( More Creative Evangelism Events to reach Men)

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One of the privileges I have in being a Christian speaker is to help Churches strategize in putting together Outreach opportunities that are "effective" in reaching people who don't know Jesus.  Anyone can do an event on a Saturday in the Fall that draws the people that already attend their Church. However, if a Church is going to reach people that don't know Christ some outside the box thinking is mandatory. In this posts I have put together just a few suggestions for some events that may just help your Church get creative in reaching Men.

These events are in no particular order, but always remember that there are good times and bad times to do an event. Fall is approaching quickly, and that brings two huge "Men" times to be aware of.  Hunting Season and Football Season. Planning events on Saturdays in the Fall are tricky at best. Always keep this in mind. So with that said here is my list for this go round of Creative Outreach Events.

1) Dog  Dock Jumping Event- Men and dogs are always a winning combination. My Dad used to say that the Good Lord gives every man one good bird dog. If  you get two you are super blessed. Dog Jumping  and Retrieval contests coupled with Fishing events, Cookouts, and sporting events are very popular. A recent Dog jumping event in Georgia drew nearly 4,000 people. Those are people that will never come to your "Church event".

2) Barbecue Competitions- It has been said that Competitive Barbecue cooking is the "Fastest growing Sport" in the nation! Men of every generation, genre, and economic level can be found at these events. To me this jumps off the page as a must do for Churches in the near future, I mean what Church doesn't rally around an eating event right!  This event can be an effective tool in sharing the Gospel with people who don't know Jesus.

3) Ultimate Frisbee Tournaments- In case you haven't heard, ultimate Frisbee just became an official Olympic Sport! Staging Round Robin Tournaments attract men and women both young and old. Its a great way to do and event that isn't normally associated with the Church crowd.

4) 3D Archery Tournaments- I know that I have mentioned this one before, but this event is a winner from the word go. Archery hunting has exploded in the last several years. If you turn on the outdoor channel in the Fall 90% of their programming will be geared towards hunting with a bow. 3 D Archery courses are easy and fun to set up. Its an opportunity to give guys who may not be gifted in other areas in your Church a way to share their faith.

5) Biker Events- Yes I said Biker events. Some of the strongest Christians that I know are Bikers. They take their faith seriously. This type of event, if planned correctly can be a huge outreach success drawing in people that may never otherwise attend your service.

I want to say here that there is a "Pendulum Effect" in many areas of our Churches that swings back and forth between theological positions of doctrine, evangelism and discipleship. We tend to think that we have to be one or the other, when in actuality we need a balance of both.

These are only a few of the events that I share with Churches. God is using these to reach people all over our country. Now let me say that I know that Outreach events are not the staple of a healthy Men's ministry. However, when paired with proper preparation and follow up discipleship, these event can be quite effective.

 Chris Wells consults with Churches all over the country. If you would like to know more about how to plan and implement Creative Outreach events for your Men's Ministry, Chris would love to speak with you.

He can be reached at:
Chris@chriswells.org
864-414-9453

Making plaster casts of the big footprints of Jesus

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Most people who have met me learn pretty quickly that I have a fascination with the "Search for Bigfoot culture". I actually started doing research on the elusive "Sasquatch" long before there were actually people looking for Bigfoot for a living. One of the early techniques of compiling evidence that Bigfoot exists was to make plaster casts of the giant footprints found in areas where the creature was spotted. The footprints were filled with plaster paris and were often of enormous size. Thus the name "Bigfoot" was born. Despite decades of searching with high tech cameras, traps, infer red specs, and even aircraft, Bigfoot has yet to be found.

Jesus on the other hand has been found! Thousands of people not only see His footprints all over and around their lives. He has introduced Himself to their hearts. The evidence of His work is all around us. The problem is that most of us (even christians) fail to recognize and give proper credit to the handiwork of the Lord Jesus. I hear it all the time as folks attribute miraculous occurrences in nature, sickness, fortune, and life in general to the various phenomenon that they trust in. Mother nature, lucky stars, the man upstairs, and the lists go on and on. Well I am here today to share with you some of the "Jesus stories" that I have had in my life.

