Why God Matters. After passing the baton for the leadership of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at San Clemente High, I was asked to come back and speak...way cool. Told to pick what I thought would be a meaningful topic, I thought and prayed about it, because whenever and wherever I speak, I am well aware that in many cases, I only get one shot. With quite a few of the students, our paths may never cross again. It was the middle of May and the seniors were ready to leave all things high school in the rearview mirror and be anywhere else. In view of that, I could think of nothing more relevant than to speak on Why God Matters. [perhaps, dear reading friend, you are a young person considering so many different things or you are in mid stream but still feel uncertain about your faith journey, or perhaps you know a young person who could benefit from these thoughts...] First, God matters because he is real . . . the single force that holds all things together. You can discover life with him and grow to know and love him and be loved by him at a young age … or you can spend a lifetime looking for real meaning, and miss it altogether. But here’s the thing—if there is a God who created you and longs to fill you and fulfill you, wouldn’t you want to know? Wouldn’t you want to know him and have your own experience with him? God matters because as your creator, he gives you your reason for being, your very unique purpose. So explore. Ask questions. Look around you for people—young people, adults—who seem to have some things figured out, learn from them. Check out churches and worship experiences that are alive! Don’t miss out. The reason your faith in God is so important in your life is not because of faith itself, rather it is because of him—the object of your faith! GOD IS. God matters because when you have a relationship with him, you will never be alone again. God promises he will never abandon you … he is always with you. so, whether you know it or not, God is there whether you feel it or not, God is there when it is late at night, and you are in your bed at home or sleeping on the floor of one of your idiot friend’s places when you are far away in a new college dorm room travelling with friends in Europe, staying in youth hostels or super sore from training for football or lacrosse, or the physical and mental torture of the Air Force academy, wondering what in the world you signed on for . . . No matter where you find yourself, if you are a child of God, you are never out of his reach, never alone. God on that: “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”1 God matters because he will lead your life if you look to him. ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.’2 Real life example—a couple months ago, I felt like perhaps I should take a break and pray about my effectiveness as a leader of FCA and Sunday Night Live after almost four years. All leaders should, from time to time, press ‘pause’ to think, pray, and ask God about such things. Through a couple happenings, I believed God said, ‘Let go … pass the baton.’ I obeyed, though I did not really understand the ‘why,’ and to be honest, letting go hurt a lot, especially in the not-knowing-ness. However, there was about to be so much required of me that I would have let the FCA students down. One thing, my oldest son beaten up in San Francisco, sustaining brain trauma, which led to grand mal seizures, and my needing to spend more than a week in Northern California, getting him medical attention and relocating him so that he could walk to work. I didn’t know that was coming; I didn’t know younger son Dylan would be a week in the hospital with a strange malady, but God knew … Here’s the thing—when you are following God, he leads, he guides, he directs. God matters . . . He sees around corners you cannot. God matters because he is the one cONsTANt in a world that is constantly in motion, constantly changing. God is faithful, and he is trustworthy. Do not let anyone draw conclusions about God and faith for you … no one. Not even your parents. You are old enough to examine the claims of any faith for yourself … at least, I think you can all read, right? You can watch videos like this from Summit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo0mhsqwFCs. Solid. In the college setting, or perhaps on a job, in the military, on the athletic playing field, you will have professors or bosses or coaches who will mock your faith; this is not a potentiality is an eventuality. It. will. happen. I remember this silly little thing girls did when I was in high school … a bunch of us would be at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor, and someone would tie the knot of a cherry stem with her tongue … yes, without using her hands! Some girls could do it so easily! It will be the same with some of you and God… three or four weeks into a college science class this fall, many of you will be defeated in your faith, tied up just like that cherry stem, because your arrogant teacher will shake your belief in God by telling you that science and Christianity are incompatible; or he will tell you science destroys the claims of the Bible, take your pick. Then he will throw a few intellectual terms in there and you will be sitting there with your mouth open and no words coming out. In no uncertain terms, he will chew you up and spit you out because you do not know in fact that science backs up the Bible, science points to God as our intelligent designer, for as Paul wrote, creation points to him— ’For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.’3 Christian, you and I are to ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.’4 And finally, God matters because your eternity matters … where would you like to spend it? The question deserves a little investigation. Oh yes, God matters. In my last Morning Briefing, I posited that prayer is only as good as the One to whom you are praying. And then I upped the ante by saying you must be praying to the One. True. God. When Paul said we are to pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion5, there are those who realize that prayer must be offered to God, and right they are! As my friend Connie says, 'either which way' (is that a Southern expression 'either which way'?), we come, come we must if we are to know truth and life here and now and forever. Oh my friend, if you are lost and wondering, on this continent or in Africa or India, God matters. Pursue him with all you have. Here is what I KNOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9uuCzo7PUo God Matters. Christine 1 – Hebrews 13.5, NASB 2 – Proverbs 3.5,6, NLT 3 – Romans 1.20, NASB 4 – 1 Peter 3.15, NIV 5 - Ephesians 6.18
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