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.

The first race I attended was the 1986 Summer 500 at Pocono.  Perseverance was abundant in the race.  The day was a challenge from the start, as fog plagued the area, delaying the start and then shortening the race.  There was a lot of perseverance just to get the race in.  Tim Richmond spun coming off turn three, and his transmission was stuck in reverse.  He managed to spin the car out entirely and put it into high gear.  After losing a lap, he came back to beat Ricky Rudd by a mere few feet to win the race.  If this sounds familiar, it was famously dramatized in the movie “Days of Thunder.” How did he win the race? With teamwork and perseverance.

Paul talks about the spiritual benefits of persevering in his letter to the Galatians.  “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 NLT.  Have we allowed God to work and move in our own lives so that we are working for good? Unseen forces are trying to stop us from doing good.  The challenge is not small or insignificant; rather, it is a spiritual battle we must arm ourselves for.  

That armor involves a process of us knowing and seeking God on a deeper level each day.  Are we praying? Are we reading His Word?  Are we trusting Him and turning over every part of our lives to Him?  As we do these things, God will reveal more of himself to us.  As trials come our way, we will be better equipped to handle them as we carry the wisdom and presence of God with us.  Paul took a great view of this in his letter to the Romans. “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.” Romans 5:3-4 NLT.  Note that Paul doesn’t say “if” we run into problems and trials, but “when”.  The Christian life isn’t guaranteed to be problem-free; we just have an advocate and a helper on our side to guide us through those times.

Perseverance in racing may bring us a checkered flag at the end of the race, or for the select few, a championship trophy at the end of the season.   These things may etch our names into a record book, but it’s God’s book that matters.  After doing all he could to secure the Whelen Modified Tour Championship at Martinsville, race winner and championship runner-up Justin Bonsignore had a broader perspective, stating that having his wife and kids present with him was what really mattered.  While this battle didn’t end the way he hoped, he realized he already had a huge prize.

Trials come in a wide variety of levels, but each one offers us an opportunity to seek God, praise Him, and then walk things out in a manner that brings Him glory.  Perseverance through trials that aren’t quick can be difficult, but the refinement and blessing we can gain from them will have eternal benefits.  James, Jesus’s half-brother, was critical of Jesus while Jesus was alive.  That shifted once James encountered the resurrected Jesus.  James saw the complete picture of the Kingdom of God.  He understood that persevering in our faith was critical to our growth.  He writes: “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12 NLT  James persevered right until the end of his life.  He died for his belief, being one of the early martyrs for the faith.

As the “off-season” begins to kick off, what are we doing?  How are we preparing for the trials that lie ahead of us?  What can you do now that will put you in a better spiritual situation for tomorrow? How about picking up the Bible or listening to it?  A new daily devotional can go a long way in preparing our hearts and minds for both the hills and valleys of the race season and the seasons of life.  As we do, there will be a change in us that even others will begin to recognize.  The author of Hebrews sums it up in this “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT.  

Where do we get the focus and energy to persevere? Through Jesus.  By keeping our eyes on Him and imitating Him, we will overcome obstacles and have peace in Him that truly surpasses all understanding.  

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.

Racing is something not everyone understands. Racers, true racers, will sacrifice almost anything to race. Some will sacrifice everything. Sleep, food and hygiene are a few of the things that come to mind. Oh, and that money thing, you have heard it said, to make a small fortune in racing you need to start with a big one.

Racing doesn’t corner the market on sacrifice but for racers it is one we understand. What is it that would drive us so much that we would drive all night, race, and then drive all night to get back home or to the next track? Or sleep twelve people in a room for four. Or head out on Wednesday morning and race, repair, race, repair, race, repair for several nights in a row without regard for even the day of the week. Where am I? Stafford, it must be Friday. 

We lose sight of the day and time, we are here to race and when this one is done we pack up and head to the next one. Do you know why the family that races together stays together? If they don’t they won’t see each other. 

