"God loves naughty boys"

Henry Ironside, who ministered in the first half of the 1900’s, pastoring the Moody Church in Chicago for 20 years, tells this story.

“I remember, when I was a boy, going to a missionary meeting. A missionary was there from Africa and was showing us a whole lot of curious things, and then he said, ‘Now, boys, I want to tell you the kind of Gospel we preach to the people of Africa. How many good boys have we here?’ 

A lot of us thought we were good, but our mothers were there, and so not one of us dared hold up his hand. ‘Well,’ said he, ‘not one good boy here; then I have the same message for you that we have for the heathen in Africa; God loves naughty boys.’ 

‘My,’ I thought, ‘he is getting all mixed up,’ for you see I had heard people say, ‘If you are good God will love you.’ But, dear friends, that is not true. God is not waiting for you to be good so He can love you; God loves sinners.” 

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). 

Friend, if you’ve been hearing people say (and believing) that God can only love you if you’re good, then this revelation of God’s sacrificial love can change your world. The truth is that apart from Christ we’re all morally deficient, ungodly sinners and even enemies of God. We’ve done nothing – and can do nothing – to earn God’s love. 

Truly, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). 

And as it is written, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). 

As rebellious, self-centered trespassers, we deserve the wrath of God, not His love. 

But here’s what you need to hear and believe and embrace: God is love! And being rich in mercy, overflowing with grace, whose love is unfailing, unending, unconditional, and unparalleled; whose love is amazing, steadfast, great, and perfect; this God put His love on display for all to see by sending His Son Jesus into our world to die in our place. 

Not for the good boys, but for the naughty boys.

And on the cross of Calvary, the blood of Jesus shed for the forgiveness of sins can make the sinners clean, washing away every stain, making us right with God, and saving us from His just wrath. Not only that, but He adopts us into His family as sons and daughters, and by His resurrection victory He gives us the promise of eternal life. 

And I don’t even have room to unpack the abundance of life that He gives us even now – a life of purpose and meaning, fellowship in His presence and with His people, peace that passes all understanding, joy inexpressible, hope unshakeable, and the guidance and comfort and help and power of His Holy Spirit all the time, every day, every step of the way! 

I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene

And wonder how He could love me, a sinner, condemned, unclean

How marvelous, how wonderful, and my song shall ever be

How marvelous, how wonderful, is my Savior’s love for me! 

Have you received this gift of God’s sacrificial love that brings eternal life? Why not repent from sin, trust Him today as Savior, and surrender to Him as Lord? It doesn’t matter what’s in your past or where you’re at right now. Come to Him in faith. God loves naughty boys. 

Ready for Revival

I am ready for a revival! How about you?

I am ready to see God reignite a flame in the heart of every believer. I am ready to see the power of Jesus’ resurrection victory transform lives for His glory. I am ready to see what happens when the Holy Spirit fills the followers of Jesus for undivided loyalty and unbridled obedience to the will of God.

I am ready to see Christians get thoroughly right with God, confessing and renouncing sin, turning away from every form of wickedness, putting all idolatry and immorality to death, and finding the freedom of cleansing forgiveness in Christ fresh and new like never before.

I am ready to see those who claim the name of Jesus embrace Him fully, clothing themselves in His righteousness, transformed by the renewal of their minds, abiding richly in Christ, delighting in His Word, and walking in lockstep with the Holy Spirit day by day.

I am ready to see a new hunger for the things of God among His people, passionately pursuing purity and holiness, living by faith and not by sight, loving the Lord with everything they’ve got and loving their neighbor as themselves.

I am ready to see revival!

I am ready to see the church on her knees pleading with the Father to pour out His mercy upon us, to amaze us anew with His grace, to overwhelm us again with His unfailing love, and to unleash the wonder of His power at work within us.

I am ready to see the church praying earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest fields, to raise up men and women who will unashamedly witness for the gospel in their homes, neighborhoods, workplaces and schools, and to call out some to serve as vocational missionaries, pastors, and ministers to the hurting and helpless.

I am ready to see the church crying out to God for the salvation of lost souls with an aching that cannot be quenched apart from a mighty and marvelous work of God.

I am ready for revival!

And I am ready to experience the heart of true surrender in the church, with the Bride of Christ giving herself in full submission to the mission of her Savior, putting herself at the disposal of God to be used any way He desires to reach others for Christ.

I am ready to see prodigals coming home, the hopeless finding hope, the broken finding healing, the fearful finding the Prince of Peace, the lonely finding a Friend, and sinners finding the Savior.

