Blogs, John Grant

The PlayBOOK

Week Four, 2020

THE PLAYBOOK

By Florida Senator John Grant, retired

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

It’s the biggest sports event of the year. Millions watch it and thousands pay big bucks to be able to attend and view it in person. Athletes train year-round and compete throughout the fall just for the opportunity to participate and hopefully win “the ring.” Not only do they physically train and compete, they are in a mental game which requires much understanding and mental comprehension. They have a playbook and what they read on each page has to be precisely executed on the field of play. The event is called the Superbowl.

The playbook is one of the common elements in all levels of football from peewee to pro. It contains the game plan each team uses to try to overcome its opponent. Without the playbook teams and players would be in a state of confusion, not knowing what to do or where to go. On the other hand, no matter how good the playbook is, it’s absolutely useless if the players don’t study and apply it.

Life is like that and there is no better playbook than the Word of God. It contains everything we need to defeat the opposition (the Devil).

Although we may recognize that God has a plan for our lives, we often do not acknowledge that the Devil has a game plan too. It is completely opposite of God’s plan. The Devil’s plan is to “steal and kill and destroy” our lives, while God’s plan is to give us a full and abundant life.

In order for us to consistently overcome our adversary, we must know what God’s “playbook” says by reading and studying it and apply what it says to our lives. If we don’t, we are feeding right into the plans of our enemy. God has placed us all in another game. It is called the Superbowl of Life.

Here are some of the plays in God’s playbook for our lives.

So, then, how can we know God’s plan for our lives? Over the past twenty-five years that I have been in ministry, I have discovered eight vital keys to knowing God’s will and plan for your life. Here they are:

1) Walk with God.

2) Surrender your will to God’s.

3) Obey what you already know to be God’s Will.

4) Seek godly input.

5) Pay attention to how God has wired you.

6) Listen to God’s Spirit.

7) Listen to your heart.

8) Take a look at your circumstances.

The next time you begin to ponder God’s plan for your life, mull over the above eight keys. Use these principles to help you to focus on the plays in His plan. And when you seek His will earnestly, you will find it!

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

Fruits of God’s Kingdom:

  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Goodness
  • Gentleness
  • Faithfulness
  • Self-control
  • Rest
  • Acceptance
  • Fruits of Satan’s Kingdom:
  • Hatred
  • Depression
  • Anxiety/Angst
  • Impatience/Irritability
  • Mean-spiritedness
  • Evilness
  • Harshness/rough
  • Faithless/hopeless
  • Out of Control
  • Striving with exhaustion
  • Rejection

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The of kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in you” (Luke 17:20).

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CASH NO LONGER KING:

When Oliver Hicks finished helping his family with yard work last summer, his dad handed him $50 in cash. Oliver didn’t want it. He asked his dad to send him the money through an app on his phone.

“He was like, ‘What do you mean? There’s $50 in cash right in front of you. Why don’t you want it right now?’” recalls Oliver, a 20-year-old sophomore at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

Oliver is like many young adults and teens in that he prefers the convenience of a digital wallet to physical cash—even if it means waiting a while to receive payment. People often use mobile payment services like Venmo and Cash App to reimburse friends for office gifts or dinner. But with young people snubbing cash altogether, parents and grandparents now are being forced to join in if they want to compensate them for chores or babysitting.

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The average American household now has almost $16,000 in credit card debt.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

You may be the captain of the ship, but God is the ruler of the seas. Steve Scott

We don’t always believe things because they are true, but because they are expedient. Elle Sheen’s Diary

Sometimes we need darkness to reveal our light.

Our disappointments are often God’s appointments. Ken Whitten

Take time every day to celebrate the many gifts that are hidden in the ordinary events of your life. Cesar Milla

Comedian Will Rogers said it well: “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.”

Are you walking in your calling? Sol Pitchon

It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t have a choice.