We always look back at the races and events we experience with a filter. Many times we remember the good times, they become bigger than life. Yes, we remember the disappointments, but soon they are replaced with the memories of better results, better days, and those victories we achieved along the way.

Autumn is a time where we can enjoy the harvest, sit back and reflect on the race we have run. Paul wrote to Timothy in the autumn of his years;

2Timothy 4:7; I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 

What does it mean to fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith? Those answers are different for all of us. Each one of us has been uniquely created by God. Each one of us has a unique path to walk, prepared by God. Each one of us has unique challenges to overcome with victory.

Look around at the splendor of God’s creation. I have seen over sixty autumns in my years and not one has been the same, each one is unique. Not only for the timing and the changing of the landscape, but each autumn I look back on a different race I have run.

No two races are the same. No race can be predicted before it is run. We have seen many surprising results. Even when we watch a winner cross the finish line that doesn’t mean the race is over. Results change, lives change and until the seasons change we cannot look back and count the race won.

God has an order to things in this world and he reveals that to us if we take the time to look. Paul shared with us the order of things, battles to fight, races to finish, faith to keep.

When we hit the racetrack we are there to run the race but in that, there are many fights to face. First is the setup, practice and getting that right. Then there is qualifying. Then there is the race and the battles that take place as you move to the front. Do we face those fights with the right perspective? Do we look at each battle as one to be won the right way, the way that would please God?

Did we finish the race? How many races have we failed to finish? For whatever reason we drop out, we don’t have the perseverance to finish. That may be because we didn’t fight the battle in the right way. We may have kept ourselves from finishing because of the way we fought the fight.

I have seen many a contender take himself out of the race by trying to get even with another competitor. Fighting a good fight is important, finishing the race the right way is imperative. We cannot finish the right way if we do not run in such a way as to win. Are we looking toward finishing or just fighting the battle? 

I have seen many that have won the battle and lost the war. God asked us to look at the big picture. He asks us to let the little things go and focus on finishing the race in a way that honors Him. That means keeping the faith. 

Therein lies the key, keep the faith. Paul explains that in every battle, in every race there is one overarching goal, keep the faith. Faith in God, not faith in our own abilities. We will not win every race, but each race will have an end, it will finish. We can finish every race with victory if our focus is on God. 

We will not win every battle, but we can fight the good fight. In the end we need to maintain our faith in God and know that He is the one that determines if our efforts are honorable. He determines if we are worthy of the prize.

Knowing that God has a master plan that will lead us to the most abundant life is something to have faith in. Even when we don’t understand what is happening at the moment, we need to trust that God does and has our best interest in mind. Sometimes losing the race is better for us than winning. Win or lose we can always fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith.

Romans 8:28; And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

As autumn rolls in, where do we find ourselves? Can we look back on the season past and say we have fought the good fight? Can we say we have finished the race? Have we kept the faith? 

Seasons change and the next season will be here soon enough and the challenges of this season will soon be but a memory. What will be said of us? What will be said of our efforts? Who will people say we served, ourselves or God?

Let me encourage you, there is time to take your life in a different direction. If you look back and you don’t see actions and words that honor God he will forgive you. He has made a provision for that through Jesus Christ. Make a commitment now to receive that forgiveness and move forward in a way that will show your faith in God.

As we prepare for the next race? We can take the right steps to get ready to fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith. We can do it all to the glory and honor of God.

Romans 8b-10; NLT; And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

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 the last installment of our Winter Bible Study. This week we see the ultimate goal of what we have been discussing, self-control. When we put it all together we realize that self-control is a very good character trait to possess, we are truly Christ-like. We have been looking at Galatians 5:19-23 and 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 have developed several resources that will help us be in control of ourselves; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. Possessing those character traits will lead us to a self-controlled lifestyle.  Self-control implies that we have different trains of thought running around in our heads and we have developed the awareness to select the one that is best for those around us. The one that will build the strongest and longest lasting relationships.

We don’t have to look far to see what self-control, or lack thereof, looks like at the track. Truth be told, that is why we are there, to help others display self-control and when they don’t, to help sort things out and get back to racing. When our passion and desires overflow, we get caught up in the moment and we lose sight of what really matters. Just this past weekend I saw some of that overflow take place at Florence Motor Speedway. It happens and we are there to help reestablish control and calm things down. It is said we are there to help people keep their heads on straight.

Sometimes we understand our difficulty with self-control and take steps to minimize that inability to keep ourselves from getting in serious trouble. Thompson Speedway’s 5/8-mile oval has seen its share of overflowing emotions. Several stories come to mind, but one displays the understanding of the inability to keep their emotions under check.

There was a Sunoco Modified team that every time they rolled their pit cart into the infield they traveled all the way down to the far end of pit road leaving a large gap between them and the next pit crew. Now that took some effort. The far end of pit road was usually for the cars that ran in the back of the field, but this was a championship team and contended for victories every time they were on the track. I had to ask why.

The crew chief rubbed his chin and with a sparkle in his eye he said it is for two reasons. First, if someone wants to “discuss” something face to face we will see them coming. Second, by the time they get there they will be so tired that they won’t be able to physically get their point across.

