Happy Fourth of July! As you eat hot dogs, apple pie, and play with fireworks, celebrate not just the freedom we have as a nation, but also the freedom we have in Christ.

Lately I feel God has been challenging me on what it means to live a Christian life. The answers I’ve gotten so far are not the ones that I desire nor want, but they are right. Living in America, it’s so easy to feel secure and comfortable about the life I live. God has definitely blessed me and it’s not wrong to enjoy what he has given, but I have to remember not to fall into the trap of safety. Living for Christ means that I will have to take risk for his cause. If he decides to send me to serve him on some remote desert island with numerous unknowns, then I need to be willing to give up my comforts here for his sake. I’m not saying that this is easy for me, but I’m learning to give things up, take risk, and be used for his glory.

Despite being robbed of a goal for the second straight match, the U.S persevered and moved on as group leader to the round of 16. I’m sure it must have been tough for the players to fight through all the poor officiating, but they found a way to overcome adversity. If athletes on the US soccer team (who are still humans) can overcome adversity and never give up when their backs are against the wall, how much easier is to overcome trials in our lives with God on our side?

Congratulations to the US Soccer team! We hope you will continue an amazing run in the World Cup. Go USA!

So this post is mainly a challenge for the men, but this is also a good sermon for women to listen to.

I recently listened to a sermon series on Biblical Manhood by Matt Carter from Austin Stone. I found it very interesting because as Christian men we’re always told to be the spiritual leader, but never really told how to do so. Carter touches on some Biblical ways men can step up and be better at leading their marriages, relationships, and within the church. One of the most striking points he made was how there are more women serving in the church (not necessarily true for all, but generally) and more women taking risk on the mission field. I challenge the men to listen to this sermon series and step up to the role as the spiritual leader.  I hope this series will encourage you guys to be strong spiritual leaders in your current or future relationships and within your spiritual community.

Tip I’ve learned: a spiritual woman will find a Biblical man very attractive!

So I started reading Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper and it’s pretty interesting so far.  One of the points that caught my attention was what he defined as a wasted life.  He says, “God created me – and you – to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion – namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life…The wasted life is the life without a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples.”

I found this interesting because it really made me think if I enjoy and display his supreme excellence in all spheres of my life.  I find that I sometimes will display his excellence without enjoying it.  However, the  joy in glorifying him will pour out from within me and display it for others to see.  There are still a lot of parts of my life where I can do a better job in having a passion to glorify God.

As I read more from this book, I plan to share more about what God is teaching me from this book of how to not waste my life.

John Wooden passed away earlier today at the age of 99. He was one of the best college basketball coaches in history. Not only did he produce champions on the court, he made his players great character people off the court. Wooden leaves a legacy of success as a basketball coach and as a man who shaped the lives of many great individuals.

Here’s a quote that I feel defined how he lived his life:
Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters. – John Wooden

RIP John Wooden. You will be deeply missed

This guy had help from his former teammates, but he said what really helped him out of substance abuse was God. Instead of constantly being stoned, Carbo now goes around speaking about Jesus, baseball, and the dangers of substance abuse. It’s amazing to see how God can change the hearts of all people, especially the ones “good” people see as sinners who will never change.

In today’s society, everything is about doing as many things at once in the shortest amount of time. When we do this though, we tend to forget to stop and appreciate the things we enjoy most in life. It’s getting close to finals time for many and the pressure and stress makes it tough to just stop, but sometimes we need that break. I want to encourage you to take at least 5 minutes each day to just stop everything you’re doing and relax. I personally like to go outside, pray and just enjoy the weather. You’ll definitely be more refreshed and less anxious. So slow down, take a break, enjoy life!

Check out The Nehemiah Band’s first music video made possible by Nine Finger Productions.

It’s definitely cool to see what one of our partners are up to. Hope you all enjoy the video as much as I did!

After a tough and emotional year, Phil Mickelson celebrates his Masters win at Augusta today with his wife, Amy and his three kids. About a year ago, his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. If that wasn’t hard enough, his mom, Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer during the week of his wife’s first surgery. Mickelson throughout this time understandably struggled to find his game. However, he came into Augusta confident that he had a chance to win his third green jacket. He was solid the first three days and flawless on the last day which led him to a victory that he and everyone will never forget.

He said, at the end, with his voice breaking…“We’ve been through a lot this year and it means a lot to share some joy together. She’s an incredible wife, an incredible mother, and she’s been an inspiration to me, going through what’s she’s been through”.

Phil, this win makes you an inspiration to many. Not just because of your phenomenal playing this weekend, but because of the perseverance you had this entire year. Congratulations on your victory! You deserve it.