A few years ago I was hunting with Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Shaw Grigsby and former BASS Pro Doug Odom. It was a great day in the woods and Shaw's son shot a doe with the bow that day so we took it to the deer processor. The processor as it turns out was a missionary to Russia. He earns all his money to stay on the mission field by processing deer during the US hunting season. I had never met him before. As we gave him the deer I was introduced to him and he turned to me and said: "Are you Chris Wells the evangelist?" I told him I sure was as he handed me a book that had over 900 pages in it. I looked down and the thick book that read "The Evolution Handbook". He then proceeded to say: "God told me to tell you to read this". Well what do you say to that? I thanked him for the book and took it with me back to the deer stand.

That afternoon as I thumbed through the Evolution handbook I learned more about how science blows the false teaching of evolution away than I did even at seminary! I was so impressed I carry the Evolution books with me everywhere I speak. Now the story gets really good!

 I was speaking at a Free Will Baptist Church near Florence South Carolina when a teenager came up to me and introduced himself. He told me that he got the Evolution Handbook from a Wild game Banquet where he saw me speak 2 years ago.

 Here is what he shared: "Chris, I started writing science papers in my school from the Evolution Handbook. My science teacher is a Molecular Biologist that actually went to the Islands where Darwin came up with most of his theories. She began to ask me questions a few months ago, so I gave her the book. Last Friday afternoon I led my science teacher to Jesus in the parking lot." 

My friends  whether the "Finding Bigfoot" crowd finds him or not is really not going to change our lives. However Finding Jesus not only changes our lives now, but for all eternity.

*If you would like to know more about starting a relationship with Jesus Christ. Please email Chris at chris@chriswells.org

An Open Letter to John Calvin by Zack Hunt

I realize that I am about to step into the deep end of the Pool here. For years I have been working on a paper that I call the Pendulum Effect in theology. I plan to release that here in the coming weeks. However when I read the blog that I am about to share with you, it expressed my feeling on the issue of  "High" or Hyper Calvinism so well that I knew I would have to share it.

Now I will make this statement every time I share about this issue. I know that not every "Calvinist" believes the same thing. I have Calvinists brothers and sisters that share Christ and with them I have no issue. I do take extreme issue with those Calvinist that hold to the false statement that Jesus only died for the sins of the elect.

 So in the next several weeks gather around. I will be speaking out on what I believe is the defining issue of Evangelism in our time. But in the meantime I want to share this post from Zack Hunt.
You can find his blog here: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=12190

An Open Letter to John Calvin by Zack Hunt

Dear John,

Ok, first off I know, “Dear John” letters are usually written between former lovers and we were never even friends. But, John, I tried. I really, really did.

I’ve heard for so long that my frustrations with Calvinism were really due to your Neo-Calvinist followers giving you a bad name. That made sense to me. After all, I couldn’t believe that some of the rephrensible and callous things being said and taught today would be derived directly from someone of your theological prowess. So, I wanted to give you a chance at redemption in my eyes.

Since you’ve been, um, not present in the body for the past 450 years, I thought the best way to get acquainted with the real Calvin would be to read the work you are most famous for. I’m talking, of course, about your Institutes of the Christian Religion.

In my effort to get to know you better I spent my last semester at Yale in a class devoted entirely to the reading and discussion of your epic work. I admit we didn’t make it through every single chapter (forgive us John, but the book is nearly 1,000 pages long and we needed time to discuss what we read each week), but we did make it through almost all of it (we mostly skipped a few chapter at the end about church polity). And even with those handful of overlooked chapters, I’m still willing to bet we made it through more of the Institutes than many of your followers today have read. (I say this as a Wesleyan, who has read far far too little of what Wesley actually wrote.)

