By Jeff Ginn The old saying goes, “Everybody loves an underdog.” I think it is because underdogs exceed expectations. They give us hope that we, too, though overwhelmed, can win. On Valentine’s Day in 1992, two Alabama high schools met in a regular season basketball game. They were the Fort Payne Wildcats and the North Jackson Chiefs. The game was hard fought and went into overtime. The refs were calling a lot of fouls that night. Player after player fouled out. Before it ended, the Chiefs, who had a limited roster, only had 2 players on the court. It was 2 against 5 and they were down by 1 point with 5 seconds left. Against those odds, what are the chances? Little to none. The one Chief inbounded the ball to his teammate who streaked down the court with five Wildcats chasing him. He shot a layup and missed, but no Wildcat thought to block out the player who inbounded the ball. He was trailing the pack, got the rebound, and tossed in the winning shot as time expired. The crowd went crazy because everybody loves an underdog. We serve a God who loves the underdog. He glories in exceeding expectations. Often our weaknesses are a platform on which His power is displayed. The story of Gideon in the Bible is a clear … [Read more...]

By Rick Warren “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28 NIV). Grief, loss, and pain are an inevitable part of life. But did you know that God uses these things to help us grow? He does it in three ways.First, God uses pain to get our attention. C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.” Pain is God’s megaphone. We rarely change when we see the light. We change when we feel the heat. Proverbs 20:30 says, “Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways” (GNT). Second, God brings good out of bad. One of the most famous verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (NIV). When you experience a loss, it’s an opportunity to grow in character. You can’t control the pain you go through, but you can decide whether it’s going to make you bitter or better. You decide whether it’s going to be a stepping-stone or a stumbling block. You have to remember that even in your pain, God is working for your good. Third, God prepares us for eternity. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “These little troubles are getting us ready for an … [Read more...]