Posted October 5th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
During the summer everyone wondered if there would be a professional football season. We had strikes, lockouts, endless negotiations, etc. It seemed that the NFL players and the owners could never get together on a solution. The whole season was threatened. A similar situation exists right now with the NBA.
I have heard many people use one word to sum up the essence of the whole situation. It is the word “greed.”
Fortunately the strike was settled. The only game missed was the opening Hall of Fame game. Professional football is at the top of the list in fan interest, money earned, etc. Even with all of this, greed almost cancelled the season.
A few months ago hedge-fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam went to trial. A lot of people suggested you heard more about Rajat Gupta than you did about the accused. Gupta headed up a consulting firm who allegedly tipped off Rajaratnam about Warren Buffett’s $5 billion investment in Goldman and other insider news about quarterly gains and losses. These tips allegedly were used by Rajaratnam to execute lucrative trades.
The question people asked was – “Why did Gupta do this?” He was described as “once one of the world’s most trusted advisers to companies.” What happened to him?
It was obvious that he didn’t need the money. He had been very instrumental in raising millions of dollars for various charities. He was friends with some of the most powerful people in the world, including President Barrack Obama.
Author Shoba Narayan, the wife of a former investment banker, contends that he slipped over the ethical line because “that whole New York milieu where people measure themselves by their net worth, the size of their bonus, or square footage of their house. If he’d lived away from that incestuous Wall Street set, perhaps none of this would have happened.”
Greed – when we associate with greedy people, we tend to become like the people with whom we associate.
Greed isn’t a new phenomenon. It is addressed throughout the Bible. Here is a sample. “Greed brings grief to the whole family.” (Proverbs 15:27 NLT) “Greed causes fighting, trust in the Lord leads to prosperity.” (Proverbs 28:25 NLT)
Can we learn a lesson? Jesus said, “Beware, guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” (Luke 12:15NLT) One of the truths of life is, “Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10 NLT)
Giving is the medicine to cure greed. Unlike the description of New York, what would happen in your community if people measured themselves by how much they give, the size of their net giving, or the scope of their contributions to meet the needs of people. Instead of an incestuous Wall Street, what if we started creating an infectious Main Street where people try to out give each other!!
There is not enough for everyone’s greed, but there is enough for everyone’s need!
Posted October 3rd, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
The August/September time frame offered a lot of various opportunities for ministry. I will briefly share a few of them below.
August 6 – Officiated at the wedding for Erin Gowan. I have a long relationship with the Gowan family. Erin’s grandmother use to look after me when I was 2- years-old living in Loxley, Alabama. I also served the Woodland Methodist Church in 1960 as I was a senior in college. The Gowans’ had moved to that area and were members. Erin’s father Lyn was born. They asked me to baptize him. He was the first person that I baptized as a pastor. I am not really sure now that I was authorized to do it, but I did it anyway. The baptism took!
August 7 – Preached at Frazer UMC for the three morning worship services, had a memorial service Sunday afternoon, and preached at the evening worship at Frazer. I also had an interesting experience with Greg Calhoun. I met Evander Holifield, Isaiah Thomas and other atheletes in conjunction with his charity golf tournament. I wrote a blog about it on August 10.
August 8 – Met with some young pastors to focus on ministry opportunities.
August 11 – Went to Birmingham to give the opening devotional for the Board of Directors meeting for the United Methodist Homes for the Aging for North Alabama and Alabama-West Florida Conference. My Dad served on that Board for some 30 years, and I have had the privilege of serving on the Board in recent years.
August 12 – Had an opportunity to speak to about 1,100 public school teachers in Autauga County. Greg Faulkner is the School Superintendent. I shared a blog about this experience that was posted August 17.
August 14 – Went to LaGrange, Georgia, to preach at the First United Methodist Church. That church was preparing to begin the Treasures of the Transformed Life stewardship study. Dr. Harold Lawrence is the Senior Pastor.
August 16 – Went down to Calhoun High School to speak to the football team. This school is located in rural Autauga County. I was greatly impressed with Coach Williamson who decided to go there and coach. He had to have three fundraisers to buy enough helmets so that all 24 of his players could have a helmet. I watched one kid practice without football pants. Since most of the boys do not have any form of transportation, most of them could not start football practice until school started. One big challenge is to keep the boys there on Friday afternoon when they have a game Friday night. Regulations will not allow them to have food out of the cafeteria so Coach Williamson has to provide a pregame meal. He currently has negotiated with Subway for that pregame meal.
