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1) WHAS 840 AM, Sunday Mornings/Monday-Friday Evenings

2) WAMZ 97.5 FM, Saturday Evenings

3) WKJK 1080 AM, Saturday Evenings

4) WQMF 97 FM, Saturday Evenings

5) WTFX 105 FM, Saturday Evenings

6) WJZL 93.1 FM, Saturday Evenings

7) WJZO 101.7 FM, Saturday Evenings

8) WZKF 98.9 FM, Saturday Evenings

9) XTRA Sports 790 AM, Saturday Evenings

10) WJIE 88.5 FM, Monday-Friday Mornings

11) WJIE 93.9 FM, Monday-Friday Mornings

12) WJIE International Short Wave Radio, Saturday Mornings

1) A young man was about a year away from his Bar Mitzvah, but was lacking in his knowledge of his Jewish background. To remedy this, the father sent his son to Israel. A year later the young man returned home. "Father, thank you for sending me to the land of our fathers. It was a wonderful and enlightening experience. However, I hope you will not be too upset when I tell you that while in Israel I converted to Christianity." Beside himself, the father went to his best friend and sought his advice. His friend said, "It is amazing that you should come to me. "I, too, sent my son to Israel and he returned a Christian." Together in their grief, they went to the Rabbi. "It is amazing that you should come to me," stated the Rabbi. "I, too, sent my son to Israel and he, too, returned a Christian! Brothers, we must take this problem to our God." They fell down on their faces and began to pour out their hearts to the Almighty. As they prayed, a mighty voice from the clouds said, "Amazing that you should come to me. I, too, sent my son to Israel........" "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16). Jesus Christ was born long ago in Bethlehem, so that he could born again in every heart today! What about yours? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

2) Once upon a time, the devil had a strategic planning session with his demons. In his motivational speech, the devil lectured on the number of seeds that his demons could plant with great success-doubt, procrastination, worry, fear, etc. Then the devil announced that the worst seed of all in the heart of any believer is discouragement. However, the devil warned, "The seed of discouragement can grow anywhere except in a grateful heart." Do you ever get discouraged? We all do. More than anything else, discouragement in the human heart can shut us down. We focus on what we don’t have instead of being grateful for what we do have, and we get discouraged. We focus on where we would like to be professionally instead of being grateful for how far we have come, and we get discouraged. We focus on what we would like for our children to be instead of being grateful for what our children are, and we get discouraged. The best medicine for the disease of discouragement is a grateful heart. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, "Give thanks in all circumstances." Regardless of outward circumstance, you can have inward success with God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

3) When you get home from work today, pretend that you find five sponges on your kitchen counter top. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can't tell by looking at the five sponges. So what do you do? Well, you squeeze each sponge to see what comes out. As you squeeze the first sponge, you see that cola comes out. Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub cleaner. In the third sponge, you find punch! In the fourth sponge, you see lemonade! In the last one, it’s soapy water! All the sponges look the same until they're squeezed. You know, people are just like sponges. As life squeezes us, different things come out - bitterness from one, cruel words from another, gossip from someone else, sadness from another, and finally, from one saint, the love of Christ. Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in. What are you putting into your life? Prayer, Bible study, worship? Christ said, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart" (Luke 6:45). In the words of one, "When life puts the squeeze on you (and it WILL), let Jesus come out of you." My friend, put Jesus into your heart, and Jesus will come out of your mouth. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

4) Recently, a woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at toys and hearing both of her children asking for everything they saw, she and the kids finally made it to the elevator. She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season. . . an overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food, and buy that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list. The woman was stressed out. Finally the elevator doors opened and she pushed her way in and dragged her two kids in and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed, she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up, and shot." From the back of the car, everyone heard a calm voice respond, "Don't worry, we already crucified him." It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. When you are getting so stressed out about gift-getting, maybe that’s because you have lost sight of the greatest gift-God’s love? You cannot buy love. But you can receive love, and you can give love. The Bible tells us, "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19). Because God loved us and gave his Son Jesus Christ for us, we can give the kind of love that will last forever. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

5) The famous vet James Herriot remembers his first wedding anniversary. His boss encouraged him to take his wife to an extravagant restaurant to celebrate. Though he couldn’t afford it, James decided to splurge. On the way to the restaurant, James stopped to examine a horse and unbeknownst to himself, he lost his wallet. James and his wife arrived at the elegant restaurant and enjoyed an extravagant meal. When it came to time to pay for the evening, James reached for his wallet, but it was missing. The embarrassment was too great, and James was forced to offer to clean up or do odd jobs. But the waiter said, "Sir, it’s already been paid for in advance by your employer." Like James Herriot, we try to pay our own way, but we have found that when it comes to God’s incomparable standards, we always fall short. When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished," that saying meant that our sin debt was "paid in full." Jesus Christ paid a debt he didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, receive him into your heart freely and know that Christ has already paid in full for your sins. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

6) Many years ago, Arnold Palmer played an exhibition game of golf in Saudia Arabia. The king of Saudia Arabia wanted to give Arnold Palmer a gift. All he had to do was name it. Palmer asked for a golf club. The king agreed and the next day Palmer received the title to a golf club consisting of thousands of acres, a clubhouse, and beautiful trees. Arnold Palmer was content with one meager club, and the king wanted to give him a whole golf course. We are content with one blessing, but God wants to shower blessings on us. We want the solution to one problem, when God wants to give us the solution to life. We want a little piece of earth when God wants to give us heaven. We want a little house on the river, and God wants to give us a mansion by the crystal sea in heaven. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 3:20-21: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!" God’s dream is greater than your best dream for life. Have you made your share of mistakes? Are you searching for a second chance? Are you hoping for a new beginning? You can find it if you are willing to receive Christ as your Savior. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

7) A teacher asked her students to list what they thought were the Seven Wonders of the World. The students cast the most votes for: 1. Egypt's Great Pyramids 2. Taj Mahal 3. Grand Canyon 4. Panama Canal 5. Empire State Building 6. St. Peter's Basilica 7. China's Great Wall. Then the teacher noted that one student had not turned in her paper yet and asked what she had written. The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are: 1. to see 2. to hear 3. to touch 4. to taste 5. to feel 6. to laugh 7. to love." The little girl knew the seven wonders of the world, and she never traveled a mile, yet she could see the vast wonders of the universe right around her nose through an attitude of gratitude. What are the seven wonders of your world? Regardless of what is going wrong in your life, thank God for what’s right! You may not have all that you want, but thank God for what you do have. It could always be worse, but my friend, it can always get better if you have an attitude of gratitude. Psalm 100 says, "Give thanks to the Lord. . . for the Lord is good." Gratitude is an attitude that achieves altitude. Gratitude will take you to heaven and back. Ingratitude will take you to a pity party straight from hell! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

8) Psalm 107:1-2 says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." Praise God and you will automatically proclaim God. For example, retired U.S. Marine Corps General Charles Krulak remembers going to the Naval Academy. His roommate was John Listerman, a wonderful friend, officer, and Christian. Krulak always thought the world of Listerman, but his friend would do something that would change his life forever. Right out of the Naval Academy, both 2^nd Lieutenants were sent into the jungles of Vietnam. Their patrol was ambushed. Krulak was wounded but not seriously, but his friend Listerman was critically wounded taking a hit near his heart. Krulak asked John if there was anything he could. John asked if he and the men were okay. Krulak said that everybody was okay. Then John Listerman looked to heaven and repeated over and over, "Thank you, Lord. Thank you for caring for my people. Thank you for caring for me." Both men would soon be evacuated, and General Krulak would give his heart to Christ. John Listerman praised God, and he powerfully proclaimed God. Praise God and you will proclaim God. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

9) Charles Lowry tells of a man who went shopping for his wife and he thought he would pick up a little gift. The sales clerk brought him a bottle of perfume costing $75. The man said, "That’s a bit much." The sales clerk showed him another bottle of perfume for $50. The man said, "That’s too much." The sales clerk brought him another bottle of perfume for $20. The man said, "That’s out of my budget." So the sales clerk brought him another bottle for $10. The man said, "No, no, no. That’s too much. What I mean is that I would like to see something really cheap." The sales clerk handed the man a mirror, so he could see himself. Now that’s cheap! If you looked in the mirror, would you see cheapness personified? Are you so frugal to the point of being cheap? Are you so conservative that you are miserly? Do you give of your time to your family, your church, your community, and your God? Do you give back your talents and gifts to God’s service because of what others have given to you? Do you give your full tithe to God through the local church because God has richly blessed you? Do you give others the benefit of the doubt or do you quickly judge others without even a fair trial? Do you take and take from others while never giving of yourself? The Bible says in Acts 20:35: "It more blessed to give than to receive." That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

10) In 1908, British explorer Ernest Shackleton headed on an expedition to reach the South Pole. They came close but had to stop 97 miles short of the South pole. In his diary Shackleton told of the time when they had only one ration of hardtack left. The men were dying of starvation. That night before Shackleton went to sleep, he saw one of his must trusted men, look around to see if anyone was looking. The man in an act of desperation reached into another man’s pack to presumably steal his last morsel of food. Shackleton could harldly look to see the demise of this godly man. Yet to his utter amazement this man when no one was looking put his last piece of food in the other man’s pack. That’s giving and giving sacrificially. In the worst of times, he did the best of things. The Bible says, "Freely you have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8) Max Lucado said about God’s great gift, "Your soul was more important than his blood. Your eternal life was more important than his earthly life. Your place in heaven was more important to him than his place in heaven. So he gave up his so you could have yours." Give your life to Jesus, and Jesus will give you back more life than you could ever imagine. You can never out-give or out-live Jesus! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

11) A physically challenged child makes his teacher upset. He ruins the play practice, whereupon Simon Birch is taken to the pastor’s office, and he asks, "Does God have a plan for my life?" The pastor is somewhat skeptical that God made Simon Birch physically challenged for a purpose. However, Simon believes that he was made that way for a reason and that he will be an instrument of God’s plan. In time, Simon would save the lives of many children when their bus crashed into the icy river. They listened to Simon because he was small like them. God did have a plan and a purpose for Simon’s life. No matter how small and insignificant you may feel, God has a plan and a purpose for your life! You may not have it figured out yet, but God has in his Word. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." When you feel like giving up, when you feel that the deck has been stacked against you, when you feel that Murphy’s Law is your life story, know that God can bring good out of bad. Nothing takes God by surprise. If you want to discover God’s purpose for your life, discover Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

