When things are easy, things come naturally or you’re not challenged then support, desire, effort, and all kinds of things just… appear.

What makes things easy?

I’ll start from a coaching perspective:

• Talented, hard-working kids that are determined to win.
• Support given from parents or community members (especially for school teams)
• Opponents that are not as talented or hard-working
• Players that do everything right on and off the field
• There’s probably more



What about starting a business...

What makes things easy when trying to live a christian life...

However…I want to look at when things are not easy or don’t come naturally.

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“I’m Fine!”

Has someone ever said that to you? Have you ever said that to someone? You probably have. I know I have. Perhaps you were using the acronym F.I.N.E.

F-reaked out

I-nsecure

N-eurotic

E-motional

If you were stating, “I’M FINE!!!!” to convince yourself you are, then perhaps you were correct. But I suspect not.

It’s so easy to just spit out those words without thinking. We really do not like telling others our problems and withhold expressing fatigue, frustration, and other such things. Perhaps we are just trying to spare the questioner a long story about our day. Perhaps we are sparing ourselves from confronting those in ourselves. But responding FINE is not really answering, it’s avoidance. We know that’s true. Well, not all the time, but most! How should we respond when we are asked, “How are you?” I have a few suggestions.

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“When once it is supposed possible that there may be falsehood or fallacy in any word of God, a door is then opened to downright unfaithfulness.” By Michael Hardin

This is stated in context to what Satan did to Eve in the garden.

Think about it today though…

How many places tell you what you need to do to be saved? Then, how many different ways are there to be saved?

But…

The Bible says Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to the father except by him.

So, when Jesus speaks we should listen. Too many messages by churches today say…

Accept Jesus into your hearts, or…

Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or…

All you have to do is believe in your heart.

They take small snapshots of God’s word and make it all encompassing. When in legitimacy, you must take the Bible in its entirety and compose all statements that indicate salvation.

So... What must you do to be saved?

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It's difficult, time consuming and costly to have a nice lawn. Knowledge of how to mow properly, fertilize at the right time with the right stuff, herbicides, pesticides, pre-emergents, devotion of several hours every week all year long and hundreds of dollars are necessary to have that excellent lawn. Millions of dollars and tens of thousands of manhours are spent each year on parks, baseball fields, soccer fields, etc. just for the enjoyment of the game or time with nature. On the other hand, it's easy, cheap and takes no time at all to grow weeds. You need to know nothing, spend no money, take no time, and make no effort to develop a fine crop of weeds. Just ignore your lawn or be lazy and voile, weeds!

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How many times have you heard one of these stories…

Someone who takes care of their diet, exercises daily, then just something inward causes death at 50. They followed doctors and dietician advice.

Someone else, no regard for diet, no real exercise or “health” habits, and they does of natural causes at the age of 80 or ninety.

We have no control of our physical end, as long as we don’t take our own life. The best we can hope for is control of how we feel physically in the present.

“I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭13‬

Solomon echoes this sentiment multiple times in Ecclesiastes. It’s likely because today is a gift from God, so… enjoy today with what God has given you.

When you think you are the one in control, and especially in control of your end (time on earth), God, according to biblical examples, will humble you.

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Watching a professional group trim trees is entertaining. They climb up into the tree and start cutting, then swing to another area and continue. Branches are falling everywhere. When they are done, you sometimes wonder with all they cut out, how is the tree going to survive?

I was helping the Jalbert’s pack their truck when they moved. Across the street there was a tree that was a mess. Part was dead (from the freeze that winter) and part was growing in a very confused manner. Kory Kaufman was in the group and saw me looking at that poor tree. He stated, “look at all that monkey growth.” What a wonderful expression of the crazy growth. We both mused as to how to remove the bad and clean up the good so that the tree would not only survive but thrive.

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“But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬

I think we get accustomed to expecting some kind of return for when we give:

• Gift in return
• Responses
• of gratitude
• thank you note
• Show of enthusiasm
• Acknowledgement of the gift

It can even get to a point of more dangerous ground like:

• a favor returned or in tow, this is seen or presumed to be in the political field
• consideration for something the giver covets, especially in a job setting
• or some sort of social contract that is enacted

We are not to give with the expectation of anything… I mean ANYTHING!!

Make sure you stay tuned until at least 7:50 mark to get a full, well-rounded understanding of this topic…

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We, fellow Christians, are described in scripture in many ways. Which description used is based upon the relationship under consideration. We are described as growing together as family, serving together as soldiers, living together as citizens, and maturing together as Saints. All these terms are collective, describing our functional Christian relationship as we live toward God.

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