Which Chair are You in?
I would like to begin with saying I recommend that you visit the “My Testimony” from Blue Ridge Community Church to the right and watch video #3 which will cover this topic of a “Chair 3 Christian” in more detail. It is roughly 6 minutes long.
In many of my blog entries I have openly discussed that I grew up in a Christian home. I thought I was a Christian only to realize later that I did not have a personal relationship with God. I have a passion to share my story, because I believe it is much more common than others care to acknowledge. A majority of those people do not realize they may not have the relationship with Jesus they claim to have, just as I was unaware for years. I am certainly not casting judgment. However, if I can grow up in a Christian home, attend and graduate from an evangelical university, work for that same evangelical university, closely with a great leader, Dr. Jerry Falwell, and not have a personal relationship with God, then it can happen to anyone. In the book of Matthew, Matthew spent a lot of time on this subject of alerting individuals to the danger of thinking we are saved when we are not. (Matt 5:20, 7:21-23, 13:20-21, 13:47-50, 22:10-14)
I heard a message one time with a “4 Chair” analogy. The speaker started off by saying “the good news is, that all of us in this room sit in one of these four chairs. The bad news is, not all of these chairs are desirable positions to be in.” He then went on to explain each chair in detail.
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What is God doing?
Have you ever felt like God has abandoned you or that His rationale or circumstances for the things in your life just don’t make sense? I would imagine we have all felt like this at some point in our daily walk. I would dare say both those who know God as their Savior and those who do not have had these very same thoughts.
Let me share an analogy that may help put things into perspective on how you may view this differently. I was thinking the other day as I was flying into Cleveland and looking down at the city how different it looks from above than when you are on the street below. We were making a hard left turn, right over downtown, I could see the Key Bank building, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Progressive Field, Quicken Loans Arena and yes the huge Nike mural of Lebron James painted on the side of the building that says “We are all witnesses”. It was a very sunny day and looking down was an incredible site of events taking place and the opening of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Fast forward one hour, now I am in a rental car driving toward downtown Cleveland from the airport. Wow, what a different perspective. My view is limited because of the tall buildings, trees and marketing billboards. There is also the confusion and chaos of everyday life, heavy traffic, pedestrians, long waits at each traffic light and detours due to the parade. I could feel my stress level starting to rise because it wasn’t quite as peaceful as it was an hour ago from above. Life was happening all around me as people busily went about their day. Eventually, I made it to my destination and was able to finish my day.
2009 Awana Grand Prix and Historical Kennedy Racing Team Stats
Below are the 2009 Pinewood Derby pictures of this years car that were unveiled at the March 8th, 2009, Awana Grand Prix at Living Word Baptist Church, VA. Click each image or picture for a larger view. When designing the cars, my son Dawson has a Kawasaki 110cc dirt bike, so he really wanted a Kawasaki themed car. Both of my daughters are 125% girl, so they insisted on pink and princesses for their theme. Reganne has a flash of Dora still, that is why backpack is on the side of her car. I went with a Suzuki theme because my son did the Kawasaki thing…and I thought yellow would look nice. In previous years, I designed each car with different shapes. However, this year I used one design shape for all the cars as it just simply looks the toughest. I did different designs for each last year, but I love the look of this car body style.
Click here to see last years cars and results
Results, the 4 cars above ran 29 individual heats, with 3 cars to a heat. 23 first place runs, 5 second place runs and 1 third place run in one of the finals. Overall 1st place win percentage 80% for Kennedy Racing…not bad. The kids each received a trophy and had lots of fun.
In the past three years I have run a total of 8 cars and we have 6 trophies and a three year win percentage of 84.3%. Out of the 51 total heats in those three years we have finished first 43 times, with a total of 3 first place trophies, 2 second and 1 third.
Click here for last years pictures and results
Guess What?…God Cares More Than You
Often times when I am struggling with the hurt of a loved one, or my heart goes out for someone I love that is hurting, I often feel over whelmed with a sadness or an ache that does not seem to go away. One particular thought that God always reveals to me during those times is…”I care more than you Ron”. I had never thought about it like that before, God really does care even more than I can even imagine. That same hurt or ache is magnified even bigger in Him. He cares about the outcome of that situation more than I do or could worry about. So why would He allow it…if He could just fix it? The same reason He “Brings the Rain” (Mercy Me), He uses the circumstances and trials in our lives to “prune” us and shape us.
John 15: 1-8 1″I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5″I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Guess what? God wants nothing but the best for you and I. And He knows exactly what circumstances that it will take to shape us that way. Here is one other secret…God does not need you, but He wants you. So seeing He wants you, He needs to shape you to be all that He has planned for you.
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