Fit for My King Part 4

 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, 

but only one person gets the prize? 

So run to win!  

All athletes are disciplined in their training.

They do it to win a prize that will fade away, 

but we do it for an eternal prize. 

1 Corinthians 9:24 - 25 NLT

We have just finished the Olympic summer sport year and this year the winter Olympics is on later.  So we are well aware of what lengths athletes go to, to be their best.  Some of them use drugs to get there, others are clean.  

As I write this my hometown is gearing up for the Tour Downunder.  The bike riders have all come in for the week long event.  They have spent time training, riding on the road for months to get fit and ready for the start of the year of cycling events.

The same goes for us as well. God through Paul is asking us to train our minds and our bodies like athletes.  To prepare for the eternal prize and to glorify God.  We are to win lives to Christ.

Sheri's prayer for this reading 

"Dear God,

I commit to practice self-control over the next 30 days.  

May this 30 day commitment I am making to You turn into a life

 that runs the race of my faith with endurance.

In Jesus name I pray.

Amen. (p.21)

May God bless you as go throughout this coming week as God prepares, your heart, your mind and your spirit to experience his touch like never before ... the abundant life you were destined to live in him. (p.21)

The Church Pot Luck of Spiritual Gift

"I want very much to see you, 

to give you some spiritual gift to make you strong.

I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. 

Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you." 

Romans 1:11, 12 NCV

This sabbath I read an article in the RECORD my church's magazine about the importance of Potlucks in the church's ability to bring people together.  At one church I know one of the attendees would visit each church in the area when they were holding a luncheon.

Some young financially strapped student's that I know regularly decide where they will go to church for the day to get a meal.  (Sometimes they choose which church depending on which hospitality groups is cooking.)  Other churches I know of provide lunch for these students.

Some people I know will avoid them at any cost.  What is the importance of having potlucks or luncheons at a church?  The following sermonette brings light to this subject.

Covered Dish - A DEVOTIONAL from jimcf on GodTube.

The Chocolate Teapot

 In the past he was useless to you, 

but now he has become useful for both you and me.  

Philemon 1:11

Have you heard the phrase as useless as a chocolate teapot?
I hadn't really thought about it until this summer when I read about a chocolate teapot and found the book I updated my book review with.

I thought I'd find out what a chocolate teapot was.  So here are the findings from that distrustful but helpful source Wikkipedia.

A chocolate teapot is a teapot that would be made from chocolate. It is commonly supposed that such a teapot would melt, and be impossible to use, therefore the term is often used as an analogy for any useless item.

A chocolate teapot, it turns out, is the ultimate in uselessness; a profoundly flawed design, whose defining characteristics make it unfit for its intended use. The metaphor makes sense; it’s obvious that if you try to make tea in a chocolate teapot, it will melt, and (boiling water being what it is), you’ll have a mess (and maybe a lawsuit) on your hands.

However author David Lawerance used this as a title for a book to give guidance to young teenagers in dealing with everyday crises that come their way.  I would suggest we are all like chocolate teapots. The world may tip in to our middle hot water or liquid and we melt.  Like the teapot in the clip from Iain Clarke.  (Sorry that it also advertises his company.)

A few people like Iain have tried to improve the chocolate teapot. One particular group found that it really depended on the thickness of the walls of the teapot whether or not it actually melted.  I believe that God knows how thick we need to be.  When  we read God's love letter everyday and pray with him and do his bidding every day we grow stronger and gain protection, so when we get into or have hot water in our lives we are made more sturdy.God is then the Chocolate Teapot Specialist.

Fruit of the Spirit

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,                                                                kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.                                                      There is no law against things like this."                                                                                Galatians 5:22-23

I have always wanted to write a blog on this topic, I love fruit.  I actually like summer fruit the best.  Unfortunately I am unable to enjoy it.  I have major allergies to most of it.    This type of fruit does not go out of season thank goodness.  It only improves on using it.

I found this a sermonette On GodTube.  For me learning has to be visual so I enjoyed the following animation.

Fruit of the Spirit - An illustration from inspiredfaith on GodTube.