I am ready to see a Great Awakening in our land and to the ends of the earth as the people of God take the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit with a burning desire to see souls saved. I am ready to witness the Spirit of God opening the eyes of the blind to see the glory of Christ Jesus, as men and women, boys and girls are rescued from spiritual darkness and brought to the light of the Kingdom of God, ushered by God’s grace from death to life, and freed from the chains of sin to serve to the risen and living Christ.

I am ready for revival, and I’m ready for it to begin in my own heart and among the church right here in Petersburg.

Oh, God, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?” (Psalm 85:6).

Resurrection Truth

If the resurrection of Jesus is not true, then what fools we are who believe this. Seriously, what a waste of our few years on this planet if we’ve fallen for a hoax thinking that Jesus came back to life after a horrific crucifixion.

But if it is true, then doesn’t this change everything for now and for eternity?! The faith we profess, the hope we possess, the life we express, the Lord we bless – everything hinges on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. How do we know it’s truly true, that it really did happen, and it’s not just a wishful fantasy of someone’s clever imagination?

Of course, volumes have been written on the subject, but allow me to summarize a few key pieces of evidence to help strengthen (or challenge) your belief about the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

The prophets foretold it. Long before Jesus ever stepped down from glory into our world, the prophets spoke of the coming King who would conquer death and reign forever. Just one example comes from Peter’s message on the day of Pentecost where he quotes from David (Psalm 16), and says, “he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption” (Acts 2:31).

The Bible records it. “All Scripture is God-breathed,” (2 Timothy 3:16), and obviously the Bible clearly records the resurrection as fact. When the women went to the tomb, they expected to find the dead body of Jesus, but the angel said, “He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him” (Mark 16:6). “Every word of God proves true,” (Proverbs 30:5).

Jesus appeared to many people after His resurrection. Over the course of 40 days from His resurrection to His ascension into heaven, Jesus presented Himself alive by many proofs (Acts 1:3). He showed them His nail-scarred hands and pierced side. He ate with them, talked with them, walked with them, taught them. They saw Him, touched Him, and believed.

Names were named. If I made a hole-in-one on 18 at Shambolee, who’s going to believe me unless I tell you who I was playing with so you could go ask them yourself? In 1 Corinthians 15 where Paul talks about the resurrection, He names specific people, including himself, who were eyewitnesses of Jesus. In effect, he’s saying, “If you don’t believe me, go ask them!”

The disciples of Jesus testified to His resurrection even to their own martyrdom. If they had stolen the body of Jesus, as some claimed, perhaps they could have circulated the lie for some time. But who goes to such great lengths of suffering and dying while staging something they know is not true? And none of them ever blew the whistle unraveling the mystery? They never wavered because they knew it was true.

Lives were patently transformed by the resurrection of Jesus. Unbelieving skeptics like Saul/Paul and James are examples of men whose lives were changed by the truth. Fearful, dejected disciples were made bold and courageous as they proclaimed this message. Jesus gives life and power to those who believe the reality of the resurrection.

Indeed, the resurrection of Jesus is not only true, it is the most glorious and life-saving news you’ll ever hear, for Christ died to save us from the penalty of our sins, and He rose that we might have eternal life with Him in heaven! Do you believe this?

Phony Faith or Genuine Salvation?

Many people live with a phony faith. They talk a religious talk and do religious things. But you can’t cash in phony faith on Judgment Day. 

The crowds that lined the streets for Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on what we call “Palm Sunday” remind us that not everyone who shouts, “Hosanna!” is a genuine, born-again believer. Not everyone who waves palm branches truly knows Jesus as Lord and Savior, either. 

Some of the most piercing words Jesus ever uttered were these: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’ On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me; you workers of lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21). 

Many people give lip service to Jesus, but they’re not really saved. You can honor Him with your lips while your heart remains far from Him. You can sing praise songs at the top of your lungs and quote Bible verses all day, but that’s not the way to heaven. 

And many think their impressive religious record of service will surely be enough. “Lord, didn’t I go to church every Sunday, observe religious fasts, take communion, teach Sunday School, volunteer at the soup kitchen, and give money to the poor?”

Tragically, many will hear not a gracious welcome into His glorious presence, but a chilling condemnation to eternal separation. Can you even think of more crushing words from Christ than, “I never knew you; depart from me”?

