Ne duo laudem complectitur, et dicta scripserit his. Cu maiorum scriptorem sea, sea graecis temporibus ut. Regione reprehendunt an ius. At vis dolorum facilisi, ne vim munere doctus liberavisse, sed oratio integre dissentiunt in. Est option oportere indoctum et, id tollit probatus sit. Qui case probatus cu.

Ne duo laudem complectitur, et dicta scripserit his. Cu maiorum scriptorem sea, sea graecis temporibus ut. Regione reprehendunt an ius.

Ne mei numquam theophrastus, ei dolor exerci consectetuer sea, homero tamquam accusam te nam. Ut sed tota semper nusquam, ad mea graeci forensibus, cu tamquam sensibus vis. Eruditi delicata et usu. Pro movet omnes debitis at. Liber invenire praesent ius ex.

Ne duo laudem complectitur, et dicta scripserit his. Cu maiorum scriptorem sea, sea graecis temporibus ut. Regione reprehendunt an ius. At vis dolorum facilisi, ne vim munere doctus liberavisse, sed oratio integre dissentiunt in. Est option oportere indoctum et, id tollit probatus sit. Qui case probatus cu.

It’s that time of year again:  football season!  Some people anticipate this time of year as though it’s the final season of football ever.  The excitement of football seems to capture my attention more than the game itself,and I love football just as much as the next guy.  However, I often wonder why it is we can pack out stadiums each week, scream like some fool that has no sense whatsoever, and spend all kinds of money on tailgates, tickets, and clothing.  Yet when Sunday rolls around we are barely able to fill half of the seats in our worship centers, we sit with a blank dull stare, often fall asleep during the message, tithe as though the church is robbing us, and look forward until the hour is up.  Each year, we make sure to pay homage to the great football god (or any other god of our life for that matter), getting completely drunk on the excitement until we lose all dignity and self respect.

Christians, where is our zeal and passion for Jesus Christ?  When will we lose complete control and become drunk on His Spirit? Ephesians 5:18 says “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.”  What exactly does that mean and how can that relate to our lives?  Think about this:  how do we act at football games?  Most of the time we act crazy!  We might even act as though we’re so drunk we have no sense about us.  This Scripture tells us that we should be filled with the Spirit until we are drunk on Him.  When was the last time, if ever, that you came to church with an excitement of losing control for Jesus?  Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you actually let loose and let Jesus control you (and not just on Sundays either)?  What if we stopped caring what the person next to us in church thought about our voice or whether or not we raised our hands.  What if we actually came to church looking for Jesus to fill us?  What if we opened up our hearts and let Him in?  What if we let Jesus have His way?  Would we be changed?  Would this world be changed?  How much different could things be if we allowed Jesus to fill us and control us?  What if we invited people to join us for church like we ask them to go to games with us?  What if we were so passionate about Jesus that we spoke about Him each Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday like we do football.  When will Jesus actually take the number 1 place in our lives?  When will we be so broken for Him that nothing else in this world matters?  When???

This life is so temporary that James 4:14b describes it like this:  “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”  Since this life is so temporary, what matters?  Does football really matter?  No!  Jesus Christ is all that matters!  Football dies when we die.  Jesus Christ still lives.  My prayer is that we would stop letting other things control us.  Even things that are not bad in and of themselves (football, concerts, outdoor activities, and etc.).  These things in moderation are not bad at all, and every one of us can enjoy them!  However, if we will are filled with them, we leave no room for Jesus.  Therefore, if there’s no room for Him, we cannot be filled with His Spirit.  We cannot be drunk on Him.  My prayer is that we will replace these things with Jesus and allow Him to fill those places.  I pray that people around this world will lose control of their lives and allow Jesus to take control.  Isn’t it time for us to allow Jesus to fill us?  Isn’t it time for football to take its place behind Jesus?

Have you ever bumped into an old friend that you considered to be a lifelong friend,but it turns out they were only a friend to you at that moment in your life?  Not long ago, I lost every contact in my phone.  Most of the people I considered friends contacted me within a month, and I received their phone numbers again.  However, there was one contact in my phone I considered to be a great friend.  After about 2 months with no call from this contact, I searched on the internet, found this person’s place of employment, and contacted this person.  I spent about 20 strange minutes on the phone before the realization hit me:  “This is not a great friend – this is not even a good friend anymore.”

Friendship with Jesus is not something we have to worry about.  Jesus calls us “Friend”!  He is such a great friend that He laid down His life for us!  It is a joy and a comfort to know that someone so amazing loves you and me so much.  There are no worries about whether or not Jesus will contact us back.  In fact, Jesus wants to talk with us daily.  It’s up to us to reach out to talk with Him everyday!

John 15:12-15

¹² “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵ No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends.”