The Greatest Play Ever!!

Watching sports these days is frustrating, whatever happened to letting your skills or the plays you make speak for themselves.  One might argue trash talking is part of sports and I’m apt to agree but does one have to be demonstrative after every play.  This type of bravado has gotten so out of control that players engage in braggadocios acts even when their team is losing.  Their hyperactivity and overzealous celebrations undermine their skills, the sport and the focus on team.  Often, today’s athletes conduct themselves as more important than the game and as larger than life.

Jesus never focused on himself:

He always centered on fulfilling the playbook of God the Father!

In John 2, Jesus completes one of the most significant plays in his short public ministry. Jesus enters the Temple where he witnesses payday lenders, vendors, and other venture capitalist activities. Filled with righteous indignation, v. 15, “Jesus made a whip of small ropes. He used it to make them all leave the House of God along with the sheep and cattle. He pushed the money off the tables and turned the tables over”. Placing himself in danger Jesus does not beat his own chest nor seek attention but defiantly speaks a word of rebuke, v. 16, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”  

Jesus understood his purpose was larger than life and knew he would be misunderstood and rejected by the multitudes.  Yet, he always presented hope and pointed to fulfillment of Old Testament promises. He often perplexed his hearers; however, over 2,000 years later his promises and the truth continues to resonate in the lives of over 2 billion of his followers worldwide (2011 Pew Forum Research). After ridding the Temple of evildoers, Jesus makes a statement which could be construed as braggadocios, v. 19:

“Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up”.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were confounded by his words but this statement foreshadowed the greatest play to ever happen in world history. Jesus being the consummate team player follows a game plan that would lead to a Friday filled with violence, disgrace, suffering and his ultimate execution on a cross. He never beat his chest, never exalted himself even his last breaths centered on God and the Kingdom of God. Jesus remained humble always knowing that his journey was about God’s will being done on earth as it is heaven.

Friday was not an end but a beginning!

Sunday morning marked the impossible! In sports another athlete always comes along lending comparison to a former superstar athlete. But, over 2,000 years ago after being crucified, Jesus fulfills his promise: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up” completing a play that had never before been accomplished and never will be duplicated. Every Easter Sunday since - thousands, millions, now billions celebrate the greatest play ever – Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords was raised from the dead:

His tomb is empty. Jesus is triumphant over death, sin and evil!

The greatest play ever was not limited to or for one person or one team; in fact, Jesus made this play for everyone – “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die” (John 3:16).

Share the greatest play ever with someone who has yet to have faith in Him! 

Easter is the play that everyone has opportunity to know, accept and celebrate!!

Much Love,

Marcus J. Singleton

Lead Pastor

Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: “A diverse community of faith, inspired by the love of Jesus, committed to becoming and making disciples.”

The Best Prepared and Trained Fighter!

Years ago, I really followed boxing, you know the 'good ol days' of Ali-Holmes, Ali-Norton, Ali-Spinks, Hagler-Leonard, Leonard-Hearns, Hagler-Hearns, Hearns-Duran, Duran-Hagler, Leonard-Duran, Arguello-Pryor, Benitez-Leonard and a host of other fighters and great fights.  I was always filled with awe at the capacity of punishment the human body could endure as the boxers attempted to outpunch and/or knockout their opponents.  Round after round, punch after punch, clenching, ducking, or dancing - each boxer is either in pursuit or retreat, avoiding, or landing punches. Their main goal is to win each round.  

Doesn't that sound like life?

We experience adversities and challenges all of which our body, mind and spirit somehow resiliently absorbs.  Yet, like boxers each of us have varying life skills and levels of tolerance and endurance so each punch (adversity or challenge) affects us differently. Life similar to boxing is about preparation and training, the best boxer doesn't always win the fight; more often it is the best prepared and trained boxer who wins. Those of us familiar with boxing know Marvelous Marvin Hagler should have beat my man Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987. Leonard had never boxed in the middleweight class and that was only his second fight since his 1982 retirement. But Sugar Ray won. 

On that night he was the best prepared and trained fighter!

