Winter is here for another six weeks and the Super Bowl is over ... so fire up the Hot Stove and gather around it's time for the Hot Stove League to get fired up.
Hot stove league is a baseball-related term referring to the sport's off-season. The phrase does not denote an actual league, but instead conjurs up images of baseball fans gathered around hot stoves during the cold winter months to discuss their favorite baseball teams and players.
Arguments about player stats always ensue. Will past performances be repeated? Can woeful performances be replaced with improvement?
Hope is always present around the Hot Stove as the future lies in wait ...
That got me to thinking ... (always a dangerous activity if you like sitting still).
What if people gathered around and discussed our lives as Christians? What if churches could trade us as pastors (they do that in many ways)? What if we could trade members (we do that to don't we)?
What would we discuss? What would we say?
They are a good tither ... but they could improve ...
They always are ready to serve ... but they rarely volunteer ...
I could list many more, but it might get to personal ...
Attendance at worship and study ...
Giving ....
Service ...
Witness ...
As a pastor, I began to think of what is revealed in my preaching ... so I went digging for my stats ...
Words matter to preacher and over the past 4+ seasons, I have preached 230 sermons ... average length 30 minutes with a few that went extra innings!
Of those sermons 70% came from the New Testament. Over all 49.4% came from the four Gospels.
I guess that means I am focused on the Life of Jesus ... I would like to think that is what it means.
I wonder what this coming season will reveal?
Some might think that is too much ... some not enough ... I guess that's why we gather around the Hot Stove to speculate.
What will be said of your life when those gather?
Trade 'em or Keep em' ?
Love 'em or Leave 'em ?
I hope that we all still see what God sees ... a great upside!
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus
Philippians 1:6 NIV