Blog Archives - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

Why Are You Yelling At Me?!

11/30/2016

He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Revelation 14:7

We tend to raise our voice for two reasons ... We don't think that the person can hear what we are saying OR we are passionate (ie - excited or angry) about what we are saying and we really want to get our point across to somebody.

Lord, I am sorry that sometimes You need to yell at me because I am not listening or I am not taking what You are saying and applying it to my life.

Identity Fraud!

11/29/2016

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

I pray that no one ever takes my identity. I would feel violated as well as fear what they may do to negatively impact my reputation (I do a good enough job of that myself and don't need any additional help).

Lord, please forgive me for giving you a bad reputation and for doing anything that may harm your name and please give me the ability and strength to accurately represent you to others.

Marathon of Love!

11/28/2016

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

The marathon is the most popular endurance race (sure, people run "ultra-marathons" but that is a completely different category of crazy). To be honest running or finishing a marathon isn't that impressive of an event. Running a FAST marathon is impressive. In fact, finishing a marathon is not as impressive as TRAINING month after month to race a marathon. The mental endurance of training for a marathon is more difficult than the physical endurance required to travel about 26 miles. To train for a marathon requires the ability to endure injuries and lack of motivation and time conflicts. Enduring obstacles requires effort and being intentional.

Lord, thank you that you can endure all things, including enduring my faults enough to love me.

Poor Publicity!

11/26/2016

In that day you will say: “Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Isaiah 12:4

In the age of social media, self-promotion is at an all time high. Even before social media, humans have been wired to share "the best" of themselves. Merely read at least one Christmas letter you receive this year and you will know what I mean. We love to tell about ourselves and our kids and our accomplishments. What would happen if we spent a fraction of that time telling others about our God?

Lord, forgive me for being a poor publicist for You and help me to promote You more than I promote myself.

No Justification Needed!

11/25/2016

I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. Psalm 7:17

We shouldn't need to justify taking time each moment of each day to thank God for all he has done and for who he is. But if we feel the need to justify everything we do, His righteousness should be enough.

Lord, thank you for choosing to have a relationship with me despite my lack of righteousness and Your righteousness.

Choose To See The Good!

11/24/2016

For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:4-5

We can choose to look for faults and flaws in everything and everyone. Or we can choose to look for the good in everything and in everyone. God has given us choice. We can choose to be negative or we can choose to be positive. Human nature leads us to negativity while Godliness leads us to good.

Lord, it is much easier to be negative but I choose the more difficult route to be positive and I need Your strength.

The Best Way To Show Thanks!

11/23/2016

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:15-16

We can show thanks in a lot of ways. A card or personal note. A kind word. A hug. A gift. Obedient action is always a favorite. Our expression of thanks shows the other person how much we value that person. But nothing can surpass the value of prayers for another. When someone prays for us, we reap rewards that may never be seen or known. When we pray for others, we give them something that may be truly invaluable.

Lord, help me to be a person that expresses my thanks by praying for others and thank You for those who pray for me and thank you for hearing their prayers.

Valuing the Intangibles!

11/22/2016

All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:15-16

In sports, coaches are notorious for professing that it is the "intangibles" that matter. Unfortunately, coaches often fall into the trap of focusing on the tangibles. Coaches will value height over heart and stats over the many characteristics that they may say that matter such as responsibility and work ethic. As humans, we tend to focus on what we see and rarely value as much the things that matter most.

Lord, help me to focus on my insides more than my outsides.

God's Will For YOur Life?!

11/21/2016

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Some people spend their entire life looking for "God's Will" for their life. A job. A spouse. A "calling". A cause. These people wake up every morning with the same question, "Am I in the right place and doing the right things?" The answer to the question is YES if you are 'being joyful always, praying continually and giving thanks in all circumstances'. It doesn't matter much where you are or who you are with, as long as you are joyful about it, praying about it and giving thanks for it. For that is God's Will for your life.

Lord, help me to not make life more complicated, confusing or stressful than it needs to be.

Justified Anger!

11/17/2016

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Proverbs 29:11

We will justify just about anything. It is fairly simple to find a positive in nearly every negative act we perform. Anger is a natural emotion, however our behavior that results from our anger may not be as natural as we may justify. Anger that turns into rage will be destructive to not only others, but to us. Anger that is quickly recognized and then calmed can be a benefit to us and those around us.

Lord, please keep me from allowing my anger to become more than it should be.