Those are wise words to follow when you are struggling with self-control. Make sure there is a buffer between us and those who might be the victim of our inability to control ourselves. I am not saying this is an excuse not to develop self-control, but it is a good technique to have in place while we learn. We are not there yet and we need to be honest with ourselves, understanding who we are and how we can work on developing the character of God.

We begin the learning process when we identify where we are lacking. No matter what the character trait is, when we realize our lack of it we begin the journey to attain it. That is the second word Jesus used to describe His way, humble. Self-control shows an understanding of humility. Humility helps us realize that we all fall short of the goal and need to learn things.

In the same way being gentle reveals our shortcomings, humility does the same. Being humble implies that we understand the magnitude of the transition. Being humble means we understand the road ahead is long. Being humble shows an understanding of failure, mistakes, and shortcomings. Being humble means we know the forgiveness of our Lord and Savior. Being humble reveals we know the presence of God in our lives.

Matthew 11:28-30; NLT; Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Self-control requires everything we talked about over the last several weeks. It is the culmination of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness. Self-control means our first thought isn’t about us, it is about the other person. It is a conscious decision to let their situation control our response. It is the most challenging thing we can engage in. Why? Because many times displaying self-control means you have to sacrifice. When we are willing to sacrifice our own wants, desires, needs and opinions, we have done well to imitate Christ.

Philippians 2:5-8; NLT; 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

6 Though he was God,

    he did not think of equality with God

    as something to cling to.

7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

    he took the humble position of a slave

    and was born as a human being.

When he appeared in human form,

8     he humbled himself in obedience to God

    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

More than anything else, self-control demonstrates a willingness to put ourselves aside and serve others, letting others dictate to us and follow along displaying the fruits of the Spirit. When we become proficient at that, people will see a servant’s heart, the same heart our Lord and Savior has. They will see Jesus in us.

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.

During some downtime at a recent race, I noticed the wheel tethers on an asphalt modified. Now wheel tethers aren’t new in racing. Over the last twenty years, they’ve probably done a lot more than we will ever realize. They came to be a big part of American racing in the late 1990s and early 2000s after being adapted from Formula 1 following the death of Ayrton Senna. The design is relatively simple but crucial in making the tire and wheel remain part of the race car rather than a 200lb, 130mph projectile. If a tether breaks, the wheel becomes dangerous. Our own lives are similar in our connection with God. In His word, God has painted many similar pictures using a vine. The theme of a vine and being part of the vine runs throughout the Bible.

Jesus spoke to his disciples regarding the vine in John 15:1-8; ESV;

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Looking at the context of this passage is important. The Gospel of John was first written in Greek, and the Greek word for prunes also means “cleans.” God cleanses us through the blood of Jesus and shapes us through Him to bring Him glory through our works. When Jesus was talking about the vine, the audience knew that in the spring, the caretaker would prune the vine. In the fall, he cut the branches that didn’t produce fruit. Pruning helps things grow, and growing produces fruit.

What happens to branches that get broken or cut off from the main vine? They die. They stop producing fruit and become useless. Much like when we disconnect from God, our lives don’t have the fulfillment that they should. There will be an emptiness inside us regardless of how much worldly “success” we may accomplish.

John 15 isn’t the only vine reference in the Bible. Psalm 80 has one, and it’s the psalmist pleading with God to restore the vine (that is Israel) to the splendor of its past.

Psalm 80:14 ESV; “Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,”

A few verses later, there is a reference to the coming Christ.

Psalm 80:17-18 ESV; “But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!”

Looking back at John 15:1, we see Jesus had referred to himself as the “true vine.” Both of these passages recognize that Christ is our connection, and the only way to God.

The Old Testament gives us some examples of what happens when we are disconnected. The prophet Isaiah gives a warning to Israel and its leaders that they are disconnected from God.

Isaiah 5:1-7 ESV; “Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!”

Later in chapter 27, Isaiah writes that God will leave a remnant of the vine a shoot that will produce good fruit, which will be “the full fruit of the removal of his sin” in verse 9. This fruit is the true vine: Jesus.

Other Old Testament prophets also used the vine as a symbol. When we look at the continuous repetition of this (or of any repeating theme in the Bible), we need to pay attention. The vine is mentioned in Jeremiah in both chapters 2 and 12. In Micah, in chapter 7. Ezekiel 17 and 19 show first the fruit when connected and then the fire when we are not. Even back in Genesis, Joseph is referred to as a fruitful vine.

Just a few weeks after first noticing tethers, I was at a race when a car impacted the wall, which broke the tethers, and separated the wheel from the car. Fortunately, the wheel coming off didn’t injure anyone, but the officials took a hard look at what caused it to fail. This information will be used to make things better.

We need to look at and examine the fruit we produce in our lives. Is it good? Are we doing things that bring honor to God? If not, we need to look back and see if we are still connected to the true vine. Like the officials, we have to see what went wrong and go back and fix the problem. The wonderful thing is we have a God full of mercy and wants us to return to Him. He wants to prune us and shape us into something that bears good fruit. 

Thank you, Todd, for your inspiring words. What are we connected to? That will go a long way at indicating the fruit we bear. 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.