The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us; 

Eccl 1:9; NLT; History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.

Soloman’s wisdom serves as a clue to the direction we should seek. Knowledge exists that will provide guidance for us. Someone has been here before and we would do well to learn from their lessons. So, as we move forward we need to evaluate who or what we are relying on to guide us.

A few weeks back my windshield was hit by a rock and needed to be replaced. I didn’t think too much of it until the company said we will need to drive your car on the road for several miles to recalibrate the guidance systems. I began to realize that my car was making decisions based on what it sensed to guide me safely down the road. I do confess, I don’t rely on the guidance of my car for most of my travel, but there are some times when it makes driving easier. 

Remember in the old days when you drove the car? I remember some had a manual choke, clutch and the driver did the decision making. Remember when the starting procedure was pump the gas twice and then hold it a quarter throttle then turn the key. Try that today and you’ll confuse the computer and you’ll never start the car. 

It hit me that every day we put our trust in the hands of not only others but AI, artificial intelligence. People we don’t even know are entrusted with our lives. We take so much for granted. When you stop and think about the level of trust we put in others we are overwhelmed. Who have we entrusted our life to?

At the track we put our trust in many people; our crew, other drivers, track safety workers, officials. Putting our faith and trust in others and relying on them for guidance can put us at risk. Sometimes blindly trusting someone isn’t the right choice. We need to take a look at the things we trust in racing and in life. 

Some people say that to trust in Jesus is foolish; you can’t see him, and how do you know he exists? Some say that to trust in Jesus means you are weak and cannot stand on your own. Others say it is silly to have faith in something that you can’t talk to, touch or feel. How can Jesus guide me if I don’t see him beside me?

Why is it that we are willing to trust so many things in our life that will eventually fail, but we are unwilling to trust the one person in all the world that will never fail?

The writer of Hebrews explains the meaning of faith for us;

Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

God has plans for our life. He has planned out everything. David Scott puts it this way;

From: God

To: you@earth.com

RE: today

Today may seem like an accident. But, believe it or not, I actually know what is going on, and I have everything under control. Really! So, don’t freak out. It was my idea. It seems crazy, I know. I’ll explain later. Just follow me, I know what happens next.

God

P.S. If you have any questions, I’ll be here if you need me.

Are we ready to put our trust and faith in the only person worthy of trust, Jesus Christ? Are we ready to take direction from God and live our life in a way that honors Him? These questions lead us to other questions we need to ask ourselves. 

What keeps us from putting our trust and faith in God? What keeps us from letting God have control of our lives? Why is it hard to let God guide us?

The writer of Hebrews again helps us with some things to consider.

Hebrews 12:1, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

There are three words in this verse that we need to look at, hinder, entangle and perseverance. These three let us know that the road to putting your faith and trust in God has some obstacles. 

Hindrances come from our own mind; decisions we make that don’t honor God. They create circumstances that we were not meant to experience. They distract us from seeing God and His direction.

Entanglements take the hindrances to their natural conclusion. This happens when we try to fix things ourselves. We can’t. We end up sinning. Sin separates us from God.

That leaves perseverance, we need to work through it; that means to seek out God, and overcome the obstacles we face and not give up. God has a plan for us, a good plan, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be tests and trials. Perseverance means we will make it through when we put our trust and faith in God and follow His direction.

Mattew 7:7-8; NLT; “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus spoke these words in the Sermon on the Mount and encourages believers to actively approach God, with the assurance that by asking, seeking, and persistently knocking, they will receive guidance and direction from God.

Let’s make a commitment to put our faith in God through Jesus and follow the guidance He provides. Let’s commit to letting God lead us through our lives.  Please contact us if you would like help with doing that. Have a great week.

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.

One of my favorite stories to tell is about an old friend named Manny. Manny was never lost. He didn’t always know where he was, but he figured he would find his way. When it became apparent to him he wasn’t familiar with his surroundings he would stop and fill the gas tank. 