Everyday we face an adversary, an opponent whose mission every minute of the day is to knock us out. Knowingly or unknowingly we are engaged in a fight, punches are being thrown to weaken us:  to weaken our commitment to Jesus Christ - to weaken our character - to weaken our God-consciousness - to weaken our resolve to living a life debt and drama free.  I Peter 5:8 reveals our enemy and our need to train and prepare:

Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary 

the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour (knockout).

Like Sugar Ray, you and I can beat our opponent. Sugar Ray knew he wouldn't win by fighting a purely physical fight, so he confused Hagler with boxing techniques and with physicality. Neither can we outwit the devil in physical warfare, we must confound it and use spiritual warfare such as: prayer, fasting, solitude, study of scripture, receiving communion, etc. Only through spiritual means are we guaranteed victory in both the physical and spiritual realm. When we use spiritual warfare, we can outpunch, outlast and knockout the attempts of the devil to devour our mind, body and spirit.

As we discipline ourselves through prayer, fasting, solitude, study of scripture, receiving communion, etc. both we and our enemy will discover that while we may not be the best spiritual fighters: 

 At any give time we too can be the best trained and prepared spiritual fighters!  

-- 

Much Love,

Marcus J. Singleton
Lead Pastor
Living Faith Community

Hoover, AL

Our Vision: "A diverse community of faith; inspired by the love of Jesus, committed to becoming and making disciples".

"Cross the Line"

"This is where I draw the line" an often stated imperative generally exclaimed after being pressured, pushed, or unjustly punished.  These types of lines are necessary for our well-being. Conversely, other lines exist that we must dare to cross (for the well-being of others and our own). We live in a society where lines of demarcation both invisible and visible are drawn to divide people, communities, cultures, genders, etc. all to the peril of the greater good.

Many are aware of the proverbial other side of the tracks, many have heeded warnings of don't cross the line, don't take the risk! The refusal of confessing Christians to cross the line is detrimental to (fulfilling) and contrary to the message of Jesus Christ. Our unwillingness to cross the line signals our rejection that "God created all humankind in God's image."  Furthermore, neglecting to cross the line is to embrace "the god of this world (satan) who has blinded both the believer and non-believer" (II Corinthians 4:4). Our reluctance to cross the line denies the human worth and human dignity of all.

The line whether visible or invisible has become the god

determining who is significant or insignificant.

Through our avoidance of the line, we are choosing fear and ignorance; thereby,undermining the other – fracturing not only humanity but the Creator who said: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature. . . so they can be responsible for the Earth” (Genesis 1:26).

Remaining on our side of the line elevates homogeneity to a celebrated norm.

In our disregard to cross the line we never learn or realize our shared womb, Genesis 2:7, "the LORD God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life's breath into his nostrils. The human came to life". Yes,we are different. Yes, we have cultural distinctions. Yes, we have varied approaches to problem-solving. Yes, the most obvious is our unique hues of black, brown, red, yellow and white. BUT we share the same Father because we were all created by the Divine.  Right? Don’t all Christians begin their most known prayer, ”Our Father who art in heaven?” 

However, we have yet to meet many of our sisters and brothers 

because we refuse to Cross the Line!

In team building or diversity training, there is an exercise named “Cross the Line”. People are divided into two groups and placed on separate sides of a large room facing one another.The facilitator then names an assortment of life events inviting the participant to step forward when it pertains to themselves or someone they know.  With each step forward they cross a line! In my experience either as a participant or leader, everyone discovers they have more in common with their different classmates, coworkers, church members, camp or retreat roommates, etc. then previously thought – Only because they Crossed the Line!

Jesus invites us, no Jesus instructs us to Cross the Line!

Mark 16:15 “You are to go to all the world…”

In James 2:1, the writer warns his audience and today’s Christian community against creating lines (divisions): “My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance (or perceived/created differences)”.

Clearly lines existed in this Christian community and are prevalent in our culture and today’s Christian community. Where do you need to Cross the Line and who do you need to meet: Addicts, Africans, Arabs, Asians, Atheists, Blacks, Christians (outside of your denomination), Democrats, Gays, Healthy folks, Hispanics, Independents, Jews, Muslims, Poor people, Recovering Addicts, Republicans, Sick people, Straights, Wealthy folks, Whites,_______?

WILL YOU CROSS THE LINE. . .

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton