Author: Scott

Last year, Barbara and I had the honor of shooting the starting gun for the beginning of the 2023 Roaring River State Park trout season. That was my first time attending opening morning. Thousands of people were there. Including a man from a radio station from Rogers, Arkansas. He was doing a live remote. Prior to the shooting, we did an interview about what it meant to us to get to start the season. He continued around the park interviewing other people and basically telling the listeners what was going on. 

Then he joined us on the gazebo for the start. As we approached that moment, the countdown began. He was live the whole time. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, BANG! The season began. Fish are being caught within seconds. It was excitement. And then it happened. I kid you not. The guy doing the live remote asked my wife, “How does it feel to be able to be here and shoot the gun with your dad?“ Yes. That is what he asked her. He thought I was her dad. Oh goodness. Oh….the laughter and the jokes since then. In all honesty, she does look a lot younger than me. And it really is funny that that happened. It’s a memory and a moment that she will always have over me.

Now, as for today’s writing. As Christians, we are children of God. We are children that he loves. We are children that he has a plan for. We are his children, and he will be there for us through thick and thin. He will be there for us in the tough times. And he will be there for us when we celebrate. God loves us so much, he sent Jesus to die for us. And in flesh, Jesus suffered a terrible death. ALL FOR US! And that means he died for you. And that means he died for me. Which leads me to the point. Is there any confusion out there that God is your Lord and Savior. Do people see you, talk to you, hear you, and know that he is your Lord and Savior? There should be no doubt. There should not be a moment when people question your belief. Believe me, I know it’s hard to always show this. That’s part of being human. But we have a choice. Daily, we get to choose how we approach the day. Approach life. And daily, we should choose to show others that God is in fact our Lord and Savior. Our father in heaven.

I remember a few years ago we took Anna to Chicago. While we were there, we went to the top of the Sears Tower. At one time it was the tallest building in the world. They have a section at the top where you can step out on glass above the city. Barbara and Anna both went out there and they waited for me to back up in my chair. It scared me. It really did. It was actually pretty funny. I’m not so much afraid of heights, as much as I am not being able to react if something were to happen due to my paralysis. Either way, it scared me. 

Are there things in your life that keep you from reaching your full potential? Is fear one of those? Do you let it control what you attempt to do? At one point or another, we are all going to experience fear. But we cannot let it dictate our actions. Let’s remember that God has a plan for us. Sometimes it is going to take us out of our comfort zone. Sometimes it’s going to require us to face what makes us fearful. But every time, it is for our good. It is for his good. Because his plan is good. Although it may be difficult for us to fulfill. Although it may be hard for us to see why we are going through it. It’s always for our good. We will be better because of it.

Let’s look at it like this. God has a reason for everything. Even when he puts us in situations that causes us to be fearful. There is a reason. Sometimes it’s for our growth. Sometimes it’s for our long-term success. Sometimes it results in happiness. Other times not so much. Always, the situations he puts us in builds our faith. If we let them. God did not give us a spirit of fear. So let’s not be afraid to fail. We can learn from failure. And always believe this, God is greater than any fear that we have. God is greater than any failure that we may go through. And God will always be there whenever you go through moments that you are struggling with. That’s because he loves us. He always has. He always will. 

What makes you fearful? Maybe to the point that you are unable to function. Anything come to mind? Fear is a big reason why people give up. It can make people slow down. Stop trying. It keeps people from reaching their full potential. It can cause failure. Sometimes people don’t feel qualified to succeed because of fear. Some of us allow fear to control our lives. Just hearing the word fear, can cause fear in people. Although some of us have this over us, God can still use us. Here is something that I read: “God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies those who are called.”

In the Bible, we read of several people who were fearful. But God still used them in amazing ways. Moses, David, Saul, and Noah. We know their stories. Pretty incredible. And as incredible as they are, each man was fearful. Even lacking faith. Even though they exhibited fear, God took these men and used them to fulfill his plan. And he can use us too. Even in times we are scared, God can use us. Even in times we doubt ourselves, God can use us. We just need to turn our eyes on him. Listen to what he says. Trust in him. We need to keep him at the center of our circumstances.

So today, let’s keep God in the middle of our lives. Let’s work to have more faith than we do fear. Let’s believe he can get us through. And let’s take each step, knowing he is there. Moses, David, Saul, and Noah, are all examples for us. Overcoming fear. Having faith. Let’s learn from them and let our faith see us through. We will be able to do amazing things. God can use us in ways we will never be able to comprehend. Let’s be ready, because God may call on us when we don’t feel the time is right. He may call on us during our times where we feel the most fear. If he does, trust him. And take comfort in knowing that it is part of the plan he has for us. And that is glorious.

