Jesus Replied; Mark 12:30; NLT; “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.”

Some in racing say they trust God but are only looking for results, a good luck charm. They want God to deliver them a victory. God provides what is beneficial to us, not what we think we want. I know drivers that follow Christ. They understand that some race days deliver victory and other race days deliver DNF’s. That doesn’t shake their trust. The same God is in charge of both results.

When we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength that means we trust the result to him. Let’s unpack that a little; Heart: your desires, emotions, and innermost being; Soul: your life, will, and spirit; Mind: your intellect, thoughts, and reasoning; and Strength: your energy, time, and resources. Loving, devoting, engaging and acting in ways that indicate we trust God with everything.

Then the results belong to God, not us. We learn to look at things through a different lens. We look at things through the will of our Lord. We look with eyes focused on eternal things, not the temporary things of this earth.

We all face the challenge of dealing with the results of efforts. Not everything goes the way we think it should go. One reason is we don’t know what the future holds. Oh, we try to predict it and prepare for it, but until the race is run the results cannot be determined. Disappointment is part of the deal, but there is always another race to run. How we learn and handle these times reveals who we ultimately trust with our lives.

Psalm 20:7-9; Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

Lord, give victory to the king!

Answer us when we call!

The words of David remind us that putting our trust in things, possessions and created things will bring us to our knees in failure. Those that trust in the Lord God will rise up and stand firm. Who or what have we put our trust and faith in? 

Remember that putting your trust in God should not depend on what’s going on around us. What is happening around us should not determine where we place our trust. We should place our trust in God, without doubt, without wavering. Then when the dust settles, we will be able to stand.

A man was out jogging one day. As he passed a cliff, he got too close and fell. Grabbing hold of a branch he was stranded. No way up and certainly no way down. He began to scream, “Help, help, is there anyone up there who can hear me?” He yelled for hours and was about to give up when he heard a voice. “Can you hear me?” 

“Yes, Yes, I can hear you.”

“I’m down here.” 

“I can see you, are you alright?” 

“Yes, but …who are you and where are you?”

“I am the Lord, and I am everywhere.” 

“The Lord? You mean God?” 

“That’s me.” 

“God, help me, I promise that if you get me down from here, I’ll stop sinning. I’ll be a really good person and serve you for the rest of my life.” 

“Easy on the promises. First let’s get you down, then we can discuss those.” 

“I’ll do anything, Lord, just tell me what to do, okay?” 

“Okay, just let go of the branch.” 

“What?” 

“I said, let go of the branch, just trust me, let go.” Then there is a pause. 

“Help, help, is there anybody else up there?”

Putting our trust in God is harder when we think we know what the outcome should be. The jogger knew about gravity and the fact that if he let go, he would fall. He didn’t trust God enough to catch him. We think we know, when in fact we don’t. Let go, give the Lord control and follow His direction. 

Proverbs 3:5-6: NLT; Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

Here are three ways that will help us trust God more. 

1 – We need to be confident in God’s care. 

2 – We need to be committed to God’s purpose. 

3- We need to be controlled by God’s will. If we do these things, we are putting our complete trust in God, and things will be more beneficial for us than if we decided to do things ourselves. God has plans for each one of us and when we place our trust in Him, He begins to reveal that to us. 

It doesn’t mean things are always going to go our way. It doesn’t mean we are going to get everything we want. It does mean that we trust God’s understanding over our own about what is best for our lives. Try it and see what happens. 

Psalm 20:7; NIV; Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

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

Are we truly independent? If we take a look at history and the Declaration of Independence we see a group of people that banded together and relied on each other for the strength to declare their independence from British rule. Without the support of each other they would not have been able to achieve success. They were willing to lay down their lives to secure that freedom. Look at the signatures on the bottom of the Declaration of Independence, representatives from each colony.

We sometimes confuse the meaning of the term independence. What does it take to be truly independent? You must divorce yourself from everyone and everything. In society we have a term for that type of person, a loner. God didn’t create us to be that way, he created us to be dependent on each other.

