Blog Archives - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

sUPERMAN!

10/31/2019

"Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ." 1 Corinthians 11:1

There are a lot of people who dress up for Halloween. Free candy will motivate a lot of people to do strange things. Superman on Halloween is simply a kid dressed up like Superman. It isn't actually Superman. We can put on the clothes and pump up our chest but until we fly, we aren't Superman. We are called to be "Christ-like". Wearing a cross doesn't make us a Christian. Our actions do.

Lord, help me to behave as you would want me to behave.

School Is In Session!

10/30/2019

"I know, my God, that You test the heart and that You are pleased with uprightness. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You." 1 Chronicles 29:17

We spend the vast majority of the first 20 years of our lives in school. At some point, we graduate with our last degree and put homework, projects, papers and exams in the rear view mirror, to never endure again. I personally pursued a doctorate degree so I could get to the point of saying "I don't need to take a class or sit for another exam ever again". However, that was very short sighted. Life is full of tests and it always will be. We will never get to the point in our lives where tests are completely behind us. In fact, we may have one or two or three today. There are no "Finals Week" for us. Instead it is a constant period of "Mid-Terms".

Lord, help me to be aware that tests are a constant presence in my life and help me to be prepared and to test well.

The Little Things!

10/29/2019

"He sought God throughout the lifetime of Zechariah, the teacher of the fear of God. During the time that he sought the Lord, God gave him success." 2 Chronicles 26:5

Details. The "little things". We often mention the importance of taking care of those smaller, less obvious items in order to reach our goals. Details matter. The "little things" matter. However, sometimes we focus so much on the "little things" and forget about the "big thing". The "big thing" is the "big thing" for a reason. The "big thing" needs to happen before the "little things" can be considered. Follow God. Seek God. Pursue God. That is the "big thing".

Lord, the little things matter but help me to focus on You first.

wAIT tO tRUST!

10/28/2019

"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" Psalm 27:14

The word "wait" means "trust". We trust in things unseen. Sometimes those things will be revealed to us at a later time and thus, we need to wait. We trust and so we wait. If we truly trust in God, we will be patient and wait for as long as it takes, because we know he will follow through on what he promises.

Lord, help me to trust and to wait.

Seriously!

10/25/2019

"And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" Romans 8:30-31

One of the problems with verses from the Bible that we hear often, or even hear out of context or in sound bites, is that we become numb to them. It is also human nature for us to take things lighter than they actually are and we tend to take things for granted. "If God is for us, who is against us?". If we actually take time to think about this verse and think about the gravity of it, and if we believe that it is true, this is powerful to us. If God is truly for us, no one against us really matters in comparison so why are we so bent out of shape when someone opposes us, complains about us, criticizes us or dislikes us.

Lord, thank you for being for me.

"Don't Worry, Be Peaceful"!

10/24/2019

Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Happiness is a result of our current circumstances. We are happy when something is going on around us that makes us happy. On the other hand, Peace is an attitude. Our attitude is a choice we make. We can choose to be happy when something bad is happening in our life but that happiness is typically contrived or fake. We can choose to have the right attitude. An attitude of gratefulness. An attitude of contentment. An attitude of peace. Those attitudes are typically hard to adopt when our circumstances are difficult but God doesn't expect us to adopt those attitudes by our own strength.

Lord, help me to have an attitude of Christ and not simply have feelings based on my circumstances.

Picking Teams!

10/23/2019

"When Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in His hand. Joshua approached Him and asked, 'Are You for us or for our enemies?' 'Neither,' He replied. 'I have now come as commander of the Lord's army.'" Joshua 5:13-14

Most people view life in simple terms. Team ME or Team YOU. We see either a team of me and those who think, act and support me and my views or "the other" and "the other" is the competition. We should look for a third choice, TEAM GOD. TEAM GOD is for me and not against me but He is also not for others and thus against me. God has enough love and power and strength to be for me and for others. We should be too.

Lord, thank you for loving me and loving others and when loving others, it doesn't mean you love me less.

Moving the Needle!

10/22/2019

"So because of Christ, I am pleased in weaknesses, in insults, in catastrophes, in persecutions, and in pressures. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10

It is nice when others say good things about us. It fills us up and makes us feel good. However, what others say or think or convey to us or to others about us shouldn't move the needle on our "value meter". My value and my identity are in Christ alone. Because of Christ, I can feel strong when others tell me that I am weak. Because of Christ, I can feel strong when I face people or problems that are difficult. Because of Christ, my needle moves all the way up to the maximum, no matter what the situations in my life may be.

Lord, thank you for not only moving the needle but for being the needle.

Who Knows?!

10/21/2019

"Who knows, perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Esther 4:14b

We would like to think that we know. We would like to think that our plans are wise and thoughtful and that we are in control of what will happen. We would love to believe that "better" and "more" is right around the corner. We are smart so we know ...? The truth is that we really don't know much. We should know that the world is not predictable and neither is our life. This is why we need to take advantage of the opportunities right in front of us. We may hope that the same opportunity or a better one may come late on, when it is more convenient for us but we never know.

Lord, help me to be aware of the countless opportunities in front of me today.

An Opportunity, Not a Sin!

10/17/2019

"If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Temptation is an opportunity to do what is right. Temptation is not a sin. Temptation is a natural inclination or desire based on our selfishness but the temptation alone is not sin until the temptation is acted upon. Therefore, when we are tempted, we are given a choice. The choice should be to do what is right.

Lord, give me the strength to do what is right.