Yesterday was the third anniversary of Coach Armstrong’s death. It’s no secret the relationship that I had with Coach. Still hard to believe that he’s gone. A couple of months before his death, he gave a message at his church. During one of his points, he became very emotional. He was talking about how we are in a fight. It’s a fight for our souls between the enemy and Jesus. And it is vicious. And he reminded everyone that Jesus loves us. Doesn’t have to. But chooses to. And that alone deserves our devotion to him. 

In the Bible (John 5), we read how God cares about us, no matter what we are going through. No matter what. No matter our past. No matter our present. No matter our future. NO MATTER OUR DEMONS! God loves us. That is awesome. We have a God that never waivers in his care for us. He is constant. He is secure. He is forever. And that is waiting for us.

We all carry stuff. We all carry things that tap at our hearts. Things that bring us down. Things from our past. Things we regret. The question is, do we really want to get well? Do we want to heal? Do we want to get past those issues. In John 5, we read about Jesus healing a man. But, even before he did, the man gave some excuses for not believing it can happen. Sound familiar? Have you ever doubted that Jesus can provide salvation. Ever think: “I’m not worthy. I have issues. If I could just….” I’m sure most of us have had these thoughts. No matter what we are going through or believe, Jesus says come to me. He will help us. But it requires action on our part. Drugs, relationships, anxiety, etc. Nothing can keep us from him if we choose to seek him. And know this, sometimes we need to stand up for God. Sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zones. Show that we believe. He will help us do these things if we ask him to. And let me make this last suggestion: Let’s remember to rejoice and give thanks for what he has done. And for what he’s going to do. Let’s “act” on our beliefs for Jesus.

On this morning three years ago, I received a phone call that absolutely floored me. Coach Armstrong‘s daughter, Alice, was on the other side of the call. When I saw her name on caller ID, I had no idea what I was about to hear. I was anticipating something about her grandfather. What she told me left me speechless. I couldn’t believe it. I still don’t believe it. Even as I write this, I don’t believe it. She told me that her father had had a heart attack and was no longer with us. What? Coach Armstrong was gone. 

As I think about him on this day, there’s so many things that I can say. So many things but, I don’t have room in this devotion. The lessons that he taught me. The values that he showed me. The morals to live by. The conversations. The stories. Oh man, the stories. As much as I miss him, as much as I want to hear him say……SCOTT-T!!! As much as I want to hear him give me tough advice. As much as I want to tell him about my family. I think it’s best to honor him today with something that I will always have that I learned. I can sum it up in two words: All In!

If you got to know him, you know what I’m talking about. If you let him into your life, you know what I’m talking about. He was all in! You didn’t have to question it. You didn’t have to think about it. You knew. He made sure you knew. No matter the situation. How big or small. He was all in. Whenever we talked, all that mattered was that moment. At that moment, he was all in. If we were working on something, all in. Practice, all in. Coaching, conversations, preaching, educating…all in. And that is how he taught me to be a believer. To be all in! When we follow Christ, there should be no doubt. Others should see that. Whenever we are reading, learning, educating others, when it comes to Christ, we should be all in. No matter the situation. No matter the triumphs or the trials, we should be all in! Jesus is the ultimate example. His sacrifice shows us. Leave no doubt. So today, let’s work at this. For Jesus, let’s be ALL IN!!!

This morning’s topic is hard to make clear. Stay with me as I stumble through it. Sometimes both believers and nonbelievers  question if the gospel really works? Wondering whether or not if what Jesus preached 2000 years ago really is true. Was he, and is he still, the Savior? Is eternal salvation real? Does heaven really exist? Are all the promises from God true? Doubt is a natural response for humans. Because believing in the “un-seen” is difficult to do.

Now, proving that all of these truths that I’m talking about are real can be difficult. Especially to those who don’t already believe. Might be even more difficult for those who are doubting their beliefs. I think this because I believe that there is a spiritual warfare taking place in all of us. Satan is after our souls. He attacks the very core of our thoughts and beliefs. If he can put doubt in there, then he has a chance. At the same time, if we allow Jesus into our thoughts and beliefs, Satan does not have a chance.

When we change our thought process from self pleasing, to one of serving others, we begin to see the scriptures are true. When we concentrate on doing what God has called us to do, it becomes more obvious to us. As I have grown in my faith, it has become increasingly easier for me to see that what Jesus preached is in fact very real. During a recent conversation I had with a young lady, she was telling me that she can feel Jesus knocking at her door daily. That she is struggling trying to figure out who she is. Her old self is still fighting to keep her. I told her that God is convicting her. She is feeling the Holy Spirit coming after her. Just as Satan wants her, so does Jesus. Even more so. God is not going to stop convicting her. And that is a very real example of the truth that the Bible teaches us.