Look at a race team. How many of us could race without a team? There isn’t one of us who could, after all we would at least need a gopher. Take an inventory, look around the shop and the pit area and 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, friends, and others. In the absence of companionship, we go out and look for some. We spend a large part of our time searching for people to be with. Look at all the social clubs and groups that we organize to be together. 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. Paul writes;

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 come together we can help each other 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 we spend our time with. Do we add or subtract from those relationships? Are people better for knowing us or do they run the other way when they see us coming? Do people seek us out when they need help or support in their lives? 

Jesus lived a life as an example for us. People sought Him out because they saw how His presence affected others and concluded that 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 provided for them both spiritually and physically, their lives were changed.

We need to ask ourselves, do people see Jesus in us? The answer lies in if they 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 the presence and influence of 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’s.

That is a great goal, but most times we fall short. We give in to our selfish desires and put the concerns of others secondary to what we want. The influence and prompting of the world around us is to take care of yourself first. To break free from that we need to be accountable. Who are we accountable to? 

We need to find ourselves a faithful friend, one we can trust. One who cares enough about us to tell us the truth. With such a friend we can improve our 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 in 4:9-10,12 tells us “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.

Our ability to live a life that brings Glory to God is dependent on those we surround ourselves with. With the right influence and associations, we have the opportunity to make a difference that matters.Build your life on the foundation that will not only help you, but will help those who depend on you, start with Jesus. It is good to live life with someone alongside, someone we can depend on. It is the basis on which strong fulfilling lives are built. 

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.

Tech inspection exists for the purpose of making sure the seen and unseen components conform to the rules. The necessity of having to check gives us an indication of our human nature. Some think if no one catches you it is not cheating. Many sayings come to mind that relate to creative rule interpretation. We use these to help us rationalize bending the rules. 

“We get paid to cheat and they get paid to catch us”

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

“No one will ever know”

“Everyone’s doing it.”

At times, we rationalize doing something based on the risk of being caught. Is the reward worth it if you received it by doing something illegal, immoral or deceitful? Some would say yes, win at all cost. Some would say yes, as long as no one was hurt. God’s word says, no.

We bend the rules in our favor. We try to have everything work out to our benefit. We spend time trying to figure out how we can get the upper hand and not get caught. We tend to be self-centered and do everything in our power to achieve the best outcome for ourselves.

I have been known to golf a little bit. Golf is a very interesting sport. There are no officials out there checking to see if you are following the rules. You and You alone are responsible for enforcing the rules on yourself. Call your own penalties. That’s when it gets interesting. How many of us are ready to turn ourselves in for something that violates the rules? They say someone’s true character shows when you watch them play golf, will they cheat themselves or will they hold up the integrity of the rules. What does it matter, it’s only a game right?

In Luke’s gospel he tells us that the blessings we receive from God are contingent on how we handle the things of this world.  Do we handle them with the moral character that will honor God? Do we view these resources as someone else’s not to be squandered? 

Luke 16:10-13; “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

God doesn’t need tech inspection. He knows all that we do, seen and unseen. He knows the secrets that hide in each one of our closets. We cannot hide them from Him. God honors those that honor Him in all they do. It comes down to a choice. Who will we serve? 

If we choose to make decisions that honor God, we remove the necessity to cover things up; things that are done with the wrong motives. When we serve God and are trustworthy many more opportunities open up for us to have a positive effect on other people. Nothing is hidden underneath, people see us for who we truly are, the Lord’s servants.

Matthew 7:15-20; NLT; “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.  So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

We cannot fool anyone, sooner or later our motives will bear themselves out. We will have a positive or negative influence on our surroundings. What is underneath will be uncovered and our true nature will be revealed. It is not possible to be self-serving and please God.

The challenge for each of us is consistency, are we who we say we are? Do we do things that are consistent with the commitments we make? Can others take us at our word and trust that we are telling the truth? This is where our motives are revealed, when we look underneath the surface. How many people do we reveal our true selves to?

We love to sit on the fence. We evaluate a situation and choose which side of the fence we want to jump down on and live accordingly. God says there are no fence sitters. Our decisions and lives either please Him or they don’t.

