Josh Hamilton

Unbelievable. That's what I was thinking the whole time during the Home Run Derby last night. Sure....he didn't win, but does that honestly bother anyone? This kid who had wasted three years of God-given talent and a $4 Million signing bonus on heroine, cocaine, and alcohol put on the greatest spectacle that Yankee Stadium has ever seen - and it's had it's fair share of great spectacles: 26 World Championships; Don Larson's Perfect Game in the 1956 World Series; Ruth's 60 homers; Maris' 61 homers; Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Jackson, Jeter. And yet, perhaps the greatest moment of all came from a Non-Yankee - his name being chanted by the Yankee faithful. Unbelievable.

Add to all this the fact that his pitcher was a 71-year old American Legion Youth Baseball coach from Hamilton's home in South Carolina. Then there's the dream that Hamilton had - that he had just finished hitting in the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium and was being interviewed - and reality happened just like the Dream. Unbelievable.

And yet, even as Josh Hamilton was crushing baseballs into the New York night, something much larger was on display: redemption. There is no greater story that I have seen which speaks to the power of God and the redemption of Sin found in Christ Jesus than Josh Hamilton. He had ruined his life; he says himself that there's no way he should still be alive. But God still had a plan for him.

On June 14, 2008 the shrine that is Yankee Stadium became a pulpit for the redeeming power of Almighty God. And Josh Hamilton made sure that everyone in the stadium and the nation knew that it wasn't about him - it was about the One who has saved Him. It was about the grace and forgiveness that God offers freely in Jesus Christ, the most unbelievable thing of all.

Being Christ's Hands and Feet

Our youth ministry had our annual service project, IMPACT, this past week. This week always amazes me. I am amazed how teenagers will give up a week to climb on someone's roof and do manual labor just to serve someone they don't even know. I think we truly were Christ's hands and feet.

I wouldn't say that our church has a "heart for the nations" yet, but I think this is how the seed is planted that will grow into a desire to go abroad and serve others in Christ's name. After all, in Acts 1:8, Jesus says, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth." I think that means that missions has to start in your own backyard. Hopefully, that is what we are instilling in our youth. I pray that this attitude will move from our teenagers into the rest of our church.

May God use our service to glorify Him and to birth a desire to take His name to other areas of our state, nation, and world. Amen.