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WHERE'S YOUR HEAD?

I remember I had a football coach, Coach Bush, he was the HIGH SCHOOL varsity coach, now I was a 185 lb middle linebacker my sophomore year – I was second string, played all the Junior Varsity games on Saturdays but would dress for the varsity on the Friday night before.


He would allow me in the game a little at the beginning of the season, but not a lot, end of the game type stuff. Then our defensive end, Mike Finnessey, a senior, got hurt. The coach put me in having never even played the position before. It was 4th down and they were punting. On the punt return team, there are only two basic plays, return punt (mock a rush and run backwards to block for your return man) or you go and block the punt. I don’t even think I knew that at the time what the play was – I was going for the kicker.


Well the ball was snapped, I started charging, you know what, before I knew it, I had sacked the kicker, we got the ball and we scored on the next series. I was the hero, I went to the sideline and my team was going crazy. (TRUTH BE KNOWN, MY GUY DIDN’T EVEN BLOCK ME, THE KICKER GOT A BAD SNAP AND HE ALMOST "JUKED" ME, AND I GOT EDGE IF HIS JERSEY WITH MY FINGER TIPS AND SWUNG HIM AROUND FOR THE TACKLE. It was a fluke, but from that day on Coach Bush had his eye on me. But more than that, he expected more of me.


In practice he would constantly be on me as I read the plays and was making a lot of plays but a lot of mistakes in reads as well. There was a constant thing I remember him repeating to me that year, “SON, WHERE’S YOUR HEAD?” Maybe you played some sport and the coach asked you that same question. Perhaps your parents have asked you that, I’m sure mine did.


Maybe your teacher asked that, I know mine did both in high school and college. If you were in the military, I know your drill instructor did. Mine did, bosses even say it. They are basically saying, get your head in the game; pay attention to what is important and what is on the line.


When the coach asked me that, he was basically saying, I need to get my mind on the game. Well, they fired Coach Bush that year, and they hired Harley Eichorn for my Junior and Senior Year, he had a slightly different approach…his was this, EAT, SLEEP AND BREATHE FOOTBALL! He would say (I still use this in my preaching concerning the Christian life and doing something great for God), “Dream of making the big play.” All of these were encouragements for us to stay be successful in our endeavor of football.


Let me ask you, when it comes to the Christian life:…WHERE’s YOUR HEAD? What are you thinking about, where is your mind? Are you dreaming of the world, money, pleasure, and things or do you have your mind on the things of Christ. Are you putting Him first and thinking about what you can do that is wonderful in service and honor to Him?


We have two general mindsets - it is either being carnally mind or spiritually minded. The Bible makes it very clear for us.


Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.


The key to most of your failures or lack of success is found in this verse – this simple to understand, but not often applied verse of God’s Holy writ.


Where’s your mind, God says to us there are two minds, One is carnal and one is spiritual.


Proverbs 23:7 As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.


What I think about, muse upon, focus on, read about, listen to, watch, meditate on - that is what I'm going to become. That is where my head is - so where is your head this today? What are you dwelling upon?


Sometimes we dwell on problems, bitterness, pain, discouragement. Other times it is simply sinful thoughts. Those things will not help us be what God wants us to be. I want my mind to be on the right things so I choose to study and focus on the Lord, His will and the things that will help me to grow and "make the big play" for Him.


The whole passage is applicable but for space, Colossians 3:1-2, 16-17 reminds us about how to keep our mind where it should be:

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 



Pastor Mark Sage

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