I would like to encourage us to live with integrity in all our ways, seen or unseen. We should not need to explain our motives; they should be plain to see. We shouldn’t live our lives always looking over our shoulder wondering if anyone is watching. It is difficult to move forward if we are always looking around to see who’s watching. In all we do we should not be ashamed if what is underneath is exposed for all to see. Only when we live a life that honors God will His presence be revealed. 

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.

Making our racecar go faster is the goal of every race team that ever existed. Figuring out whatever needs to be changed, adjusted, rebuilt, or improved; no stone goes unturned to find that elusive speed. The fact remains though if the car isn’t moving, you have no idea if the changes worked.

I was talking with a racer the other day. I asked how he did in a recent race. I was met with rolling eyes. The story began; I called my friend over and we put a brand-new setup in the car, everything was great, until I tried to drive it. It was evil! I couldn’t turn it. We brought it in, thrashed on it, adjusted what we could, but it still wasn’t turning. I ended up having to muscle it through the turns and it wore me out.

As I shared a few weeks ago the Will Rogers statement (Rev. Don paraphrase); Even if you are on the right road, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. Much like not being able to figure out the right recipe for speed without running the car on the track, God cannot guide us if we just sit there. We must be a moving, living, as we go, member of the family.

The question comes to mind; where do we go? That’s not as important. We think we will sit here and wait for God to guide us. We can sit here all day and wait; they are not coming. We need to go to them, meet them where they are, touch their lives with the love of God and invite them to join us. Before we know the direction, we must move! Somewhere, Sometime, Some place.

It isn’t as haphazard as that sounds. We all have plans, places we go, things we do. The key is to open our eyes along the journey and pay attention to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. God will change our course and direct us to the things He has prepared for us to do.

To hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit we have to know God, know His character and recognize the way He does things. 

Think of a shop helper. You are under the car on your back and you need a ½ flare wrench to tighten a brass fitting. Who will be more help? Obviously, someone who knows the type of wrench you’re looking for. It is easier to guide someone, when the person you are trying to move has some understanding of the job to be done.

God invites us alongside to watch Him and be a part of His Plan. The challenge is we have to know him to be useful to Him. Not that God wants to use us, but He wants us to be a part of what He is doing. God wants us to be a part of His Blessings. We are able to do that when we allow God to transform us into His image, we become useful to God. Think of the kid that hangs around the shop to help, learns how things work, how things fit together. One day he will be able to build his own car. He knows because he was transformed into a racer.

Are we useful to God? Why does it matter? If we are not then we will not see and experience the blessings He has prepared for us!

Acts 9:32-34; NLT; As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. 34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

As he traveled and went to visit, Peter was prompted to heal Aeneas. He could have just passed by reasoning he didn’t have the time to be bothered. He could have been so focused on his destination that he didn’t even notice. He could have reasoned that he didn’t deserve it. He could have doubted his faith in God and not risked failing. He could have reasoned he was paralyzed because he made a decision that wasn’t too smart. 

But, that’s not what God wanted him to do.

Peter knew because the Holy Spirit told him to go over and heal that man in Jesus’ name. Peter was obedient and did so. God healed Aeneas and those who lived there saw this and turned to God.

How much faith did this take for Peter to do this? How much hope did he have in God? How much confidence that God will hear and heal? Peter had it! But where did he get it from? Sitting still? No, first by following Jesus, learning, failing, being forgiven and restored. Then by going and letting God guide him along the right path.

David wrote in Psalm 23:3b something we need to understand about God’s guidance;

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

God wants to move us! Move us into places and to people that need to know the grace, forgiveness and love that He offers. God wants to heal us physically, mentally and spiritually. He wants us to be useful to Him for the purpose of sharing His blessings with us and others. 

When we move, we strengthen our faith, we trust God’s promise. Only then can people be healed. Only then can their lives have HOPE! It only happens when we go. Our faith only grows when we go. People’s lives are only changed when we go.

Where is God moving you? Where is God wanting you to go? Take some time and pray specifically for God’s direction. Know this; He has a plan that will involve doing something, somewhere at sometime! His plan will involve you putting greater trust and faith in Him then you have in the past. His plan will not only change your life, but the lives of those you meet along the road to where God is leading!