I always think of the Bouley family when I think of families that sacrifice to race. One story I remember well. We headed out to breakfast Saturday morning near the track, about 6:30, who did we meet coming in? The Bouley dually, after an all-night ride just to race. I watched as they made the best of what they had. George, Bev, Kim and Scott would give and have given everything to put Team 26 racing in the field.

Scott qualified in Twenty-sixth spot, the same as his number. George just shook his head in disbelief and wondered aloud how well Scott could do if he had a new motor and some decent equipment. Then a smile comes to a proud father’s face as he shares in his son’s accomplishment despite the odds and a 9:1 tired power plant. The Bouley’s had heart and no one can say anything different. They gave everything they had and some things they didn’t have to race, to compete. George and Bev have gone home now, but it is always a fond memory when I think of them.

What about us, is our heart in it? Maybe not racing but I am sure there is something in your life that you are passionate about. Something that will move you to sacrifice? Something that makes you willing to put everything aside and pursue? What is your all in endeavor?

For me, serving God falls into that category. God desires that our service to Him be all in. God desires that we would want to demonstrate His love for others more than anything we do in our lives. He tells us in his Word that unless our mind and our heart is in it we miss the relationship that will save us. A passage from God’s Word comes to mind:

Matthew 22:37-40; NLT; Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

But the challenge remains, to be all in you have to begin somewhere. We have to decide to follow Jesus. To do that we must remember the words of Jesus; 

Mark 1:15; NLT; “The time promised by God has come at last!” (Jesus) announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

The writer of Romans adds…

Romans 10:8b-10,13, … that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved… “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Two components are necessary to know God; it must be in your heart and you must say it with your mouth. We say a lot of things with our mouths that we don’t believe in our heart. It is pretty easy to spot someone who is doing something that their heart isn’t in. As servants of God that should never be the case. In fact, if our heart isn’t in it we are not saved.

We receive a twofold blessing. The first part of that blessing is the fact that we are saved. The next part comes in how we treat others. We are given the opportunity to participate in their lives. Not just participate but the opportunity to help them find the abundant life that God offers. The writer explains;

Romans 12:9-18; NLT; Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

When we say it and believe in our heart then we are all in. If our heart isn’t in it not only do we lose but others lose also. We have a great responsibility to not only confess the name of our Lord but to believe it in our heart, then others will see it in our actions. Our lives are not the only ones who depend on it. Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news!

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.

The opportunity comes for you to move up to a new division, faster cars, better competition, longer races, are you ready? Many times in our racing career we have decisions to make about stepping up to the next level. That comes with many questions, am I ready, can I compete, will I be able to win? 

In the racing world today many of those decisions are being made at a younger age. Too young for many, drivers haven’t had the chance to mature. At that young age many of those decisions are made for drivers by someone else; that adds the pressure to live up to someone else’s expectations. In a sport that is already full of challenging choices this is just another one to consider.

They say the first sign of maturity comes with the discovery that the volume knob also turns to the left. That thought is lost on many who were born after the nineties because of the advent of digital radios and buttons for the volume. Suffice to say when we mature we realize that life doesn’t have to be lived at full volume, everything isn’t life or death and there are somethings that are better dealt with after we have had some time to think about it. The key to maturity is taking responsibility for your actions.

Maturity means stepping up and accepting the consequences for our actions. That isn’t the norm these days; too many times we want to place blame on something or someone else. Sometimes we think our choices only affect us, that is not true. Every decision we make has consequences, not only for us, but those around us. When we refuse to accept the responsibility for our decisions; we refuse to step up. It is as they say, time to own it.

For our lives to be meaningful and satisfying it requires us to step up and take responsibility for ourselves. One of those decisions that only we can make is our decision to pursue a relationship with God. You and you alone can decide to meet God face to face. No one else can do it for you. Isaiah had such an encounter, let’s take a look at how it went.

Isaiah 6:1-8; NLT; It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!

    The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

There are a few things we can learn from Isaiah that will help us understand who God is and help us prepare to step up.