12) One Saturday afternoon, the church sexton (custodian) was cleaning up the cathedral when he heard someone. A man in slightly tattered clothes told the sexton how much he admired the organ and asked if he could play. The sexton was reluctant, but he let the man play the magnificent pipe organ. The music touched his heart as nothing had before. The stranger quit playing and was leaving the cathedral when the sexton complimented the man and said, "That was the most beautiful music I have ever heard in all of my life. Who are you anyway?" The stranger answered, "My name is Mendelssohn, Felix Mendelssohn!" The custodian nearly fainted. He knew the man was the perhaps the greatest composer and organist of the 19^th century. After Mendelssohn left, the custodian said to himself, "Just think: I almost kept the master from playing his music in my cathedral!" Don’t let your preferences or your prejudices keep God out of your worship! Worship is not about style but about substance and Spirit. In worship all that matters is whether you are loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. When you center your worship on God, the focus is off you and what you want. We play to an audience of one and that one and only one is God! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

13) Christ said, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39). That’s an act of service. What we often mean by service is "serve us." However, we were saved in order to serve, and we serve in order that others will be saved. God doesn’t want spectators, but participants. God doesn’t want consumers, but contributors. God doesn’t want an audience, but an army of committed believers. You and I can make a difference in the school, in the community, in church, in the hospital, if we are willing to be self-giving instead of self-serving. A nursed took the young marine to the bedside. She said to the old man who was dying: "Here is your son." The nearly comatose man grabbed his son’s hand and held it until he died. Along all through the night, young marine held his father’s hand. After he died, the young marine asked the nurse: "Who was that man?" The nurse said, "Why, your father of course!" "No, he wasn’t my father. I’ve never seen him before in my life!" "Then why didn’t you say something?" "I knew a mistake had been made, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t there. So I stayed." Folks, he may not be your father; he may not be your brother; he may not be your friend; but can’t you give him a hand? You’ll be glad you did. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

14) Rick Warren said, "Friends of God tell their friends about God." Are you a friend of God? Are you telling your friends about God? During World War II, a number of items were in short supply, and England needed silver for defense projects. Winston Churchill asked if there was any source of silver that had been left untapped. He was told that indeed there was-churches and cathedrals had a few old statutes of saints that had been cast in silver. Churchill smiled and said, "Well, it’s time to put the saints back in circulation." It’s time we put the church back in circulation and share Christ. If the world had really needed education, God would have sent us an educator. If the world had really needed money, God would have sent us a financier. If the world had really needed entertainment, God would have sent us an actor. If the world had really needed fame, God would have sent us a celebrity. If the world had really needed sports, God would have sent us an athlete. But what the world really needs is an answer to our sin, so God sent us a Savior. You can make lots of money and have a great time, but only a soul that is saved will last for an eternity. Proverbs 11:30 says, "He that wins souls is wise." How many people will be in heaven because of you? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

15) The famous cartoonist Charles Shultz talked about what’s most important in life. Take this test: 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners. How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you. Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. Love is what matters most in life! Don’t leave church without it! "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God." (1 John 4:7) That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

16) Dr. Fred Moffatt told about two young K-Mart employees who were goofing off, and one wanted to see if he could fit in a 2 foot by 4 foot safe. He could. The door was closed. He was locked in. The other tried what he thought was the combination, but it didn’t work. They called in the fire department and the locksmith. They tried prying open the safe with crow bars, but they didn’t work. Finally, they tried the combination again, and this time they got it right. The next time you feel locked up in a jam, use God’s combination of prayer and Bible study. It will set you free every time. Romans 8:29 informs us that we are "to be conformed to the likeness of his Son." God wants to cultivate godly character in us. God is more concerned about who we are than what we do. We are human beings, not human doings! How is your personal quiet time with God each day? Do you revere the Bible, but you don’t read the Bible? Do you believe in the power of prayer, but you don’t make time to pray? Someone said, "Conversion only takes a moment, but discipleship takes a life time!" God wants to mold us and make in the image of Jesus Christ, even if it takes a lifetime, and the process is our personal quiet time of prayer and Bible study. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

17) According to The Chicago Tribune, a man named Bill Mallory traveled to India to discover the purpose of life. But he didn’t find the answer there. So after returning, he noticed a sign at a Chevron Gas station that simply said, "As you travel, ask us." So every time he pulled into a Chevron station, he would look to the sign and say, "I’m a traveler. I’d like to ask you a question. What is the purpose of life?" The first guy said, "Sorry. I’m new here." The second guy said, "I don’t remember anything in the manual about that." The third guy said, "I’m not much for church myself, sir." One day Bill got a phone call from Chevron Customer Relations. The man suggested that Bill send the question to corporate headquarters. So Bill wrote: "What is the purpose of life?" A couple of weeks later, the envelope was returned. The only thing in it was an application for a credit card. If you want to know the purpose of life, you won’t find it in a credit card or in the gas station. You won’t find the purpose of life in a drink, a pill, or a cigarette. If you want to know the purpose of life, you must look to Christ. Psalm 37:4 indicates, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." What makes God happy will make us happy. If we delight in God, God will give us the delights of our heart. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

18) Liz Curtis Higgs was one of the best-known disc jockeys in America, and she led a wild life. Because Liz Curtis Higgs had been burned by so many men, she became a militant feminist. But she had a Christian girlfriend who kept inviting her to church. So one day, she said, "Okay, I will go to church one time and one time only." And that week, the pastor just happened to be teaching on the Bible verse that says, "Wives submit yourselves to your husbands." Now, that’s not exactly a good verse to start with an angry militant feminist. But the pastor shared the rest of the verse: "And husbands-you sacrifice yourself; you give yourself for your wives just as Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for the church and died for her." When Liz heard that part, she leaned over to her friend and said, "Well, shoot, I’d gladly give myself to any man if I knew he would die for me." And her friend leaned over and said, "Liz, there is a man who loved you enough to die for you. His name is Jesus Christ. That’s how much He loves you." And it was not long after that, that Liz dropped her guard, surrendered her life to God and became a believer. You too can become a believer, if you will drop your guard and surrender all to the Savior. God has a purpose and a plan for your life. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

19) An elderly woman and her little grandson spent the day at the zoo. Lots of children were waiting in line to get their cheeks painted by a local artist. A girl said to the boy, "You’ve got so many freckles, there’s no place to paint!" Embarassed, the little boy dropped his head. His grandmother knelt down next to him. "I love your freckles. When I was a little girl, I always wanted freckles. Freckles are beautiful!" The boy looked up, "Really?" The grandmother said, "Of course! Why, just name me one thing that’s prettier than freckles." The little boy looked lovingly into his grandmother’s face and softly whispered, "Wrinkles." Because the grandmother loved the boy, and the boy loved his grandmother, they could see something beautiful in each other. Because we love God, we want to listen to God and see something beautiful about God in every day life. It may be a sermon; it may be a Bible story; it may be a song; it may be a conversation with a friend; it may be a beautiful sunset. But God wants to get your attention and your affection. Psalm 63:3 says, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Do you have ears to hear, eyes to see, minds to perceive, and hearts to feel? What is God trying to tell you in your life? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

20) Joel Morgan planned to visit missionaries in Romania. As he went shopping for the trip, and he prayed for God’s guidance. He picked up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, some tapioca pudding, some fruit cocktail. When Joel arrived in Romania, he stayed with a missionary family who was living in very harsh conditions. Though it was October, he decided to give the family an early Christmas. He asked the two daughters, "If you could have one thing from the U. S., what would it be?" In unison, they said, "Candy!" The mother chimed in, "Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups." A coincidence? Joel asked the mother, "Well, what item from back home would brighten up your day?" The mother answered, "I miss fruit cocktail." Amazing! Now everybody was laughing, and everybody was wiping away tears. Then Joel said, "Gary, what is your favorite dessert?" The dad smiled and said, "You know, it’s something nobody else in the world likes, tapioca pudding." Joel pulled out the tapioca pudding that God had prompted him to buy seven days earlier and 4,000 miles away. God cares for you. Philippians 4:19 says, "And my God shall supply all of your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." You can have everything that really matters because Jesus gave up his everything for you. Don’t let anything in this world keep you from having everything God wants for you! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

21) A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and she gave him food. The hungry traveler saw inside the woman’s bag of food the precious stone and asked for it. She did so without hesitation. The traveler rejoiced in the stone that would give him financial security for life. But a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. He said, "I’ve been thinking. I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this precious stone." God is more concerned with what you have on the inside than what you have on the outside. God cares more about your character than your circumstances. Ephesians 4:15 says, "God wants us to grow up like Christ in everything." God wants us to go up and grow up in Christ. We cannot microwave character. The crockpot best describes the slow process in which we grow in Christ. We cannot short circuit or shortcut the route of spiritual maturity. It’s take time in God’s Word, prayer, worship, and in church with fellow believers. Even as a baby cannot grow up instantly, so new babes in Christ cannot grow up overnight. It’s takes time to live and learn God’s way! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

22) God speaks to us most clearly and directly through his Word, but don’t discount the fact that God communicates to us in a variety of ways. The Bible tells us that God spoke to Balaam through a donkey; God got Jonah’s attention through a great fish; Elijah heard God in a still small voice; Belshazzar could see the handwriting on the wall. And I heard God say something to me when I was discouraged through an e-mail. The man whispered, "God, speak to me" And a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear. So the man yelled "God, speak to me" And the thunder and lightning rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen. The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you." And a star shined brightly. But the man did not see. And, the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle" And a life was born. But the man did not notice. So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here" Whereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on. I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted. Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect it. Expect the unexpected.... when it comes to God. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

23) God uses troubles and trials to draw us to himself. It was the middle of the recess in an elementary school. A little girl, seeing a somewhat urgent situation on the playground, rushed in to report to her teacher. When she found the teacher, the little girl said, "Teacher, come quick! There are two boys out in the school yard fighting, and I think the one on the bottom would like to see you very much!" A. When we are at the bottom of life’s troubles, we would like very much to see God. Romans 5:3-4 says, "But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Perseverance in spite of suffering forges character. B. Suffering can mold character in a way that success cannot. Dave Dravecky, a great pitcher for the San Francisco Giants lost his pitching arm to cancer, gave this testimony: "Have you ever noticed that at the top of the mountains the trees are sparse and it’s kind of brown and barren? But in the valleys you always find lush vegetation. In the valleys of life is where most of our growth occurs." It’s in life’s disappointments that God teaches us and shapes our character. C. Every problem has a purpose from God. When you face suffering, don’t ask "Why God?" but ask, "What God can I learn from this and how can I live for you in this crisis?" That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

