Life and Horseshoes

This past Saturday our men enjoyed some fellowship, breakfast and horseshoes! What fun, Bob Lillard and Tim Friedrich took first place in the horseshoe tourney, but we were all winners with the message Dave Church brought us. I thought rather than list my weekly writing here, I would include Dave Church's outline notes from the teaching. Thanks Dave.

There are many similarities between the game and life but at least one critical difference.
Horseshoes when played formally is a very structured game being governed by the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association. Formal rules involve 14 pages of rules governing everything from weight of the shoes, scoring, special rules for people with special needs, to the length of time to throw the horseshoe as well many others.
Can you imagine what the game of horseshoes would be like if we played it like some live life? For comparison purposes, think of the stake as God.
Some players would:

• Say there is no stake. (There is no God)
  


• Say there are many stakes that could be aimed for and proceed to throw at stakes in other pits. (There are other things or "gods" more worthy of their time and effort.)
  


• Say that there are other rules to get the shoes to the stake. (There are others ways to God)
  
  

The resulting game involving the above players with the above "rules" would be chaotic.
There are some similarities between formal horseshoes and a Godly life that are interesting.
They both have a rulebook that should be known if you want to play the game properly - The Bible serves as an official source for not only rules or principles of life but for inspiration and correction.

2 Tim 3:16-17 All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness
Both horseshoes and a Godly life require action and intentional direction in order to be done well. The direction for the Godly man is set by communication with God (prayer), scripture, the Holy Spirit and modeling of Christ but requires faith that he is the "stake". The Bible says that "Without faith it is impossible to please God" The choices or pitches that we make daily reflect the "stake" in which we really have faith. Our faith should provide the direction for our choices. Our trials and experiences, as we trust in him, should build our faith. The Bible shows us choices that are pleasing to him and those that are displeasing and because we have faith in God we live life using Godly principles.
The Bible also indicates that unlike the game of horseshoes we can never on our own get a ringer or even a point – we can never reach God on our own. The "rules" or laws given to the Hebrews weren’t successful in connecting man to God. The Bible says "But now a righteousness apart from the law has been made to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes forth in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by grace. Romans 3:21-23 Playing by the rules of life we could not achieve the prize of eternal life. However, anyone who has faith in Christ scores with God. The choices that we make daily are counted as righteous if they are cast with faith in Christ.
Some personal thoughts:
We need regular exposure to God’s direction in order to develop our faith in God- this world’s sense of direction, the ones which we have the most exposure to, is mostly directed to success in achieving other goals or stakes which often provide a thrill or trophy in the short term but will not satisfy their deepest need.
We can learn Godly principles through contact with others who put their trust in God.
Others need to know the value of choosing to place their faith in God and often we are the contact point.
Trust in God not only provides the hope of eternal life but also results our needs being met.
Thanks to Dave Church for sharing his notes with us - his teaching under the trees at Miguelito Park was just great!