"True" March Madness

Eby's 2008 Spring Break Quarter Bracket People's Tournament Preview

The Official Eby's 2008 Spring Break Quarter Bracket Peoples Tournament

Ever since I have been little, I have had an unhealthy obsession with tournaments and brackets. This time of year (March Madness) is my time of year. I would always make my own brackets, filling the spaces with NFL teams, NBA teams or if I was really bored I would put my friends names in the spaces. I would then flip a quarter and if heads, the person on top of the bracket would advance and tails the bottom. So my friend Mike Griggs and I decided our freshman year that we were going to have a "Peoples Tournament" every year during March Madness just for fun. It's very simple actually, I'll break it down for you. I choose the most random 64 people I can think of (Family Included) and fill them in the bracket in no particular order and start flipping the quarter. That's all there is to it. This year is full of incredible first round match ups and what soon could be Cinderella stories. It looks to be the most exciting tournament action ever. Stay caught up on all of the results right here on my blog. Tournament starts Sunday April 6th. Brackets are also available to fill out and turn in for a prize. Just contact either Mike Griggs or myself and good luck!

My buddy Griggsy now a fellow Blogee!

So if you haven't heard my best buddy Mike Griggs has officially set up a blog. You can check out his blog at www.michaeljgriggs.blogspot.com.

Ducks (5-1)!!!

Last night the Ducks went at it again playing the South Bend Crossing. This time I actually got to play for the Ducks. The Crossing kept it kind of close in the beginning, but the Ducks were just to much as we quacked our way to victory 70-46. Right after the Ducks game, I had to play for the Elkhart Crossing and it wasn't so hot getting beat 82-50, yeah ouch! So I went 1-1 on the night. The Ducks currently stand at 1st place in the league with a 5-1 record. The Elkhart Crossing at 2-4. Oh by the way, I have never fallen down so many times in my life!

P Dave Brings it!

Yesterday Pastor Dave preached what I thought was an incredible sermon. I loved it! It was short and right to the point with every part of his sermon pointing directly to the cross. He gave us the analogy of how we go through life trying to swim from California to Hawaii. With how ridiculous that is it's almost hard to believe but it's so true. He brought out these key passages of scripture...

Romans 5:8
Romans 6:23

So will you swim or get in God's boat??

The Greatest Story Ever Told

I have a ton of favorite verses and stories throughout the Bible, but my favorite of all time has to be the Easter story. Jesus comes down to earth, lives for 33 years, then faces the cross, and defeats death and sin by leaving an empty tomb and rising again. It is by far the best story of all time and should send a wake up call to us that call ourselves "Believers."

Matthew 26
The Plot Against Jesus 1When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2"As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."
3Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. 5"But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."
Jesus Anointed at Bethany 6While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, 7a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
8When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. 9"This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
10Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus 14Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests 15and asked, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
The Lord's Supper 17On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?"
18He replied, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.' " 19So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
20When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."
22They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"
23Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born."
25Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, "Surely not I, Rabbi?" Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."[a]
26While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."
27Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the[b] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."
30When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial 31Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: " 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'[c] 32But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
33Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
34"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
35But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.
Gethsemane 36Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." 37He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
42He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
Jesus Arrested 47While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." 49Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
50Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you came for."[d]
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. 51With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
52"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
55At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Before the Sanhedrin 57Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
59The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward 61and declared, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' "
62Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 63But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ,[e] the Son of God."
64"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
65Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66What do you think?" "He is worthy of death," they answered.
67Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68and said, "Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?"
Peter Disowns Jesus 69Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. "You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said.
70But he denied it before them all. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
71Then he went out to the gateway, where another girl saw him and said to the people there, "This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."
72He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!"
73After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, "Surely you are one of them, for your accent gives you away."
74Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"
Immediately a rooster crowed. 75Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: "Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Matthew 27
Judas Hangs Himself 1Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. 2They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
3When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4"I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility."
5So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
6The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money." 7So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. 8That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me."[f]
Jesus Before Pilate 11Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
12When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. 13Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" 14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
15Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered.
22"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
25All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"
26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus 27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion 32As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.[g] 36And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
41In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. 42"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " 44In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
The Death of Jesus 45From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. 46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi,[h] lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[i]
47When some of those standing there heard this, they said, "He's calling Elijah."
48Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49The rest said, "Now leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."
50And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
54When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son[j] of God!"
55Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. 56Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons.
The Burial of Jesus 57As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. 61Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.
The Guard at the Tomb 62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
65"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
Matthew 28
The Resurrection 1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
The Guards' Report 11While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 12When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' 14If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." 15So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.
The Great Commission 16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[k] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The Ducks vs. Elkhart Crossing

