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Living in-between

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Living in the in-between can be a challenging experience, as we find ourselves neither in one place nor the other. This creates uncertainty and confusion, making it difficult to know how to move forward. As followers of Jesus, it is crucial that we cling to our faith and hope in Him during these times. I can’t help but think of this every Easter, when I think of Jesus’ first followers. The Saturday in-between Friday and Sunday must have been full of so much. What were they feeling?

They had “pushed all the chips in” so to speak to follow Jesus. They didn’t have an alternative. Their hope and faith had been put in him, he had told them he would defeat death and rise from the dead, but did they believe it? I think often times in life we feel the same whether it’s with following Jesus, following his call, or with almost every big decision in our lives.

How do we move forward in the in-between? Faith. Hope. Ultimately Jesus himself.

Our faith is what gives us a foundation for our beliefs and actions. In Hebrews 11:1, we read that “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Our faith in Jesus is what gives us confidence in the future, even when we don’t have all the answers or know what the future holds.

Our hope in Jesus is what keeps us going, even when we are living in the in-between. In 1 Peter 1:3, we are reminded that our hope is living, and it comes from Jesus’ resurrection. This means that our hope is not just a wish or a dream, but something solid and real that we can count on. It is a hope that transcends our current circumstances and reminds us that there is more to life than what we can see.

Living in-between can also be an opportunity for growth and transformation. As we hold on to our faith and hope in Jesus, we learn to trust Him more deeply and to lean on Him more completely. In James 1:2-4, we read that the testing of our faith produces perseverance, and that perseverance can lead to maturity and completeness in our faith.

Take heart, and remember that even when we are living in-between, Sunday is coming. The resurrection, the new life and hope that we have in Jesus Christ are just around the corner. Let us trust in Him, hold on to our faith and hope, and allow this time of testing to produce perseverance and growth. He is with us every step of the way, guiding us, comforting us, and leading us through the in-between.

ARE YOU PROUD OF ME?

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That was the question Ollie asked me with the biggest eyes I’ve ever seen from him yesterday as he rode his big boy bike for the first time by himself.

I so badly wish we had that first ride on video and more over his reaction. The sheer joy, celebrating and his deep-heart question moved me, it even still moves me to tears.

My answer was of course, “YES BUDDY. I’M SO PROUD OF YOU! I’m the most proud that you kept trying even when it was hard!”

In that moment, I learned a lot about my son, myself and even God.

See what Ollie was seeking, we all seek – approval, acceptance, love and surety.

I was taken back to when I was a little boy and sought the same thing. I was reminded of many people around me, that are asking me, as a coach and pastor, the same question, but not nearly as direct as Ollie did.

Sadly some of us, didn’t have the loving home that provided, what we were looking for. Sadly many of us, had parents that spoke to us and because of the way they spoke to us our heads are full of negative, hurtful self-talk.

I was reminded of God’s words when Jesus was baptized, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matt 3:17)

For those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus, these words are true of us true. The father is well pleased, more pleased than I ever could be of Oliver. I’m imperfect and surely, even in my deep love for Ollie, will let him down.

God won’t.

It was a teachable moment for my little big man, but also for me, the proud daddy to learn something too.

I went on to tell Ollie, “I love you and I’m proud to say I get to be your daddy. You are so special son, even if you didn’t ride your big boy bike this well. I love you to the moon and back no matter what!”

Ollie’s response, “I know that dad. I love you too!”

I don’t know where you are today. What you are battling. What you are going through. But I think someone one there needs to read this today. I know I needed to write it.

He loves you and He is proud of you!

#SurpriseUsin6 – Following the leader…

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One of the shifts we have seen serving in Prague as Czech and Europe continue to deeper shifts into what is called post-Christian culture is that the models for missions over the last 50 years are becoming dated. We don’t simply see this as a challenge for the Church in Europe but that the American Church needs to notice, as cultural shifts are happening throughout the world. The question is, “Will we adjust or continue status quo as things have been done, ignoring the changing world around us?” I must offer a disclaimer, the Gospel doesn’t change, but the way we communicate it does.

