are we wanting the right thing? Listen to what David wrote in Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need.

Is Jesus Enough? Is He everything you need? Can He provide everything we need? YES!

Let me ask the question, are you living or surviving? Most people I know are just trying to get by. They are just trying to make ends meet. They work from one paycheck to the next hoping that nothing happens that will upset the delicate balance of their lives. 

We know that is false hope. We know that life is full of circumstances that can put us into a tailspin in a moment’s notice. What we fail to realize is that we have made the choices that put us in those circumstances. We are the ones that guide and direct the things we do. We are responsible. 

It doesn’t have to be that way. God provides guidance for us. God promised to care for us and provide for us. God also gave us a free will to choose. We decide and God honors our decision. Which way should we choose? Which way leads to the best life? Which way leads to life everlasting?

Let’s explore that a little. Who should know best how to live the best life possible? The creator of life Himself, God. When our car is broken, we don’t bring it to our lawyer. When our taxes need to be done, we don’t bring them to our mechanic. When we want to live an abundant life, we need to go to the source, God. He alone can provide what we need. He alone will guide us in the right direction. He alone cares enough to give His life for us. 

Romans 5:6-11; When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Ask yourself, what am I willing to die for? Remember Christ was willing to die for us. However, he not only died for us, but he rose again, victorious over death. He offers us forgiveness and life everlasting and He demonstrated to us that He has control over those things. 

What one thing do we fear the most? Death. We fear not being here anymore. We fear our loved ones not being here with us. Christ offers victory over death. He is ALIVE!

As you celebrate Easter this week, think about God’s love for you. He loved you so much that He sent His son who gave His life for you, not to condemn you but to save you. You will find that promise in John’s Gospel, chapter 3:16-17. 

Johns 3:16-17; NLT; “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[a] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge (condemn) the world, but to save the world through him.

Truly celebrate this Easter with a new life, one provided for us by Jesus, His death and resurrection. I leave you with these words from the Hymn “Because He lives”, William and Gloria Gaither, God Bless.

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus

He came to love, heal, and forgive.

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives, All fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.

As we prepare for the Celebration of the Resurrection, Easter Sunday, we first have to recognize that Jesus was willing to follow through with the plan. He made a commitment to his Father that he would follow through. When it came time for the plan to be complete, the cost was high, the suffering was great, the road was difficult to walk. I am thankful that Jesus walked the road that led to the cross.

Luke 22:42, NLT, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

I think we see the least loyalty in the world of sports as it relates to teams and players. For the sake of money, wins and egos; players, teams and franchises change location. I still do not think the Indianapolis Colts should be allowed to use that name. And what about the NBA, the Lakers in LA? Do you know they were called the Lakers because they were originally located in Minnesota, land of 10,000 lakes? And don’t get me started on the Dodgers, Giants or Braves!

There are many examples of franchises switching horses for the sake of a better deal. Don’t get me wrong, I think we all need to make the changes necessary for us to be the best we can be, but let’s not just jump ship on a whim. God has put a plan in place for our lives and if we deviate from the course because we see greener pastures then we will miss the blessing that perseverance brings. 

Charles Schultz once wrote, “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence until you get over there and discover it is artificial turf.”

Racing is no better than other sports, things change every year, we call it silly season. Race fans are pretty tolerant though; they get a new wardrobe every year. As sponsors change, colors change, styles change. We don’t have to worry about something wearing out, before it can wear out the driver, team or track has a different sponsor. Be honest now, how many of you have a T-shirt in the drawer that you haven’t worn because the sponsor changed before you could wear it?

One of the things that I miss, and I am sure I am not alone, are things you can count on. Things that will always be there no matter what tomorrow brings. I am a big fan of those who have stood by their commitments, allowed themselves to be held accountable to the promises they made and persevere through the challenges to reap the blessings that come from a hard road traveled. Jesus would be the one I turn to for that example. 

Philippians 2:3-11; Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We have lost something very valuable in our society; our word. A contract, written or spoken, means nothing. If the tables turn and things are not going in our favor, we just walk away. There is much to be said for those who persevere through the challenges; they will see the blessings of God.