Tonight I have a very tough decision to make concerning the Ducks vs. Crossing basketball game. You see I'm on both teams and I'm not exactly sure what team to play for tonight. I have never had one of these predicaments. I want to play for the Ducks because it's the team with all my friends. We are tied for 1st in the league and we are barely going to have 5 guys there. At the same time, I want to play for The Crossing because I want to continue to build relationships, and they don't know that I play for the Ducks. One nice thing is that no matter what, tonight my team will win! (haha)

Loooooooong Week

This past week can probably go down as one of the longest weeks I have ever endured in my entire life. It seriously seemed like every day was actually 48 hours instead of 24. My girlfriend, Whittley, has been in Florida since last Monday, and I still don't have a cell phone so it was tough to communicate. So with her gone and no cell phone, this week went on forever. But just because it was long doesn't mean that it was a bad week, with some of the highlights including....

• The Ducks winning Tuesday night and are now 3-1
• Wednesday night Church
• Hanging out with Dorf on Friday Night
• Going to Brandon Williams on Saturday Night
• Bowling with my small group on Sunday
• Training for a mini-marathon

What Is Leadership?

What is leadership? This was the question that was asked yesterday at the Crossing Leadership Retreat at River Oaks Church. Once a month, there is a Leadership Retreat for several Crossing students. Our lessons are on how to become more effective leaders at our schools. Yesterday, we really looked at the heart of leadership, and discussed who some leaders were. Our discussion director Randy really looked at two leaders; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Adolf Hitler. I know, how can a man that directed and lead the cause to over 6 million deaths be considered a leader? He really went into depth about how these two men, although with very different morals and goals, became great leaders who people followed. What these two men did will be remembered forever and their effect on the world will change the worlds view on many things. The challenge was: what kind of leader were we going to be?

Biscuits and Gravy

Every Friday morning at 6:00 a.m. in the Fireside room of NMC , there is a Men's Prayer Breakfast. At this prayer breakfast, Pastor Marvin always cooks an awesome meal that I would eat every morning if I could. His meals include...

• Oatmeal and Cereal
• Pancakes
• Biscuits and Gravy and Scambled Eggs

I mean come on what's not to like? Along with feeling full of food, I always leave that room feeling full of the Holy Spirit. I have such an awesome opportunity to pray with some of the most hard core prayer warriors that I know. God meets with us at the breakfast and I firmly believe his Spirit is moving. Being there Friday motivates me!

What's Your Decision?

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
Though I may wonder, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.

On Fire Rallies (Final Night!)

A DANGEROUS INVITATION

It was brought!!! Last night was the last night of On Fire Rallies for 2008, but I feel it was the beginning of a movement that is taking place in the hearts of many individuals. God came and God moved throughout the entire week and it was so awesome to even hear the stories that have happened already! Last nights message "A DANGEROUS INVITATION" was awesome and was spoken by the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:18-22 was where we went last night and read about an incredible invitation that Christ is still asking us today.

18As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20At once they left their nets and followed him.
21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

So many times we look into scripture and look at the stories throughout scripture and think that could be so cool if that kind of stuff could happen today. IT CAN! The disciples accepted an invitation that changed their lives completely and I firmly believe that Christ is challenging us today with the same crazy dangerous invitation. The question is will we accept it?

• Will we be willing to leave everything no matter the cost?
• Will we be willing to follow Christ not matter the cost?
• Do we think that following Christ is something worth living and dying for?

The challenge is on! Because in scripture it also talks about the guys who had made excuses before following Christ. Are you willing? Is it worth it? Unleash the Unusual Soldier within!!!

Quack Ducks!

Last night at the Sports Center, the Ducks had another close one. Only leading by one at half, we felt as if the scorekeepers were not counting all of our points, but there was nothing we could do about it. It was definetely nice to have six players there last night so we had at least one sub and wouldn't run ourselves ragged. With the help of former Northwood All-NLC Aaron McDowell, the Ducks are now 2-1 winning 64-59.

AMP!!! Blog Poll Champion!