There’s several buzz words attached to the shift that some are making – insider, missional and incarnational are just a few. While I use these words often, this is nothing new, I believe this was present from the beginning of our faith. Jesus modeled it,

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Then Paul lived it out in the context of serving,

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. … I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. [23] I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:19, 22b-23

This is nothing new, but somewhere in the last 50 years, we started buying into attracting people to us, planning programs, writing manuals to go through, in the place of GOING TO THEM as Jesus did and his early disciples followed His lead on. So this is nothing new, it’s more like getting back to our roots and being “old school” even though we attach different words to these things today.

Nonetheless we need not get hung up on our systems, theories and programs and start BEING the church again and become all things to all, so that we might win some and then we share in their blessing.

The question for us is will we, the Church, observe, adapt and ultimately follow Jesus’ lead?

#SurpriseUsin6 – “Why football?” pt. 2

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I was asked, “Why football?” During the start of our trip back and in my first post about this, I shared that I worshipped God through my work in the details as a coach and as a result that allows me to be fully present for my players and those in our organization. The other reason why I coach football is that through coaching I can show our guys God’s love in practical ways, which in a post-Christian society goes a long way.

Showing God’s love in practical ways comes in many different forms and it starts with stepping back and being very, very intentional. One of the ways we show this is radical generosity, which is a deep value of ours. Radical generosity means meals, creative opportunities for team building, donuts at practice and more! Generosity changes people.

Another way I show God’s love is through coaching differently, while I’m passionate and get excited, I strive to coach how I think Jesus would coach, and also be me in the process. I’m not Tony Dungy and I’m not Dabo Swinney, while I wouldn’t mind to have their success, I’m not them, I’m Zach Harrod and God wants to me to coach my guys and lead in the way he made me and ultimately in the way of Jesus. So for me, that means being quick to say, “I’m sorry” when I get too excited and need to repair a bridge. Being this type of coach is delicate balance between being a friend and also being an authority, which leads to those moments when I need to swallow my pride and pursue forgiveness. Also being this type of coach, and ultimately friend, means being honest and truthful, even if that isn’t the popular thing. I like how Brian Knight put it, “The simple skill of honesty is to tell the truth as you understand it, with love and purpose, in an effort to share something of value.”

“Why football?” Simply put, it allows me to bring value, love and purpose through relationship, which has led to character change and eternal change through a common language. While I’m still growing as a coach, leader and man, I’m humbled to see God move through the sport!

#SurpriseUsin6 – Surprise us with love!

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We are back in the Lake Geneva area for a few more days before heading back, the 6 weeks that have been part of our #SurpriseUsIn6 series, are nearly behind us. The only significant traveling before us comes on Tuesday when we head back to Prague. As Míša shared in an earlier post there have been some downs and some struggles along the way on this trip, but there have been amazingly beautiful moments as well!

When we started this #SurpriseUsIn6 deal, it started with a prayer and hope that God would surprise and he has. Through this trip God has taught us more than we could have expected. We had hoped that God would bring a lot of the pleasant surprises but knew the bitter ones might be there too. When we started these posts, I found Psalm 90:13-14 in the Message paraphrase and it is has been a source of encouragement for us:

“Come back, God – how long do we have to wait? – and treat your servants with kindness for a change. Surprise us with love at daybreak; then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.”

There have been moments of tears, when we were asking, “How long God?” Moments when we were real with him and asked, “Why?” Then there have been sweet moments of love where we have been surprised, which led to a skip and a dance. As we sit days away from returning to Prague we are waiting with anticipation for daybreak and a surprise! Honestly we don’t know what to expect, we don’t know how we will see the needed support raised, we don’t know where we will be Sunday or even if we will have one last chance to share our story of God’s work in our lives and through our lives, but we do know that in the midst of these things that God knows and we can cling to Him.

As I write this I sit in a quiet house, everyone is asleep and while I’m tired and even a bit sorrowful that things might not have gone how we desired, my heart is full, I’m thankful and I’m hopeful that God will show at daybreak tomorrow morning and I know He will be enough no matter if daybreak brings more waiting or more skipping!

