I recently took part in the Hashtag One-Day conference in Spring Hill, Tennessee, sponsored by the Spring Meadows Church of Christ there. It was a great event, and Scott Bond is doing a great thing there. But that Sunday afternoon, we had a dodge ball tournament.

Now, I'm 31 years old. Still pretty young. But my body has reminded me for the past 3 weeks that I'm not 20 anymore. I'm not as durable. I don't know really what happened, but the tendons behind my left knee have been irritating me ever since. It's taken a long time to heal up, and it really wasn't even that strenuous of an activity either.

It got me thinking (as well as other things that have proved I'm not so young anymore) about if I'm losing my edge or not. Physically, I was a pretty good specimen. I was a US Marine (still am, by the way), and could run with the big boys. Not so much anymore. As in the words of one of our older church members, "Not so limber as to hang out with them youngins anymore, eh?"

We know that not everything that happens in the Bible is chronological. We know that even in some books, within the same book, the progression isn't straight from past to present.

As Lonnie Jones pointed out at Evangelism University last weekend, I think that's the case with 2 Samuel 21.15 and following.

15 There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary. 16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekelsof bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David.17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, "You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

Is this the same David we know? The same David who is a warrior, who always led his armies into battle for Israel?

We may just skim over this and say, "Oh, well, David's getting old. They don't want the King to die, and thus leave Israel without a leader. Smart."

But something tells me this is more significant. And while I'm sure it's not a new discovery, it is always really fascinating to look at the same story we've heard a thousand times and see a new angle.

Remember the story of David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11? Most everyone does. As the story starts, the writer of 2 Samuel gives us a preface to the story:

1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

Wait, what?

This is King David. The same David who conquered Jerusalem and kicked out the Philistines (2 Samuel 5). The same David who brought the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem, which was no easy task (2 Samuel 6). The same King David, who, with his armies and God behind Him, whipped the surrounding competition, including Amalekites, Philistines, Moabites, Syrians, and Ammonites.

But this was also the same King David who let himself be talked into staying at home while his armies fought.

I don't know what happened in 2 Samuel 21.15. I don't know if David is sick, if he's just getting old, or what. But he let himself be talked into not going back out with his armies and fighting in the Spring.

And, in turn, let himself be seduced by Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11.

If David had never remained home instead of heading out to battle, then he would have never began the downward spiral that is the story of David and Bathsheba. The temptation, the pregnancy, the betrayal of Uriah her husband, the murder of Uriah in battle (orchestrated by David himself). You can't make this stuff up.

The moral of the story? Don't let anyone put you on the sidelines for the work of God.

They told David he was too old, too sick, too important , or whatever - to get him to stay home. To take him away from what God had tasked him to do - reclaim the holy city of Jerusalem and destroy all of God's enemies. That was what David was chosen to do, and he let himself be put on the sidelines.

There are two men I know, Gospel preachers, who are getting along in their years. Earl Edwards, professor at Freed-Hardeman University is one, and James Watkins, retired but still preaching and a member here at Church Street. Both men are lifers. They've preached Gospel combined for more than 100 years. They're also old. But they're not stopping. Despite health problems, setbacks, and getting tired I'm sure, they just keep on keeping on. Spreading the Gospel, that is.

Don't let anyone tell you something other than what you were chosen to do. We were chosen to deliver the message of God to a dying generation. We were chosen to spread the Good News to every creature.

Young or old, sick or healthy, God commands us to GO. Will you make David's mistake and be on the sidelines?

You know, you think that you could never hear a more weird story on the news, and then there's the story of Manti Te'o. In case you haven't heard, the Heisman runner-up and highly-touted linebacker for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish - who played in the National Championship this year - was recently the alleged victim of an elaborate hoax involving a non-existent girlfriend he met online. She "died" in the middle of season, fueling Te'o's Heisman campaign.

If, like he says, he was the victim of the awful conspiracy, then I feel for him.

For all intensive purposes, his girlfriend was real to him, even though it's been proven that she never existed.

Is God at least that real to you?

Do you believe in His Word as truth? Or do you categorize it with all the other myths and legends of the world?

Do you pray to Him to help you overcome life's difficulties? Or do just think that the master and creator of the entire universe can't solve your problems?

Do you worship him as you should every Sunday, or is a game or a fishing trip more important?

You see, if God was real to us, He would be someone we cannot ignore. But often we find ourselves doing that very thing.

Don't ignore God. Make Him real. Because He is.