“As long as I have a full tank of gas, I’m never lost”

Life is a little more complex than that, most times when we realize we are lost we have expended most of our energy to get there. There aren’t too many filling stations on the road to lost. How do we find our way? Who do we turn to for direction?

There is a new racing season ahead. This past week the SMART Tour had their first race and the New Jersey connection teamed up; Jimmy Blewett drove Jamie Tomaino’s #99. After the race Jimmy commented that they would get better, they were taking notes and learning. They are learning which adjustments they need to make to move forward.

Life isn’t so different, we make decisions, we experience the results of those decisions and we decide if we are going to continue on that path or make adjustments. The process of decisions, learning and adjustments determines the direction our life goes.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a place we don’t want to be and question how we got there. If we look back at the series of decisions, lessons, and adjustments we may see the reason for the situation we find ourselves in, if we are honest with ourselves. 

As we prepare for the upcoming Easter Holiday, the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ, he provided some lessons and guidance for His Disciples before he left. Not unlike the list you may leave for your children when you are going to be away. Jesus knew there would be difficult times ahead and they would need direction and encouragement.

The time had come for Christ to fulfill the Will of His Father. On the Jewish Calendar was the Feast of Passover. Passover is celebrated to remember what God did for the Hebrews to deliver them from slavery in Egypt. While the nation of Israel was enslaved in the land of Egypt, God sent Moses to ask the Pharaoh for their release. When Pharaoh refused, God sent seven plagues, the last of which was darkness and death of all firstborn children. The Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a perfect lamb and place the blood of the lamb on the lintels and door posts of their homes. If they did this the angel of death would Passover their home. This was a prophecy as to the sacrifice Christ would make for us.

Jesus assembled His disciples to celebrate the Feast of Passover; you may have heard of The Last Supper? This is it. At this meal Jesus would explain to His Disciples who he was, what he was going to endure and directions on how to move forward in His absence. Much of the context of this is contained in the Gospel of John starting in chapter 13. We’ll be taking some excerpts from John’s Gospel as we reflect on the directions Christ gave His disciples.

John 13:1-2a, 3-5; NLT; Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper… Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

In the example Jesus set for His disciples he demonstrated a few directives they would need to remember. A testimony to his love for His disciples, His humility as a servant, a symbolic spiritual washing and an example to follow. 

Foot washing was for the servant of the house when guests entered because your feet got dirty walking around in sandals all day. It wasn’t considered a job for the head of the house, yet Jesus took it upon himself to wash His Disciple’s feet. When we truly love someone we will do the ‘not so nice tasks’ of keeping them clean. Think of caring for a sick child or an elderly parent. We are not too important to take care of the ones we love. The washing was also symbolic in that his sacrifice on the cross would cleanse us of our transgressions. He gave us an example to follow.

From there he comforted his disciples and let them know that he would prepare a place for them with God for eternity. 

John 14:1-6; NLT; “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

As Christ prepared for the most difficult task he would face on Earth His heart was tuned to the ones he loved, His disciples. He showed he cared for them, prepared a place for them, and provided directions they could follow to be with Him.

Jesus is the way to the Father, there is no other way. He is also the truth. We can corrupt, twist it, manipulate anything until we have justified the things we say and do, until we can live with ourselves. That will not result in peace for our soul. Jesus is the truth and the only way to be at peace with God is to follow that truth. The benefit, Life, eternal life in heaven. 

John 10:10; NLT; (Jesus said), The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

Stay tuned as we sit around the table and listen to some supper talk. 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.

The other day I was standing behind the grandstands talking with a friend waiting for the Modifieds to take the track for practice. I wasn’t sure what the schedule was but when I started to see the stream of spotters walk by with the tools of their trade in their hand I knew the time was close. 