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.

“Hurry up and wait.” It’s an expression I often hear at the track.  Hurry to get to the track and register, then wait in line. Hurry to get unloaded and prep the car, then wait to get out on track.  Hurry up to prep for qualifying or heats, then wait through 5 caution flags in the heat before yours. It’s an endless cycle, so it seems, one that can test even the most patient person.

When we look at scriptures, God often doesn’t move quickly. One of the first examples is in Genesis. God told Noah to build the Ark. Noah spent somewhere around 60 to 100 years making it, but when it was done, God sent the rain. God knew the timing of everything, and it was all perfectly orchestrated to preserve His creation.

When God’s timing doesn’t align with ours, we sometimes try and force the issue.  Even Abraham did it.  First, there was a promise from God

“And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:5-6 ESV

God promised Abraham he’d have so many descendants that you couldn’t even count them.  Sounds excellent, except Abraham and his wife were around 99 years old.  Well, ten years went by and no children, so Abraham took his wife’s servant and had a child with her.  The problem is that wasn’t what God said.  About another 14 years passed before his wife bore Isaac. So when we have trouble waiting 25 minutes for the heat races to finish, Abraham waited 25 years for God to fulfill his promise. 

Timing at the track dictates the flow of the day.  In some cases, practice times dictate what heat you’re in or when you qualify.  It shows where you stand with the rest of the field.  Teams rely on this to determine what they need to do to be faster.   God doesn’t wonder what everyone else is going to do.  First, he knows.  Second, he already has the best plan.  God has information we don’t.  He knows what is best, and it’s why we should trust Him.

When we decide to trust God in situations in our lives, it may mean we have to wait.  Waiting isn’t a “no” from God; it’s a “not yet.” The people of Israel knew all about waiting.  God had promised them a land of their own. “The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:40-41 ESV

430 years!! Oh wait, then the people got cranky, and God had them wander around the desert for another 40. The timing was perfect.  God led them into the promised land, and they quickly defeated 31 opposing kings. 

Four hundred seventy years is kind of short when you consider the writing of Isaiah and the foretelling of the birth of our savior. 

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:14 ESV This was almost 800 years before Jesus was born! 

There are some things in life that we may not understand God’s timing. One of those for me was 16 years ago and the passing of my father. My father had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer at almost the same time my wife and I found out we were expecting our first child. Just seven days before my wife was due, my father went to be with Jesus. Eight days after his passing, my son was born. They were a dark eight days wondering why God didn’t give my father an extra couple of weeks to meet his grandson. However, God did do something extraordinary. Through my son and my father’s death, He revealed how deep and amazing his love is. I instantly loved my newborn son so much. It gave me an appreciation of how much my dad loved me. Even more so, it gave me just a tiny glimpse of how big God’s love for us is. It was at that moment I realized the timing didn’t matter. It was the message God had for me that was important.

Trust in God’s perfect plan and timing. Remember: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. How long did God wait for you to come to him? We certainly didn’t deserve that patience, but He waited anyway.

When we look and trust that God has control over all things, the timing of when he moves becomes secondary. Trust in the Word and trust that the timing you want may not be the timing you need. 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.

Understanding what God does and doesn’t do is something that is beyond our comprehension. We are not all-knowing. What we can do, though, is search His Word and trust that what he says is true. God doesn’t promise us that we won’t have hard times. He does tell us what we can do during those times. Look carefully at the words in Isaiah 43:2

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

Isaiah 43:2 ESV

The Word doesn’t say when you walk on water. Likewise, the Word doesn’t say when you walk around the water. The Word says, “when you pass through the waters.” The Word says, “when you walk through the fire.” We are going to face difficult times in our lives. I’ve heard it put this way: you’re in one of three places: coming out of a tough time, in a tough time, you’re about to go through a tough time.  

When a driver straps in a race car, there has been much preparation ahead of time. The car was set up, practice laps were run, and countless hours were spent in the shop. But, unfortunately, sometimes things don’t go right. Were the proper safety devices put in the car and put in correctly? Does your fire suit fit properly? These things can make the difference between a tragic outcome and a seemingly miraculous one.    