I have to admit, John, you’re a brilliant guy and a great writer. Your passion and honesty were obvious from page one and at times refreshing given the way we so often dance around what we really think in the church today. I really admire your conviction and willingness to say what you believe to be true even if it wasn’t the popular thing to say. Without a doubt, you had some great things to say and, at times, I even found myself close to shouting “Amen!” Like the time you called out those who want to believe in the absurd notion that God can predestine some to heaven while not necessarily also predestining everyone else to hell, ”This they do so ignorantly and childishly since there could be no election without its opposite reprobation.” (3.23.1)

Ok, maybe, that amen wasn’t exactly for the reason you would like, but still, it counts for something, right?

Anyway, class is now over, our reading of your monumental achievement complete, and I’ve had some time to process everything you said.

So, can I be totally honest with you, John?

You crushed my hope for reconciliation.

I found your theology to be every bit as appalling – and maybe even more so – than your followers.

To be blunt, as a Christian, I don’t recognize your God and I have no clue what the good news is in the Institutes. That some people are saved no matter what? I guess that’s good for them. But you’re clear that God also creates people for eternal damnation,

By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, other to eternal damnation; and accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestined to life or to death. (3.21.5)

And you also say that God tricks some of those same people He dooms to hell into thinking He loves them by “instilling into their minds such a sense of his goodness as can be felt without the Spirit of adoption” simply so he “better convince them.” (3.2.11) John, what kind of perverse and manipulative God would do that?

But it gets worse.

Much worse.

For, according to you, God ordains every single horrific act of evil that has or ever will occur.

As you explain over,

Scripture, moreover, the better to show that every thing done in the world is according to his decree, declares that the things which seem most fortuitous are subject to him. For what seems more attributable to chance than the branch which falls from a tree, and kills the passing traveler? But the Lord sees very differently, and declares that he delivered him into the hand of the slayer. (1.16.6)

And over,

As all contingencies whatsoever depend on it, therefore, neither thefts, nor adulteries, nor murders, are perpetrated without an interposition of the divine will. (1.17.1)

And over,

Let us suppose, for example, that a merchant, after entering a forest in company with trust-worthy individuals, imprudently strays from his companions and wanders bewildered till he falls into a den of robbers and is murdered. His death was not only foreseen by the eye of God, but had been fixed by his decree. (1.16.9)

And over again, God is behind every act of evil that ever takes places,

I concede more – that thieves and murderers, and other evil-doers, are instruments of divine providence, being employed by the Lord himself to execute the judgments which he has resolved to inflict. (1.17.5)

In other words, if a child is raped, a family murdered in their sleep, or an entire population of people sent off to the gas chambers, that wasn’t just the act of evil men. It was the will of God.

And, of course, God doesn’t just have it out for us in this life; God has it out for some people for eternity too because as you say, “Those whom the Lord favors not with the direction of his Spirit, he, by a righteous judgment, consigns to the agency of Satan.” (2.4.1)

You say all of this wrath is due to our depravity. Ignoring Paul’s words affirming the complete opposite, you say ”wherever sin is, there also are the wrath and vengeance of God” (3.11.2) And as if to drive your point home at just how much God hates us, you claim that it’s not just adults that God despises, but infants too because they ”cannot but be odious and abominable to God.” (2.1.8) John, you go to great lengths to establish the total depravity of man, and I agree that we are indeed sinful people. But in the end, based on your own argument, the one looking the most depraved is God. For it is God, not humanity, who ordains evil and institutes eternal torture regardless of act or decision.

Yes, John, you’re right. All of these quotes and points are lacking in their immediate context, but they’re not random thoughts. They are, as you demonstrate so well, the logical conclusions of your theology of divine sovereignty and, therefore, at the very heart of what you believe about God. Worse, this isn’t a case of you overstating without thinking through the conclusions. You’re clear that this sort of God who ordains genocide, murder, rape, children abuse, and every other conceivable horrendous act is the God you worship.