Friend, there’s no better – and no more urgent – time than now to do a spiritual checkup. The apostle Paul exhorts: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

The good news is that you can have full assurance of your faith. You can know that your faith is genuine, not counterfeit, and that when you stand before God on the Day you will be unashamed and uncondemned. How can we know this for sure?  I’m glad you asked!

Here’s the bold print: Genuine faith is built on knowing Jesus in true repentance and faith which results in obedience to the will of God.

Salvation is a work of the grace of God through Jesus. Because we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and because the wages of sin is death and hell (Romans 6:23), we are utterly unable to save ourselves. Apart from Christ we are spiritually dead. Dead men can’t breathe new life into themselves.

But Jesus, the Son of God, God incarnate, in immeasurable love for us came and lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death in our place, taking our sins upon Himself and thus satisfied the wrath of a just and holy God against sin.

And on the third day, He rose in victory over sin and death and hell, and now He is exalted at the right hand of God.

The Bible tells us clearly that “whosever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This kind of faith is a faith that makes dead men live! It puts the sinful ways to death and lives in a new way of life – for the will of God to the glory of God.

Make sure that your faith is genuine by believing in and obeying the One who gave His life so that you can truly live!

Living with Eternal Purpose

Many people wander aimlessly through life without purpose. They have no guiding sense of direction or calling that helps them prioritize their time, investments, or day-to-day decisions on what to do and what not to do. They just kind of drift along with the flow.

Despite the busy-ness of necessary and self-imposed demands, without finding meaning to their labor or existence, life soon feels futile and hopeless.

Why am I here? Who am I? What’s the point? Whatever.

Is there more to life than this? Does my work really matter in the end? How can I find significance and satisfaction? What’s going to happen when I die?

If you’re asking questions like these, I would suggest to you that it’s because God has created you for a purpose, and until you discover it, you’ll continue to drift like a ship lost at sea.

The writer of the book of Ecclesiastes addressed many of these same concerns. Indeed, he explored and indulged in everything life had to offer – work, wealth, women, wine, wisdom, power, possessions, prominence – he pursued it all and had it all. Yet, he found everything meaningless in the end, a “chasing after the wind” as he describes it (Ecc. 1:14).

But the story doesn’t end in futility or despair. And yours doesn’t have to, either.

See, we’ve been created by a loving God who has “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecc. 3:11). We are created by Him and for Him, and if we spend our lives seeking the things of the world apart from Him, then we’ll reach the same pointless conclusion as “The Preacher” of Ecclesiastes: “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless” (Ecc. 1:2).

But when we seek the Lord with all our hearts, loving Him, trusting Him, obeying Him, following Him, then we’ll truly find fullness of life like the bright sunlight breaking through the gloom of a dreary sky.

Friend, you were made in the image of God with a deep craving in your heart to know Him! Not just to know about Him, but to know Him in a genuine love-relationship that gives true purpose and meaning to everything in this life and in the life to come.

The Bible tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

In Jesus, there is peace that passes all understanding. In Jesus, there is joy that words cannot express. In Jesus, there is hope that remains unshakeable. In Jesus, there is new, abundant, and eternal life. In Jesus, there is purpose in everything under the sun because we live no longer for ourselves but for Him – the One who died for us and was raised to life.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc. 12:13).

Isn’t it time you started living life with eternal purpose?

Wash your hands!?

It is possible to get so enamored with our own religious traditions that we miss the very heart of worship.

The Pharisees got their britches bent out of shape because the disciples of Jesus didn’t wash their hands before they ate. Of course, this was pre-Covid! LOL! And according to their tradition, that would make them defiled.

Jesus said to them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites, for he wrote: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God” (Mark 7:6-7).  

True worship is not about washing your hands or raising your hands or saying particular prayers or observing special days or abstaining from certain foods.

It’s about living in faith from a heart of reverence and awe and purity and humility and love and obedience toward a holy God. Worship springs from a heart that overflows with gratitude for the marvelous mercy and amazing grace of the Savior who came down from heaven to save wretches like you and me.

Jesus went on to say that it’s not what goes into a man that defiles him, but what comes out of a person that defiles him. “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 8:21-23).

The Bible says plainly that all of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In other words, we’re all defiled, and we all deserve the just penalty for our sins, which is death and eternal separation from God in hell.

And no amount of washing our hands or keeping religious traditions can take away our sin. But Jesus can, and He did.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – every one – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

“For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The defilements of our sin stains are forgiven at the cross, where Christ took the nails for us. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

So, go and please wash your hands before you eat and use all the hand sanitizer you want, but make sure that your heart is washed clean by repenting from sin and receiving Jesus as the Savior and Master of your life.