What about our trials in life? What do we lean on? Let’s look back at Isaiah 43:2. The word says, “I will be with you” and “you will not be burned.” God promises that as believers when we face trials, He will be right there with us.  

The prophet Daniel wrote about three servants that faced a trial with a life and death consequence. Obey God or obey man. They chose God and faced certain death.  

“Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.” Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.”

Daniel 3:19-28 ESV

God was with them in the fire. When they were in the fire, they were not consumed. The crucial part of what happened here was trust. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego put their complete trust in God. It was then that God delivered them. But they trusted that even if he didn’t, their outcome with God was better than one without Him.  

How deeply do we trust God? Do we trust that he is all good? Trusting God doesn’t happen in the middle of a bad situation. It happens when we grow deeper with Him and build a relationship with him. We start that by acknowledging Him and reading his Word. Just like the driver and crew that put effort into safety before they even left for the track, we need to spend time with God, building our relationship with Him, before the hard times come, so that we will trust Him. 

God sends the Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us. The Holy Spirit prompts and directs us to things that will lead us closer to God. A short time ago, I was with a driver that had just been in a pretty bad wreck. The driver told me that they felt a nudging to tighten the belts in the caution just before the wreck. They complied, and the result was they walked away sore and shaken but uninjured. It’s a reminder that God is with us and cares for us. I can tell you that this driver’s trust in God was strengthened that day.  

Sometimes with trust, we expect God to speak in a booming voice and things to be clear and completely fit our “plan.” As believers, too often we want to give up when we think we aren’t hearing from God when things of the world aren’t going our way. I’ve heard people say, “God if I was just with you now things would be wonderful.” We’re not alone in feeling that this world is too much to handle. The prophet Elijah was pretty discouraged and ran away and was hiding in a cave.  

There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 Kings 19:9-13 God wasn’t in the loud things; he was in the whisper. So, take a moment and pause and reflect on God’s Word instead of trying to insert Him on your own.

Your trial will NOT last forever. Either God will take it away, or God will call you home. You’re not alone in what you are facing. God is with you. Others have walked the road before you, and I encourage you to talk with them. If you’re struggling, reach out to one of our chaplains as well. We aren’t meant to fight the fires by ourselves. On the flip side, if you’re not facing difficulties right now, enjoy the things you’re blessed with and come alongside someone and let them know you care for them. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! Remember that your prayerful support and donations help us continue this ministry. Thank You.

As you walk around the garage area at the track you hear things. People talking, crew members exchanging information, decisions being made. When I see two crew chiefs talking, I like to listen and hear what type of information they are sharing. The thought comes to mind, are they sharing what they have learned or maybe just enough but not everything.

I would think that teams hold onto the lessons they learned and are not quick to share that with others. That’s what I would expect. At the track you need to know the source of the information you receive and handle it accordingly. There is a certain amount of interpretation required.

I remember the thoughts Geoff Bodine shared when he toured the American Bobsled Facility in Lake Placid for the first time. He was told that the sleds used by the American team were purchased from the best European teams. On the surface that sounds good but in reality, it means failure.

Geoff’s immediate reaction was we will never win, we are handicapped from the start. You see, racing is racing, bobsleds or modifieds, no difference. When a competitor comes to you and wants to buy one of your cars of course you sell it to him, but you don’t sell him the fastest car in your stable. That would be foolish.

His conclusion was we need to build our own sled, learn our own lessons and keep that technology in house. Then we might just have a chance of returning to the top of the Bobsled world. He put together a team, built and developed the sleds and American returned to the top of the Bobsled World, Gold Medal, World Champions. The journey is chronicled in the book Night Train: The Story of the NASCAR-inspired Bobsled that Beat the World. I encourage you to get a copy and read the story about how a modified race car building team built a bobsled that beat the world.

Integrity is a simple concept, let your yes be yes and your no be no. But as we know things are not so simple these days. The gray areas of not really saying what we mean or doing what we commit to have led to a distrust. That in turn leads to a cynical view of the world around us. We tend to see the negative and not the positive. That distorts reality and destroys hope. We have to pull ourselves out of this spiral, it only leads to death and destruction.

