Hello Friends,
I apologize for the delay of my blog again this week. Hope to do better next week.
The text for Sunday is a familiar passage of scripture that you know very well; The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. As you read over the text, several questions come to mind: what is a talent? Why does one servant receive five talents while the others get two and one respectively? How long is the master away? What do these servants do to invest their talents for the master?
If a preacher tries to answer all those questions (and I have before), then the essence of the text can be missed. The crux of the passage lies not in the faithfulness of the good servants, but in the simple timidity of the one who buried that talent. You see, he was too afraid of failure to invest in the master's behalf.
I am convinced that many churches and individuals fall in the same category as the third servant...we are so afraid of failing God that we do not try to invest in the Kingdom. Perhaps it is the fear of ridicule, the fear of rejection or even the fear of success that ensnares our efforts. The question that we need to address Sunday is very simple: what are you doing in your life? Are you trying, or are you timid? Are you investing in the Kingdom, or are you holding on to your resources to start at a more opportune time?
Before you answer, consider this: God is not as interested in the results as much as God is interested in the effort that you and I exert. May our fear of failure never hinder our service to God and His church.
Sports Corner (15-8)
A perfect week ladies and gentlemen! That is more like it, though the games this week become much more difficult to pick.
Tonight, GA Tech has the opportunity to cement its berth in the ACC championship. They face a top ten team who holds its on destiny in its hand in VA Tech. These teams always provide an entertaining game when they get together. Tech upset #5 Clemson at home in its last game and the question is will lightning strike twice on North Avenue? I say yes...VA Tech is somewhat overrated, and the Jackets are tough on their home field (5-0 this year). GA Tech wins a close one by 4.
GA Southern goes on the road Saturday to face Wofford. To put it bluntly, GA Southern has not looked like the team it appeared to be in the first six games. They got beat by App State and pulled out a tough win against the Citadel last week. But Eagle fans, I have good news. GA Southern rebounds this week, plays like it should and wins by six and going away.
UGA showed zero let down after the victory over Florida when they decimated lowly New Mexico State last Saturday. In fact, the starters were done by half time, and probably should have been pulled before that. The Bulldogs have a big game this Saturday against rival Auburn. Auburn won the national championship last year and looks good again this year. The Dawgs have a golden opportunity to propel themselves into a commanding lead in the SEC East with a victory. As many of you know, this rivalry is known as the "South's Oldest Rivalry," and incredibly, the point difference, even over 100 years, is very small. The best news for UGA is that Auburn has to come to the Athens to play this weekend. I say this is a hard fought game, but UGA beats AU and prepares to go to the dome to face LSU in the SEC Championship in just a few weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons face their biggest rival in the Saints Sunday afternoon at the GA Dome. The Falcons have been on the rise while the Saints offense has been sputtering a bit lately. Over the last 8 meetings, the Falcons are just 2-6 against those boys from Louisiana and Falcons fans, I am afraid the trend continues. The Saints simply have too much on offense for a defense as young as the Falcons. Saints win, but the final score is closer than the experts think.
Thanks again for reading and as always, may God bless you and keep you as you serve Him faithfully.
Josh
I apologize for the delay of my blog again this week. Hope to do better next week.
The text for Sunday is a familiar passage of scripture that you know very well; The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. As you read over the text, several questions come to mind: what is a talent? Why does one servant receive five talents while the others get two and one respectively? How long is the master away? What do these servants do to invest their talents for the master?
If a preacher tries to answer all those questions (and I have before), then the essence of the text can be missed. The crux of the passage lies not in the faithfulness of the good servants, but in the simple timidity of the one who buried that talent. You see, he was too afraid of failure to invest in the master's behalf.
I am convinced that many churches and individuals fall in the same category as the third servant...we are so afraid of failing God that we do not try to invest in the Kingdom. Perhaps it is the fear of ridicule, the fear of rejection or even the fear of success that ensnares our efforts. The question that we need to address Sunday is very simple: what are you doing in your life? Are you trying, or are you timid? Are you investing in the Kingdom, or are you holding on to your resources to start at a more opportune time?
Before you answer, consider this: God is not as interested in the results as much as God is interested in the effort that you and I exert. May our fear of failure never hinder our service to God and His church.
Sports Corner (15-8)
A perfect week ladies and gentlemen! That is more like it, though the games this week become much more difficult to pick.
Tonight, GA Tech has the opportunity to cement its berth in the ACC championship. They face a top ten team who holds its on destiny in its hand in VA Tech. These teams always provide an entertaining game when they get together. Tech upset #5 Clemson at home in its last game and the question is will lightning strike twice on North Avenue? I say yes...VA Tech is somewhat overrated, and the Jackets are tough on their home field (5-0 this year). GA Tech wins a close one by 4.
GA Southern goes on the road Saturday to face Wofford. To put it bluntly, GA Southern has not looked like the team it appeared to be in the first six games. They got beat by App State and pulled out a tough win against the Citadel last week. But Eagle fans, I have good news. GA Southern rebounds this week, plays like it should and wins by six and going away.
UGA showed zero let down after the victory over Florida when they decimated lowly New Mexico State last Saturday. In fact, the starters were done by half time, and probably should have been pulled before that. The Bulldogs have a big game this Saturday against rival Auburn. Auburn won the national championship last year and looks good again this year. The Dawgs have a golden opportunity to propel themselves into a commanding lead in the SEC East with a victory. As many of you know, this rivalry is known as the "South's Oldest Rivalry," and incredibly, the point difference, even over 100 years, is very small. The best news for UGA is that Auburn has to come to the Athens to play this weekend. I say this is a hard fought game, but UGA beats AU and prepares to go to the dome to face LSU in the SEC Championship in just a few weeks.
The Atlanta Falcons face their biggest rival in the Saints Sunday afternoon at the GA Dome. The Falcons have been on the rise while the Saints offense has been sputtering a bit lately. Over the last 8 meetings, the Falcons are just 2-6 against those boys from Louisiana and Falcons fans, I am afraid the trend continues. The Saints simply have too much on offense for a defense as young as the Falcons. Saints win, but the final score is closer than the experts think.
Thanks again for reading and as always, may God bless you and keep you as you serve Him faithfully.
Josh
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