Real Success

Deion Sanders, former outfielder for the Atlanta Braves and cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons, is the only athlete to have hit a major league home run and scored an NFL touchdown in the same week. Sanders grew up on the mean streets of Fort Myers, Florida, where exposure to some would-be athletes spurred him to make a success of himself.

He explains: "I call them Idas. If I'da done this, I would be making three million today. If I'da practiced a little harder, I'd be a superstar. They were as fast as me when they were kids, but instead of working for their dreams, they chose drugs and a life of street corners. When I was young, I had practice; my friends who didn't went straight to the streets and never left. That moment after school is the moment we need to grab. We don't' need any more 'Idas.'"

Success has nothing to do with race, social status, giftedness, or privilege. Failure to succeed in life is because we are too content, too lazy, full of too many excuses, and too small a vision for our lives. Success is a choice in our natural lives as well as our spiritual lives. God's doesn't want us to stand at the judgement lamenting, "If I'da been more faithful, "if I'da prayed more," etc. Like Deion said, "We don't need any more 'Idas.'"

As we continue our series of messages on "Discovering Your God-Given Potential," we will explore what "real success" means for God's people. You might be surprised at what we find out.

Hoping you won't be saying, "I wish I'da been there . . ."
Pastor Jeff