December 28, 2015
Where do you look: what’s happening on the field… or, at the numbers on the scoreboard?
The best answer is probably “C:” which is, “all of the above.”
In football, we’re heading into the Bowls; college and pros will both provide excitement aplenty between now and February 7. The live crowd will have to rubber-neck between the grass and the glass: plays on the field will be amazing, but the numbers on the scoreboard will tell the tale.
In the theaters right now, there’s no question regarding the winner; the attention is on the screen and on the box office. You’ve probably had numerous plot-busters give you the surprises from The Movie, but the headlines are going to the worldwide revenue for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Just rolling past $1 billion – in the first two weeks – it’s on-pace for new records.
The selection criterion for the players on the Main Stage for the next Republican Debate – January 14, in Charleston – have been announced to cheers… and jeers. The national polls are as competitive as the race they’re calling; most are winnowing the field – currently – to four contenders: Trump – with 2x support over #2 – Cruz, Rubio and Carson. The rest of the roster are all throwing elbows at <3%. On the platform – on the trail, and at the debates – they throw some zingers. Ultimately: candidates can lie, but numbers don’t.
For The Master’s Program, we’re in the same ministry league finals as many of our collaborative Kingdom peers: it’s all about what’s happening on the field… and the numbers on the scoreboard.
On the field, the plays happening for TMP – literally, around the world – would have you on-your-feet, watching performances by people who used to sit behind you in the stands (at church), who are now in full-pads, playing to win in their Calling, while doing better-than-ever in their career.
On the scoreboard, people impacted by TMP are giving more time and money to things with Eternal value than ever before. The net-impact for the Kingdom – measured in generosity pointed toward thousands of churches and ministries supported by our Master’s community – is demonstrating the 100x that Jesus talked about: “…but the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:23).
Earthbound scoreboards are limited to human potential: football games and movie premiers operate within bounded parameters. Eternal scoreboards have no limit in digits: when God is in the mix, 10,000% returns (that’s 100 times as much) are within the reach of His Kingdom.
One scoreboard, for us, is immediately apparent: we have our normal year-end challenge of regaining the reserves we’ve used during 2015 to subsidize our ministry to you and others. Since initiating this effort, 78 friends have responded.
The number we need to win (to end the year at break-even): $384,000. The gifts we’ve received, as of Saturday: $193,092. We’re hopeful that the remaining $190,908 will be arriving during this last week of the 2015 ministry year.
You can’t affect a Bowl game; you’ll only watch football. You will get a chance to vote in the national elections; there is power at the polls, as an American citizen. But, in the great Eternal effort, you have immense participative potential. Help us score in the final minutes of the 2015 contest!
I can’t wait to see what God – and, you! – will do in the last few plays of the game!
Bob Shank
Great message as usual Bob.
Our skins in the game … we’re in the game together.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19