Not surprisingly, you say that we should fear this God, not just honor and revere Him, but actually be terrified of Him. (3.2.26) I suppose on that point we are in at least partial agreement. If this is a God who arbitrarily ordains the death of children and the torment of people before they’re even born, then of course we should fear this God.

Which is why, John, I’ve got to be brutally honest with you.

I think your God is a monster.

I don’t say that casually or based on a handful of random one liners. I say it based on the foundation of your theological project and your insistence on a God who both ordains evil and creates people simply to torment them for eternity. John, this is not the God I find in the Bible, nor is it a God I think is worthy of worship. It’s a God who can only be feared for His arbitrary, callous, and evil ways, and pitied for his enslavement to wrath.

To me, John, your God looks nothing like Jesus of Nazareth. And, for me, that’s a big problem.

Now, John, it wouldn’t be a good breakup letter if I wasn’t clear about why I don’t like you like that anymore (or I guess ever did). I’m know a lot of those reasons are obvious already, but in the spirit of your Institutes, I don’t want to leave any room for doubt as to why we need to go our separate ways.

First, John, as awed as I am by your intellect, you’re way way way too overcommitted to your theological system. I know your methodology and meticulousness are derivative of  your training as a lawyer, and while those can be great qualities in a person, in your Institutes your utter devotion to your theological system creates an unbelievable callousness that is totally foreign to the Jesus I meet in the gospels. Experience, reason, compassion, and even huge chunks of scripture are sacrificed on the altar of your theological system. Relationships require compassion, humility, and at a times a bit of flexibility. John, we’ve all got some work to do in those areas, but that’s especially true for you.

You also have a tendency to talk out of both sides of your mouth. This isn’t good for a relationship because it means I can never really trust what you’re saying. F0r instance, in order to acknowledge the obvious reality of freewill while defending your hardcore understanding of divine sovereignty, you try to create a make believe difference between compulsion and necessity, as if just because we necessarily have to act in a certain way because God has ordained it so, we’re not actually compelled to do that. (2.3.5) John, that makes no sense. Likewise, you argue that even though everything is determined by God long before we even exist, we’re still responsible for out actions. (1.17.5)

Look, I get it, you’ve got a system to maintain and you need to make sense of sin and guilt. But, John, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Either we freely choose to sin and are therefore responsible or God causes us by divine decree to sin and, therefore, God is ultimately responsible. Which leads us to the worst doublespeak of all in your book. You make is clear that God ordains evil, but isn’t the author of it. John, buddy, as you heard throughout your lifetime, if God is the source of and the one who ordains evil acts, then God is the author of evil. Which means your God isn’t really as loving and good as you would have us believe. In fact, your God is pretty stinking evil.

Which is why, John, it’s hard not to conclude that Calvinism is a sustained exercise in the defense against the obvious. By which I mean you’re constantly on the defense against the obvious conclusions of your claims. To your credit you offer up an exhaustive defense. It just runs counter to basic logic. There’s just no way around the fact that you’ve simultaneously created a God who is the author of evil while rendering the Christian life irrelevant because if our eternal fate is already sealed, there is absolutely no point in bothering to live in any particular way.

Also, John, and I’m not trying to be mean here, but your use of scripture is just awful. I know, I know, I know. Who am I to criticize the great John Calvin’s exegesis? But buddy you cherry pick scripture like it’s your spiritual gift. You completely ignore the context of the verses you pick. And, with only a few exceptions, either ignore or dismiss out of hand any and all passages that contradict your position. But, John, I’m not sure that’s even the worst part of it for me.