"You don't know how many people have sat down with us and told us their stories and life problems based on that one little question," Lonnie Jones said at Evangelism University this past weekend in Savannah, Tennessee. It's such a simple question, and yet it can have a profound impact on people's lives.

So today, I will post every other morning the same question - how can I pray for you today? And whoever responds with a need, I will go to God in prayer for that person.

I am also going to start asking our waiter/waitress at restaurants the same question before we eat a meal. (Probably not a good idea to ask this at a fast-food place because it's not the same setting.)

For a long time I have wondered what I can do to share Christ with others, and the answer was so simple and so profound that I never would have thought of it myself. Just ask how or what you can pray for someone. It's not hostile, it's not intrusive. Most people may probably just say, "Nothing, that's ok, thanks." But others may pour their hearts out to you, and you can pray for them. So simple.

As per social norms in our society today, it's normal for us to "not be in other people's business." That guy who brings the food to my table has his own life and I don't need to mess with him. But Jesus loved people so much that He didn't want them to walk away without first hearing the Good News.

Asking the prayer question can make a phenomenal impact on your life, and I'm excited to see what God will do when I am bold enough to start asking.

There's a really cool cave tour at a place called Mammoth Cave National Park, just north of Bowling Green, Kentucky. At one point on the tour, you're told to turn off all your flashlights, and it's dark. Pitch dark, where you can't see your hand in front of your face. The guide then takes out a match and lights it. It's amazing what effect such a small amount of light can have on the darkness. Contrast that experience with the one Bonnie, Jacob and I had in the house just a few weeks ago. It was about 6:30 at night, and most of the time we shut all of our blinds at night. The power decided to go out. There wasn't a storm or anything, the power company was just working on some lines up the road. But it turned the whole block and the blocks surrounding it off. It reminded me of that cave it was so dark in our house. Luckily Jacob was right in front of me, and I scooped him up and went to find a flashlight. I was all the way in the back bedroom when Bonnie lit a candle. It was amazing the light that was coming from such a small candle, and lit up a dark room.

Psalm 119:105 is a very well-known passage, it's even in one of the songs we sing:

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

The Bible can be your light too. Just like a match in a dark cave or a candle in a power outage, the Bible can illuminate your path. When a crisis comes along, you can go to the Bible to find a way to handle it. Jonah's crisis occurred when he disobeyed God. Jonah's story about living the hard life inside of a fish can shed some light on what to do when things are bad.

There are countless other examples, and thats the great thing about the Bible - one verse, one story, can pierce the darkness in your life. The Bible is filled with real examples of real people who lived real lives and had real problems. They had to deal with parents and friends and betrayal and confusion just as you do.

Do you look to God's Word for light, or do you find yourself in darkness? God's Word can show you the Way.

When I was a little boy, I always knew when Alabama lost. I didn’t always know when they had won unless it was to Tennessee of in-state rival Auburn, but boy, I always knew when they lost. My father is an extremely passionate man. When Alabama had a good day, so did he. When Alabama lost, things weren’t pleasant.

My dad has since calmed down, and he no longer gets too caught up in all of it. Last night I got to sit beside him and watch my beloved Crimson Tide win their third title in four years.

Just before kickoff, my dad commented, “Man, I am so sick at my stomach right now.”

So was I. Never in a million years would I think that my team would be doing what they did last night. Sitting through all the coaching changes and scandals and suspensions and 6-7 seasons, I never though I’d see the Tide high ever again. I was wrong. And for that I’m thankful.

It got me thinking about what our faith hinges on. What do you place near and dear to your heart? I’m an Alabama fan much more than just watching them play football. I’m an Alabama fan because that’s who I am and where I’m from. But the most important reason I watch Bama is because my family does. I can share that with them. It’s most certainly not our only common bond, but to me, it’s an important one.

But as important as Alabama football is to me and how excited I get about it, it’s not the most important thing in my life. I see, last night especially, that it is the most important thing in some people’s lives. My faith in God does not hinge on Alabama football, nor will it ever do so. My faith in God is infinitely more important than any game played on a field.

Where we place our faith - where we let our faith reside - will determine who we are. Alabama football will not get me to Heaven. Just like making money or having a great career or excelling in any part of life, none of those things will get me to Heaven. Only God’s true and living Word should be the guideline for my life.

I guess I thought about all this because I need to be brought back down to earth, so to speak. When things are going well - when our team is on top - it’s easy to rest and be happy and forget how God has blessed us. But we can’t do that, just like we can’t forget how much He loves us and how much we need to serve Him.

God Bless you today. And Roll Tide.