Think about Christ and the plan for his life. Jesus; the one who through which everything was created, set that aside, came into the world as a baby, allowed himself to be raised by a family and when he was thirty three he would die a horrific death at the hands of the people he came to save. I am reminded of the poem, One Solitary Life;

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. 

He grew up in another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was 30. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book. 

He never held an office. 

He never had a family or owned a house. 

He didn’t go to college. 

He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place He was born. 

He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. 

He had no credentials but Himself. 

He was only 33 when public opinion turned against Him. 

His friends deserted Him. 

He was turned over to His enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. 

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. 

When He was dying, His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had; on earth. 

When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. 

Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race, the leader of mankind’s progress. 

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on earth as much as that One Solitary Life. 

Jesus fulfilled the plan of His Father, He persevered through the challenges; physical, mental and spiritual, He ran the good race, He finished the course, and He is seated at the right hand of God. He intercedes for us for the forgiveness of our sins. He is our Hope and Salvation.

As we prepare to celebrate the Resurrection remember that before there could be a resurrection someone had to be willing to walk through the valley of death. Someone had to persevere through the challenges. Someone had to follow through and walk down the road that led to death, death on a cross.

We must willingly allow ourselves to be held accountable to the commitment we made before God. To be held accountable to living a life that honors God, no matter where that road leads. We cannot allow ourselves to be led away from God just because we think there is an easier way. We must persevere.

Find yourself a good friend who knows you well. If you do not have one, start building a relationship with someone. When you have someone to walk by your side, help you maintain your focus on Christ, correct your steps when they stray and pick you up when you fall, you will find it much easier to honor God with your life. It may not always be comfortable, but it will always be worth the effort.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.

Most of the racers in the Northeast are preparing for the upcoming season. The time is fast approaching for us to begin racing again. For some the race has begun, trying to get things ready for opening day. As we prepare for the season ahead, what do we hope for? What are the dreams we have for the season and our race team? 

Preparation can be an inward focused idea or an outward focus. We can intentionally prepare to give someone else hope. That is called encouragement. I read this illustration and I thought it was interesting how we can choose to give hope to others even if we ourselves are facing difficulty. 

The Hospital Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. In his mind’s eye, as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

We can prepare to give others hope, despite our own situations. Joy when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can’t buy. As we move through life, we have many opportunities to give others hope. Will we prepare ourselves for them?

1 Peter 3:15b; NLT; And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

Racer’s willingness to help one another makes it a special group of people to be around. I have seen it many times, teams helping teams so that they could race. We all understand the challenges of getting to the track and having your car ready. Then something breaks and you don’t have a spare. Racers know and care and are willing to give each other hope and encouragement. 

Luke 23:39-43; nlt, One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus found himself nailed to the cross, enduring the pain for you and me. He was there between two thieves, one on his right, and another on his left. He was there for us; they were there because they deserved it. Even on the cross we see that Jesus still had compassion for those who sought him out.

The thief on the right asked Jesus to remember Him when he came into his kingdom. Look closely, not if you come into your kingdom, when. He had done some terrible things in his life, terrible enough to be sentenced to death. He understood that that was unacceptable to God and he turned to the only one who could save him, Jesus.

Jesus wasn’t focused on his needs, he was focused on the needs of those around him. How easily are we distracted from our surroundings? How easily do we get lost in our own difficulties and challenges that we forget to be aware of others? How many times do we push someone away because we don’t have time? How often are we so wrapped up in ourselves that we cannot see the needs of those around us?

Jesus wasn’t too busy or distressed to hear the request of a lost soul. He has set an example for us to follow. We need to be prepared and listen to those around us. We need to be prepared to provide hope and encouragement. 

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.

Psalm 46:10a; NLT; Be still, and know that I am God.

As we challenge ourselves to learn how to be still and know God, what do we need to know about God? We have explored God as Creator and God’s existence as the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Last week we looked at the love God has for His creation, the passion that carried Jesus to the cross. This week we conclude that thought as we look at God’s provision for forgiveness and restoration of our relationship with Him. The sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin and the restoration of our relationship with God that cannot be separated.

John 3:16-17; NLT; “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge (condemn) the world, but to save the world through him.