Think for a moment how encouraging and refreshing it is when someone keeps their word. Think about how you feel when you can count on someone. When we ask a question and get a straight answer. It is possible to have integrity, even in the world we live in. The key is to reflect the character of God, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

We tend though to be tainted by the environment we live in and we reflect the ways of the world; sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. God’s word tells us we will not see things through His eyes if we pursue the ways of the world.

We need to learn that this is a life and death decision, one way leads to life, a full life. The other leads to death.

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

Integrity plays such an important part in living a rich and satisfying life. I am sure we don’t realize it but simply saying yes or no and following through is the beginning of satisfaction. We don’t need to dress things up to convince people we mean it. We need to fight the temptation to package things so they look attractive, when in fact they are self-serving. We tend to think we need to manipulate the situation for our benefit. At times we want to appear more important than we are.

The term down to earth come to mind when I think of someone who simply says yes or no and means it. I think of a person that is real, a person that is trustworthy. I don’t have to figure out what they are trying to say or if they are really saying anything at all.

Sometimes we want to appear more important or more significant in the eyes of others so we embellish and manipulate. That type of person gets exposed eventually and develops a reputation of being unable to be trusted. Oh, we may seek their advice but then the process of having to find the truth in their comments begins.

Acts 5:1-5a; NLT; But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died…

Ananias wanted to look good in front of everyone. He wanted people to think he was doing a great thing. He wasn’t being truthful and it cost him his life. We, in a similar way, lose life when we live without integrity. When we do not live in a way that honors God.

We are used to looking the other way, bending the truth, and telling a little white lie. Do we have the courage and strength to stand up for what is right in God’s eyes no matter what the personal cost is? In that process we demonstrate our faith or lack of it, in Him to provide for us.

God wants our very best, our first fruits. Is that what we bring or do we bring Him the remnant and want the best from Him in return? I would encourage us to bring our best to God and place it as His disposal. Give him our best hours of the day, our best abilities and our first fruits.

Let us make every effort to live a life with integrity that honors God. Then we will know what a rich and satisfying life is. Until next time, remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing.

The verse that we have referred to many times over the last few weeks also helps us as we look ahead and make preparations for the new racing season;

Hebrews 11:1; Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being sure of what we do not see.

I know we can all be a little gun shy when we look back over the last year, life changed quite a bit. The things we were sure of all of a sudden disappeared. For many of us our world view has been challenged and redefined. The question remains, how do we move forward? 

For many of us we have spent the last few weeks planning. Looking at the race schedules and deciding which events we will compete in and attend. Getting things in order to pursue our passion. This season however presents a different challenge. There is a nagging doubt. What if?

Try to think of it like we do the weather; we don’t have control over what the weather is on raceday, but we prepare as if we are going to race. We don’t wait until we are sure the event will happen, then it will be too late to get ready. As we look ahead to this season it will be different, a work in progress but I believe it will happen. I have hope.

But how do we get past our unbelief and find hope in the future? We do it by turning to God. We turn to him because He is the only one who knows what tomorrow brings. We can look to the signs and circumstances but they sometimes are false indicators of what the future holds.

As we move into our preparation time for the upcoming Easter Holiday the question is, what if God does something that we have never seen before? What if He shows us something new? What if he breathes life back into something that was dead? Would you believe it?

John 12:44-46; Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.

How well do you know your house? How about your shop? Well enough to find your way in the dark? I didn’t think so. We all try, we all think we remember where things are. Then there is that one thing we forgot and bam, we stumble and fall. Funny thing is we still don’t turn on the light. We will attempt to feel our way through the dark over and over again. Jesus says, turn on the light!

Now the challenge for us is, do we believe Jesus knows the way, can he guide my path? We struggle to give control over to him. We do not want to submit to His authority. We think that doing so requires that we give up the things we “enjoy”. Nothing could be further from the truth. Those thoughts are given birth in unbelief. They have their root in our prideful desire to decide for ourselves which way is right.

Proverbs 14:12; There is a way that appears to be right (to us), but in the end it leads to death.