24) If you have ever taught Sunday School or in a public classroom, you know that you can’t get a message across to the students unless you have their attention. C. S. Lewis said, "Pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world." God uses the tool of trouble to shape us and refine us into his image. You cannot refine silver in lukewarm temperatures, but only in a hot furnace can silver and gold be melted. A silversmith was asked, "How do you know when the silver is pure?" The silversmith answered, "When I see my reflection in it?" When we go through trials and troubles, the purpose is that God will see his image reflected in us. We were created to become like Christ. God wants our character to be greater than our circumstances. Godless circumstances change, but godly character should never change. We advance through our adversities, and we triumph through our trials. Romans 8:29 tells us what God wants us to be like in his Son, and Romans 8:28 tells us how God carries that out. "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Often the only way we can become Christ-like in character is to go through suffering. We may never understand why something has happened until we get to heaven. Spurgeon said that we are to trust God with our hearts even when we don’t understand God with our heads. People ask: What happens to good people when bad things happen? Of course, no one is absolutely good, but to answer the question: good people become better people. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

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25) The test of a person’s character is not in times of ease but times of hardship. During the Los Angeles riots, an amazing act of character took place. A Hispanic, Fidel Lopez, had been jerked out of his truck and beaten senseless by the rioters. He was beaten mercilessly with sticks, bats, and bottles. A crowd of people stood by and watched. Suddenly, an African American minister, the Reverend Bennie Newton, stepped into the fray. He covered the man’s body with his body. He screamed at the mob: "Stop it! Kill him and you’ll have to kill me, too!" Bennie Newton turned his back to the rioters and picked up the unconscious man and drove him to Daniel Freeman Hospital. Later, the minister took up an offering at his church to repay Fidel Lopez the $3,000 stolen from him. Some days later, the two men met and hugged each other. Fidel Lopez said, "How can I ever thank you? You saved my life! Why did you do it? Why did you risk it?" Newton said, "Because I am a Christian. I believe in sowing love, not hate. I believe in helping, not hurting. I believe in Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and love." The man had character because he had Christ. If you will get Christ, you will have character! Character is what you do in the dark when no one else is looking, but character begins in the light when you give your life to Christ. Build character and begin with Christ today! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

26) Several years ago, two teenage boys tried to go into a church service one night--only it was packed and they couldn’t find any seats. So they turned around and decided to leave because they couldn’t find a seat. But one usher said, "Come on, guys. I’ll find you a seat." And that usher personally escorted them down to the center and found them two seats. That night both of those boys accepted Christ and became Christians. One of them was Billy Graham who has led millions to know Christ. What was the name of the usher who led Billy Graham to meet Christ? What was the name of the usher who greeted you in church last Sunday? What are the names of the missionaries who sacrificially serve God all across the world? We may not know the names of these servants, but we know that they are performing the will of God. Corrie Ten Boom said, "What matters is not how long you live, but how you live. What matters is not the duration of your life, but the donation of your life." Jesus said, "The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). A Christian who is a non-servant is a contradiction in terms, and there is a major problem. If you are not serving God, are you a Christian? And if you are a Christian, and you are not serving, are you the kind of Christian God wants you to be? So what’s your excuse? It’s your serve! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

27) At 3:32 p.m. on August 14, 2003, a tree limb sagged onto an electrical line in Cleveland, Ohio. What difference can one sagging limb make? This one chain of events led to the greatest blackout in American history. The failure of this one transmission line caused a utility company in Southern Ohio to overload and seal itself off from the now infamous power grid. To the north, this created a huge need for power, and Cleveland began sucking an unsustainable amount of electricity from Michigan and Ontario. . . knocking out more transmission lines and generating plants. When the need for more power reached New York, power plants sealed themselves off from the power grid in order to protect their own systems. This created a new problem in New York because they overcompensated and overloaded its own system and burned out. The consequence: history’s largest shutdown-except for the largest spiritual shutdown in the church. When you don’t perform your God-given role and use your God-given gifts, God’s kingdom shuts down. When you are caught sagging in your seats and you don’t give anything back to God, you are helping create the largest shutdown in history. You may not feel special or significant, and you may feel that your part does not count. But every piece of the puzzle has a very important role to play. It’s time to get in the game for Jesus Christ and get off the bench! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

28) A man who joined the church said to the pastor, "Pastor, I just want to be fed. Feed me, feed me." The pastor rather abruptly said, "We would all be a lot better off, if you would take off that baby bib and grow up and learn to serve God." Folks, it’s time for many of us to take off the baby bib and grow up. Too many churches and too many Christians stagnate because they rush to this Bible study and that Bible study and they don’t rush to get involved in some ministry. What about you? Do you balance what you take in with what goes out? The Sea of Galilee is a fresh and dynamic lake because a river flows into it and a river flows out of it. The Dead Sea has a river flowing into it, but there is no river flowing out of it. It is a stagnant and dead sea. It takes, but it never gives. If you take in, but never give out, you will be a dead Christian. If you are not serving God in your family, if you are not serving God in your church, if you are not serving God in your community, isn’t it time you got involved? There is a blackout in this world, and there is power outage in many churches because those have been saved by the blood of the Lamb forget they are saved to serve, and they were not saved in order to be served! Folks, it’s time for many of us take off the baby bib and grow up. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

29) Bear Bryant, Alamba’s famous football coach, remembered the time in his early years at Kentucky. During one game, UK fumbled the football in front of the bench, and there was a scramble for the football. While they jumped for the bouncing ball, somebody accidentally knocked over a box containing eight footballs. Before you knew it, there were nine footballs bouncing across the field. A free-for-all followed. It was mass confusion for everybody including the refs. Because they were trying to determine who had possession of the ball, it was a three-ring circus. This one had it. No, this one had. No, he’s got it. In the end, Tennessee recovered five footballs, and Kentucky recovered four footballs. So the officials gave possession to Tennessee. The moral of the story: When the ball comes bouncing your way, grab it. Seize every opportunity for service. It’s time to get on the ball! Maybe, it’s an opportunity for a promotion. Maybe, it’s an opportunity to talk with your kid. Maybe, it’s an opportunity to make a move. Maybe, it’s an opportunity to share Christ. Joshua said, "Choose you this day whom you will serve. . . but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15-16) And you? When the ball comes bouncing your way, grab it. Seize every opportunity for service. It’s time to get on the ball! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

30) A couple of years ago, Rick Warren traveled to China with a pastoral team and had the opportunity to have lunch with the Provost of Peking University. Rick Warren found out that the professor was dying of brain cancer. Rick Warren said, "Professor Joe, my dad is dying of cancer, but he’s not afraid to die because he’s made his peace with God. He knows where he’s going when he dies." Rick Warren then shared the story of a man who took his son and his son’s three best friends to the carnival. He bought a roll of tickets. And at each of the carnival stops, he would stop at the ride and give his son and his friends free tickets. He did this several times. On the fifth ride, he looked down and there was a fourth kid and said, "Who are you?" The kid said, "I’m your son’s newest best friend; and he said that if I was his friend, his father would give me a free ticket." The dad then gave him a free ticket. Then Rick Warren said, "Professor Joe, your heavenly Father, God, has a free ticket for you to heaven. It is a free ticket. You can’t earn it. You can’t buy it. You’ll never deserve it. It is free. The only way you’ll get it is by being a friend of His Son, Jesus Christ." The provost, with lips trembling, said: "I would like one of those tickets." He bowed his head and received Jesus into his heart. Would you like a free ticket to heaven? All you have to do is become his Son’s newest, best friend, and you will be in for the ride of your life! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

31) In the James Bond movie, The World is Not Enough, the question is asked, "What is the point of living if you can’t feel alive?" Have you ever wondered, "What on earth am I here for?" To make more money? To have a good time? To get a rewarding job? To own a nice home? To raise a wholesome family? All of these are good goals, but all of these will leave you empty inside, unless there is something more. What more is there to life? In the Peanuts Comic Strip, there is a marvelous conversation between Lucy and Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown reads the paper: "It says here that the young people of today don’t believe in any causes." Lucy shouts back, "That’s not true at all. I believe in a cause. I believe in me. I’m my own cause. If I am not a cause, what is? I believe in the cause of good ole me!" Charlie Brown shakes his head and sighs, "Good grief!" Friends, there is more to life than the cause of good ole you and me. In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren said, "The purpose of your life is greater than your own personal fulfillment. It’s far greater than your own happiness. Even your own peace of mind. You were made by God and you were made for God and you were put here for His purposes. And until you understand that, life isn’t going to make sense." Isn’t it time you made sense of life and gave your heart to Christ? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

32) During times of heartache and personal struggle, people often wonder why they were even born. The world has a number of answers. Hedonism says, "You were born on this earth in order to have endless pleasure." But at some point, the party still comes to an end and you have to go home and live with yourself. Materialism says, "You were put here in order accumulate stuff and make money." But if millions could make you happy, why are so many millionaires miserable and commit suicide? Professionalism says, "You exist in order to work and perpetuate the company and its profits." Yet how many on their death beds say they wish they had spent more time at the office? Moralism says, "You have to be a good person doing good works to have the good life." Yet we can’t be a good enough or do enough good in order to have a good life because we all fall short of perfection. So the world has a number of answers, but those answers are the wrong answers to the timeless question: "Why am I alive?" My friend, you are here for a reason. The Bible tells us, "The Lord has made everything for His own purpose." (Proverbs 16:4a GW) Albert Einstein said, "God doesn’t play dice." You are not an accident. You are not here because there was a cosmic lottery and your ticket won. You are not here by evolutionary chance or by biological coincidence. You were created by God in order to be loved by God. Meet the Savior and discover your destiny. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

33) In the New York Time Best Seller, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says that there are three levels of living. 1) The Survival Level is about trying to stay ahead of your bills, putting food on your table, and going to work and getting out of bed in the morning. 2) The Success Level is about thriving and not simply surviving. According to the world’s standards, all of us are a success financially, educationally, and professionally. If we are so successful, then why are people so unhappy with success? 3) The Significance Level is not about what you do, but about who you are and whose you are. Significance is not about what you do for a living, but for whom you are living. Significance is not about getting ahead but getting in line with God’s will. Recently, a dozen coaches came from the NFL went to watch Rich Williams work out in the weight room, and they were amazed at his physical strength. Each coach wanted him to try out, but Rich said that he wasn’t sure God wanted him to do that. There were those who said at least try out and earn $500,000, but Rich said that there was more to life than money. Hard to believe, that a man would turn down millions of dollars all because he believes there is more to life than survival and success. Friends, there is significance that comes from being in the center of God’s plan as a child of God. Are you a child of God? Do you know Jesus Christ as your Savior? Do you have a significance that comes from being in the center of God’s will? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