Romans 10:9; NLT; If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

It is always interesting to me how drivers react to situations in the race, only to review it later and have to make apologies. I remember a race where a certain veteran driver was frustrated with the lack of respect, the beating and banging, he received from the younger drivers. He didn’t learn to race that way. He decided to take matters into his own hands and spun one of them into the wall. 

Upon further review, he spun out the wrong white car. Too many white cars was his excuse. No matter, he had to make it right. Meanwhile the grandfather and father of the young driver had ideas about how they were going to make it right and proceeded to execute their plan when we intercepted them. Grandad agreed to put down the wrench and I walked with the father over to the offending driver.

As we arrived the situation was defused by the veteran driver taking responsibility for his actions and offering to repair the damage to the racecar. I’m sure there was still some cooling off that needed to take place but the repentance of the driver went a long way to forgiving his actions.

There is a two-step process to forgiveness; acknowledgement and repentance. We first have to acknowledge we have made mistakes, fell short, transgressed, and sinned. Without that understanding there is no forgiveness. 

When we realize we have sinned, we must have a desire to make things right, that is a repentant heart. We need to humble ourselves before God and ask for forgiveness.

1 John 1:8-8; NLT; If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Psalm 51:17b; NLT; You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

Let’s see if we can bring this into focus. God is a gracious and merciful God who desires to have a relationship with us. We corrupted His creation, us, and that sin separates us from Him. He made a provision through Christ, His death on the cross and resurrection to life, to cover our sin and restore our relationship with Him to dwell for eternity with Him.

Jesus revealed to His disciples that the way to the Father is through Him at the Last Supper. While they shared their last meal before His crucifixion Jesus explained this truth to them.

John 14:6; NLT; Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Forgiveness is available from God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We first must acknowledge our transgressions. When we become aware of them we need to come before God and repent, ask for His forgiveness. He will forgive us and restore our relationship. The same relationship He intended at creation, that we corrupted.

Know that I am God. God created us, he revealed Himself to us in the three persons of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He loves us and He has made a provision to forgive us and restore the relationship we choose to turn away from.

Love is lavished on us from a gracious and merciful God. He made provision for restoration of the relationship he wants to have with us. Don’t be confused, it was because God loved us, not the other way around.

1 John 4:9-10; God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

I hope you have enjoyed our Winter Bible Study. I encourage you to dig deeper, get to know the God of the Bible. It is a wonderful journey to a rich and satisfying life.

Psalm 46:10a; NLT; Be still, and know that I am God.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations help us continue this ministry. Thank You.

Psalm 46:10a; NLT; Be still, and know that I am God.

As we challenge ourselves to learn how to be still and know God, what do we need to know about God? We have explored God as Creator and God’s existence as the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are a couple of areas I want to cover before we conclude our study; God’s love for us, His creation, and God’s provision for forgiveness and restoration of our relationship with Him. I believe that will give us a good, basic understanding of God. 

The most familiar passage that comes to mind about God’s love for us is John 3:16.

John 3:16; NLT; “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Love isn’t a common subject in the garage area, but we can talk about passion. We have seen racers express a passion that enabled them to accomplish things thought impossible. I have come to admire the passion that racers have and the willingness to do almost anything to race.

That same passion exists in Jesus, He has a passion for His creation and he was willing to die for us to restore our relationship with God. A few years back Mel Gibson made a film to depict that, The Passion of the Christ. This is a powerful movie that helps us understand the sacrifice Christ made and the love and passion that motivated Him to accomplish that.

If you look at our race uniforms you will see His last words uttered from the cross; “It is finished”. Christ completed the first part of the task he came to earth to do, make a sacrifice to cover the sins of man. I still am amazed when I read this scripture;

Romans 5:8; NLT; But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

 As we discussed last week Jesus is characterized in Scripture as a servant, He came to serve, not to be served. Serving others sacrificially is born out of love. Yes, we can serve with the wrong motives; what’s in it for me, selfishness, but that is not the service that love motivates.

Philippians 2:6-8; NLT; Though he (Jesus) was God, he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

The racing world is centered on one thing, performance. Our value and importance is hinged on how we perform. When we win, we are on the top of the world, but let the results falter and changes are made, jobs are lost, lives are redirected and devalued. As long as you perform well you are of value. 

