Blog Archives - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

Happy Halloween!

10/31/2024

“And how can they believe without hearing about him?” Romans 10:14b

“Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary, use words” is a quote often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Whether words or actions, or actions alone, we have a responsibility to share Jesus with others.

Lord, passing out candy is fun but sharing the Good News is better and dressing up like a superhero is also fun, but demonstrating Jesus's love is more meaningful.

Stubborn Much?!

10/30/2024

“When arrogance comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

Most people would not characterize themselves as being arrogant. Arrogance is a term we use to describe others. However, most people are more likely to refer to themselves as "stubborn". Arrogance and Stubbornness are not the exact same thing but stubbornness and arrogance come from the same flaw in our human nature in that we feel we are right and anyone else is not as right as us.

Lord, help me to avoid being arrogant and stubborn so that I may be more open to wisdom from others and more importantly from You.

Humans Are Dumb!

10/29/2024

“Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.”
Colossians 4:5-6

Think about how humans tend to treat people around them. We treat those we love the most, the worst. We take them for granted and use the "but they know I love them" as an excuse to treat them poorly. We treat strangers well and often better than family. We then go out of our way to impress those with "power" or "influence" but then we raise our voice to the person making our coffee or cheeseburger when they have the power to spit in our food.

Lord, help me to check myself and how I treat EVERYONE and give me the strength to be kind and generous and loving to EVERYONE and not show favorites.

Comforting!

10/28/2024

“I call on You, God, because You will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say.” Psalm 17:6

It is always nice to know that at least one will listen closely, hear and answer me ... besides myself.

Lord, help me to listen to You and hear You and answer You and resist the urge of always doing what I think is right or good.

What Were You Thinking?!

10/25/2024

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2

We have all been there. We do something we didn't want to do and our frustrated response to ourselves is "what was I thinking?". The answer is one of two things ... we weren't thinking at all or we were thinking about the wrong things and became distracted. Either are preventable.

Lord, help me to be intentional about what I am thinking about and when in doubt, help me to think about You.

Negativity!

10/24/2024

“But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:11

"Intense or Passionate Dislike". Focus. Intensity. Passion. Drive. Commitment. These are all great qualities/characteristics of a person when directed toward a positive goal or result. When we exhibit these, we avoid being distracted, lazy, unmotivated and flaky. But when these qualities/characteristics end up being used in a negative direction, we become negative and the result is negative. Whether it is another person or even another thing, when we say/feel that we ... hate school, practice, running, lifting, work, chores, winter, my situation, everything ... we don't gain anything and we actually lose.

Lord, life is already difficult and I don't need to make it more difficult by intentionally and passionately putting my thoughts and feelings and mind and spirit in to negativity when You want me to be intensely and passionate about loving You and loving others.

"- Day"!!!

10/23/2024

“For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8

CHRISTmas Day. Birthday. National Donut Day. Halloween ...Day? It doesn't matter which special "day" it is, we all love free stuff on that day. Every day is "Grace Day". That is a really good thing because I can't wait 364 days between each one.

Lord, thank You for not having a limited quantity of grace for me and please help me to have an unlimited ability to recognize Your grace and accept it.

Trouble Maker!

10/22/2024

“So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

We all get in trouble more often than we should when we rely on the temporary or immediate gratification to rule our day than the delayed gratification and eternal prize.

Lord, help me to realize that what I see now is not anywhere as valuable as what I will earn much later.

STruggle Bus!

10/21/2024

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15

If we are attempting to DRIVE the "Struggle Bus", then we may want to rethink our seat on the bus. However, if we find ourselves ON the "Struggle Bus", then at least we have some friends to keep us company and more importantly, someone more capable is driving and will make a stop and let us off the bus if we simply ask.

Lord, thanks for always being there along with me and not allowing me to travel this complicated and messy life on my own.

Limit-Less!

10/17/2024

“Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Putting limits on what God can do? There can't be a more stupid thing that we could ever do.

Lord, sorry!