34) Matthew Henry said, "It ought to be the business of everyday to prepare for our final day." Are you prepared for the final day? When we trust in Jesus and live for Jesus, we are prepared for the final day, which is just the first day for the rest of our lives in heaven. Deep down, we long for heaven-we long for our home away from home. Philippians 2:20 tells us that we are resident aliens because our commonwealth is heaven. A number of years ago Steven Spielberg made a great movie called E. T. It’s about an extra terrestrial creature, who gets left behind on this planet when his space ship takes off without him. In the meantime, the alien lives with a little boy who hides him from the family and feeds him fruit loops and all kinds of junk food. E. T. wants to go home more than anything. Finally, E. T. escapes the police and the federal authorities because he wanted to go home. E. T. began his journey home with a leap. We begin our journey home with a leap of faith in Christ. Abraham Lincoln said, "Surely God would not have created such a being as man to exist only for a day! No, no man was made for immortality." Let’s face it: We were created to be loved by God, and we were made to last forever. The only issue is not whether we will live forever but how and where. Where will you spend the rest of eternity? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

35) Fred Craddock, a pastor and professor, remembers the time a freshman came to his office. The young lady had not adjusted to dorm life, and she was homesick. She was having a hard time with her classes. She was rather shy and she wasn’t making friends at school. On that particular morning, the weight of her problems seemed too terrible to bear. In fact, that morning she had gone to a bridge not far from the campus to jump and end her life. She said, "I went so far as to climb up on the railing. I really meant to jump." Fred Craddock asked, "Why didn’t you?" She said, "It was the strangest thing. I was standing on the railing, looking down into the murky water, and a Bible verse came to mind." "Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) Fred asked, "Has that been a favorite verse of yours?" She said, "Well, when I was a little girl, I would go and spend most of the summer with my grandmother, and she took me to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School." The young lady found a purpose for living and a God for loving. "Cast all your cares upon him, for he cares for you." Your life matters because God loves you and has a purpose for you. Even when you have given up on life, don’t give up on God, for God has not given up on you! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

36) Recently, George Phillips was awakened by burglars. Immediately, George called the police and let them know that a robbery was taking place. The police answering service informed George to lock his doors and they would send an officer to be along whenever he was available. George hung up the phone and counted to 30. Then he called back up and said, "Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people in my shed. Well, you don’t have to worry about them now because I just shot them all." Then he hung up. Within five minutes, three police cars, an ambulance, and Armed Response Unit arrived. One of the police officers came to George and said, "I thought you said that you shot them!" George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available." It’s all a matter of priority. "Oh, I don’t have time to read my Bible. I don’t have time to pray. I don’t have time to worship." God has given you all the time necessary to make a maximum impact in the world for Christ. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." John Wesley said, "If I had three hundred men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and were determined to know nothing, among men but Christ. . . I would set the world on fire." Let’s set the world on fire for Christ. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

37) George Matheson was a powerful preacher in Edinburgh, Scotland. Crowds packed the church, and one poor lady heard about the spiritual renewal in his church. She lived in a damp and dirty cellar with only a lamp. After some time the church was going to have communion, and one of the elders went to visit the woman to give her a token for the Lord’s Supper. The elder went to look for the woman, but could not find her. He was able to locate her in the attic. In her apartment, it was bright and airy. The elder said, "I see you have moved." The woman said, "Yes, I’ve moved." The elder said, "Why did you move?" The woman answered, "One cannot hear George Matheson speak about Jesus Christ and continue to live in the darkness of a cellar." Once you have seen the light, you will never live in darkness again. Come out of the darkness and live in the light of God’s love. Jesus said, "Whoever follows me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Are you looking for a fresh start? Fresh starts don’t begin with a change of circumstance but with a change of heart. Take the chance of a lifetime and take Jesus into your life! You can begin again if you will be born again and invite Jesus into your heart as Savior! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

38) I read of two monks who took vows of silence and cleanliness. The two monks were walking down the road when they came to the river. They both saw a woman who was stranded and could not cross the river. The first monk walked across the river. The second monk picked up the woman and carried her across the river and she went her way. The two monks walked for hours. Finally, the first monk said, "How could you have done that? How could you have broken your vow of silence? How could you have broken you vow and touched that unclean woman?" The second monk said, "She was afraid. She needed help." The first monk said, "That’s no excuse." The second monk said, "Oh, my good brother, I dropped that woman off ten miles ago. Why are you still carrying her?" Are you still carrying sin in your life? Something you did. Something you said. Something you regret. You can’t go to the next level of spiritual maturity, if you don’t let go of your sin. Isn’t it time you let go of unnecessary baggage, so that you can enjoy life? Is it worry? Is it guilt? Is it depression? Are you haunted by a memory? Let it go and let God take what he has already carried to the cross. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." My friend, there is no sin so regrettable that God cannot forgive. There is no sinner so wrong that God cannot put right. God is more ready to forgive us than we are to confess our sins. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

39) Bob Russell wrote a prayer that has been used in a number of state legislatures throughout the country. "Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know your word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that: We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word and called it pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. And we have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. In the name of your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen." Friends, we live in a day of upside down values, and the world needs Jesus Christ. Don’t you? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

40) I read recently of a little boy in Florida who went swimming in the fishing hole behind his house. As the boy swam into the deep waters, the mother could see an alligator swimming towards him. The mother warned the boy, and he made a u-turn. The mother grabbed her son’s arms, but the alligator grabbed his legs. There on the dock was a tug-of-war battle, but the mother would not let go. A man driving by in a pick-up truck saw the commotion, and he shot the alligator. They rushed the boy to the hospital. Weeks later when the boy was released the press took pictures and asked him questions. He pulled up his pant legs and showed them the scars on his legs. And then with great pride, he pulled up the shirt sleeves on his arm. The boy proudly smiled and said, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms too. I have them because my Mom wouldn’t let go." You and I have scars from all kinds of suffering, but we also have scars because God wouldn’t let us go. We swim into dangerous situations, get in over our head, and tangle with the enemy. That’s when the tug-of-war begins, and if you have the scars of his love all over you, be grateful that God did not let you go, and he never will! Even when others let you go, God will not. Whether you are facing temptation, whether you are facing some tough choices, whether you are in the middle of crisis, God won’t let you go. Jesus will never leave or forsake you. Don’t you leave Jesus or forsake him! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

41) In the movie The Lord of the Rings, we see the power of envy to destroy. The despicable Gollum finds the ring of the Dark Lord, and he cherishes his prize. When Bilbo Baggins takes the ring and gives it in turn to Frodo, Gollum will do anything to reclaim his "precious." In the end, the ring, no, envy, will destroy Gollum. Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. It will rob you blind and then it will kill your soul! When we envy another person’s success, we overlook our own success. When we envy another’s hair, beauty, looks, voice, degree, status, even calling, we commit robbery against ourselves. In wanting to take what does not rightfully belong to us, our envy backfires and strips us of everything we own. Envy makes us focus on what we do not have and thus transforms us into beggars. Gratitude makes us focus on what we do have and thus transforms us into the richest of men and women in the world. Envy takes what we have; gratitude gives us again and again what we have always had. Envy is a thief. Gratitude is a gift. Envy sees the glass half empty. Gratitude sees the glass half full. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

42) On day 21 of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the statue of Saddam Hussein in the center of Baghdad fell, and along with it the Iraqi regime. There was a sense of release that the reign of terror was over-no more torture, no more chemical baths, no more mass executions, or using women and children as human shields. Now some world leaders express approval that the rule of Saddam Hussein is over, but where were they when only a few were willing to stand up to this terrible tyrant? President Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the President of Spain were willing to go ahead when the rest of the world would not follow. They took the road less taken even when the consensus of the United Nations was against them. In the poem, "The Road not Taken," Robert Frost says, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Jesus Christ also spoke of the road less taken that makes all the difference. In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus Christ said that the road is wide and broad that leads to destruction, and many follow it. By contrast, the highway to heaven is small and narrow, and very few travel it. Regardless of what others may say or do, choose the road less taken and follow Jesus Christ. What’s popular is not always right, and what’s right is not always popular! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

43) The Bible tells us that Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. His direction in life changed dramatically, and Paul would become the great missionary of Jesus Christ. If you will follow Jesus Christ, you too must be converted. Max Lucado said that when we become a Christian: "You have a ticket to heaven no thief can take, an eternal home no divorce can break. Every sin of your life has been cast to the sea. Every mistake you’ve made is nailed to the tree. You’re blood-bought and heaven-made. A child of God-forever saved." The famous Scottish surgeon James Simpson made a number of great medical breakthroughs, including the discovery of anesthesia. Towards the end of his life when asked what was his greatest discovery. The famous surgeon said, "The greatest discovery of my life is that I am a great sinner, and Jesus Christ is a great Savior!" Have you made that discovery? So many of us are still bound by sin and there are parts of us that have never really heard the gospel and experienced the full of conversion of Jesus Christ. We go by the name of Christian and we believe like Paul, but we still act and live like old Saul. Truly give all of your heart, not just a part of your heart to the Savior, and he will make you free indeed. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

44) Some years ago, an Archbishop was preaching in the Cathedral of Notre Dame and shared the story of three young men. They were irreverent, selfish, worldly, godless sinners who wandered into the cathedral of Notre Dame. Two of them wagered that the third would not make a bogus confession. The third young man accepted the wager and went into the confessional. The priest who listened to the bogus confession realized what was taking place. He said, "To every confession, there is a penance. You see the great crucifix over there. Go to it, kneel down before it, look up into the face of the crucified Christ, and repeat aloud three times, ‘All this you did for me, and I don’t care at all!" The young man approached the crucifix and looked up into the face of Christ. He searched deeply into the loving eyes of God, and he began saying, "All this you did for me, and I . . ." He got no further. The young man who mocked Christ at the foot of the cross gave his life to Christ at the foot of the cross. The Archbishop finished the story by saying, "I know that this is a true story, because I was that young man." Regardless of what you have done or should have done, no one is outside the love of God. Look into the face of Christ and say, "All of this you did for me, and I do care and commit my life to you." That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