God does not look at things that way. We are his creation and our value is determined by Him. We are the crowning of creation. He loves us so much He made a provision for our sins to be forgiven. Christ accomplished that on the cross. Nothing can separate us from God and His love for us in Christ Jesus. Romans 8 is a wonderful chapter that helps us understand our value to God, I’d encourage you to take a moment and read it this week.

Romans 8:35; NLT; Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?

Romans 8:38-39; NLT, 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. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Love is lavished on us from a gracious and merciful God. He made provision for restoration of the relationship he wants to have with us. Don’t be confused, it was because God loved us, not the other way around.

1 John 4:9-10; God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

We sometimes get confused into thinking we have the power to initiate, restore and maintain a relationship with God. That is not true. We have believed a lie that we can be good enough to stand in God’s presence. The Word says that no matter how good we think we are we all have fallen short of the glory of God, and for that the wages of sin is death, eternal separation from God.

Simply, man is corrupted by the desire to serve himself. Pursuing that desire leads to all kinds of difficulties that we cannot overcome. We are on the road to death and destruction. God gives us another path to consider. He extends to us the path that leads to eternal life in heaven with him.

Romans 10:9; NLT; If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

That leads us into next week, forgiveness and restoration.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations help us continue this ministry. Thank You.

Psalm 46:10a; NLT; Be still, and know that I am God.

 As we challenge ourselves to learn how to be still and know God, what do we need to know about God? My friend Steve Brown says there are only two things you need to know. “There is a God and You’re not Him.”

What are the things that matter? To know God requires us to spend time with Him. The challenge comes moving beyond the superficial and digging deep into God’s Word and wanting to know God. The question remains; do I actually know Him? Or do I just think I do. 

Last week we talked about God, the Creator of everything. This week we get a little deeper and talk about the Trinity, the three persons that make up the Godhead; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This passage from Genesis helps us see how God reveals himself in Scripture, by using the term Us.

Genesis 1:26; Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

Think of it like the many hats the crew chief wears, sometimes he is the one who has the final say. Sometimes he is the guy right there by your side walking through life’s decisions with you. Other times he is that voice in your head, guiding you to make the right decisions.

We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and

eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

God exists in three persons, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit and each one has different responsibilities. It is a challenging thing for us to understand and explain because God exists outside of the natural world we live in. Jesus is the only part of the Godhead that has existed with the natural world. In his letters to Philippi and Colosi Paul explains it this way;

Philippians 2:6-8; NLT; Though he (Jesus) was God, he did not think of equality with God

as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Colossians 1:15-16; NLT; Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.

That’s why we look like Jesus, we were created in his image. He is the natural manifestation of God on earth. Earth is only a small part of God’s creation. Although we are the center of God’s creation, we are not the entire creation. Jesus limited himself to being a human on Earth. In another letter Paul explained to the Ephesians God’s plan, Christ’s role and also the role of the Holy Spirit. To say we can cover this in the winter Bible Study wouldn’t do it justice, but we will try to help explain using God’s Holy Word.

Ephesians 1:4-8,13b-14; NLT; Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding…

… And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

So let’s break it down to the attributes associated with each member of the trinity. The attributes of God are; omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), omnipresence (present everywhere), holiness, love, immutability (unchanging), and sovereign.

Jesus’s attributes are; divine, moral, and relational attributes, embodying perfect love, compassion, and humility, a sinless Savior, patient, obedient to God, forgiving, and merciful, a wise teacher, shepherd, a leader, courageous, resilient, and focused on serving all people.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity; possessing full deity and divine attributes including omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and eternity. The Holy Spirit is a counselor, helper, advocate, intercessor, comforter, teacher, guide, convictor, sanctifier, unifier, and giver of gifts, at the direction of the Father.

The presence of the Holy Spirit in our heart is an indication we belong to God. The Holy Spirit will produce fruit in us. We will reflect the character of God. 

Galatians 522-23a; But the Holy Spirit, (God), produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

This is certainly not a complete, exhaustive, look at the Trinity, but it gives us much indication that there is a lot to know about God.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.