As a fellow Christian I know this might be a little hard to hear, but you deal surprisingly little with what Jesus himself actually had to say. Sure, you talk about his role in salvation plenty, but when it comes to supporting your various claims, you seem to quote everybody but Jesus. In fact, I’m pretty sure you quoted the entire book of Romans. And yet the words of Jesus himself were few and far between. Knowing your bravado, I’m sure this wasn’t the case but it was almost as if you intentionally ignored him because some of the things he said threw a huge wrench your system that could bring the whole thing crashing down on itself, like that pesky John 3:16-17 loving the whole world and not just the elect nonsense or that stuff in Matthew 25 or James 2 where salvation by faith alone seems to be an unwelcome guest.

But, John, I think the ultimate problem between you and me is the starting point in your grand theological endeavor. For you, everything begins and ends with the glory of God. I wholeheartedly agree that giving glory to God is an important thing. But John, I don’t know what Bible you’re reading if you think that receiving glory is God’s primary interest in and purpose for mankind. If anything, the Bible is a sustained account of God’s disinterest in glory. It’s the story of a God who desires above all to be in a loving relationship with His people and God’s willingness to do anything to make that happen, including abandoning all sense of glory even to that point of death on a cross.

But perhaps the most ironic point in your emphasis on glory is that in your attempt to glorify God you destroy that very glory through your understanding of divine sovereignty and election. For if God ordains murder, rape, and abuse, while creating some people – maybe most people – for eternal torment, then that God is not worthy of glory. Period.

Now, I know your followers today will tell me I’m “misreading” you and don’t understand what you’re “really” trying to say. I heard a lot of that this semester as we tried to reconcile the words on the page with their practical implications. But this letter isn’t about the 450 years of interpretation and reinterpretation that have followed in your wake. I’m responding to the words you yourself wrote. And, for me, what you wrote was far too often abhorrent.

And can I tell you something else, John? I don’t think your followers today are nearly as comfortable with your theology as you are. At least, not a lot of them. Don’t get me wrong. You’re on an incredibly high pedestal for them, but time and time again I see them jumping through hoops and doing mental gymnastics to avoid or at least soften the very clear claims you’re making. And I see others rejecting out of hand some of the things you said, while trying to hold on to the rest.

But I get that. We all want to defend our heroes. The bigger issue I have, John, is that you have a tendency (cause I’ll be the first to admit they’re not all like this) to create incredibly arrogant and sometimes hateful followers who are just as cold, calculating, and callous in their theology and selective in their use of scripture as you are. Just like you, too many of your prominent followers today denounce their critics as heretics while praising God for a whole host of evil things that happen in the world from earthquakes and tornadoes to the marginalization, oppression, and destruction of people made in the image of God.

John, I don’t know how to say it any other way – you’ve got a bad habit of making disciples that aren’t very christlike in their love, mercy, compassion, and grace towards others.

Now, I know if you were still around to respond, you would probably tell me like you did so many of your opponents, that I’m a “virulent dog” (3.23.2) or maybe a satellite of Satan (3.17.1) because in my “rebellious spirit” (3.21.4) I have the audacity to question your understanding of God, God’s sovereignty, and election which I should never do (3.21.1-2) because by doing so I ”assail the justice of God.” (3.21.7)

Maybe you’re right.

Maybe I am an agent of Satan lost in my own heresy and sin and I just don’t realize it.

But John, I don’t think I am. Like the millions of Christians that came before you and billions that have come after, I believe in a God who confronts sin with grace, defeats evil with love, and offers redemption to all.

Which is why, John, it’s not going to work out between the two of us.

Maybe when I see you in heaven and we both see things a bit clearer, we can try this relationship thing again.

But for now, I think you would agree, we need to go our separate ways.

It’s what’s best for the both of us.

Grace and Peace,

Zack Hunt

- See more at: http://theamericanjesus.net/?p=12190#sthash.BDLgTN1f.dpuf

You might be a Bass Pro Wanna Be if...

Follow @BASSChaplain Now for years I have been telling people that I am America's number 1 Bass Pro Wannabe. I mean I collect Big League Bass Pro Cards, have every Bassmater episode from 1985 to the present on VHS, and I can tell you who won Buggs Island in 1993. However I wanted to jot down a few thoughts that may show you if you just may be a Bass Pro Wannabe too. So in true Blue Collar Radio style… here's your sign!