A spotter’s tools are simple; a good set of eyes to be able to watch what is happening, good judgment about how to advise the driver and a way to communicate to the driver. We can all watch but a good spotter sees difficulty coming before it happens. Some things that happen need to be communicated to the driver and some don’t. A good spotter doesn’t overload the driver with information that they don’t need to run the race. The third thing a good spotter needs is a way to communicate to the driver. Just having a radio and talking into the mic doesn’t qualify. The spotter and the driver need to speak the same language; they need not only to hear each other but to understand what the other means. 

I think it is safe to say that we all have someone, at least one, that we turn to for guidance and direction. For many of us that is our dad. Last week I talked about the timing of things in life and how we should be thankful for each moment we have. This past week has been a difficult week for young Ty Gibbs. His greatest difficulty is maturing under a microscope. 

He made a bonehead, selfish move at Martinsville. He faced the scorn of NASCAR Nation. More importantly he felt the burden of letting his family down. He will learn and grow. I am hopeful he can overcome his immaturity. That will be more difficult without his father by his side. 

I am sure he was thankful to have him by his side in Victory Lane at Phoenix to celebrate the championship, but a few short hours later his dad went home to be with the Lord. We were just together. We just celebrated a championship. We talked about our future plans. We had so much future ahead of us. How could it all be gone in an instant?

The Gibbs family has seen their share of triumph. They have also known tragedy. Their lives are there for all of us to watch and see how they respond. They have always been thankful to have God by their side and a strong father, Joe, to guide them through the most difficult times. Godspeed Coy.

Remember the words I shared; we only have one life to live and for each one the end is certain to come. We plan and dream, looking forward to the days ahead, when in fact, it is not the days ahead we need to focus on, it is this day, this moment.

We are fond of planning for tomorrow, looking ahead to the things we are going to do, the places we will go. Truth be told it is in those moments when we lose sight of what is truly important. We can be so focused on tomorrow that we forget that today is all we can count on. 

Don’t take for granted the help and sacrifice of others. We need to make an effort and show how thankful we are for the guidance we receive. We don’t know what tomorrow holds and the end result of our actions; where things will lead.

John 14:16-18, 25-27, (Jesus answered) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 

   “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

In addition, we read in the book of Acts;

Romans 5:5, And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

The Holy Spirit is given to us to guide our heart in the paths that are right. I am reminded of the cartoon with the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. This is a good illustration of what happens when the Spirit comes into our lives. He guides us with the right advice, but there is that other voice. That voice inside us that tells us something different, something not of God. Which voice do we follow? Which guidance do we take?

To answer that question, it is helpful to have another type of spotter in your life. Someone who will hold you accountable to the choices you make. Someone trustworthy, someone who loves you, someone who would lay down their life for you, a true friend. 

We need this type of person always in our life. We can ignore the voice of the Spirit and make wrong choices. But they look out ahead and spot the trouble before we see it. They talk us through and guide us around the difficulty. They want us to finish the race of life in the best possible condition.

We need to have The Holy Spirit as our guide. We receive The Holy Spirit when we ask Jesus to come into our heart. When we seek forgiveness from God for our shortcomings and accept the sacrifice Jesus made for us. When we ask God for his forgiveness and presence in our lives He sends The Holy Spirit to live in our heart. The Holy Spirit is our guide. He guides us in the paths that are right. He counsels us, to show us the truth. 

I am thankful that God cares for us so much he doesn’t leave us or forsake us. He cares so much He provides a guide for us. Do you have the Holy Spirit in your heart? You can. He will be with you and will never leave you. Ask God today to send Him and God will honor that request. The key component is asking with sincerity in our heart; we have to want to. 

Seek out the guidance of The Holy Spirit today. Accept the sacrifice Jesus made for you and ask God to forgive your sin. If your heart is sincere the transaction is done, your life has changed. 

I would ask that you share that with us so that we can rejoice with you. We can also help and guide you along the road. We will come alongside you and walk with you through life. We will help you through the difficulties. We will do our best to help you figure out life and learn how to live it to the fullest. 