One thing this past year has brought into clarity is what is truly important, what we cannot live without. I’m not saying it was easy and I’m not saying we didn’t struggle with what our time of isolation revealed in us. I am saying that we were put into circumstances that challenged each of us to determine what is truly valuable to us and life itself. My conclusion is that we see things differently, priorities have changed, moving forward we have a new perspective. My prayer is that our unbelief is overcome by faith, our fear is replaced by faith. Not in our abilities or our control, but in the one who has absolute authority and control, Jesus.

John 12:47-50; (Jesus continued) I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Jesus helps us understand that he is in the saving business, not the condemning business. We are made to believe that God is mad at us and punishing us for the things we do that do not honor him. That is not true. Jesus said that time will come, but right now we need to get you off the merry go round and get you moving is a direction that leads to life, eternal life.

Don’t misunderstand, there are consequences for each decision we make. Those consequences can be very uncomfortable and challenging if our decisions are based on serving ourselves. We made those decisions that led us into those circumstances, don’t blame God. Someone once asked, “What’s He saving for?” He is saving us from ourselves.

Jesus reveals his plan and offers it to us;

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

The choice remains ours; We can stumble around in the dark or we can walk in the light. I think we should look ahead with the hope that God can and will save us from ourselves. That faith in him is what we need to overcome our fear. Let us commit to follow the light along the path that leads to a rich and satisfying life, a life that demonstrates faith in Christ.

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 racetrack is a microcosm of the world we live in; like looking at the world in a fishbowl. We can find so many things that reflect the world we live in. Some of that is good and some of that is not. 

I am encouraged when I see competitors help one another so they can go out and compete; run the race. I am encouraged when I see the racing community come together in support of a member who is going through a tough time. Those are the good days.

But on the racetrack, we accept the risk that others may not be thinking of our wellbeing. I know it is the ugly side of racing but there are those who head out onto the track with revenge in their mind. There are those who head out onto the track with a score to settle. 

The world we live in isn’t much different. There are those cheering us on and wanting us to do our very best. Then there are those who are tearing us apart and wanting to drag us down. I am pretty sure we have all been challenged with emotions on both sides of that. They are the extremes but reality finds its home someplace in the middle. We are not always nice, but we are not always malicious either.

It can be difficult when we have to put our trust in someone or something who has proven to not be trustworthy.

Let’s say you have to pass a competitor on the track that you have had run-ins with before. You are faster and you need to make the pass if you have any hope for winning. You grip the wheel a little tighter, you brace for contact and you send it in fully prepared to receive a nudge or worse. 

I remember talking to a driver about how to handle the situation when another driver spun him out. When I got there he was steaming, “I’m gonna get that so and so……” I suggested a different strategy, maybe just smile and wave. Let it go. His eyes lit up. “Wow, that’ll be better, then he’ll never know when I will get him back!” I shook my head and walked away. 

I think the realization that we need to come to is that placing our trust and faith in men will not produce the peace and joy we want to fill our lives. Too many times people fail us and fall short of our expectations. It seems no matter how many times we hear it we still choose the road of getting even over being gracious.

The Golden Rule

Matthew 7:12; NLT; “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

The truth remains that when we trust others to treat us fairly or even consider our situation many times it comes back to us in a way that is not pleasing. Who is it then that we can trust to right the wrongs? Who is that we can trust our lives to? Who is it that will always have our best interest at heart?

I saw this posted and it provides a clue to the real answer; “God isn’t asking us to figure it out, He is asking us to trust that He already has.” 

You have seen these verses used many times over the last few months. You may wonder why? Well because every day I wake up and see the news there is a new reason for me to be concerned. Everyday I wake up there is a new challenge to overcome. Everyday there is a new wrong to be righted. I use these verses to remind myself to trust God, he has this. Some days I quote them several times.

John 14:1; NLT; “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.

John 14:27;NLT “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

He closed with this;

John 16:33; NLT; I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

These verses come from the conversation Christ had with His disciples at the Last Supper. He spoke to them and encouraged them to trust him. Trust Him in spite of what they would see happen over the next few days. 

