If you didn't get a chance to watch the digital chapel on Sunday, you can watch it HERE. It's worth your time.

This week is about forgiveness. Let's start with a guy from the Bible. His name was David.

David was King of Israel. At a time when the other kings were off fighting battles, David stayed home. One evening he found himself on top of his balcony, unable to sleep. While he was walking around, he noticed a woman in the town bathing herself. David had the woman—her name was Bathsheba—brought to his chambers. He slept with her. A short while later he found out she was pregnant. Oh yeah, she was married too. Her husband was currently fighting for Israel. In an attempt to cover it up, David ordered his commander to send Bathsheba's husband to the front of the battle line. He was killed.

David appeared to have covered all of his bases. But a prophet of the Lord named Nathan found out and called David out on his multiple sins.

I don't know about you, but sometime I feel like my mess is too much for God to handle. It's helpful for me to read about David because later in the Bible he is referred to as "a man after God's own heart." How can this be? How can a guy who took advantage of a married woman and then had her husband killed be considered a man after God's own heart?

I don't fully know how to answer that. But I think Psalm 51 gives us a hint. It's a prayer that David wrote to God after he was caught in his sin. It's David pleading for forgiveness.

Despite David's mess, he was not beyond God's ability to forgive. And you and I are not either.

Read Psalm 51 right now. Use it as a means to confess any areas of your life that you need forgiveness for. And trust that if God can forgive David, he can, and will, forgive you too.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

Athlete, you are accepted.

Since you started playing sports you have been conditioned to believe that when you do well, people cheer. When you struggle, the cheering usually stops. More often than not, success on the playing field means acceptance from others. As an athlete, you have spent your life earning everything. Nothing is given to you in athletics.

You may subtly buy into the world's lie that as an athlete, you must gain your acceptance by proving that you deserve it since you perceive that your value is always earned. God says that is not true.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says that because of Christ, you are accepted by God as a result of His grace toward you, never a result of works. The result? You do not need to work harder or prove your worth to others or even to yourself.

God is not in love with the future version of you. He fully loves and fully accepts you now because of what Jesus has done on your behalf. Rest in that today.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

In his letter to the church at Colossae, Paul encourages the believers to "let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." The verb "let" implies that the peace offered by Christ wants to do something. If I told you to "let me play the game with you", it implies that I want to play.

The point is this: the peace offered by Christ WANTS to rule in or hearts. He wants to bring contentment and joy and perspective. He wants to be the answer to the anxiety and unrest you are experiencing.

Will you let him?

But wait, Paul is not finished. You can picture him writing the letter to his friends and he wants to make sure they remember something very important. Oh yeah, and don't forget, be thankful.

Athlete, heed Paul's advice to the church at Colossae and don't forget to be thankful.

Consider this prayer today on Thanksgiving: "God, thank you for everything you have done in my life. Thank you for Jesus. For his life, death and resurrection. Thank you for the blessing of this life. Would you allow your peace to rule in my heart today?" 

"But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57

How do you measure whether or not you are a grateful athlete—or person for that matter? One thing worth considering is this: gratitude overflows. ⠀
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Are you an athlete that looks to serve those around you?⠀
Do think about others more than yourself?⠀
Do you find ways to affirm and encourage your teammates and coaches?⠀
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Athlete, the Gospel saves us FROM sin. But it also saves us TO a life of loving God and loving others. ⠀
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When we fully appreciate and experience gratitude for what the Gospel saves us from, it overflows in allowing us to serve the people God put in our lives.⠀
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"Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

What would it look like for you to practice the discipline of gratitude this week? With Thanksgiving right around the corner, this is the perfect time to step back and find ways to be grateful.

And grateful athletes don't fear failure. Do you know why we fear failure? Oftentimes it's because we believe that success is going to fill the void inside of us. The Word fo God is clear that only Christ can satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. A grateful athlete recognizes and meditates on that truth. They still allow themselves the freedom to be upset when things don't go as planned, but they no longer fear the worst case scenario. Win or lose, the CHOOSE gratitude.

Sound easy enough? If you're like me, your response is: "No, that actually sounds pretty hard. How do you do it?"