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.

How good are we at following directions? It depends. It depends on who is giving them and whether we believe they know the way. A few weeks back we talked about the crew member that, in reality, determines the changes made to the car on a pit stop; the one who actually made the changes. The hope is they did what they were directed to do. The future decisions made are based on the assumption directions were followed.

I remember a fellow that needed directions, when he stopped to ask, a man gave him specific, turn by turn directions. The fellow listened intently and noted each turn and landmark. He set off with confidence that he knew where he was going. 

About an hour later he arrived back where he started from. He found the man he asked for directions waiting there for him. Surprised he got defensive saying he followed every instruction to the letter. The man nodded in agreement, knowing the fellow did just that. Then the man said, “you didn’t think I was going to waste my time giving you directions before I knew you would follow them, did you?”

It isn’t uncommon for us to get the directions confused. For the most part we think we know the way and just ask God to bless it. The reality is that God may have a direction He wants to take us but we struggle with the discomfort and insecurity of depending on God. We rarely hand over to God absolute control over the direction we are going.

Are we good at following directions or do we need to know where they lead first? God doesn’t always give us the destination with His directions. Many times the purpose of the journey is found along the way. In the passage found in John 4:1-4 Jesus left Judea and headed for Galilee. But the destination wasn’t the purpose, the direction they traveled was.

John 4:4; NLT; And he had to pass through Samaria.

Wait, that’s not the way we go. We travel a different route. How come you are going that way? You see, the Jews didn’t go through Samaria, that wasn’t the way they went. They didn’t like the people there and went out of their way to avoid them. God had another plan.

We don’t always understand the directions without stepping out on faith and following. God requires us to go, follow the direction He gives us and along the way make disciples. We sometimes have different ideas of where we should go and who we should share the Good News with. I would encourage you to stop trying to figure it out and just go where God directs.

That isn’t always easy. We like to stay in our comfort zone. We like the security of familiar surroundings. We prefer to be with like minded believers. That generally isn’t the direction God wants us to go.

Look at the beginnings of the Church in Acts 2:41-47 & Acts 4:32-35. Look at all they had experienced and were doing.

*They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship and to the breaking of bread and prayer. 

*All the believers were together and had everything in common

*Selling their possessions, they gave to anyone as he had need

*Every day they met together in the temple courts. 

*They broke bread in their homes and ate together 

*They had glad and sincere hearts, praising God

*Enjoyed the favor of all the people. 

*The Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

*All the believers were one in heart and mind. 

*No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own

*They shared everything they had

*Much grace was upon them all 

*There were no needy persons among them

*They distributed their resources to anyone as he had need.

Who would want to leave that? Things were going well, but God had a plan to grow the Church even further.

Acts 8:1b; A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.

Scattered or sent by God? Sometimes we need a threat to move us out of our comfort zone. Why would we want to leave such a comfortable and secure place? Sometimes God has to move us. The faith they gained from watching what God did in Jerusalem through the Holy Spirit was encouragement enough to go and make disciples.

Acts 8:4-8; 4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. 7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

I encourage you to follow God, even when the directions he is giving us don’t seem to make sense. Even when the directions He is giving us challenge us to do things differently then we have in the past. Even when they require us to move out of our comfort zone and leave the security of what we have become comfortable with. Remember, God will move us if He needs to.

Matthew 28:18-20; NLT; 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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.

We know that change is the only thing that we can count on. We don’t know the changes we need to make or even the extent of the changes, but we do know that we have to make changes. One of the things that will help us through this life is to grasp that concept and not let change be a bigger disruption than it already is.

I am remembering the familiar refrain you hear at the track; “we came off the truck good, but had to make a few changes, we think we are where we need to be”. As many times as we return to the same track the conditions are never the same. Be it weather, car, setup or some other factor we all understand that when we get to the track, we will need to make changes. How do I know that is true? We bring tools.

