Happy Friday everyone! It’s been a week. This week, LCC is getting ready to deploy to Georgia at the news of the shooting that happened there at a high school, and we are mourning with that community, and we are preparing to land there this weekend and to bring the hope and the comfort that is only found in Jesus in situations like this.

We’ve also had some joy this weekend, too, and one of the joyous things that happened for us was we got an opportunity – I got an opportunity – to lead a chapel at one of our Lutheran schools, where we had the opportunity to introduce their brand new K-9 Comfort Dog to them. We’re so excited to be able to celebrate with them, and they had this verse and, really, well it was a verse that I wanted to share with you on this Friday as we go into this weekend. These times can be tough and sometimes we stumble and we fall. Yet we have hope in Jesus.

Some of you may know the story that happened in 1992 at the Olympics in Barcelona, when a man named Derek Redmond had visions of going to the gold. He was running the 400 meter race in the semifinals. To win that race would mean that he’d have an opportunity to enter the gold medal race and get an opportunity to fulfill his dream. He was coming around the bend of the track, and he could see the finish line, when all of a sudden he tore a muscle in his leg.

He fell to the ground, then he got up and he began to hop on one leg towards that finish line. The crowd just went silent, and about that time a large man came out through the security guards and through the crowds and pushed on to the track. It was Derek’s father, Jim. And Jim came alongside Derek, and Derek said, “I want to finish.”

And Derek’s dad Jim said, “Then let me help you.” And he put his arm around Derek and helped him get to that finish line. The crowd just watched in stunned silence, but soon everybody just broke out into cheers and tears as they witnessed this love of the father for this son. You know that story is our story because so often in the track of life, we trip up and we stumble and we fall.

And yet God, our Heavenly Father, extends to us His arm through His Son Jesus. The right arm of the Father is what we say where Jesus sits. And Jesus came down to this earth to rescue us and to save us, to lift us up and to see us to the end. And it’s reminding us these words from the Lord, from Hebrews Chapter 12, to keep running, to not give up.

So hear these words again this weekend from Hebrews Chapter 12, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up and let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the Champion who initiates and perfects our faith. And because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated on the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people, then you won’t become weary and give up.”

You know, both things kind of come together for me this week. We see the joy and the celebration of one place and location, and we also see the hurt and the pain and the loss and the devastation in another. And yet perhaps, maybe for me, but maybe some of you need to hear that this weekend too. The message from the Lord is don’t give up. We’re going to get to the finish line because of Jesus.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank You very much for the fact that even when we stumble and fall, You are there to pick us up.

When You ran the race, the race that we’re currently on in life, Lord, You didn’t stumble, You didn’t fall, but You went steadfast to the cross and lived a perfect life, and ran that race victorious. And now that victory is something that You share with us, and a promise to us. We thank You for the forgiveness and the mercy that You give to us, the grace that you show to us.

And for anyone who has stumbled and fallen, or for anyone who has just simply kind of chosen to put their hands on the hips, take a deep breath and maybe say, “I’m not sure it’s worth going on”, but I pray that Your word would encourage them this day. That they would hear Your voice saying, “Get up, we can finish. I’ll lead the way. I’ll help you get there.”

Thank you, Jesus, for Your love. And would you take that love inside of our hearts and help us also, that when we see somebody who’s fallen, don’t let us be like the rest of the world that loves to cheer and to jeer those who have fallen at their misfortunes.

But instead, would You give us that same kind of love that comes along someone else this weekend and puts our arm around them and say, “Don’t give up. Keep going. The Lord is here. The victory is ours.” We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.