1st - Amp with 17 Votes

2nd - Monster with 3 Votes

3rd - Full Throtle with 1 Vote

4th - Rockstar with 0 Votes

ENOUGH SAID!

What I'm Reading

So I have decided to re-read a book from my sophomore year impact trip to the Dominican Republic. The book is entitled The Beginner's Guide to Intercession. It has been very encouraging and challenging and it is just a great read. Check out just a little piece of what I'm talking about.....

Ken Gaub was walking down the street when he heard a pay phone ringing. Curious, he stopped to answer it. To his astonishment, the operator stated, “Long distance call for Ken Gaub. Is he there?” After debating the impossibility of this situation, he finally took the call.
The caller, about to commit suicide, had prayed for help and thought of Ken’s ministry. Not knowing how to contact him, she continued to write her suicide note. When numbers came to her mind, she wrote them down. Wondering if God was miraculously giving her Ken’s phone number, she dialed them.
Amazed at reaching him, she asked, “Are you in your office in California?”
“My office is in Washington,” replied Ken.
“Oh, well, where are you then?” she queried.
“Don’t you know? You called me,” he responded.
“I don’t know what area I’m calling. I just dialed the number on this paper.”
“Ma’am, I’m in a phone booth in Dayton, Ohio!”
Recognizing this encounter could have been arranged only by God, Ken began to counsel her. The Holy Spirit’s presence flooded the phone booth, giving him wisdom beyond his ability, and she soon prayed the sinner’s prayer, committing to live for the Lord.

True Story

Yeah I know, WOW!!!

On Fire Rallies (Night 2)

Hearing God's Voice
Psalm 46:10- Be still and know that I am God.
Why is it so hard to hear God's voice? Why is it so hard to distinguish God's voice from our own. Last night Caleb really challenged us on just being still and listening for what God has to say. Listening for God's voice can be incredible and at the same time frustrating. Incredible because we have the opportunity to really listen to what God the creator of the universe wants to say to us. Frustrating because sometimes we don't hear God speak, or we hear ourselves or the enemy and think its God's voice. But do we really ever give God a chance to talk to us? Truth is, it's going to be hard to recognize a voice that you rarely listen for. It's like picking up the phone and calling a complete stranger and becoming upset when you don't know who the person is. The more you stay in contact with the voice of God the better you will be able to recognize his voice. Pray that the Lord will silence the voice of the enemy and silence your own voice and pray that God's still small voice will come and speak to you. You may hear some crazy things, but I think it's worth talking to the King of Kings.

Welcome to Miami!

So today I was checking out the Dolphins website and let's just say that they have been busy in the last couple of days aquiring 9 new players. Including Charlie Anderson LB (Houston), Josh McCown QB (Oakland), Justin Smiley G (San Francisco), Randy Starks DT (Tennessee), Reggie Torbor LB (N.Y. Giants), Jason Ferguson DT (Dallas), Sean Ryan TE (N.Y. Jets), and the best of all because we were desperate for a receiver, Ernest Wilford WR (Jacksonville). Take a Look!

No Matter the Cost!

So last night when "Biz" was challenging us at the On Fire Rallies, I felt as if my calling had been confirmed. I never want to put a lid on my future, because God could call me to do whatever, whenever and that is what I want to dedicate my life to. When Caleb was talking out of 2 Samuel and talking about David's Mighty Men, I felt as if God was talking to me. I felt as if he was looking me right in the eyes saying, "Dustin I need you to follow me no matter the cost I need you to be an "Unusual Soldier" for me. I won't be satisfied with anything else. I want my life to be lived out of my relationship with Christ! I want to run to the battle for Christ and claim His name in all that I do. The challenge is on!

On Fire Rallies Night 1 (Are You An Unusual Soldier?)

UNUSUAL SOLDIER

That was Caleb's first challenge to us at the first session of the On Fire Rallies last night. We are so blessed to be able to have Biz and Yemi lead us in this series, and watch as God begins to do the impossible in people's lives. I was so challenged last night as Biz read out of 2 Samuel and talked about David's Mighty Men. I was blown away at what those men would do for their king. They were willing to risk there lives for their king, and they wouldn't be satisfied with anything else. But now the question is: Are we willing to be mighty men for God? Challenges for the night:

Are we willing to be "Unusual Soldiers" for Christ?

Will we run to the battle?

Will we stand our ground for Christ?