God Plays Golf! #5 - Making Solid Contact
Matthew 6:9-15 – Victory Fellowship
Sept. 22, 2024 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
Healing Service
Introduction: God Plays Golf
A young man who was also an avid golfer found himself with a few hours to spare one afternoon. He figured if he hurried and played very fast, he could get in nine holes before he had to head home. Just as he was about to tee off an old gentleman shuffled onto the tee and asked if he could accompany the young man as he was golfing alone. Not being able to say no, he allowed the old gent to join him. To his surprise the old man played fairly quickly. He didn't hit the ball far, but plodded along consistently and didn't waste much time. Finally, they reached the 9th fairway and the young man found himself with a tough shot. There was a large pine tree right in front of his ball - and directly between his ball and the green.
After several minutes of debating how to hit the shot the old man finally said, "You know, when I was your age I'd hit the ball right over that tree." With that challenge placed before him, the young man, hoping to make solid contact, swung hard, hit the ball up, right smack into the top of the tree trunk and it thudded back on the ground not a foot from where it had originally laid. The old man offered one more comment, "Of course, when I was your age that pine tree was only three feet tall."
I. The one that keeps you coming back
a. Practice makes perfect
II. Making Solid Contact
a. In Golf –paying attention to what needs improvement
One day two engineers were out playing a round of golf. They come to a par 3 with a blind tee shot. Both tee off, make solid contact, and watch their ball sail toward the flag. When they get to the green, one of the balls is perched on the lip of the cup and other is in. As it turns out, both were playing Titleist #3s. A heated argument ensued and they finally decided to let the club pro sort the mess out. The pro walked to the hole with them and looked at the ball on the green and then the ball in the hole. He turned to the two engineers in disgust and asked, "Okay. Which of you is playing the white ball and which is playing the orange ball?"
b. In Our Relationships (it’s all about communication)
i. With each other (cell phones)
ii. With God (prayer)
III. Jesus’ Pattern of Prayer for His Disciples (Matt. 6)
a. Speak Directly to God (vs 9) 'Our Father who art in heaven,
b. Praise God (vs 9) Hallowed be Thy name
Despite Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which prohibits religious expression by athletes, - 6 athletes (and 1 nation) gave God the glory at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
U.S. track star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke her own world record and won the gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles event at the Olympics in Paris on Thursday, has often credited her success to God. After having dominated the competition in the U.S. Olympic trials earlier this year and qualifying for the Paris games, McLaughlin-Levrone shared both her amazement in and gratitude to God.
“Honestly, praise God! I was not expecting that, but he can do anything,” she shared at the time. “Anything is possible in Christ. So yeah, I’m just amazed, baffled, and in shock.”
(Solid contact!)
c. Daily Give God Control of Your Life (vs 10) 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
d. Petition God for Your Needs (vs 11) 'Give us this day our daily bread.
e. Seek Forgiveness from God (vs 12) 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
i. Be willing to Forgive Others (vv. 14-15)
"For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
f. Pray for Help With your Trials (vs 13) 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
g. God is Sovereign [For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.]'
IV. Listen for God’s Answers
a. Know that Jesus is Your Intercessor – Pray to God through and in the name of Jesus. (1Tim 2:5-6) 5 For there is one God, [and] one mediator also between God and men, [the] man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony [borne] at the proper time.
V. Conclusion:
a. With everything in Life, communication is the key to making solid contact. Even in our faith, we need to daily communicate with God in prayer through our Intercessor, Jesus. We need to read God’s word every day. (Book of John) The Gideon’s LIFE BOOK.
PRAYER and ANOINTING with OIL
SONG: Somebody Prayed (Crowder)
Matthew 6:9-15 (NASB): "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 'Give us this day our daily bread. 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.]' "For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. "But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
