Pastor’s Blog
Shield: Ephesians 6:16
There was a time when a shield was a common household object. In your little one-story, one-bedroom home, you had your water jug, your firewood, your flints, your pottery…and your spear and your shield. Those were violent times perhaps.
The Spartan mothers would tell their boys headed out to war, "Come back with your shield or on it." In other words, don't be that coward that throws down his shield in the face of danger and runs away. Make a stand, and either win or die trying.” Ok, mom!
Feet in the Net: Psalm 25:15
There's a show on Netflix called The Floor is Lava, on which teams of contestants are told to get from one end of the room to the other without touching the floor, which is covered in four or five feet of bubbling red water ("lava"). They have to jump from one piece of furniture to another to do so. On one episode, there was a giant cargo net that contestants could release from the ceiling and then jump to.
Deer Feet: Psalm 18:33, 36
I once met a man who called his son a “rock climber.” His son wasn’t someone who dabbled in buying the gear or who went on a trip to a national park that one time. No, he was a full-fledged rock climber. He plans trips based on the mountain’s challenge to his personal fitness, requiring his absolute attention to safety, and then he goes and takes on those challenges! So cool!
Work Out: Ephesians 5:29-30
You are supposed to sweat at the gym. It's okay if you have streaks on your shirt, sweat running down your face. It's called a workout. You are supposed to work. If you feel fatigued when you leave, you don't think, "What's wrong with me? Why couldn't I handle that better?" And no one, seeing you, thinks you hate yourself. Instead, they are happy for you. You worked out.