Sometimes the changes that need to be made elude us. We try everything, throw the book at it and still need more changes. “We took a big swing at it and hope we have what we need.” Sometimes figuring out the right changes isn’t easy. We can have all the information we need and still struggle to find the right combination.

The race has to be run and the cutoff for making big changes ends when the green flag falls. 

“How’s your car today?” 

“We have something we can adjust. We hope we have enough adjustment to get it right.”

Change, constant change, there isn’t a racer I know who doesn’t understand that. They would be looked at as foolish if they came to the track and didn’t expect to make some sort of adjustment. Leave the tools home, we are going to run what we have. That would make being at the track simpler, but we don’t come to run the race, we come to win.

Those who do not change set themselves up for failure. If we are standing still, we are going backwards. Don’t get too comfortable where you are because if you stay there the world will pass you by. Oh, we all find a place where we are comfortable and try to stay there in that comfort and security, but the world around us is still moving. Things are becoming obsolete, change is constant. The best we can do is embrace it and roll with it.

A few weeks back we had a decision to make about our Sunday Service, because of some reconstruction being done where we usually meet. We could find a new place to meet for one week or we could cancel. The decision hinged on how we handle change. If we choose to stand firm and say it is here or nowhere then canceling is the only option.

The other option was to determine where God had prepared a place for us? We couldn’t move everything so we would have to adapt and adjust. Okay let’s go, where has God prepared a place for us? Funny thing was it was right across the street. Yes, the fact that the entrance to the hall was through the Bar area might have deterred us, but that proved to be not an issue at all. We made the necessary adjustments to the service that the absence of the technology would necessitate and had a throwback service that was a welcome change. We met together in worship and lifted God up. What a blessing.

How do we handle the changes we face in our lives? In Acts 4 Peter and John had a challenge to deal with, let’s take a look.

Acts 4:1-3; NLT; While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning.

I’m pretty sure jail wasn’t the place they planned to spend the night. Sometimes following God and serving Him puts us in positions that are not comfortable or secure. Should that stop us from doing what God has directed us to do? As we talked last week Peter had the experience of refusing to follow and he knew where that led to, an empty life. He recommitted to follow Christ no matter where the road led. Well tonight that led to prison.

In the morning they were given an opportunity to make changes that would please their jailers. They could have just agreed to follow their direction and not follow the guidance they had received from the Holy Spirit. 

Acts 4:5; NLT; The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 

Acts 4:16-18; NLT; “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17 But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

What do you suppose went through Peter’s mind? Do you think he remembered the change he made that didn’t work out so well; denying Christ? Do you think he now understood the right way to choose? 

Acts 4:19-20; NLT; But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”

We are not able to continue living the way we choose and serve God at the same time. Change is a requirement of serving God through Christ. As we change, the new creation we become in Christ, influences the people around us. They should see a difference. That difference reflects the very nature of Christ. As we change there is a struggle that takes place. Our old self struggles as it gets replaced by the new nature we have in Christ.

We need to remember that no matter where we are, no matter what we are up to, Jesus wants to be a part of it. Not only a part, but involved so much that His presence would change us and that change would cause others to take notice.

We have a decision to make, who will we serve?

Joshua 24:15; NLT; 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

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.

The new season brings with it a new set of challenges. As we gain experience, we develop a strategy to attempt to figure out where we are in our preparation for the season ahead. There are open practices, testing days, and opportunities to figure out if we are ready to race. How we utilize these opportunities goes a long way to determine what direction we are headed.

Sometimes though they are not always conclusive. There are times when we think we have a good handle on things, we think we are prepared, we think we have the kinks worked out and are ready. We pack up, head to the track, roll the car out, fire it up and hit the track. Then it happens, something we didn’t expect and the real race begins.