There's only one way

Congratulations to both the Bluejays boys and girls high school basketball teams on an outstanding season! At this writing the girls are undefeated and the boys are unbeaten in conference play. To Coach Kesler, Coach Rathgeb, and their teams – great job! You’ve had a remarkable run in an extremely challenging season. 

It’s been fun to follow the Jays, even though the only way I’ve been able to watch any games this year has been through the NFHS Network which streams the games online. I’m grateful for that, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the same as being in the gym. 

By the way, special thanks to Neil Gurnsey and Mike Logsdon for their stellar work in announcing the games! It’s so much better to watch with play-by-play than without. Now, if somebody could just figure out how to keep that camera from swinging back and forth from one end of the court to the other during time-outs, that would be great – I’m getting dizzy! 

So anybody can watch through this network. All you have to do is sign-up and pay a relatively small subscription cost and figure out how to find it on your device. But that’s the only way to do it. You can search every channel on your satellite or cable provider, you can install a 30-foot antenna in your backyard if you want, but if you really want to watch the Bullets v. Bluejays on Tuesday night, you’ve got to go through the network. 

When it comes to far weightier matters of eternal destinations, there is likewise only one way to heaven. You’ve got to go through Jesus. 

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). It is an exclusive claim, no question. But it’s an all-inclusive offer! 

And it’s grounded in the most amazing display of love ever given. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Abundant and eternal life is available to anyone – but you’ve got to go through Jesus. 

You could try to make it to heaven in a million other ways or through a million other religions, but there’s only one God who loved you so much that He stepped down out of heaven and took on the likeness of man, humbled Himself to the point of death – even death on a cross! – and paid the cost by bearing our sins in His body to save us from the judgment we deserve. Jesus is the way! 

And He pleads with you to come to Him. “Enter by the narrow gate” (Matthew 7:13). The narrow gate opens to a hard road, but it leads to eternal life. The wide gate opens to an easy road that leads to destruction. These are the only two options to your eternal destination. 

So I ask: Which way are you going?

 

Your gender is not a blunder

Poor Mr. Potato Head. Toy manufacturer Hasbro announced a “rebranding” of their iconic toy by dropping the “Mr.” from the product name in an attempt to dismantle traditional gender norms and family forms. 

Indeed, their corporate website features their new promotional packaging including two potato dads with a tyke in one photo and two moms and a baby in another. 

Hasbro GM Kimberly Boyd said in an interview with business magazine Fast Company that the Mr. and Mrs. brand was "limiting when it comes to both gender identity and family structure.” 

The company later clarified that it’s keeping individual Mr. & Mrs. Potato Heads on the shelves, but their intention is clearly to become more “inclusive.” It should be noted that the company understands the primary “sweet spot” for the toy is 2-3 year olds. 

Why do I bring this up? And why am I concerned about the dangerous, divisive, and deceptively misnamed “Equality Act”? 

While bending over backward to promote the perverse lifestyle choices of a distorted few, if passed this bill opens the door to all kinds of nonsense from allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports to sharing locker rooms, bathrooms, shelters, prison cells and more. It will restrict foster care and adoption agencies, religious schools and ministries, and essentially lead to regulated public speech. 

Listen, I’m not in favor of discriminating against anyone, but how does honoring depravity restore honor? And when the next amendment adds protection to child molesters and sex traffickers, who’s going to say we’ve got to stop this madness!? 

I’m highly in favor of biology, truth, decency, and common sense for the common good. We need to teach our children without apology at ages 2-3 and every age that boys are boys and girls and girls. How is this not indisputable? 

And when a young person who’s being manipulated and indoctrinated by a sexually infatuated and twisted culture begins questioning his or her “gender” or “sexual orientation,” we must compassionately offer true life-saving help rather than feed them with the devil’s lies. 

One’s gender is not a blunder. God did not make a mistake when He made them male and female. Each person is created uniquely, wonderfully, purposefully, and lovingly to display the glory of the One who made us in His very own image! 

Let’s appreciate and applaud the beautiful design of the Maker of all things! Yes, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But God in astounding love sent Jesus to die for us so that our sins can be forgiven and we can be made new! And if He has the power to raise Jesus from death to life, then He has the power to destroy every deviant desire and transform our hearts into the holiness of Christ. 

