Blog Archives - COACH Toby Schwarz

COACH Toby Schwarz

Not Yet!

12/30/2017

So Moses went back to the LORD and asked "Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? And why did you ever send me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't delivered Your people at all" - Exodus 5:22-23

If we ever question whether God will fulfill a promise to us, the only answer is YES. And when that yes does not come fast enough for our liking, we only need to remember two simple words "NOT YET".

Lord, forgive me for failing to trust in You and Your timing and help me to remember that when things don't come fast enough for me, your answer is not "no" but merely "not yet".

Finding Motivation!

12/29/2017

I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Philippians 1:27b

We often lose motivation when we fail to see the value in what we are trying to accomplish and also when we find ourselves isolated in what we are doing. That is why teams tend to have a lot more success than individuals. Successful teams work together (which is motivating) and work toward a common and specific purpose . As Christians, we are not in this alone and our purpose is extremely valuable, purposeful and specific.

Lord, help me to remember that I am not in this alone and in this for my own selfish purposes.

Boiling Frog!

12/28/2017

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2

You have heard it before. If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, the frog will jump out. If you put that same frog in a pot of room temperature water and slowly bring the water to a boil, the frog will cook to death. The point is that slow change is not often recognized and that slow change will often result in our demise. However, when we allow ourselves to see the big changes in our life and choose to respond appropriately, we succeed.

Lord, help me to see that any small changes that I make in order to live both in this world and also with You will most likely result in my demise while if I see the need for drastic changes to align myself with You and separate myself from the world, then I will live ... forever.

It's How You STart ...

12/27/2017

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place. And He was praying there." Mark 1:35

How we start greatly influences how we will finish. Sure, we can start horribly and make up for our early losses but it often takes more work. Starting off well with the same effort will increase the probability of successful results. God knows this and that is why He encourages us to start each day with Him. There is no better way to start anything.

Lord, help me to begin each day with You.

December 21st, 2017

12/21/2017

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Peace is concept that often seems passive. In reality, peace is something we must intentionally seek because peace is not something we can acquire on our own. We must ask God for it.

Lord, I ask for your peace and thank you for granting it to me.

Relationship!

12/20/2017

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. Luke 1:30-31

Unfortunately, in the age of technology, relationships have changed. Investment of time and energy have been replaced with expectations and poor communication which leads to misconceptions. Mary and God had a unique but not uncommon relationship. Even today, discipline can often be misinterpreted as punishment. God's love should never be feared but respected. We have found favor with God. He does what He does and out of love and we should never recieve it differently.

Lord, thank you for loving me.

Being Generous!

12/15/2017

"If anyone hits you on the cheek, offer the other also. And if anyone takes away your coat, don't hold back your shirt either." - Luke 6:29

This verse is often used incorrectly to encourage non-violence and promote forgiveness. Non-violence and forgiveness are great attributes, but that is not what these two statements refer to. The verse is referencing generosity. If someone takes something from you (tangible items or other) they probably need it more than you do so why not help them out with meeting their needs. No one in history ever gave more to us than Jesus, who gave His life.

Lord, help me to understand that what mine is never mine and it is always Yours.

Living Differently!

12/14/2017

"Do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

How much differently would we live our lives if Jesus were actually side by side with us every minute of the day? How would we change the way we behave and talk and even think if we knew Jesus was first hand witnessing every action we take? And now how much more would we live differently if we went through some kind of physical change that made us look like Jesus and everyone assumed that we were Jesus? Would we feel a responsibility to represent Him accurately?

Lord, forgive me for not fully understanding my role in life and forgive me for thinking my life is my own.

Competitiveness!

12/13/2017

"Do not grieve, because your strength comes from rejoicing in the Lord." Nehemiah 8:10b

Competitiveness is not defined as "loving to win and hating to lose". If that were the definition then everyone on the planet would be viewed as competitive as I have never found anyone who doesn't prefer winning over losing. However, competitive people don't merely love winning or hate losing. Competitive people "hate losing more than they enjoy winning". In other words, the feeling of loss hurts more than the joy of winning. God has a solution to this deep feeling of loss ... rejoice in the Lord and you will never lose because your strength comes from Him and not your own accomplishments.

Lord, thank you for providing solutions to my problems.

Trustworthy!

12/12/2017

In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” Isaiah 25:9

God may not give you everything that you want or everything you think you deserve or everything that you feel you need. But God does give you EVERYTHING that He has promised you. In a world that has become more unreliable, God has a 100% fulfillment rate of His promises.

Lord, thank you that you follow through on every promise and forgive me for not trusting You based on false reasoning and my own selfish misconceptions.