45) Max Lucado tells of Lee Ielpi who is a retired firefighter in New York City. He gave 26 years on the force, but on September 11, 2001, he gave much more. He gave his son. Jonathan Ielpi was a fireman as well. When the Twin Towers fell, he was there. Firefighters are loyal. When one perishes in the line of duty, the body is left where it is until a firefighter who knows the person can come and literally pick up the body. Lee made the discovery of his son’s body a personal mission. He dug daily with dozens of others at the sixteen-acre graveyard. On Tuesday, December 11, three months after the disaster, his son was found. And Lee was there to carry him out. That’s commitment. The father didn’t give up. He didn’t quit. When our personal worlds fell apart, God came. When we were dead in sin, Christ came to set us free. When our world was a mess, God came to pull us from the wreckage. God is so committed to you that he gave up his one and only son to deliver you from the disaster. Won’t you commit your life to Christ who gave his all for you? Without commitment, you will never become the Christian God wants you to be. Commitment. Have you got it? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

46) There is a very cherished doctrine of belief about eternal security: "Once saved always saved." Another way of putting it is this: Once family always family. In the movie Lilo and Stitch, there is a crazy a little creature who falls into the life of a Hawaiian family. Stitch is a major problem for the family. He looks funny. He acts funny. He talks funny. But when asked why he wants to stay with his small and broken family, Stitch answers, "Ahona means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten." Friend, you may not like what your son does or what he says or where he goes, but you can never change his status as a family member. Your daughter may embarrass you, humiliate you, forget you, but she is still family. Uncle George may be a drunk, the black sheep of the fold, a disgrace to the family name, but you can never change the fact that he is a part of the family. When it comes to the forever family of faith, you may blow it, you may disgrace the name of Christ, you may wander off into the far country, you may let others down, but you cannot change the fact you are a member of the family. Jesus Christ said in John 10:28: "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand." Once family always family. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

47) In his book A Whole New Life, Reynolds Prices tells of his struggle with cancer. This novelist and professor at a major university went through the torture of many treatments, but was given a vision that would help him survive his cancer. In the vision, he found himself in modern clothes at the Sea of Galilee. On the misty ground there were a dozen men dressed in the tunics of first century Palestine. Jesus beckoned Price to get up off the ground and follow him. They waded twenty feet from the shore till they stood waist-deep. In a kind of baptism, Jesus took handfuls of water and poured them over his head and his back till the water ran down across his scar. Then Jesus pronounced, "Your sins are forgiven." At that time Jesus headed towards the shore. Price thought, "It’s not my sins that I am worried about." Price then asked Jesus, "Am I also cured?" Jesus turned from the shore back towards the naked man and said, "That too." From that moment on, his life would change, and he would survive the cancer. When you believe in Jesus and Jesus baptizes you, it’s a whole new world, a new beginning, a fresh start, a second chance at life. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. And if you believe, isn’t it time you belonged to the family of faith and got involved in church ? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

48) It was the Good Friday service in the Dampara Baptist Church in Bangladesh. The church was packed full of many non-believers. They were watching the Jesus Film. Can you imagine a group of people who had never heard the story of Easter? And now for the first time they watched the crucifixion scene of the Savior. People began weeping uncontrollably. The crucifixion was brutal-the flogging, the crown of thorns, the hands and feet were pierced, the spear in his side. As the Bengalis watched, they were feeling the agony of Jesus and the disappointment of his disciples. The body of Christ was taken down from the cross to be buried. In that moment of trauma, one little boy stood up in the packed church and suddenly cried out, "Do not be afraid. He gets up again. I saw it before." That little boy’s announcement gave hope to all who watched the Jesus Film, and it gives hope to us today. The gospel is the greatest story ever told, the greatest hope ever shared, the greatest love ever known. Why Jesus Christ? Muhammed is still in the grave. Confuscious is still in the grave. Buddha is still in the grave. But what you won’t find is the body of Jesus Christ in the grave because he is not there. Jesus Christ is risen indeed! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

49) Colonel Herman Kappler was the commander of the SS forces occupying Rome during World War II. The SS officers under Kapler routinely tortured and executed those suspected of being part of the resistance. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty was the leader of the underground resistance in Rome. The Vatican offered him safety and sanctuary, and he and Kappler played a cat-and-mouse game during the occupation. After the war Kappler was tried and convicted for war crimes. After being sentenced to life for his war crimes, only one person ever visited Kappler. For years O’Flaherty would call on the Nazi monthly. Even though O’Flaherty had every reason to despise the Nazi, he chose to show him the love of Christ and the forgiveness of sins. In March of 1959, Herman Kappler, a hardened war criminal, a former SS colonel asked God forgive his sins, gave his life to Christ and asked O’Flaherty to baptize him. If God could forgive a Nazi SS officer for his crimes against humanity, God can forgive you and save you from your sins. You cannot save yourself through your good deeds or by being a good person. If you could save yourself, God never would have his one and only Son Jesus Christ to die the most gruesome of deaths for our salvation. Eternal life is a gift of grace that you can only believe and accept. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

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50) The resurrection of Christ is a historical fact that no piece of evidence can dispute. 1) No one dies for a lie. All but one of the apostles would die a violent death for the cause of Christ. The disciples believed the historical factuality of the resurrection. 2) Also remember that Jesus appeared a dozen times to more than 515 different individuals over a forty-day period. How would a jury rule if they had 515 different eye-witnesses? They would decide the same way the most famous trial lawyer in history decided. The Guinness Book of World Records considers Sir Lionel Luckhoo to be the most successful trial lawyer who ever lived. Sir Lionel Luckhoo won 245 consecutive murder trials. Sir Luckhoo concluded: "I say unequivocally that the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming that it compels acceptance by proof which leaves absolutely no room for doubt." After having examined the evidence, he did the most logical thing: he gave his life to Christ. If you accept the historical factuality of the resurrection, the most reasonable thing you can do is to give your life to Christ. Isn’t it time you got to know Jesus Christ personally and discover God’s purpose for your life? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

51) We all wonder from time to time, "What did I do to deserve this? Why did this to me? Why this hardship? Why this heartache? Perhaps this story will provide an answer. A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong. She's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her, and her best friend is moving away. Meanwhile her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake". "Here, have some cooking oil." "No way!" "How about a couple of raw eggs?" "Mom, that’s gross!" "Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!" To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good!" The Bible says, "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) Just remember when life throws at you baking soda, egg yokes, oil, or setbacks and sorrows, God wants to bake a wonderful cake in your life. I trust your day will be a "piece of Cake." That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

52) A poor girl tried to attend church one Sunday morning, but the church was so packed she could not enter. The pastor found her outside and managed to get the poor girl inside. Sometime later, they found the little girl’s body out in the streets of the city’s poor section. Insider her purse, they found 57 cents and a note scribbled by the little girl: "This is to help build the little church bigger, so more children can go to church." For two years, she had saved up this love offering. The pastor tearfully shared that message and within five years the church took in $250,000 dollars for a new church building. The local paper got a hold of the story and wrote a big article. A businessman offered to sell the property for the new church, but they couldn’t afford it. So he sold it to them for 57 cents. If you are ever in Philadelphia, you can look up the Church love built--Temple Baptist Church (a seating capacity of 3,300) or the college that love built--Temple University or the hospital that love built--the Good Samaritan Hospital. Whenever you give your all, as did the little girl, you will be amazed at what love can do. Are you willing to give a little more and hear your child out? Are you willing to spend more time on your knees and give to God? Are you willing to volunteer and help out at church? That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

53) The story is told that Billy Graham had just finished a tour of the Florida East Coast and was taking a limousine to the airport. Having never driven a limo, he asked the chauffeur if he could drive for a while. Well, the chauffeur didn’t have much of a choice, so he got in the back of the limo and Billy took the wheel. He turned onto I 95 and accelerated to about 90 mph. WHAM! The blue lights of the State Highway Patrol flashed in his rearview mirror. He pulled over and a trooper came to his window. When the trooper saw who it was, he said, "Just a moment, please, I need to call in." The trooper radioed in and asked for the chief. He said, "I have a really important person pulled over and I need to know what to do." The chief replied, "Who is it, not Ted Kennedy again?" "No!" "It isn’t Gov. Jeb Bush, is it?" "No, even more important." "It isn’t President George Bush, is it?" "No, someone more important than that!" "Well, who in the world is it?" The poor trooper said, "I don’t know for sure, but I think it might be Jesus, because his chauffeur is Billy Graham!" Would you be willing to trade places with Billy Graham and chauffeur Jesus? And if you would be willing to chauffeur Jesus, then you must be willing to wait on "the least of these my brethren." That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

54) In the fall of 1995, one event got the attention of the sports world. Cal Ripkin, for the Baltimore Orioles, consistently played every game for 13 years in row, and he persevered through all types of sickness and ailments. I remember how everybody celebrated his consistent track record and the media attention he received. In a day when people want to quit and give up, Cal Ripkin epitomized success that comes through consistency. That night Cal Ripkin’s mother was on TV, and she told the rest of the story. She said, "It was the night before Cal’s first Little League baseball game. When I tucked him in that evening, I noticed he was wearing his baseball uniform. So I made him get up and change into his pajamas." Several hours later, before she turned into bed, Mrs. Ripkin went to check on Cal one last time. He was sound asleep in his uniform. Cal wanted to be ready for action. Are you dressed for action? Do you get mentally ready for work? Do you prepare to spend quality time with family? Do you get ready for worship spiritually through Bible study and prayer? Isn’t it time we got off the bench and got in God’s game? Even when we are tempted to quit, let’s be consistent in our walk with Christ. Hang in there. Don’t give up. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

55) After spending only a day touring Naples, Italy, an American couple was shocked at the blatant disregard the citizens held for her traffic laws. Cars were driven on sidewalks to get around traffic jams. Horns blared and cars squeezed. Drivers would merely slow down as they passed through red lights. They mentioned the chaos and anarchy to a local man who managed the inn where they were staying. The manager of the inn said in imperfect English, "You must understand in Napoli, a red light is merely, how you say, a suggestion!" In our society, we have turned the Ten Commandments of the Living God into mere human suggestions. Is it any wonder we are in a moral traffic jam? Every person is his or her own god. We make up our own rules. We come up with situational ethics. Whatever feels good, do it. If you don’t want it, abort it. If you get tired of him, divorce him. If you are unhappy, pop pills. If you can’t afford it, use the credit card. If you meet an obstacle, run. My friend, if we will follow the Ten Commandments to love God and our fellow man, we won’t find ourselves in such a jam. Never forget: we cannot break the laws of God without breaking ourselves into a thousand pieces. Whenever we run the stoplights of God, we will find ourselves in a wreck every time. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