First, Isaiah had an idea of what God looked like. Would we recognize God if we were standing before Him? Do you remember the movie Bruce Almighty? There was a bum on the street corner. Do you remember that at the end of the movie you could see who he really was? Sometimes what we see isn’t what is really there. There is a difference between looking through God’s eyes vs our eyes, feeling with God’s heart vs our heart and listening with God’s ears vs our ears. Would we recognize God if we saw Him?

Second, Isaiah knew who he was, a sinner. He knew he was not worthy enough to be in God’s presence. We refuse to face that reality and are not honest with ourselves. We think we can be good enough, we cannot. When we come to the conclusion of who we are, taking responsibility for our choices is required. Have we taken responsibility for the decisions we make in life?

Third, Isaiah knew that sin has no place before God. We sometimes think that we can have sin in our lives and still serve God. God is just and sin is not something He allows in His presence. We need to live in a way that honors God. That is something we cannot do, but a provision has been made for our forgiveness.

Truth is, living a sinless life is not possible. We all fall short. We can’t be good enough to overcome our infinite capacity to sin. No matter how good we are there is still that nature in us to sin against God. Something outside of us is necessary to make us worthy to be in God’s presence. That provision is the sacrifice Christ made for us in His death and resurrection.

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

Fourth, God made a provision to remove Isaiah’s sin. He cleansed him and made atonement for his sin. God also made a provision to forgive our sin, Jesus Christ. Jesus came and gave his life to atone for our sin. He submitted himself to death on the cross, a perfect sacrifice for our imperfection. Through Him we can be forgiven and have a personal relationship with God.

Fifth, Isaiah responded when God called. How many times do we come up with excuses when God calls? We tend to look for someone else to answer, surely he doesn’t mean me. Isaiah wasn’t perfect; he was willing, why? He was willing because of the forgiveness he received from God. God did not condemn him for his sin, he made atonement for it. The same is offered to us as a gift from God in Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus we are then ready to do the work God has prepared for us to do. Will we step up and accept the challenge? Other people’s lives depend on it.

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.

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 are not truly independent? I think if we look at history what happened on Independence Day, a group of people banded together and relied on each other for the strength to declare their independence from British rule. What does it take to be independent? You must divorce yourself from everyone and everything. In the society we live in we have a term for that type of person, a loner. I am not sure that is how God created us to be.

Last week I talked about pursuits and quoted from the Declaration of Independence. Let’s continue on with the next couple of lines and see if that helps us with our understanding of independence.

“…That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

The key word is people, not an individual, but the people. We declare our independence as a group of people, not individuals. To take that a step further, the common view held today that I can do what I want is not the foundation this country was built on. We have drifted away from the understanding that we serve one another to maintain the freedoms we enjoy. While we have individual rights they should be exercised for the common good.

There are only a few things in life we do alone, most everything we do we do with someone else. God designed the family in that way. When members of a family focus on their own interests instead of the needs of the family there is stress, strain and destruction.

Look at our race teams. How many of us could race without a team? I don’t think there is one of us who could. You would at least need a gopher. Take a look around the shop and the pit area. Write a list of all the things that need to be done. There is no way anyone could go it alone. 

Look at our lives. How many of us spend our time completely alone? We don’t. We spend it with family and/or friends. If we don’t have any we go out and look for some. We spend a large part of our time searching for people to be with. I think we are people who enjoy being around other people.

We surround ourselves with people. We enjoy their company. We cannot live without it. One of the secrets to life is our interdependence on each other. The Body of Christ, those who belong to Christ through the acceptance of His sacrifice, is made up of people who depend on each other. 

1 Corinthians 12:12-20; The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

Our lives are enhanced when we share them with others. When we work together we can build a life that reflects the love that God has for each of us. The question might be asked, how does this affect me? How does my life affect those around me? Am I a functioning part of the body or do I need some physical therapy to straighten things out? 

Let me suggest first looking around at the people you spend your time with. Do you add or subtract from the relationship? Are people better for knowing you or do they run the other way when they see you coming? Do people seek you out when they need help for support in their lives? 

Jesus lived a life as an example for us. People sought Him out because they knew their life would be better if they listened to Him. If you examine Scripture no one who sought Jesus out was turned away. It didn’t matter what their social or economic situation was, Jesus made time for them. In Scripture we learn that when people came face to face with the living God they never left the same way they came. Jesus changed them both spiritually and physically. 