 

#SurpriseUsin6 – #HeWillSurelyDoIt

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It’s more than a hashtag.  It’s been my anthem for nearly 16 years, when it comes to my approach towards raising support and trusting God to provide for me and now for our family.  It’s from 1 Thessalonians 5:24, which reads:

“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

I don’t remember exactly when this became my anthem, I think it was as I sat in a my car pleading with God to provide and show up in my life, as I was first raising support to go to Prague for my two year internship.  See I had been invited to a big fund raising event and told that I would have a chance to share and, Lord-willing, see some new people partner with me to make a difference in Czech.  Which was HUGE because I had seen very little new support from the area I grew up in, but I was still hopeful.

It didn’t go as I had hoped.  I sat there, no chance came.  No one barely even talked to me.  I went to my car heartbroken and angry with those who invited me and seemingly forgot about me,  ultimately I was frustrated with God.  I asked, “God why would I go there and just sit in the corner and be ignored? Why God?”  I continued, “God you called me to this, I know that, why aren’t you showing up?  I don’t know who is going to help me here.”  

As I wrestled with God in my little Oldsmobile Achieva, I didn’t hear any answers, no big signs came.  Nothing.  Just silence. Then I got to the point where I just shut my mouth, sat in my own frustration and waited.  What seemed like forever later this verse came to my mind and these thoughts, “God is big, God has called me, God is faithful, He provides for what He calls to, keep trusting, keep moving towards Him, keep going.  He will surely do it!”  

God moved in that moment in my life, that was when I began to get traction when it came to raising support in the area where I grew up.  God indeed provided.  He surely did it and He continues to do it!  Míša and I need this reminder often and we pray it often.  

So the question is, “What is your IT, that you need him to surely do?”

 

#SurpriseUsin6 – Doing more by doing less

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Written by Míša Harrodová

Not many things change your world like becoming a parent. I thought I had some idea what it’d be like because I helped a lot with my brother, who’s 16 years younger than me.

Nope.

Really, I can’t think of a single thing that hasn’t changed since Ollie joined us almost 2 years ago.

A lot of those changes have been valuable lessons. God’s been using all of the unexpected, tiring yet miraculously energizing, overwhelming and fulfilling to teach us things that – I think – would not be normally accepted.

For me, one of the lessons applied to my demand for control. I have a plan, a way I expect things to go, and I want everything to go according to that plan. When things start going awry, I get anxious and even unpleasant.

When Ollie joined us I learned quickly, I wasn’t in control anymore, it started during labor and continues!

I pictured being able to do A LOT of things I used to do with little to no change.  Things like getting coffee with my friends, reading, getting to places on time, NEVER working around my child’s nap time, preparing for meetings I have, studying and getting deeper into things I want to give my time to and etc.

To my surprise, that’s not how it went. I often feel like I’m just trying to navigate through a lot of chaos, don’t have any time to myself, and have no capacity to read, study or prep. Sometimes it is really hard just to listen to another person and sometimes even harder to simply shower.

But through this all, something amazing happened. The relationships that I had seemed to be deeper! How? Instead of being prepped and having a plan of how my meeting would go, I had to start being real – share my mess, hang out, be ok with the fact that we don’t always have a clean house, I don’t always take shower or put my make-up on and I ultimately learned to trust God in the midst of it all.

God showed me, that by me doing less – and He understands why – HE IS CAPABLE OF DOING MORE! By learning to give up control, I learned this amazing truth about our heavenly Father.

Want to help us reach out goal before we head back to Prague on February 12th?  CLICK HERE to help us!

#SurpriseUsIn6 – “Why Football?”

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Recently someone asked me, “Why would you invest so much in football in Prague & not just be a pastor?” I wasn’t offended, I’ve been hearing something like this for years. The first reason is that I believe the Bible makes it clear that we can indeed worship God in the most mundane of things, that’s why Paul wrote this,

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Cor. 10:31

I believe that doing my work well and unto the Lord is a spiritual act of worship, even though that might be watching hours of game film or putting together playbooks. It’s the priesthood of the believer (1 Peter 2:9), that Luther wrote so much about. I’ve always loved this quote from Luther,

“The Christian shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

I wonder how Luther would answer the gentleman who asked me about football, I think it would be something like, “The Christian football coach does his duty not by merely dropping, “Jesus” in every interview, but by being prepared, loving and listening to his players, by being fully present for his players and pushing them to be the best men on and off the field that they can be and is also ready to share the Good news when the Lord gives the opportunity.”