August 19 – Spoke at the Frazer Men’s program. This is an exciting ministry for men. They had over 150 men present.
August 20-23 – I traveled to Brownsville, Tennessee, for a Preaching Mission. Brownsville is located northeast of Memphis, Tennessee. I enjoyed a great experience there with Rev. Philip Cook and the good people of Brownsville. This is also where Bishop Paul Duffey grew up.
August 25 – Attended a meeting for the Alabama Sports Commission. This is a very interesting group that I will tell you more about later. I also participated in a conference call for the Confessing Movement.
August 26 – Retired staff members from Frazer get together once a quarter to visit and pray together. We meet at Steak-Out on Taylor Road and usually have about 15 staff members and spouses present. It is a good time of reflecting on past ministry.
August 27 – Officiated at the wedding for Bethany Black and John Neubauer. I also officiated at the wedding of Bethany’s parents – Buddy and Rhonda Black. Bethany’s mother Rhonda has served on the Frazer staff for 17 years.
August 28 – Preached at the Notasulga Methodist Church homecoming. My Dad served five years in Notasulga. My brother George was born while we lived there. Notasulga is the place where I got in deep trouble for a babysitting incident with my brother where I tied him to a tree while a group of us boys played football.
August 30 – Attended a special meeting to raise funds for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Troy University. I posted a blog about this on September 7.
September 7 – I was invited by Buzz Phillips, Athletic Director at Huntingdon College, to speak to 526 student athletes at Huntingdon. This was an impressive group of young men and women. Buzz Phillips wanted to be sure that the young people stayed focused not only on athletics and academics, but also setting goals for future achievement in their profession and the development of their spiritual life..
September 9-10 – Traveled to North Carolina. Lead a stewardship seminar at the Fuquay- Varina United Methodist Church, which is a suburb of Raleigh. Several former members of Frazer are members of that church. Dr. Albert Shuler is the Senior Pastor.
September 10-15 – Traveled to Mocksville, North Carolina, to preach at the Sprinkle Preaching Mission at the United Methodist Church. Rev. Joe Collins is the pastor there. On Monday I lead a seminar for a group of District ministers. On Tuesday noon I spoke at the Rotary Club. Each night we had worship services. I drove on a lot of highways in North Carolina in the space of those seven days.
September 18 – Preached at Frazer at the three morning worship services and at the evening worship service.
September 20 – Attended our Annual Conference Committee on Episcopacy meeting. This was a time of evaluation for Bishop Paul Leeland. He scored as high as could be scored on his evaluation. We are blessed with his leadership. Bishop Lindsey Davis came to Montgomery to assist in that process.
September 23 – Attended an event honoring Bishop Paul Duffey as he has served faithfully in our Annual Conference. I was one of the presenters for this occasion. Bishop Duffey is moving from Montgomery to North Georgia to be nearer his family members.
September 25 – Preached at the homecoming for Fort Deposit Methodist Church. Reverend Dennis Carlson is the pastor. It was the 150th anniversary of that church.
September 26-30 – Drove to St. George, South Carolina for the Indian Field Camp Meeting. I began on Monday night the 26th and preached each night of the week. This is a Camp Meeting that has 100 hundred cabins in a circle around a large tabernacle. Each of these cabins will sleep about 20 people. I will write more about this unique experience.
As usual, I was on the road quite a bit the last two months. I do block out time each day I am in town to be in the office for study, preparation and meeting with pastors. One of the growing opportunities is to counsel individually with young pastors. During this next year I am going to be meeting with some small groups of pastors.
Thank you so much for your interest in and support of this ministry. I receive a lot of communications from pastors that indicate that this leadership ministry is making a difference in their ministry. That is really what I am about.
Posted September 30th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Every day we make choices concerning what is valuable to us. While we sometimes would like to have different values, what we choose really indicates what our values are. The big question is “Are my values really the real value?”
A couple of months ago a 17-year-old Chinese teenager, known as Little Zheng, had a kidney removed surgically so he could have money to buy a new Apple iPad. He was paid $3,000 for his kidney. He valued the iPad more than his kidney. When his mother found it out she said, “I felt like the sky was crashing down on our family.”
Football oftentimes is too big a value for those of us living in the bounds of the Southeastern Conference. (That is a dangerous statement to make.) Football is important, but oftentimes we get the value scale out of balance.