The answer is the Gospel. The good news that Jesus has made a way for us to be in relationship with the God of the universe, the eternal One who created us, should create in our hearts a worshipful response. A grateful response. The Gospel isn't just the good news that saved us, it's the good news that sustains us and rightly prioritizes our thoughts and actions. So, how do you CHOOSE gratitude? You reflect on the goodness God has shown you through the Gospel. Over and over and over again.

Luke 5:27-32

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."

As we finish these verses today, this is not a fun devo, but it is one we all need to read.

Jesus words to the Pharisees have the ability to hit us in the heart or slap us in the face. Jesus said some tough words to those who had the power in the culture. He has some tough words to say to us right now as we read these verses.

Read these verses one more time. Did it hit you this time?

We have to see ourselves as sick if the Great Physician, Jesus, is going to cure us.

The Pharisees wrapped their sin in respectability. They made themselves appear good by publically doing deeds and pointing at the sins of others. Jesus chose to spend time not with these proud, self-righteous religious leaders, but with people who sensed their own sin and knew that they were not good enough for God. In order to come to God, we must repent. And in order to renounce (or repent) from our sins, we must recognize it for what it is.  

So today let's do something our culture doesn't like to do, let's recognize sin and call it what it is, sin. Let's not justify it or wrap the sin in respectability; let's take it to Jesus and ask him to heal us. Let's pray for open eyes, hearts, and minds to see our actions, motives, and thoughts with the right lenses. Let's pray that when we do see sin in us, that we truly want to get healed from it, not just call it out and move on.

To follow Jesus is to become more and more like Jesus. This will challenge what you do and why you do it. Sometimes going to the doctor is painful but don't let that pain stop you from going to the Doctor.

Luke 5:27-32

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."


Athlete, reputation is an interesting thing. It causes us to do or not do something. A lot of the times this is a good thing but sometimes we make our reputation the most important and that is a sinful thing.

When Jesus visited Levi in his home, he hurt his own reputation. The most religions and righteous people in those days saw Jesus and asked. "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Essentially saying, why are you associating yourself with these lowlifes?

The Pharisees and scribes were more concerned with their own appearance of holiness than with helping people. More concerned with criticism than encouragement. More concerned with outward respectability than practical help.

But God cares more about his glory and his name than your reputation. God cares about ALL people. He is concerned for all people all over the world. This includes the sinful and hurting ones. The christian life is not a popularity contest but a chance for all to follow Jesus.

Following Jesus' example, we should share the Good News of His life, death, and resurrection with the poor, immoral, lonely, and outcasts, not just the rich, moral, popular, and powerful. Don't get caught up in caring more about your reputation than sharing with those around you what Jesus has done.

Luke 5:27-32

"After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, 'Follow me.' And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'"


If we were to ask 100 people what they should do after they committed their lives to Jesus we would get a range of answers like:

Read your Bible
Go to church
Pray more often
Learn ministry skills
Join a Bible Study

These things are all great things but I wonder if we put too much emphasis on what we can do and not what God has already done?  

We would not hear what Levi did on anyone’s list. He got his friends together, the ones he knew didn't know Jesus, and threw a party. He didn't wait until he had the experience or was mature in his faith, he just wanted people to know Jesus like he did. He wanted his friends, the tax collectors and sinners, to follow Jesus too.

One would think that these people knew Levi pretty well because they were the same as him.
Levi took advantage of people; so did they.
Levi used his power for his own gain; so did they.
Levi wasn't a Jew; they weren't either.
Levi knew Jesus was different and could change his life; he wanted his friends to know it too.

Do you ever think this way? Do you ever tell those around you, those you hang out with the most, the ones you know the most, who Jesus is to you? I wonder what that could look like in your life? I wonder if you could start with your teammates and those you hangout with most often, who know you the best?

Today, step out in faith, even if you don’t know the right words (I'm sure Levi didn't), to tell one of your teammates why you follow Jesus.    

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."  Luke 5:27-32

"Follow me."

Two words that changed the life of a tax collector named Levi. This is an invitation of total commitment to Christ. And what was Levi's response? Leaving everything.