This expansion builds on RWJM’s longstanding commitment to the dirt‑track community, complementing its established partnerships with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. By bringing the Super DIRTcar Series chaplains into the RWJM family, the ministry deepens its mission to support racers, teams, officials, and fans with spiritual care, prayer support, and a consistent gospel presence at the track.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve even more of the racing community,” said RWJM President Don Rivers. “The Super DIRTcar Series has a passionate and dedicated following throughout New York, and we’re honored to walk alongside them by offering encouragement, hope, and the message of Christ wherever the road or track leads.”

The partnership will ensure that every Super DIRTcar Series event has accessible pastoral support and that teams have a consistent point of connection with RWJM’s nationwide network of trained motorsports chaplains.

This move further strengthens RWJM’s mission to share the gospel throughout the country and reinforces its ongoing commitment to being a spiritual resource within short‑track and touring‑series racing.

Psalm 46:10a; NLT; Be still, and know that I am God.

As we challenge ourselves to learn how to be still and know God, what do we need to know about God? My friend Steve Brown says there are only two things you need to know. “There is a God and You’re not Him.”

What are the things that matter? To know God requires us to spend time with Him. The challenge comes moving beyond the superficial and digging deep into God’s word and wanting to know God. The question remains; do I actually know Him? Or do I just think I do. 

The concept of God is hard to grasp, but for a racer you can begin to understand the challenge when we think about a sanctioning body. Someone who creates the playing field, defines the rules and enforces the rules. What they say goes, they decide and their word is final. One characteristic that doesn’t apply, Sanctioning Bodies are not perfect, God is.

When we begin a discussion of knowing God our first step has to be acknowledging without God we would not exist. The fact that we exist is proof that there is a creator. Why? Any racer knows that a racecar doesn’t build itself. No motor comes together without someone putting it together. We also understand that it takes some expertise to put them together in such a way as to be successful.

All motor and car builders have the same parts available, but some just know the right way to assemble them. They know which parts need special attention. They understand what they will be used for and build according to their purpose.

Let’s see how that comes together when we talk about the complexity of human life. Man has not been able to create life apart from God. God is the designer, creator and sustainer. Apart from God life does not exist. There are many passages in Scripture about creation, and we cannot cover them all here. Allow me to suggest some. As always, if you’d like to go deeper in this study, let us know and we can talk further.

Genesis 1:1a; In the beginning God created…

Genesis 1:26; Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

John 1:1-4; In the beginning the Word (Jesus) already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

God created, as is written in the Psalms, He created each one of us, personally and individually. We are known by God intimately. Psalm 139 explains how much God knows about His creation. He knows our thoughts, our actions, our plans and our words. Take some time this week and read it.

Psalm 139:13; For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

God knows us, but that is not the challenge, we need to know God. The point is that if God created us it stands to reason that His characteristics are in us. Hidden in us are the qualities of a loving God. His expectation is such that we would reflect His character. 

Think back to the motor and car builder. Each one leaves their mark, their signature on their work. Sometimes you can see it, but there are hidden signatures that no one sees without some close inspection. I have heard the comment; “I recognize that, I know who built this.

As we acknowledge our creator we will see His fingerprints on us. He has created in us the capacity to reflect His character. He has put His signature on us, He created us in His image. What does His signature look like? Galatians gives us some indication;

Galatians 522-23a; But the Holy Spirit, (God), produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Imprinted on His creation is the capacity to reflect His character. We have the potential to be like God, Christlike, Christians. We also have the capacity to be the exact opposite. One of the complex things God gave His creation is free will, the choice to choose how we live; our thoughts, our words and our actions. That is what distinguishes God from humans, He doesn’t require conformance, he allows us to decide.

I wonder, if the creator of life knows how to live the best life, why is it we think we know better? Why do we fight against the very nature of God, hidden in each one of us? I think it is just like many things we face in life; our pride and ego tell us we can live the way we want. We can say and do what we want. Selfish ambition is in direct contrast with the way we were created and leads to all kinds of trouble.

The first thing we need to know about God is what he created us to be. He created us to be like Him and reflect His image. He created us to be able to identify with Him and have a relationship with Him. 

We live our best life when that is the desire of our heart. We belong to God, we are His creation and He knows us each personally and intimately. We honor Him when we live in a way that acknowledges that.

Proverbs 16:1-2; We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer. 

People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.

Run the race in such a way as to win, throw off everything that hinders and focus on Jesus. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support and donations helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.