Just a warning early in football season; putting too much value on football can be detrimental to your health and even kill you.
Researchers at the University of Southern California examined how the Los Angeles Rams’ fans reacted about how the Rams fared in the Super Bowls of 1980 and 1984. When the Rams lost the first game, cardiac deaths spiked by 15 percent in men, 27 percent in women, and 22 percent in seniors. When the Rams won four years later, the death rates didn’t budge.
Robert Kloner, the study’s lead author, suggests that when too much emphasis is placed on how a football team performs “it can increase a fan’s pulse rate, raise blood pressure and potentially trigger a cardiac event.”\
Some young people can teach us some good values about how we handle money. Allan Guei had such good grades in High School that it earned him the right to compete in a free-throw contest for a $40,000 college scholarship. He won the contest. He also received a basketball scholarship to college so he donated the $40,000 to the seven runners-up in the free-throw contest. He said, “I’ve already been blessed so much and I know we are living with a bad economy. This money can really help my classmates.” Good value.
Ashley Donaldson is 15-years-old and found $2,000 in a parking lot in Dallas, Texas. Police told her it would be hers if no one claimed it within three months. When the money was unclaimed, the city changed its mind and kept the money. Ashley was happy with that decision. When an unnamed donor found it out he gave Ashley $4,000, then the city reconsidered giving the teen the $2,000. I have a hunch she will give that away.
What value choices are we making today? What value do we place on the way we spend our time and energy and money? Technology and iPads are important – but not as important as our health. Football is important – but not as important as our health. Money is important – but not as important as our attitude and commitment to giving.
Remember Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything you need will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
That is the priceless value choice!
Posted September 26th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
The letter was postmarked from Montgomery, Alabama. It was dated August 9, 1944. It was sent to a Miss R. T. Fletcher in California. The letter finally arrived the second week of March 2011.
We have developed the terms e-mail and snail mail. I believe 67 years even exceeds snail mail.
A military facility now used by the California National Guard received the letter from Montgomery. It was addressed to Miss Fletcher at the camp’s America Red Cross Hospital. The hospital was torn down decades ago.
Because of the uniqueness of this situation, the national news reported a brief story about the letter. Fletcher’s daughter heard about it and figured it might have been sent by her late uncle to her mother , who is 90-years-old and lives on the East Coast. To ensure that the letter was actually to her mother, she sent authorities a sample of her uncle’s handwriting, and officials sent her the unopened letter.
I would love to know what the letter said. I would also like to know where the letter had been for the past 67 years. Somebody messed up delivering that message.
The command to every Christian is to go and share the good news of the message. The good news of God’s redeeming grace gets held up a lot of times. There are people who are beyond the age of 67 who haven’t received the message yet. It is never too late.
In Matthew 28:19, when Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” I wonder what part of “go” don’t we understand. We have the message. It is to be delivered.
Jesus’ commission to us did not mean that we should do it if it was “easy to deliver the mail,” or if it was “convenient to deliver the mail.” He certainly didn’t put any qualifications as to whether or not the “postage on the message” would be sufficient. He just said “Go.”
The world is filled with Miss Fletchers, who are either waiting to get the mail or don’t even have any idea that the message has been sent. The opportunity for you and me is to “deliver the mail.”
I hope the news in the letter was good. The news of the message we have to deliver is the best news that people can ever hear. The church must get beyond the pony express and get the message delivered by personal sharing, social media, television, and any new delivery system Jesus teaches us!
Check your mail!
Posted September 16th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
I once was a big fan of Pete Rose. I loved the way he hustled. He was a leader who rallied the players around him to play their best. He always gave 100%.
I was shocked to discover that he bet on baseball games. His effort to be reinstated into the baseball family has been interesting. There is a lot of debate on both sides of that issue.
Today Pete Rose is selling autographed baseball paraphernalia. He hangs out at a shopping mall. He is available from noon to 5p.m. to give autographs. There is a price.
An 8×10 photo costs $75, a bat $199, and a baseball $99. A framed replica uniform can be bought for $2,000. He will even have his picture made with you as you purchase your souvenir – for an extra charge.
The sad part about this is that he is willing to write anything on your souvenir that you desire – if you are willing to pay enough money. While he was adamant that he never bet on baseball games, he is willing to write “I’m sorry I bet on baseball” above his signature. In fact, he will write most any confession for the right amount of money. He has inscribed baseballs with “I’m sorry I broke up the Beatles” and “I’m sorry I shot JFK.”