Yesterday was the opening day of trout season. Thousands of people found them selves lined along side the river casting time after time, trying to land that one “lunker” that has avoided them cast after cast. We say a lot, that sometimes the best conversation between two men is simply saying hello, casting a line, hours of silence, then saying goodbye. Just knowing someone is there can be therapeutic. Just knowing someone is there can be very peaceful.

We believe that man, all men, are searching for peace. We have stated this before. And we’re going to do so again today. Because we believe it might be the one thing that all men are looking for. Question is, “Where do you find it?“ Just as we believe that all men are searching for peace, we also believe that finding it is going to be different for everyone. Let me rephrase that. How we find it is going to be different for everyone. Because the one true source of peace is Jesus. The one true answer for peace is Jesus. He is peace. No question about it. Therefore, finding Jesus is the key to finding peace. 

We can find peace and tranquility along river banks. We can find them in deer and turkey blinds. We can find them while driving on back roads through the country. But…we can only find true peace in our hearts through Jesus. He provides that. He willingly provides that. I often say, “Sometimes we don’t know what we need until we get what we need.“ And that’s the truth with Jesus. Many people are searching. Looking for something that will only come from Jesus. That’s how I was. I was searching years ago. I didn’t know I needed him until I found him. So maybe today is the day for you to find him. To bring him into your heart. Maybe today is the day to receive the peace that only comes from Jesus. He will give it to you. Because he loves you. He always has. He always will.

Family dynamics are interesting to me. Sometimes, family members can be best friends. Other times, they are not so friendly with each other. In my family, the tree branches off in many different directions. It can be hard to keep track. We have biological parents, step-parents, siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, children, step-children, grandkids, cousins, 2nd-cousins, and so on. The story expands when we consider both sides (Barbara’s and mine). I imagine that several of you reading this can relate. Extended families. Blended families. Large families. And there’s the Bible. It’s a family story. 

Just as we have personal flaws, the family in the Bible has issues too. And just as family parents do, God shows us all grace. He shows us mercy. He shows us love. Even when we don’t deserve it. As a matter of fact, those moments might be when he shows us those examples of his love for us the most. The times when we don’t deserve it the most. He does this for us because we are part of his family.

Grace, mercy and love are all from God. And we are to follow his example and show these to others. We are to do this because God loves us, even though we are flawed. I, for one am thankful of this. I am undeserving of his love. There’s no way that I have earned his grace. I never will. Yet, he still extends it to me. The Bible gives us examples all throughout it. Lessons that we can learn and follow. Then we can teach others these same things. And then they can teach others as well. And then our extended family, blended family, large family, can all be brought into God‘s family. And that’s what we are called to do. Show others who he is. So they will want to be under his grace.

Here’s something that I read recently online. “Influencers in social media are people who have built a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific topic. They make regular posts about that topic on their preferred social media channels and generate large followings of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views.” And to be considered one of the top influencers, a person needs over 1 million followers. That means they have over 1 million people that regularly engage in what they post. Kim Kardashian is one of the top. Over 344 million people follow her. Why? I don’t have the answer. I don’t get it. Why would anyone want to follow her is beyond me. But they do.

We live in a world where people like Kardashian can influence thoughts and beliefs of those that read what they post. If you do the math, you begin to realize just how many people follow influencers. You can see just how much power and influence they have. And that is scary. Especially when it comes to young minds. Influencers can say that something is good or all right to do, and regardless whether or not it is, those that follow them might begin to believe it. We have people that identify as animals now. Or as pronouns. Because they believe that it is all right to do so. That belief had to come from somewhere. And I’m betting that probably was found on the Internet.

By now, you probably understand where I’m going with this. Jesus Christ is an influencer. I say that because he has millions of followers. Including me. I watched an argument on Facebook. (It’s easy for people to argue online because there’s a keyboard and a screen between them and the person that they are talking to.) Anyways, this one person was telling the other that Jesus does not exist. There is no God. Oh how wrong he is. The believer was arguing back. One point that he made stuck out. Basically, he said maybe he is wrong. Maybe there is no Jesus. But believing in Jesus, right or wrong, is going to help him lead a good life. A life serving others. Which is awesome. And if he is right, he’s going to be rewarded with eternity in heaven. Either way, he wins. On the flipside, those that don’t believe in Jesus, have an eternity waiting for them that is not pleasant. Very risky way to live. So today, let’s strive to follow Jesus and not follow the ways of the world. Let’s let him lead us. Let’s let him help us serve others. And let’s show others that love that only comes from knowing Jesus.