We must ask ourselves, do people see Jesus in us? If they do, they will seek us out when their lives are not what they should be. It is in this process where we become interdependent. Our lives depend on those around us and their lives depend on us. So much is riding on the way we live; we should live in a way that is right. Paul writes in Philippians 2:5 that our attitude should be the same as Jesus.

That is a great goal, but most of us fall short. We give in to our selfish desires and put the concerns of others secondary to what we want. To overcome this we need to be accountable to someone. Who are you accountable to? Find yourself a faithful friend, one you can trust. One who cares enough about you to tell you the truth. With such a friend you can improve your walk tremendously. We will succeed more than we fail. And when we fail we will have someone there to stand beside us and help us get back on track.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,12; “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! …. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

It is good to be dependent on someone and have someone depend on you. It is the basis on which strong fulfilling lives are built. Build your life on the foundation that will not only help you, but will help those who depend on you. Learn to depend on God, he will enable you to be dependable.

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.

Jesus Christ.

I remember something I was taught when I was young “Actions speak louder than words.” You know the type, they shoot their mouth off, talk the big talk, they try to win the race before they get out on the track. But you know as well as I do, it is what you do on the track that matters. It is not where you start, but where you finish that counts. How have you been finishing lately?

Before we get started there are a couple of things we need to learn about how we live; first, it doesn’t matter where we come from we can act in a way that honors God. Second, all the talk in the world doesn’t mean anything until you get up and do something. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. We show people we care by our actions.

Every one of us knows both types of people, some are all talk and some don’t talk, they help. Who do you call when you need help? Do you call the talker or do you call the doer? You call the doer because they will help, not just lecture you. Listen to what James says.

James 2:14-26, NLT; What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?  Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

It is not enough to claim to have faith, we have to live it. We need to act in such a way that shows others that we depend on God. When we are faced with a situation that challenges us beyond our abilities, who do we turn to? We should turn to God. James speaks of Abraham and his willingness to trust God and do what God commanded him to do.

How about us? When we need to make decisions or choices, whose advice do we follow? Do we try to figure it out for ourselves? Do we trust someone else? On the other hand, do we turn to God and ask for His direction? God has the right direction for us, but it will require two things. Following God requires that we rely on His power and not ours. It also requires that we do something that only God can enable us to do.

James talks about showing people who we place our faith in. He tells us that just saying we have faith is not enough, we have to do something. There are many who have the right words to say, but it is those who show up to help at 2:00 in the morning that are real friends. Jesus taught us that we need to lay down our life for our friends. Are we willing to step up to the plate and demonstrate how much we care for others? 

Paul agrees with James; God provided salvation so that we can do the good things He prepared for us. We need to put our faith in God through Jesus and look to Him for guidance and direction, stepping out on faith and doing the good things of God.

Ephesians 2:8-10; NLT; God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

On a race team we need everyone to pitch in and help. We count on team members being willing to sacrifice their time for the good of the team. The success of the team is dependent on the number of team members willing to give their time and talents for the good of the team.

Now what about our life? God has a “to do” list for each of us, good works that He prepared for us. When we do them blessings will follow, for us and others. When we put our trust and faith in God and follow his direction the result is others our blessed by our actions. Acts of faith have eternal results.

Are we willing to reach out and help others? Are we willing to set our wants and desires aside and put others first? The next characteristic of faith is action. When we act as if God will provide what we need we are free to give what we have to others. We show the faith we have by living without the fear of losing what we consider valuable. We have confidence that whatever we give God will replace. We act with a trust and faith that God is able to provide for us no matter what we give away.

The next step in our walk of faith is learning how to give beyond what we think we can. We demonstrate our faith by our actions. Only then do we begin to see God provide for us. We cannot outgive God. Try to practice a faith that acts like God can and will provide for your needs. Faith proves itself by action.