Wow. As I’m sitting here that got me more than a little fired up to do what I do, the way I do it, where I do it. There are more reasons to “WHY FOOTBALL?” that will follow in another posts, but I think that is sufficient for this moment. My question to you is,

How would Martin Luther’s quote about the shoemaker look in your context?

I’d love to see what you think. We hope and pray our #SurpriseUsIn6 posts are encouraging to you and challenge you in your own life. We also are still trusting God through many like you reading this to SURPRISE us in our last 6 weeks in the States and help us go back to Prague fully funded on February 12th! If you’d like to help you can CLICK HERE to give today!

#SurpriseUsIn6 – Why it is so GREAT being in the States to raise support?

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Written by Míša Harrodová

I’m going to be honest with you, raising support is hard. Sometimes, I don’t even want to think about it and pretend it’s not something we gotta do. I don’t want to start worrying when things don’t go the way we had pictured them.

BUT it is also really great. It helps us see the bigger picture and the perspective that we might had lost in the midst of everyday tasks and regular rhythms of ministry. It makes us stop, think, reevaluate and dream. It gives us more opportunities to pray than ever, as we traveling a lot ?. It shows us that we still have ways to go in trusting God completely when we start to worry and don’t know how things will go for us.

It ‘causes’ us meet with our friends – partners – potential supporters and have conversations. During these conversations we remember more and more why it is that we love Czechs and long for them to meet Jesus and to know his deep love. It helps us appreciate every single meeting and opportunity to share because God can stir people’s hearts in ways we don’t understand but can hope for.

We can go back to the people, city, country and continent God has called us to with fresh perspective and zeal that we wouldn’t regain through any other experience.

That’s why we are THANKFUL for support raising. It can get really difficult and sometimes very discouraging but through the support raising process we surprisingly grow to loving the process and the opportunity. ?

We trust God to provide for us and for the mission amongst Czechs that he’s called us to, but if you’d like to become an answer to our prayers for support and an encouragement to us in the midst of one of the most difficult support raising seasons we’ve had yet, please contact us or CLICK HERE. Let’s talk and then start partnering to see God draw Czechs back to Himself!

#SurpriseUsIn6 – Church in the City

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In our #SurpriseUsIn6 series, we haven’t shared too much yet about what we do in Prague. We have shared more about why we do it and what we are hoping and praying for as we do it. Today I thought it would be great to share some about the church we are part of in the center of the city and how our church loves the City of Prague.

Christians love the 29th chapter of the Jeremiah, but often we don’t read the whole chapter, leaving out key information – it was written to people in exile in a place that wasn’t their home. One of the key verses that has always shaped our thoughts and hopes for our church is 29:7:

“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

We seek and strive to be a community of people that long to see Prague thrive and be the most beautiful she as a city could possibly be. We pray for Prague and the people that live in Prague, because we believe that when Prague thrives, we thrive. We don’t look at our city scornfully and with judgement, but we seek to have the posture of Jesus, who “drew near and saw the city and he wept over it.” So we seek the welfare of Prague, we pray for her and her people, we long for her to live to her potential and we know that in that as Prague becomes a blessing, we will also be blessed, too. Which is a beautiful truth we see throughout the Bible, that we are blessed to be a blessing.

What would your city look like if you and your church had the posture of Jesus, if you sought the welfare of your city?

As we share our #SurpriseUsIn6 posts, of course we are sharing in hopes that many of you reading this will be part of God surprising us and helping us reach full support, BUT we also want to encourage people, so that Jesus might be made much of where you are, and that the beauty of the Gospel would transform OUR communities across the globe! So please stop and pray for your city. Then pray for Prague, our church, and for us that God would surprise us!

Do you want to be part of what we are doing, CLICK HERE to give.

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