As Christians we must have credibility, right thinking, and a servant's heart so that we can be the best team player in the Kingdom of God. There's no room for elbowing each other as Christians or wondering how you can always get the credit. We are after accuracy in Christ and leading with a servant's heart. JOY stands for (Keep) Jesus First, Others second & You third.

In 2nd Samuel 19, David has the sense to listen to the wisdom of an older man named Barzillai. As we age, we don't mail it in and we never retire from proclaiming Christ. Moses didn't hit his stride until the near end of his life. No matter your age, the Holy Spirit wants to transform you into the image of Christ and allow you to use your wisdom to help others in their faith.

In 2 Samuel 19, David chose to forgive Shimei and others who had previously bashed him. Jesus Christ tells us as Christian’s to forgive just as our Father in heaven has forgiven us. Jesus modeled what true forgiveness looks like. We pardon others because Jesus first pardoned us.

In 2nd Samuel 19, David reenters as king of Israel and he is greeted by some of the people that booed him when he was kicked out of Israel. David pardons Shimei and he shows that he trusted in God's sovereignty. As Christians if we are in Christ, then we can't seek revenge, but allow The Lord to handle it. We must follow Jesus' example and forgive others as Jesus forgave and pardoned us.

Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and defeated death. Believers are born-again (John 3:3) by the Spirit of God. God has put all things under His authority.We have been transferred from death to life and God has spiritually adopted us as his child. If you are a Christian, you are living under supernatural power. Our labor in this world is not in vain with the Lord.

We "Get To" worship an ALIVE andRESURRECTED JESUS. Religion is man's attempt to reach God, but salvation is God coming down through Jesus Christ to reach man. Jesus died on a cross to fully pay for our sin, and he rose three days later and defeated death. It's not do more, try harder.It's dying to our old self daily. We get a new life from dying not trying. Trusting in Jesus Christ as your savior is what it's all about!!

As Christians we need a biblical worldview so that we don't drift with the culture. Adultery, alcohol, and arrogance are three drifts that the Bible addresses. If you are in a drift mentality, then you will allow the devil to lead you to places that you would never have thought you would go.

John the Baptist was relentless in talking about the kingdom of God. John was disciplined and he countered pressure with pressure. As Christians we must develop discipline and resistance so we can be circumstance-free in our approach to the Kingdom of God.

John the Baptist was a game changer in the culture and people noticed him and felt him. John maximized his time on earth because he knew his role that the Lord had given him.  As Christians, we must bloom where we are planted onto the glory of the Lord and we must be a game changer in the culture and rely on the Holy Spirit.

In John 11, John the Baptist was fearful yet Jesus encouraged him so that he wouldn't fall away. John was in the midst of extreme opposition and even though he was wavering, Jesus praised John. How do you handle the intense line of scrimmage type battles in life? Ephesians 6 tells us how we should prepare for the spiritual battles that we will face and how we need the Word of God and pray to help lead us.

In 2nd Samuel 19, David gets up and takes his seat in the gateway. David showed great resiliency after getting kicked out as king. At times, we've all blown it in life and we've all sinned and missed opportunities to follow the Lord. However, God is for us and we can go to the Lord with wisdom and get back in the paint with Him. Be a comeback king and get off the floor, just like David it did.

Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not human masters." In Super Bowl 27, the Dallas Cowboys were crushing the Buffalo bills, and the game was almost over. The Bills quarterback fumbled the ball and a Dallas Cowboys defender, Leon Lett, picked up the ball and ran it almost 60 yards to the end zone. Buffalo Bills wide receiver Don Beebe sprinted and knocked the ball out of Leon Letts hands right at the goal line, which prevented a Dallas touchdown. Don had the right attitude in Christ and he knew that God had called him to maximize his ability and talent and he was working for the Lord and honoring him with his play. We too can work heartily for the Lord, no matter the situation.

In 1st Samuel 19, Joab tells David the hard message that he needs to get up and stop sulking over the death of his son Absalom. David responds by getting up and getting back into the game. When life hits us hard, we have to immediately go to the Lord, get off the floor, and live the resurrected life that He gives.

In 2 Samuel 18, David hears the news that his son Absalom has died and he weeps bitterly for him. As believers, there's a time to grieve and there's a time to get back up. There are a lot of people dealing with grief and the solution is the Gospel of Jesus Christ because that is where our hope lies. God so loved us that he gave up his only Son, Jesus Christ.

Walter Payton was an all pro running back for the Chicago Bears. Walter maximized his time on and off the field and he was an extremely disciplined athlete. As believers, we have to be strategic in studying the word of God, because we are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ. If we want to be great in the Lord, then we must be disciplined.

In 2nd Samuel 18, Joab disobeys David and kills his son Absalom. Joab throws Absalom in a pit and piles a large heap of rocks over him. If Absalom and Joab had an epitaph written about them, it would probably state that they were rebellious and disobedient. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to live out the calling in our life. What would people put on your tombstone? As long as we have breath, we still have a chance to recalibrate our lives for maximum Kingdom impact.

When our thinking is off, we should seek the Lord and ask Him for wisdom. When our eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ, our thoughts will be taken captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5). Our old life was full of sin, but we now have a new life centered on Jesus Christ.

In this new year, we can rest in our new life in Jesus while trusting in His promises. We should remind fellow believers of our new life and we should keep moving the chains for Christ and proclaiming Him to all. We keep advancing God's kingdom even on an Earth that boos us. As believers, we will suffer, but we can have joy in the Lord because He has overcome all things.

1 John 5 tells us that everyone who believes hat Jesus is The Christ The Son of God has eternal life in heaven. When we accept the free gift that Jesus offers us, we can know for sure that we have eternal life. Collisions will happen in life, but Jesus has overcome the world and our future is secure in Him. This is the Good News of The Gospel that Jesus offers us. Do you know Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior today?

Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers were Hall of Fame football players for the Chicago Bears. They were incredible players despite being on a very mediocre team. As believers, we are called to be marvelous and to shine brightly for Christ, no matter the direction that the culture goes. We can't blend in with a mediocre culture because we have been set apart by the Holy Spirit to shine brightly in a dark world.