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 a pastor I begin the Easter Morning service by offering the children the best Easter egg they have ever seen. Each one received the plastic egg with the instructions not to open it until the end of the service. They held on to them with the assurance that what was inside was going to be great. At the end of the service each one would open their egg and find them empty. They would ask me “what is so great about an empty egg?” I would then help them to understand the meaning of empty.

In racing, empty has its own meaning, it means nothing. When you go out, run the race and come up empty it means you didn’t win anything. When you hear the word you think that something is wrong or missing. That is not the same with Christ; empty means hope, salvation, and victory over death.

Let’s explore that a little. A few things had to happen to make Easter possible. First Jesus had to come to Earth in the form of a man. Scripture puts it this way;

Philippians 2:6-8 (Jesus) who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Before Jesus could come to Earth he had to set some of His privileges of being God aside. He had to empty himself out. Think of it like going to prison. I hope none of you have experienced this, but if you have you know what I am speaking of. You have to remove everything and surrender everything to the guards. They give you new clothes to wear and hold on to your personal belongings until you are set free again.

It was the same for Jesus; He imprisoned Himself in the form of a human and set aside His attributes as God for our sake. He became a slave for us. He didn’t demand his rights as the Son of God; He set those rights aside so that we could be free. He emptied himself.

Have we emptied ourself for someone else? Do we understand what that means? When was the last time it didn’t matter what we wanted but it mattered what someone else needed more? When was the last time we let something go and didn’t demand our rights or to be treated fairly?

Do you know why some drivers are so well liked? They are appreciative of the chance they have been given. They don’t think they deserved it but are glad to have the opportunity. They are willing to do whatever it takes to honor those who gave it to them. We like that about them.

Jesus emptied himself out so that we would have the opportunity to be free from the bondage of sin. He gave us the right to be called children of God. He came, gave His life and rose from the dead, victorious over death so that we could be free.

 How free are we today? Do we have freedom in Christ? He made it available for us.

To come to Earth, Jesus had to empty Himself, to return to heaven, He had to empty the tomb. Do you know what separates Christianity from every other religion? An empty tomb. Other religions point to a founder whose grave and remains can be located and identified. We know where Christ was laid to rest but the place is still empty. He is alive. He has victory over death. He offers the same to us.

Death could not hold Christ and it should not hold us. One of our biggest fears in life is death. We know the odds, 100% of us will die. Why then, if it is a foregone conclusion, does it make us so fearful? I think it is fear of the unknown. We fear what we don’t know and try desperately to hold onto what we do know; regardless of it is the best for us or not.

Christ went to the grave and overcame death so that our fear could be removed. He put it this way;

John 14:1-4 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus prepares a place for us beyond death. A place that is better than the one we know, a place in heaven. Think of it this way, God created everything we have here. Look at all we have done to spoil it. How much better will heaven be if it is unspoiled? I can’t wait. There is work to be done before we get there though.

Do you remember the children holding the eggs? Now open them and what do you find? They are empty, yet they are full. They are full of life, full of hope, full of peace and full of love. In their emptiness we find everything we need to know God. Jesus emptied Himself for you and me. He conquered death for you and me. He is waiting for our response.

How will we respond this Easter? Will we empty ourselves, move beyond our wants and desires? Will we accept the offer Christ makes and fill ourselves with His Spirit? Will we be the ones to go and bring the message of the empty tomb to others; the message of Hope, Peace and Love? 

Christ emptied Himself for us, now we need to empty ourselves for Him. 

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

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.

Welcome back to our Winter Bible Study. This week we see how being faithful influences those around us. We are looking at Galatians 5:19-23and have focused on the last part of verse 22 and 23, one word at a time. 

Galatians 5:22-23; But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

We started with Love; God’s love for us, not our love for Him. He initiated it by removing the obstacles that we put in the way of our relationship with Him. That results in joy and peace, conditions of our heart, something we know inside that shows through our actions and words. That should help us to be patient, kind, and good. We can extend patience and kindness without necessarily guiding people to what is right or wrong. When we add goodness to that we have a responsibility to do what is right in God’s eyes. 