1) If you have ever pulled up to fish the tournament and the guy checking live wells says "Let these guys through, they are going shrimping"! You might be a Wanna be!

2) If your boat dies 100 yards from the blast off. You might be a Wanna be!

3) If your number one Sponsor is Visa or Master Card. You might be a Wanna be!

4) If you live in a $15,000 trailer and you fish out of a $50,000 Bass boat.  You might be a Wanna be!

5) If your live well is a 105 Quart igloo cooler. You might be a Wanna Be!

6) If your go to bait is the Helicopter Lure. You might be a Wanna Be!

7) If Your wife can quote the top 5 finishers of Last year's Bass Master Classic. You might be a Wanna Be!

8) If you draw the #1 blast off and trade down for fear of being run over. You might be a Wanna Be!

9) If you have ever brought in a limit to the scales that weighed less than 5 pounds. You might be a Wanna Be!

10) If you spend your family Vacations at Bass Pro Shop instead of Disney. You might be a Wanna Be!

11) If You fish in a bass tournament on your wedding day! You might be a Wanna Be!

12) If you always say the name Rick Clunn in a Hallowed Whisper. You might be a Wanna Be.

13)If you have ever said the phrases: " It's just time on the water" or "If they gave me free stuff" I could be a Bass Pro too. You might be a Wanna Be.

14) If you consistently brag about "Winning Practice Day". You might be a Wanna Be!

15) If you have a sublimated shirt that has "Fruit Jar Tournament Champion" on it. You might be a Wanna Be.

16) If you are happy about winning $235  in a club tournament when you spent $2000 to do it. You might be a Wanna Be!

17) If you read Bass master Magazine in Church. You might be a Wanna Be!

18) If you film Bass fishing videos with your phone in your John boat, and put them on You Tube as instructional Fishing Videos. You might be a Wanna Be!

19) If You ACTUALLY want to Beat Charlie Moore. You might be a Wanna Be!

20) And finally. If you have ever gotten into a fight over whether you think Bill Dance or Roland Martin is a better fisherman. You might just be a Wanna BE!!

In 2004 I started Wellspoken Ministries with a passion to challenge people to live in an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. I love opening up the Word of God to share with people about how they can know Christ personally. If you are thinking about doing an event to reach out to Sportsmen of any kind, I would love to speak with you about coming to your church.

Chris Wells

The Bass Chaplain

Go ahead! Steal the Bible!!

Follow @BASSChaplain

If you look up a list of the Ten top selling books of all time, you will find the Holy Bible sitting on top of the  heap! It is estimated that over 6 Billion copies of the Bible have been sold world wide. The nearest competitor comes in at just over 600 million. I am looking over at my bookshelf as I write this, and from my desk I can see 7 copies of the Bible in plain sight. If I dug a little deeper Im sure that I could come up with a few more copies that are tucked away. My I phone has a Bible application that includes every known version of the Bible that exists today.

If you don't own a copy of the Bible it's your fault. You can download it for free, send for a free copy from me, or walk to most any Christian Church and get one. OR, the next time you check into a hotel…….TAKE THE BIBLE!  Yes I told you to steal the Bible. Do you know what will happen if you take the Bible out of a Hotel room? A Gideon will magically appear like a Gnome, and put it right back! That is why they place them there. For you to have.

It's safe to say that the Bible is more available now, than any other time in our history, however it's less read now than any other time in our history! How do I know that? Its simple. If people read the Bible it would change the way  they live their lives. You see the Bible is unlike any other book that has ever been written It's different from Treasure Island, Oliver Twist, Shades of Gray, and the Twilight Series. As a matter of fact I have never met anyone that has said: " I read the Twilight series and I really think God was speaking to me. He was saying "Be a Vampire, Be a Vampire!!" No one ever reads Treasure Island and says: " I think God wants me to be a pirate". However countless thousands have read the Bible and come away saying "God spoke to me through the Bible!" Why is that? Because the Bible is how God chooses to reveal Himself to us.