Although tax collecting wasn't a very honest living, it was very lucrative. It made Levi lots of money but that was nothing compared to being in fellowship with Jesus. He was willing to give it all up to give up the material possessions to gain the spiritual fortunes.

Compare that to another story of the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 18:18-30. In this story the young ruler did everything right but wasn't willing to follow Jesus because of his riches. He walked away from Jesus.

Take an honest look at yourself and answer the question, which one do you more closely resemble? One is willing to give up everything to follow Jesus and the other isn't willing to follow because it is too costly.

What's stopping you from following Jesus with total commitment?
Is it the allure of money?  
Is it a relationship?
Your family?
Your sport?
Your reputation?    

What stops you from leaving everything behind to gain fellowship with the Savior of the world?

Luke 5:27-32

"After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, 'Follow me.' And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'" 

Athlete, for the next 5 days we will be traveling through these six verses and pulling out things that God is challenging us with. So go ahead and read those verses again.

Stop and listen to hear if God is saying anything to you.

Read those verses slowly one more time. This time with this prayer on your heart, "God what do you want me to learn about you?" (Remember the Bible is about God, not what he can do for us)

Ok, what is he saying to you about himself?

If you look at the first verse you will see he calls A TAX COLLECTOR to himself to be one of his followers.
 
A.
TAX.
COLLECTOR.

This is crazy and tells us a lot about God. He is telling us that even though the world (especially the audience Luke is writing to) looks at tax collectors as the lowest of low, God sees them as people worth value and dignity.

Tax collectors are people you want to stay away from and actually run the other direction when you see them. Tax collectors will take your money, give it to your enemy, and keep some for themselves. They will take advantage of you. They are the type of "friend" that always takes and never gives. They have nothing to offer.

Yet God calls them to follow him! He is not afraid of perception (more on that in the days to come) or afraid of someone saying "No." God cares about every single person and wants them to be in a relationship with him no matter what they do, have done, or will do.

He cares deeply for them.

Do you? If you call yourself a Christ follower, are you willing to go to the tax collector(s) in your context? Who are those people in your context? In your athletic department? In your neighborhood?

If you put yourself in the tax collector category, know that God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. Be encouraged by these verses and stick with us for the week because God uses that tax collector in some really fun ways.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12

Athlete, can you resonate with this proverb? Deferred means withheld until a future date. You probably experience this reality after a loss or an injury or a poor performance. The hope you expected becomes the dangling carrot you cannot seem to grasp. It can make our hearts grow sick when we continue to put our hope in something that never works out in our favor.

On the other hand, "a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Surely you have experienced the thrill and temporal joy that comes with sports success. After training and preparing, the satisfaction of achieving an athletic goal is a great feeling. It's fulfilling.

Ultimately, this proverb points to a greater reality for us. We can compare it to sports all we want. But our true longings will only be fulfilled through a relationship with Jesus. Our hearts long to be connected relationally to God. Ecclesiastes speaks to this reality when it points out that God has "put eternity in the hearts of men."

Only eternal realities will provide the lasting fulfillment that eternal beings desire. 

"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid."
Proverbs 12:1

Yep. The Bible just said if you hate correction you are stupid. Does it get any more blunt than that? It doesn't take a seasoned pastor to figure this verse out.

Athlete, listen to the people around you who are helping you get better, both on and off the field. You're fleshly tendency will be to push against the correction. But don't be stupid. Humble yourself, heed the advice, and grow as an athlete and a child of God.

Hear is some advice today: Ultimate Training Camp just opened up registration. Don't be stupid. Go sign up!

"The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence."
Proverbs 10:11

You see side by side comparisons like this a lot in the book of Proverbs. There's little room for grey. You are either this. Or that.

In today's proverb, we see the two extremes for our mouths, specifically the words that comes out of them.

Challenge: Do a self assessment today and ask yourself if the words that come out of your mouth are usually a fountain of life to others. A fountain of life flows with affirmation, love, and encouragement. Who could you offer that to today?

"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the Lord is ehatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. I have counsel and sound wisdom; I have insight; I have strength. By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness." Proverbs 8:12-18

Wisdom is the first person narrator in this proverb. She (yes, wisdom is personified as a woman throughout the Bible) actually keeps narrating through the end of the chapter, but we only need a few verses to see the point she is trying to make.