56) In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, there is marvelous scene worth remembering. Now Calvin is a little boy with a very active imagination. And Hobbes is his stuffed tiger. Calvin tells Hobbes that when he does something wrong, he is not responsible. He reasons: "Nothing is my fault. My family is dysfunctional. And my parents won’t empower me. Consequently, I am not self-actualized. My behavior is addictive, functioning in a disease process of toxic co-dependency. I need holistic healing and wellness before I will accept responsibility for any of my actions!" Then with a smile, Calvin says, "I love the Culture of Victimhood! It’s great, because you can always find somebody to blame things on!" Then Hobbes says, "One of us needs to stick his head in a bucket of cold water!" And wake up! We live in day when people love to play the blame game. "Oh, I didn’t do it. She did it. No, he did it. No, my parents did it. No, the devil made me do it." No one can make us sin. We choose out of our own free will to sin. If we honestly examine our lives, we will take responsibility for our sins and stop blaming others and making excuses and confess them before God and repent. My friend, the unrepentant life is a life not worth living. Get right with God through Jesus Christ. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

57) Jewish folklore informs us that an angel visited a storeowner and offered him a wish that would give him anything he wanted. However, there was one catch. His rival, whom he envied with a passion, would receive double what the storeowner received. Without hesitation, the envious man wished to be blind in one eye. Consequently, his rival lost sight in both eyes. Envy not only robs us of what we have, but it intends to rob another. Adam and Eve took the forbidden fruit and robbed God. Cain wanted to rob Abel’s relationship with God and killed him. Jacob robbed Esau of his birthright for a mess of porridge. Ahab robbed Naboth of his vineyard and murdered him. David robbed Uriah of his wife Bathsheba and had him killed in battle. Aaron and Miriam envied the authority of their brother Moses and wanted to rob his position of influence. Envy turns friends into competitors and robs them of companionship. Envy turns a husband or wife into a workaholic and robs children of time with their parent. Envy takes out of life’s perceived poverty. Gratitude shares out of life’s abundance. Gratitude is God’s miracle. The more we give, the more we are given. Envy is the Devil’s magic. The more we take, the more everything valuable is taken from us. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

58) "Man, I would love to have his car! Gosh, wouldn’t it be great to have all that money? What I wouldn’t give to have her looks?" Envy is a deadly sin. Here are some coping strategies for envy. 1) Don’t play the comparison game with the Jones or the Smiths. When we compare what they have and what we don’t have, our focus is on man and not God. Look to the Lord and stop playing the comparison game. It’s a game you will never win. When you start playing the comparison game, you have already lost before you have ever begun. 2) Take inventory of your gifts and strengths and be grateful for what you have instead of being ungrateful for what you do not have. Don’t second guess God, but trust that God will supply your needs and give you what is most important. If you will begin itemizing all that God has given you, you will feel richer, not poorer and you will not be envious, but appreciative for what you do have. 3) Accept that you are someone special and unique and don’t copycat the success or the personality of another. Be yourself, use your gifts for the mission God has for you. You are made in the image of God-you are wonderfully and marvelously made. You are a success as long as you are what God wants you to be, but you fail the moment you try to be someone else. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

59) Have you ever caught yourself, wishing you had what someone else has? 1) Know that God has a special plan and purpose for your life, and God will help you fulfill your destiny. When we try to follow another’s plan for our lives, we miss out on God best for us. I would hate to miss God’s plan because I was too busy desiring another’s plan. "But look at what they have or look at what they are doing." When we do that, we are basically saying that God doesn’t know what he is doing. But my friends, God does, and we don’t. 2) Instead of just wishing and wanting more for our lives, work for what is important to you. Instead of envying what another has, do what it takes to get what you want as long as it is consistent with God’s will. Don’t sit back and fantasize about "Oh, I wish I had a college degree like she does; oh, I wish had a better job like he does; oh, I wish I was in shape like she is." If it’s good enough to want, it’s good enough to work for godly goals. If God has placed a noble dream in your heart, stop fantasizing and go to work and make it happen! An aspiration takes perspiration! If you are not sweating to turn your dreams into deeds, you are just daydreaming, and that is always a nightmare in real life! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

60) Don’t let the next level of dreams steal your joy right now. Don’t have unrealistic expectations, but set reasonable goals that will help you to achieve excellence. Great expectations grounded in fantasy can result in great disappointments. Don’t let the success that you dream of out in the future make you impatient and frustrated and steal the joy of your relationships with family and with God. Discover your contentment in God, not in what you have or what you do or in what you say or in how you look or with whom you know, but discover and deepen your contentment in a personal relationship with the Savior. No job, no houseboat, no entertainment center, no sports car, no living room furniture, no human relationship, no paycheck can compare with the contentment that God alone can give. When you are fighting the temptation of envy and you feel sorry for yourself and you are mad at another, turn to God and pray and meditate upon God’s Word. The greatest gift any person can have can be yours, and that is the gift of God’s great love, which is ours through faith in Jesus Christ. Don’t envy what the world has to offer, but desire a love worth finding that comes from Christ! The love of Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving and giving forever and ever. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

61) One day our family found a cocoon. We watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through a little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. So we decided to help the butterfly. We took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but the poor butterfly never flew. What we did not understand was that the butterfly needed to struggle in order to develop its wings and fly. In the same way, we need struggles to help us fly and develop character. Someone said: "I asked for Strength......... And the Lord gave me Difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom......... And the Lord gave me Problems to solve. I asked for Courage......... And the Lord gave me Danger to overcome. I asked for Love......... And the Lord gave me Troubled people to size. I asked for Favors......... And the Lord gave me Opportunities. I received nothing I wanted........ I received everything I needed!" The Scriptures promise, "And my God shall supply all of your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Phi. 4:19). Even when you feel stressed by life’s struggles, God wants you to be blessed in life’s school of character. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

62) An elderly couple sat at the table. The man looked at his wife of many years and lovingly said, "You know, I am proud of you." And his wife who was hard of hearing frowned and said, "Yes, I am tired of you too." Do you ever get tired of life? Have you lost your joy? The Bible tells us, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). Joy is not about what we have; that’s materialism. Joy is not about what we do; that’s workaholism. Joy is not about pleasure; that is hedonism. Joy is a gift from God that we can neither buy nor earn but only receive when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Too many people base their happiness on a good day or a bad day, but we can have joy in bad times or in good times. Someone said that the secret to life is the 90/10 rule. As explained, the 90/10 rule means that life is 10 % of what happens to you and 90 % is how you respond to life. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to our situations. We need to live life from the inside out and discover a peace of mind that God alone can give. Joy cannot be bought, begged, or borrowed, but received as a gift from God. Remember, joy is independent of chance or circumstance, but dependent upon a choice to follow Jesus. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

63) During the frontier days, pioneers gathered around a waterhole. A newcomer asked, "What’s happening around here?" The people answered, "Oh, nothing ever happens around here. Oh, there’s talk of a national bank. Some say there is trouble abroad between the United States and Britain. Like, we said: nothing ever happens around here. Now, we did hear some news that Nancy and Tom had a little boy last night. But nothing ever happens around here." But something did happen that year of 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky where Abraham Lincoln was born. Something so significant happened that would change history forever, and yet the people did not have eyes to see and ears to hear what God was doing in their very midst. If the birth of Abraham Lincoln could transform the world, then we should never underestimate what the birth of Christ can do in your life. You see, nothing significant will happen in your life until Jesus Christ is born in your heart. Someone said, ""If you’re headed in the wrong direction, God allows U-Turns." Are you headed in the wrong direction? God is up to something in your life. You may not be able to see it or hear it, but God has a plan for you that no problem can take away. Now that’s life at its best! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

64) Has your gas tank ever been running on empty? The orange light is lit up on your dash, and you are miles away from a gas station. In your mind, you dread the walk to the gas station. It may be pouring down the rain. You may have blisters on your feet, and the prospect of walking miles along the highway is a nightmare. What a terrible feeling! If running out of gas feels terrible, it’s the same terrible feeling when our spiritual tanks are running on empty. We just don’t have any get up and go. We lack the drive, the energy, the passion to serve, to read the Bible, to attend church. Yet when we feel the least like praying or going to church, that’s when we need church the most. I know that if I only worked, ran, exercised when I felt like it, I would only do it forty percent of the time. My friends, do the right things and go to the right places and be with the right kind of people, and your spiritual and emotional tank will never run empty. The Bible says: "Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall down exhausted; but they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." (Isaiah 40) Why do our gas tanks run on empty? We try to do too much, and we don’t take time to fill up our tanks. Stop living life on empty. It’s time to fill up your tank with Jesus. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

65) It’s become one of the top books on the New York Time’s bestseller list. What’s it called? The Prayer of Jabez. For centuries, Christendom has overlooked this powerful and dynamic prayer. It’s found in 1 Chronicles 4:10: "Oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed and enlarge my border. And that thy hand might be upon me. And that thou wouldst keep from harm so that it might not hurt me." There is power in prayer and God wants to bless us. God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves, but it’s true that in prayer there is a time to call upon God to do what we ourselves cannot possibly do in our own human strength. God can’t give what you don’t ask for. God can’t answer what you don’t call for. James said, "We don’t have because, we don’t ask." The Prayer of Jabez teaches us that God is ready to give, but we are not always ready to receive. Legend tells us that a man went to heaven and St. Peter took him to a great warehouse filled with treasures. The man looked up his name in the warehouse and found indescribable gifts. The man asked St. Peter, "What are these?" St. Peter answered, "These are all the gifts God had for you that you never asked for." Through prayer God is willing to give what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man for those who those who love him. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

66) Have you ever seen the heartwarming movie, Free Willie? It’s all about a boy whose goal is to set free a killer whale that wants to escape captivity. In the end, the boy is successful, and Willie escapes against all odds from his tank. Maybe, you saw the movie and you too were mesmerized by the story, but have you heard the latest? According to the news, the killer whale that played the role of Willie didn’t want his freedom but preferred his tame aquatic tank to the open seas. Why? Willie suffered from an addiction. Isn’t that the case for too many of us? We may be addicted to drugs, alcohol, pornography, or even work. Whatever your addiction is, it’s keeping you from being free. I hope you will break free from the bondage of your sin, and let our Savior Jesus Christ set you free indeed. By the way, what was Willie’s addiction? What could an orca possibly be addicted to? Squid? Turtles? Lobster? The News report indicates that Willie is addicted to human touch. We all need a touch of compassion, a touch of friendship, a touch of human connection. Willies loves to be touched and stroked. Don’t we all? We need that special touch of love from our family, church, neighbor, and especially God. I hope you will become free from your own personal addictions that you may be free for a touch of God’s love. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