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

 

Draw Near

 I love our Sunday night men’s Bible studies at the First Baptist Church! There’s a bond of friendship and fellowship that develops quickly when men get together to sharpen one another in the faith like iron sharpens iron.

Guys, if you need a place of connection, a group of men who will encourage you and help you grow, there’s room at the table for you. Give me a call at 217-632-2488 and I’ll give you more details. And I’m not talking about a self-righteous, holier-than-thou lecture hall style meeting, but an authentic gathering of men seeking to be more faithful to our God.

Ladies, we have some great options for women’s studies, as well, and I’d be delighted to help get you connected if you’re interested. 

Our men’s group has been learning from a video teaching series by Dr. Tony Evans called “The Power of Jesus’ Names.” This past week Dr. Evans reflected on two names by which Jesus is revealed: Our Great High Priest and the Lamb of God. 

I have to confess that I while I rely humbly and gratefully upon His role as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29), the description of Jesus as the Great High Priest is one I need to better take to heart. 

Of His permanent priesthood, the author of Hebrews writes, “Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). 

Is that not a mighty word of grace? This High Priest – the one Mediator between God and man, God incarnate, Christ Jesus – has all power and authority to secure the salvation of His people, and He ever-lives to intercede for the saints according to the will of God! I mean, if that doesn’t give you confident assurance in both the strength you need to make it day by day as well as the promised hope for eternal life in Christ, then I don’t know what will! 

Of course, if you’re not a believer then you do not have access to this promise nor the assurance of heaven. And so I would plead with you to draw near to Jesus by His grace through faith now, before it’s too late! 

Tony Evans gives this encouraging word from this study: “Jesus can sympathize. He understands. He feels what you feel. That’s why He has so much compassion. And you and I can access that sympathy and compassion by drawing near to the throne of grace, where we receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. 

“But we must take steps to draw near. We must move forward in confidence. If you have a long-distance relationship with Jesus, your Great High Priest, you will never get to witness His priesthood working on your behalf. If you are only a Sunday-morning Christian, you will never experience His priesthood helping you in your times of need. In order to see God intervene in your situations, you need to confidently approach Him through the relationship you have with Jesus, the Great High Priest. You’ve got to draw near.” 

Seriously, men, you know you need this. Let’s draw near together.

Move-on-to-the-next-game life strategies

[A little late in publishing this here...oh, well, hope it's helpful still!]

Well, that was a huge flop. I’m reeling today over the Chiefs’ beatdown by the Bucs in the Super Bowl. I mean, it was ugly. The Bucs seriously played a great game. They were practically flawless. Almost everything they did worked perfectly on offense and defense.

But as a Chiefs’ fan, it was hard to watch. Oh, well, there’s always next year!

What do you do when life beats you down? Do you ever feel like you just got smoked? Nothing you do turns out right. Always a step or two behind. Trying to catch up but you just can’t seem to get on track.

Here are four move-on-to-the-next-game strategies you might be able to use.

1. It’s okay to tell God you’re hurting. Let’s face it, sometimes the circumstances of life stink. We make bad decisions that prove costly. We end up as collateral damage from somebody else’s reckless behavior. Or we simply get caught up in a pandemic that has knocked millions to the ground in all kinds of ways.

Take it to the Lord! “Now let us have a little talk with Jesus, let us tell Him all about our troubles. He will hear our faintest cry, and He will answer by and by.” He really does care about what you’re going through. He loves you more than you know. And you can cry out to Him with your hurts, your pain, your tears, and your fears. “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

2. Ask God for help. Not only does He care, He can do something about it. In another song the chorus goes: “Take it to the One who calmed the waters, take it to the One who really cares, take it to the One who made the lame to walk again. Get on your knees and handle with prayer.” 

Jeremiah 32:27 says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for Me?” If He calmed the raging sea with a word and made the lame to walk again, don’t you think He can come through in your situation? He’s the God of all creation – ask Him for some help.

3. Trust Him to act. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Trust His ways, His provision, His timing, and His purposes. He’s probably not going to ask for your advice in how He should handle it, but His thoughts and His wisdom are much higher than yours, so wait upon the Lord and trust Him even through the valley.

4. Get up and take the next step. You should certainly learn from the past, but you can’t dwell there. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

In the strength God provides and by the light of His Word, get up and take the next step of faith. Follow where He leads. Obey His voice. You might be down, but you’re not out – not when you belong to Jesus.

And if you don’t yet know Him as Savior, now’s a good time to believe. We need to be ready for the next game.