That is not always easy because we rest on forgiveness as a crutch to live the way we choose and seek forgiveness later. That is where faith comes in. Faith is what we demonstrate when we do what is right in God’s eyes despite what we see, hear from others or desire to do. Faithfulness puts our trust in God and His plan. It challenges us to accept His authority and allow Him to guide us regardless of what we see or want.

Racing has its share of people striving to get to the top at the expense of others. It is commonplace today to hear; “I did what I had to do.” Or “I made my own luck.” We think the decision is in our hands and we have the authority to decide what should happen. The reality is we do not think about the other person.

There was an example in the ARCA race down at Daytona. Each team works hard to prepare for the race, looking for the chance to run the race. They interviewed the driver as he came out of the care center and the frustration was on his face. “Lap six!” he exclaimed. “My team and I worked hard for four years to get this car ready and earn our starting spot only to have someone drive through you on lap six and put you in the fence.” “I am extremely frustrated right now.”

Teams put their faith in the others drivers to race in a way that respects the effort they invested in getting there. That does not always happen. Especially now in the era of rent a ride. We learn who can be trusted and who cannot by how they race. It is said about Daytona that we look for trusted dance partners. Can I put my faith in you not to do something that would end my race?

The world around us is built on faith in one’s self, an idea that we control our own destiny and if we try hard enough, work hard enough, and push hard enough we will succeed. That is not the truth. Oh, we may be considered successful by worldly standards but at what cost? How many people did we push out of the way, step on, climb over to attain that success? How many situations did we manipulate for our benefit at the expense of someone else to advance. How many people did we disrespect to attain what we wanted?

The interesting thing about faith is when we display it we enable others to have it. Faith is encouraging, supportive, and provides hope. Our faith can make a difference in how others decide to choose. The converse is true also; our lack of faith can lead others to make decisions that are not beneficial for them.

When we express faithfulness it benefits someone else. We must understand that we are being faithful to set an example for someone else to see and be encouraged. Our faithfulness is meant to give others hope. 

That does not mean being faithful is easy or without sacrifice. Being faithful many times means you do not get to do things your way. It means we must consider the needs of others above ourselves. It means that what we want is secondary to what someone else needs. 

There is a chapter of Scripture that is referred to the Faith Hall of Fame; Hebrews 11. In that chapter we find examples of people who trusted God, acted on faith, and watched God do miraculous things. You may know some of the names; Noah, Joseph, David, Moses, and the list goes on.

Hebrews 11:1-2; NLT; Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.

Hebrews 12:1; NLT; Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Without faithfulness to follow God and His direction examples will not exist to encourage support and give hope to others. If we choose not to be faithful the consequences affect more than just our lives. Our lack of faith will adversely change the direction of the lives around us. 

Faithfulness gives hope, encourages, and supports. Faithfulness comes alongside and holds others up. Faithfulness gets you and others through difficult trials and tribulations. Faithfulness makes all the difference in the lives of those around us. God is faithful.

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

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 first step in the giving process is recognizing those who have given to us. We are not always aware of what is done on our behalf. We can get so focused on getting somewhere or accomplishing something that we forget that we cannot do it on our own. 

Local and regional racing is one of the sports that depends on volunteers for a good part of the work that goes into getting a car ready to race. Everyone connected with racing knows what it is like to give up sleep to work on the car. We are all familiar with seeing the inside of the garage more than the inside of our living room. We willfully give of ourselves to go racing.

Thanksgiving gives us a time to reflect on that. Who are we thankful for? Go to them and let them know that their sacrifice for you was appreciated. How much sweeter is the victory when it is celebrated with those who have given so much?

Life is full of people who give of themselves for the benefit of others. We can forget that. I am certain that if we took a little time and gave it some thought we would come to the realization that there are many people around us that give generously. As we remember that, let it be a catalyst for us to be more giving.

Life is about give and take; the reality of life is it can seem that there are more takers than givers. Takers wear us out. I’ve heard some say; “There is only so much I can give.” Balance comes to mind, there is a need to balance the give and take in our lives. Spend some time to evaluate, do I give as much as I take? You might want to consider adjusting the balance. Giving is more rewarding and fulfilling than taking.

