A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Thursday, May 9,
2019
Children
playing baseball (or softball) outside of a one room
Mennonite schoolhouse north of New Holland, PA
(Click
on photo to enlarge)
"The Relay"
Note:
This week we are
studying lessons we
can learn from
"running the race"
since in several
instances the Bible
describes the
Christian life as
running a race. We
have input from our
very experienced 81
year old friend,
Coach Bill, who
coached track and
field for over 50
years. Today let us
consider the relay.
Message summary: Are you a follower of Christ? Then you are a part of this relay!
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Timothy 2:2).
Coach
Bill states,
Are you a follower of Christ? Then you are a part of this relay! Some of you just recently took the baton and are on the first steps on your leg, but only for a short time. You also will heed the call to pass it on and there will be baton passes in your life on both the reception and transmission side.
Our daily text indicates that Timothy, upon hearing Paul's words, was to entrust his teaching to reliable men who would also be qualified to teach others. There's four generations here, (1) Paul, (2) Timothy, (3) reliable men who are qualified and (4) those they teach. Thank God for the long relay race since Paul gave Timothy this charge some 2000 years ago and for the scores of faithful servants who have run vital legs in the relay over the centuries. Thank God for those in our own generation who are running faithfully and passing on the baton.
The exciting thing about ministry is that those you impact also impact others for Christ. There is great joy when our spiritual children win and disciple others for Christ, be it their own family members, their co-workers or through a ministry in which God has called them. That's kind of like your spiritual grandchildren. They may also challenge us in our own spiritual walk, either by their example or the inspiration of their words.
Today let's determine that we will be a faithful leg in the relay of faith. Notice the characteristic "reliable". I thank God for those who ran legs in the relay before me who are a part of my spiritual genealogy, but now I desire to faithfully carry and pass on the gospel baton to many spiritual descendants and being a part in someone else's spiritual genealogy. And I hope you do as well! After all, it's our turn now.
Message summary: Are you a follower of Christ? Then you are a part of this relay!
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Timothy 2:2).
Most
races are
individual but
in track there
are also races
involving
multiple runners
(usually four)
called relays. I
recall running
relays in high
school. Since I
was a long
distance runner
it was usually
the 2 mile relay
with four
runners each
running 1/2
mile, and each
part called a
"leg". There was
a passing zone
in which the
baton was
received from
the previous
runner and where
it was passed on
to the next.
In the Christian relay we are far into the race with many baton passes prior to us. The gospel baton does not change. It's probably easiest to see this as one generation passing the baton on to the next. The apostles started the race when the church was established and today's text describes the passing of the gospel baton. There will be a finishing leg. Only God knows but we may be that finishing leg in the long relay!
In the Christian relay we are far into the race with many baton passes prior to us. The gospel baton does not change. It's probably easiest to see this as one generation passing the baton on to the next. The apostles started the race when the church was established and today's text describes the passing of the gospel baton. There will be a finishing leg. Only God knows but we may be that finishing leg in the long relay!
Coach
Bill states,"Each
person on the
relay has to
carry the baton
(the gospel) so
that it doesn't
get dropped. The
start has
already been
taken care of so
we, the incoming
runner, have to
be sure to pass
the baton on
safely. It is
the
responsibility
of the incoming
runner to be
sure the baton
is secure in the
outgoing runners
grasp before we
pass it on."
Are you a follower of Christ? Then you are a part of this relay! Some of you just recently took the baton and are on the first steps on your leg, but only for a short time. You also will heed the call to pass it on and there will be baton passes in your life on both the reception and transmission side.
Our daily text indicates that Timothy, upon hearing Paul's words, was to entrust his teaching to reliable men who would also be qualified to teach others. There's four generations here, (1) Paul, (2) Timothy, (3) reliable men who are qualified and (4) those they teach. Thank God for the long relay race since Paul gave Timothy this charge some 2000 years ago and for the scores of faithful servants who have run vital legs in the relay over the centuries. Thank God for those in our own generation who are running faithfully and passing on the baton.
The exciting thing about ministry is that those you impact also impact others for Christ. There is great joy when our spiritual children win and disciple others for Christ, be it their own family members, their co-workers or through a ministry in which God has called them. That's kind of like your spiritual grandchildren. They may also challenge us in our own spiritual walk, either by their example or the inspiration of their words.
Today let's determine that we will be a faithful leg in the relay of faith. Notice the characteristic "reliable". I thank God for those who ran legs in the relay before me who are a part of my spiritual genealogy, but now I desire to faithfully carry and pass on the gospel baton to many spiritual descendants and being a part in someone else's spiritual genealogy. And I hope you do as well! After all, it's our turn now.
It's
my turn now,
Yes, it's my turn now.
My turn to give my life away.
Yes, it's my turn now.
My turn to give my life away.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
lay upon our
hearts the
unquenchable
desire to pass
on the gospel
baton to
others, the
important
truths we
received from
reliable
followers of
Christ and
from our own
study of Your
Holy Word.
Help us not to
relegate our
duties to
others, but
take up our
responsibility
as we link
together with
other
believers all
over the globe
transmitting
Your timeless,
life-changing
truths to
those who have
ears to
hear.
Amen.Personal
story of how
we find baton
passing such a
blessing.
We
have had the
privilege of
imparting the
glorious
truths of the
Gospel for
over forty
years now.
What
indescribable
joy wells up
in our hearts
when we see
those to whom
we've
entrusted
these truths
now passing
them on to
their own
generation.
We just got a note from a New England friend we had discipled over 20 years ago after coming out of a very broken life. She and her husband are in ministry and, although they have faced some tough and discouraging hurdles, they are staying faithful. Her son is now in ministry and this week is over in Zimbabwe on mission work.
Of course we, like many, have also had the sad experience of passing on the baton to someone who dropped it or quit the race.
We just got a note from a New England friend we had discipled over 20 years ago after coming out of a very broken life. She and her husband are in ministry and, although they have faced some tough and discouraging hurdles, they are staying faithful. Her son is now in ministry and this week is over in Zimbabwe on mission work.
Of course we, like many, have also had the sad experience of passing on the baton to someone who dropped it or quit the race.
Monday: "Running The Race Set Before Us"
Tuesday: "The Start"
Wednesday: "The Hurdles"
Today: "The Relay"
Friday: "The Finish"
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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