Nick Saban just won his 7th National Championship at the age of 69. (six with Alabama in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and now 2020.)
He started coaching at the age of 22. At the age of 52 he won his first national championship as head coach of LSU.
Then at the age of 56 he was hired as head coach of Alabama. Since the age of 58 he has won 6 national championships.
For 30 years he learned the craft of coaching before his first championship. Here is the 2021 life lesson:
“Most Christian leadership is exercised by people who do not know how to develop healthy, intimate relationships and have opted for power and control instead. Many Christian empire-builders have been people unable to give and receive love.”
Henri Nouwen
I agree with “most” of this statement except that no one knows the hearts of “most” Christian leaders. Henri’s journey was an interesting process of self discovery of his motives for pursuing position within the Christian community and academia which were rooted in his desire to be loved. He then learned to allow others to truly love “HIM” not for what he did and not for the knowledge he acquired during his time as an academic, because they chose to love “HIM”.
It is harder to receive love than to give it. To receive we must open our heart to someone else and allow their love to take root in our heart. Once it has taken root, then we are vulnerable to the pain we will experience when we lose their love, either through their death or their decision to withdraw their love. Many people do not receive the love of others because they do not want to risk the pain. We must open our hearts to love but we instinctively know we cannot control genuine love. It is the lovers to give and the lovers to withhold. And this is what mankind fears more than anything else.
This is why few really experience the love of God.
1 John 4:7-19
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.
If all we do is focus on what’s wrong with others we will never see the redemption that awaits them. Love sees the brokenness but rests in the assurance of the restoration.
God saw the Abraham in Abram long before He gave him a new name.
He saw the Israel in Jacob long before He gave him a new name.
He saw the Peter in Simon long before he gave him a new name.
August 6, 2020
We have released our newest resource “I remember, I Prayed.”
If you are like most Christians, developing and maintaining a consistent prayer life is challenging at best and often discouraging. You have charged out of the starting gate fully determined to make it happen only to realize a few weeks or months later that the fire of good intentions has slowly cooled to a few burning embers. Yet hope remains.
B4eternity has created a revolutionary approach towards cultivating a consistent daily prayer life. I Remember, I Prayed is a life journal, prayer journal and daily planner all rolled together into one. And when embraced within a community of believers heaven is the limit.
This 90 day resource begins with planning who and what you will pray for during the next 90 days and includes a section to define scriptural faith declarations to strengthen your faith as you recite them daily. Each day you will record what took place in your life during the previous day, track what you pray for and schedule your prayer time for the next day. At the end of each 90 season of prayer you will have a permanent record of your life journey and your daily prayer focus.
This is the prayer resource you have waited for and hoped you would find. I Remember, I Prayed will guide you into a daily intentional life of prayer.
John Pearson has recently published a three volume set of books titled The Spirit, The Scribe, The Journey.
Jesus boldly stated His sheep follow him because they know his voice. When He left the earth to return to His Father, He promised the Father would send the Holy Spirit in His name and that the Holy Spirit would teach His sheep all things and bring to their remembrance everything He taught.
How do you hear the Spirit of God speak to you? Through the Bible? Through preaching and teaching? Through nature? Through music? How you hear His voice is not as important as hearing His voice.
This book series is a collection of entries from journals the author John Pearson has kept since the mid 1980’s. The entries captured here are focused on his spiritual journey as he was led by the Holy Spirit. Some are notes from studying the Bible, some are thoughts and insights born out of prayer and meditation. Some are poetry or lyrics for songs. Some are just moments where God showed up in his life and changed everything.
It is John’s hope that you also will encounter the Holy Spirit as you read about his experiences with the Holy Spirit. For He is the true teacher and guide in this journey of life.
Use the links below to purchase your own copies.
The Spirit, The Scribe, The Journey: Volume 1: Kindle Edition or Print Edition.
The Spirit, The Scribe, The Journey: Volume 2: Kindle Edition or Print Edition.
The Spirit, The Scribe, The Journey: Volume 3: Kindle Edition or Print Edition.
Well, 2020 is here. And along with a new year comes the official launch of B4eternity. Our mission is simple: “Empowering God’s people to become who He created then to be“. The challenge? Doing this online.
John Pearson, the founder of B4eternity, has always worked in person when helping others grow. So this is a bit different than what he has done in the past.
The current plan is to coach others by through books, weekly newsletters, podcasting and video, etc.
Stay tuned as we progress through 2020.
This summer I am teaching a class for Single Adults at Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Ky.
6 STEPS for Living a Healthy Christian Lifestyle and Cultivating Better Relationships
Healthy Faith: A Relationship
Healthy Esteem: What God Says About Me
Healthy Disciplines: Prayer, Fasting, The Word
Healthy Thinking: Renewing the mind
Healthy Heart: The Bitter Truth
Healthy Judgement: Understanding Others
Healthy Boundaries: When Yes Means No
How would you describe living a healthy christian life and having healthy boundaries?
As we progress through the summer I will be posting my thoughts on each step.
Looking forward to the journey.
Bless God
John Pearson
We are excited at B4eternity. We are in the process of updating our web presence. Stay Tuned for more info as we progress towards our goal.
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