Taking always comes with a burden. It might not seem to bother some at the moment, but as the scale gets unbalanced the weight of taking too much shows up and we feel the burden. Maturity is about balance and learning how to give back is one of the most beneficial endeavors we can engage in.

Our attitude makes a difference. Giving because we have to doesn’t count. Remember when you were growing up and you were told to share? We didn’t want to share. We wanted everything for ourselves. Even if we couldn’t play with all our toys, we didn’t want anyone else playing with them either.

Luke 12:15-20; NLT; Then he (Jesus) said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’

Part of learning the most satisfying way to live is when we figure out sharing isn’t a bad thing, it is actually good for us. Enjoying what we have with those around us is a tremendous blessing. Not only for us but for them also. Some of your greatest memories are times spent with others, enjoying the fruits of your labors. I don’t know of too many celebrations and memories that took place alone. We have a desire built in us to share and we need to engage that. Life becomes better, more meaningful when shared.

We can fall into the trap of thinking we will not have what we need. We reason in our mind that we need to take care of ourselves first and then we can consider the needs of others. God promises in His Word that he will supply what we need. We first need to trust and believe God.

Matthew 6:31-33; NLT; “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

God encourages us to be generous and to plan and harvest with the spirit of giving. We should not only think of our own needs but the needs of others and how we can be a blessing to others by sharing what we have.

Philippians 2:3-4; NLT: Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Jesus came and gave his life so that we could have life. He encourages us to trust that he will provide all that we need. He challenges us to test him on that and develop a life that gives to others as they have need, not holding back. When we refuse to give, we burden ourselves with a selfish spirit. That doesn’t lead to a satisfying and fulfilling life.

2 Corinthians 9;6-8:NLT; Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.

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.

            God is King.  Ever since He spoke the universe into existence, He has been on the throne.  He commanded the stars, seas, heavens, and waters.   God’s creation was perfect.  He created man and gave us the task of ruling over his earthly kingdom.  Not long after that, Adam and Eve decided they wanted more control and wanted to be King.  God already had a plan to deal with sin.  He knew he would send His son.  Sent in a humble way, but sent as a King. 

            Even before Jesus’ humble beginnings, others saw God as King.  David, a king himself, often made references to God as King in his Psalms.

Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. Psalm 93:2 NKJV

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.  Psalm 45:6 NKVJ

God’s reign is forever.  Our elected officials will all pass on.  Some will leave a small mark in history, but none can compare to the true King.  He was at the beginning, and he will be for as long as we’re here on earth and then beyond into eternity. 

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6–7 (NKJV)

            So how are we preparing to celebrate the birth of the King?  Hours and days flash by us without thought, and turning our hearts to God can become secondary.  That was true thousands of years ago and still is true now.  Prepare for Him!

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

“Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make straight in the desert

A highway for our God.

Isaiah 40:3 (NKJV)

          Are we right with God?  Not just for Christmas, but for eternity.  The last two years have shown us with fervor that our time here on earth is short.  This season, we have an opportunity to allow a new King to have control in our lives.  When the wise men heard of Jesus’ birth, they immediately recognized the new King. 

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1–2 (NKJV)

What was their first response? Worship! When they understood who had come and his purpose, their response was appropriate.

So why?  Why was the King sent to earth?  While the cross shows us salvation, Jesus’ message to us during his short time here on earth was clear: The Kingdom of Heaven is here. 

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying,  “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14–15 (NKJV)

            This gospel or poorly translated into English as “good news.” Is that God’s Kingdom is here on earth, and we’re invited to be a part of it.   This isn’t good news; this is GREAT NEWS.  The new King is in charge.  We have victory.  We have freedom.  Freedom from being a slave to sin.  Freedom from addiction.  Freedom in Christ. 

Think about the gift that God has given you this Christmas. Celebrating the holidays without the ones we have lost can be difficult, but God has given us a gift so wonderful and so amazing. He is comforter, counselor, mighty King. With all of our shortcomings, all of our flaws, he still gives us the most amazing gift. 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.