Confession is intended to be genuine. The biblical understanding of repentance is that we will have a “change of mind” – meaning that we are sorry for what we did and have no intent of doing it again. Genuine repentance is a change in our thinking and our actions.
For Pete Rose, repentance is just a means for making money. He will confess and repent for anything.
I have encountered a lot of folks who are ready to repent of something – especially when they are really down or caught in the act. They begin to promise God most anything. The sad part of this is that many of them, once they get back on their feet, are back to doing the same old things.
Many people come to church on Sunday and confess and ask for forgiveness of something, knowing that they are going right back out on Monday and do the same things again. This is just a game. I had a man tell me recently that he always comes to church in order to repent of the things he had done that week. He always leaves church feeling refreshed, but he quickly gets back into his old rut and has to go through the same routine the next Sunday.
This understanding and practice is not biblical. This is simply a game that we play. God is very serious about our sin. He greatly desires to see genuine, authentic repentance.
I John 1:9 clearly states, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Confession is not cheap. Repentance is not cheap. God’s grace is not cheap. It is not a game. It is based on the unconditional love that God has shown to us in His Son Jesus Christ. It requires a total change in our thinking, our attitude, our actions, etc.
Writing out that we are sorry for something is not for making money – it is for making a new life in Jesus Christ!!
Posted September 7th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
On Tuesday, August 30, I attended an event to highlight the work of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Troy University and to raise money to underwrite the program. John Gibbons invited me to say a few words about the importance of FCA and to give the opening prayer.
Colleges have priorities. I was amazed to see the high priority that FCA has at Troy. It is not just something that people give lip service to – they support it whole-heartedly!!
Coach Larry Blakeney, Head Football Coach at Troy, was there for the entire event. It is a two hour round trip drive to and from Troy, and he was at the event for more than two hours. He spoke boldly about the difference that FCA had made in the lives of young men who had played for him. He talked about how much FCA meant to him personally.
Troy had a major football game against Clemson University five days later. I have been around college coaches enough to know that very seldom will they take any time off before a major football game. It has to be extremely important to get them away from the game day preparation. Larry Blakeney’s presence was indicative of his values and commitment to FCA.
One thing Coach Blakeney said was how committed the Troy coaching staff is to FCA. The college coaches themselves had already made a major financial contribution to FCA.
Dr. Jack Hawkins, President of Troy University, was also present. I know how busy he is. He also made that two hour drive and spent at least two and a half hours at the event. He shared about the importance of FCA in the overall educational life at Troy University.
Steve Dennis, the Athletic Director at Troy, was also present. There were several professors and administrators who came.
Lonnie Cochran, a former basketball player at Troy, is the fulltime FCA person at Troy. A couple of former players were present and gave witness to the FCA ministry. I have been with Lonnie on several occasions and he is a very godly man and a great Christian representative to the athletes at Troy.
Did you know that 43 Division I schools have fulltime chaplain/FCA persons working with the football teams and other sports programs! FCA staffers Gary Cramer at Alabama and Chette Williams at Auburn have tremendous ministries that I’ve participated in and seen firsthand.
Larry Hughes, a good friend and one of those “quiet, behind the scenes Christian witnesses” had a vision and helped start an Endowment Fund for Troy FCA. He said, “I saw what FCA was doing at Auburn and Alabama, and I wanted the same experience for Troy.”
Most of us don’t have the opportunity to rub shoulders with college athletes and coaches on a daily basis. There are some people, through FCA, who are being given that opportunity. Please pray for them. Support them financially. I don’t know of anybody who can have a greater influence on coaches and young men and women who are college athletes than FCA.
Each of us do rub shoulders with people every day. It is our responsibility to make a difference in their lives. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16)
How big of a difference are you and I making?
Posted August 31st, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
My Dad and Mom served the Notasulga Methodist Church from 1940 -1945. I was 2-years-old when they went there. My brother George was born during their ministry in Notasulga.
The church has a great history. Last Sunday they celebrated their 175th anniversary. I was invited to come back and preach at the Homecoming service.
I started to school in Notasulga. I have always said that it was my brother George who was the mischievous preacher’s kid. A lot of eye witnesses there quickly corrected me!
