What makes a champion?

I don’t often blog about our weekend services at Christ Fellowship, not only because I’ve been traveling so much but also because Dave Helbig, Kerry Mackey and now James Duvall are in a better position to represent our church. Last night, however, Pastor Tom Mullins reminded me of his best friend John Maxwell, who is a teaching pastor here as well. His sermon focused on Olympic Gold, and what makes up a champion’s identity. The questions Tom asked put heart back into me and picked me up from the battlefield. So I decided to share them, briefly, with you.

What defines you? Are there experiences — good or bad — that define you? People? A Job?

Champions are NOT defined by…

  • Fears: “Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly” — William Shakespeare
  • Failure: “Failure is not falling down: it is remaining there when you have fallen.” — Unknown
  • Former Successes: “You can never ride on the wave that went out yesterday.” — John Wanamaker

Rather, our identity in Christ is what focuses us on the life God wants us to live. Philippians 3:14 reminds us that we should forget what is behind and strain towards what is ahead. For me, that was the moment when God stepped into that sermon and spoke to me. Humans have a tendency to get stuck in the mud of our failures, but we’re supposed to forget the past and instead STRAIN toward the future that God has for us. We can be set free from the weight of both our failures and our successes, which can equally weigh us down. This changes everything. Pastor told us that before he left on his recent trip overseas, John Maxwell sat down with Billy Graham for an hour or so, one on one. Always learning from the past, John asked Dr. Graham about the great crusades and move of God he’d been a part of. Dr. Graham — at his age of 90 ish — said, “John, I don’t want to think about the past. I want to talk about the future.” Wow.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for thoe who are in Christ Jesus. — Romans 8:1

I leave you with the three points Pastor threw in at the end of his message.

  1. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Nothing.
  2. Nothing can overpower your life — you are God’s.
  3. Nothing can prevent God’s plan from unfolding.

You can find Pastor’s message on our website here, or look Christ Fellowship up in iTunes.