67) John Ortberg says, "If you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat." Jesus was walking on the water. The disciples were terrified, but Peter cried out, "Lord, if it’s you, bid me to come to you on the water." Sure enough, Peter got out of the boat by himself, and he went to Jesus alone. Of twelve disciples he was the only one to walk on water. Can you imagine what the other disciples thought or may have even said: "Who does he think he is? He can’t walk on water." Peter didn’t care. He didn’t poll the disciples. He didn’t take a survey. If Peter had been a good church member, he would have appointed a study committee and come back with a recommendation on whether he should walk on water. Peter wasn’t a people pleaser or an approval addict. He didn’t care what the rest of the disciples thought. He just did it. The Peter principle: If you walk on water, be prepared to leave others behind. People won’t always understand you. Just do it anyway. People won’t always approve of your methods. Just do it anyway. Friends and family members may disagree with you. Just do it anyway. Church members may get mad at you. Just do it anyway. Not everyone will agree or follow. They didn’t then, and they won’t now. But don’t let that stop you. You follow Jesus, and you will never be alone. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

68) Remember the story about Peter walking on water to meet Jesus? The Bible tells us that Peter was doing fine, until he started looking at the wind. He was distracted by the big waves. He took his eyes off of Christ, and he put his eyes on what was around him, and he sank into the water. When God is no longer the focus of our lives, we will sink. Don’t take your eyes off God. Nehemiah didn’t. Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. His critics wanted a powwow. Nehemiah said that he didn’t have time to stop the work of God for idle chit chat. If you are convinced that you are doing what God wants, stop listening to the constant critics. Too many of us are doing what others want us to do instead of what God wants us to do. Too many of us do the urgent, and we forget to do the important thing that God has for us. We remember to take our kids to practice, but we forget to pray with them. We remember to get up early enough to go to school, but we forget to get up early enough to go to Sunday School. We remember to call up an employee who doesn’t show up for work, but we forget to call up a member of our Sunday School who hasn’t shown up for a month. We remember a great ball game and tell all our friends, but we forget to tell people what a friend we have in Jesus. We need to keep the main thing the main thing. Put first things first and last things last. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime.

69) In life we are all going to face failure. It’s a part of living. John Maxwell said, "Ironically the more you risk failure and actually fail, the greater your chance of success." If you want to avoid all risks, don’t ride in automobiles, because 20 percent of all fatal accidents. Don’t travel by air, rail, or water, because16 percent of all accidents result from these activities. Don’t walk in the street, because15 percent of all accidents occur there. Don’t stay at home, because17 percent of all accidents happen there. Whether we come or go, life is full of risks. At moments, we all feel like a failure. That’s just part of learning and growing. When Peter walked on the water, he fell and he failed, but Christ lifted him up. From Peter’s many failures, he would become the leader of the apostles. He would become a man of great faith, and God would perform many miracles through this man of great courage. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, to make a mistake. If you fail, you are one step closer to success. A child doesn’t suddenly learn to how to skip and jump. We all begin with crawling, then baby steps, and a lot of falling down. You can’t learn to walk, unless you learn to fall. When you are down for the count, don’t count yourself out. The lower you fall, the higher you can fly through faith. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

70) The Major League Baseball player Roberto Clemente won battling titles and MVP awards. As the last game of the 1972 season arrived, Clemente had accumulated 2,999 career hits. 3000 hits would put him in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Thousands hoped to see him reach that great milestone. Interestingly, Clemente was not scheduled to play in the line up that day. Bob Prince, the broadcaster who was the voice of the Pirates, saw that the superstar was not playing and asked why. Clemente told him that management thought it would be better for marketing if he hit number 3000 at the start of the new season. Prince said something off the cuff about playing anyway because you never know what might happen. Those words haunted him, and Clemente asked the manager to let him play anyway. Sure enough, Clemente got to play, and he hit his 3000th hit. When Clemente got to second base, the crowd thundered with applause. During the off season, Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash to Nicaragua. If Roberto Clemente had sat on the bench he would never had the opportunity to meet his destiny. The lesson: we never know how long we have or how many opportunities we have left to serve God. When we have the opportunity to accept Christ, get baptized, join the church, serve God, do it now. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

71) So you had a flat tire. Your new hair cut looks worse than before. And your mutual fund is bouncing up and down like a ping pong ball. When it rains, it pours. We may be broken, but we are not beaten. We may be down, but we are not out. That’s the promise we have in Romans 8:37. "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him loved us." We need to reclaim the power of no. Say no and defy the devil. If we cannot say no to the devil, we cannot say yes to God. Don’t back up, back out, or back down. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Satan’s curve ball can become God’s homerun. Say no and deny yourself. Say no to drugs, say no to that drink, say no to that cigarette, say no to that affair, say no that high cholesterol food. Say no with discernment. In making a decision, people often ask the question: How can I discern when to say yes and when to say no: Does this decision line up with the Word of God? Does this decision line up with the counsel of Christian friends who are not just talking the talk but walking the walk? Does this decision give me a sense of peace that I am in tune with the Spirit of God? As Christians, we must learn to reclaim the power to say no to the world and yes to God. So say no with discernment. Say no and defy the devil. Say no and deny yourself. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

72) During the British Open, Ian Woosnam was only one stroke off the lead going into Sunday’s final round. He almost made a hole-in-one on the first hole, and his birdie tied him for the lead. He was off to a fantastic start in a major championship. However, on the second tee box, an official discovered that Ian had 15 clubs in his bag. The rules only allow 14 clubs. He had warmed up with two different drivers on the practice range, but his caddie neglected to remove the extra driver from the bag before they started. Just one too many clubs cost Ian two strokes, the lead, and maybe the championship. Ken Massey concludes from the story that more is not always better. But in American society, we do believe that more is better. If we work more, buy more, build more, do more, we can go for the gusto and get all that life has to offer. But the Bible teaches us that less is better. Martha had Jesus over for a Sunday buffet, and she worked so hard. She was so stressed out that she scolded her sister and suggested that Jesus should give her sister a hard time for such laziness. But actually Jesus praised Mary and corrected Martha. Instead of cramming too much into your schedule, get yourself out of a jam before you spread yourself too thin. More is not better. Actually, less is better. Just ask Jesus. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

73) Need some good news? The Bible says: "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Here’s a modern translation: "I know without a doubt that the death of child, the loss of a marriage, demons, corrupt culture, today’s bills, tomorrow’s college tuition, corporate headquarters, down in the dumps, no vicious German Shepherd can ever keep us from the love of our Lord." You name it and nothing can separate us from God. In anything and everything God can bring good out of bad. If an oyster can produce a beautiful pearl from the irritation of sand, if a little girl can turn a sour lemon into great lemonade, God can turn your problem into a possibility. David Jeremiah said that we usually cannot make progress without pain. If we are going to grow in Christ and become a better person and make progress, we will face suffering. When life isn’t fair, you be fair. When things go wrong, don’t turn from what is right. Don’t change who you are because the things around you change. Be kind to those around you and be kind to yourself. The sign has got it right: "Exercise daily: walk with the Lord." That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

74) Do you remember the childhood jingle? To say this properly I really need a foot and some wiggly toes, but I will have to use my fingers. It goes like this. "This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This little piggy ate roast beef, and this little piggy had none. And this little piggy went wee, wee all the way home." We is the word. "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." The "we" Paul refers to is the church, the body of believers. The promise of victory is not through isolated individuals, but through Christians. We are in it together. It’s the we, not the me. Fred Craddock remembers his father and how he would never go to church. He always accused the church of wanting his money. One day Fred Craddock’s father was in the hospital, dying of throat cancer. Craddock told him how much he loved him and was getting ready to leave when he commented on all the cards and flowers in his room, and they all came from church members who had come to visit. Before Craddock left, his father scribbled on a piece of paper a confession: "I was wrong." And so are we if we think we don’t need fellow Christians to help us get through a crisis. It’s the we, not the me. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

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75) 1 John 4:4 is the verse of champions: "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." God is greater than anything or anyone in this world. When bad things happen to good people, good people just get better. Ernest Hemingway said, "Life breaks us. And when we heal, we are stronger in the broken places." The Apostle Paul was caught up in vision that took him to the third heaven. Things were going great, but Satan placed a thorn in his flesh. Paul asked God three times to remove this terrible difficulty from his life, but God did not answer his prayer the way he wanted him to answer his prayer. This is what God said: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Someone has said, "In Christian service only broken hearts will do." When our hearts are broken and God has healed the broken place, we become a walking hospital for those who are suffering all around us. We can become winners out of weakness through God’s strength. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

76) What is the purpose of suffering? 1) Suffering disciplines us and produces holiness. Hebrews 12:6 sternly says, "For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives."’ Like a parent disciplining a child, God disciplines us when we are in the wrong. 2) Suffering prunes us and makes us more effective Christians. John 15:2 says, "And every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." Why can’t I be more productive and effective in my personal life and on the job? Could it be that we are stressed out because we are trying to do too much and God wants to cut out all the junk in our lives, so that we can be happier and more productive? 3) Suffering will test us. Job hadn’t done anything wrong, but he was tested. In most hardships, we have no clue why something bad has happened to us. Soren Kierkegaard said, "Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forward." It may be 5 years before you understand why something bad happened to you or you may not know until you get to heaven. But in the meantime, get on with your life. You can’t change the past, but you can change today. Press onward, forward, and upward for Jesus Christ. Even we can’t understand God with our heads, we must trust God with our hearts. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

77) One of my favorite stories is the story of the Velveteen Rabbit. It’s the story about a little boy who fell in love with a stuffed rabbit. The boy took the rabbit everywhere and hugged him to death. He hugged him so much and loved him so much that the rabbit lost some of his stuffing and became torn and worn out, but the rabbit was loved. In his heart of hearts, the velveteen rabbit dreamed of becoming real. He wanted to run and play like the other rabbits in the backyard, but he could not. One day the little boy got deathly sick, and the family got rid of his toys and stuffies for fear of contamination. The velveteen rabbit was thrown on a heap of junk in the back yard. Mysteriously, the stuffed rabbit became a real rabbit because he had been loved and because he had loved. He became real through the one who loved him. Real love can wear us out and tear us up. We become real through pain. Suffering has a way of stripping us down to what is most important. What is most important in life is your love for God and your love for your fellow man. Remember, God loves you. Hebrews 13:5 promises, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Share his love and his life with someone this week. Get real in the relationships that truly matter. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