I learned a lot of important lessons in Notasulga. While babysitting my brother one afternoon, a group of us boys decided to play football in the parsonage yard. We just tied George to a big oak tree. My Dad and Mom came home early. My Dad didn’t believe in simply teaching with words – I got a spanking that I still remember today! I still avoid oak trees!
One of the most positive lessons learned involved the railroad tracks about one block behind the church. The train came through Notasulga a couple of times a day. It was safe for us kids to go down and play on the railroads tracks during the “safe hours.”
There obviously wasn’t much for us kids to do in Notasulga because one of the big things was to see who could successfully balance and walk on a railroad track the farthest without falling. Since the track is so narrow, it is a challenge to walk very far.
One day I saw an adult come down and engage a couple of high school seniors in conversation about how far they could walk on the tracks. He said that he would give them $10 if they could walk 100 yards on the tracks without falling off. I knew they couldn’t do that, but I saw an interesting expression on their faces when they accepted the challenge.
When the two boys got on the tracks, they didn’t get on the same track. They got on opposite tracks. They stretched out their arms and braced each other. They leaned in towards the center of the tracks and started walking. Each one was holding the other one up. This took away the possibility of becoming unbalanced and falling off the track.
Those guys, arms locked, walked very carefully for 100 yards. They didn’t fall because each was depending on the other to hold him up. They could have walked 100 miles if they had had the energy!
Life can be difficult when we try to walk it by ourselves. We fall off a lot of times. Life works best when we allow someone to lean on us and we have someone on whom we can lean. Two people holding each other up takes out a lot of the danger of stumbling or falling.
We need each other. Paul writes “Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2 CEB) Proverbs 27:17 (NLT) reads “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 17:17 (NLT) reads “A friend is always loyal and a brother is born to help in time of need.”
The church is the place where people can depend on each other and be dependable for each other. People can walk a long way when they do it together – leaning on each other.
I saw those railroad tracks last Sunday. A lesson I learned as a 6-year-old is even more real in my life today.
Let’s lock arms and walk!
Posted August 24th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Recent research has shown how important compliments, positive affirmations, and encouragement are to students. They resonate with it. Studies have found that they will choose a compliment over their favorite foods, money, or even sex.
The lead researcher on this project, Brad Bushman, says, “The desire to feel worthy and valuable trumps almost any other pleasant activity you can imagine.” Research is now showing what the Bible has always been teaching!
The University of Michigan students were a part of the study. They had an opportunity to choose among several pleasurable activities such as eating their favorite foods, receiving a paycheck, sex, getting a good grade, or being given a nice compliment. Their overwhelming choice was the compliment.
The research also indicated that people who receive compliments and encouragement helps lead them to better learning, relationships, growth, and self esteem.
Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (I Thessalonians 5:11 NLT)
The Book of Hebrews reminds us that sometimes evil can become so prevalent that people can begin falling away from the living God. Hebrews 3:13 (CEV) answers this challenge by saying, “Instead, encourage each other every day, as long as it’s called ‘ today,’ so that none of you become insensitive to God because of sin’s deception.”
The writer of Hebrews also talks about a new way to live when Christ is at the center of our lives. He says, “Let’s also think about how to motivate each other to show love and to do good works. Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews10:24, 25 CEV)
One of my favorite characters in the New Testament is Barnabas. His name means “encourager.” He was relatively unknown in his early life, but when his passion to encourage people really kicked in, he became a significant and respected leader in the early church.
I believe one of the great ministries of life is to encourage other people. I love to be around people who are encouragers. Most of us respond far more quickly and productively to encouragement than devastating criticism. One of the best things we can do for each other each day is to give encouragement! Be a Barnabas!
To be referred to as a Barnabas is a high compliment. Maybe a new Barnabas will be born today. That would make this a Barnabas birthday!
Happy Birthday, Barnabas!
Posted August 17th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
What do you make? Generally the question is interpreted to refer to how much money we are paid. The question anticipates a financial answer.
I heard about a Chamber of Commerce meeting where a group of 40-year-olds were sitting around a table. Most of them had attended the same high school. One of them was a young businessman who had made a lot of money. He wanted everyone to know he knew how to make money!
He then complained about the quality of the educational system in the community. He especially was hard on teachers. He even made the statement “we all know the old adage – those who can, do – others, teach.”
He then focused his attention on a former classmate sitting at the table who was a high school teacher. After a couple of comments about the small amount of money that is paid to teachers, he asked the teacher the following question. “Jim, what do you make?”