The Bible says about itself in Hebrews 4:12: "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart".  It is a book that God actively uses to speak to the hearts of people. Why then if it is so widely available and the testimony is so powerful, do people, even Christians not bother to read it?

I want to challenge you to discover or re-discover the Bible this year. If you don't know where to begin or how to start, keep these tips in mind.

1) Don't worry about how much or how fast you read the Bible. Take your time. I have a friend named Jeremy Kingsley who said :"Read the Bible through in a year, why? We don't read the Bible to finish it. We read it to change." Let God change and correct you as you go.

2) Remember the Bible is a lamp to your feet, not a spotlight for your future. Have you ever been in a dark room where you couldn't see where to step? You light a match or use the light of your phone not to light the entire room, but to see your next step. The Bible wants to give you light for that day. When  you read ask God to show you your next step.

3) Learn to read the Bible in its context. One of the single greatest dangers of Bible reading is to take the verse out of its context. Read the passage and let it speak to you in the context of which it was written

4) Be a doer not just a hearer. So many of us know what the Bible says, but often times we don't DO what it says. Don't just read it. Let is sink in, and affect the way you live you life.



*For more tips on getting a Bible, reading a Bible, and putting the principles of the Bible to work in your life. Contact Chris at: Chris@chriswells.org

Life Lessons from Richard Sherman.

Last night as the Seattle Seakhawks defeated the 49ers to advance to the Super Bowl, an interesting phenomenon occurred.  A reporter immediately stuck a microphone in the face of defensive back Richard Sherman for Seattle, and asked him to break down the final play of the game. His response as one person put it turned the vast majority of Americans into Denver Bronco fans for the super bowl.

As I watched and rewatched Sherman's self praising tirade played over and over on the Media. As it trended on twitter, yahoo. google and most every other major Social media outlets some major life lessons hit me like a ton of bricks. I wondered if 5 minutes after Sherman did that the sobering realization of what he said turned into deep regret. I thought about how many times in my own life I have said something I wish I hadn't, just moments after I said it. I look back at something in the light of common sense and think "Ohh that didn't come out like I thought".  So I want to take this opportunity to not bash Richard Sherman, but learn some life lessons and hopefully put them into practice in my own life, and maybe you can too.

1) Try not to speak in the heat of emotion.  Boy that's easier said than done isn't it. Anyone who played high school football with me knows I was that guy, and truth be told, I can still be that guy today.  This is especially true when you have the gift of zingers. When you  think fast enough to put a  little hurtful quip out there to put someone in their place.  The book of Romans says "Don't live under the control of your sinful nature. If you do, then you will think about what your sinful nature wants. Live under the control of the Holy Spirit."  Conviction duly noted Chris Wells.

2) Realize the tongue is dangerous. My pastor once said that the phrase: "Sticks and Stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is a lie from the depths of Hell. Words can damage far more than any physical assault. Sherman should have guarded his tongue, but before you go jumping Chris, walk to the mirror and examine yours. The book of James speaks of the dangers of the tongue. "but no human being can tame the tongue, it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." Chris you need God to tame your tongue.

3) You always look better not tearing people down in public- I don't know what Michael Crabtree said to Richard Sherman during the game. Im sure it was probably as bad as anything Sherman said. However Sherman said it in public. Now I'm not saying at all that there isn't a time to say someone is doing wrong in public. There most certainly is. The Bible gives us this protocol: " If someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently."  The procedure is to seek that person out privately first. Then proceed from there. Take note Chris Wells.

Im sure Richard Sherman will regret that decision. We all have regrets. The key is to not live there. To confess forgive and Repent. That's what I'm going to do. How bout you?