The head scratching, big swings, small adjustments, minor tweak and if necessary, the kitchen sink hoping to find the combination that works and gets the car right. Sometimes it is elusive and you just have to start the race with what you have and keep adjusting, hoping to find the right combination.

A week or so ago one driver fought those elusive gremlins and came home victorious. An electrical problem was causing the car to shut off. They worked at figuring it out hoping the next fix was the last. They didn’t get the practice they planned on so no time to figure out the chassis adjustments. They didn’t get the qualifying lap they hoped for and started the race behind, headed in the wrong direction. Certainly not the way you thought It would go.

As the race played out, they found themselves in the right position at the right time, leading the field when the checker flag waved. Now things don’t always work out that way, in fact they rarely do. Truth is more times than not you end up in a worse position than where you started, heading back to the shop with work to do. I am sure the ride is shorter with the winner’s trophy sitting in the passenger seat.

Finding the right direction can be a difficult process, especially when the road to the desired destination is one that you wouldn’t even think of walking. We think we know the way. We think we know how things should go. We think we know what should happen. We don’t. Things rarely are as predictable as we think. “I didn’t see that happening.”

Remember Peter and his friends out fishing, catching nothing, wondering what they needed to do, what direction did they need to go? They didn’t expect to meet Christ on the shore. They didn’t expect to catch so many fish. They didn’t expect he would have breakfast for them. They certainly didn’t expect that he would have forgiveness and direction for them.

They found direction in a place they didn’t expect. Isn’t that just like Christ, meets us where we are and guides us in the direction we need to go. Christ promises to do that if we let him into our lives. We would do well to let him show us the direction we need to go.

Mathew 28:16-20; Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

This passage reveals a couple things that will help us as we look for direction in our lives. Notice they went to the place Jesus told them to go. I’m not sure they went with the confidence that this was the right direction, but they followed Jesus’ direction. It says they met Jesus there but some doubted indicating they weren’t sure what they would find.

When we talk about following the directions Jesus gives us many times we lack the confidence to know it is right, we need to have trust and faith in Christ, the giver of the direction. When we follow the results are the same, we will meet Christ there. We can be assured if we meet Christ there, we followed the right direction. The best direction we can have in life is to join God where he is working. He will direct us there if we put our trust and faith in him. Even in our doubt he will reveal himself.

This passage also reveals that God has a plan for us. He has work for us to do. Notice the order of things. God’s plan isn’t haphazard. First this, then this and then finish with that. We can see by how God is revealed in the Scripture that he has a direction, he is organized and well thought out.

Let’s see if we can follow along; Go, don’t sit around waiting for folks to come to you, go to them. Tell them about me, share with them the things I have done for you and how your life has taken a new direction because of your faith in me. Help them put their faith in me also. Welcome them into the family, help them proclaim to the world what they have decided in their heart. Teach, nurture, guide and walk alongside as they seek to follow my direction.

Look also at the last statement, Christ doesn’t expect us to do something he hasn’t already committed to do for us. I am with you always. Helping us find direction doesn’t mean telling us where to go and then sending us down the road. No, Christ gives us direction and then says come on, join me, I’ll walk with you.

How much better is the road of life when you have a traveling partner? When you have someone who has been there and knows the way? When you have someone who will walk alongside, never leave you or let you go?

Remember that victory we talked about earlier? The crew chief on the car in Victory Lane was no stranger to that place. He himself had visited there previously, he knew the way, he walked alongside and he brought his driver to that special place of victory.

There is something to be said for following someone who has been there, someone who has walked the road, someone who knows the way. We benefit from their experience, knowledge and understanding. Christ has walked the road he offers to travel with us. He knows the way. He understands what is important. He knows the direction we must go. Join Him on the journey.

Deuteronomy 31:8; Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

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.

One of the most challenging things to do in racing is to keep our composure when everything around us is going crazy. We are reminded in the driver’s prayer to respond in a way that honors God. Why is that important? Why do we need to keep our composure? It has to do with the bigger picture, not getting caught up in the heat of the moment. When we develop that composure we go a long way toward responding in a way that honors God.