Athlete, you have been discipled by culture to believe performance, success, and platform in sports is the key to a great life. The promise is that all of these things will give you influence. The verses above show us that there is something way beyond earthly success that gives you what you need to advance in life: wisdom.

We can define wisdom as this: Aligning ourselves with the way God designed the world to work. This means knowing him through his Word. It means listening to his Spirit. It means being connected to his people in authentic community.

Athlete, continue to give God glory through maximum effort and excellence in your sport. But gain wisdom along the way. It will serve you far better than anything sports has to offer. 

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

A couple things worth noting from the passage above.

First, Trust. Trust in who? The LORD. It's so easy to find our joy and satisfaction in sports. To trust our sport to fill the void in our life. The object of our trust matters. Athlete, who are you trusting today?

Second, lean not on your own understanding. This is connected with the concept of trust. It can be so easy to create a god that thinks and acts according to how we think he should. Lucky for us, God has given us his Word to know him better. We lean on his understand and trust him when we open up his Word and get to know him.

Third, in all your ways acknowledge him. The phrase "Audience of One" is not something we made up. It's a reality seen all over scripture. Don't merely acknowledge him in some of your ways or in some areas of your life, but acknowledge him in everything. That's why we expanded the phrase to "Ao1 Life." Ao1 should be more than just a game day mantra. It should be a way of life.

Athlete, remember these three words today: trust, lean, and acknowledge. That's your part. God's part is to make your path straight. Have a great week!

Read James 1:19-25

We do a disservice to God if we just read the Bible and do nothing because we have read it. To read the Bible is a call to action. It will change you.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

You can't not be challenged from reading the Bible. It is active and living. It gets to your soul and spirit. It convicts. It challenges even your thoughts and intentions.

When you read the Bible it should cause you to do something.

Take a few more minutes and read Matthew 5 (or the whole of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7) and let the word of God pierce your soul to cause you to do something.

Read Matthew 4:1-11

For many of you, you have read these verses many times before. You have heard sermons on them. Maybe you have even given talks about them or did Bibles studies on them. But I hope the Bible doesn't come so familiar to you that you miss what God is trying to tell you.

When something becomes familiar we can just go through the motions and not even think about it. This can be true in life, sport, and in your relationship with God. Can you imagine if Jesus would have just gone through the motions when being tempted? But he didn't, he was proactive and focused. He was fasting and praying and staying attentive to God.

As you read these verses I hope you noticed how Jesus combated the lies of the enemy.

With the word of God.

He had read and studied the scriptures so often and so deeply that he could quote them from heart. He had memorized key and important verses to remember the truths of the Father.

When you examine your life, what lies are you believing? Do you have verses that you have memorized to combat those lies? If not, do the work and follow Jesus' example by combating lies with the truth memorized.

Read John 1:1-18

Look particularly at verses 1 and 14 specifically as you read.

verse 1 -  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  
verse 14 - The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

I love that God makes some things so clear.

The Word = Jesus.

If you want to know Jesus, know the Word.  

If you want to know who Jesus is, read your Bible.

Maybe it's time to read the rest of John 1 and be encouraged by who Jesus is and why people followed him.

Commit. Verb: to pledge or engage oneself.

As athletes we know what it means to commit to something. It means doing it wholeheartedly. It means sacrificing for that thing. It means making a pledge to yourself, and others, you will do your best to make it happen.

God desires us to commit to reading his word on a consistent basis. This is not to say we do it to just do it or check some sort of box, but because the God of the universe wants us to know him and the Bible lets us know him a little better. We get a glimpse into the Savior's heart when we read the Bible and this should cause us to commit to reading it.

Again today there isn't much to say other than get some time in God's word today. As soon as you are done with this open up your Bible or Bible app (or go the the Bible within the Ao1Life App) and read John 15.

As you read, remember that the Bible is about God, not you, so get to know Him as you read it.

What is it about the Bible that stops us from reading it on a daily basis? Why is it so hard to put down something to take up the Word of God?

One of the biggest excuses I make is, "I don't have time."