Jim thought a minute and then replied, “I make a lot of students see a better future for themselves. I make students think, dream, and question the status quo. I make students read, read, read. I make an average student realize that he can become something in life if he will take his God-given talents and utilize them. I make students apologize when they are wrong, and mean it. I make students understand the real values of life so that when somebody thinks a person’s worth is measured by how much money he makes, my student knows that that person just didn’t learn the real lessons of life. You asked me what I make – I make a difference. What do you make?”
Everyone can make a difference. Teachers have a unique opportunity. When I think back about the difference teachers and coaches made in my life, I spend a lot of time giving thanks. I just wish I had thanked more of them while they were still living.
Last Friday I was invited, by Greg Faulkner, a great leader among school superintendents, to speak to over 1,100 teachers and school personnel who begin school this week in the Autauga County School System. I tried to help them see what they can make. I was impressed and encouraged by my meeting with them.
The Prattville High School football coaching staff was all present. Jamey Dubose is the head coach. Last week Prattville was selected by USA Today as the pre-season number one high school football team in the USA! That is big! Coach Dubose invited me to come back and speak with the football team. He is interested in winning ballgames – but he is more interested in making a difference in the lives of young men!
A bad economy can affect how much we make financially, but won’t affect the difference we can make in peoples’ lives. Only a self-centered lifestyle can diminish the real difference we can make.
Proverbs 11:28, 30 reads, “Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring…The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life.” (NLT)
Jesus reminded us not to put our treasures here on earth because we can quickly lose them. (Matthew 6:19, 20) Making a difference for eternity is a gift that will keep on giving forever and ever and ever.
What do you make?
Posted August 10th, 2011 by John Ed Mathison
Some people do a lot of things for people without recognition. They do it in the background. Such a person here in Montgomery is Greg Calhoun.
God has put me in some places in the past few years where I got to know Greg. I have discovered that for every high visibility thing you read about him in the papers, he does many more small things that have an impact on people. He is making a difference!
This week you read about the big golf tournament that the Calhoun Foundation sponsored to raise money for scholarships for underprivileged kids. Last Sunday night there was a reception for the people who were participating in the golf tournament and offer support to it. He invited Lynn and me to come. While I had a full day of preaching three times Sunday morning at Frazer, preaching Sunday night, conducting a funeral Sunday afternoon, I told him that I couldn’t be there until about 8:00. He said that would be fine.
It was quite an experience. He had celebrities present like Evander Holyfield, five time world champion boxer, Isaiah Thomas, one of the best college basketball players in history, Lee Elder, the most high profile African-American golfer before Tiger Woods, Rubin Studdard, American Idol winner, and several other athletes, musicians, politicians, etc.
About 9:00 in the evening these people took the stage to celebrate the awarding of the scholarships. Evander Holyfield and Isaiah Thomas were invited to speak. Holyfield explained that he had grown up in an awfully bad neighborhood. He said that he didn’t choose to be born that way. Because some people took an interest in him and gave him a chance, he was able to use the God-given talents that he had to make something of himself. He made it clear that he would not have been the Heavy Weight Champion of the World had it not been for some people who believed in him when he was young and helped direct his life.
Isaiah Thomas gave a similar testimony. He talked about being born in a tough area on the south side of Chicago. Many of the kids with whom he grew up didn’t get a chance in life. Somebody took an interest in him and helped him get an education. He also talked about the talents that God gave him, and he was given the opportunity to develop those talents.
The new school year is beginning. Every school has a lot of students who have immeasurable potential that could be tapped and developed. Please pray for our teachers, administrators, and coaches. I know that my coaches and teachers made a difference in my life.
I challenge you to be specific about making a difference in some student’s life. A lot of churches have tutoring programs. There are a lot of opportunities to coach in sports in elementary schools. There are a lot of good ministries that deal with people in tough situations. Volunteer some place that you can make a difference in the life of some young person.
Matthew 25:40 reads, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”
Greg Calhoun will never know how many people he has influenced in a positive way. Seeing the result of efforts to help people is not the goal. The goal is to do it.
In the middle of that ceremony, Greg asked me to say a word. I just asked for permission to pray. It was an interesting setting for a prayer. I thanked God for all people who give their time to make a difference in the lives of others and I prayed for a special blessing and anointing on Greg and the work of the Calhoun Foundation.
I am also right now offering a prayer for an anointing on the life of every person who reads this and who dares to make a difference.
Don’t talk it – do it.