What does it take to win a race? I thought about the ingredients necessary to win, there are many variables, but not one that guarantees victory. I had trouble putting my finger on them; you need a fast car, but the fastest car doesn’t always win. You need a car that can get out front and lead, but the car that leads the most laps doesn’t always win the race. You need the skills and talent to drive a racecar, but the most skilled driver doesn’t always win. A skilled team that can make the necessary changes during the race would win, but the best team doesn’t always win. Well as you can see there are many necessary ingredients to win, but you can have them all and still not win. What does it take to win? I guess that depends on the race you are running.

We need to know the race we are running. We need to know what the goal is. We need to have a realistic expectation consistent with the resources we have. In racing all the things mentioned above are necessary and then some. We need them to come together on race day and this still doesn’t guarantee victory. Things will happen during the race that will have a significant impact on the outcome. If we don’t attempt to run we can never win.

Running the race in such a way as to win involves responding to situations that arise in a way that honors God. Proper preparation, understanding expectations and maintaining composure help us not get in over our head. Handling ourselves properly helps us run in such a way as to win. It also allows us to look each other in the eye after the race is run. We succeed when we respect the other competitors in the race. If we do not handle ourselves correctly we cannot run the race in such a way as to win. How should we run?

1Corinthians 9:24-27, Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I am reminded of the story of David and Goliath. If we look at the two competitors the race was over before it began. On one side we have the giant Goliath, a man, an experienced fighter, larger than life and intimidating. On the other side we have a shepherd boy with no armor, just his sling and staff. On paper the race is over. The battle is done. But we know different, sometimes the underdog wins. Sometimes the one who looks inferior rises to the occasion and wins the race. What tips the scales in their favor? David was a man after God’s own heart. He lived in a way that honored God. Goliath fought with his own strength and power. David fought not only with his strength and skill, but also with the blessing of God. You see to run the race in a way as which to win, you must race within the will of God.

We have the presence of God with us when we are in His will. When we choose to take things on with our own strength and understanding we are not running in a way as which to win. The passage we read points out three important things;

Don’t run aimlessly. In order to win the race we must know where the finish line is and the way to get there. God provides a direction for us. Seek Him out and follow His guidance. He is the best crew chief going.

Don’t fight against things that are not there. Too many times we spend our energy worrying about things that haven’t even happened. We get anxious and try to predict the future, don’t get caught up chasing the shadows of things that are not there. Deal with what is real and use the wisdom and strength of God.

Don’t be disqualified. We reason our way out of doing the things that are right. We find excuses to justify the choices we make. We cannot let ourselves give in to our selfish desires, but instead we must do what is right. We can justify anything we do with many reasons, but that doesn’t make it right. We must do what is right in the eyes of God.

Paul adds that there is a way to respond that honors God. We need to reflect the character of God when we run the race. Only then can we have victory even in defeat.

Ephesians 4:1a-3, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Many times we race against competitors who are full of themselves. They strut around like they are so great. They are full of pride and arrogance. I am here to tell you if you get drawn into that thought process you will never win the race. Don’t get me wrong you can still be competitive and tenacious and combatant and still honor God. The secret is not to think more of yourself than you ought to. Look at David and how he was able to be victorious over Goliath.

Goliath laughed at him when he walked on the battlefield. Goliath insulted him and the nation he represented. Goliath didn’t take him seriously. David wasn’t defeated by the arrogance of Goliath. He placed a rock in his sling and flung one stone striking Goliath in the forehead and killing him.

We need to remember what we have been called to and run the race in a way that will honor God. We will not wilt when the circumstances seem to be overwhelming, the pressure seems too much. Whatever we do will prosper, we will taste victory. Look forward to experiencing God’s blessings. Run in such a way as to win! Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless. Remember, that your prayerful support helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.