We need to place our trust and faith in God, He is the only one that truly has our best interest at heart. We need to seek him out and surrender our lives to him. We need to seek him with our whole heart. When we do, he made a promise to deliver us from this world.

We are captive to the ways of this world; we are prisoners of the events of the day but there is an escape. We don’t have to let ourselves be bound up by the daily challenges.

Jerimiah 29:11-13; NLT; For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

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.

You are at the racetrack and you need a part for your car, who do you go ask? You go to someone you know. You go to someone who you know will help you out. How do you know? You know because you have a relationship with them. They will help because you relate well to each other. If not, an excuse will be made or some other reason made. Among our racing community we relate well to each other and are willing to help one another more than other communities we are a part of. That is why we enjoy being together.

In our day to day lives we meet people and interact with them. Some we decide to get to know better. Others we choose not to pursue. Who we choose and why is an interesting process. Understanding the reasons we build relationships will help us relate better. Did you know that guys generally choose who to be friends with based on what others have? Let me explain.

If Joe has a truck and you don’t, you may choose to become friends with Joe because you may need a truck someday. Think about it, if you doubt it, go buy a truck and see how many friends you suddenly have.

That is not the only way we choose our friends. We have many different things that draw us to others. Stop for a moment and think about why you hang around with the people you do. Think about what attracts you to someone else.

Just like we have many people we have relationships with, there are many different kinds of relationships. Some are close and some are social. No matter the relationship there are a few things that are true about each one of them. Relationships are built on trust, communication, time, honesty and faith. The stronger these traits the closer the relationship.

Without these components relating to each other is difficult if not impossible. Close relationships only develop when we can relate to one another. We can pretend, but when times get difficult and they will, only relationships that are built on this solid foundation will be able to stand.

The keys to secure, close relationships come directly from our relationship with God through Jesus. The relationship that God desires to have with each one of us involves each of these. Let’s break it down a little.

Trust; it is difficult to be close with someone you cannot trust. Think about how difficult it would be to share your most intimate thoughts if you didn’t feel you could trust someone. You wouldn’t and the relationship would not be as close as it should be. Think about the relationships you have, are they trusting ones?

Communication is another vital component. How close can you be if you don’t talk with someone? Communication can also be done without talking, our body language can indicate our true feelings. Communicating with each other helps develop the trust required in any close relationship. It also helps us recognize each other, “that doesn’t sound like….”

Time is another necessity; time spent together and time spent thinking about one another. How much time have you spent on the relationships you are in? Sometimes we think others will understand our absence but it takes its toll. There is no substitute for being there.

Honesty is a given. No relationship stands a chance if honesty is absent. Trust is built on being trustworthy. We are trustworthy when we are honest with each other. When we are not honest we deceive not only the other person but ourselves. There is tremendous pressure on a relationship when it is built on lies.

When these components are present they produce faith. Faith we can depend on someone to fulfill their responsibilities in a relationship. When we relate in these ways it is a freeing feeling. We are at peace. It puts the finishing touches on what it means to be in a close personal relationship.

Let me transfer this to the personal relationship we need to have with God through Jesus. You see Jesus opened the door so that we could seek out God and have a close personal relationship with Him. God provided Jesus because He wants a close personal relationship with each of us.

Seek Him out by reading His word and getting to know Him. Spend some time talking with Him and asking Him some questions. You will find Him trustworthy and honest. You will find Him worthy of placing your faith in. I am reminded of the passage that Jesus spoke at the end of His sermon on the mount. He talked about two men who had heard His words. One chose to listen, one chose to ignore them. They lived their life and challenges came. One was able to put his trust and faith in God. The other had only himself to depend on. One was able to stand. The other life crumbled and crashed.

Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Who do we think we need to have a relationship with? Life is difficult at best. We cannot make it through alone. We need the companionship of others. God made us that way. Take some time and work on the relationships in your life. Make every effort to build them on the rock that is the teaching of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Desire to relate with trust, communication, time, honesty and faith. Learn how having these close relationships can make life worth living. Build a relationship with God today and all your relationships will benefit.

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 helps us continue this ministry. Thank You.