78) A pastor pulled up the tollbooth to throw in his coins, so that he could pass through. The man at the toll booth said, "The man before you knew you and thinks a lot of you, and so he paid your fee. It’s paid in full." My friends, there was a man before you and he thinks a lot you. His name his Jesus Christ, and through his death on the cross your debt is paid in full. Jesus Christ paid a debt he didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed." Jesus Christ was afflicted in every way that we might not be crushed. He was perplexed that we might not be driven to despair. He was persecuted that we might not be forsaken. He was struck down that we might not be destroyed. Our Savior has taught us and shown us through his life, death, and resurrection the meaning of what Paul said, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." We can advance through our adversity. We can overcome our obstacles. Don’t let your problems get the best of you, but let God get the best of you, and you can handle your hardships. Make Jesus the love of your life, and you will be more than a conqueror! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

79) The front cover of Sports Illustrated called Lance Armstrong "incomparable." And so he is. Several years ago, Lance Armstrong contracted cancer. His life was seemingly over and his career as a cyclist was surely finished. Yet Lance Armstrong did not become a cancer victim. He became a champion over cancer. For several years in a row, Lance Armstrong won the grueling test of strength and won the Tour de France, the greatest of all bicycle races. Throughout the Scriptures, we see a similar story of people who refused to give up in the face of adversity. For instance, Joseph, the dreamer, was thrown into a pit and later sold into slavery. He served time in prison as an alleged criminal. A refugee, far away from family and country, it would seem that Joseph was a victim of fate and not a survivor. But Joseph did not believe that the cards dealt him were a dead end, but a detour in God’s plan. From the pit and the prison, Joseph would become the deliverer of the Egyptian people and second only to the Pharaoh in power. Joseph became winner out of weakness. Through God’s help, his dead end became detour to a higher destiny. Folks, through faith in Jesus Christ, you too can be a winner out weakness through God’s strength! You can be a champion over whatever circumstance you may face. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

80) What sorrow is breaking your heart? Do you have a member of your family suffering from Alzheimers? Do you have a back problem and you can never sleep with ease at night? Are you battling against cancer? In our discouragement, we wonder whether our problem is a dead end leading to nowhere or a detour leading somewhere. Life’s setback can become God’s setup for a better and brighter tomorrow. A little boy ran up to a preacher and said, "Pastor, you said that Jesus can come into our heart through faith in him as our Savior and Lord. Is that right?" The pastor said, "It sure is." The little boy said, "But Jesus is a man in a man’s body." The pastor said, "That’s right, son." The little boy frowned and said, "But I am just a little boy." The pastor nodded, "That’s right son." The little boy looked even more puzzled, and he said, "But if I am just a little boy and Jesus is a man, if He comes into me, He’ll be sticking out all over." The pastor smiled and said, "That’s right, son." Is Jesus sticking out all over in your life, because you are sticking to Jesus? If you will stick to Jesus Christ, he will turn your problems into possibilities. Folks, God can take you from a road to nowhere to a road that leads anywhere God wants you to be. We don’t have to be losers, but we can be winners out of weakness through God’s strength. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

81) Are you a person of fantasy or faith? Habakkuk was a man of faith, not fantasy. He said, "Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Habakkuk 3:17). Let me translate what Habakkuk is saying: There is no paycheck in the mail; the saving account is depleted; the stocks are way down; there are no twinkies in the kitchen cabinets; there are no pork chops in the freezer; the retirement fund has gone bankrupt, yet I will celebrate the Lord. If you can imagine the utter despair of these facts, then you can image the desperation of those biblical times. When most people face disappointment, we want to bounce back with a Pollyanna attitude that everything is going to be all right. As a coping mechanism, we want to sweep away our problems under the rug and deny that our troubles exist. Yet there is a fine line between hope and denial. Denial refuses to accept the reality of the problem, whereas hope looks squarely in the face of the problem and places faith in God and not the situation. Jesus told us, "So be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). In other words, use your head, but don’t abuse your heart. Be smart, but have a heart. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

82) Is your faith based upon fact or fiction? Are you expecting God to help you win the lottery to take care of all your financial goals and financial indebtedness? That’s fiction. The facts of Scripture tell us to handle our financial affairs wisely: Stop spending money extravagantly and save your money as a good steward. No one can buy happiness or love with money. One study indicates that all of the people who won major prizes from the lottery were no happier years later than before they won the lottery. Philippians 4:19 tells us that God will supply all of our needs, not all of our wants. What God truly values, he will supply. John 16:33 says, "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Christ does not whitewash our problems, but he clearly acknowledges that in the world we will have troubles, but God will help us to overcome the undercurrents of stress and distress. God can take a dead end job, a dead end relationship, a dead end disease and turn it into a blessing in disguise, if we will let go and let God. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can become champions over our circumstances. We don’t have to be victims; we can become more than survivors. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

83) Wayne Oates tells of the time his son was a little boy and he took one of those planes that you wind up with a rubber band, and he let it go in the basement. The rubber band was so powerful that the little wooden plane crashed into the wall and it smashed. The little boy cried for a while, and when the father came to see what was the matter. His little boy wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled, saying, "I know what I will do; I will take that rubber band and make me a sling shot out of it." Now that’s putting our problems into perspective and turning our minuses into pluses. David Jeremiah says that suffering and strength are two sides of the same coin. We cannot have true strength without real suffering. That’s what Paul said 2 Corinthians 4:7-9: "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies." When bad things happen to us, we believe all the more firmly that God can bring blessing from curse. Whatever difficulty we may experience, God is not through with any of us yet. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

84) ASAP! As soon as possible. That’s what ASAP means right? Not necessarily. I read a great illustration about ASAP that I would like to share with you.

There’s work to do, deadlines to meet,

You’ve got no time to spare.

But as you hurry and scurry,

ASAP-Always say a prayer.

In the midst of family chaos,

Quality time is rare.

Do your best; let God the rest,

ASAP-always say a prayer.

It may seem like your worries

Are more than you can bear.

Slow down and take a breather,

ASAP-always say a prayer.

God knows how stressful life is,

He wants to ease our cares.

And he’ll respond to all your needs,

ASAP-always say a prayer.

When life gets rough and you are in a hurry and worry, don’t forget to ASAP. Always say a prayer. You are just one prayer away from God. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

85) Ed Young tells of a losing basketball team. Before the big game with the Boston Celtics, Coach Fitzsimmons had a pep talk with his team in the locker room. He said, "Tonight we are going to win. I want you pretend that we have a winning record instead of a losing record. I want you to pretend that we are number one in the league and not last. I want you to pretend that you men are the best in the nation, and not the worst in the nation. Now, let’s get out there and win the game." The team rallied, and I want you to know that they played the best that they had ever played, and they still lost miserably. When the team got back to the locker room, Coach Fitzsimmons was obviously discouraged. One team member came up to the coach and put his arms around him and said, "Coach, cheer up, pretend we won." As I look around me, I don’t have to pretend that I see winners. I see people blessed with success. By all earthly standards, most Americans are winners in the game of this life. But will you be winners in the after life? The Bible says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it" (1 Corinthians 9:24). You can’t finish the race unless you begin the race. On your mark! Get set! Go for Jesus! Make him the Savior of your life. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

86) Last December, I ran in a race. There were times when I wanted to quit, but I kept going. That’s discipline. Winning the race of heaven requires self-control and discipline. Ecclesiastes 9:11 observes, "Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift." To win a race is not merely a matter of being fast, it takes discipline. One of the things I overhear coaches say, "If you want to win, you have to practice and you have to show up for practice and work hard." In the Christian life, we need discipline. We have to go the distance. Now discipline is doing what you don’t want to do when you don’t want to do it where you don’t want to do it with people you may not want to do it with, but you do it any way. In the faith, we have the discipline of prayer, the discipline of Bible study, the discipline of tithing, the discipline of service, the discipline of witnessing, the discipline of fasting. When we do the disciplines of Christ, that will make us the disciples of Christ. If that may sound a little strange, the only thing stranger is to say that we can be disciples of Christ without any discipline and we never practice any of things that define what a follower of Christ is. To finish the highway to heaven, we need discipline. Have you got it? Do you have what it takes? Take Jesus as Savior and Lord. That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

87) The other day I watched fifth graders in a game of football. The boy picked up a fumbled ball and started running towards the in-zone. Unfortunately, after a brilliant 20 yard run, the football player realized that he was running in the wrong direction. Whether it’s the game of football or the game of life, the right direction is the key to success. Paul said, "Well, I do not run aimlessly," (1 Corinthians 9:26). We need direction. We need vision. We must have goals. If we aim at nothing, we will hit it every time. Do you have direction in your life, or are you drifting? Are you lost without any clear sense of direction and you don’t know how to get back on course again? Do you know what you want to accomplish in life? You won’t get a second chance. Time is ticking away, and we are all getting older every day. Go the distance. Go for the goal. Don’t look back, but look forward. You will never win looking back. You will only win if you look ahead. If you are sidetracked and you are not living the way God wants you to live, if you are running around with the wrongs kinds of people, if you are watching the wrong kinds of movies, if you are reading the wrong kind of magazines, if you are following the wrong kind of goals, drifting in your family, turn around now, turn around today, turn around without delay. Turn to God, before it is too late! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

88) To be a great athlete, it takes dedication. To be a great Christian, it takes dedication. Paul said: "But I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified" (1 Corinthians 9:27). To pommel your body is to pound or beat your body. In lifting weights and doing aerobics, you have to work out till it hurts in a good way. Without that kind of dedication, you won’t practice, you won’t prepare, and you won’t participate. Without commitment, we can’t be a Christian; without commitment, we can’t be a church member; without commitment, we can’t have excellent ministries at our church; without commitment, we can never be what God aspires for us to be as winners in Christ. If you want to go up, you got to give something up and be dedicated to Christ. In 1982, Cal Ripkin played his first game. Cal Ripkin is 6’4" and was considered too tall to play his position in the field. But Cal Ripkin showed up for every game because he was dedicated. Cal Ripkin is a Hall of Famer because he has been dedicated. You will never end up in faith’s hall of fame in heaven unless you are dedicated to Jesus Christ. Are you showing up at church? Are you showing up to serve? If you don’t want to be shown up, you had better show up and be dedicated to what really counts! That’s today’s lifeline to last a lifetime!

89) At the Olympic Stadium in Mexico City, it was beginning to get dark. The last of the Olympic runners had jostled in. The race had been won by Mamo Waldi of Ethiopia an hour earlier. As the remaining spectator prepared to leave the stadium, they could hear the police sirens and whistles approachi