When I really think of this excuse I can't help but cringe. I don't have time? Here is the reality, Athlete, you make time for the things you love. You will make time for school, your relationships, your sport, your video games, your shows, just to name a few. How can I give the excuse of not having time when I am on my phone over 4 hrs a day?

Maybe it's time for you to evaluate your schedule and see where God has fit in and where He should fit in in the future?

The Author of the universe wants to show himself to you, right now, through the Bible. Let's make time to learn about him.

Take a few minutes to read the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119.

With anticipation, go meet the Creator of everything and see what he is saying about himself, his word, and the world he formed.

"And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 1:22-25

Throughout this letter Jude challenges us to consider how to contend for the faith by strengthening our walks with God. But to only contend for the faith inwardly is selfish. As Christ followers we are called to maintain an outward focus in our lives as well.

For many, sharing the gospel with someone who does not believe is the scariest component of contending for the faith, and that is okay.

Jude reminds us that it is God who keeps us, sustains us and takes great joy in us regardless of the outcome. Allow that security to motivate you to share the love of Christ with others.

"But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, 'In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.' It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life." Jude 1:17-21

Jude is challenging his audience to remember two things: who you are around matters and you are responsible for your growth

You will become like who you are around.
It is not wrong to be friends with people who are not Christians, in fact we are called to it. But in order to contend for the faith we need to be in fellowship with other believers who are helping us grow, so that we may be a living testimony to our teammates and others around us.

Build yourself up in the faith.
You are responsible for your spiritual growth. If you rely on the teaching of others, habits of others, or encouragement of others for your own growth, you will most certainly stumble in your walk with God. Be a self feeder, build yourself up in the faith, and live by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Who are you surrounding yourself with? Are they pushing you towards Christ or the ungodly passions of this world?

Are you a self-feeder or are you relying on others to determine the trajectory of your faith?

"Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe." Jude 1:5

Jude uses the Israelites as an example of spiritual drifting. Initally, in their exodus from slavery in Egypt the Israelites were passionate about God and following Him. However, the longer they journeyed, the more they forgot about the God who saved them. Their forgetfulness led them to drift further and further away from the one true God and His best for their lives.

This same pattern can happen to us as well. We may experience a spiritual high or a come to Jesus moment and then over time we begin to forget about the God who saved us. The demands of life and sport creep in and displace God on the throne of our heart and we begin to forget.

This is why preaching the gospel to ourselves daily is essential. It prevents us from spiritual drifting. It keeps Jesus on the throne of our heart and helps us to remember that God is God and we are not.

Athlete, are you drifting? What are some spiritual practices you can put in place today to help you remember the gospel in your everyday life?

"Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ" Jude 1:1

"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy" Jude 1:24

If you were competing for a team and your position was insecure, how would you truly perform on the field?

The uncertainty of your position on the team would likely leave you anxious, hesitant, afraid of failure and prevent you from competing at your full potential.

Jude knew this reality. He begins and ends his letter reminding these early Christians that their position on God's team is secure. They are called by God, loved by God, and kept by God because of their faith in Jesus.

In Christ, you are kept. You can live in freedom knowing that you will not be cut from the team. Let that sink in. You can contend for the faith knowing that you are kept and your position is secure. Live out of that freedom today.

"Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."  Jude 1:3-4

Jude was writing this powerful short letter to a group of Christians who were facing the pressures of false teachers, persecution and spiritual drifting. Jude saw the dangers of "ungodly people perverting the grace of God" in the early church.  In response to this spiritual dilemma, Jude challenged Christ followers to "contend for the faith." The challenges Jude was warning against remain challenges for Christ followers today.

To contend means to compete. Could you imaging competing and knowing with 100% assurance that you are going to win? The phrase, "that was once and for all delivered to the saints," is a reminder that in Christ your victory is assured. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior and Lord you can know that you are on the winning team.

This assured victory we, as believers, have in Christ does not mean that we can or should rest on our bums. We are still called to compete. There is work to be done, we are to contend for the faith.

Over the next four days we will dive deeper into how to practically contend for the faith in our lives. For now consider the freedom that comes when you know the victory has already been won.